Recently, the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii has recorded CO2 levels at 415.26 parts per million (ppm) baseline. It is the first time on record that the observatory measured a daily baseline above 415ppm. According to scientists, the last time Earth’s atmosphere contained this much CO2 was 3 million years ago. The Mauna Loa Observatory… Continue reading 415.26 parts per million: Carbon Dioxide levels hit historic
Category: Factly: Environment
This category contains all Current Affairs Factly Articles for Prelims, related to the Environment. You can find all relevant Environment related updates on this page. This page is specifically useful for UPSC Prelims exam.
Islanders complain to UN over Australia’s climate change inaction
A group of Torres Strait Islanders have decided to lodge a complaint with the United Nations Human Rights Committee against the Australian government, alleging climate inaction. The Torres Strait Islands are a group of small islands which lie in Torres Strait. Torres Strait is the waterway separating northern continental Australia’s Cape York Peninsula and the… Continue reading Islanders complain to UN over Australia’s climate change inaction
Do ‘Russian poplar’ seeds cause May illness in Kashmir? The fears, the science
In May every year,doctors in the Kashmir Valley treats a high number of patients, especially children with respiratory diseases. The rise in illness has often been attributed to a phenomenon during this season which is the shedding of fluffy cotton-covered seeds by poplar trees commonly known as “Russian poplars”. The name “Russian poplar” is a… Continue reading Do ‘Russian poplar’ seeds cause May illness in Kashmir? The fears, the science
Odisha set to introspect post-disaster communication
The post-disaster communication in Odisha had failed after extremely severe cyclone Fani struck the state. State disaster managers have decided to introspect how post-disaster communication failed for the first time since Super Cyclone in 1999. Communication during and immediately after a disaster situation is an important component of response and recovery. It connects affected people,… Continue reading Odisha set to introspect post-disaster communication
Vedanta gets nod to conduct impact assessment for 274 hydrocarbon wells in T.N., Puducherry
The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has granted the Terms of Reference (ToR) to Vedanta Ltd’s Cairn Oil & Gas, to carry out Environment Impact Assessment (EIA). It is to be carried out for drilling a total of 274 offshore and onshore oil and gas exploration wells in the Bay of Bengal, Nagapattinam, Karaikal,… Continue reading Vedanta gets nod to conduct impact assessment for 274 hydrocarbon wells in T.N., Puducherry
New protocols for managing disasters
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has updated standard operating procedures (SOP) and adopted new protocols for disaster management in the State. The updated SOP is known as ‘Orange book of disaster management — Kerala — SOP and emergency support functions plan. It was previously known as the ‘Handbook on disaster management — Volume… Continue reading New protocols for managing disasters
Assam produces an orchid link to the Orient
A forest officer has spotted new species orchid in Assam’s forests. The orchid is a variant of a Japanese orchid. It is India’s one of the smallest orchids in terms of size and duration of bloom to be recorded botanically. The orchid is known as Lecanorchis taiwaniana. It is a mycoheterotroph- a plant which gets… Continue reading Assam produces an orchid link to the Orient
180 nations agree on a new UN accord to curb export of plastic waste
Recently,1,400 representatives from around 180 countries has agreed on a new UN accord to regulate the export of plastic waste.This meeting was organized by the UN Environment Programme(UNEP) in Geneva. The Geneva meeting amended the 1989 Basel Convention on the control of hazardous wastes to include plastic waste in a legally-binding, globally-reaching framework for managing… Continue reading 180 nations agree on a new UN accord to curb export of plastic waste
Rain-loving’ snake discovered in Mizoram
Researchers have discovered a rain loving snake in Mizoram called as Smithophis atemporalis. This discovery has been included in the New Zealand-based journal Zootaxa. The Mizoram rain snake (Smithophis atemporalis) has been named after eminent British herpetologist, Malcom A Smith, for his contribution to Indian herpetology. The species looks like a slender elongated common water… Continue reading Rain-loving’ snake discovered in Mizoram
CCMB scientists sequence Asiatic lion genome
Scientists from CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology has for the first time sequenced the entire genome of Asiatic lion. Genome sequencing means determining the order of the four chemical building blocks – called “bases” – that make up the DNA molecule. Genome sequencing helps to understand how genes work together to direct the growth,… Continue reading CCMB scientists sequence Asiatic lion genome
