taj discoloration

====================
the taj trapezium zone:1983,protecting taj,includes fatehpurr sikri,taj mahal,ag
ra fort,mathura.broder on the west as wind blows from the west so more buffer.
This time, it is not sulphur dioxide, which was suspected in the 1980s of turnin
g the gleaming faade yellow. This time the villain is black and organic carbon pa
rticles that are emitted from vehicles and other polluting units.
There is no doubt that pollutionacidic formations from sulphur and nitrogen oxide
particles or soot from black and organic carbon particleswill take a toll on the
monument.
First, the Court ordered that the polluting units in the vicinity of the Taj be
identified. Mainly foundries; glass and bangle manufacturing units; and chemical
and engineering industries were found to be using coal and other polluting fuel
s. The court also ordered that the Gas Authority of India Ltd would supply clean
er fuelnatural gasto these units. This was done and a 170 km pipeline to the Taj T
rapezium was laid. According to the Uttar Pradesh governments affidavit to the co
urt, 187 units were closed; 42 moved to natural gas and 53 to electricity. Clear
ly, enormous work was done to bring this transition.
ban on brick kilns within 20 km from the Taj; supply of uninterrupted power so t
hat the use of generators is negated; and ban on diesel-driven, light-duty vehic
les and three-wheelers within 500 metres of the monument.
In December 2014, a study by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kanpur, Un
iversity of Wisconsin and Georgia Institute of Technology, both in the US, found
that the Taj Mahal was still under the pollution cloud. The study collected sam
ples of particulate matter around the Taj over a year to find relatively high co
ncentration of light-absorbing particles called black carbon as well as organic
carbon and dust. When the researchers studied the surface of marble pieces place
d in the Taj complex they found the same particles deposited there. They conclud
ed that black and organic carbon particlesfrom vehicles and biomass burningand dus
t are responsible for the discolouration of the Taj Mahal.
The IIT-Wisconsin-Georgia study suggests that it is not acid rain, but black and
organic carbon that is the cause of the problem. The source is incomplete combu
stion. Black carbon comes from diesel vehicles and brick kilns, and organic carb
on from biomass burning.
price stabilisation fund
=========================
With a corpus of Rs 500 crore, PSF has two objectives: one, arresting crashing p
rices of potato and onion through procurement during bumper harvests; and two, m
aintaining buffer stocks of the commodities to meet demand during the lean perio
d
While the procurement will be done by Central government agencies like National
Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED),buffer stocks
will be maintained by the state governments. For this, a revolving fund will be
set up to which PSF and the state government will contribute equally (the ratio
of PSF-state contribution would be 75:25 in the case of north-eastern states).
State and Central government agencies can also draw interest-free loan to suppor
t their working capital and other expenses on procurement, storage and distribut
ion of the commodities. According to PSF procurement guidelines, these commoditi
es would be collected directly from farmers or farmers organisations at mandis an
d made available at a reasonable price to consumers during the lean period.
Analysts appreciate the price stabilisation scheme for the countrys two most vola
tile commodities
The Department of Agriculture & Cooperation has approved the Price Stabilisation
Fund (PSF) as a Central Sector Scheme, with a corpus of Rs.500 crores, to sup
port market interventions for price control of perishable agri-horticultural com
modities. PSF will be used to advance interest free loan to State Governments
and Central agencies to support their working capital and other expenses on proc
urement and distribution interventions for such commodities. For this purpose,

the States will set up a revolving fund to which Centre and State will contribut
e equally (50:50). The ratio of Centre-State contribution to the State level co
rpus in respect of North East States will however be 75:25. The revolving fund i
s being mooted so that requirements for all future interventions can be decided
and met with at the State level itself. Central Agencies will, however, set up
their revolving fund entirely with the advance from the Centre. Procurement of
these commodities will be undertaken directly from farmers or farmers organizatio
ns at farm gate/mandi and made available at a more reasonable price to the consu
mers. Initially the fund is proposed to be used for onion and potato only. Los
ses incurred, if any, in the operations will be shared between the Centre and th
e States
world health statistics 2015 by WHO on MDG
===========================================
ndia makes a significant leap in reducing maternal mortality
Maternal mortality fell 45 per cent between 1990 and 2013, much lower than the 7
5 per cent target set as part of the MDGs. In absolute terms, maternal mortality
has dropped from 523,000 deaths in 1990 to 289,000 deaths in 2013.
India registered a 66 per cent reduction in maternal mortality, higher than both
the global average of 45 per cent and the South East Asian average of around 61
per cent.
The global decline in maternal mortality is far from uniform across countries. O
f the 89 countries demarcated as critical in terms of maternal mortality, 13 regis
tered a decline of under two per cent in the number of deaths.
HIV numbers fall, but malaria and TB still plague developing countries .The MDGs
had identified malaria and tuberculosis (TB) as leading causes of death in deve
loping regions and set a target of halting and reversing their rates of incidenc
e. According to WHS, 3.2 billion people around the world are at risk of contract
ing malaria of which 1.2 billion people have been classified as being at high ri
sk.
The population at risk of contracting malaria has increased by 32.5 per cent glo
bally and by 43 per cent in Africa. At the same time, the incidence among at ris
k population has decreased globally and in Africa by 30 per cent and 34 per cent
respectively.
Water and sanitation performance is cause for concern.ndia has performed poorly
in this regard with a reduction of merely 22 per cent compared with a South East
Asian average of 47.7 per cent. Maldives leads the region in this category with
a reduction of 97 per cent followed by Sri Lanka with 75 per cent.
The WHOs annual World Health Statistics for 2015, which was released recently in
Geneva, says that India has met only four targets under the Millenium Developmen
t Goals (MDG), and has made next to no progress on another four.
Important observations made by the Report:
Globally, life expectancy at birth has increased by six years for both men and w
omen since 1990.
By the end of this year if current trends continue, the world will have met glob
al targets for turning around the epidemics of HIV, malaria and tuberculosis and
increasing access to safe drinking water. It will also have made substantial pr
ogress in reducing child undernutrition, maternal and child deaths, and increasi
ng access to basic sanitation.

Progress in child survival worldwide is one of the greatest success stories of i

nternational development and pre-term birth complications have replaced neo-nata
l complications and disease as the biggest source of mortality for children unde
r the age of five.
Since 1990, child deaths have almost halved falling from an estimated 90 deaths
per 1000 live births to 46 deaths per 1000 live births in 2013. Yet the world wi
ll not achieve the MDG target of reducing the death rate by two-thirds. Less tha
n one-third of all countries have achieved or are on track to meet this target b
y the end of this year. The top killers of children aged less than 5 years are n
ow: pre-term birth complications, pneumonia, birth asphyxia and diarrhoea.
In India, life expectancy grew by eight years between 1990 and 2013. While India
has sharply reduced its infant mortality between 2000 and 2013, it still contri
butes for the most infant deaths globally. Non-communicable diseases are the top
killers, followed by communicable diseases and injuries.
In September, countries will decide on new goals for 2030. In addition to finish
ing the MDG agenda, the post-2015 agenda needs to tackle emerging challenges, in
cluding the growing impact of non-communicable diseases, like diabetes and heart
disease, and the changing social and environmental determinants that affect hea
lth.
MDGs: What are they?
-------------------These are eight international development goals that were established following
the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of t
he United Nations Millennium Declaration. They were set to be achieved by 2015.
These are time-bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme poverty in it
s many dimensions-income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter, and
exclusion-while promoting gender equality, education, and environmental sustain
ability.
They are also basic human rights-the rights of each person on the planet to heal
th, education, shelter, and security.
Since the adoption, there has been significant progress in many of the goals. Bu
t the progress has not been uniform. The progress differs from country to countr
y and even within the country.
millenium development goals chart
The eight millennium development goals are:
Eradicate Extreme Hunger and Poverty
Achieve Universal Primary Education
Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
Reduce Child Mortality
Improve Maternal Health
Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases
Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Develop a Global Partnership for Development
Each goal has specific targets, and dates for achieving those targets.
India and MDGs:
In India, considerable progress has been made in the field of basic universal ed
ucation, gender equality in education, and global economic growth. However there
is slow progress in the improvement of health indicators related to mortality,
morbidity, and various environmental factors contributing to poor health conditi
ons. Even though the government has implemented a wide array of programs, polici
es, and various schemes to combat these health challenges, further intensificati
on of efforts and redesigning of outreach strategies is needed to give momentum
to the progress toward achievement of the MDGs.

India is unlikely to achieve all the set targets by September 2015.

Rate of world hunger dropping: UN
The NUMBER of the world s chronically undernourished has for the first time drop
ped below the 800 million mark as an increasing number of countries hit their Mi
llennium Development Goal (MDG) targets on hunger, according to a new United Nat
ions report. The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015 report reveals that
the number of hungry declined to 795 million-216 million fewer than in the 19901992 biennium and nearly 100 million fewer than in 2012.
A majority-72 out of 129-of the countries monitored have achieved the Millennium
Development Goal target of halving the prevalence of undernourishment by 2015,
with developing regions as a whole missing the target by a small margin. In addi
tion, 29 countries have met the more ambitious goal laid out at the World Food S
ummit in 1996, when governments committed to halving the absolute number of unde
rnourished people by 2015.
National Air Quality Index:
===========================
NAQI is tool that uses numbersto simplify air quality data by classifying pollut
ion levels into 6 categoriesgood, satisfactory, moderate, poor, very poor and sev
ereand denotes a color code on the basis of how harmful the pollution in a specif
ic area is. Each of the pollutantsPM2.5, PM10, NO2, CO and Ozoneare assigned an ai
r quality index (AQI) and thereafter an overall AQI is given daily indicating th
e value of the worst pollutant value for that area. This makes it easier for peo
ple to know how bad the pollution in their area is and which places they should
avoid on that day. It is certain that awareness will go up with availability of
a monitoring tool like this.
Its a blue sunset on Mars!
===========================
The Red Planet witnesses a blue sunset, reveal photographs released by the Natio
nal Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The agencys Curiosity rover, whi
ch has been in the Martian orbit for close to 1,000 days, captured a series of s
tunning photographs of the sun setting on the horizon of the planet and sent it
to NASA on April 15.
The bluish tinge of the sun is attributed to suspended dust particles in the Mar
tian atmosphere.
carbon-negative technology
===========================
Carbon-negative technologies sequester more carbon than they release. As the nam
e suggests, the technologies help reduce carbon in the atmosphere by capturing a
nd sequestering it.
In BECCS, a large quantity of biomass (high-energy crops such as poplar, willow
or temperate grasses) is burnt to produce electricity and the carbon emissions a
re captured and sequestered in depleted underground reservoirs or injected into
porous rocks. This results in net reduction in the atmospheric carbon dioxide (s
ee Offsetting damage). The technology can be employed in power plants or other ind
ustries that make fuel.
A carbon dioxide sink such as a concentrated group of plants or any other primar
y producer that binds carbon dioxide into biomass, such as within forests and ke
lp beds, is not carbon negative, as sinks are not permanent. A carbon dioxide si
nk of this type moves carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide, from the atmosphere
or hydrosphere to the biosphere. This process could be undone, for example by w
ildfires or logging.

Carbon dioxide sinks that store carbon dioxide in the Earth s crust by injecting
it into the subsurface, or in the form of insoluble carbonate salts (mineral se
questration), are considered carbon negative. This is because they are removing
carbon from the atmosphere and sequestering it indefinitely and presumably for a
considerable duration (thousands to millions of years).
Bonn summit: Participants reach a consensus on forest protection
=================================================================
The United Nations (UN) climate talks reached a consensus in Bonn on global fore
st protection. Recognising the need to protect this precious resource, member st
ates went a step ahead to introduce Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Fo
rest Degradation (REDD+) scheme.
Land degradation, deterioration of forested areas and deforestation have gained
momentum over the years. According to the fifth assessment report by the Intergo
vernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), deforestation is responsible for almo
st 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Forests are absorbers o
f carbon dioxide (Co2) and help in reducing the level of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Another important issue discussed during the talks was how to respect the rights
of indigenous people and forest dwellers. According to the participants, there
have been several instances in the past, especially in South America and Africa,
where locals have been displaced without compensation to give way to developmen
t projects.
The REDD+ plan involves transparency and deals with how respective countries wil
l safeguard the rights of indigenous people and at the same time conserve biodiv
ersity in their programmes on forest protection. It also covers ways of identify
ing the benefits of forest conservation programmes and preventing deforestation.
REDD:Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) is a me
chanism that has been under negotiation by the United Nations Framework Conventi
on on Climate Change (UNFCCC) since 2005, with the objective of mitigating clima
te change through reducing net emissions of greenhouse gases through enhanced fo
rest management in developing countries.During the negotiations for the Kyoto Pr
otocol, and then in particular its Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), the inclus
ion of tropical forest management was debated but eventually dropped due to anti
cipated methodological difficulties in establishing in particular additionality
and leakage (detrimental effects outside of the project area attributable to pro
ject activities). What remained on forestry was "Afforestation and Reforestation
", sectoral scope 14 of the CDM. Under this sectoral scope areas of land that ha
d no forest cover since 1990 could be replanted with commercial or indigenous tr
ee species. In its first eight years of operation, a total of 52 projects have b
een registered under the "Afforestation and Reforestation" scope of the CDM.[5]
The cumbersome administrative procedures and corresponding high transaction cost
s are often blamed for this slow uptake.
REDD was first discussed in 2005 by the UNFCCC at its 11th session of the Confer
ence of the Parties to the Convention (COP) at the request of Costa Rica and Pap
ua New Guinea, on behalf of the Coalition for Rainforest Nations, when they subm
itted the document "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countrie
s: Approaches to Stimulate Action",[6] with a request to create an agenda item t
o discuss consideration of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degr
adation in natural forests as a mitigation measure. COP 11 entered the request t
o consider the document as agenda item 6: Reducing emissions from deforestation
in developing countries: approaches to stimulate action.[7]
REDD+[edit]

Bali Action Plan[edit]

REDD received substantial attention from the UNFCCC and the attending community
at COP 13, December 2007, where the first substantial decision on REDD+ was adop
ted, Decision 2/CP.13: "Reducing emissions from deforestation in developing coun
tries: approaches to stimulate action",[8] calling for demonstration activities
to be reported upon two years later and assessment of drivers of deforestation.
Perhaps more interestingly, REDD+ was also referenced in decision 1/CP.13, the "
Bali Action Plan", with reference to all five eligible activities for REDD+ (wit
h sustainable management of forests, conservation of forest carbon STOCKS and en
hancement of forest carbon stocks constituting the "+" in REDD+).[8]
The call for demonstration activities in decision 2/CP.13 led to a very large nu
mber of programmes and projects, including the Forest Carbon Partnership Facilit
y (FCPF) of the World Bank, the UN-REDD Programme, and a flurry of smaller proje
cts financed by the Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI
), among many others. All of these were based on interpretation of the very scar
ce substantive guidance from the UNFCCC. Consequently, many of the projects were
only marginally coincident with emerging guidance from the UNFCCC at later sess
ions.
Warsaw Framework on REDD-plus[edit]
In December 2013, COP 19 produced no fewer than seven decisions on REDD+, which
are jointly known as the "Warsaw Framework on REDD-plus".[12] These decisions ad
dress a work programme on results-based finance; coordination of support for imp
lementation; modalities for national forest monitoring systems; presenting infor
mation on safeguards; technical assessment of reference (emission) levels; modal
ities for measuring, reporting and verifying (MRV); and information on addressin
g the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. Requirements to access to
"results-based finance" have been specified: through submission of reports for
which the contents have been specified; technical assessment through Internation
al Consultation and Analysis (ICA) for which procedures have been specified; and
application for results-based finance by developing country Parties to the Gree
n Climate Fund. With these decisions the overall framework for REDD+ implementat
ion appears to be complete, although many details still need to be provided.
COP 20 in December 2014 did not produce any new decisions on REDD+. A reference
was made to REDD+ in decision 8/CP.20 "Report of the Green Climate FUND to the C
onference of the Parties and guidance to the Green Climate FUND", where in parag
raph 18 the COP "requests the Board of the Green Climate Fund (...) (b) to consi
der decisions relevant to REDD-plus", referring back to earlier COP decisions on
REDD+
All things considered, there should be no confusion on the formal name(s):
REDD originally referred to "reducing emissions from deforestation in developing
countries"; the title of the original document on REDD[7]
REDD+ (or REDD-plus) refers to "reducing emissions from deforestation and forest
degradation in developing countries, and the role of conservation, sustainable
management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing cou
ntries" (emphasis added); the most recent, elaborated terminology used by the CO
P
The decisions on REDD+ enumerate five "eligible activities" that developing coun
tries may implement to reduce emissions and enhance removals of greenhouse gases
:
"(a) Reducing emissions from deforestation.
(b) Reducing emissions from forest degradation.
(c) Conservation of forest carbon STOCKS.
(d) Sustainable management of forests.
(e) Enhancement of forest carbon stocks".[10]

The first two activities reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and they are the t
wo activities listed in the original submission on REDD+ in 2005 by the Coalitio
n for Rainforest Nations.[6] The three remaining activities constitute the "+" i
n REDD+. The last one enhances removals of greenhouse gases, while the effect of
the other two on emissions or removals is indeterminate but expected to be mini
mal.
Monitoring: measurement, reporting and verification[edit]
In Decision 2/CP.15 of the UNFCCC countries are requested to develop national fo
rest monitoring systems (NFMS) that support the functions of measurement, report
ing and verification (MRV) of actions and achievements of the implementation of
REDD+ activities.
REDD+ and the carbon market[edit]
In 2009, at COP-15 in Copenhagen, the Copenhagen Accord was reached, noting in s
ection 6 the recognition of the crucial role of REDD and REDD+ and the need to p
rovide positive incentives for such actions by enabling the mobilization of FINA
NCIAL resources from developed countries. The Accord goes on to note in section
8 that the collective commitment by developed countries for new and additional r
esources, including forestry and INVESTMENTS through international institutions,
will approach USD 30 billion for the period 2010 - 2012.[21]
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) was established at COP-17 to function as the financ
ial mechanism for the UNFCCC, so including for REDD+ finance. The Warsaw Framewo
rk on REDD-plus makes various references to the GCF, instructing developing coun
try Parties to apply to the GCF for result-based finance

UN-REDD:The United Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation an

d Forest Degradation (or UN-REDD Programme) is a collaborative initiative of the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Natio
ns Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UN
EP), created in response to the UNFCCC decisions on the Bali Action Plan and RED
D at COP-13
The UN-REDD Programme supports nationally-led REDD+ processes and promotes the i
nformed and meaningful involvement of all stakeholders, including Indigenous Peo
ples and other forest-dependent communities, in national and international REDD+
implementation. The Programme also works to build international awareness and c
onsensus about the importance of including REDD+ mechanisms in a future climate
change agreement.
Geneva, Switzerland
india is not a party.
The UN-REDD Programme brings together technical teams from around the world to d
evelop common approaches, analyses and guidelines on issues such as measurement,
reporting and verification (MRV) of carbon emissions and flows, remote sensing,
and greenhouse gas inventories. It provides guidance on how best to design and
implement REDD+, to ensure that forests continue to provide multiple benefits fo
r livelihoods and biodiversity to societies while storing carbon at the same tim
e. The Programme is also deeply committed to supporting the engagement of Indige
nous Peoples and Civil Society organizations in the design and implementation of
REDD+ strategies.
What is the UN-REDD Programme?
Answer:
The UN-REDD Programme is the United Nations Collaborative initiative on Reducing
Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) in developing countr
ies. The Programme was launched in September 2008 to assist developing countries

to prepare and implement national REDD+ strategies. It is an inter-agency progr

amme of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the U
nited Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Pr
ogramme (UNEP), and builds on the convening role and technical expertise of thes
e UN agencies. Press release: Programme launch
The Programme currently supports REDD+ readiness activities in 53 (as of June 20
14) partner countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
What is the difference between REDD+ and the UN-REDD Programme?
Answer: REDD+ is a mechanism to reward developing countries for reducing emissio
ns from deforestation and forest degradation currently being defined by Parties
to the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC). It will
become a climate change mitigation solution, helping to reduce up to 20% of glob
al carbon emissions. The UN-REDD Programme is not directly linked to the REDD+ m
echanism, rather, it is a collaborative programme of UNDP, UNEP and FAO designed
to provide technical and FINANCIAL support to developing countries to help them
develop the capacities necessary to implement REDD+ (REDD+ readiness capacities
) and benefit from its social, economic and environmental opportunities. Other m
ultilateral REDD+ initiatives include the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FC
PF) and the Forest Investment Program (FIP), hosted by The World Bank.
What is REDD+?
Answer:
REDD+ is a mechanism being developed by Parties to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change to reward developing countries for reducing emissio
ns from deforestation and forest degradation. It will create an incentive for de
veloping countries to protect, better manage and wisely use their forest resourc
es, and in so doing contribute to conserving biodiversity and to the global figh
t against climate change. In addition to the environmental benefits, REDD+ also
offers social and economic benefits. Most recently, it is being integrated into
green economy strategies.
WWF s Living Planet Index, which measures the health of forests, oceans, freshwa
ter, and other natural systems, shows a 35 per cent decline in Earth s ecologica
l health since 1970. The Worldwatch Institute estimates that the planet has avai
lable 1.9 hectares (ha) of biologically productive land per person to supply res
ources and absorb wastes, yet the average person on Earth already uses 2.3 ha wo
rth
from 9.7 ha claimed by the average American to the 0.47 ha used by the average
Mozambican.
Monitoring and measurement, reporting and verification
In order to avoid, reduce and capture forest carbon emissions, any country plann
ing to carry out REDD+ activities effectively must have monitoring systems that
provide accurate data on emissions. Monitoring, and measurement, reporting and v
erification (M&MRV) for REDD+ is a way of addressing a countrys commitments to co
llecting and sharing this information.
Countries planning to carry out REDD+ are also requested to develop national for
est monitoring systems (NFMS), as agreed in Cancun in 2010 at the 16th Conferenc
e of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (U
NFCCC-COP16).
It was recognized that NFMS can both monitor REDD+ activities as well as play an
MRV role in their implementation. Indeed, NFMSs play an essential role in how i

nformation for national REDD+ programmes is managed.

organic stae
============
Sikkim will be the first Indian state to go wholly organic.
karnataka ginger farmers
========================
What the farmers are ignoring is the harmful effect of ginger cultivation on the
environment. Ginger is prone to rhizome rot viral disease. Since farmers do not
want to risk crop failure, they use large quantities of chemicalspesticides, her
bicides, fungicides, insecticides and fertilisersto prevent crop diseases and inc
rease yield. Although a plot of land is leased for three to five years, farmers
cultivate their crop for only a year and then move to newer pastures, leaving be
hind an infertile plot of land laced with pesticides (see Why ginger farmers keep
moving,). Such shifting cultivation is leading to large-scale environmental degr
adation in the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot and a UNESCO World Heritage
Site.
Maui s dolphin under threat
===========================
The WORLD S smallest dolphin species will go extinct in the next 15 years if pro
per conservation efforts are not carried out, warns a new research. Just 50 Maui
s dolphins, a subspecies of Hector s dolphins that is endemic to New Zealand, r
emain in the world today, according to the study. Barbara Maas, who headed the r
esearch done at the NABU International Nature Conservation Foundation in Berlin,
said that out of the 50 just 10-12 are adult female. She warned that unless the
level of fisheries protection was increased significantly, the dolphins could b
ecome extinct in just 15 years.
sangai
=======
A critically endangered brow-antlered deer found in the world s only floating wi
ldlife park in Manipur may soon lose its habitat.This is the story of Sangai, a
critically endangered brow-antlered deer found in Manipur in a tiny speck of lan
d, mostly grasslands locally called phumdi that float on water. South of Loktak
Lake (a Ramsar site) in Moirang district lies the only known sanctuary for this
deer, the Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP). While the worlds only floating nati
onal park is spread over 40 sq km, the Sangai territory is restricted to only ab
out 10 sq km, and it shrinks even further during the monsoon as water levels ris
e. According to the principal chief conservator of forests, Bala Prasad, the 201
3 census revealed that only 24 Sangais were added to the population since 2003,
with the total adding up to 204.However, wildlife experts contest these numbers,
even as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has put this
deer under the red list of critically endangered species.
Sangai is called the dancing deer. However, it is not the Sangai that dances, bu
t the peculiar nature of its habitat that lends this trait. While treading throu
gh phumdi (grasslands that float on water), the Sangai s hooves sink in the spon
gy, moist ground which from a distance looks as if it is dancing.
According to Kh Shamungao, a retired professor of zoology and adviser to the Man
ipur State Board for Wildlife, the phumdi plays an important role in the ecologi
cal processes and functions of Loktak Lake, the habitat of the Sangai. "They sup
port the rich biodiversity and govern the water quality and nutrient dynamics of
the lake," he writes in Endangered Manipur Brow Antlered Deer: An Environmental
Assessment.

national action plan on climate change

======================================
he National Action Plan has been prepared under the guidance and direction of Pr
ime Ministers Council on Climate Change.
Members of Prime Ministers Council on Climate Change, senior members of the Union
Cabinet, representatives of civil society and senior officials of Government, w
ere present on the occasion.
Prime Minister made a brief speech on the occasion. He said that the release of
the National Action Plan reflected the importance the Government attaches to mob
ilizing our national energies to meet the challenge of climate change.
The National Action Plan focuses attention of 8 priorities National Missions. Th
ese are:
1.

Solar Energy

2.

Enhanced Energy Efficiency

3.

Sustainable Habitat

4.

Conserving Water

5.

Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem

6.

A Green India

7.

Sustainable agriculture

8.

Strategic Knowledge Platform for Climate Change

The National Mission of Solar Energy, occupies a pre-eminent place, whose succes
s, Prime Minister said, has the potential of transforming the face of India.
Prime Minister emphasized the global dimension of the challenge of climate chang
e, which demands a global and cooperative effort on the basis of the principle o
f equity. India, he said, was ready to play its role as a responsible member of
the international community and to make its own contribution. He added that Indi
a believed that every citizen of this planet should have an equal share of the p
lanetary atmospheric space and therefore, long-term convergence of per capita GH
G emissions was the only equitable basis for a global agreement to tackle climat
e change. In this context, the Prime Minister reaffirmed Indias pledge that as it
pursued sustainable development, its per capita GHC emissions would not exceed
the per capita GHG emissions of developed countries, despite our developmental i
mperatives.
Prime Minister clarified that the National Action Plan would evolve and change i
n the light of changing circumstances and therefore invited broader interaction
with civil society as a means to further improve the various elements of the Pla
n.
In his concluding remarks the Prime Minister recalled Mahatma Gandhis sage advice
: The earth has enough resources to meet the needs of people, but will never hav
e enough to serve their greed.
saiga antelope
===============
Catastrophic mass die-off of Saiga antelopes in Central Kazakhstan
In May 2015, death swept through the Saiga of Kazakhstan halving the population

of this Critically Endangered antelope so fast it left scientists, experts and a

uthorities scratching their heads. What could possibly cause such a catastrophe?
forest cover in india increases
================================
Of the 5,871 sq km increase in the forest cover of India, West Bengal accounts f
or nearly 64 per cent of this rise, reveals the latest report of Forest Survey o
f India.
A study conducted by the Forest Survey of India that was recently published poin
ts out that West Bengals forest cover has increased by 3,810 sq km, which is foll
owed by Odisha where increase in forest cover has been 1,444 km and Kerala where
the increase has been about 622 sq km.
Commenting on the increase in forest cover in West Bengal, Principle Chief Conse
rvator of Forest, West Bengal, Azam Zaidi told The Hindu that along with other s
teps the States joint forest management, which involves the participation of the
local people, is one of the reasons for the increase.
Increase in the forest cover of the State is mainly due to coppice growth (dense
growth of small tress) and afforestation inside the forests, growth of commercia
l plantations and shade trees in tea gardens, the FSI report states.
West Bengal, a state with high population density, has only 18.93 percent forest
cover.
Depletion in north-east
Interestingly States from northeast like Nagaland, Arunanchal Pradesh, Tripura a
nd Manipur, whose forest cover comprises over 75 percent of the States area, have
shown a decrease in forest cover. The current assessment shows a decrease in for
est cover to the extent of 627 sq km in the north eastern region. The main reaso
n for this is attributed to the biotic pressure and shifting cultivation in the
region, the report says.
In Andhra Pradesh, a State with 16.77 percent of its area covered by forest, the
re has been a decrease of 273 km of forest area. While the forest cover has decr
eased by 176 sq km in Madhya Pradesh and 53 km in Chhattishgarh, it has increase
d by 496 sq km in Jharkhand and 446 sq km in Bihar.
The Satellite based remote sensing data that has been used for estimating the ch
ange in forest cover has shown that that there has been an increase of 31 sq km
of very dense forest cover compared to the last assessment carried two years ago.
It has also revealed that moderately dense forest has decreased by 1,991 sq km whi
le open forests have increased by 7,891 sq km, putting the overall increase at 5,8
71 sq km.
neem coated fertilizers
=======================

bio-toilets
===========
DISTINCTIVE ADVANTAGES OF BIO-TOILETS

Disposes human waste in a 100 % ECO friendly manner.

Generates color less, odor less inflammable bio gas (can be used for cooking hea
ting) and absolutely clear odor less water. Water is full of nutrients and miner
als and is good for irrigation purpose of near by gardens, lawns etc.
Does not require any septic Tank, Sewage Tank connectivity.
TECHNOLOGY BEHIND BIO TOILET
Human waste disposal in high altitude and low temp areas, Moving Railway coaches
, Buses, Big Cities, Mines, remote areas, Beaches, Rural areas, long distance bu
ses is a burning problem.
The problem has further aggravated in glaciers where ambient temperature drops t
o -40 degree C and lower. The low temp stops/ delays the natural bio-degradation
of the waste leading to its preservation (accumulation) for long time resulting
in environmental hazard. Local heating by direct sunlight exposes the waste bur
ied in the ice causing nuisance and foul smell. The melting ice takes the waste
to rivers disturbing the aquatic eco system. More over human waste is also respo
nsible for spreading of water born diseases like typhoid, cholera, Shigellosis,
Amebic Dysenteries, Diarrhea etc.
This technology is suitable for any area/ application in India. The process unde
r this technology culminates in to treated effluent which is free from Pathogens
and is also environmentally acceptable. The technology has major two components
:
a- Low temp active inoculums
b- Temp controlled Bio digester
A consortium of anaerobic bacteria has been formulated and adopted to work at te
mp as low as 5 degree C. This is the component which acts as inoculums (seed mat
erial) to the bio digester and converts the organic waste into methane and carbo
n-dioxide. The anaerobic process in- activates the pathogens responsible for wat
er born diseases. Bio digester serves as reaction vessel for bio methanation and
provides the anaerobic conditions and required temp for the bacteria. The optim
um temp is maintained by microbial heat, insulation of the reactor and solar hea
ting.
green climate fund
==================
Green Climate FUND hdqrter:south korea.
Background
At COP 16, Parties, in decision 1/CP.16 established a Green Climate Fund (GCF) a
s an operating entity of the FINANCIAL Mechanism of the Convention under Article
11. The GCF will support projects, programmes, policies and other activities in
developing country Parties. The FUND is governed by the GCF Board.
The assets of the GCF will be administered by a trustee only for the purpose of,
and in accordance with, the relevant decisions of the GCF Board. The World Bank
was invited by the COP to serve as the interim trustee of the GCF, subject to a
review three years after operationalization of the Fund. The COP also decided t
hat the GCF was to be designed by the Transitional Committee (TC). At COP 17 hel
d in Durban, the COP adopted pdf-icon decision 3/CP.17, in which Parties welcome
d the report of the TC (pdf-icon FCCC/CP/2011/6 and Add.1) and approved the pdficon Governing Instrument for the GCF. Parties, at COP 18, endorsed the consensu
s decision of the GCF Board to select Songdo, Incheon, Republic of Korea as the

host of the GCF. At COP 19, Parties welcomed the establishment of the independen
t GCF secretariat and the selection of the Executive Director of the GCF by the
GCF Board. Furthermore, Parties provided initial guidance to the GCF.
The Fund is also pledged to offer "balanced" support to adaptation and mitigatio
n, although there is some concern amongst developing countries that inadequate a
daptation financing will be offered, in particular if the fund is reliant on "le
veraging" private sector finance.
MOEF is the nodal agency.
MOEF secretary handle the CDM
The theme of World Earth Day 2015 is Water Wonderful World.
The international theme for World Wetlands Day 2015 is Wetlands for Our Future
2015 Theme: Healthy oceans, healthy planet
world metreological day:climate knowledge for climate action.
montreal protocol
=================
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (a protocol to
the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer) is an international
treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of num
erous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion.
The treaty[10] is structured around several groups of halogenated hydrocarbons t
hat have been shown to play a role in ozone depletion. All of these ozone deplet
ing substances contain either chlorine or bromine (substances containing only fl
uorine do not harm the ozone layer).
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)[edit]
Produced mostly in developed countries, HFCs replaced CFCs and HCFCs. HFCs pose
no harm to the ozone layer because, unlike CFCs and HCFCs, they do not contain c
hlorine. But it has been established that HFCs are not innocuous either.[16] The
y are greenhouse gases, with a high global warming potential (GWP), comparable t
o that of CFCs and HCFCs.
The Montreal Protocol does not address HFCs, but these substances figure in the
basket of six greenhouse gases under the Kyoto Protocol. Developed countries fol
lowing the Kyoto Protocol report their HFC emission data to UNFCCC; parties to t
he Montreal Protocol have no such obligation.
Multilateral Fund[edit]
The main objective of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montre
al Protocol is to assist developing country parties to the Montreal Protocol who
se annual per capita consumption and production of ozone depleting substances (O
DS) is less than 0.3 kg to comply with the control measures of the Protocol. Cur
rently, 147 of the 196 Parties to the Montreal Protocol meet these criteria (the
y are referred to as Article 5 countries).
It embodies the principle agreed at the United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development in 1992 that countries have a common but differentiated respons
ibility to protect and manage the global commons.
The Fund is managed by an Executive Committee with an equal representation of se
ven industrialized and seven Article 5 countries, which are elected annually by
a Meeting of the Parties. The Committee reports annually to the Meeting of the P
arties on its operations. The work of the Multilateral Fund on the ground in dev
eloping countries is carried out by four Implementing Agencies, which have contr
actual agreements with the Executive Committee:[21]

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), through the UNEP DTIE OzonAction Pr
ogramme.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
World Bank.
Parties[edit]
As of 23 June 2015, all countries in the United Nations, the Cook Islands, Holy
See, Niue and the supranational European Union have ratified the original Montre
al Protocol[22] (see external link below), South Sudan being the last country to
ratify the agreement, bringing the total to 197. These countries have also rati
fied the London, Copenhagen, Montreal, and Beijing amendments
However, the hydrochlorofluorocarbons, or HCFCs, and hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs
, are now thought to contribute to anthropogenic global warming. On a molecule-f
or-molecule basis, these compounds are up to 10,000 times more potent greenhouse
gases than carbon dioxide. The Montreal Protocol currently calls for a complete
phase-out of HCFCs by 2030, but does not place any restriction on HFCs. Since t
he CFCs themselves are equally powerful greenhouse gases, the mere substitution
of HFCs for CFCs does not significantly increase the rate of anthropogenic globa
l warming, but over time a steady increase in their use could increase the dange
r that human activity will change the climate.[29]
Policy experts have advocated for increased efforts to link ozone protection eff
orts to climate protection efforts.[30][31][32] Policy decisions in one arena af
fect the costs and effectiveness of environmental improvements in the other.
The Timetable
Montreal Protocol (1987)
CFCs (11, 12, 113, 114, 115): Phase down 1986 levels by 20% by 1994; 50% by 1999
.
London Amendment (1990)
CFCs 13, 111, 112, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217: Phase down 1989 levels 20%
by 1993; 85% by 1997; 100% by 2000.
Halons (1211, 1301, 2402): Phase down 1986 levels 50% by 1995; 100% by 2000.
Carbon Tetrachloride: Phase down 1989 levels 85% by 1995; 100% by 2000.
Copenhagen Amendment (1992)
CFCs: phase out by 1995
Halons: phase out by 1993
Carbon Tetrachloride: phase out by 1995
HCFCs: phase down 1989 levels 35% by 2004; 90% by 2019; 100% by 2029.
The Beijing Amendment (1999) has introduced a freezing of HCFC production by 200
3.
At the 19th session of the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP 19) in Warsaw, Pola
nd, countries were invited to submit their intended nationally determined contrib
utions (INDCs) to the new climate agreement to be concluded at COP 21 in December
2015 in Paris. Parties were encouraged to submit their INDCs, covering the per
iod beyond 2020, well in advance of the Paris conference.
prime minister s council on climate change
==========================================

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has set up a High Level advisory group o
n climate change issues.
The Council will coordinate national action plans for assessment, adaptation and
mitigation of climate change. It will advise government on pro-active measures
that can be taken by India to deal with the challenge of climate change. It will
also facilitate inter-ministerial coordination and guide policy in relevant are
as.
PMs climate change council recast:The council has Ministers for External Affairs,
Finance, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Agriculture, Science and Tech
nology, and Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and the Ca
binet Secretary, the Foreign Secretary, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Min
ister, who is the convener, and J.M. Mauskar, formerly with the Environment Mini
stry.
ecological overshoot
====================
August 19 is Earth Overshoot Day 2014, marking the date when humanity has exhaus
ted natures budget for the year. For the rest of the year, we will maintain our e
cological deficit by drawing down local resource stocks and accumulating carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere. We will be operating in overshoot.
Just as a bank statement tracks income against expenditures, Global Footprint Ne
twork measures humanitys demand for and supply of natural resources and ecologica
l services. And the data is sobering. Global Footprint Network estimates that ap
proximately every eight months, we demand more renewable resources and C02 seque
stration than what the planet can provide for an entire year.
Earth Overshoot Day is the annual marker of when we begin living beyond our mean
s in a given year. While only a rough estimate of time and resource trends, Eart
h Overshoot Day is as close as science can be to measuring the gap between our d
emand for ecological resources and services, and how much the planet can provide
.
The Cost of Ecological Overspending
Throughout most of history, humanity has used natures resources to build cities a
nd roads, to provide food and create products, and to absorb our carbon dioxide
at a rate that was well within Earths budget. But in the mid-1970s, we crossed a
critical threshold: Human consumption began outstripping what the planet could r
eproduce.
According to Global Footprint Networks calculations, our demand for renewable eco
logical resources and the services they provide is now equivalent to that of mor
e than 1.5 Earths. The data shows us on track to require the resources of two pl
anets well before mid-century.
The fact that we are using, or spending, our natural capital faster than it can re
plenish is similar to having expenditures that continuously exceed income. In pl
anetary terms, the costs of our ecological overspending are becoming more eviden
t by the day. Climate changea result of greenhouse gases being emitted faster tha
n they can be absorbed by forests and oceansis the most obvious and arguably pres
sing result. But there are othersshrinking forests, species loss, fisheries colla
pse, higher COMMODITY PRICES and civil unrest, to name a few. The environmental
and economic crises we are experiencing are symptoms of looming catastrophe. Hum
anity is simply using more than what the planet can provide.
What is Biocapacity?

The capacity of ecosystems to produce useful biological materials and to absorb

waste materials generated by humans, using current management schemes and extrac
tion technologies.
Biocapacity deficit
The difference between the biocapacity and Ecological Footprint of a region or c
ountry. A biocapacity deficit occurs when the Footprint of a population exceeds
the biocapacity of the area available to that population.
Conversely, a biocapacity remainder exists when the biocapacity of a region exce
eds its populations Footprint. If there is a regional or national biocapacity def
icit, it means that the region is importing biocapacity through trade or liquida
ting regional ecological assets.
In contrast, the global biocapacity deficit cannot be compensated through trade,
and is therefore equal to overshoot.
1. The area available for:
cropland for producing food, fibre and biofuels
grazing land for animal products such as meat, milk, leather and wool
coastal and inland fishing grounds
forests, which both provide wood and can absorb CO2.
2. The productivity of the land
measured by how much the crops or trees growing on it yield per hectare.
Both the Ecological Footprint (which represents demand for resources) and biocap
acity are expressed in units called global hectares (gha), with 1gha representin
g the productive capacity of 1ha of land at world average productivity.
Global warming potential
========================
Global-warming potential (GWP) is a relative measure of how much heat a greenhou
se gas traps in the atmosphere. It compares the amount of heat trapped by a cert
ain mass of the gas in question to the amount of heat trapped by a similar mass
of carbon dioxide. A GWP is calculated over a specific time interval, commonly 2
0, 100 or 500 years. GWP is expressed as a factor of carbon dioxide (whose GWP i
s standardized to 1). In the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Pa
nel on Climate Change, methane has a lifetime of 12.4 years and with climate-car
bon feedbacks a global warming potential of 86 over 20 years and 34 over 100 yea
rs in response to emissions. User related choices such as the time horizon can g
reatly affect the numerical values obtained for carbon dioxide equivalents. For
a change in time horizon from 20 to 100 years, the GWP for methane decreases by
a factor of approximately 3.[1] The substances subject to restrictions under the
Kyoto protocol either are rapidly increasing their concentrations in Earth s at
mosphere or have a large GWP.
The GWP depends on the following factors:
the absorption of infrared radiation by a given species
the spectral location of its absorbing wavelengths
the atmospheric lifetime of the species
Importance of time horizon[edit]
Note that a substance s GWP depends on the timespan over which the potential is
calculated. A gas which is quickly removed from the atmosphere may initially hav
e a large effect but for longer time periods as it has been removed becomes less
important. Thus methane has a potential of 34 over 100 years but 86 over 20 yea
rs; conversely sulfur hexafluoride has a GWP of 22,800 over 100 years but 16,300
over 20 years (IPCC TAR). The GWP value depends on how the gas concentration de
cays over time in the atmosphere. This is often not precisely known and hence th

e values should not be considered exact. For this reason when quoting a GWP it i
s important to give a reference to the calculation.
The GWP for a mixture of gases can be obtained from the mass-fraction-weighted a
verage of the GWPs of the individual gases.[
co2<methane<nitrous oxide<hfc<perflouro carbon<SF6
A greenhouse gas (sometimes abbreviated GHG) is a gas in an atmosphere that abso
rbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the f
undamental cause of the greenhouse effect.[1] The primary greenhouse gases in th
e Earth s atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, an
d ozone.
SF6
===
Dielectric medium[edit]
SF
6 is used in the electrical industry as a gaseous dielectric medium for high-vol
tage circuit breakers, switchgear, and other electrical equipment, often replaci
ng oil filled circuit breakers (OCBs) that can contain harmful PCBs. SF
6 gas under pressure is used as an insulator in gas insulated switchgear (GIS) b
ecause it has a much higher dielectric strength than air or dry nitrogen. This p
roperty makes it possible to significantly reduce the size of electrical gear.
Medical use[edit]
SF
6 is used to provide a tamponade or plug of a retinal hole in retinal detachment
repair operations[8] in the form of a gas bubble.
The magnesium industry uses large amounts of SF
6 as inert gas to fill casting forms.
Greenhouse gas[edit]
Mauna Loa sulfur hexafluoride timeseries.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, SF
6 is the most potent greenhouse gas that it has evaluated, with a global warming
potential of 23,900[20] times that of CO
2 when compared over a 100-year period.
Sulfur hexafluoride is also extremely long-lived, is inert in the troposphere an
d stratosphere and has an estimated atmospheric lifetime of 8003200 years.[22] SF
6 is very stable (for countries reporting their emissions to the UNFCCC, a GWP o
f 23,900 for SF
6 was suggested at the third Conference of the Parties: GWP used in Kyoto protoc
ol).[23] Average global SF6 concentrations increased by about seven percent per
year during the 1980s and 1990s, mostly as the result of its use in the magnesiu
m production industry, and by electrical utilities and electronics manufacturers
. Given the low amounts of SF6 released compared to carbon dioxide, its overall
contribution to global warming is estimated to be less than 0.2 percent.
Greenhouse gases[edit]
refer to caption and adjacent text
Atmospheric absorption and scattering at different wavelengths of electromagneti
c waves. The largest absorption band of carbon dioxide is in the infrared.
Greenhouse gases are those that absorb and emit infrared radiation in the wavele
ngth range emitted by Earth.[1] In order, the most abundant greenhouse gases in
Earth s atmosphere are:

Water vapor (H
2O)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Methane (CH
4)
Nitrous oxide (N
2O)
Ozone (O
3)
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Although molecules containing two atoms of different elements such as carbon mo
noxide (CO) or hydrogen chloride (HCl) absorb IR, these molecules are short-live
d in the atmosphere owing to their reactivity and solubility. Because they do no
t contribute significantly to the greenhouse effect, they are usually omitted wh
en discussing greenhouse gases.
Role of water vapor[edit]
Increasing water vapor in the stratosphere at Boulder, Colorado.
Water vapor accounts for the largest percentage of the greenhouse effect, betwee
n 36% and 66% for clear sky conditions and between 66% and 85% when including cl
ouds.[17] Water vapor concentrations fluctuate regionally, but human activity do
es not significantly affect water vapor concentrations except at local scales, s
uch as near irrigated fields.
NABARD as National Implementing Entity (NIE) of Adaptation Fund under UNFCCC
============================================================================
The Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climatic Change
(UNFCCC) stated that parties to the Protocol shall ensure that a share of the p
roceeds from the certified project activities is used to cover administrative ex
penses as well as to assist developing country Parties that are particularly vul
nerable to the adverse effects of climate change to meet the cost of adaptation.
In line with this decision (Article no. 12.8 of Kyoto Protocol), at the seventh
session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, held at Marrakesh, Moro
cco, in Oct-Nov 2001, the Adaptation Fund has been set up.
To supervise the operation of the Fund and to approve projects for adaptation ac
tivity in eligible developing countries an Adaptation Fund Board (AFB) was set u
p in 2008. India as an eligible country has access to Adaptation Fund and can se
ek financial support to undertake adaptation activities at national and regional
level.
As per the Operational policies and guidelines for parties to access resources f
rom the Adaptation Fund, projects can be prepared and submitted by National Imple
menting Entities (NIEs) to the designated authority of the national government f
or endorsement to the AFB Secretariat for consideration and sanction.
NABARD has been accredited by the Adaptation Fund Board of UNFCCC as National Im
plementing Entity (NIE) in India.
The NIE bears full responsibility for the overall management of the projects and
programmes FINANCED by the Adaptation Fund and will bear all financial, monitor
ing, and reporting responsibilities. The NIEs may appoint Executing Entities to
execute projects and programmes under its oversight. Government Department, Rese
arch Institutions, Universities, NGOs, etc. are eligible to submit projects dire
ctly to NIE (NABARD) and to act as Executing Entities.

PAT
===
The Ministry of Power and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) have been in the
vanguard of promoting the efficient use of energy and its conservation. This is
further supplemented by the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NM
EEE) which is one of the missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Cha
nge (NAPCC). The PAT Mechanism is one of the initiatives under NMEEE programme.
It is a market based mechanism to further accelerate as well as incentivize ener
gy efficiency in the large energy-intensive industries. The scheme provides the
option to trade any additional certified energy savings with other designated c
onsumers to comply with the Specific Energy Consumption reduction targets. The E
nergy Savings Certificates (ESCerts) so issued will be tradable on special tradi
ng platforms to be created in the two power exchanges -- Indian Energy Exchange
and Power Exchange India.
BEE
===
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency is an agency of the Government of India, under t
he Ministry of Power created in March 2002 under the provisions of the nation s
2001 Energy Conservation Act.[1] The agency s function is to develop programs wh
ich will increase the conservation and efficient use of energy in India.[2] The
government has proposed to make it mandatory for all appliances in India to have
ratings by the BEE starting in January 2010.[3] The mission of Bureau of Energy
Efficiency is to "institutionalize" energy efficiency services, enable delivery
mechanisms in the country and provide leadership to energy efficiency in all se
ctors of the country. The primary objective would be to reduce energy intensity
in the economy.
CAMPA
=====
Creation of Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) and Compensatory Afforestation
Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) for promoting activities relatin
g to aforestation through Green India.
The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for introduction of a Bill, namely, th
e Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2008 in Parliament for the purpose of es
tablishment of a Compensatory Afforestation Fund and for
1.
Creation of Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) by the Ministry of Env
ironment and Forests.
2.
Creation of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Auth
ority (CAMPA) by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
3.

Utilization of Funds for Green India and other afforestation activities.

NGT
===

Govt allocates special fund to protect 5 endangered species

===========================================================

endangered
Waking up to the dwindling number of certain endangered species, the Centre has
decided to step up efforts to protect five of them Dugong (sea cow), Gangetic Do
lphin, Great Indian Bustard, Manipur Brow Antler Deer (Sangai) and Wild Water Bu
ffalo - for now and take up others in due course.

Adaptation Fund
===============
Background
The Adaptation Fund (AF) was established in 2001 to FINANCE concrete adaptation
projects and programmes in developing country Parties to the Kyoto Protocol that
are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.
The Adaptation Fund is FINANCED with a share of proceeds from the clean developm
ent mechanism (CDM) project activities and other sources of funding. The share
of proceeds amounts to 2 per cent of certified emission reductions (CERs) issued
for a CDM project activity.
The Adaptation Fund is supervised and managed by the Adaptation Fund Board (AFB)
. The AFB is composed of 16 members and 16 alternates and meets at least twice
a year (Membership of the AFB).

protected area network in india:

"Municipal solid waste" includes commercial and residential wastes generated in
a
municipal or notified areas in either solid or semi-solid form excluding industr
ial
hazardous wastes but including treated bio-medical wastes.
biodiversity management committee.:works at local level.

genome sequencing technology:

The Lushai Hills is also called Mizo Hills is a part of Patkai range or the purv
anchal mountain ranges
of India. Lushai hills are very rich in Flora & Fauna and covered with dense bam
boo jungle and
inhabited by the Mizo and Lushais tribes of North East India.
It is a northern extension of the Arakan ranges of Myanmar.
Mizo hills are often confused with Garo Khasi and Jaintia hills.
The Garo,Khasi and Jaintia Hills are the three major hills of Patkai range locat
ed in the state of
Meghalaya. The group of mountains are extremely rich in flora & fauna and home t
o highest
waterfalls in India along with the wettest place on earth Cherrapunji and nearby
Mawsynram.

India has the largest population of the Asian elephants. Today, there are just a
bout 20,000 to 25,000
elephants in their natural habitat spreading across the evergreen forests, dry t
horn forests, swamps
and grasslands.
Their prime habitats are, however, the moist deciduous forests. Their population
in India ranges from
North-West India where they are found in the forest divisions of Dehradun, Bijno
r and Nainital
districts of UP to the Western Ghats in the states of Karnataka and Kerala and i
n Tamil Nadu.
In Central India, their population is distributed in southern Bihar and Orissa.
In the East, they are
seen in North-Bengal, Assam and a few other states.they are not endangered.
The sitar is the main instrument of Hindusthani (North Indian) music and is gour
d-shaped with a
long neck. The instrument itself in fact is made out of aged pumpkin shell. It h
as many strings, the
number varies but 17 is usual. It is usually performed alongside the tabla.
The veena is the sitar s Carnatic counterpart and is also gourd-shaped with a lo
ng neck. It is made of
wood. The veena has 4 main strings and 3 drone or sympathetic strings, and is us
ually paired with the
mridangam which is the South Indian drum.
The Carnatic flute is known as Venu, and the Hindustani flute as Bansuri. This i
s the distinction
between them in vocabulary. The Venu consists of 8 finger holes, while Bansuri c
onsists of six or
seven finger holes. Also bansuri is used mostly in north indian music while venu
in south indian
music.
Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor of Eastern DFC is a proposed freight corridor
in India by Indian
Railways. It is going to be a broad gauge corridor. This will have double line a
nd will be electrified.
Due to lack of space the section from Ludhiana in Punjab to Khurja in Uttar Prad
esh will be single line
electrified. This corridor will cover total distance of 1839 km. This corridor w
ill also pass through
Dhari (The origin point of Western Dedicated Freight
Corridor) which will serve as a junction.
Apart from faster delivery of goods, this project is also going to help to reduc
e greenhouse gases
(GHGs) emissions caused by road transportation in this region.
World Bank has recently approved an
additional loan of 650 million dollars for
Indias Eastern Dedicated Freight
Corridor (DFC) Project. It passes
through the states of
1. UP
2. Punjab
3. Haryana
4. Bihar
5. Jharkhand
6. West Bengal
ans all of these.

The European Union (EU) is a politico-economic union of 28 member states that ar

e located
primarily in Europe. The EU operates through a system of supranational instituti
ons and
intergovernmental-negotiated decisions by the member states. The institutions ar
e: the European
Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the Court o
f Justice of the
European Union, the European Central Bank, the European Court of Auditors, and t
he European
Parliament. The European Parliament is elected every five years by EU citizens.
The EU has developed a single market through a standardised system of laws that
apply in all member
states.
The eurozone, officially called the euro area, is a monetary union of 19 Europea
n Union (EU) member
states that have adopted the euro () as their common currency and sole legal tend
er.
Monetary policy of the zone is the responsibility of the European Central Bank (
ECB) which is
governed by a president and a board of the heads of national central banks. The
principal task of the
ECB is to keep inflation under control. Though there is no common representation
, governance or
fiscal policy for the currency union, some co-operation does take place through
the Eurogroup, which
makes political decisions regarding the eurozone and the euro. The Eurogroup is
composed of the
finance ministers of eurozone states, but in emergencies, national leaders also
form the Eurogroup.
PMKSY is central scheme that aims at providing irrigation facilities to every vi
llage in the country by
converging ongoing irrigation schemes implemented by various ministries.
It will focus on end-to-end solution in irrigation supply chain by implementing ne
w programme in a
project mode with decentralised state-level planning and execution.
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana Ensure access to some means of protective
irrigation to all
agricultural farms in the country in order to produce per drop more crop to bring
desired rural
prosperity.
Flexibility and autonomy: to states in the process of planning and executing irr
igation projects in
order to ensure water to every farm.
Irrigation plans: ensure that state and district irrigation plans are prepared o
n the basis of sources of
availability of water and agro-climatic conditions in that region.
Promoting extension activities: related to on farm water management and crop alig
nment for
farmers as well as grass root level field functionaries.
Agencies involved: nodal agency for implementation of PMKSY projects will be sta
te agriculture
department. Inter-ministerial National Steering Committee (NSC) will periodicall
y review these
projects.
Budgetary allocation: 1,000 crore rupees for fiscal year 2015-16.
Funding Pattern: Centre- States will share 75: 25 per cent. In case of north-eas

tern region and hilly

states it will be 90:10.

Rosetta was launched in 2004 on an Ariane 5 rocket and reached the comet in 2014
, becoming the
first spacecraft to orbit a comet. Rosetta took off from Earth 10 years ago carr
ying Philae and
traveled 6.4 billion miles before arriving at the comet.
On 12 November 2014, the mission performed the first successful landing on a com
et and returned
data from the surface.
Philae s mission was to land successfully on the surface of a comet, attach itsel
f, and transmit data
from the surface about the comets composition. It is a robotic European Space Age
ncy lander.
As for pushing UMPPs, Jaitley said that under the "plug and play" system, coal b
locks will be auctioned after they are granted various clearances to speed up an
d simplify mining and get better valuation. One of the proposed UMPPs is likely
to be set up in power starved state of Bihar.
Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Minor Forest Produce (MFP) has been fixed for
ten MFP namely Tamarind, Honey, Gum Karaya, Karanj Seed, Sal Seed, Mahuwa
Seed, Sal Leaf, Chironjee, Myrobalan, and Lac. The Scheme has been implemented
2
http://www.insightsonindia.com
INSIGHTS
Test
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18
in eight States having Schedule areas as listed in the Fifth Schedule of the
constitution of India
The scheme provides for non-nationalization of MFP by the State concerned, so th
at
the collectors of MFP are free to sell the MFP in open market if the market pric
e is
more than the MSP declared. States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are still
continuing with the practice of nationalization of MFP. Therefore, the scheme ha
s
not been implemented in these two States.
The Climate Investment Funds (CIF) is providing 63 developing and middle income
countries with urgently needed resources to mitigate and manage the challenges o
f climate change and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Since 2008, the CIF champions innovative country-led investments in clean techno
logy, renewable energy, sustainable management of forests, and climate-resilient
development. Fourteen contributor countries have pledged a total of $8.1 billio
n to the CIF, which is expected to leverage an additional $57 billion from other
sources. The CIF allocates financing through four funding windows:
The $5.3 billion Clean Technology Fund (CTF) provides middle-income countries wi
th highly concessional resources to scale up the demonstration, deployment, and
transfer of low carbon technologies in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and
sustainable transport.
The $785 million Forest Investment Program (FIP) supports efforts of developing
countries to reduce deforestation and forest degradation and promote sustainable

forest management that leads to emissions reductions and enhancement of forest c

arbon stocks (REDD +).
The $1.2 billion Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR) is helping developi
ng countries integrate climate resilience into development planning and offers a
dditional funding to support public and private sector investments for implement
ation.
The $796 million Scaling Up Renewable Energy in Low Income Countries Program (SR
EP) is helping to deploy renewable energy solutions for increased energy access
and economic growth in the worlds poorest countries.
The CIF was founded on three key principles:
1. DELIVERING INVESTMENT TO STIMULATE TRANSFORMATION
Designed to mobilize resources for climate-smart development, the CIF is current
ly the largest source of concessional financing for the mitigation and adaptatio
n investments of partner multilateral development banks (MDBs). The CIF provided
$1.8 billion (43%) of the $4.2 billion MDB total external resources for climate
finance in 2012 and 2013. In turn, the CIF $1.8 billion expects $15 billion in
co-financing from the MDBs (26% of $57 billion total expected co-financing). Ano
ther $19 billion in co-financing (34%) is expected from the private sector. The
CIF is allocating $2.4 billion (29% of CIF total funding) to private sector prog
rams and projects.
2. FOSTERING PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH A PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH
The CIF takes a country-led programmatic approach involving multiple stakeholder
s from key sectors of the economy to develop and implement an investment plan th
at builds on national policies and existing initiatives. By reaching across inst
itutions and groupsincluding civil society, indigenous peoples, and the private s
ectorthe CIF aims to build the trust, transparency, and country ownership require
d for lasting transformational change.
3. LEARNING BY DOING TO ACHIEVE RESULTS
The CIF was established to test and learn about deployment of climate finance at
scale. As more projects and programs get underway, concrete results are beginni
ng to emerge, including evidence on what is working, what is not, and why. These
results are being reported and measured annually, while CIF knowledge is being
amassed and disseminated widely to improve results, support the replication and
expansion of successful approaches, and test new models for scaled up engagement
.

yoga for harmony and peace.

Facts about International Day of Yoga logo
Reflects peace and harmony for the humanity which is the essence of Yoga.
Folding of both hands in the logo reflects the union of individual
consciousness with universal consciousness.
It also reflects a perfect harmony between mind and body, man and nature
and the holistic approach to health and well-being.
The sun in the logo symbolise the source of energy and inspiration. While the
brown leaves symbolise the earth element.
The green leaves symbolise the nature and blue the fire element.
Background to the Yoga Day
The idea to observe 21 June as the International Day of Yoga was proposed
by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2014 during his speech at
United Nations General Assembly (UN-GA).
In December 2014, UN-GA had unanimously had adopted an India-led
resolution to observe 21 June as the International Day of Yoga.

 The resolution was passed within a record time of 75 days. It was also first
resolution in which 177 countries had become co-sponsors and was a world
record.
The oxides of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur that are released on burning
fossil fuels are acidic oxides. These lead to acid rain which affects our
water and soil resources.The transmission of electricity is more efficient than
transporting coal or petroleum over the same distance. Therefore, many
thermal power plants are set up near coal or oil fields. The term thermal
power plant is used since fuel is burnt to produce heat energy which is
converted into electrical energy.Since the water in the reservoir
would be refilled each time it rains (hydro
power is a renewable source of energy) we
would not have to worry about hydro
electricity sources getting used up the way
fossil fuels would get finished one day.Large areas of agricultural land and hum
an
habitation are to be sacrificed as they get submerged. Large eco-systems
are destroyed when submerged under the water in dams. The vegetation
which is submerged rots under anaerobic conditions and gives rise to
large amounts of methane which is also a green-house gas. It creates
the problem of satisfactory rehabilitation of displaced people. Opposition
to the construction of Tehri Dam on the river Ganga and Sardar Sarovar
project on the river Narmada are due to such problems.
biomass:These fuels, however, do not produce much heat on burning
and a lot of smoke is given out when they are burnt.When wood is burnt in a limi
ted supply of oxygen, water and volatile
materials present in it get removed and charcoal is left behind as the
residue. Charcoal burns without flames, is comparatively smokeless and
has a higher heat generation efficiency.It takes a few
days for the decomposition process to be complete
and generate gases like methane, carbon dioxide,
hydrogen and hydrogen sulphide.Bio-gas is an excellent fuel as it contains up to
75% methane. It
burns without smoke, leaves no residue like ash in wood, charcoal and
coal burning.Denmark is called the country of winds. More than 25% of their electr
icity needs are
generated through a vast network of windmills. In terms of total output, Germany
is
the leader, while India is ranked fifth in harnessing wind energy for the produc
tion of
electricity. It is estimated that nearly 45,000 MW of electrical power can be ge
nerated if
Indias wind potential is fully exploited. The largest wind energy farm has been
established near Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and it generates 380 MW of electricit
y.
The initial
cost of establishment of the farm is quite high. Moreover, since the tower
and blades are exposed to the vagaries of nature like rain, Sun, storm
and cyclone, they need a high level of maintenance.
Silicon, which is used for making solar cells, is abundant in nature
but availability of the special grade silicon for making solar cells is limited.
The entire process of manufacture is still very expensive, silver used for
interconnection of the cells in the panel further adds to the cost. In spite
of the high cost and low efficiency, solar cells are used for many scientific
and technological applications. Artificial satellites and space probes like
Mars orbiters use solar cells as the main source of energy. Radio or
wireless transmission systems or TV relay stations in remote locations

use solar cell panels. Traffic signals, calculators and many toys are fitted
with solar cells. The solar cell panels are mounted on specially designed
inclined roof tops so that more solar energy is incident over it. The
domestic use of solar cells is, however, limited due to its high cost.
otec:The warm surface-water is used to boil a volatile
liquid like ammonia. The vapours of the liquid are then used to run the
turbine of generator.
There are number of power plants based on geothermal energy
operational in New Zealand and United States of America.