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Subject: Environment

  • Green Hydrogen

    India is all set to host a two-day summit on Green Hydrogen initiatives involving the BRICS nations.

    What is Green Hydrogen?

    • Hydrogen, when produced by electrolysis using renewable energy is known as Green Hydrogen which has no carbon footprint.
    • This gives hydrogen the edge over other fuels to unlock various avenues of green usage.
    • However, challenges lie in terms of technology, efficiency, financial viability, and scaling up which the summit will aim to address.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.With reference to ‘fuel cells’ in which hydrogen-rich fuel and oxygen are used to generate electricity, consider the following statements:

    1. If pure hydrogen is used as a fuel, the fuel cell emits heat and water as by products.
    2. Fuel cells can be used for powering buildings and not for small devices like laptop computers.
    3. Fuel cells produce electricity in the form of Alternating Current (AC).

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    Applications of green hydrogen

    • Green hydrogen has innumerable applications.
    • Green Chemicals like ammonia and methanol can directly be utilized in existing applications like fertilizers, mobility, power, chemicals, shipping among others.
    • Green Hydrogen blending up to 10 percent may be adopted in CGD networks to gain widespread acceptance.
    • Further scaling up with greening of hard to abate sectors like steel and cement through hydrogen is to be explored.
    • Many countries have brought out their strategies and defined targets and roadmaps based on their resources and strengths.

    Back2Basics: BRICS Countries

    • BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
    • To be clear, BRICS was not invented by any of its members.
    • In 2001, Goldman Sachs’ Jim O’Neill authored a paper called “Building Better Global Economic BRICs”, pointing out that future GDP growth in the world would come from China, India, Russia and Brazil.
    • Significantly, the paper didn’t recommend a separate grouping for them, but made the case that the G-7 grouping, made up of the world’s most industrialized, and essentially Western countries, should include them.
    • O’Neill also suggested that the G-7 group needed revamping after the introduction of a common currency for Europe, the euro, in 1999.
    • In 2003, Goldman Sachs wrote another paper, “Dreaming with BRICs: Path to 2050”, predicting that the global map would significantly change due to these four emerging economies.
    • In 2006, leaders of the BRIC countries met on the margins of a G-8 (now called G-7) summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, and BRIC was formalized that year.

  • What the G7 message on net-zero emissions means for India

    The article highlights G-7 countries’ emphasis on adoption of net-zero emission target and its implications for India.

    Shifting responsibility to developing countries

    • The Cornwall G7 summit sought to re-establish a common purpose among the richest democracies of the world.
    • The G7 agreed “collectively” to net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 and called on “all countries, in particular, major emitting economies” to join as part of global efforts.
    • And, ODA (official development assistance) has been made contingent on net-zero emissions by 2050 and deep cuts in emissions in the 2020s.
    • G7 made an equal effort to shift the responsibility to the large developing countries.
    • However, “common and differentiated responsibilities” is the agreed guiding principle for tackling climate change.
    • Differentiation underscores the responsibility of the industrialised countries to lead.

    India’s climate actions

    • India has been a leading stakeholder in climate action and is among the few in the G20 in line to meet their commitments under the Paris Accord.
    • It has also taken on a most ambitious target of 450 GW of renewable power by 2030.
    • India has shown the world the way forward on solar power with producers now offering ultra-competitive tariffs.

    India’s concerns

    • Coal was particularly in the eye of the G7 which stressed “that international investments in unabated coal must stop now” .
    •  India, that continues to rely on coal, could face a crunch in assistance in thermal power.
    • BASIC, comprising India, China, Brazil and South Africa, has so far led the efforts of large developing countries in climate negotiations.
    • But with possible differences of opinion on net zero, BASIC’s clout in future global negotiations is questionable.

    Way forward

    • Finance and technology are the key areas where the industrialised West can and must lead.
    • The collective developed countries’ commitment of $ 100 billion per year was made in Copenhagen in 2009 and is nowhere near being reached.
    • A smallish sum of $2 billion was committed by G7 to accelerating the transition from coal.
    • For India, with its huge developmental needs and global high-table aspirations that require carbon and policy spaces, the imperative is strong diplomatic partnerships with large developing economies that have an inherent interest in GREEN-Growth with Renewable Energy, Entrepreneurship and Nature.

    Conclusion

    India, which has huge developmental needs and global high-table aspirations that require carbon and policy spaces, must protect its interests.

  • Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India

    The Union Environment Ministry has released the latest version of “Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India.

    Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas

    • It has been published by Space Application Centre, ISRO, Ahmedabad.
    • The Atlas provides a state-wise area of degraded lands for the time frame 2018-19.
    • It also provides the change analysis for the duration of 15 years, from 2003-05 to 2018-19.
    • It would provide important baseline and temporal data and technical inputs.

    Content of the atlas

    • This Atlas presents state-wise desertification and land degradation status maps depicting land use, the process of degradation, and severity level.
    • This was prepared using IRS Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) data of 2011-13- and 2003-05-time frames in the GIS environment.
    • The area under desertification/land degradation for both time frames and changes are reported state-wise as well as for the entire country.
    • The outputs are helpful in prioritizing areas to be taken up for minimizing the impact of desertification and land degradation.

    India and desertification

    • Desertification and land degradation are major threats to agricultural productivity in our country.
    • India hosted the 14th session of the Conference of Parties (COP 14) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in September 2019.
    • India is striving towards achieving the national commitments of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and restoration of 26 million ha of degraded land by 2030.
    • India has been at the forefront of bringing the issue of land degradation to the core of relevant international alliances for the protection and conservation of the environment.
    • India has adopted a collective approach for making progress towards achieving the national commitments related to land restoration.

    Answer this PYQ from CSP 2016 in the comment box:

    Q.What is/are the importance/importances of the ‘United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification?

    1. It aims to promote effective action through innovative national programmes and supportive inter-national partnerships.
    2. It has a special/particular focus on South Asia and North Africa regions, and its secretariat facilitates the allocation of major portion of financial resources to these regions.
    3. It is committed to bottom-up approach, encouraging the participation of local people in combating the desertification.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

  • NatGeo recognizes ‘Southern Ocean’ as globe’s fifth ocean

    The National Geographic magazine has recognized the ‘Southern Ocean’ as the world’s fifth ocean June 8, 2021 hoping others will soon follow suit.

    Answer this PYQ from CSP 2019 in the comment box:

    Q.The most important fishing grounds of the world are found in the regions where:

    (a) warm and cold atmospheric currents meet

    (b) rivers drain out large amounts of freshwater into the sea

    (c) warm and cold oceanic currents meet

    (d) continental shelf is undulating

    Southern Ocean

    • The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica.
    • As such, it is regarded as the second-smallest of the five principal oceanic divisions: smaller than the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans but larger than the Arctic Ocean.
    • Over the past 30 years, the Southern Ocean has been subject to rapid climate change, which has led to changes in the marine ecosystem.

    What has NatGeo attempted?

    • The magazine says the Southern Ocean is the only ocean ‘to touch three other oceans and to completely embrace a continent rather than being embraced by them’.
    • Its northern limit is a latitude of 60 degrees south.
    • It is also defined by its Antarctic Circumpolar Current that was formed 34 million years ago. The current flows from west to east around Antarctica.
    • The Southern Ocean is home to large populations of whales, penguins, and seals.

    Why such a move?

    • Usually, the magazine has followed the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) on marine names, it said in an article notifying the change.
    • The IHO too had recognized ‘Southern Ocean’ as a distinct body of water surrounding Antarctica in 1937 but had repealed the same in 1953.

  • [pib] Northern Limit of Monsoon (NLM)

    The Northern Limit of Monsoon (NLM) continues to pass through Diu, Surat, Nandurbar, Bhopal, Nowgong, Hamirpur, Barabanki, Bareilly, Saharanpur, Ambala & Amritsar.

    Try this question from CS Mains 2017:

    Q.What characteristics can be assigned to monsoon climate that succeeds in feeding more than 50 percent of the won population residing in Monsoon Asia?

    What is the Northern Limit of Monsoon?

    • NLM, is the northernmost boundary of India up to which monsoon rains have advanced on any given day.
    • So, it is a way of tracking the progress of monsoon clouds as they move over India’s landmass.
    • The India Meteorological Department (IMD) adds that the monsoon “advances northwards, usually in surges, and covers the entire country around July 15″.

    What are the Eastern and Western Arms?

    • It is the mountains of southern India that split the south-western winds, giving the Indian monsoon its ‘two arms.
    • The western arm of the monsoon is deflected northwards, by the Western Ghats, to (Mumbai) and then on to Pakistan.
    • The eastern arm travels up through the Bay of Bengal to (Kolkata) and Assam and is deflected north-westwards by the Himalayas.

    Also refer this link:

    Explain the formation of Indian monsoons. Highlight the link between monsoons and India’s cropping pattern. (15 marks)

  • Operation Olivia to protect Olive Ridley Turtles

    Every year, the Indian Coast Guard’s “Operation Olivia”, initiated in the early 1980s, helps protect Olive Ridley turtles as they congregate along the Odisha coast for breeding and nesting from November to December.

    Answer this question from CSP 2012 in the comment box:

    Q.Which one of the following is the national aquatic animal of India?

    (a) Saltwater crocodile

    (b) Olive ridley turtle

    (c) Gangetic dolphin

    (d) Gharial

    Olive Ridley Turtles

    • The Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) is listed as vulnerable under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red list.
    • All five species of sea turtles found in India are included in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and in the Appendix I of the CITES, which prohibits trade in turtle products by signatory countries.
    • Odisha has also formulated laws for protecting Olive Ridley turtles, and the Orissa Marine Fisheries Act empowers the Coast Guard as one of its enforcement agencies.
    • Studies have found three main factors that damage Olive Ridley turtles and their eggs — heavy predation of eggs by dogs and wild animals, indiscriminate fishing with trawlers and gill nets, and beach soil erosion.
    • Dense fishing activity along the coasts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal, especially ocean-going trawlers, mechanized fishing boats, and gill-netters pose a severe threat to turtles.

    Their habitats

    • The Olive Ridley has one of the most extraordinary nesting habits in the natural world, including mass nesting called arribadas.
    • The 480-km-long Odisha coast has three arribada beaches at Gahirmatha, the mouth of the Devi river, and in Rushikulya, where about 1 lakh nests are found annually.
    • They generally return to their natal beach, or where they were born, to lay eggs as adults.
    • Mating occurs in the offshore waters of the breeding grounds and females then come ashore to nest, usually several times during a season.
    • They crawl ashore, dig a flask-shaped nest about 1.5 to 2 foot deep, and lay 100 to 150 eggs in each clutch.
    • Hatchlings emerge from their nests together in about seven to 10 weeks.

  • Species in news: Bharitalasuchus Tapani

    In the mid 20th century, researchers from the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, carried out extensive studies on rocks of the Yerrapalli Formation in what is now Telangana, uncovering several fossils of Bharitalasuchus Tapani.

    Bharitalasuchus Tapani

    • This reptile belongs to a genus and species previously unknown to science. It is named Bharitalasuchus tapani considering Telugu etymology.
    • In the Telugu language, Bhari means huge, Tala means head, and Suchus is the name of the Egyptian crocodile-headed deity.
    • The species is named after paleontologist Tapan Roy Chowdhury in honour of his contribution to Indian vertebrate paleontology and especially his extensive work on the Yerrapalli Formation tetrapod fauna.

    Details of the reptile

    • The reptile belonged to a family of extinct reptiles named Erythrosuchidae.
    • A precise identification had not been possible earlier because the family was not known from other examples in India.
    • It was neglected because the fossil specimen was not as complete as those of other erythrosuchids from other countries.
    • The team notes that tapani were robust animals with big heads and large teeth, and these probably predated other smaller reptiles.
    • They were approximately the size of an adult male lion and might have been the largest predators in their ecosystems.

  • Species in news: Pyrostria Laljii

    A 15-meter-tall tree that belongs to the genus of the coffee family has recently been discovered from the Andaman Islands by a team of researchers from India and the Philippines.

    Observe this PYQ from CSP 2016:

    Q.Recently, our scientists have discovered a new and distinct species of banana plant which attains a height of about 11 metres and has orange-coloured fruit pulp. In which part of India has it been discovered?

    (a) Andaman Islands

    (b) Anamalai Forests

    (c) Maikala Hills

    (d) Tropical rain forests of northeast

    Pyrostria Laljii

    • The new species, Pyrostria laljii, is also the first record of the genus Pyrostria in India.
    • Plants belonging to the genus Pyrostria are usually found in Madagascar but the recently discovered species is new to science.
    • The tree is distinguished by a long stem with a whitish coating on the trunk, and oblong-obovate leaves with a cuneate base, and was first reported from South Andaman’s Wandoor forest.
    • Pyrostria laljii has been assessed as ‘Critically Endangered’ based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List criteria.

  • Protection of ‘Heritage Trees’ in Maharashtra

    The Maharashtra government will make amendments to the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act of 1975, to introduce provisions for the protection of ‘heritage trees’.

    What are Heritage Trees?

    • Under the proposed amendment, a tree with an estimated age of 50 years or more shall be defined as a heritage tree.
    • It may belong to specific species, which will be notified from time to time.
    • Experts believe that in addition to the age, the state climate change department should also consider a tree’s rarity, its botanical, historical, religious, mythological and cultural importance in defining a heritage tree.
    • The local Tree Authority will have to ensure tree census to be carried out every five years along with counting of heritage trees

    How is the age of the tree determined?

    • The most common method of determining the age of the tree is Dendrochronology – or tree-ring dating also called growth rings.
    • Each year, roughly a tree adds to its girth, the new growth is called a tree ring. By counting the rings of a tree, the age can be determined.
    • However, the process is invasive. To analyse the rings, core samples are extracted using a borer that’s screwed into the tree and pulled out, bringing with it a straw-size sample of wood.
    • The hole in the tree is then sealed to prevent disease.

    Why was the concept of heritage tree introduced?

    • A heritage tree will get special protection.
    • Crucially, the tree’s age will determine the number of trees to be planted as part of the compensatory plantation – that is anyone cutting a heritage tree will need to plant trees in the same numbers as the cut tree’s age.
    • According to the current Compensatory Plantation in the state, one sapling has to be planted for each tree that is cut.
    • In Mumbai, as per the Tree Authority set up in 1976, to help in regulating the felling of trees and providing for the planting of an adequate number of new trees, the compensation ratios are 1:3.

    Changes with the amendment

    • As per the amendment, the number of trees planted will be equal to the age of the heritage tree that is cut.
    • For instance, if a 52-year-old tree is to be felled, then the party felling the tree will have to plant 52 trees in compensation, with each compensatory tree at least 6-8 ft in height at the time of planting.
    • The organization planting the compensation trees will also have to ensure the survival of the plantation for seven years and geo-tag the trees.
    • Such plantations can be carried out either in the same plot or a common amenity plot.
    • Through the introduction of a heritage tree, the state environment wants to discourage the cutting of heritage trees.
    • The amendment has the fine for illegal felling of trees from a maximum of Rs 5,000 to Rs 1 lakh per tree.

    What is the economic value of the tree?

    • In case compensatory plantation is not possible, the tree feller has to pay compensation for the economic valuation of the trees being felled.
    • While the state government has not defined the economic value of the tree, experts say that the amount of oxygen that a tree releases into the environment should determine its economic value.
    • A realistic assessment of the economic value of a tree, which may be permitted to fell, concerning its value to the environment and its longevity, about factors such as:

    the production of oxygen and carbon sequestration, soil conservation, protection of flora/fauna, its role in habitat and ecosystem integrity and any other ecologically relevant factor, distinct from timber/wood

    Tree Authority formation

    • The amendments also make room for the formation of the Maharashtra State Tree Authority and also tree authority in local civic bodies and councils.
    • The Tree Authority is tasked with “increasing the tree cover in urban areas and protecting the existing ones.” Experts shall be a part of the local tree authority.
    • Their knowledge and expertise will form the basis of decisions taken up by the authority.
    • A proposal to cut more than 200 trees of age 5 years or more, will be referred to the state tree authority.
    • The local TA will have to ensure that the project is not sub-divided into smaller parts to keep the number of trees below the defined threshold.
    • Ensure preparation of a tree plan and should aspire over the years to have 33 percent green belt in their area.

  • [pib] Aerosol Nucleation

    Scientists tracing the concentration, size and evolution of aerosol particles smaller than 3 nanometers at an urban location in India have found the frequent formation of sub-3nm aerosol particles in the atmosphere.

    What is Aerosol Nucleation?

    • The formation of small molecular clusters of sub-3nm size is technically called aerosol nucleation, and subsequent growth of these newly formed clusters to the large sizes is called atmospheric new particle formation (NPF).
    • NPF occurs everywhere in the terrestrial troposphere, and therefore it is a large source of aerosol numbers to the atmosphere.
    • Though extensively studied globally using field observations, laboratory experiments and modelling approach, it is largely unexplored in India.

    What has the new research found?

    • The research showed that a pool of sub-3nm particles is often present in the atmosphere, but how fast these clusters grow depends on various factors.
    • The scientists observed that only half of these events showed newly formed molecular clusters growing past 10 nm size.
    • Thus particle size distributions display a conventional banana-shaped aerosol growth, which is indicative of regional NPF event.

    Role of Sulphur

    • The team found a strong positive correlation between sub-3nm particle concentrations and sulphuric acid concentrations, confirming the potential role of sulfuric acid in the formation of sub-3nm particles.
    • While NPF often starts with sulphuric acid in the atmosphere, sulphuric acid alone fails to explain observed particle formation and growth rates in the atmosphere.
    • Other vapours such as ammonia, amines and organics play a crucial role in the growth of newly formed particles.
    • This has critical importance as a major fraction of these newly formed particles can reach to sizes of cloud condensation nuclei where they have climatic impacts.