Sakshi Education
- Indian Railways installs first PET bottle crusher machine in Mumbai Rajdhani Express
The Western Railway has installed a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle crushing machine in Mumbai Rajdhani Express for the first time ever.
The PET bottle crusher machine was installed in the train under the Indian Railways' Swachh Bharat and Go Green missions.
The move also ties in with an impending ban of single-use plastic by the Centre.
BACKGROUND:
The installation of the PET bottle crusher is expected to reduce carbon footprints by 100% recycling.
This will also avoid littering in landfill from bottle waste.
To create awareness to the people about the ban on single-use plastic, the Western Railways has put up selfie points at Churchgate and Andheri stations.
- NIDM organized a one day National workshop on PDNA
On 23 September 2019, the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) organized a one day National workshop on Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA).
Under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP), NIDM undertook the study for developing a scientific tool on Post Disaster Needs Assessment.
BACKGROUND:
The PDNA workshop aims to disseminate the outcome documents of the study to all the relevant stakeholders.
By doing so, the same outcome documents can be utilized as a reference document while preparing the memorandum for submission to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the post-disaster phase.
The workshop also discussed various issues and challenges that are faced by States in assessment of damage and loss along with the capacity gap for undertaking such detailed exercise.
- Kerala Tourism receives three PATA Gold Awards
Kerala Tourism won three prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold awards, including one for an ethnic food restaurant run by women at Kumarakom under its Responsible Tourism Mission.
The awards, presented at a glittering function at Nur-Sultan (Astana) in Kazakhstan received by state Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran and Tourism Director P Bala Kiran from Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director, Macau Government Tourism office and Dr Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA, during the PATA Travel Mart 2019.
The two other gold awards were for an advertisement campaign of Kerala Tourism Come Out and Play and for its website (www.keralatourism.org) respectively.
The ad campaign was run by Stark Communication, the Kerala Tourism website has been designed and maintained by Invis Multimedia.
The Responsible Tourism Mission (RTM) become the mainstay of our tourism policy and initiatives. Out of the 15,500 RTM initiatives, 13,500 units are led by women.
The PATA awards have emerged as a prestigious recognition of achievements in the travel and tourism sector.
The three gold awards are yet another acknowledgement of our commendable success. It will give a fillip to the destination pull of Kerala and elevate the state into a coveted destination for the inbound tourism market.
- Report says period from 2015 to 2019 is the hottest since 1850
A report by the world’s leading climate agencies said that the period from 2015 to 2019 is likely to be the hottest five-year period on record since 1850. The report was released ahead of the United Nations Climate Action Summit which is to be held in New York.
The report pointed out that the gaps between agreed targets to combat global warming and the ground reality.
BACKGROUND:
The report said that the greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere have risen to record levels. This will cause locking in the warming trend for decades to come.
It also said that the global average temperature increased 1.1°C since 1850–1900, the pre-industrial period, and by 0.2°C compared to 2011-2015.
Carbon dioxide reached a record high of 37 billion tonnes of concentration and grew to 2% in 2018.
- UEFA to palnt 6,00,000 trees to offset carbon emissions
European football's governing body, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), announced that is to plant 6,00,000 trees across 12 countries.
The announcement is a part of its commitment to offset carbon emissions from travel to next year's Euro 2020.
In all the 12 host countries, UEFA will plant 50,000 trees for the Euro 2020 tournament.
- Sri Lanka: 80,000 persons affected due to inclement weather in southern part of island
In Sri Lanka, over 80 thousand persons from more than 20 thousand families have been affected due to inclement weather in southern part of the island for past few days.
Hundreds of people have been forced to take shelter in relief camps as several houses got damaged due to incessant rains in Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Kalutara, Colombo, Gampaha, Kandy and Kegalle districts.
Schools and colleges in worst affected Galle and Matara districts have been closed in wake of the precarious conditions.
All the police stations island-wide have been directed to act immediately on an emergency situation.
President Matihripala Sirisena instructed officials to take swift measures and to obtain the assistance of the armed forces in relief operations as well as in evacuations in flood-prone areas.
Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said water levels in several rivers are on the rise.
- 5.8-magnitude earthquake claims 37 lives in Pakistan occupied Kashmir
The death toll in the devastating earthquake that rattled Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and several north-eastern cities in the country rose to 37 today as authorities stepped up rescue operations to save people trapped in the debris of several toppled buildings.
According to the US Geological Survey, the epicentre of the powerful 5.8 magnitude earthquake, which occurred last afternoon was near Mirpur city roughly 20 kilometres north of Jhelum in Punjab.
The number of casualties was likely to increase as around 100 of the injured were admitted to different hospitals in a critical condition.
- National Water Mission Awards 2019 presented
NWM, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti has initiated the ‘National Water Mission Awards’ to recognize excellence in water conservation, and efficient water use.
NWM has 5 goals and 39 strategies prescribed in the Mission Document.
The awards are given in 10 categories defined under 5 goals of NWM.
- Marriott to ban small plastic bottle toiletries from December 2020
Marriott International, the world's largest hotel chain will eliminate small plastic bottles of shampoo, conditioner and bath gel from its hotel rooms worldwide by December 2020. They'll be replaced with larger bottles or wall-mounted dispensers, depending on the hotel.
They will eliminate about 200 million tiny bottles each year by 2021.
Marriott more than 7,000 hotels in 131 countries under 30 brands, ranging from SpringHill Suites and Residence Inn to Sheraton and Ritz-Carlton. It says it will be eliminating about 500 million small bottles each year, or 1.7 million pounds of plastic.
Maryland-based Marriott started replacing small bottles early last year at some North American brands, including Courtyard and Fairfield hotels. About 1,000 of those now feature larger bottles or pump dispensers that are hooked to the shower wall.
The larger bottles will still be plastic, and Marriott still plans to replace them - not just refill them - when they run low. But Naguib said the larger bottles are easier to recycle than smaller ones.
Plastic pollution is an urgent global crisis and the time is now to think reusable instead of disposable.
The lawmakers in California are considering banning hotels from using small shampoo bottles in 2023, while the European Union is banning a wide range of single-use plastic items, like cutlery and plates, by 2021.
The Marriott last year (2018) when it banned plastic straws and stirrers. Many people like collecting hotel shampoo bottles.
- Four lions rescued from a 100-feet deep well in Gir forest
Three lions are associated with one lioness(four lions) within the 2-3 year age were saved from one hundred feet deep unused well on the farm in Manavav in the evening of 14th Sept 2019 in the Gir forest at Gujarat.
BACKGROUND:
How lions rescued from well:- The farm owner has alerted the officers. The forest department team managed well to rescue the lions and lioness by operating through the night. The well was dry and also the four lions had to be dragged out with the assistance of residents and instrumentality they had carried to rescue.
- The Gujarat government had constructed 37,201 parapets on open wells in forests to stop lions from falling into them. According to officers, there are over 50,000 wells that cause danger to wild animals
- Gir park may be a forest and life sanctuary close to Talala Gir in Gujarat, it is established in 1965.it is totally protected as a park and 1,153 km2.
- The 14th Asiatic Lion Census was conducted in 2015. The population of lions was 523 (27% up compared to the previous census in 2010). The population of lions was 411 in 2010 and 359 in 2005.
- The population of lions in the Junagadh District was 268, Gir Somnath District was 44, Amreli District was 174 (highest increase), and Bhavnagar District was thirty-seven. There are 109 males, 201 females and 213 young/cubs.
- India to generate 175 GW of clean energy by 2022
Union Minister for Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan the country was on course to generate 175 GW of clean energy by 2022.
The energy 175 GW of clean energy production in the country, out of which 100 GW would be through solar and rest through other sources.
The country has set a target of reducing the emission of greenhouse gases between 33 percent and 35 percent to combat climate change and global warming.
The Ayushman Bharat holds the Health portfolio around 50 lakh people have availed themselves of benefits under it over the past year, and the government has spent Rs 7,500 crore.
This synergy would help achieve the Prime Minister's vision of making the country among top scientific nations by 2030.
- Ozone hole could be smallest in three decades
The ozone hole over Antarctica one of the smallest seen in three decades. The gas's depletion high in the atmosphere demonstrates that it hasn't opened up in 2019.
The EU's Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) currently well under half the area usually seen in mid-September. The UK is projecting stable levels of ozone or a modest increase in the coming days.
China confirmed as source of rise in CFCs Ozone: The Earth's protective shield is repairing.
- Researchers identifies the world’s biggest amphibian
The researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and London's Natural History Museum has identified a new species of giant salamander using DNA from museum specimens.
The 74-year-old museum specimen can possibly be the world's biggest amphibian. The specimens were collected in the 1920s.
The researchers found three distinct genetic lineages in salamanders from China. The species are Andrias davidianus, Andrias sligoi, and a third species which has yet to be named. Andrias davidianus was earlier considered as a single species.
BACKGROUND:- The suspected world's biggest amphibian species has been named Andrias sligoi, or the South China giant salamander.
- It is suspected that it is the largest amphibian among the 8,000 amphibians that are alive today.
- The idea about the species was first proposed in the 1920s based on an unusual salamander from southern China that lived at the time at London Zoo. This species can reach nearly two metres.
- NTPC to build India’s biggest solar park in Gujarat
India's largest energy conglomerate NTPC Ltd. has unveiled its plans to set up a 5 gigawatt (GW) solar park in Gujarat.
This solar park is expected to be the biggest in the country. The move of the company is toward cleaner energy.
NTPC has located a spot in Gujarat for the project. The estimated cost for the project is Rs.250 billion.
The project will begin in the year 2024. It is also expected that the company might invite bids from developers to set up projects in the park.
- Amazon announced the Climate Pledge
Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos have announced The Climate Pledge. The pledge is a commitment to meet Paris Agreement's goal 10 years early by achieving net-zero carbon across businesses by 2040.
As a part of its pledge, the company has partnered with American startup Rivian and ordered 1 lakh electric vans (EVs) for deliveries starting 2021.
BACKGROUND:- Amazon will have 10,000 new EVs on the road as early as 2022 and all 100,000 vehicles on the road by 2030.
- The company expects that this induction of EVs will help in saving 4 Mn metric tons of carbon per year by 2030.
- Government will prepare master plan for tigers
The central government will prepare a master plan for tigers at high altitudes.
Tigers have been found in high altitude regions.
The report, prepared by the Global Tiger Forum (GTF), provides the action strategy for a high altitude tiger master plan.
- Food ministry to ban single-use plastic
Food and Consumer Affairs Ministry has decided to ban single-use plastic in its various departments as well as the public sector units under its administration from September 15.
The decision was taken at a meeting held by Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.
Cloth or jute bags, locally tailored and produced, can be a viable alternative.
- Cryodrakon boreas is the largest flying animal of all time
A new species of pterosaur called Cryodrakon boreas which was recently discovered was unveiled by scientists. The previously unknown type of pterosaur was one of the largest flying animals that ever lived.
Cryodrakon boreas, which means frozen dragon of the north wind, flew over North America 77 million years ago. The plane-sized reptile had a wingspan of 32.8 feet and it weighed 250 kilograms, researchers said in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
The fossils of Cryodrakon were initially found 3 decades ago in Dinosaur Provincial Park, located in Alberta, Canada. However, scientists thought that the fossil belonged to Quetzalcoatlus.
The fossils found include legs, neck, a rib and part of the wings. The remains were of a juvenile whose wingspan was about 16.4 feet. However, the palaeontologists studied the giant neck bone of an adult to estimate that the wingspan of a fully grown Cryodrakon would be about 32.8 feet. Cryodrakon belonged to the azhdarchids family of pterosaurs which is known for having long necks.
Cryodrakon was a carnivore and ate lizards, small mammals and even baby dinosaurs.
Even though the reptile had a wing capacity to cross oceans, the fossil records show that they stayed close to the inland.
Fragmentary remains of more than 100 known species of pterosaurs have been found across North and South America, Asia, Africa and Europe.
- Government to pull out all the stops to cut use of plastics
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message on Independence Day, the Union government is working on a multi-ministerial plan to discourage the use of single use plastics across the country, likely to kick off on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti.
A presentation for the same has been prepared and circulated across the Ministries.
The nodal Ministry for the scheme would be the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, which has been asked not just to ensure and enforce the ban on single use plastics but also finalise the pending policy for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), especially on milk packets.
The Department of Industrial Promotion is to ensure that all cement factories use plastic as fuel, while the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has been asked to ensure that not only is plastic waste collected and transported responsibly along National Highways but also all collected plastic waste is used for road construction.
According to studies quoted by officials, roads constructed using water plastic are durable against extreme weather conditions and are also cost-effective.
- Typhoon leaves thousands of South Korean homes powerless
High winds have toppled trees, grounded planes and left thousands of South Korean homes without electricity as Typhoon Lingling brushed up against the Korean Peninsula.
Strong winds and rain caused power failures in some 17,000 homes in the southern resort island of Jeju and southern mainland regions.
Storms have also toppled trees and streetlamps and damaged traffic signs in Jeju, caused airports to cancel 89 flights and forced 38 people to evacuate from their flooded homes in a city near capital Seoul.
Published date : 21 Sep 2019 03:16PM
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