Living Planet Report 2018: by WWF

CHAPTER 1- WHY BIODIVERSITY MATTERS? The importance of nature in our lives Humans have evolved, grown and thrived, in nature. Modern human society needs the resources of nature to thrive. Perception that nature is ‘nice to have’ and its protection is secondary to the more important tasks of increasing economic growth, creating jobs, enhancing the…

Putting a global price on carbon: Carbon Tax

WHAT’S A CARBON TAX, AND HOW DOES IT REDUCE EMISSIONS? A carbon dioxide tax is a tax on businesses and industries that produce carbon dioxide through their operations. The tax is designed to reduce the output of greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide, a colorless and odorless incombustible gas, into the atmosphere. The tax is imposed with…

New conservation rules may soon apply to wetlands. What are they?

The Draft Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2016, which seek to replace the older Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010, are open for public comments until today, May 31. The new Rules have been proposed at a time when several petitions on the implementation of the 2010 Rules are pending at the National Green Tribunal…

Eco-sensitive Zone

The concept of Eco-sensitive Zone is to conserve biodiversity and endangered wildlife and protect environment around the protected areas such as National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, as a ‘safety zone’ without impeding legitimate socio-economic development of the area and also providing adequate opportunities for livelihood security of the local people. An ‘Eco-sensitive Zone’ is notified…

6 Animal Welfare Organisations of Importance in India

#1. Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) Founded on 15 September 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research Headquarters: Hornbill House, Mumbai The BNHS logo is the great hornbill, inspired by a great hornbill named William, who lived on the premises of the Society from 1894 until…

Aerosols, land-use changes may greatly weaken monsoon

The South Asian Monsoon has been weakening since the 1950s with an increased incidence of extreme rainfall events. The monsoon is mainly driven by thermal contrast between the Indian subcontinent and the adjoining ocean. As the land warms up the air above the land surface is heated and rises up and is less dense than…

Differences in definition in Environment section

Difference between a Reserved area and a Protected area? Rights to all activities like hunting, grazing, etc. in reserved forests are banned unless specific orders are issued otherwise. In protected areas, rights to activities like hunting and grazing are sometimes given to communities living on the fringes of the forest, who sustain their livelihood partially or wholly from forest resources or productsThus, typically…

End of the Oil Age?

Article Link With a convergence of action and sentiment against oil products and oil companies, 2015 proved to be the year during which oil era entered the phase of terminal decline. The recently concluded Paris summit on climate change heralded a multinational effort to shift the global energy system away from fossil fuels including oil.…

Making Paris Agreement work

The recently concluded 21st session of the Conference of Parties (COP21) and its outcome agreement have evoked mixed responses across the world. India is happy about the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s words such as ‘equity’, ‘climate justice’, ‘sustainable lifestyle’ and ‘reducing consumption’ have been kept intact in the agreement. However, it must be…

Paris Triumph – Climate Deal

The Paris Agreement on climate change marks a milestone in preserving the earth’s environment and provides a floor on which to build ambition and action. It is the outcome of a long struggle by millions of citizens around the world, aided by the weight of scientific evidence linking severe, more frequent weather events such as…