May 2019 Environment

Sakshi Education

New medicinal plants found in Manipur
Scientists attempting to document indigenous medicinal knowledge of Zeliangrong ethnic group in Manipur have found new medicinal plants.

Scientists identified plants like Gynura cusimbua, Hedyotis scandens, Mussaenda glabra and Schima wallichii whose medicinal usage are reported for the first time.

Zeliangrong ethnic group is one of the 32 tribes in Manipur.
Octopus-inspired wearable sensors
Scientists from Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea have developed flexible wearable sensors.

They stick to the skin, paving the way for novel health trackers that could monitor a variety of human activities.

It could monitor an array of human activities, including electro cardiogram signals, pulse and speech patterns.
'Hawa Aane De' launched to spread awareness
Union Environment Ministry on 29th May launched the song 'Hawa Aane De' to spread awareness about Air pollution.

The song was launched by Secretary, Ministry of Environment C K Mishra ahead of the World Environment Day on 5th of June.

The theme of Environment Day for 2019 is Air Pollution.
Union Ministry of Environment to undertake a project
Union Ministry of Environment announced a project to create DNA Database for Indian Rhinos.

This is done in order to curb poaching and collect evidence for wildlife crimes including Rhinos.

The deadline to meet this project is 2021.

The database will be kept in the Wildlife Institute of India(WII) headquartered in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
International Museum Day: 18 May
International Museum Day (IMD) is celebrated on 18th May every year.

It is coordinated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM).

The objective of International Museum Day (IMD) is to raise awareness that, Museums are an important means of cultural exchange.

The theme for International Museum Day (IMD) 2019 is Museums as Cultural Hubs: The future of tradition.
Scientists unearth 'Most bird-like' dinosaur ever found
Scientists in Germany have found a new species of flying dinosaur that flapped its wings like a raven.

Archaeopteryx, a small feathered dinosaur, was considered to be the oldest flying bird.

Scientists have named the new bird-like dinosaur Alcmonavis poeschli.

Alcmonavis poeschli was the most bird-like bird discovered from the Jurassic.
Extinct bird species came back from the dead
A previously extinct species of bird returned from the dead, reclaiming the island it previously lived on and re-evolving itself back into existence.

The white-throated rail colonized the Aldabra Atoll in the Indian Ocean and evolved to become flightless.

It was completely wiped out when the island disappeared below the sea around 136,000 years ago.
Grizzled giant squirrel spotted near Gingee
Pakkamalai Reserve Forests, Gingee, Eastern Ghats, Wildlife Protection Act)

For the first time, researchers have sighted nests of the grizzled giant squirrel at Pakkamalai Reserve Forests near Gingee in the Eastern Ghats.

The squirrel is an endangered species listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act.

Owing to habitat loss and poaching, the species has been categorised as near threatened by the Red List and listed under Schedule II of CITES.
Bengal tigers may not survive climate change
According to a report by the UN, Royal Bengal Tiger, which dominates the marshy areas of the Sundarban forest reserves, may be pushed into extinction due to rise in sea levels and climate change.

The Sunderbans, a 10,000-km area of wet and marshy land sprawled across Bangladesh and India, is among the world's richest mangrove forest reserves and supports species like Bengal Tiger.
Delhi's air quality very poor: SAFAR
Delhi's air quality was recorded in the 'very poor' category, but the pollution level is expected to reduce due to thunderstorms, as per SAFAR.

The air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 339 which falls in the 'very poor' category

AQI between 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor', and 401-500 'severe'.
Carbon dioxide levels hit historic high
Scientists in the US have detected the highest levels of planet-warming carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere since records began.

The Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, which has tracked atmospheric CO2 levels since the late 1950s, detected 415.26 parts per million (ppm).

It was also the first time on record that the observatory measured a daily baseline above 415 ppm.
Fully recyclable plastic created
The scientists have created a next-generation plastic that can be fully recycled into new materials of any colour, shape, or form, without loss of performance or quality.

A team of researchers at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has designed it.

All plastics are made up of large molecules called polymers, which are composed of monomers.
NGT directed 18 states to submit action plan
The National Green Tribunal directed 18 states and 2 Union Territories to submit an action plan within three months to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

This is being done to ensure utilization of treated waste to reduce pressure on the groundwater resources throughout the country.

The states which have not submitted action plans include Gujarat, Assam, Bihar, and Punjab.
All EVs to use green number plates
The Central government has made mandatory for all Electric Vehicles (EVs) to use the green number plates.

All EVs should use green number plates wherein the private electric vehicles will get white lettering on a green background and commercial EVs will get yellow lettering.

The aim is to help distinguish green vehicles to provide easy identification for preferential treatment.
BHEL and ARAI together signed MoU
BHEL and Automotive Research Association of India signed a MoU.

It is for effective cooperation on different projects related to e-mobility and implement solutions for electric & trolley bus, EV (Electric Vehicles) chargers, battery and charger testing.

Electro mobility refers to full and hybrid electric vehicles as well as that using hydrogen fuel cell technology.
UK passes Environment Emergency declaration
UK Parliament became the first national government to pass a national declaration of an Environment and Climate Emergency.

This move marks a serious emergency in dealing with climate change. The declaration was preceded by a visit by teenage activist Greta Thunberg (to the Parliament), the feature of David.

Attenborough’s documentary movie titled ‘Climate Change: The Facts’.
Last captive white tiger Bajirao dies at 18
Bajirao, the last captive white tiger at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai suburb Borivali, died at the age of 18.

The tiger had been suffering from chronic ankylosis on left shoulder and chronic senile generalized arthritis for the last four years. Bajirao was born at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in 2001.
UN agency praises India on minimizing loss of life from Cyclone Fani
UN agency for disaster reduction has commended the Indian Meteorological Department's almost pinpoint accuracy of early warnings that helped authorities conduct a well-targeted evacuation plan and minimize the loss of life as extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani made landfall near the coastal city of Puri.

India's zero-casualty approach to managing extreme weather events is a major contribution to the implementation of the Sendai Framework and the reduction of loss of life from such events.

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the first major agreement of the post-2015 development agenda. It is a 15-year, voluntary, non-binding agreement which recognizes that the state has the primary role to reduce disaster risk.

UN agencies are monitoring Fani's movements closely and taking measures to protect families living in refugee camps in Bangladesh, which is on.
Fani: longest-lasting cyclone in the century
The powerful Cyclone Fani which ravaged the eastern coast of India was the longest-lasting cyclone in April over Bay of Bengal in a century, said the India Meteorological Department.

It was the longest-staying system over Bay of Bengal in April, from 1901.

Cyclone Fani was one of the strongest since the Super cyclone 1999 and Cyclone Phailin in 2013, killing at least 16 in India.
40% amphibian species threatened
Relentless pursuit of economic growth, twinned with the impact of climate change, has put one million species at risk of extinction, as per a report.

Known as the Global Assessment, the report found that up to 1 million of Earth’s estimated eight million plants, insect and animal species are at risk of extinction within decades.

The study is compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries.
ECube ropes in Badrinarayanan
ECube, an ESG (environment, social and governance) platform announced the appointment of Chandru Badrinarayanan as managing partner.

Early this year, Ecube had announced a fundraiseof $1 billion jointly with Quantum Advisors.

Mr. Badrinarayanan was till recently executive director and head of MSCI’s India business and has more than 30 years of experience.
India CEO forum organised on climate change
India CEO Forum on Climate Change was organized by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on 8 May 2019.

The Forum consisted of high-level discussions across several sessions covering topics from India’s Nationally Determined Contributions.

The sessions voiced deliberations from the government on India’s international commitments to fighting climate change.
Greenfield IT park to come up in Guindy
Olympia Cyberspace, a unit of the Chennai-based Olympia Group, is coming up with a million square feet greenfield IT park jointly with US Private equity fund Apollo Global, in Guindy.

The project will entail investments upto 750 crore.

Apollo Global, an alternate investment platform with $270 billion in assets under management, is the joint venture partner of Olympia for this project.
East Asian birds make Andaman stopover
Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo (Chalcites basalis) was sighted at the Andamans and Nicobar Islands.

It is distinguished by the green and brown plumage on its back, the diminutive Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo (Chalcites basalis) is a native of Australia and New Guinea. The sighting was the first recorded instance of the bird in India.
Global warming shrank economy by 31%
According to a Stanford study, global warming has caused the Indian economy to be 31% smaller than it would have been.

The study shows how Earth's temperature changes have increased inequalities. It showed that growing concentrations of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere since the 1960s have enriched cool countries like Norway and Sweden.
Cyclone Fani likely to intensify
The Cyclone Fani in South East Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm.

It is moving in a north westwards direction at a speed of 21 kilometres per hour.
Aurobindo got environmental nod
The 250-crore expansion plan of Aurobindo Pharma's manufacturing facility in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh has been accorded environmental clearance.

The project also involves installation of a captive power plant of 8.85 MW.

The project is expected to create jobs for 600 people directly and 120 indirectly.
3000 kg waste collected from Mt. Everest
A total of 3,000 kg of solid waste has been collected from Mt. Everest, since April 14, 2019, as a part of a campaign launched by Nepal.

The campaign seeks to bring back and safely dispose of a total of 10,000 kg of waste.

The 45-day 'Everest Cleaning Campaign', led by Solukhumbu district's Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality began on April 14, 2019.
Cyclone hits Odisha coast near Puri with wind speed nearly 175 kmph
Cyclone Fani, a severe cyclonic storm, made landfall impact on Friday, May 3, 2019 around 8.00 a.m.

South of Puri on the Odisha coast. The entire process is expected to happen over the next two hours.

The Odisha government on Thursday (02 May) evacuated over 11 lakh people from low-lying areas in 15 districts.
FANI Cyclonic Storm moves north-northeastwards
Cyclone FANI is expected to cross Odisha Coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali around Puri during forenoon of 3rd May.

The cyclone constitutes maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph and continued landfall.

Extremely heavy rainfall (>20 cm) has been forecasted in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam & Meghalaya.
Water Storage Level in Reservoirs Down by 1%
The water storage available in 91 major reservoirs of the country for the week ending on May 02, 2019 was 40.592 BCM.

This is 25% of total storage capacity of these reservoirs.

Storage during current year is less than storage of last year and is also less than average storage of last ten years

37 Reservoirs out of these 91 have hydropower benefit with installed capacity of more than 60 MW.