the hindu - environment biodiversity (7jul2014 to 22jan2015)
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Environment articles from The HinduTRANSCRIPT
(1) Clutch and gearbox turn up in insect flight Insects can be pesky creatures, with flies and mosquitoes able to skillfully avoid attempts at swatting them away. Their ability to fly — and manoeuvre dexterously — is made possible by some remark…
(2) Uttarakhand becomes No. 2 in tiger population Uttarakhand with 340 tigers is second only to Karnataka, which has 406.
(3) Periyar tiger reserve wins NTCA award For involving local people in managing the habitat
(4) Giant leap for big cat Western Ghats Landscape complex holds world’s single largest population
(5) Javadekar seeks transboundary cooperation to develop Himalayan region Increased transboundary cooperation was needed to transform mountain forestry in Hindu Kush Himalayan region, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, who addressed the inaugural session of t…
(6) 2014 Earth's hottest year on record, say U.S. scientists 2014 was Earth's hottest on record in new evidence that people are disrupting the climate by burning fossil fuels that release greenhouse gases into the air, two U.S. government agencies said on F…
(7) Here’s a film festival on waste 140 films from 25 countries detail the grim reality that confronts earth today
(8) Forest owlet sighted in Madhya Pradesh Pune-based conservation society traced the bird's new location
(9) Centre to reconsider ESZ notification The Centre has agreed to reconsider the December 18, 2012 eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) notification according to which a 100-km stretch of the Bhagirathi from Gaumukh to Uttarkashi— covering an area...
(10) Will you finish cleaning up Ganga this term or not? SC to govt Noting the Centre should be “more keen” than the Supreme Court to hold true to its promise of bringing river Ganga back to its pristine self, the apex court on Wednesday asked the government if th...
(11) Scientists stamp black-headed squirrel monkeys as rare species The black-headed squirrel monkey is a distinct species found in South America, say scientists
(12) Polar bears migrate to Northwest Passages for longer lasting ice Some polar bear clusters have slowly moved to islands situated in north of Canada's mainland that are retaining the Arctic ice for longer says a new scientific study. According to the study the mi...
(13) Ban wants India to lead climate change fight United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said here on Tuesday that India should lead the
The Hindu - Environment #biodiversity #(7Jul2014 to 22Jan2015) Thursday, January 22, 2015 3:53 PM
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General Ban Ki-moon said here on Tuesday that India should lead the campaign to arrive at a “universal and meaningful agreement” at the U.N. Climate Change Conference to b...
(14) NGOs oppose panel report ‘A lot of disquiet over recommendations’(15) Studies find common factors in divergent habitats of migratory
birds To understand the diverse habitats of migratory birds and make comparison studies, the bird watchers’ team of Nature Society of Tirupur, that has been studying the arrival-departure patterns of su...
(16) Forest Department, NGO rescue parakeets A team of non-governmental organisation activists and Forest Department officials on Wednesday rescued rose ringed parakeets that were being kept for sale here.The bird is listed under Sched...
(17) Pune’s garbage crisis mounts Two villages refuse to be dumping yards(18) Vanishing winged visitors This is the flamingo season. But, it looks the
Pink Wall in the wetlands along the shores in Pulicat and Point Calimere, is thinning down. Two decades ago, there were a million birds fly...
(19) Broader plan to fight water hyacinth menace proposed The Ernakulam District Panchayat and the district administration have responded positively to a proposal from Maradu municipal authority for a district-level plan to get rid of water hyacinth from...
(20) Greenpeace yet to access blocked funds Even as the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has cracked down on four more NGOs, Greenpeace India’s access to funds remains in a limbo despite a Delhi High Court order last year.When the case...
(21) Big role for small national park in saving threatened butterflies One of the smallest national parks records one-fifth of the country’s species
(22) Venkaiah Naidu pitches for making organic waste plants mandatory in eateries Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday pitched for making it mandatory for eateries and hotels to have organic waste plant and said he will write to Tourism Ministry in thi...
(23) India lost 66 wild tigers in 2014 Tamil Nadu with 15 had the highest number of deaths
(24) Rare plant species found in Palakkad Scientists at the Centre for Medicinal Plants Research, Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal, have reported the discovery of a rare plant species from the Dhoni hills in Palakkad district.It was duri...
(25) Tropical forests absorb far more CO2 than thought: NASA Tropical forests may be absorbing far more carbon dioxide in response to its rising atmospheric levels than many scientists thought, a new NASA-led study says. Tropical forests absorb 1.4...
(26) Death of vultures, a cause for concern The death of a few vultures and some wild animals reportedly under mysterious circumstances at the Mudumalai
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wild animals reportedly under mysterious circumstances at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and nearby areas is becoming a cause for concern among conservationists h...
(27) Leopard strays into MP's bungalow; dies in mob fury Tardy response of the Maharashtra Forest Department authorities was also a cause of the big cat's death in Kolhapur’s plush Ruikar colony.
(28) Sri Lankan snake sighted in Seshachalam Considered endemic to Sri Lanka, the snake has now been found for the first time in India in the Biosphere Reserve of Andhra Pradesh.
(29) India lost 64 tigers in 2014 The country lost 64 of its tigers in 2014. According to statistics provided by Tigernet, the official database of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the highest number of 15 tiger deaths w...
(30) Keezhariyoor panchayat makes a record of its biodiversity 270-page registry contains details of flora, fauna
(31) Coastal zones: focus of multi-disciplinary studies The National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), at Anna University is developing a huge database to map coastal resources, including offshore wind resources to identify things like...
(32) Centre invites studies of river basins To understand the impact of climate change on water systems
(33) Training for bird watchers Interested in honing your bird-watching skills and adding a scientific touch to your hobby of observing the winged species? The Kerala Forest Department and the Cochin Natural History S...
(34) Uttarakhand to hold second bird watching festival The State has 687 bird species that represent more than half of the avifaunal diversity found in the country.
(35) Green Climate Fund to consider contributions from private sector The Green Climate Fund (GCF) will consider accepting funds from the private sector in June 2015 to bolster much need finances for climate action.GCF Executive Director Hela Cheikhrouhou sai...
(36) White tiger dies in Indore zoo after cobra bites A white tiger on Saturday died after being bitten by a venomous cobra at the Kamala Nehru zoo in Indore. Three-year-old white tiger ‘Rajjan’ was found dead inside the cage at the zoo on Sat...
(37) Real-time hydrology data for the whole country soon Maharashtra is one of the best managed States in terms of water and one of the earliest to opt for the hydro meteorological system.
(38) Indian Skimmer sighted at Point Calimere A team headed by J.Pandiyan spotted them Review of national targets must for climate action: Pachauri While India and other countries have been opposing a review of their national contributions to tackle climate change, chairperson of the
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their national contributions to tackle climate change, chairperson of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Dr. R. K....
(39) Marine debris damaging coral reefs: NIO scientist The increasing amount of marine debris like plastic, glass, rubber and others break or damage reef, a senior scientist said. “Marine debris like plastic, glass, metal, rubber abandoned fish...
(40) Unwavering political will is the need of the hour Even as it emerges that what can possibly be rebuilt in place of the fallen French-era Mayoral office, the Mairie, is at best a look-alike, the conservation debate among agencies and a galvanised...
(41) A vision for our wetlands Fresh from a visit to Bharatpur, birdwatcher G. Parameswaran wonders why our wetlands can’t be transformed
(42) NASA plans airships, floating city for manned Venus mission NASA plans to send solar-powered airships to explore Venus’ atmosphere and to eventually establish a permanent human colony in a floating cloud city above the Earth’s nearest planetary neighbour.<...
(43) Hainan gibbon ‘clinging on’ with 25 left in China Scientists say a disease outbreak or typhoon could make the world’s rarest ape species extinct.
(44) Two tiger cubs found dead near Mudumalai Tiger Reserve The spate of tiger deaths continues in Tamil Nadu, keeping the forest officials on tenterhooks. The death of two tiger cubs in the Sigur range of the Nilgiris North Forest Division, borderin...
(45) India-Bangladesh river development plan needed: experts Highlighting the intricate and complex river system shared by India and Bangladesh, experts from both the countries stressed on developing a comprehensive river development plan which involves wat...
(46) Bird flu alert sounded 90 geese culled in Chandigarh(47) Two-year study to identify threatened forest species A two-year study to
identify threatened species in the State’s forests is nearing completion, R.K. Ojha, chief project director, Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project, said her...
(48) Acreage under pokkali cultivation dips ‘Shrimp lobby behind flooding of sown fields’
(49) Eat pokkali rice to conserve water birds, say birders Eat pokkali rice to save wetland bird habitats, exhort birders of Kochi.The Cochin Natural History Society (CNHS), an NGO dedicated for conservation of birds, has launched a campaign asking...
(50) Carbon-dioxide emissions at all-time high in 2013 4.2 % rise in India’s discharge of the greenhouse gas: study
(51) Bid to preserve blood-red kashaya plant Benga 365 species of medicinal plants grown at Pilikula
(52) A new lease of life for medicinal plants The Kerala State Biodiversity Board New Section 1 Page 4
(52) A new lease of life for medicinal plants The Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) has launched a project ‘resource conservation, augmentation, sustainable harvesting and value addition of medicinal plants resources’ to conserve the cri...
(53) Taj: the pollutants causing discolouration identified Particulate carbon and fine dust particles cause browning of the marble
(54) Whales may ‘sing’ for their supper A new study says the tick-tock noise made by Humpback whales help them to corral prey and also serve as a dinner bell of sorts for other nearby whales.
(55) Female leopard found dead on railway track A two-and-a-half-year-old female leopard was found dead on a railway track near Devanuru Railway Station in Kadur taluk on Monday. The wild animal had injuries on the head and one of its legs was...
(56) Spend as little as Rs. 30 to keep elephants at bay Farmers in Uttara Kannada are saving crops and elephants’ lives by adopting native methods
(57) Need for effective mechanism in hazardous units stressed Stating that a chemical disaster can cause irreparable damage to biodiversity and ecosystem, H.N. Gopala Krishna, Additional Deputy Commissioner, on Tuesday stressed the need for effective mechani...
(58) SAARC policy makers, scientists discuss climate change Policymakers and scientists from SAARC countries have begun deliberations on climate change, which is adversely affecting Ocean and marine life in the region. The five-day-long workshop,...
(59) Earth on track for hottest year The world is still heading for the hottest year on record although last month was only the seventh warmest November since 1880, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sai...
(60) Agriculture Dept. sends crop samples to Pesticide Residue Analysis Laboratory Three more farmers were admitted to hospital on Sunday
(61) Muthalamada mango orchards still a toxic hub Agriculture Department finds excess use of pesticides
(62) Methane company winds up office in Thanjavur UPA govt. had given permission to GEECL in 2010 for exploration prospects
(63) A watered-down deal at Lima Over a day behind schedule, the world set the stage for a new climate treaty by agreeing to the Lima Call for Climate Action on Sunday, which was slammed by NGOs and people’s movements. T...
(64) India advocates ‘balanced approach’ to break climate logjam India on Saturday strongly advocated a “balanced approach” in the draft text of a new binding pact to cut global carbon emissions to make sure that polluting countries pay and not the poorest nati...
(65) Lima goes into extra time to avoid weak outcome Parties complain of lack of New Section 1 Page 5
(65) Lima goes into extra time to avoid weak outcome Parties complain of lack of transparency over introduction of latest draft of declaration
(66) Lima goes into extra time to avoid weak outcome Parties complain of lack of transparency over introduction of latest draft of declaration
(67) Bangladesh launches campaign to clean up Sunderbans oil spill “At least 200 hired workers in nearly 100 engine and country boats have started a campaign to collect the oil from rivers and channels”
(68) Lima talks: New draft text introduced without consultation The latest draft text is a watered down version of the earlier seven-page one and once again the national contributions of countries is mitigation-centric.
(69) Lima talks: New draft text introduced without consultation After objections to a new draft text released late on Thursday, the day dragged on with little progress till early Saturday when another revised five-page draft...
(70) Lima talks hang by a thread New draft text readied following objections from G-77 and China
(71) Addressing climate change a test of global leadership: Kerry On a day when there was much despair about the climate talks, U.S. Secretary of state John Kerry flew into Lima and made an impassioned appeal for a global commitment to tackle climate change impa...
(72) India very important player in climate talks: US Terming India as a “very important player” in the climate change negotiations, the US has said it is not involved in any agreement on climate with India ahead of President Barack Obama’s Republic...
(73) Thousands march for climate justice in Lima “Water yes, Oil No”, said a banner at the march for climate in Lima on Wednesday, indicative of the life and death battles over natural resources for the indigenous people in the Pe...
(74) No China-like climate deal with India: Todd Stern Head of the U.S. delegation Todd Stern on Wednesday clarified that while there were expectations of a useful visit when President Barack Obama visits India in January, no climate deal is expected...
(75) India seeks road map for commitments to climate fund Concern as new draft text for talks is too mitigation-centric
(76) Mountains of plastic waste afloat in the oceans Believe it or not, nearly 269,000 tonnes of plastic comprising an estimated 5.25 trillion plastic particles are floating in the world’s oceans, including the Bay of Bengal. This estimate does not...
(77) Satellites to assess coral reef health High-end satellite technology is coming to the aid of protecting earth’s largest biological structures — the coral reefs which have taken millions of years to form and are declining at alarming rat...
(78) Nine tiny new frogs add to Western Ghats inventory The inventory of New Section 1 Page 6
(78) Nine tiny new frogs add to Western Ghats inventory The inventory of amphibian diverstiy in the Western Ghats has just got longer with the discovery of nine new species of bush frogs in this mountain range.Some as tiny as a thumbnail, other b...
(79) Australia pledges $165 million to UN climate fund Australia has made a surprise pledge of 200 million Australian dollars ($165 million) to a key U.N. climate fund. Expectations of an Australian contribution to the Green Climate Fund wer...
(80) Giant African Snail will make a comeback: experts The Giant African Snail, an invasive species that has established itself in large parts of the State, could re-emerge from its dormant state and pose a greater menace before the next wet spell, a c...
(81) Bio-digester toilets can give thrust to Swachh Bharat campaign A simple, low-cost technology for treating human waste – developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) – can aid in putting an end to open defecation and manual scavenging i...
(82) Climate finance needs equity: report A new report from the World Resources Institute (WRI) on equity and finance says by focusing on the capabilities of countries and communities, there can be progress on the equity concern...
(83) U.S. on strong ground says Todd Stern Head of the US delegation to Lima for the climate talks Todd Stern on Monday said that while the United States was in favour of the classic principle of common but differentiated responsibility, i...
(84) Climate summit: Responsibility of developed nations stressed Both India and the United States stuck to their respective stand on the differentiation of countries according to the Kyoto Protocol which had clear divisions for the developed countries as annex...
(85) Number of winged visitors on the decline in Okhla The Okhla Bird Sanctuary has recorded a decline in the bird population from earlier this year, say environmentalists. They have noted that the fall could be attributed to the ill-effects of global...
(86) India to have comprehensive climate legislation "The green climate fund must become a reality", says the Environment Minister
(87) India to showcase its commitment to renewable energy in Lima India is planning to create a buzz around its renewable energy programme during the climate talks in Lima after the arrival of Minister of State for Environment Prakash Javadekar for the high...
(88) Saudi Arabia opposes gender equality in climate change policy The Saudi Arabia delegation made a strong pitch to exclude the recognition of gender equality in the recommendations for the draft agreement for Paris in 2015 which is under discussion in Lim...
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2015 which is under discussion in Lim...(89) Week ends on optimism in Lima The high-level segment begins next week.(90) UNEP report points to huge gaps in funding and technology The first
Adaptation Gap Report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released on Friday morning here, says that even with emissions cuts, climate change adaptation costs are likely t...
(91) New Delhi says ‘no’ to emission cap deadline India on Friday refused to take a deadline for capping its emissions unlike China, saying the ongoing climate meet in Lima was not to discuss peaking year and hoped the world would reach a deal to...
(92) Disappearing beaches Construction activity is constantly eroding the beaches of India
(93) Climate change summit: Countries demand focus on adaptation and finance The roadmap to Paris is fraught with contentious debates over the focus of contributions from countries and whether it was enough to take only mitigation seriously as developed nations are doing...
(94) Climate change summit: Countries demand focus on adaptation and finance The roadmap to Paris is fraught with contentious debates over the focus of contributions from countries and whether it was enough to take only mitigation seriously as developed nations are doing...
(95) West can’t be spared for past ‘climate sins’, says India Telling rich nations that they cannot be absolved of their past “sins”, India on Thursday demanded that they should compensate developing nations for the effects their greenhouse gas emissions hav...
(96) 2014 could be hottest year on record Largely due to record high sea surface temperatures, says World Meteorological Organisation report
(97) Include more adaptation efforts in Paris climate deal: India With the ministerial-level talks to begin next week at the UN climate summit here, India today said its position remains very strong on the need for a balanced inclusion of adaptation efforts in t...
(98) 2014 could be hottest year on record Largely due to record high sea surface temperatures, says World Meteorological Organisation report
(99) Include more adaptation efforts in Paris climate deal: India With the ministerial-level talks to begin next week at the UN climate summit here, India today said its position remains very strong on the need for a balanced inclusion of adaptation efforts in t...
(100) What are the Centre and States doing to curb climate change, asks NGT ‘There is a conflict of interest between the Central Government and various States and because of this an important plan like the NAPCC has failed to get implemented in its true letter and spirit’
(101) Environment activists question committee formed to review green laws On what basis did the Ministry of Environment & Forests select members for
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what basis did the Ministry of Environment & Forests select members for the high-level committee (HLC) that recently reviewed the various environment laws? And did this HLC have the approva...
(102) 15 swamp deer are here, safe and sound 15 swamp deer transported from Lucknow zoo via road
(103) UN climate summit begins in Peru Officials from over 190 nations, including India, on Monday converged here at the UN climate summit to negotiate on a new ambitious and binding deal to cut global carbon emissions, in the last cha...
(104) India needs to take a firm stand on climate issue The United Nations climate summit in Lima, which begins on December 1, is the last before the Paris meeting in 2015, and while there is the usual scepticism, countries have to indicate their cont...
(105) GM food crops: High Level Committee proposes overhaul of regulatory system The government-appointed High Level Committee (HLC) to review environmental laws, while proposing a near complete overhaul of the regulatory system, has sounded a note of caution on genetically mo...
(106) India to press for green fund operationalisation at Lima climate meet The Lima meeting, coming soon after the U.S.-China climate deal, seeks to set the tone for the "Paris Protocol" and countries will be wrangling over their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions.
(107) High-level panel counsels caution on GM food crops Suggests setting up of special environment courts
(108) First bio-waste powered bus hits the roads in UK The United Kingdom’s first bus powered entirely by human and food waste has gone into service between Bristol and Bath.Engineers believe the bus could provide a sustainable way of fuelling p...
(109) ‘India will engage all countries on climate change’ The Indian team that will participate in the upcoming conference in Lima in December will engage all countries on the agenda that the world must come together and take on the challenge of climate...
(110) Critically endangered Forest Owlet spotted in Western Ghats Researchers have found the critically endangered ‘Forest Owlet’ in the northern part of the Western Ghats, 100 km from Mumbai. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IU...
(111) Bird data absolve migratory ducks Theories of migratory ducks transmitting avian influenza in Kerala are losing ground with birders maintaining that not many migrant species were present in the wetlands before the outbreak of the...
(112) Spencer's launches clean-up drive The staff of Spencer's retail outlets launched a clean-up drive in Abhiramapuram and Mandaveli on Thursday morning as part of the 'Clean India' campaign. Prasad, business manager of
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morning as part of the 'Clean India' campaign. Prasad, business manager of the...
(113) Deep ocean has no role in sea level rise In these times of global warming, it is a well-known fact that the sea levels of the Earth’s oceans are rising due to melting icebergs and glaciers and thermal expansion due to ocean warming caused...
(114) What rubbish! Calls for Swachh Bharat notwithstanding, the country's Capital doesn't present a pretty sight
(115) Exposing Delhi’s air pollution, from the back of an autorickshaw American scientist Joshua Apte travels in an autorickshaw to present alarming findings for anyone who spends time on or near the roads in this city of 25 million.
(116) Sulawesi bird named after Indian-origin scientist A new bird species discovered more than 15 years after it was first seen on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi has been named after late ecologist and ornithologist Navjot Sodhi. A mottled...
(117) Rs. 800-crore plan to save flamingo habitat Amid concerns by environmentalists and bird lovers, the Maharashtra government will spend around Rs 800 crore to minimise the damage caused to Sewri mudflats in Central Mumbai, better known for ho...
(118) Rules flouted, waste burnt in open Despite directions from the district administration, horticulture and municipal solid waste are still being dumped and burnt in the open at several points across the city, causing health and envir...
(119) ‘Over 70 trees felled at Theosophical Society’ Trees that were nearly 50-60 years old have reportedly been cut down inside the sprawling campus of the Theosophical Society in Adyar, said naturalists. Society authorities however denied it. ...
(120) ‘More fresh water needed to save Sunderbans ecosystem’ The present flow of fresh water in the Sunderbans is insufficient to maintain its unique ecosystem, with additional supply required to save the archipelago from degradation, a study by Jadavpur Un...
(121) CO2 emissions must be nil by 2070 to prevent disaster: U.N. The world must cut CO2 emissions to zero by 2070 at the latest to keep global warming below dangerous levels and prevent a global catastrophe, the U.N. warns. By 2100, all greenhouse gas...
(122) Leopards reside in human habitats: study It was found that they are not ‘stray’ or ‘conflict’ animals, but residents in human-dominated areas, said Vidya Athreya of Wildlife Conservation Society.
(123) What is your footprint? As the carbon footprint grows with each passing day we can help reverse this pattern. Are you ready for the challenge?
(124) More crop yields adding more CO2 to atmosphere A sharp rise in food New Section 1 Page 10
(124) More crop yields adding more CO2 to atmosphere A sharp rise in food production to meet the demands for rising population accounts for as much as 25 per cent of the seasonal increase in carbon dioxide (CO2), finds new research. The ca...
(125) Leopards: ‘discreet’ denizens of human habitation They venture as close as 25 metres to houses hunting for dogs and livestock: study
(126) India tight-lipped on the issue of hydrofluorocarbons As the debate is still on, a breakthrough is highly unlikely as oil producing gulf countries oppose the U.S.-led proposal
(127) 'Wildlife being traded at Sonepur fair' From unprotected exotic birds to birds under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, all are being sold in the fair, according to Wildlife Trust of India.
(128) Western Ghats face major conservation concerns: IUCN Report assessed 228 listed World Heritage sites for adherence to natural values
(129) 'Wildlife being traded at Sonepur fair' From unprotected exotic birds to birds under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, all are being sold in the fair, according to Wildlife Trust of India.
(130) Has any State shown sympathy to animals, asks Chief Justice It summoned Karnataka Urban Development Principle Secretary for the govt.'s failure to curb use of plastic bags and not having a proper waste disposal mechanism.
(131) Increasing reports of catching Amur falcon in Manipur Amur falcon is one of the migratory birds which come from Siberia to the northeastern states for a few days. However wildlife wing officials of the forest department and bird lovers are not happy...
(132) India’s first nesting site of white-bellied heron found A nesting site of the extremely rare white-bellied heron has been discovered in a remote part of the Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh.It is estimated that there are only 250 whit...
(133) Search on at Vandalur zoo for errant tigress However, the tigress, that went missing after a portion of a protective wall behind the tiger enclosure fell on Friday, has been sighted by zoo officials.
(134) Obama announces $3 billion contribution to Green Climate Fund U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday formally announced a $3-billion U.S. contribution to an international fund to help poor countries cope with the effects of climate change. “Today,...
(135) Following the flock Birders record more than 70 species of migratory and resident birds at Vadakarai tank near Sholavandan in the district as part of Madurai Nature Forum’s biodiversity study
(136) Karnataka has mangrove patches, a study finds The Forest Survey of India missed recording mangroves patches as they were not large
(137) Birder from Karkala snaps Mountain Scops Owl in Sikkim M. Shivashankar, a birder from Karkala in Udupi district, has managed to take a snap of the
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a birder from Karkala in Udupi district, has managed to take a snap of the least seen Mountain Scops Owl (Otus spilocephalus) in West Sikkim. The Mountain Scops Owl...
(138) India’s first net zero energy building It’s India’s first net zero energy building that has been constructed with adoption of solar passive design and energy-efficient building materials. Functional since a year, a tour of the I...
(139) There is an attempt to create a chilling effect: Greenpeace chief Interview with Kumi Naidoo, executive director of Greenpeace International
(140) Climate change: no confusion in India’s stand on China, says Javadekar We will soon formulate a view and seek support for it, the Environment Minister says
(141) Kerala’s Ashtamudi lake gets recognition for sustainable clam fishing Ashtamudi lake, a Ramsar wetland of international importance, is the second largest estuarine system in Kerala and the clam fishery began in 1981.
(142) Forests of our life There are only less than 5 per cent of forests that are marked as protected areas in India. This tiny section holds around 500 wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and tiger reserves
(143) The dying Khejri trees of Rajasthan By providing food & firewood, the State tree supports rural economy
(144) The birdman of Sarawak Satish ‘Slim’ Sreedharan, a Malayali, has done invaluable work documenting the birds of Borneo
(145) Forests of wonder Imagine a world without jungles! Could we be heading that way?
(146) Inter-university consortium embarks on glacier studies For the first time, an Inter-University Consortium on Cryosphere and Climate Change (IUCCCC) is undertaking glacier studies in four States in India, funded by the Department of Science and Technol...
(147) Activists express concern over Forest Rights Act dilutions Over 40 groups wrote to the Prime Minister and the Union Minister of State for Environment, on Tuesday, expressing concern over “consistent efforts of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Clim...
(148) PM’s climate change council recast R.K. Pachauri retained; Sunita Narain, Ratan Tata dropped
(149) ‘Norms needed for banks against investing in green hazards’ Former National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) Chairman Balakrishna Pisupati has called for environmental norms for Indian financial institutions on lines of the Equator Principles and the United Na...
(150) Environment educationist Erach Bharucha gets 'Earth Hero' award A pioneer of environment education in India, Erach Bharucha, has been named for the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) 'Earth Hero' award for this
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named for the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) 'Earth Hero' award for this year. “All of you need to work with conservati...
(151) Air pollution lowers crop yield: study Much of the drop in yield came from air pollution caused by fine particles like soot as well as ozone generated by sunlight acting on emissions of precursor molecules.
(152) Scientists track flight of the Amur Falcon For the first time, the bird’s entire migratory route has been plotted
(153) Scientists track flight of the Amur Falcon For the first time, the bird’s entire migratory route has been plotted
(154) NASA rocket to click 1,500 images of Sun in 5 minutes A sounding rocket fitted with technology to gather 1,500 images of the Sun in flat five minutes is set for launch on Monday. Capturing five images per second, the Rapid Acquisition Imagin...
(155) Act now on climate change, says new IPCC report India has to internalise climate considerations into development planning
(156) MoEF officials destroy seized illegal wildlife products Maintaining that it would not tolerate illegal trade of wildlife products, officials of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on Sunday destroyed a large number of seized illegal...
(157) UN Climate Change panel calls for phasing out fossil fuels Emissions may need to drop to zero by the end of this century for the world to have a decent chance of keeping the temperature rise below a level that many consider dangerous.
(158) Govt to form teams to identify source of Ganga pollution Expediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project of cleansing the Ganga, the Centre will constitute 25 special teams to check the source of pollution of the holy river so that further action...
(159) UN panel adopts landmark climate report The report is scheduled to be released to the public on Sunday.
(160) Winged beauties under threat Writer Nathaniel Hawthorne once wrote: “Happiness is like a butterfly, which when pursued is always just beyond your grasp.” Since time immemorial, butterflies have been the subject of poet...
(161) Kaziranga park re-opens, free safari for children of the area Two hundred children from the fringe areas of Kaziranga National Park will get to enjoy free jeep safaris to explore the beauty of the national park, which was reopened for the tourist season on Sa...
(162) Winged beauties under threat A recent study has revealed that of the 1,677 species and subspecies found in India, more than one-fourth are either threatened or endangered.
(163) Kaziranga park re-opens, free safari for children of the area Two hundred children from the fringe areas of Kaziranga National Park will get to enjoy
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children from the fringe areas of Kaziranga National Park will get to enjoy free jeep safaris to explore the beauty of the national park, which was reopened for the tourist season on Sa...
(164) UN panel scrambling to finalise climate report The report caps a six-year effort involving thousands of scientists to describe what global warming is doing to the planet and what can be done to stop it.
(165) Red-hot lava nears Hawaii home and main road Dozens of homes, business and other structures are in the area of the lava flow. That amount could increase as the flow front widens.
(166) Cut water, power supply to industries polluting Ganga: SC National Green Tribunal asked to file status report every six months
(167) How culture affects physiology People who are born in an aggressive environment may pass on traits making it more likely for future generations to react to certain situations in a violent manner, according to a research...
(168) Chimpanzees plan their breakfast time Wild chimpanzees flexibly plan when and where they will have breakfast after weighing multiple factors, such as the time of day and the type of food to be eaten, research shows.Chimpanze...
(169) Great Barrier Reef protection plan inadequate: scientists Australia’s multi-million dollar plan to halt the worrying decline of the fragile Great Barrier Reef does nothing to address the threat of climate change and is unlikely to save the iconic...
(170) Gangotri glacier is ‘rapidly disintegrating’ The Gangotri glacier is rapidly disintegrating, states the latest observation of a team from the Almora-based G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development. The team of the...
(171) UN climate change draft sees risks of irreversible damage Risk of “serious, pervasive and irreversible impacts”; governments, scientists to meet in Copenhagen on UN report; still time to limit warming, says IPCC draft
(172) Pollution levels shoot up after Diwali Particulate matter remains in the air for few days after bursting crackers
(173) Clean Yamuna, a possibility soon Interceptor sewer project to be inaugurated on Monday
(174) Wild elephants hold up rail traffic, damage crops in AP A herd 18 elephants from the Tamil Nadu forests that crossed into Kuppam at 1.30 a.m. on Saturday caused disruption in rail traffic on the Chennai-Bangalore section.
(175) Tiger kills teacher in Panpatha forest in Madhya Pradesh School teacher Amod Lakda (55) was mauled to death by the predator when he went to collect firewood from the Panpatha forest in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.
(176) Climate change a public health issue: Jairam There is accumulating evidence in India that pollution and contamination are becoming a serious public
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in India that pollution and contamination are becoming a serious public health issue, which requires focussed strategies to mitigate. “Environment in India...
(177) Birdwatchers make a beeline for Point Calimere The diverse habitats of Point Calimere near Vedaranyam, which includes a tropical dry evergreen forest, scrub jungle, mud flats, salt pans, and beaches, has made the area an ideal place for the st...
(178) Comet Siding Spring makes rare close pass by Mars as spacecraft watch A comet from the outer reaches of the solar system on Sunday made a rare, close pass by Mars where a fleet of robotic science probes were poised for studies.Comet Siding Spring passed just...
(179) Series of power project clearances for Uttarakhand While, the Supreme Court continues its stay on 24 hydroelectric power projects in the Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi Basins with an installed capacity of 3,065 MW, the Uttarakhand Government has shi...
(180) Over one-fifth of India's frogs under threat Known as bio-indicators, studying frogs help scientists know if a habitat is in good condition or if it is under threat
(181) Tonight, MOM spacecraft will have a ringside view of Comet Siding Spring We are at the right place at the right time: ISRO
(182) Won’t allow business as usual scenario: Javadekar India launches National Air Quality Index
(183) A birder’s high The Caspian Tern has been spotted flying over the Hoskote lake
(184) Comet Siding Spring: ISRO re-positions its Mars Orbiter Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has repositioned its Mars Orbiter, as the national space agency, along with its counterparts around the world, is expecting Comet Siding Spring to fly by...
(185) WWF cracks code words for illegal online wildlife trade The traders used ‘four wheeler’ for star tortoises and striped T-shirt for tiger skin
(186) SC raps Centre over clean Ganga The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed disappointment with the Centre for its lack of a long-term vision to clean the river Ganga.A three-judge Bench of Justices T.S. Thakur, A.K. Goel an...
(187) Water conservation methods come to a small farmer’s rescue A well recharge pit was also dug for harvesting the rains
(188) Vultures may be rescued by their genetic diversity A DNA analysis of 153 vultures caught from the wild for captive breeding centres of Bombay Natural History Society revealed that a large proportion was unrelated and that possibility of inbreeding was low.
(189) Coastal cities need to be climate-proof, says study “It is imperative to assess sea level rise, storm surge and cyclones”
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sea level rise, storm surge and cyclones”(190) September warmest on record: NASA This September was about 0.78
degrees Celsius above the 1951-80 average temperature for the month, data from NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) has showed.This makes it even...
(191) Green-rated buildings not keeping their promise, says CSE report Green-rated buildings are falling below the minimum benchmarks of their official star rating by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), says a report —“Building sense beyond the green façade of su...
(192) Nagaland awaits Amur falcons from Mongolia Even as the first flock of Amur falcons from Mongolia have reached Pangti village in Wokha district of Nagaland to mark the advent of another migratory season, the scientific community is eagerly...
(193) Through the lens: Blood Moon Lunar eclipse occurs on a full moon day when the moon comes diametrically opposite the sun, as viewed from earth. The next eclipse of the year will be a partial solar eclipse on October 23....
(194) Through the lens: Blood Moon Lunar eclipse occurs on a full moon day when the moon comes diametrically opposite the sun, as viewed from earth. The next eclipse of the year will be a partial solar eclipse on October 23....
(195) Kalam stresses need for carbon-free cities Former President APJ Abdul Kalam on Tuesday stressed the need to have carbon-free cities across the globe for happy and healthy living of citizens. Delivering the keynote address at the p...
(196) World falling behind 2020 plan for nature protection: U.N. report International efforts to meet targets to stem the loss of wildlife and habitats are failing miserably, according to a United Nations report.The Global Biodiversity Outlook 4, publish...
(197) Man-animal conflict reaches a crescendo The man-animal conflict in Adilabad has turned piquant with both sides unrelentingly destroying the other with the government remaining a mute spectator. As many as nine persons have lost their liv...
(198) Living in the Deltas - being Dutch and dry As a country with 60 per cent of its land under threat of flooding, The Netherlands is engaged in a constant struggle to keep water under control. Climate change impacts have only added to the challenge. Photos: G. Ananthakrishnan
(199) Gene plays key role in Monarch butterfly's miraculous migration The 3,000 mile or 4,800 km mass migration of Monarch butterflies in North America is one of the insect world's fantastic feats, with millions embarking on the arduous journey from as far n...
(200) Perspectives on ocean mixing While it is a well-known fact that dense ocean waters in the high latitudes sink to the bottom carrying dissolved atmospheric carbon with them it is not quite clear even now how and where
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atmospheric carbon with them it is not quite clear even now how and where these wa...
(201) Tibetan plateau becomes focus of intense climate study The Tibetan plateau has become the focus of intense meteorological study in a never-before attempt to understand its effect on climate locally as well as globally, notes Nature News. …
(202) Neelakurinji blooms in Attappady hills Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) flowers have bloomed in vast stretches in Kinnakkara and Ooradam hills, near Attappady, which shares border with the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. <...
(203) Gomti to be cleaned on lines of river Ganga: Rajnath Noting that the health of rivers is reflective of a country’s condition, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday announced cleaning up of river Gomti here on the same lines as river Ganga....
(204) Wildlife numbers down by half in 40 years: WWF survey Wildlife populations around the world more than halved in the 40 years to 2010, a survey released on Tuesday said. The report by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) International bla...
(205) Your 3-point programme Solar water heater, rain barrel and kitchen composter are a must in every house, says S. Vishwanath
(206) Don’t harm migratory Amur Falcons, Nagaland people urged The Nagaland forest department has appealed to people not to harm migratory bird Amur Falcons in the state and instead provide them with a safe passage.Every October, huge numbers of Amur f...
(207) Heliborne Surveys reveal potential for groundwater exploration Presence of fresh water zones below the upper saline layers in the deserts of Jaisalmer, arsenic-free aquifer after the top zone in Bihar and water-bearing aquifer at a depth of 200 metres in the h...
(208) Poverty major polluter, Javadekar tells at UN climate summit Union Minister of State for Environment Prakash Javadekar in his speech at the UN Climate Summit in New York on September 23 said that poverty remains a major polluter, just as the fossil fu...
(209) Ganga clean-up depends on people, 5 state governments, Centre tells SC "We want to verify what you are doing and how you are going to do it," says the Court
(210) Ban: Climate change threatens hard-won peace UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the UN Climate Summit on Tuesday, as world leaders and several business executives gathered to announce their commitments to reduce the effects of climate c...
(211) 100 arrested at Wall Street climate crisis sit-in A day after over 1,00,000 people marched to warn that climate change is destroying the Earth, more than 1,000 activists blocked parts of Broadway in Manhattan’s financial
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than 1,000 activists blocked parts of Broadway in Manhattan’s financial district in a sit-in to pr...
(212) ‘World running out of carbon allowance’ Latest study says we may use up the global carbon budget within 30 years
(213) A ditty that gets Aurovilians going on climate change in Puducherry The lyrics begin with a clarion call ‘We need to wake up’ and then bring up the predicament of a planet that has a problem, before issuing a rallying call for everyone to get involved.
(214) Nilgiri tahr faces threat in Western Ghats Eucalyptus cultivation and temple tourism exert pressure on habitats
(215) Global marches draw attention to climate change Tens of thousands of activists walked through Manhattan on Sunday, warning that climate change is destroying the Earth in stride with demonstrators around the world who urged policymakers to take...
(216) Invasive plants a threat to wildlife The wild growth of invasive alien plants such as Senna spectabilis (calceolaria shower), Lantana, Eupatorium and Parthenium is posing a threat to wildlife and indigenou...
(217) Wildlife corridors: State to partner with firms The Forest Department will soon ink an agreement with private companies to acquire wildlife corridors around tiger reserves. A tripartite agreement between private companies, tiger reserve...
(218) Expert suggests silt-free barrages A perennial flow of ‘bathing quality’ water is ensured through a self-purification process. Mr. Rao’s plan prefers building these barrages on the main river itself as it is virtually impossible to construct storage reservoirs elsewhere on the Gangetic plains or in the ecologically fragile Himalayan hilly regions.
(219) A peek at Chennai’s ‘living’ heritage The city may seem like a concrete jungle, but it does boast of quite a few natural ecosystems that sustain a variety of flora and fauna
(220) Push for thorium energy: ex-AEC chairman R. Chidambaram hopes NDA government will not toe the line of the previous regime
(221) A paradise brought back from the brink Ten years after the West Bengal government was persuaded by nature lovers to purchase a mango orchard full of rich, diverse fauna, it has turned into a paradise for bird watchers.A year-lon...
(222) Leopard cubs found in field They were discovered by farmers and agricultural workers engaged in harvesting the crop
(223) China pledges to cut carbon intensity by 2020 China has pledged to reduce its carbon emission intensity by 40-45 per cent by 2020 from the 2005 level in a new plan unveiled just ahead of a UN climate summit in New York. The plan, app...
(224) Plan to declare Kappatagudda a wildlife sanctuary dropped After nearly a New Section 1 Page 18
(224) Plan to declare Kappatagudda a wildlife sanctuary dropped After nearly a year of vacillating over the protection status of Kappatagudda hills in Gadag, the State government has dropped the Forest Department’s proposal to declare the bio-diversity rich ar...
(225) Sea ice rises in Antarctic, falls in Arctic However, Arctic ice has shrunk to its sixth lowest level ever
(226) Make a green buddy Let Mother Nature be your best friend this holiday season. Indulge in some of these great activities to get to know her better.
(227) Fine-tuning of ESA maps to be over by month end MoEF to issue revised draft notification soon
(228) Parking space for butterflies Tree Walk’s Butterfly Garden project on Public Library campus
(229) Neelakurinji adds colour to Munnar hills The purple-blue neelakurinji is in bloom again in parts of the hilly grasslands of Munnar. The flower-covered hills are drawing scores of tourists, especially to Mattupetty and Gundumalai. ...
(230) Parking space for butterflies Tree Walk’s Butterfly Garden project on Public Library campus
(231) Colossal squid, weighing 350 kgs, discovered in Ross Sea It was a calm morning in Antarctica’s remote Ross Sea, during the season when the sun never sets, when Capt. John Bennett and his crew hauled up a creature with tentacles like fire hoses and ey...
(232) Centre processing low carbon report While the government seems keen on rushing through clearances and diluting environmental laws, indications are that it is equally keen on pursuing a path of low carbon growth. B.N. Satpathy, Senior...
(233) Govt. to put the brakes on pollution by diesel vehicles Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Prakash Javadekar has proposed stringent pollution control norms for diesel vehicles.Addressing the ninth Sustainable and Inclusive Soluti...
(234) Old climate change formula no longer exists, say scientists The traditional formula on climate change that says that regions that have a moist climate will experience additional rainfall is no longer valid, scientists say. The old formula that dry...
(235) National Board for Wildlife reconstituted The Ministry of Environment and Forests has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court last week reconstituting the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) after the apex court had earlier stayed all the...
(236) Chinese Sturgeon fish face extinction The wild Chinese Sturgeons, believed to have lived since the age of dinosaurs, had no natural reproduction last year, leaving the rare species of fish at the risk of extinction, according to a lat...
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lat...(237) NGO accuses Maharashtra govt. of diluting Forest Rights Act It is not only in
Maharashtra that the provisions of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) are under threat. While campaigners for forest rights and Adivasis say it is an act of brazenness for the Ma...
(238) Dolphins swim into Chennai beaches Naturalists record nearly a hundred dolphins in the past three days
(239) ‘New climate treaty should reflect reality’ While accepting Common But Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR), the world should look to a new climate treaty which is binding but also reflect the ground realities, according to Connie Hedegaard...
(240) India’s Arctic observatory to aid climate change studies Will help understand influences on monsoon system
(241) EU climate chief calls for constructive talks on CBDR While accepting Common But Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR), the world should look to a new climate treaty which is binding but also reflect the ground realities, according to Connie Hedegaard,...
(242) India’s Arctic observatory toaid climate change studies Will help understand influences on monsoon system
(243) Ancient flying reptile named after 'Avatar' creature It turns out that an animal very similar to those 'Avatar' creatures, called Ikran, actually did exist here on Earth long ago. Scientists announced the discovery of fossils in Chi...
(244) India’s Arctic observatory toaid climate change studies Will help understand influences on monsoon system
(245) Ratan Tata rallies support for protection of high seas World leaders readying petition to U.N. on Mission Ocean
(246) Web portal on Ganga rejuvenation launched The bilingual website has a provision to receive feedback from the public, where suggestions can be given about the Ganga Rejuvenation Plan.
(247) Web portal on Ganga rejuvenation launched The bilingual website has a provision to receive feedback from the public, where suggestions can be given about the Ganga Rejuvenation Plan.
(248) Freshwater crustaceans in Western Ghats face extinction Several species of freshwater shrimps and crabs in the Western Ghats could be hurtling towards extinction, as taxonomic uncertainties and escalating human activities in their habitat pose major ch...
(249) Ozone layer showing signs of recovery: UN Increased use of certain CFC substitutes , however, can undo the gains made
(250) Ozone layer showing signs of recovery: UN Increased use of certain CFC substitutes , however, can undo the gains made
(251) Ozone layer on track to recovery: UN The Earth’s protective ozone layer is New Section 1 Page 20
(251) Ozone layer on track to recovery: UN The Earth’s protective ozone layer is well on track to recovery in the next few decades, thanks to concerted international action against ozone depleting substances, said a UN report on We...
(252) Bacteria that may help tackle nuclear waste found Tiny single-cell organisms discovered living under the ground could help with the problem of nuclear waste disposal, says a study.The bacteria were found in a highly alkaline industrial sit…
(253) NGT seeks clarity on fresh Western Ghats survey Irked by the ambivalence of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on Western Ghats conservation, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday ordered the secretary of the ministry to file...
(254) Greenhouse gas levels in atmosphere hit new high The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new record high in 2013, propelled by a surge in levels of carbon dioxide, the World Meteorological Organisation warned today. The...
(255) UN reports largest annual CO2 increase since 1984 The levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rose at the highest rate in nearly three decades in 2013, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said on Tuesday.The increase — the bigge...
(256) ‘Plan to clean Ganga by 2019 impossible’ Modi’s ‘simplified’ plan a dream, warns ex-environment minister
(257) Three Sumatran elephants found dead in Aceh Three endangered Sumatran elephants have been found dead, all with their tusks removed, in Indonesia’s Aceh province, an official said on Monday. Two males were found by residents in a palm...
(258) U.K. keen on global fund to tackle climate change The British government is very keen to see the operationalising of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). “It was never us blocking the process nor was it the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Devel...
(259) U.K. keen on global fund to tackle climate change The British government is very keen to see the operationalising of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). “It was never us blocking the process nor was it the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Devel…
(260) California blue whales, once nearly extinct, make a comeback California blue whales, the largest animals on Earth once driven to near extinction by whaling, have made a remarkable comeback to near historic, 19th-century levels, according to a University...
(261) ‘Conservation not just about animals’ Protected spaces not effective, says Mahesh Rangarajan
(262) U.S. should lead on clean energy: Hillary Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday that the U.S. should become what she called
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Rodham Clinton said Thursday that the U.S. should become what she called the world’s 21-century clean energy superpower, during remarks resembling both a campaign...
(263) SC wants to monitor Ganga clean-up It said the "bureaucratic" approach in the action plan would not help in accomplishing the Prime Minister’s dream project
(264) Supreme Court wants to monitor Ganga clean-up It said the "bureaucratic" approach in the action plan would not help in accomplishing the Prime Minister’s dream project
(265) A pied cuckoo flew over the rest The striking black and white bird is the harbinger of monsoon
(266) British scientists seek to unlock mysteries of North Korean volcano More than a thousand years ago, a huge volcano straddling the border between North Korea and China was the site of one of the biggest eruptions in human history, blanketing eastern Asia in its ash...
(267) Indian softshell turtles seized in Kerala Two persons have been arrested by WLCCB-SR officials.
(268) Perumbakkam wetland, an unfinished business The State Government ordered long ago that the bird habitat be transferred to the Forest Department. Due to procedural delays, the transfer has not been effected yet. D. MADHAVAN reports
(269) No move to declare Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary a tiger reserve: officials Senior forest officials have denied a report on the alleged move of the State government to submit a proposal to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to declare the Wayanad Wildlife Sa...
(270) India’s first plant that recycles construction waste Over the last five years, India’s first and only recycling plant for construction and demolition (C&D) waste has saved the already-polluted Yamuna and the overflowing landfills of Delhi from 1...
(271) Clay Ganeshas create eco buzz This Ganesh Chaturthi, idols bring the eco-friendly message
(272) Environment Ministry dumps Gadgil report on Western Ghats After being directed to take a clear stand, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on Wednesday informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it was “not processing” Madhav Gadgil’s West...
(273) MIS-based tracking system to link 47 tiger reserves Aim is to curb poaching and wildlife crimes in 18 States: Javadekar
(274) Ganesh festivities take a toll on rare plants At a time when the concept of an eco-friendly Ganesh festival is gaining currency, botanists and forest authorities are alarmed over the use of rare and endangered plant species in the Western Gha...
(275) Over 12 lakh affected in Assam floods Over 12 lakh people have been New Section 1 Page 22
(275) Over 12 lakh affected in Assam floods Over 12 lakh people have been affected in floods in 16 districts of Assam. Many rivers, including the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, continue to flow above the danger level, the authorit...
(276) Shy yet beautiful Watch out for these exotically colourful birds in Bangalore(277) All-women Ganga walk to raise awareness Krushna Patil, the youngest
Indian woman to climb Mt. Everest, to join the eight member international team
(278) Seaside stories: Buffeted by waves of uncertainty For this team of 20-odd members at Kasimedu, launching and repairing fishing boats is not just a colossal task, but also one fraught with risks
(279) 2,200 solar mobile towers to be set up in Naxal-affected areas For the first time in India, solar power will be extensively used to run 2,200 mobile towers to be set up in nine Naxal-affected areas.The mobile towers, to be set up at a cost of Rs. 3,...
(280) A rare tree’s journey from Madagascar to Madurai Three majestic Baobab trees, a species belonging to Africa, add to the rich biodiversity at The American College
(281) Waging war for clean water Aligarh Muslim University embarks on a holy war for waste water reuse
(282) ‘Tibet plateau getting hotter, polluted’ A fresh environmental assessment of the Tibetan Plateau has found that the region is getting hotter, wetter and more polluted, threatening its fragile eco-systems and those who rely on them. ...
(283) Factors affecting urban warming In a recent paper in Nature by Xhiu Lee and colleagues at Yale University, the role of local background climate in creating a difference in temperature between urban and surrounding rural ar...
(284) Big game out of reach, poachers move to smaller prey Wildlife poachers, hindered by efforts to protect majestic endangered animals including tigers and rhinos, have begun to think smaller. And activists say scores of the country’s lesser-known speci...
(285) Burst of brilliant hues The peak season for butterflies in the city is from mid-July to September. How many different varieties can you identify?
(286) 100,000 elephants killed in Africa between 2010 and 2012 Despite the huge death numbers, experts believe elephants can survive if countries are willing to invest in wildlife security
(287) The vanishing act of medicinal plants in Himachal As you drive up the Kufri-Chail road from Shimla near Munda Ghat at a height of 1700 metres, the untrained eye will only see the slopes dominated by blue pine. But taxonomist Dr Vaneet Jishtu is...
(288) Healed Sundarbans royalty returns to the wild In a first, a fully cured and New Section 1 Page 23
(288) Healed Sundarbans royalty returns to the wild In a first, a fully cured and ‘wilded’ Royal Bengal tigress, captured from the Sunderbans 17 months ago has been released into the wild. The big cat had suffered a major posterior disability and w...
(289) 28 States prepare climate action plans An analysis of state action plans to combat climate change reveal a lack of innovative approaches and a high variation in budgets apart from the fact that many did not move ahead from the business...
(290) Mom, son find mammoth tusks 22 years apart A man who was having little luck catching salmon decided to look for fossils over the weekend and found a woolly mammoth tusk in the same Alaska location where his mother found one 22 years ago.
(291) Birds sing at Samanatham Bird watchers call for saving the Samanatham and Kilankulam tanks near Madurai Ring Road, home to a number of local and migratory bird species
(292) SC rejects Gujarat plea against moving Gir lions The Gujarat government has exhausted all legal options to prevent the translocation of lions from the Gir National Park after the Supreme Court dismissed a curative petition, filed by the State, a...
(293) Apple bans use of two chemicals in iPhone, iPad assembly Apple is banning the use of two potentially hazardous chemicals during the final assembly of iPhones and iPads as part of the company’s latest commitment to protect its factory workers. The...
(294) Activists stand up for blue bull ‘Allowing killing of the animal no way to deter crop damage’
(295) Why dip in interest in purifying Ganga: SC The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the dip in "urgency" the BJP-led NDA government is showing in the Ganga river purification project, asking if plans to purify the 2,500 km long...
(296) Endangered sea turtles left stranded in Gujarat A group of 20-30 turtles —Hawksbill sea turtle, Green turtle and Olive Ridley turtle — have been trapped for around a decade.
(297) Crucial wildlife board panel to take up violations by hydroelectric projects Last year a site inspection report of the proposed Teesta IV dam by four members of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife pointed out violations in several hydroelectric projec...
(298) And the birds came tumbling after When kites soar above Delhi in celebration of Independence Day, brothers Mohammad Saud and Nadeem Shehzad will spend the day in their makeshift office-turned-surgery, tending to the many birds inj...
(299) State climate action plans lack innovation, study finds An analysis of State action plans to combat climate change reveal a lack of innovative
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action plans to combat climate change reveal a lack of innovative approaches and a high variation in budgets apart from the fact that many did not move ahead from the...
(300) ‘Developed nations must walk the talk on climate goals’ Focus of the ministerial meet was on evolving a common stand: Javadekar
(301) Researchers unravel more of Western Ghats diversity Find new fish species, rediscover rare tree
(302) BASIC meets to plan strategy before Lima climate talks Ministers of the BASIC countries met on Thursday to forge a common ground before the next round of climate talks in Lima this year end. Union minister of State for Environment Prakash Javadekar e...
(303) Massive groundwater depletion in U.S. Over a 14-year period, the Colorado River basin in the U.S. has lost nearly 65 cubic km of freshwater, almost double the volume of the nation's largest reservoir, Nevada's Lake Mead. More th...
(304) How deep-water sharks see The marine pelagic zone is one of the largest aquatic habitats on Earth. The stretch between 200 and 1,000 metres deep is called the mesopelagic zone, dubbed “twilight” zone for the scant amount of...
(305) BASIC ministerial meet on August 7, 8 The two –day 18th BASIC countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) Ministerial Meeting will get underway on Thursday to discuss important issues relating to the current UNFCCC Climate...
(306) Proper caution needed for GM crops: Javadekar Union Minister of State for Environment Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday said that proper caution has to be taken in the context of genetically modified (GM) crops and India cannot say no to science...
(307) Drones to guard India’s forests and wildlife Unmanned aerial vehicles or drones will soon fly over India’s forests to monitor poaching, track wildlife and even count the population of tigers. Scientists at the Wildlife Institute of...
(308) NGOs protest dilution of National Board for Wildlife In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Environment Minister and other officials, several NGOs and individuals have protested the reconstitution of the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) which has o...
(309) China to ban all coal use in Beijing by 2020 China’s smog-plagued capital has announced plans to ban the use of coal by the end of 2020 as the country fights deadly levels of pollution, especially in major cities. Beijing’s Municipa...
(310) Sunderbans mangrove trees losing capacity to absorb CO2: study The vast mangrove forest in the Sunderbans is fast losing its capacity to absorb carbon dioxide, one of the main greenhouse gases, from the atmosphere due
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carbon dioxide, one of the main greenhouse gases, from the atmosphere due to rise in the salinity of water, ramp...
(311) NGT upholds ban on coal mining in Meghalaya Noting that right to life is far more significant than economic interest of a state or an individual, the National Green Tribunal has upheld its ban on coal mining in Meghalaya. “Article...
(312) Tales from leopard country “Those who have never seen a leopard under favourable conditions in his natural surroundings can have no conception of the grace of movement, and beauty of colouring, of this the most graceful a...
(313) Only 3,200 tigers left in the wild: WWF report Of the 100,000 tigers that once roamed in the wild a century ago, only 3,200 are left behind, the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature has revealed in a report.WWF has also offered to assist...
(314) White tigress gives birth to a black cub It is for the first time that a black tiger cub was born in any zoo in the country.
(315) Protective ring around wetland As per a recommendation, the ‘eco-sensitive zone’ around Okhla Bird Sanctuary will vary from 100 to 1200 metres
(316) Bio-diversity mission on rails flagged off It is playing a role in creating awareness about India’s bio-diversity
(317) NASA seeks private help to connect Mars data with Earth In a bid to broaden participation in the exploration of the Red planet, NASA has called for a new, privately-owned communications network to be set up on Mars.The U.S. space agency has rele...
(318) Science Express Biodiversity Special flagged off “This is no ordinary train,” said Union Minister of State for environment Prakash Javadekar on Monday as he flagged off the third phase of the Science Express Biodiversity Special (SEBS) at Safdar...
(319) Indian techie to drive solar-powered auto to Britain Rabelli Naveen, an Indian techie, will soon embark on a trans-national expedition riding on a self-built solar-powered autorickshaw to Britain to promote a sustainable low-cost alternative-transpo...
(320) Kolleru no more a cosy home for birds Weak monsoon takes toll; winged visitors leaving for lack of food. Due to inadequate water in the lake, birds are migrating to other places in search of food. The State government should take measures to remove silt and encroachments as per Wildlife Protection Act 1972, he suggested.
(321) Rescued slender loris finds a new home at Delhi zoo About a year ago, a tourist passing through Delhi airport was caught with a slender loris in his pocket. This terrified endangered nocturnal animal was rescued and handed over to the National Zoolo...
(322) Sariska has reason to cheer A tigress is believed to be pregnant.(323) Fukushima monkeys show blood abnormalities due to radiation Primates
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(323) Fukushima monkeys show blood abnormalities due to radiation Primates have low white and red blood cell levels and radioactive caesium
(324) Biodiversity loss pushing earth towards sixth mass extinction Being driven primarily by climate disruption, say scientists
(325) Cuba looks to mangroves to fend off rising seas Many people in this hamlet on the southern coast of Cuba remember when the shore lay about 100 meters farther out. That was four decades ago. Since then, rising waters have gradually swal...
(326) The importance of being an insect The National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects wants to convey though its "Insectarium", that insects have a major role in maintaining biodiversity.
(327) Exoplanet with 704-day-long year found Using NASA’s Kepler spacecraft, researchers have discovered an exoplanet with the longest known year.The newly discovered Kepler-421b circles its star in 704 days. It is the longest period...
(328) Meat contributing to climate change: study Meat production contributes to climate change due to greenhouse gasses emitted by livestock, a new study has found.Researchers found that livestock emissions are on the rise and that beef c…
(329) June 2014 hottest month since 1880 The average temperature for land and ocean surfaces around the world was 16.2 degrees Celsius.
(330) Camera captures leopard movement Presence of adult male in the Vallam reserved forests in Chengalpattu confirmed two months after it was first sighted
(331) Enthral and educate Little Blue Planet brought activism and entertainment together
(332) Eye on the mask A city-based start-up is hoping to make us breathe cleaner air, with protective masks which are stylish to boot
(333) Water released to recharge the Yamuna 1.28 lakh cusecs of water was released into the river on Wednesday
(334) Rhinos on their way to Mysore zoo A pair of greater one-horned rhinoceros, is on its way to Mysore zoo from the Patna zoo. It is learnt that the rhinos are being transported in specially-designed enclosures mounted on two l...
(335) Straying off the path, onto a forgotten flower A holidayer finds and captures for posterity the ‘Murdannia striatipetala’, a flower that hasn’t been documented since 1899
(336) Petition against Jarawa tourism in the Andamans Despite the 2002 Supreme Court ruling, there is no stopping the hordes of tourists who want to travel through the road, a part of the Jarawa Reserve
(337) Petition against Jarawa tourism in the Andamans Despite the 2002 Supreme Court ruling, there is no stopping the hordes of tourists who want to travel through the road, a part of the Jarawa Reserve
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through the road, a part of the Jarawa Reserve(338) Silent philanthropy The Spiritual and Service Fair highlights the importance
Hinduism gives to ecology.(339) ‘Hiding beauties’ turn crowd-pullers Honeycomb Moray Eels are found in
estuaries, coral reefs(340) Dinosaurs may have learned to fly even before birds A new raptorial
dinosaur fossil discovered in China with exceptionally long feathers has provided exciting insights into dinosaur flight, scientists say. The 125-million-year-old dinosaur...
(341) Blackbucks migrate to newer habitats in Ganjam According to the DFO, the animals seem to have migrated from Buguda and Aska forest ranges after cyclone Phailin
(342) Rising tides pose a threat to sinking island in Sunderbans Over 2,000 families affected, acres of farm land submerged
(343) On a slimy snail trail Socio-economic, agrarian, and health threat posed by snails
(344) Tussle over phasing out ozone-depleting gases If it is serious about phasing out ozone-depleting gases by 2030, India needs to evolve a clear stand against persisting with those that have global warming potential and evaluate environme...
(345) Moth enthusiasts seek to tap into citizen science to create inventory People asked to click pictures of moths and upload them online
(346) Manas sanctuary faces threat of ‘heritage in danger’ tag UN panel takes serious view of poaching, encroachments
(347) Ganga clean-up project can emulate Thames model, says expert Even as Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced an ambitious Rs. 2037-crore ‘Namami Ganga’ project in his maiden budget to kick-start the process of cleaning up the holy river, a noted wate...
(348) Some shark species may adapt to climate change: study Some shark species may be able to cope with the rising temperature and the subsequent decrease of water salinity, a new study has found. The study of sharks that lived in warm Arctic waters...
(349) Some shark species may adapt to climate change: study Some shark species may be able to cope with the rising temperature and the subsequent decrease of water salinity.
(350) Spotted deer mauled to death outside sanctuary A three-month-old female spotted deer was mauled to death by stray dogs outside the Kodiakkarai sanctuary in Vedaranyam near here on Friday in the third such incident in the past month.A res...
(351) Odisha loses 9 sq km of mangroves in two years It is believed that the prawn mafia backed by powerful politicians denuded mangroves to set up shrimp farms, alleges an environmentalist
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shrimp farms, alleges an environmentalist(352) Boundaries of Thattekad Bird Sanctuary to be redrawn Will exclude human
habitation included during the notification of the sanctuary(353) ‘Green Climate Fund coffers empty’ Union Environment Minister Prakash
Javadekar on Friday expressed concern over the Green Climate Fund’s (GCF) empty coffers. The GCF was launched in 2009-10.In his address at the Majo...
(354) In need of a BIG brother Following the recent disaster at Moulivakkam, is it time for Tamil Nadu to tow Maharashtra’s example and set up a dedicated housing regulatory authority? Sudhir Srinivasan talks to industry representatives to find out.
(355) Save the mangroves Can the vanishing green cover be saved?(356) Thiruvananthapuram zoo’s aviary welcomes new members Three pairs of
birds brought from Lucknow zoo on Tuesday night(357) Resources, global cooperation key to sustainable development Global
warming is expected to impact the availability of basic necessities like freshwater, food and energy. According to the Economic Survey, India, like many developing countries, has...
(358) Caribbean lost half its corals since 1970s Scientists say that reefs could recover with a reintroduction of species such as parrotfish.
(359) Aiming for clean and green Coimbatore Karthik Manivasagam’s plan to transform Coimbatore into a cleaner and greener city needs your help
(360) Govt rejects study report on pollution level in India Government on Wednesday rejected studies of WHO and Yale University which talked about India and its cities being among the most polluted, asserting that the parameters for determining air polluti...
(361) Forest cover has increased despite some setbacks Country still has large swathes of contiguous forests accounting for 40% of the forest cover
(362) Winged visitors find a new home at Shanti Van Even as the Okhla Bird Sanctuary is in the news this year due to the poor arrival of water fowl and the National Green Tribunal proceedings on restricting the constructions around it, the birds app...
(363) Joining hands to save trees On Sunday, over 200 citizens joined hands to form a human chain on Elliot’s Beach, to save Guindy national park (GNP), Raj
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