Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

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Antarctica: a lab for climate change

News

Measurements taken last year by Chilean scientists on Doumer Island in Antarctica’s Palmer Archipelago showed water temperature had risen to 2.5 degrees Celsius, up from its normal range of between 0 and 1.5 degrees. And at a depth of 130 feet, it was still at 2.0 degrees.

Beyond News

• A decade ago, a thick layer of ice covered the Collins Glacier on Antarctica’s King George Island. Now, the rocky landscape is visible to the naked eye, in a region that is both a victim of and a laboratory for climate change.
• Observers can now see “rocks that we weren’t seeing five or 10 years ago, and that is direct evidence of the shrinking of these glaciers and loss of mass.
• But even as these melting glaciers worry the scientific world, the presence in Antarctica of plants proving resistant to extreme conditions has also sparked hope for a warming planet.

Its Professor Julio Escudero complex on King George Island is where dozens of researchers are measuring the effects of climate change on native flora and fauna.

• The warming waters have attracted species previously unseen in the Antarctic, such as a spider crab normally found south of Chile.
• Antarctica holds 62 % of the planet’s freshwater reserves, so the melting there could have far-reaching consequences, not least by diminishing the salinity of the seas, which could prove fatal for many marine species.
• Already, Antarctic plants – which are resistant to ultraviolet radiation and extreme conditions – are being used in biotechnology to give us products such as sun protection lotion, antioxidants and natural sugars.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

India, Jordan firm up security cooperation

News

India and Jordan signed a framework agreement in defence cooperation paving the way for a joint strategy to counter common threats.

Beyond News

Defence agreement, the first such understanding between the two sides, is the biggest takeaway of the visit by the Jordanian king Abdullah II.

A press release from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed that the purpose of the MoU is to promote cooperation between India and Jordan in the field of defence by defining the scope of such cooperation and making provisions for implementation of the cooperation in some of the recognised areas like training; defence industry; counter-terrorism; military studies; cyber security; military medical services, peace-keeping, etc.

The defence agreement is the result of broadening security and defence-related dialogue between the two sides since the king’s last visit in 2006.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

Pavagada solar park inaugurated

News

Karnataka Chief Minister inaugurating the first phase of the Pavagada solar park, which is set to become the world’s largest when it attains its full potential of 2,000 MW.

Beyond News

• The first phase of the park has 600 MW while another 1,400 MW will be added by December 2018.
• It is located in Thirumani of Tumakuru district and has been christened ‘Shakti Sthala’.
• Chief Minister termed the solar park as the “Eighth among Wonders of the World” built at an estimated cost of 16,500 crore.
• Setting up the world’s largest solar park is an important milestone in the history of Karnataka.

12 Naxalites, policeman killed in gunfight on Telangana-Chhattisgarh border

News

About 12 Naxalites and a Greyhound police constable were reported killed in an encounter in the Tadapalagutta and Pujari Kanker forest areas bordering Chhattisgarh and Telangana.

Beyond News

• Deceased constable Sushil belonging to Vikarabad of Telangana district. Two other policemen were also stated to be injured.
• According to information reaching Chhattisgarh’s Bhulapally that borders Telangana, police recovered two AK 47 and eight other weapons from the encounter scene.

UN spotlight on Kerala’s energy-positive campus

News

The Energy Management Centre (EMC), an autonomous institution under the Kerala government, has grabbed the global spotlight for its energy-positive campus, located at Sreekaryam in the State capital.

Beyond News

• The ‘Global Status Report 2017: Towards a zero-emission, efficient, and resilient buildings and construction sector,’ published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),listed the EMC campus as one of the recent achievements in the deployment of key technologies for energy-efficiency in buildings.
• The 40,000-square foot building is the only one from India to figure in the list, along with five other projects worldwide.

According to the report, the EMC’s energy-positive campus was designed to allow natural cross-flow ventilation from building forms and openings.

• The campus is equipped with a 30-kilowatt grid-connected solar capacity that exports around 50 kWh a day on an average, with a doubling of the capacity under implementation.
• Built with assistance from the Global Environment Fund, the EMC campus is the only LEED Gold certified building in the government sector in Kerala. Up to 94% of the built-up space is daylight illuminated.

NBA calls for plan to manage import of exotic fish

News

Increase in the import of ornamental fishes to the country, which is posing a threat to India’s native fish populations, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has urged the government to come up with quarantine facilities at major seaports and airports.

Beyond News

• The government of India has only approved the import of 92 species of ornamental fish but the number of ornamental fish species being imported and in trade is somewhere between 200-300.
• The huge market for Invasive Alien Species (IAS) is turning out to be major threat to India’s aquatic biodiversity.
• The paper states that several studies have disclosed the occurrence of exotic ornamental fish in many inland aquatic systems, including biodiversity-sensitive areas such as the Western Ghats.

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