Arunachal Pradesh is one of the 22 priority landscapes of the Global Snow Leopard Ecosystem Protection Program and while locals and researchers knew that there were snow leopards in the area, scientists had not been able to get photographs thus far.
Air Pollution Affects Children’s Memory
The Exposure to air pollution on the way to school can have damaging effects on children’s cognitive development and reduce their working memory, a study has found.
The study assessed the impact of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon during the walking commute to and from school.
The findings of an earlier study had shown that 20% of a child’s daily dose of black carbon — a pollutant directly related to traffic — is inhaled during urban commutes. The results of studies have shown that these short exposures to very high concentrations of pollutants can have a disproportionately high impact on health.
Statistical analysis of the findings showed that exposure to PM2.5 and black carbon was associated with a reduction in the growth of working memory — an interquartile range increase in PM 2.5 and black carbon levels was associated with a decline of 4.6% and 3.9%, respectively, in expected annual growth of working memory.
NMCG Approves Eight Projects Under Namami GangeProgramme
National Mission for Clean Ganga has approved eight projects, out of which four pertain to sewage management in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, three are related to treatment of drains through bio-remediation and one of inventorization and surveillance of river Ganga.
On sewage management front, projects for pollution abatement in river Ganga has been conceived whichincludes construction of STP under Hybrid Annuity based PPP model among other works.
Three projects of treatment of drains using bio-remediation technologyhave also been given a green signal. These are for Rajapur drain and Digha drain in Patna and Laksar drain in Haridwar.
One project for pollution inventorization, assessment and surveillance on river Ganga has also been approved. Continuation of an ongoing exercise, the project aims to strengthen environmental regulation and water quality monitoring vis-à-vis river Ganga.
International Day for Disaster Reduction:13 October
The International Day for Disaster Reduction was started in 1989, after a call by the United Nations General Assembly for a day to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction.
It is held on 13th October every year. The day celebrates how people and communities around the world are reducing their exposure to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of reining in the risks that they face.
The 2017 campaign seeks to raise global awareness about effective actions, policies and practices taken to reduce exposure to disaster risk at the community level, thereby contributing to saving homes and livelihoods. This is a considerable challenge which can be accomplished only through coordination, cooperation and collaboration among many stakeholders.
First ‘Negative Emissions Plant’ That Turns Ambient CO2 Into Stone Switches On In Iceland
We produce 40 trillion kg of carbon dioxide each year, and we are on track to cross a crucial emissions threshold that will cause global temperature rise to pass the dangerous 2°C limit set by the Paris climate agreement.
