Eco-friendly mobile cremation system
Why in News?
- Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar has developed a prototype of a moveable electric cremation system which claims to be using first of its kind technology that involves smokeless cremation despite using wood.
- It uses half of the wood otherwise required for the cremation and still is eco-friendly because of the technology that uses combustion air system.
- It is based on wick-stove technology in which the wick when lighted glows yellow.
- This is converted into smokeless blue flame with the help of combustion air system installed over the wicks.
- Use of less wood can also reduce the carbon footprint by half.
PIB
Ist BRICS Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting
Why in News?
- The prime agenda for the discussions were Promoting Social Security Agreements amongst BRICS Nations, Formalization of labour markets, Participation of women in labour force and Gig and platform workers – Role in labour market.
- Apart from representatives of member nations i.e Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the representatives of International Labour Organization (ILO) and International Social Security Agency (ISSA) also made valuable interventions and suggestions on the agenda issues.
On the issue of Social Security Agreement (SSA)
- The Member Nations resolved to enter into dialogue and discussion with each other and take it forward towards signing of the agreements, while the ISSA and ILO on their part, expressed willingness to provide technical support in facilitating conclusion of such agreements.
On participation of women in the labour force
- The member countries resolved to promote participation of women in remunerative, productive and decent work and to extend social security cover to the women workers engaged in informal sector.
On the issue of Gig and Platform workers and their role in labour market
- The member nations discussed how the proliferation of Digital Labour Platforms is transforming the labour processes in the world of work.
PIB
‘Community Transmission’ tag
Why in News?
- Inspite of adding the highest number of cases in the world every day, India continues to label itself as a country with no community transmission (CT), opting instead for the lower, less serious classification called ‘cluster of cases’, according to the latest weekly report by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
- Countries such as the United States, Brazil, United Kingdom, France — and a perusal of the list of over 190 countries suggest the majority — have all labelled themselves as being in ‘community transmission’.
- Among the 10 countries with the most number of confirmed cases, only Italy and Russia do not label themselves as being in ‘community transmission’.
Risk for more people
- Broadly, CT is when new cases in the last 14 days can’t be traced to those who have an international travel history, when cases can’t be linked to specific cluster.
- The WHO guidelines further suggest four subcategories within the broader definition of CT. CT-1 implying “Low incidence of locally acquired, widely dispersed cases…and low risk of infection for the general population” with the highest, a CT-4 suggesting “Very high incidence of locally acquired, widely dispersed cases in the past 14 days. Very high risk of infection for the general population.”
- The classification, ‘cluster of cases’, that India chooses to describe itself “…Cases detected in the past 14 days are predominantly limited to well-defined clusters that are not directly linked to imported cases… It is assumed that there are a number of unidentified cases in the area. This implies a low risk of infection to others in the wider community if exposure to these clusters is avoided”.
THE HINDU
Lightning kills herd of 18 elephants in Assam
Why in News?
- A bolt of lightning is believed to have killed a herd of at least 18 elephants in central Assam’s Nagaon district.
- The incident happened in the hilly Kandali Proposed Reserve Forest in the Forest Department’s Kathiatoli Range.
- Lightning claimed five elephants in West Bengal some time ago.
THE HINDU
Covaxin
Why in News?
- The National Regulator of the country, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), has accepted the recommendation of Subject Expert Committee (SEC) and accorded permission to conduct the Phase II/III clinical trial of Covaxin (COVID-19 vaccine) in the age group 2 to 18 years to its manufacturer Bharat Biotech Ltd.
- In the trial, the vaccine will be given by intramuscular route in two doses at day 0 and day 28.
THE HINDU
Brain Chip Allows Paralysed Man To Write
Why in News?
- Paralysed from the neck down, the man stares intently at a screen. As he imagines handwriting letters, they appear before him as typed text thanks to a new brain implant.
- The 65-year-old is “typing” at a speed similar to his peers tapping on a smartphone, using a device that could one day help paralysed people communicate quickly and easily.
- The research could benefit people suffering spinal cord injuries, strokes or motor neurone disease.
- Existing devices for those with paralysis rely on eye movement or imagining moving a cursor to point and click on letters.
THE HINDU
China’s population
Why in News?
- In the decade up to 2020, China’s population grew at its slowest rate since the 1950s, mirroring trends seen in neighbouring South Korea and Japan.
- It now stands at 141.2 crore people, with the rate of growth falling for the fourth consecutive year.
- Last year, 1.2 crore babies were born in China, down from 1.465 crore in 2019 — a fall of 18 per cent in one year, as per census data released by its National Bureau of Statistics.
- The country’s fertility rate has dropped to 1.3, far below the replacement level of 2.1 required for a generation to have enough children to replace it.
- The United Nations expects China’s population to begin declining after 2030, but some experts say this could happen as early as in the next one or two years. By 2025, the country is set to lose its ‘most populous’ tag to India, which in 2020 had an estimated 138 crore people, 1.5 per cent behind China.
What does China’s latest census data say?
- As per the 2020 national census, China’s seventh since 1953, the country’s population has grown from 134 crore in 2010 by 5.34 per cent over the past decade.
- The rate of population growth, however, has been steadily falling. Annually, the country grew 0.53 per cent in the last 10 years, down from 0.57 per cent between 2000 and 2010, and was the slowest of any decade since the 1950s.
- The country’s working population — between ages 15 and 59 — is now 89.43 crore or 63.35 per cent of the total, down by 6.79 per cent from 2010. The number of people above age 60 has also gone up to 26.4 crore or 18.7 per cent of the population, up 5.44 per cent from the last census.
- The greater proportion of children 14 years or younger, who are now 25.38 crore or 17.95 per cent of the population, up by 1.35 per cent from 2010.
- This rise has been credited to China relaxing its strict one-child policy in 2016 and allowing two children per family.
IE
Delay in giving second jabs of Pfizer vaccine improves immunity
Why in News?
- The UK’s decision to delay second doses of coronavirus vaccines has received fresh support from research on the over-80s which found that giving the Pfizer/BioNTech booster after 12 weeks rather than three produced a much stronger antibody response.
- A study found that antibodies against the virus were three-and-a-half times higher in those who had the second shot after 12 weeks compared with those who had it after a three-week interval.
- Most people who have both shots of the vaccine will be well protected regardless of the timing, but the stronger response from the extra delay might prolong protection because antibody levels naturally wane over time.
- The researchers then looked at another arm of the immune system, the T cells that destroy infected cells. They found that T cell responses were weaker when the booster was delayed, but settled down to similar levels when people were tested more than three months after the first shot.
THE GUARDIAN
Asia is home to 99 of world’s 100 most vulnerable cities
- Of the 100 cities worldwide most vulnerable to environmental hazards all but one are in Asia, and 80% are in India or China, according to a risk assessment.
- More than 400 large cities with a total population of 1.5 billion are at “high” or “extreme” risk because of a mix of life-shortening pollution, dwindling water supplies, deadly heatwaves, natural disasters and the climate emergency.
- Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, plagued by pollution, flooding and heatwaves, topped the ranking. But India, home to 13 of the world’s 20 cities most at risk, may face the most daunting future of any country.
- Delhi ranks second on the global index of 576 cities, compiled by the business risk analyst Verisk Maplecroft, followed in India by Chennai (third), Agra (sixth), Kanpur (10th), Jaipur (22nd) and Lucknow (24th). Mumbai, with a population of 12.5 million, is 27th.
- Looking only at air pollution – which causes more than 7m premature deaths worldwide each year, including a million in India alone – the 20 cities with the worst air quality in urban areas of at least a million people are all in India, with Delhi topping the list.
- The air pollution assessment was weighted towards the impact of microscopic, health-wrecking particles known as PM2.5, owing in large measure to the burning of coal and other fossil fuels.
- Outside Asia, the Middle East and north Africa have the largest proportion of high-risk cities across all threat categories, with Lima the only non-Asian city in the Top 100.
- China, while richer than India, faces formidable environmental challenges as well. Of the 50 cities worldwide most beset by water pollution, 35 are in China, as are all but two of the Top 15 facing water stress.
- India’s weaker governance, coupled with the size and scale of its informal economy, makes it far harder to address environmental and climate problems at the city level.
- When it comes to global heating and its effect, the focus shifts sharply to sub-Saharan Africa, home to 40 of the 45 most climate-vulnerable cities on the planet. The continent will be hit the hardest not only because of droughts, heatwaves, storms and flooding, but also because it is so ill-equipped to cope.
- Africa’s two most populous cities, Lagos and Kinshasa, are among those at highest risk.
- Other especially vulnerable cities included Monrovia, Brazzaville, Freetown, Kigali, Abidjan and Mombasa.
THE GUARDIAN
Climate change could be behind Uttarakhand cloudbursts
- The recent weather events in Uttarakhand termed as ‘cloudbursts’ were highly unusual and could have been caused by the warming of the region.
- Cloudburst-like events have hit Uttarakhand since May 3 and have caused considerable damage in the four hilly districts of Tehri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi and Chamoli. The latest of these occurred on the evening of May 11 in Devprayag town of Tehri Garhwal district. Two other events were reported from Uttarkashi and Rudraprayag districts.
- What is unusual in the current scenario is the very warm temperature anomaly to the west of north India over Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Arabian heat low pumps winds into the northern Arabian Sea and there has been a strong wind along the coast of Oman and going straight over Gujarat into Uttarakhand. This is raising the chances of cloudbursts there.
- The months of March, April and May were warmer than normal over Uttarakhand. This would also reduce pressure and drive winds into it.
- Cloudbursts are generally more common in India during the south west monsoon season that begins in June.
- There was also a low-pressure ridge across the region which might have increased the chances of the cloudbursts.
What is a cloudburst?
- Cloudbursts are sudden and extreme rainfall events over a limited area in a short span of time. There is no universal definition of a cloudburst.
- However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) defines a cloudburst as any event where 100 millimetres of rainfall have fallen in a span of an hour over a region that is 20-30 square kilometres in area.
- A cloudburst occurs when moisture-carrying air moves up a hilly terrain, forming a vertical column of clouds known as ‘cumulonimbus’ clouds. Such clouds usually cause rain, thunder and lightning. This upward motion of the clouds is known as an ‘orographic lift’.
- These unstable clouds cause an intense rainstorm over a small area after becoming heavy enough and locked in the ridges and valleys between the hills.
- The energy necessary for the cloudburst comes from the upward motion of air. Cloudbursts mostly occur at elevations between 1,000-2,500 metres above sea level.
- The moisture is usually provided by a low pressure system (usually associated with cyclonic storms in the ocean) over the Gangetic plains associated with low level winds flowing in from the east.
- Sometimes winds flowing in from the north west also aid the occurrence of cloudbursts. The many factors that have to come together to make a cloudburst event happen make them highly unlikely.
DTE
Renewable energy in India
- India’s renewable energy capacity addition in 2020 declined by more than 50 per cent since 2019, primarily due to construction delays brought on by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, according to International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Renewable Energy Market Update.
- Photovoltaic (PV) capacity addition is expected to be three times in 2021 compared with 2020, as delayed large-scale utility projects become operational.
- Globally, annual renewable capacity additions increased 45 per cent in 2020 to almost 280 gigawatt (GW). It is the highest year-on-year rise since 1999.
- This has been attributed mainly to capacity expansion for solar and wind energy, which amounted to 135GW and 115GW respectively. A 20GW capacity of hydropower and about 10GW of other renewable energy, led by bioenergy, also contributed to the growth.
Why 2020 saw global boom
- New installations in China, the United States, Vietnam and various European nations, especially in December 2020, have led to this surge.
- China alone was responsible for over 80 per cent of the increase. This was primarily due to onshore wind and solar projects commissioned under the former feed-in tariff scheme and awarded in previous auctions being connected to the grid by the end of 2020.
Future in green energy
- After 2022, the annual growth in China will slow down, the report forecast. However the rest of the world will continue to see a growth in the renewables.
- In Europe, for example, renewable energy will see expansion due to favourable policies, including the decline in costs of photovoltaics.
- Renewable energy in US will also see further expansion due to the new US emissions reduction targets and the new infrastructure bill, if passed.
- Wind, too, will continue to dominate in the near future but the pace of growth will be slower in 2021 and 2022. It is expected to decline to around 85GW in 2021 and below 80GW in 2022. However, it is still 50 per cent higher than the 2017-2019 average.
DTE
Wolf hunting banned in Slovakia
- The wolf (Canis lupus) will become a fully protected species in the eastern European country of Slovakia from June 1, 2021.
- The decision followed a massive campaign by 31 non-profits for according full protection to wolves, including WWF-Slovakia.
- Slovakia’s agriculture ministry usually grants quotas to hunt wolves. For the 2020-2021 season (November 1-January 15), the ministry had approved the hunting of 50 wolves. The quota for the previous year was 35 individuals.
- The 31 non-profits, including WWF-Slovakia, argued that partial territorial protection during the hunting season cannot prevent the killing of wolves whose territories cross the borders of protected areas.
- Conservationists also argued that wolves have the potential to contribute to reducing damage in forestry and agriculture. Damage caused by deer and other ungulates to agriculture and forestry in Slovakia has been estimated at tens of millions of Euros in recent years.
- The European Commission had launched an infringement process against Slovakia in 2013 for breaching the obligations of the Habitats Directive on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora.
- The Habitats Directive is a directive adopted by the European Community in 1992 as a response to the Berne Convention. It ensures the conservation of a wide range of rare, threatened or endemic animal and plant species.
- The infringement process resulted in a wolf hunting ban in Natura 2000 sites. Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union.
- However, hunters in Slovakia have legally killed almost 1,800 wolves since 2000. In addition to legal hunting, wolves are also endangered by illegal hunting.
- They are also threatened by increasing fragmentation and shrinkage of their habitats brought about by the construction of roads and other infrastructure.
- Slovakia is part of the Danube-Carpathian Region that is also known as the ‘Green Heart of Europe’. The region is home to some two-thirds of Europe’s populations of large carnivores, including brown bears, wolves and lynx.
DTE