Environmental News : August 2011


India third biggest greenhouse gas emitter: Government. 
India is the third biggest greenhouse gas emitter with its contribution standing at 5.3 per cent behind countries like China and the USA, the Government said in Lok Sabha. "As per current information available, the countries which are the largest contributor, in percentage term regarding greenhouse gas emissions are China 19.5 per cent, USA 19.2 per cent, India 5.3 per cent, Russia 5.1 per cent, Japan 3.6 per cent and Germany 2.6 per cent," Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said. 


China plans carbon-trading pilot scheme
China will introduce a pilot scheme for carbon emissions trading and gradually develop a national market as the world's largest polluter seeks to reduce emissions and save energy. Faced with severe pollution, a predicted surge in urbanisation and a struggle to ensure adequate energy supplies to fuel its rapid growth, China has outlined plans to reduce carbon emissions in its latest five-year economic plan. Environmental analysts have said China is keen to get a functioning carbon trading market up and running soon, especially with the expiry of the Kyoto Protocol looming in 2012. China and other developing nations have not been bound by the protocol to reduce emissions of the gases blamed for global warming and climate change. But it remains unclear what a future new protocol would call for with China under pressure to rein in emissions growth since it surpassed the United States as the world's largest greenhouse gas source in recent years. 

SC refuses to ease country-wide ban on endosulfan
The Supreme Court refused to ease its three-month old ban on the manufacture, sale and use of pesticide endosulfan despite an expert committee report favouring lifting the restrictions for all states except the worst-affected Kerala and Karnataka. On May 13, the court had banned use of endosulfan across the country while directing the expert committee to report on the future course of action.The expert committee jointly chaired by the director-general of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Agriculture Commissioner of India in its interim report to the court found ample proof of health disorders among people and damage to the environment to recommend enforcement of the SC's total ban on use of endosulfan in Kerala and Karnataka. The other states could be allowed to resume its use, it had recommended. 

Natural history museum at Ranthambhore soon
The quaint town of Ranthambhore - the land of tigers - will soon have an added attraction. Besides safaris to watch the big cat in the forest, you would be able to come face-to-face with stunning species, historical personalities and live animals, albeit in a museum. The upcoming Rajiv Gandhi Regional Museum of Natural History in Ramsinghpura, Sawai Madhopur, is conceived as a non-formal centre for environmental education and creation of public awareness on conservation of nature and natural resources. This would be the fourth such museum in the country after Mysore, Bhopal and Bhubaneswar.The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) owes its genesis to the time of Late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who while considering new projects to be initiated in 1972 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of India's Independence, decided that the country needs a museum of natural history to depict its flora, fauna and mineral wealth and to provide an out-of-school facility for children's education and to promote environmental awareness among the masses. 

'Environment-friendly way' to control mosquitos developed
A novel and environmentally green approach for mosquito control has been developed by using sound to destry mosquito larvae at breeding sites.The sound energy of the new mosquito killing instrument, Acoustic Larvicide, does not involve any chemical. It ruptures internal tissues of mosquito larvae and kills them.Acoustic Larvicide is environment-friendly, target-specific and kills only mosquito larvae, and the system could be used in sewage treatment plants, ponds and large size of ditches. The new method was innovated by an american scientist Dr Herb Nyberk, of New Mountain Innovations.

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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