March 19, 2024

Environmental Issues


General Studies Paper -3 Context: The average global sea surface temperature (SST) for February 2024 stood at 21.06 degree Celsius, the highest ever in a dataset that goes back to 1979. Sea surface temperature is the temperature of the water at the ocean surface. Reasons for Rising SST Human Activities:Since the Industrial Revolution kicked off in the 19th Century, human activities such as burning fossil fuels have released high levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and nitrous oxide are some of the notable GHGs, which trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. As a result, the average global temperature has risen at....Read More

MethaneSAT

General Studies Paper -3 Context: MethaneSAT, a new satellite backed by Alphabet Inc’s Google and the Environmental Defense Fund group, was launched recently. About The satellite will track and measure methane emissions at a global scale and was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon9 rocket from California. It is not the first spacecraft to identify and quantify methane emissions, it will provide more details and have a much wider field of view than any of its predecessors. Methane Emissions and Need to Track it Contribution of Methane Gas:Methane is an invisible but strong greenhouse gas, and the second largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide, responsible for 30 percent of global heating since the....Read More

General Studies Paper -3 Context: About 90% of the Himalayan Region is going to experience drought lasting over a year if global warming increases by 3 degrees Celsius, according to new research led by researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the U.K. Major Highlights of the Study Pollination: It found that in India pollination is reduced by half at 3-4 degrees global warming compared to a quarter reduction at 1.5 degrees. Biodiversity: Limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius allows half the country to act as a refuge for biodiversity, compared with 6% at 3 degrees, the researchers said. Agriculture: The team found more than 50% of the agricultural....Read More

General Studies Paper -3 Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released a draft Disclosure Framework on Climate-related Financial Risks, 2024 for banks to follow. About The regulated entities i.e., banks are meant to disclose information about their climate related financial risks and opportunities for the users of financial statements. It acknowledges the importance of the environment and its long-term impact on organisations and the economy as a whole. What are Climate-related Financial Risks?  The RBI has defined climate-related financial risks as the potential risks that may arise from climate change or from efforts to mitigate climate change, their related impacts and economic and financial consequences. It can impact the financial sector....Read More

General Studies Paper-3 Context: Recently, the Wildlife officials of Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh informed about the birth of seven cheetah cubs. About Cheetah (Acinonyx Jubatus): It is the fastest terrestrial animal on earth, and native to Africa and central Iran. The Gestation Period:93 days; Cub Mortality:Higher in Protected Areas (like National Parks and Wildlife Reserves); It  can be as high as 90%; Average Life Span (in the wild):10 – 12 years. Adult male about 8 years (Adult mortality is one of the most significant limiting factors for the growth and survival of the wild cheetah population). Cheetah in India....Read More

General Studies Paper -3 Context: India’s first nationwide report, ‘Status Report of Snow Leopards in India’, was released by the Government of India recently. The assessment estimates 718 snow leopards in India based on systematic surveys covering over 70% of their potential habitat from 2019-2023. For this, the Wildlife Institute of India coordinated the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) program across snow leopard range states. The SPAI used a two-step approach aligned with Ministry guidelines. The first step mapped snow leopard spatial distribution and habitat analysis. The second step estimated abundance through camera traps in identified areas. Until recently, snow leopard ranges....Read More

Humboldt’s Enigma

General Studies Paper -3 Context: Humboldt’s enigma is one of many puzzles of mountain biodiversity. The world’s tropical areas receive more energy from the Sun and have greater primary productivity, which facilitates greater biological diversity. Alexander von Humboldt, has observed that mountains contribute disproportionately to the terrestrial biodiversity of Earth, especially in the tropics, where they host hotspots of extraordinary and puzzling richness. What is Humboldt’s enigma? Humboldt’s enigma held that the earth’s tropical areas don’t contain all the biodiverse regions. There are many areas outside the tropics that are highly biodiverse. These places are mountains. There is a relationship between....Read More

General Studies Paper -3 Context: The article discusses the issues with climate change treaties and the steps that can be undertaken to tackle them. According to the author, the Dubai Agreement, as part of the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai (COP28), will not have much impact on combating climate change. What are the issues with Climate Change Treaties? Voluntary Commitments Not Working: Voluntary commitments entail no accountability. For instance, at the formation of the UNFCCC in 1992, all countries committed to preventing climate change, but emissions have continued to rise. Issues with Economic Models: Economic models that intend to identify optimal....Read More

General Studies Paper -3 Context: The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) recently completed five years. About National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the NCAP in 2019 as a long-term, time-bound, national level strategy to tackle the rising air pollution. The NCAP’s initial target was to reduce two key air pollutants, PM10 and PM2.5, by 20-30% by 2024, with 2017 levels as the base. In September 2022, the Centre revised this to a 40% reduction by 2026. The plan includes 131 non-attainment cities, across 23 states and Union territories, which were identified by....Read More

General Studies Paper -3 Context: The article discusses the challenges in front of India, especially its electricity policies, in transitioning to non-fossil energy. It also highlights other negative outcomes of India’s electricity policies. The 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) concluded with a statement calling for the phase-out of fossil fuels. However, achieving these climate targets will be difficult without immediate and decisive action by India, the world’s third-largest greenhouse-gas (GHG) emitter. India accounted for 7.6% of global GHG emissions in 2022. What are the challenges in front of India in transitioning to non-fossil energy? Taxation Policy on Petroleum Products:....Read More

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