Wednesday, April 21, 2010

UN: Milk production accounts for almost 3 percent of greenhouse gas emissions


UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) – The United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced Tuesday that nearly three percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions are a result of milk production.
This figure includes emissions related to the production, processing and transportation of milk products, as FAO has pointed out that more than half of the sector’s emissions in both developing and developed countries is caused by methane. Nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide also account for large proportions of the dairy sector’s contributions to greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the study, the figure raises to four percent when emissions from meat production from animals originating from the dairy system are factored in.

Ford makes “greener” vehicles with renewable and recyclable materials


DEARBORN, MICHIGAN (BNO NEWS) – Ford announced Tuesday that their vehicles are becoming “greener” by using an increased amount of renewable and recyclable materials.
Examples of these eco-friendly initiatives are the soy and bio-based seat cushions and seatbacks on the 2010 Ford Taurus.
According to their report, Ford vehicles are now 85 percent recyclable by weight, and in 2009, Ford saved approximately $4.5 million by using recycled materials, diverting between 25 and 30 million pounds of plastic from landfills in North America alone.

Uncorking the spirit of Copenhagen

http://beta.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/article402882.ece

Ideas to save the world- The Hindu


Climate change and global warming are two terms that even the children come across on a daily basis. But whether they know how crucial these twin issues are in deciding the future of the world as they know it now is the question.
Eloor Grama Panchayat is set to organise a children's congress on environment and energy conservation with the objective of assessing the knowledge level of the children as also to create awareness among them on environmental issues.
Students from Stds I to XII government-aided and unaided schools across the district will participate in the event to be held on July 21. The Panchayat has set apart Rs. two lakhs for the project.
Competition rules
- The event is to be held in four categories for students from Lower Primary, Upper Primary, High School, and Higher Secondary School. First prize worth Rs. 10, 000 will be given away by the Panchayat to those presenting the best papers in each category.
- Four topics have been given in each category to present papers. For contestants in the LP category the topic is the “Role of Students in Preserving Environment,” while for the UP category it is the “Future of Malayalam.”
- Contestants from High Schools and Higher Secondary Schools need to present papers on the subjects “Climate Change: Problem and Solution,” and “Science and Technology and India's Future.” Not more than three students can join hands to present a paper.
- The entries should reach the coordinator by June 15.
- A jury comprising teaching faculty would shortlist 20 best papers in each category.
- The authors of these papers would be given an opportunity to present these papers in the Science Congress.
- Four stages would be set up to present selected papers in each of the four categories.
- Fifteen minutes will be given for the presentation of a paper with two minutes for arrangement, six minutes for presentation, four minutes for interaction and another three minutes for conclusion.
This way four papers each will be presented in each of the four venues and the presentation of all the selected 80 entries in each category will be completed in five hours.
A three-member jury comprising an environment activist and subject expert will select the winning paper. Apart from the first three prize winners, all the participants at the congress would be given books on environment and energy conservation, T.T. Paulose, the project coordinator said.
The entries should reach Mr. Paulose at the address Project Coordinator, MES Eastern School, Eloor. For more details contact: 9446762687.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Manmohan concerned over unnatural deaths of tigers

Concerned over increasing incidents of unnatural deaths of tigers in various reserves in the country, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has decided to personally take up the matter with State Governments


http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article260567.ece

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Manmohan for long-term rhino conservation project

http://beta.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article260369.ece?homepage=true

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

India will fight attempts to unseat Pachauri: Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi, March 15 (IANS) The government had full confidence in Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) chief R.K. Pachauri and would fight “any attempt to unseat him”, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said Monday.
“We are backing the IPCC chairman and will fight any attempt to unseat him,” Ramesh said in the Rajya Sabha during question hour.
At the same time, Ramesh admitted that the IPCC’s fourth assessment report suggesting Himalayan glaciers would disappear by 2035 was based on poorly substantiated estimates of recession.
“In drafting the paragraph on melting of glaciers, the clear and well established standards of evidence, required by the IPCC procedures, were not applied properly. India’s objections to the report were upheld and we were vindicated,” he said.
The IPCC has been facing flak since January when it was found that it had included an alarmist statement about the disappearance of Himalayan glaciers in its benchmark 2007 report.

Efforts to control tiger trade “failed miserably”: CITES


Governments across the world have “failed miserably and… are continuing to fail” to halt the growth of illegal poaching and trade in tiger body parts, said Willem Wijnstekers, Secretary-General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). “Although the tiger has been prized throughout history, and is a symbol of incredible importance in many cultures and religions, it is now literally on the verge of extinction,” he added.
The comments came during the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES, in Doha, Qatar, where representatives of nearly 150 nations will vote on over 40 proposals on restricting trade in endangered species. The “miserable failure” comment reflected the poor record of the Global Tiger Initiative, a partnership of governments, international agencies and non-governmental organisations working collaboratively to save the tiger.
Pointing out that 2010 was the Chinese Year of the Tiger and the International Year of Biodiversity; Mr. Wijnstekers said that the trend must be reversed this year. “If we don’t, it will be to our everlasting shame,” he warned. According to CITES in the early 1900s, tigers were found throughout Asia and numbered over 100,000. Current estimates suggest that fewer than 3,200 of these remain in the wild.
The World Bank, which leads the Global Tiger Initiative (GTI), was reported to have found that the trade was being spurred by privately run tiger farms in Asian countries such as China. Further, scientific studies in India have demonstrated that most wild tiger populations there would not be able to withstand even small increases in poaching over time. While China banned trade in tiger bones and products in 1993, the illicit sale of tiger bones and parts has continued.
In a 2007 report titled “Taming the Tiger Trade”, the WWF said that any easing of the current Chinese ban on trading products made from tigers would be a death sentence for the endangered cats. The report warned that Chinese business owners who would profit from the tiger trade are increasing pressure on the Chinese government to overturn its successful 1993 ban.
CITES criticised the ineffective policies to protect the tiger. “It is almost four decades since the world realised that tiger numbers were falling alarmingly,” it said, alluding to the tens of millions of dollars that governments and the conservation community spent to try and save this animal.