WORLDS FISRT RENEWABLE(SOLAR) ENERGY SUMMIT

 RENEWABLE ENERGY

First World Solar Technology Summit 

 The first World Solar Technology Summit (WSTS) is being organized by the International Solar Alliance (ISA)

on 8th September, 2020.

 The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), as the convener of ISA Global

Leadership Task Force on Innovation, is working with ISA in organizing the summit.

 The summit will witness the announcement of agreements between ISA and following institutions

1. International Institute of Refrigeration,

2. Global Green Growth Institute

3. National Thermal Power Corporation.

 A tripartite agreement between India‘s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the World Bank and the

International Solar Alliance is also set to be inked.

 ISA‘s technology journal, Solar Compass 360 will also be l

World’s Largest Solar Tree

 CSIR- Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) has developed the World‘s Largest Solar 

Tree and installed it at Durgapur, West Bengal. 

 The installed capacity of the Solar Tree is above 11.5 kWp. 

 There are a total of 35 Solar PV Panels in each tree with a capacity of 330 wp each. 

 It has the annual capacity to generate 12,000-14,000 units of Clean and Green 

Power, West Bengal.

 The inclination of the arms holding the Solar PV Panels are flexible and can be 

adjusted as per requirement, this feature is not available in Roof-Mounted Solar facilities.

 MSMEs who are interested in the solar tree can align their Business Model with PM KUSUM Scheme for 

farmers, for developing a Renewable Energy based Energy Grid.

Agricultural Subsidies & Air Pollution

IMPACT OF Agricultural Subsidies ON Air Pollution 

What is the issue? 

 Our current system of subsidies is a big reason for air pollution.

 So, some changes could be made in the subsidies of the power, fertilizer and procurement fronts.

What is the situation? 

 People in Delhi and Indo-Gangetic Plain are choking due to air pollution.

 As winter dawns, the wind slows, temperatures drop, and suspended particulate matter (PM) accumulates.

 The high pollution in Delhi and its surrounding is due to the congested traffic, dust, construction, waste

burning, etc,

 It gets a top-up from paddy-stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh.

What contributes to air pollution? 

 Agriculture’s contribution to air pollution runs even deeper than what happens between crop seasons.

 Atmospheric ammonia comes from fertiliser use, animal husbandry, and other agricultural practices.

 This combined with emissions from power plants, transportation, and other fossil fuel burning form fine

particles.

 Agriculture is a victim of pollution as well as a perpetrator.

 Particulate matter and ground-level ozone (from industrial, power plant, and transportation emissions among others) cause losses in crop yields.

 Ozone damages plant cells, handicapping photosynthesis, while particulate matter dims the sunlight that

reaches crops.

What is the irony? 

 The irony of agricultural pollution is that taxpayers are essentially paying for it through a system of subsidies.

 These subsidies motivate the very behaviors that drive the agricultural emissions that the taxpayers breathe.

How does subsidy contribute to air pollution? 

 Free power - hence ―free‖ water, pumped from the ground - is a big part of what makes growing rice in these areas attractive.

 Open-ended procurement of paddy, in spite of bulging stocks of grains with the Food Corporation of

India, adds to the incentives.

 Subsidies account for almost 15% of the value of rice being produced in Punjab-Haryana belt.

 Fertiliser, particularly urea in granular form, is highly subsidised.

 Urea is one of the cheapest forms of nitrogen-based fertiliser, but it is also one of the first to release ammonia

into the air.

 This loss of nitrogen leads to a cycle of more and more fertiliser being applied to get the intended benefits for

crops.

What could be done? 

 An important element to correct in the policy matrix is the policy of subsidies on power, fertilisers and

procurement.

 The nature of support to farmers should be shifted from input subsidies to investment subsidies.

 A diversification package, equally contributed by the Centre and states, may be done to reduce agricultural

pollution.

 The approach to diversification has to be demand-led, with a holistic framework of value chain, and not just

focused on production.

 On the fertiliser front, instead of massive subsidisation of urea, the farmers could be given an input subsidy

in cash on per hectare basis.

 Government procurement of paddy from farmers burning stubble in their fields may also be restricted.

 Taken together, these measures could double farmers‘ incomes, promote efficiency in resource use, and reduce

pollution.

 Released norms on NOx Emissions 

 NOx or Oxides of nitrogen are a criteria pollutant emitted on burning coal.

 NOx is harmful, it also triggers the formation of ground level ozone and leads to secondary particulate matter worsening health risks and needs to be controlled.

 Coal-based power plants, besides the transport sector, are a major source of this pollutant.

 There were no limits placed to control emissions of NOx from power plants before 2015.

 The MoEF&CC introduced limits of 300 mg / Nm3.

 Recently Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has relaxed NOx emission

norms.

 It has been relaxed to 450 mg / Nm3, from 300 mg / Nm3, for power stations commissioned between 2003

and 2015.

 The relaxations were brought about as the power sector strongly lobbied watering down the norms, alleging it was not possible to meet the 300 mg / Nm3 standard at all loads.

 Boiler companies assured government that a NOx emission level of 450 mg / Nm3 can be achieved by combustion modification.

 To meet emissions below it would mean installation of slightly expensive pollution control equipment like

selective non-catalytic reactors (SNCR) will be required.

Human Emissions of Nitrous Oxide 

 According to recent findings Human emissions of

nitrous oxide (N2O) increased by 30 per cent between

1980 and 2016.

 Its global concentration levels increased from 270 parts

per billion (ppb) in 1750 to 331 ppb in 2018, a jump of

20 per cent.

 The growth has been the quickest in the past five

decades because of human emissions.

 It has also found that a major proportion of the N2O

emissions in the last four decades came from the

agricultural sector, mainly because of the use nitrogen-

based fertilisers.

 Most N2O emissions have come from emergin

World’s First ‘Energy Island’ to be built by Denmark

World’s First ‘Energy Island

 Denmark, the nation that built the world’s first offshore wind farm, has agreed to an ambitious plan for another global first – an energy island in the North Sea which could eventually be capable of supplying energy to a history-making 10 million homes. The move will create a critical boost to the world’s offshore wind capacity.

The first hub and spoke  scheme will involve building an island 80 kilometres off the Danish coastline to act as the transmission centre for hundreds of wind turbines surrounding it. It is the largest construction project of Danish which is around $34billon

The project is also a potential blueprint for other coastal nations to develop their own green energy sources. “It’s in Danish waters, yes, but it could conceptually be in any other country."

Energy hub for the world

The initial phase for the artificial island is around the size of 18 soccer pitches. Initially, the North Sea hub will be capable of producing 3 gigawatts of electricity, but the plan is to scale up to 10 gigawatts, which is nearly one-and-a-half times Denmark’s current needs.

As well as supplying other European countries with electricity, the goal is to use the new offshore island to produce green hydrogen from seawater, which can also be exported. Large batteries on the island will store surplus electricity for use when demand is high.

Although the Danish government will own a majority stake, private companies will be invited to join a public/private partnership to build the project. Power will be supplied by as many as 600 giant wind turbines, each standing up to 260 metres tall.

DENMARK‟S ARTIFICIAL ENERGY ISLAND PROJECT. IMPORTANT POINTS

 

◾️ The Danish government approved a plan to build an artificial island in the North Sea as part of its effort to switch to green energy.

◾️An energy island is based on a platform that serves as a hub for electricity generation from surrounding offshore wind farms.

 ◾️The artificial island will be located about 80 km into the North Sea and the majority of it will be owned by the Danish government.

Siniolchu tallest mountains of the indian state

 Siniolchu is one of the tallest mountains of the indian state of sikkim The Siniolchu is one of the Smallest mountains of the INDIAN   STATES OF SKIMM. The 6,888 metres (22,598 ft) mountain is considered to be particularly aesthetically attractive, having been described by DOUGLAS FREASHFEILD as "the most superb triumph of mountain architecture and the most beautiful snow mountain in the world". It is situated near the green lake adjacent to kanchanjunga  the highest peak in the state and third highest in the world. (22,598 ft) mountain is considered to be particularly aestheti

cally attractive, having been described by Douglasfeilds as "the most superb triumph of mountain architecture and the most beautiful snow mountain in the world". It is situated near  the green lake adjacent to kanchanjunga the highest peak in the state and third highest in the world.

Mount Siniolchu ( 6888m ) from Yaktang in the Kangchenjunga Region of Sikkim

Siniolchu is considered to be one of the most beautiful mountains of the world.

First ascent by German climbers Karl Wien and Adi Göttner in 1936.

“We know of no mountain that can equal Siniolchu in beauty and boldness of feature.
 Its ridges are as sharp as a knife-edge, its flanks, though incredibly steep,
 are mostly covered with ice and snow,
 furrowed with the ice-flutings so typical of the Himalaya.
The crest of the cornice-crowned summit stands up like a thorn."

IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER

●Siniolchu is one of the tallest mountains of the Indian state of Sikkim.

 

●The 6,888 metres mountain is considered to be particularly aesthetically attractive, having been described by Douglas

 Freshfield as "the most superb triumph of mountain architecture and the most beautiful snow mountain in the world". 

ANAMALAI TIGER RESERVE

ANAMALAI TIGER RESERVE

Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) is located on the southern side of the South Western Ghat 

landscape. It is surrounded by Parambikulum Tiger Reserve on the East, Chinnar Wildlife 

Sanctuary and Eravikulum National Park on the South Western side. The reserve is also surrounded 

by Nenmara, Vazhachal, Malayattur and Marayur reserved forests of Kerala. The Kariyan shola, 

Grass hills and Manjampatti of Anamalai Tiger Reserve has been identified as a world heritage site 

by the UNESCO.

Anamalai Tiger Reserve was declared as a Tiger reserve in the year 2007. There are two Divisions 

and six ranges in this Reserve. The ranges found in this reserve include Amaravathi and Udumalpet 

falling in Thiruppur Division and Pollachi, Ulandy, Valparai and Manamboli in Pollachi Division.

Area of the Tiger Reserve

Core/critical tiger Habitat : 958.59 sq km

Buffer/Peripheral Area : 521.28 sq km

Total : 1479.87 sq km

Location

Latitudes : 10O 13.2’ N to 10 O 33.3’N

Longitudes : 76 O 49.3’ E to 77 O 21.4’ E

Habitat Attributes

Flora

Around 2500 species of angiosperms are found in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, with several species 

of Balsam, Crotalaria, Orchids and Kurinchi. The reserve is rich in wild relatives of cultivated 

species like mango, jackfruit, wild plantain (Musa species), ginger (Zingiber officinale), turmeric 

(Curcuma longa), pepper (Piper longum), cardamom, solaipuli, nutmeg, cinnamom, amla 

(Phillanthus emblicus), jasmine (Jasminum species), drumstick, yams, rice, strawberries and wild

Fauna 

The reserve supports several species of endangered wild animals. There are 70 species of fishes, 

more than 70 species of amphibians, 120 species of reptiles, 300 species of birds and 80 species of 

mammals. The important mammals include: Asiatic elephant (Elephas maximus), Sambar (Rusa 

unicolor), Spotted deer (Axis axis) Barking deer (Muntiacus muntjac), Mouse deer (Tragulus 

nigricans), Gaur (Bos garus), Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius), Lion Tailed Macaque (Macaca 

silenus), Nilgiri langur (Trchypithecus johnii) and Common langur (Semnopithecus entellus). Other

common wild animals include: Wild pig (Sus scrofa) and Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus).

In general, the wild animals of the reserve include: Jackal (Canis aureus), Wild dog (Cuon alpines), 

Indian fox (Vulpes bengalensis), Tiger (Panthera tigirs), Leopard (Panthera pardus), Jungle cat 

(Felis chaus), Leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), Smooth coated otter (Lutrogale 

perspicillata), Small clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea), Nilgiri marten (Martes gwatkinsii), Small Indian

civet (Viverricula indica), common Palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphrodites), Brown palm civet 

(Paradoxurus jerdoni), Grey mangoose (Herpestes edwardsii), Ruddy mangoose (Herpestes 

smithii), Indian Brown mangoose (Herpestes fuscus), Stripe-necked mangoose (Herpestes 

vitticollis), Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), Black naped hare (Lepus nigricollis), several 

species of rodents and bats. 

Tiger Status

The reserve has a good presence of tigers and co-predators.

Core

Camera trapping in 698 sq.km. of the tiger reserve have shown the presence of a minimum of 15 

tigers in the sampled area.

Buffer

The Buffer area of Anamalai Tiger Reserve is a 10 kilometer belt of revenue villages and hamlets, 

along the Northern boundary, adjoining the plains of Pollachi and Udumalpet taluks. In the East, it 

shares a common boundary, including a 5 kilometer belt falling in two adjoining divisions, viz. 

Kodaikanal and Dindigul.

The interstate boundaries from West, South and East are shared with the Nemmara Forest Division, 

Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, Vazhachal Forest Division, Malayatoor Forest Division, Munnar 

Forest Division, Eravikulam National Park and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. The Parambikulum 

Tiger Reserve is within a radius of 10 kilometers of the reserve and is contiguous.

Wildlife Corridors

There are several wildlife corridors which include: Navamalai near monkey falls, Punachi in 

Valparai range, Waterfall, Siluvaimedu, Nadu Ar, Sethumadai–Nenmara and 9/6–Chinnar check 

post. Wild animals like elephant, gaur, tiger, leopard and wild dog use these corridors for their 

seasonal movement within the reserve, and also between the reserv

IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER

●Anamalai Tiger Reserve is tropical jungle, shola forest and grassland.

●It is spilled over the Western Ghats into Kerala between Kodaikanal and Coimbatore. 

●Threatened species of mammals in the sanctuary include:

1)Endangered Bengal tiger, Indian elephant, Indian leopard

Nilgiri tahr and lion-tailed macaque,

2)Vulnerable brown mongoose, gaur, Malabar spiny dormouse, Nilgiri langur, rusty-spotted cat, sambar deer, sloth bear and smooth-coated otter,

3)near threatened Indian giant squirrel, Indian leopard and Indian pangolin.

●Tropical wet evergreen forest is found at an altitude of 600 m to 1,600 m.

●Tropical montane forests occur at higher elevations and are interspersed with montane grasslands, forming the shola-grassland complex. 

WAYS TO PROTECT ENVIRONMENT

5WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR ENVIRONMEN

 Unfortunately, humans have not been very good stewards of the Earth over the years. To protect the environment and preserve the planet for our children and future generations, we all need to take proactive steps toward cleaner living habits.

Most of the damage to our environment stems from consumption: what we consume, how much we consume and how often.

Whether it’s gas, food, clothing, cars, furniture, water, toys, electronics, knick-knacks or other goods, we are all consumers. The key is not to stop consuming, but to start being mindful of our consumption habits and how each purchase or action affects the ecosystem.

The good news is that it’s often not too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient to become more environmentally friendly. It can even be a fun challenge to implement among your family or coworkers. And though small changes at the individual level may seem trivial, just think how much cleaner the planet would be if everyone adopted even a few of the following behavior modifications.

1.Don’t buy single-use plastics.
Pop a flask or reusable bottle in your bag next time you are out and about. Make this a habit and cut your weekly bottle buying altogether, stopping 52 bottles ending up in landfills and oceans.

More than 2,600 plastic bottles a year would be stopped from entering our environment altogether if just 50 people packed a flask instead of buying a bottle. Small changes can make a big difference

2.Reduce our ecological footprint: 

Reducing our ecological footprint means placing less demand on nature .

• Recycle your rubbish and participate in or help organize recycling campaigns.
• Avoid littering and participate in or help organize litter clean-ups .
• Use less plastic by, for example, carrying a reusable water bottle, saying no to disposable straws and cutlery, avoiding plastic toys, and bringing your own shopping bags.
• Swap toys, movies, and books instead of buying new ones.
• Donate, recycle, and repair electronic devices.
• Use less water when brushing teeth, taking a shower, or washing the dishes.
• Use less electricity by turning off lights and electronic devices when not in use, using energy-saving light bulbs, and hanging clothes to dry.
• Use public transport, share a journey with friends (e.g., car-sharing), cycle, or walk when possible.
• Use less paper by not printing unnecessary things and reading e-books.
• Turn down the air conditioning when it is hot and use fans if you are still hot-they use much less pow

3.Re-use and Recycle.

  Reducing the amount of “stuff” you consume has the greatest benefits for the planet. It’s best to avoid waste in the first place, so think more carefully about your purchases.

Re-using items saves the natural resources and energy needed to manufacture new ones - as well as saving money.

4. Skip the Bottled Water

Opt for a reusable water bottle to save money and help the environment. Install a water filter in your home or use a Brita filter. Besides, tap water is already stringently monitored by the government, so bottled water  isn’t necessarily safer.

5. Compost Your Food.

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There are many benefits for environment composting. Not only do you reduce the amount of food going into the landfill thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions, you also can use it to help grow your own sustainable garden.

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NBS Scheme for fertilizer

NBS Scheme for fertilizer

NUTRIENTS BASED SUBSIDY (NBS)

It’s over a decade since a so-called nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime for fertilisers was instituted. By linking subsidy to nutrient composition rather than products per se, NBS was expected to wean away farmers from applying too much urea containing only nitrogen. But the actual results prove otherwise. Between 2009-10 and 2019-20, urea consumption rose from 26.7 million tonnes (mt) to 33.7 mt. While overall fertiliser consumption increased from 53.4 mt to 61.7 mt, urea’s share went up from below half to 54.6 per cent during this period. The reason for the worsening fertiliser imbalance is simple: Since April 2010, the maximum retail price (MRP) of urea has been raised by hardly 11 per cent, from Rs 4,830 to Rs 5,360 per tonne. The MRPs of other fertilisers — which were decontrolled, with the government only giving a per-tonne subsidy based on their nutrient content — have gone up from 2.5 to four times during these 10 years. Since NBS has been implemented only in other fertilisers, even as urea remains under price control, farmers are using more, not less, of the latter.

The Narendra Modi government must shoulder much of the blame for this agronomic and environmental disaster. The basic MRP of urea hasn’t been revised at all in its nearly six-and-a-half years. Instead of bringing urea under NBS — which would push up its MRP closer to Rs 10,000 per tonne at the current per-kg subsidy for nitrogen present in other fertilisers — the Modi government has resorted to tinkering at the margins. That includes compulsory neem-coating of all urea (from December 2015) and making fertiliser subsidy payment to companies conditional upon actual sales to farmers being registered on point-of-sale machines with retailers after biometric authentication (from March 2018). There’s a plan next, as reported by this newspaper, to cap the total number of subsidised fertiliser bags that any person can purchase during an entire cropping season. But these measures merely address the issue of subsidised fertilisers, especially urea, getting diverted to bulk buyers/traders or even non-agricultural users such as plywood and animal feed makers. They don’t fix the real problem — of overuse by farmers themselves. If urea is heavily under-priced, they will apply three bags when two or less would suffice.

IMPORTANT POINTS

 The NBS Scheme for fertilizer was initiated in the year 2010 and is being implemented by the Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

• Under the scheme the government is making available fertilizers, Urea and 21 grades of P&K fertilizers to farmers at subsidized prices through fertilizer manufacturers/importers.

• As part of the scheme a fixed amount of subsidy decided on an annual basis is provided on each grade of subsidized Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers, except for Urea based on the nutrient content present in them.

• It is largely for secondary nutrients like N, P, S and K and micronutrients which are very important for crop growth and development.

Glossanodon macrocephalus(Kerala argentine)

 

New family of prehistoric fishes discovered in Kerala

A team of researchers has discovered a new deep sea fish species in Kerala waters. Glossanodon macrocephalus (common name Kerala argentine) with whitish and Silvery body

In  the new family of bony freshwater fish  from paddy fields of Kerala. It is believed that this fish has lineage going back to Gondwanaland and has survived even after the parting away of the Asian and African continents began some 125 million years ago.

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER), Pune, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Nirmalagiri College in Kerala, Natural History Museums in London and Berne, along with Senckenberg Natural History Collections, Germany, were part of the discovery of the fish family named Aenigmachannidae.

As the researchers suspected, the fish was new to science. They named it the ‘Gollum snakehead’ as it is a subterranean creature, spending most of its life underground .

But the discovery had bigger implications than simply being a new species. Another snakehead species – the Mahabali snakehead – had also been collected in Kerala a few months before and was published as a new species after the Gollum snakehead had been described. Rajeev, Ralf and an international team of ichthyologists recognised many clear similarities between the Gollum and the Mahabali, and proved that not only were the two species new to science, they were actually members of a whole new family of fish.