6 billion tonnes of sand taken annually from oceans, causing irreparable damage to benthic life Subject: Environment Section: Ecosystem Context: Some six billion tonnes of sand is being extracted annually from the floor of the world’s oceans, causing irreparable damage to benthic life, according to a new global data platform on sand and […]
Laws governing forests of Northeast India Subject: Environment Section: Environment legislation Context: On August 22, the Mizoram Assembly unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023, “to protect the rights and interest of the people of Mizoram”. Why are the Northeast states opposing the amendment? The amendment allows the diversion […]
Criminalizing wilful environmental damage is harder than it sounds Subject: Environment Section: Environment legislation Maya Project of Mexico: Mexico’s ‘Maya train’ project, which aims to connect historic Maya sites with a route length of 1525 km, is being called a ‘Megaproject of death’ or ‘Pharaonic project’ because it imperils Yucatán peninsula of its […]
Africa Climate summit and call for global carbon tax Subject : Environment Section: Environmental conventions Context: African leaders call for new global taxes to fund climate change action More about the news: African leaders proposed new global taxes to fund climate change action in a declaration that will form the basis of their […]
Toyota’s flex-fuel prototype: How it will work, what advantages it offers Subject: Environment Section: Pollution Context: Toyota unveiled a prototype of the Innova Hycross with a flex-fuel hybrid powertrain, its first car in India with this option, and one that the Japanese carmaker claims is the world’s first BS6 Stage II-compliant flex-fuel vehicle. […]
India needs a single and comprehensive policy to tackle invasive species: Ankila Hiremath Subject: Environment Section: Biodiversity Context: Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is all set to release its landmark report on invasive species. Report title: The status of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) and ways to control them. Invasive […]
Government proposes in SC tech panel to evaluate carrying capacity of 13 Himalayan States Subject: Environment Section: Ecosystem Context: The Centre has proposed forming a 13-member technical committee to evaluate the “carrying capacity” of 13 Himalayan States. What is the need of a committee? Frequent landslides leading to deaths and destruction had led […]
Coral breach: A silent, catastrophic invasion has happened in the Gulf of Mannar; here is how Subject: Environment Section: Biodiversity Context: An investigation of three coral colonies adjoining Kurusadai island of the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park along the Tamil Nadu coastline, shows them to be grey and eerie, an indication of […]
India’s iconic raptors are declining fast, warns new report Subject :Environment Section: Species in news Context: India’s raptors (birds of prey) are declining fast and the reasons for the decline are poorly understood, according to the State of India’s Birds 2023: Range, trends, and conservation status released on August 25, 2023. What does […]