Cities combating plastic entering the marine environment
Why in News?
- The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH India on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety signed an agreement on Technical Cooperation titled ‘Cities Combating Plastic Entering the Marine Environment’.
- The project’s outcomes are completely in line with the objectives of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban focusing on sustainable solid waste management and Prime Minister’s vision to phase out single use plastic by 2022.
About
- This project is envisaged under the contours of the Joint Declaration of Intent regarding cooperation in the field of ‘Prevention of Marine Litter’ signed between Republic of India and Federal Republic of Germany in 2019.
Aim
- The project, aimed at enhancing practices to prevent plastic entering the marine environment,will be undertaken at the national level (at MoHUA), select states (Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Andaman & Nicobar Islands) and in the cities of Kanpur, Kochi and Port Blair for a period of three and a half years.
Problems
- Marine litter threatens ecosystems and adversely affects fishery and tourism industries around the globe.
- In addition to negative economic impact, it affects public health with increased concerns about micro-plastic and risk of particles entering the food chain.
- In recent times, the level of plastic waste that has accumulated in our oceans and marine ecosystems through the increasing production and use of durable synthetic materials has alarmed the public and policy makers alike.
- It is estimated that 15-20% of all plastics are entering oceans via riverine ecosystems of which 90% are contributed by 10 of the world’s most polluting rivers.
- Two of these river systems are located in India, namely Ganga and Brahmaputra.
PIB
Startup India Seed Fund Scheme
Why in News?
- Ministry of Commerce & Industry launched the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS).
Aim
- To provide financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry, and commercialization.
- The Scheme was announced by the Prime Minister on 16th January 2021 in his Grand Plenary address of ‘Prarambh: StartupIndia International Summit’, marking the five-year anniversary of the Startup India initiative.
- 945 Crore corpus will be divided over the next 4 years for providing seed funding to eligible startups through eligible incubators across India.
- The scheme is expected to support an estimated 3,600 startups through 300 incubators.
- SISFS will Secure seed funding, Inspire innovation, Support transformative ideas, Facilitate implementation, and Start startup revolution.
How it Works?
- The online portal created by DPIIT, for the scheme, will allow incubators to apply for funds under it.
- An Experts Advisory Committee (EAC) has been created by DPIIT to execute and monitor the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme.
- Grants of upto Rs 5 Crores shall be provided to the eligible incubators selected by the EAC.
- The selected incubators shall provide grants of up to Rs 20 lakhs for validation of Proof of Concept, or prototype development, or product trials to startups.
- Furthermore, investments of up to Rs 50 lakhs shall be provided to the startups for market entry, commercialization, or scaling up through convertible debentures or debt-linked instruments. The detailed guidelines of the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme are provided on the Startup India portal.
- The impact of this will be visible by the spur of innovations in tier 2 and tier 3 regions of India.
PIB
ALH MK III
Why in News?
- Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 323, the first unit of the indigenously built ALH Mk III aircraft, was commissioned into the Indian Navy.
- The squadron will operate three state-of-the-art ALH Mk III, a multirole helicopter with Shakti engine manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
- The Mk III version of the ALH has an all glass cockpit and will be used for Search and Rescue, Special Operations and Coastal Surveillance.
- 16 aircraft are under procurement and the aircraft are being delivered in a phased manner to the Indian Navy.
PIB
SpO2 based Supplemental Oxygen Delivery System
Why in News?
- Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed SpO2 (Blood Oxygen Saturation) supplemental Oxygen Delivery System for soldiers posted at extreme high-altitude areas.
- Developed by Defence Bio-Engineering & Electro Medical Laboratory (DEBEL), Bengaluru of DRDO, the system delivers supplemental oxygen based on the SpO2 levels and prevents the person from sinking in to a state of Hypoxia, which is fatal in most cases, if sets in.
- This automatic system can also prove to be a boon during the current Covid-19 situation.
Hypoxia
- Hypoxia is a state in which the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues is inadequate to fulfill all the energy requirements of the body.
About
- The electronic hardware of the system is designed for functioning at extreme altitudes featuring low barometric pressures, low temperatures and humidity.
- The system reads SpO2 levels of the subject from a wrist-worn pulse oximeter module through wireless interface and controls a proportional solenoid valve to regulate the oxygen supply to the subject.
PIB
World Liver Day 2021
- World liver day is observed on April 19 every year, to spread awareness about the liver-related disease.
- The liver is the second largest and the most complex organ in the body, except the brain.
- It is a key player in our body’s digestive system.
- Everything we eat or drink, including medicine, passes through the liver.
- We cannot survive without a liver.
- It is responsible for performing crucial functions related to immunity, digestion, metabolism, storage of absorbed nutrients, and excretion.
INDIA TODAY
Historic Helicopter Flight On Mars
Why in News?
- NASA is hoping to make history recently when the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter attempts the first powered, controlled flight on another planet.
- The space agency had originally planned the flight for April 11 but postponed it over a software issue that was identified during a planned high-speed test of the aircraft’s rotors.
- The first powered flight on Earth was achieved by the Wright brothers in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. A piece of fabric from that plane has been tucked inside Ingenuity in honour of that feat.
- The helicopter travelled to Mars attached to the underside of the rover Perseverance, which touched down on the planet on February 18 on a mission to search for signs of extraterrestrial life.
- Ingenuity’s goal, by contrast, is to demonstrate its technology works, and it won’t contribute to Perseverance’s science goals.
- The timing of the helicopter flight is chosen with the weather on Mars in mind. Wind is the big unknown and could jeopardise the mission.
- The flight is challenging because the air on Mars is so thin — less than one percent of the pressure of Earths atmosphere.
- That makes it much harder to achieve lift, even though it will be partly aided by a gravitational pull that is a third of Earth’s.
THE HINDU
EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy
Why in News?
- The Council of the European Union approved conclusions on a European Union strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific to “reinforce its strategic focus, presence and actions” in this region.
- With the aim to contribute to “regional stability, security, prosperity and sustainable development,” at a time of “rising challenges and tensions in the region.”
Problems
- Current dynamics in the Indo-Pacific have given rise to intense geopolitical competition adding to increasing tensions on trade and supply chains as well as in technological, political and security areas.
- Human rights are also being challenged. These developments increasingly threaten the stability and security of the region and beyond, directly impacting on the EU’s interests.
- The renewed EU commitment to the Indo-Pacific will have a long-term focus and will be based on “upholding democracy, human rights, the rule of law and respect for international law”.
- On trade partnerships, the EU will aim to conclude free trade agreements with Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand and take further steps towards the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment with China.
- “The EU will continue to explore deepening economic relations with India”.
Security cooperation
- The EU will continue to develop partnerships in the areas of security and defence, including to address maritime security, malicious cyber activities, disinformation, emerging technologies, terrorism, and organised crime.
- Building on its experience of protecting critical maritime routes in the Indian Ocean through maritime domain awareness, the EU has taken the decision to extend the geographic scope of its CRIMARIO (Critical Maritime Routes) II activities from the Indian Ocean into South and Southeast Asia with a view to contribute to safer sea lanes of communication with the EU.
THE HINDU
Carbon emissions to soar in 2021
Why in News?
- Carbon dioxide emissions are forecast to jump this year by the second biggest annual rise in history, as global economies pour stimulus cash into fossil fuels in the recovery from the Covid-19 recession.
- The leap will be second only to the massive rebound 10 years ago after the financial crisis, and will put climate hopes out of reach unless governments act quickly, the International Energy Agency has warned.
- Surging use of coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, for electricity is largely driving the emissions rise, especially across Asia but also in the US. Coal’s rebound causes particular concern because it comes despite plunging prices for renewable energy, which is now cheaper than coal.
- Emissions need to be cut by 45% this decade, if the world is to limit global heating to 1.5C (2.7F), scientists have warned.
- That means the 2020s must be the decade when the world changes course, before the level of carbon in the atmosphere rises too high to avoid dangerous levels of heating. But the scale of the current emissions rebound from the Covid-19 crisis means “our starting point is definitely not a good one.
- Emissions plunged by a record 7% globally last year, owing to the lockdowns that followed the Covid-19 outbreak. But by the end of the year, they were already rebounding, and on track to exceed 2019 levels in some areas.
- The IEA’s projections for 2021 show emissions are likely to end this year still down slightly on 2019 levels, but on a rising path. Next year there could be even stronger rises as air travel returns.
- Aviation would normally contribute more than 2% of global emissions, but has been almost absent this past year.
- The IEA is considered the global gold standard for energy data, and its projections for 2021 are based on comprehensive soundings from around the world, including data from existing energy sources and new plants scheduled to come onstream.
- Energy data from the end of last year showed fossil fuels ahead of 2019 levels, and the surge has continued in the first part of this year.
- In its Global Energy Review, the IEA found that global carbon emissions from energy use, which accounts for the great majority of greenhouse gas emissions, were on course to rise by 1.5bn tonnes in 2021, after having fallen last year.
- That represents a 5% rise to 33bn tonnes of carbon dioxide for the year.
- After more than half a decade of decline, global coal demand is forecast to grow by 4.5%, approaching its all-time peak in 2014.
- China is planning to build scores of coal-fired power stations, despite pledging last year to reach net zero emissions by 2060. The country’s five-year economic plan, set out by Beijing recently, contained little detail on curbing emissions before 2030.
- Coal use is also surging in the US, reversing annual declines since 2013. This was the result of high gas prices, which are driving a switch from gas to coal for electricity generation.
THE GUARDIAN
COVID-19 vs Natural disasters
- The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has taken more lives in a relatively short span of time than natural and health disasters have done over years.
- The number of COVID-19 dead crossed the three-million-mark April 17, 2021 according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It reached this figure over a period of one year and four months.
- While the pandemic has spread to 219 countries, the seven with the most deaths account for nearly half the global total (3,014,240): the United States (579,942), Brazil (369,024), Mexico (211,693), India (175673), UK (127,225), Italy (116,366) and France (100,404).
- Compare COVID-19 fatalities to fatality figures from natural and health disasters globally as well as in India and the numbers are much smaller.
- For instance, 0.94 million people died during the world’s 10 deadliest natural disasters between 2000 and 2019 according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNODRR).
- These included three mega disasters — the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the 2008 Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
- While the Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome claimed 2.4 million lives in three years — 2017, 2018 and 2019 — COVID-19 claimed three million lives in less than 1 year and 4 months.
- Tuberculosis claimed close to nearly 2.9 million lives in two years
- The human toll of the pandemic in India too is more than double the number of humans killed in over 320 natural disasters during the recent two decades (2000-2019).
- COVID-19 is now the third-leading cause of death globally after ischemic heart disease and stroke according to the recent estimates of Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).
DTE
Sulphur dioxide from Caribbean volcano reaches India
Why in News?
- The sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions from a volcanic eruption in the Caribbean reached India sparking fear of increased pollution levels in the northern parts of the country and acid rain.
- Sulphur dioxide reacts with water to form sulphuric acid which can come down with rainfall.
- Volcanic “plumes can cause aviation and air quality hazards.
- La Soufrière volcano on St Vincent Island in the West Indies started erupting on April 9 after spewing out lava into a dome and threatening to erupt since December 2020. The last time the volcano had erupted was in 1979.
- The volcanic eruptions that occurred on April 10 were energetic enough for the plumes to be recorded at a height of 20 kilometres above the Earth’s surface by the Multi-Angle Imaging Spectro Radiometer instrument on NASA’s Terra satellite.
- NASA scientists have found evidence for the entry of sulphate aerosol particles (precursors for sulphuric acid) in the stratosphere, the second layer of the Earth’s atmosphere.
- Volcanic emissions reaching the stratosphere can have a cooling effect on global temperatures. “The most significant climate impacts from volcanic injections into the stratosphere come from the conversion of sulphur dioxide to sulphuric acid, which condenses rapidly in the stratosphere to form fine sulphate aerosols.
- The aerosols increase the reflection of radiation from the Sun back into space, cooling the Earth’s lower atmosphere or troposphere.
- La Soufrière has delivered around 0.4-0.6 teragram of SO2 into the upper atmosphere which is the highest-ever recorded after satellites started observing the Earth’s atmosphere in the mid 20th century.
- The amount of SO2 being vented out by the volcano could increase if the eruptions continue.
DTE
Cyclone Amphan of 2020
- Cyclone Amphan, which made landfall in May last year near the India-Bangladesh border, was the costliest tropical cyclone on record for the North Indian Ocean, with reported economic losses in India of approximately $14 billion.
- As per the ‘State of the Global Climate 2020’ report, released recently.
- The year 2020 was one of the three warmest years on record, despite a cooling La Niña event. The global average temperature was about 1.2 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial (1850-1900) level.
- The six years since 2015 have been the warmest on record. 2011-2020 was the warmest decade on record.
- With 30 named storms, the 2020 North Atlantic hurricane season had its largest number of named storms on record.
- India had one of its two wettest monsoon seasons since 1994, with nationally-averaged rainfall for June to September 9% above the long-term average. Heavy rain, flooding and landslides also affected the surrounding countries.
THE HINDU
Coffee Stenophylla
Why in News?
- In dense tropical forests in Sierra Leone, scientists have rediscovered a coffee species not seen in the wild in decades — a plant they say may help secure the future of this valuable commodity that has been imperiled by climate change.
- The researchers said that the species, called Coffea stenophylla, possesses greater tolerance for higher temperatures than the Arabica coffee that makes up 56% of global production and the robusta coffee that makes up 43%. The stenophylla coffee, they added, was demonstrated to have a superior flavour, similar to Arabica.
- Stenophylla was farmed in parts of West Africa and exported to Europe until the early 20th century before being abandoned as a crop after robusta’s introduction.
- Arabica’s flavour is rated as superior and brings higher prices than robusta, which is mainly used for instant coffee and coffee blends. But Arabica has limited resilience to climate change and research has shown its global production could fall by at least 50% by mid-century.
- Stenophylla grows at a mean annual temperature of 24.9℃ — 1.9℃ higher than robusta coffee and up to 6.8°C higher than Arabica coffee.
- While 124 coffee species are known, Arabica and robusta comprise 99% of consumption.
- Leaf rust is a fungal disease that has devastated coffee crops in Central and South America.
- Stenophylla tends to occur on drier, more open areas: ridges, slopes and rocky areas.
- Stenophylla had not been seen in the wild in Sierra Leone since 1954 and anywhere since the 1980s in Ivory Coast.
- Stenophylla is threatened with extinction amid large-scale deforestation in the three countries where it has been known to grow in the wild: Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast.
- Unlike the red and occasionally yellow fruit of Arabica and robusta plants, stenophylla’s fruit are intense black. The coffee beans are inside the fruit.
THE HINDU