November 2019: Monthly Environmental News Roundup

1. England Government will not support Fracking Project

The Government of England stopped fracking after environmentalists and community activists protested in a watershed moment with immediate effect. Fracking is also known as hydraulic fracturing, which includes pumping water, chemicals and send, which fractures shale rock at high pressure and release the underground trapped oil and gas. Ministry has also warned shale gas companies that they will not support fracking projects. This will affect companies that are working to increase fossil fuel usage. This decision has been taken under bitter opposition to the controversial extraction process in major victories for green groups and local communities. This moratorium is a special victory for communities and the climate.

2. Vapping and Pods is a Larger Environmental Issue

It is mandatory to make everyone familiar with cigarette butts. The top item in cigarette is nasty, soggy and full of chemicals which are the main source of vaping. Juul pods has quickly become a new cigarette butt. They are found in wild wastes of urban landscape with blowing plastic bags and loose candy wrappers. People’s health has become a primary concern due to vaping. It is also causing deaths. Their growth can become a huge environmental issue. Vaping creates e-waste and pods of hard plastic, which cannot be recycled or reused. These products are being introduced in the market without worrying about how companies deal with it. Therefore, they can be responsible for an environmental disaster.

3. SUV is the Second main Reason for Emission

According to IEA, SUV is the second largest contributor in increasing global carbon emissions. The IEA’s definition of SUV includes many cars from crossover to off road vehicles, with popular UK models including the Nissan, Hyndai, Teccson and land rover range rover. The global market share of SUV’s has increased from 17% to 39% between 2010 and 2018, exceeding their annual emissions of CO₂ by 700 megatons, and more than the annual total emissions of the UK and the Netherlands. IEA statistics show that from Europe and America to China and India, SUV has increased its share in the largest market worldwide. 4 out of 10 selling cars in the world are SUV.

4. Carbon Offsetting Investment Rising

Climate crisis is a growing concern. People are investing in carbon reducing projects of developing countries to offset the emissions in businesses. NGOs, agencies and organizations have seen an increase in carbon offsetting investment. Offsetting means calculating emissions and then purchasing the project equivalent “credit”, which prevent or remove the equivalent amount of greenhouse gases. Climate care, a company that provides programs to organizations for offset residual carbon emissions, saw an increase in the amount of carbon offset from 2M to 20M tonnes. People are willing to take action to reduce carbon. We should look at ways that everyone can reduce their carbon footprint.

5. Nitrous oxide emission increases day by day

According to a new study, agricultural practices and nitrogen rich fertilizers have significantly increased the amount of nitrous oxide emissions in the atmosphere. Nitrogen oxide (N₂O) is a main stratospheric ozone depleting substance, and it is also a long-lived greenhouse gas, which contributes with carbon dioxide and methane to increase global temperatures. Since the mid-twentieth century production of nitrogen fertilizers, wide-spread cultivation of nitrogen fixing crops such as clovers, soybeans, alfalfa, lupin, peanuts and combustion of bio-fuel and fossil significantly increase nitrogen substrates in the environment. Studies conducted between 2000–2005 and 2010–2015 have found that the global N₂O emissions increased by 1.6 tonnes of nitrogen per year, about 10% of the global total.

6. Dr Norman Myers drew attention to extinct species

British conservationist Norman Myers drew attention to mass extinction, disappearing habitats and environmental refugees. Dr Myers was an ecological consultant, born in 1934 in England. He studied at Oxford University and completed his doctorate in 1973. He advocated in the interest of climate change to many politicians, companies and organizations. He continued to address the people for ecological hazards faced by mankind and other species on Earth. He died at 85. Many of his books and articles were based on examination of his published works rather than his own field work. In his book, The Sinking Ark (1979), Dr Myers posited that biologists underestimate the species that go extinct every year, looking at insects and other invertebrates.

7. Drilling in Great Australian Bight not possible

Norwegian energy company Equinor will have to modify and resubmit the given environmental plan before drilling for oil exploration in the great austrailian bight. The company had earlier given its environment statement on the drilling proposal to explore on a site 370 km from south Australian coast. After the company failed to deal with the oil spill risk, its environment and safety plan has also been rejected by the government. The ecological environmental significance of Australian bight is priceless. It should be protected with a world heritage listing, not exploited for dangerous fossil fuels in the form of climate crisis. Thousands of fishing and tourism jobs depends on it.

8. EU Bank will not fund the fossil fuel project

The Board of the European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed on a new energy lending policy for environmental sustainability and climate action. Under this policy, this bank will prioritize energy efficiency to support the goal of the new EU Bank to stop the funding of fossil fuels by 2021, which will enable de-carbonisation through increasing reliance on low or zero carbon technology. This bank will also increase finances for decentralized energy production, innovative energy storage and e-mobility. EU bank has been a Europe climate bank for many years. The president of the EIB has said that climate is on the top issue at the moment in the political agenda. After long discussions, EU Bank has come to an agreement to phase out funding on the fossil fuel project by 2021.

9. Nano-particles may cause brain cancer

Ultra fine particles (UFPs) are produced exclusively by fuel burning from diesel vehicles and increase the chances of fatal cancer in people with higher exposures. These ultra fine particles are a type of nano-particles that carry the carcinogenic chemical in the brain, which causes brain cancer. Brain cancer is rare, and scientists have calculated that brain cancer is growing more in busy cities than in quiet cities. The abundant toxic nano-particles generated by air pollution in human brain were discovered in 2016. In 2019, a comprehensive global review concluded that air pollution damages every organ and every cell of the human body. The WHO called air pollution a “silent public health emergency”.

10. Activists worried for Amazon rainforest

The Amazon rainforest is essential for Brazil’s agriculture and global climate. The scale of destruction in Amazon has reached its highest level. Environmentalists and activists are trying their level best to protect their rainforest. A small forest cop was organized under this in Altamira. Its goal was to see people love nature and debate the climate. In this the group focused on the deforestation and violence of several large areas of Brazil for the trans Amazonian highway after giving information about snakes, stingrays, spiders, malaria and yellow fever. People are constantly setting fire to the dense forests of Amazon to meet their needs.

11. Micro-rubber also a pollutant in the atmosphere

Today everyone is talking about micro-plastics, but the amount of micro-plastics is lesser than other polymers in air and water, which pollutes our air and water. Micro-rubber consists of fine particles produced by tyre friction, which enter the air and soil through the road surface. Car and truck tires have been considered the main source of micro-rubber. 93% of it is made of tyre friction. Researchers have calculated that between 1988 and 2018, 2 lakh tonnes of micro-rubber have accumulated in our environment especially in Switzerland in the last 30 years. However, according to a study, the effect of micro rubber has been estimated to be less on humans.

12. Black friday bad for the environment

Black friday is the busiest shopping day of the year when many retailers run special promotions for 24 hours, so that people can buy more gifts for Christmas. It has been called black friday because on this day many stores run in black color, which means that they spend more money than they earn. Black friday is bad for the environment, because on this day due to the discount deals, we also buy things that we do not need. Due to the excessive quantity of goods being produced without the need, a large amount of carbon is emitted during the making of the product. This increases the amount of carbon emissions in the environment. The less we buy, the lower the carbon footprint on the environment.

13. Deforestation at the highest level in Amazon

The deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon is at its highest annual level in this decade. About 10,000 sq kms of Amazon forests have been lost this year. The annual numbers are complied with the information from the satellite system, which considers the most conservative measurement of deforestation. Environmental groups blamed the government for “increasing every inch of deforestation”, as the government reduces environmental protection and promotes land grabbing. The monitoring NGO, the climate observatory, has stated that it will be the third highest rise in history (1st 1995 and 2nd 1998), which if it remained the same would be fatal to the environment.

14. Renewable energy generation to increase because of speeding up of wind speeds

According to research, more renewable energy can be generated by the accelerating speed of strong winds. Scientists have discovered that in the last 10 years the worlds shifting ocean circulation patterns can increase wind speed rapidly. The research team has analyzed the data received from 9000 international weather stations since 1970 and found that there has been an unprecedented increase in wind speeds over three decades. This expected wind speeds can help increase the amount of renewable power from each turbine by more than 3– 3.3 mkwh by 2024.

15. Government withdraws proposal to change Forest Act

The central government is withdrawing the proposal for change of the Indian Forest Act (IFA) 1927 amendment, said Prakash Javadekar, minister of forest and climate change. He said that the government has not drafted for amendment in the law. 11 states have enacted their own forest laws, which were studied to see what improvements can take place, then a draft was prepared on the same basis, but people felt that this draft was made for the amendment of the Indian forest act. Therefore, the government is withdrawing the circulate draft among the stakeholders.

16. Study to map the route of migratory birds

The union environment ministry approved a 3-year study called birds sensitivity mapping tool, under which it will prepare a chart for migratory bird trails under the Central Asian flyway (CAF) across India. Flyways are used by birds or species of species in breeding areas, stopovers and wintering zones during their annual cycle. Nine migratory flyways have been identified globally under the Convention of Migratory Species (CMS). CAF is one of them, covering the route of 30 countries, the maximum route of which passes through India. It is the first tool in India to use advanced modelling techniques to map the path of migratory birds.

17. New Delhi’s AQI Worsens

Flight disruptions, fewer tourists, lost work hours and missed school days portray the poor air quality in the capital city of New Delhi and link the economy to a sharp recession. According to the World Bank, India’s deficit increased fourfold to $ 560 due to rising air pollution between 1990 and 2013, attributing the economic burden to the rising cost of public health care and work force disruption. New Delhi’s Air Quality Index or AQI has gone from severe to poor within a week. A reading of particulate matter above 400 indicates severe, which is harmful to health. The pollution level is a matter of concern in the capital city after the state government banned the use of private vehicles.

18. Ghaziabad administration, preparing to take action on defaulters

Ghaziabad district administration has begun a name and shame campaign to name people who indulge in prohibited activities that contribute to the city’s pollution and harm the environment. A board with the title “Enemy of Environment” for these people will be displayed in the district collectorate. The name and address of defaulters will be mentioned in this board as well as the fine imposed on them. These boards will also be displayed in all tehsils, blocks and wards of the district, as well as will be displayed on the district administration website.

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