June 2019 Environment

Sakshi Education

G20 agrees to tackle ocean plastic waste
Group of 20 environment ministers agreed on 16 June, 2019 to adopt a new implementation framework for actions to tackle the issue of marine plastic waste on a global scale, the Japanese government said after hosting the two-day ministerial meeting.

Environment and energy ministers of the Group of 20 major economies met this weekend in Karuizawa, northwest of Tokyo, ahead of the G20 summit in Osaka, western Japan, on June 28-29.

One of the top issues was ocean plastic waste as images of plastic debris-strewn beaches and dead animals with stomachs full of plastic have sparked outrage, with many countries banning plastic bags outright.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has wants his country to lead the world in reducing marine plastic trash, including developing biodegradables and other innovations.

The new framework is aimed at facilitating further concrete action on marine waste, though on a voluntary basis, after the G20 Hamburg Summit in Germany adopted the “G20 action plan on marine litter” in 2017.
Cyclone likely to hit Arabian Sea on June 11-12, warns Meteorological Department
Meteorological Department warns that a cyclone may occur in the Arabian Sea near the West Coast of India between June 11 and 12, Directorate General of Information and Public Relations of Maharashtra.

The department has asked the fishermen to avoid entering the sea during this period.

The cyclone will be around 300 km away from the coast.

Although the cyclone will not hit the state, it will influence the region and gusty winds are likely to lash the region.

The Meteorological experts have predicted that monsoon will hit Mumbai along with the Konkan region during this period.The country recently witnessed the destruction caused by Cyclone Fani in states like Odisha and West Bengal.
Canada to ban single use plastics from 2021
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on 10 June, 2019 announced that single-use plastics will be banned in the country from 2021.

It a global challenge to phase out the plastic bags, straws and cutlery clogging the world's oceans.

Canada has a unique chance to lead the fight against plastic pollution as the country with the world's longest coastlines. He said, less than 10 percent of plastics used in Canada are currently recycled.

Each year a million birds and more than 100,000 marine mammals worldwide suffer injury or death by becoming entangled in plastic or ingesting it through the food chain. Single-use items represent some 70 percent of the plastic waste littering the marine environment.

Canada, France, Germany, Britain and Italy, along with the European Union, subscribed at last year's G7 summit in Quebec to a new charter against pollution in the world's oceans.

The United States and Japan did not join the pact.

The non-binding Ocean Plastics Charter called on participating countries and the EU to commit to making all plastics reusable, recyclable or recovered by 2030.
India's first dinosaur museum in Gujarat
Gujarat has joined the Jurassic bandwagon with India’s first ever Dinosaur-Museum-cum-Park in Raiyoli in Mahisagar district.

Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani inaugurated the museum that is set to give visitors a Jurassic Park feel.

Located in Raiyoli area of Balasinor, the museum will have fossil records and remains of various dinosaur species.
Mount Sinabung volcano erupted in Sumatra Island
Mount Sinabung volcano erupted in Sumatra Island of western Indonesia. A huge column of ash was blasted and spread 7 km high to southeast and south of crater.

Mount Sinabung blew for nine minutes. It caused panic among the island’s residents. The volcanic activity was accompanied by multiple earthquakes felt in nearby villages. No casualties have been reported due to the eruption.

Indonesia has nearly 130 active volcanoes, more than any other country.

Sinabung was inactive for around 400 years before it erupted in 2010, 2014 and February 2018. Since then it has become one of south east Asian nation's most active volcanoes.

Mount Sinabung is a Pleistocene-to-Holocene stratovolcano located in North Sumatra. It is particularly prone to seismic activity due to its location on the Ring of Fire.

Ring of Fire: It an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
VAYU: Cyclone warning for Gujarat coast
The Very Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘VAYU’ over East-central Arabian Sea moved nearly northwards with a speed of about 13 kmph on 12th June 2019.

It is very likely to move northwards and cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm with wind speed 145-155 kmph gusting to 170 kmph on13th June 2019.
Indian Army commissioned a Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System under Go Green initative
Indian Army commissioned a Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) at Fort William Military Station, Kolkata, West Bengal. It is a part of the countrywide Go Green' initiative.

The Air Quality Monitoring System was commissioned by Lt Gen M M Naravane, General Officer Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Command. It will be overall sixth CAAQMS in Kolkata.
Europes highest volcano Mount Etna erupted
Mount Etnaa, Europe's Highest Volcano and one of the world’s most active volcanoes, erupted spitting molten lava high into the sky.

It is located on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania.

This is 2019's first eruption as the volcano on the island of Sicily as the Mount last erupted on 24 December 2018.

The eruption did not affect the nearby residential areas or for flights at the closest airport at Catania.
Earth recycles ocean floor to diamonds
Australia's Macquarie University researchers revealed salt traces trapped in many diamonds show they are formed from ancient seabeds that got recycled after being buried deep beneath Earth's crust.

Researchers carried out experiments at extreme pressures and temperatures found 200 km underground.

At 120-180 km depth, results showed salt balance similar to that found in natural diamonds.
Campaign 'SelfiewithSapling' launched
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar launched a people’s campaign #SelfiewithSapling urging all to join and plant a sapling and post the selfie with the sapling on social media.

This year the theme of Environment Day is Air Pollution.

Air pollution is the biggest environmental health risk of the current time.
Forest Department signs MoU for Byculla extension
The state forest department and the civic body signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the handing over of around 100 acres of land at Aarey Colony in Goregaon to extend the Veermata Jijabai Bhosle Udyan (Byculla zoo).

After the extension, the civic body plans to introduce state-of-the-art facilities at par to the zoos located abroad the expenditure for which, would be around Rs 500 crore.