Daily Prelims Notes 9 September 2023
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Daily Prelims Notes
9 September 2023
Table Of Contents
- Scaling down in nuclear power and space: Why small is now the new big as India opens up two strategic sectors to private participation
- Circular Economy, Smart Cities, Urban Transport – G20 Declarations Impact on Cities
- Climate change has transformed pearl millet cultivation zones in India
- Heatwaves leading to ozone pollution, says WMO report
- World Intellectual Property Organization working towards treaty on traditional knowledge, folklore
- IOC’s ethanol plant at Panipat to reach 100% capacity utilization soon
- As G20 drags feet, UN’s global climate stocktake flags large deficits
- G20 Summit declaration will be voice of global south
Subject: Science & Tech
Section: Nuclear tech
Introduction
- India is focusing on small reactors in nuclear power and space technology to fulfill clean energy commitments and promote foreign policy agendas.
- Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are gaining global attention due to their potential in addressing energy needs.
Global SMR Projects
- Notable SMR projects include the Akademik Lomonosov in Russia, which has two 35 MWe modules and began commercial operation in May 2020.
- Another project is the HTR-PM demonstration SMR in China, which was grid-connected in December 2021.
- Argentina also has experience in working on SMR prototype designs.
India’s Nuclear Progress
- Over the years, India’s civil nuclear program has progressed from 220MWe reactors to 700MWe PHWRs (pressurized heavy water reactors).
- India has expertise in producing and operating small-sized reactors, making them suitable for mid-sized grids and decentralized grid operations.
Characteristics of SMRs
- SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors with a power capacity ranging from 30MWe to 300 MWe, about one-third of traditional nuclear reactors.
- They can produce a substantial amount of low-carbon electricity, offering grid flexibility and baseload power, which aligns with the integration of renewables into the grid.
Space Technology
- The success of Chandrayaan-3 is expected to boost private investment in India’s space ventures.
- The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) facilitates private-sector involvement.
- The SSLV program in space technology will become the first fully privatized domestic rocket program.
2. Circular Economy, Smart Cities, Urban Transport – G20 Declarations Impact on Cities
Subject : IR
Section: GROUPINGS
Introduction:
- In May 2023, a 35-member team from Brazil and other Latin American countries, part of the G20 Troika Youth for Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, visited the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit system in Uttar Pradesh.
G20 Declarations Affecting Cities:
2021 Rome Declaration:
- Endorsed the G20 Platform on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Localisation and Intermediary Cities.
- Collaborated with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and United Nations-Habitat.
- An intermediary city is a medium-sized urban area that falls between large cities and smaller towns, often serving as a regional economic and administrative center.
2019 Japan’s Presidency:
- Briefly mentioned smart cities in the leaders’ declaration.
- Emphasized promoting networking among cities for smart city development.
Urban20 Group:
- Established in 2017, with its first meeting in Buenos Aires in 2018.
- Not an official G20 working group; managed by C40 (global network of Mayors) and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG, network of city and local governments).
- Chaired by the host city from the host country each year.
Urban20 Mayoral Summit 2023:
- Held in Ahmedabad in July 2023.
- With support from the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).
- Mayors from select G20 and invitee countries gather to draft a communique, which is submitted for inclusion in the leaders’ declaration.
- The communique was endorsed by 105 cities, the highest participation in any U20 summit.
- Focused on climate finance and urban reforms, calling for a “Loss and Damage Fund” to finance climate change impact projects.
Notably, no Chinese or Russian cities were represented in the communique.
What is a circular economy?
- It is an economic system aimed at eliminating waste; and the continual use of resources.
- It includes 3 R’s (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle), Refurbishment, Recover, and Repairing of materials.
3. Climate change has transformed pearl millet cultivation zones in India
Subject: Geography
Section: Economic geography
Shift in Bajra (Pearl millet) production zone:
- Shifted to 18 districts spread across eastern Rajasthan and Haryana between 1998 and 2017.
- Cause: Increase in rainfall triggered by human-induced climate change.
Zonal classification:
- India classifies pearl millet cultivation zones based on rainfall patterns and soil types.
- Zone A: Semi-arid regions in north and central India, including southern Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, which receive more than 400 mm of rainfall per year.
- Zone A1: The arid regions of Rajasthan, which receive less than 400 millimeters (mm) of rainfall.
- Zone B: Semi-arid regions with heavy soils in southern India and central western India with over 400 mm of rainfall.
The new research revised ‘A’ into three subzones ‘G’, ‘AE1’ and ‘AE2’.
- The study was conducted by International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research – All India Coordinated Research Project on Pearl Millet (ICAR-AICRP).
- Zone ‘G’ covers Gujarat while AE1 covers eastern Rajasthan and Haryana. Zone ‘AE2’ covers 12 districts spread across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
- ‘AE1’ is now India’s core pearl millet production area with 39 per cent production.
- In AE1 and AE2 zone: Production of Bajra (Pearl millet) increased significantly due to: increased rainfall, technological investments in irrigation, fertilization and new varieties. Pearl Millet price is lowest in AE2 zone.
- Climate change is contributing to more rainfall in Zone ‘G’ covering seven districts in Gujarat, thus farmers are switching from pearl millet to cash crops like Cotton or Cluster Beans.
- Recommendation: A revision of the Indian pearl millet Total Population Environments (TPE).
ICAR- AICRP on Pearl Millet:
- ICAR-All India Coordinated Millet Improvement Project (AICMIP) was established in the year 1965 with its headquarters at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.
- Later on pearl millet was separated from the rest of the millet crops and the All India Coordinated Pearl Millet Improvement Project (AICPMIP) was established in 1985 with its headquarters at Jodhpur in the state of Rajasthan, the state which occupies nearly half of pearl millet area of the country.
- AICPMIP has a network of thirteen centers in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.
- The AICPMIP centers pursue mandated activities in pearl millet improvement, production and protection.
For details about Millets: https://optimizeias.com/the-millet-manifesto/
To know more about ICRISAT: https://optimizeias.com/icrisat/
4. Heatwaves leading to ozone pollution, says WMO report
Subject :Geography
Section: Physical geography
Context:
- Climate Change induced heat waves are causing wildfires. These wildfires along with dust cause a spike in air pollutants like Ozone, according to a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Report.
About Report and its findings:
- The report titled 2023 WMO Air Quality and Climate Bulletin is the third in an annual series.
- Released on September 7 (International Day of Clean Air for blue skies).
- Report compiled by: Global Atmospheric Watch Network under WMO.
- Findings:
- Heat waves along with wildfires contain several chemicals that affect: air quality, health, damages plants, ecosystem and crops, and leads to more carbon emissions.
- Short-lived reactive gases such as nitrogen oxides and biogenic volatile organic compounds lead to the production of ozone and particulate matter (PM).
- High temperature and high aerosol amount leads to formation of more particulate matters (PM).
- Impact of increased ground level ozone: Reduced agricultural productivity, especially for wheat and soybean.
WHO Air Quality Guidelines:
- WHO’s new guidelines recommend air quality levels for 6 pollutants, where evidence has advanced the most on health effects from exposure.
- 6 classical pollutants include particulate matter (PM 2.5 and 10), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO).
Global Atmospheric Watch Programme (GAWP):
- An initiative of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
- The Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Programme provides information and services on atmospheric composition to the public and to decision-makers relating to:
- the steadily increasing amounts of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, are impacting the climate
- the depletion of the protective stratospheric ozone layer has increased ultraviolet radiation, which can lead to more incidences of skin cancer and other diseases
- urban air pollution, especially fine particles, which is affecting human health
Subject :IR
Section: International Organisation
Context:
- The Intergovernmental Committee of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) met in Geneva to finalize a new treaty regarding Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore.
About the Treaty:
- The treaty would make it mandatory for patent applicants to declare or disclose their use of genetic resources and any associated traditional knowledge.
- The two main aims of the new treaty are:
- To enhance the efficacy, transparency and quality of the patent system with regard to genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge; and
- Prevention of patents being granted for inventions that are not novel or inventive.
- Issues in the draft treaty: It categorically excludes any provision that is already addressed by other international instruments.
- The access and benefit-sharing and misappropriation, which are already dealt with in the CBD, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources (GR) and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the CBD, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework, are not part of new treaty.
- There is no comprehensive definition of ‘Traditional Knowledge’ till date.
- Leaves out the Digital Sequence Information from its scope.
- India’s stand on this:
- India wants researchers to disclose the exact source of the GR, instead of merely mentioning the country of origin as the draft treaty stipulates.
- India has proposed a definition: “Traditional Knowledge associated with Genetic Resources” means any knowledge which is “evolving, generated in a traditional context, whether documented or not, collectively preserved, and transmitted from generation to generation and including but not limited to know-how, skills, innovations, practices, and learning, that are associated with GRs.”
Biopiracy of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge:
- Biopiracy refers to the practice of commercially exploiting naturally occurring biochemical or genetic material, especially by obtaining patents that restrict its future use, while failing to pay fair compensation to the community from which it originates.
Third World Network:
- TWN is an independent non-profit international research and advocacy organization involved in issues relating to development, developing countries and North-South affairs.
- TWN was formed in November 1984 in Penang, Malaysia at the concluding session of an International Conference on “The Third World: Development or Crisis?” organised by the Consumers’ Association of Penang and attended by over a hundred participants from 21 countries.
- At this conference, TWN was formed to especially strengthen cooperation among civil society groups in the South.
- Its mission is to bring about a greater articulation of the needs and rights of peoples in the South, a fair distribution of world resources, and forms of development which are ecologically sustainable and fulfill human needs.
6. IOC’s ethanol plant at Panipat to reach 100% capacity utilization soon
Subject :Environment
Section: Climate change
Context:
- Indian Oil Corporation’s ₹900-crore 2G ethanol plant, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi in August 2022, is set to reach 100 percent capacity utilization in a few months from 30 per cent now.
Details:
- Feedstock for the bioethanol plant is rice husk (parali).
- Refiners like IOC are required to supply petrol that has 20 per cent (bio)ethanol by 2025.
- The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme of International Aviation (CORSIA) of the International Civil Aviation Organisation has said that airlines will fly with 2 per cent SAF blends.
What is Second Generation (2G) Ethanol?
- Second Generation (2G) differs from 1st generation ethanol in terms of feedstock and subsequently, the production process. Second Generation (2G) feed stocks include agri-residues like rice & wheat straw, cane trash, corn cobs & stover, cotton stalk, bagasse, Empty Fruit bunches (EFB), etc.
Government step to increase the production of 2G ethanol:
- Government has launched “Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN (Jaiv Indhan- Vatavaran Anukool fasal awashesh Nivaran) Yojana” for providing viability gap funding to provide initial thrust to create 2G ethanol capacity in the country and attract investment in this sector.
- In this scheme, financial support to twelve Integrated Bio-ethanol Projects using lignocellulosic biomass & other renewable feedstock with total financial outlay of Rs 1969.50 crore for the period 2018-19 to 2023-24.
CORSIA:
- It was developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and adopted in October 2016.
- It is a global scheme by ICAO to address the increase in total CO2 emissions from international aviation above 2020 levels.
- Its goal is to have a carbon neutral growth from 2020.
- It is one of the largest carbon pricing instruments in the world in terms of greenhouse gas emissions coverage.
- CORSIA uses Market-based environmental policy instruments to offset CO2 emissions: aircraft operators have to purchase carbon credits from the carbon market.
- Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States and Landlocked Developing Countries can volunteer to participate in CORSIA, while it is not mandated on them.
- All ICAO member states with airplane operators conducting international flights are required to monitor, report and verify carbon dioxide emissions from these flights every year from 2019.
- Starting in 2021, the scheme is voluntary for all countries until 2027.
- All airplane operators with CO2 emissions less than or equal to 10,000 tonnes are exempted from the CORSIA reporting requirements.
- Emissions from domestic air travel are not included in CORSIA.
- Emissions from domestic aviation are addressed under the UNFCCC and calculated as part of the Nationally Determined Contributions.
- For Indian Operators, the CORSIA offsetting requirements will be applicable from 2027 i.e. the mandatory phase of the CORSIA implementation.
- CORISA is expected to complement other planned measures such as:
- aircraft technology evolution
- operational improvements
- the greater use of sustainable aviation fuels.
- In 2018, the International Civil Aviation Organization adopted the international Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) for CORSIA.
For further details of Ethanol: https://optimizeias.com/ethanol-blending-2/
7. As G20 drags feet, UN’s global climate stocktake flags large deficits
Subject :Environment
Section: Climate change
Context:
- A new report released by UN Climate highlights the rapidly closing window of opportunity to contain the rise in global temperatures within 1.5 degree Celsius from pre-industrial times.
Article 14 of Paris Agreement:
- Global Stocktake – A “global stocktake”, to take place in 2023 and every 5 years thereafter, will assess collective progress toward achieving the purpose of the Agreement in a comprehensive and facilitative manner.
- It will be based on the best available science and its long-term global goal.
- Its outcome will inform Parties in updating and enhancing their actions and support and enhancing international cooperation on climate action.
Global Stocktake Report 2023:
- According to the synthesis report of the Global Stocktake (GST), a Paris Agreement-mandated exercise at assessing the progress on climate action, countries were nowhere close to achieving targets that would keep global warming under agreed levels.
- Report says that, reduction of around 43, 60 and 84 per cent in global GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions below the 2019 level is needed by 2030, 2035 and 2050 respectively.
- There are deficits in every aspect of climate action — mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology and capacity building.
Recommendations:
- Rapidly decarbonize both the supply side and demand side of the energy system at the same time.
- Triple renewable energy by 2030,
- Commercialize other zero carbon solutions like hydrogen and scale up the energy system free of all unabated fossil fuels,
- Fundamental reform of the international financial architecture that was built for the last century.
Disagreement among G20 members over climate change goals:
- There is a disagreement over climate change related paragraphs in the joint communique of the G20 group.
- The Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group of G20 met at Chennai earlier in July.
- Developed countries pressed for enhancement of mitigation targets from everyone,
Developing countries in the group emphasized on deliveries on the unfulfilled promises related to finance and technology and urged the developed countries to do more.
8. G20 Summit declaration will be voice of global south
Subject: IR
Section: International Organisation
Context: India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant has said that “The New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration will be a voice of the Global South and the developing countries.
What is the likely New Delhi Declaration:
- India, as part of its G20 presidency, is working to evolve a consensus on a range of contentious issues even if that means stepping back on many of its stated positions
- For example, recently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Financial Stability Board (FSB), released a policy paper, at the request of the Indian G20 Presidency, which had recommended against an outright ban on crypto-assets.
- Apart from cryptocurrencies, during the various finance track meetings, India has tried to accommodate differing views on issues like climate change and financing for developing nations.
What is Global South:
- The Global South is a term often used to identify the regions of Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
- The term “Global South” was first coined by a social activist Carl Oglesby in 1969.
- It is an analogous term to “Third World” and “Periphery” that denote regions outside Europe and North America, mostly low-income and often politically or culturally marginalized countries.
- Countries of the Global South have been described as newly industrialized or in the process of industrializing, and are frequently current or former subjects of colonialism.
- As such, the term does not refer to geographical south; for example, most of the Global South is geographically within the Northern Hemisphere.
Some facts about the official conference programme:
- The Summit official conference programme is structured around three sessions.
- First, One Earth starting in the morning.
- Second One Family, in the afternoon;
- Third One Future on the 10th.
- Besides the three sessions of the conference, there will also be a couple of sideline events which are currently being structured involving India and other Heads of State