SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AFFAIRS OCTOBER 2015
- Scientists detect alcohol from gas emitted by comet
An international team of Scientists has for the first time detected alcohol from gas emitted by a comet. Their article published could shed light on the cosmic origins of earth. The scientists from NASA, the Paris Observatory and other organizations found Comet Lovejoy was releasing as much alcohol as in 500 bottles of wine every second during its peak activity. Lovejoy passed closest to the Sun in January. The team used a huge radio telescope in Sierra Nevada in Spain to study the comet's atmosphere around that time. They detected 21 different organic molecules in gas from the comet including ethyl alcohol and simple sugar.
The discovery of a complex organic presence on a comet may offer important clues to the hypothesis that a falling comet collided with earth, leading to the origins of life. - Tsunami early Waring system in Mumbai successfully tested
Nearly 11 years after the Boxing Day tsunami, in which more than 10,000 lives were lost in India, Mumbai on 26th October successfully tested its first Tsunami early warning system siren during which a 10-minute alert was sounded in South Mumbai. The newly installed Tsunami Early Warning System Siren was tested in south Mumbai.
According to officials this test will now be carried out on regular basis between 12:00-12:10 pm on second and fourth Saturday of every month commencing November 1. The siren system has a digital electronic board that gives out data about the approaching tsunami. The siren has a radical range of three kms in all directions and it gives continuous hoot for one minute.
The system is installed at the Meteorology Office of Western Naval Command by Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), an autonomous organisation under Ministry of Earth and Sciences (MoES), Government of India.
The siren will be connected to and remotely controlled by INCOIS, Hyderabad and will operate in case of a possible Tsunami threat in the local region. India started its own interim tsunami warning centre in the first quarter of 2005 after the devastating tsunami of December 26, 2004. - First Scorpene class submarine set afloat
Kalavari, the first of Scorpene class submarines being manufactured at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), was set afloat in the Mumbai naval dockyard, setting the stage for its sea trials, and eventual commissioning on schedule in September 2016.
The submarine mounted on a pontoon was moved out of submarine yard at the MDL, and it was set afloat in the naval dockyard on Thursday after a ceremony to mark the milestone. Scorpene submarines are 67 meters long, 6.2 meters wide and have 1,550 tonnes displacement.
The state-of-art features of the Scorpene include superior stealth and the ability to launch an attack on the enemy using precision-guided weapons. The attack can be launched with torpedoes, as well as tube launched anti-ship missiles, underwater or on surface.
Designed to operate in all theatres including the tropics, the submarines can undertake multifarious missions including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, operations by special forces and mine laying etc. - China s first moon rover sets record for longest stay
China’s first lunar rover, Yutu, has been operating on the moon for almost two years, setting a record for the longest stay by a rover according to China. - Climate curbs will slow temperature rise; more needed for 2C goal-UN
Plans by about 150 countries to curb greenhouse gas emissions will slow climate change this century but they need to do more to limit rising global temperatures to two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), the United Nations said on 30th October.
Scientists say warming must be kept below 2 degrees by the end of the century to stave off the worst effects of climate change such as floods, droughts and rising sea levels.
National strategies would restrict a rise in world emissions to the equivalent of 56.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per year by 2030, four billion less than expected without the extra action, from 49.0 billion in 2010. The plans, known as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), will be the building blocks for a U.N. deal expected at a summit set for Paris from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 to fight global warming in the years from 2020.
Figueres' Secretariat did not formally project a likely temperature rise by 2100, because most INDCs only stretch to 2030 but she said indications from independent analysis showed the pledged reductions would limit temperatures rises at 2.7 degrees.
Almost 200 governments agreed in 2010 to limit warming to 2 degrees above pre-industrial times, meaning Paris will have to agree ways to increase action in coming years. Temperatures have already gained by about 0.9 degrees Celsius (1.6 Fahrenheit).
Figueres said negotiators in Paris would have to decide how the INDCs would be enshrined in the new agreement and how to periodically review the pledges.
The latest report is the most authoritative attempt to sum up the impact of INDCs and was welcomed by financial investment groups. - BASIC countries appeal to rich nations to do more to combat climate change
A day after a UN report flagged inadequacy of countries' action plans to check global warming, four big developing countries - India, China, Brazil and South Africa - on 31st October urged the rich nations to revisit their emission cut targets and increase it adequately to keep the average global temperature rise below 2 degree Celsius by 2100.
These four countries made this appeal as part the BASIC - a group of Brazil, South Africa, India and China - which met in Beijing and issued a joint statement, asking the rich industrialized nations to scale up their both pre-2020 and post-2020 carbon emission cut targets.
These countries also urged their developed counterparts to "honour their obligations to provide new, additional, predictable and adequate financial resources to developing countries in a measurable, reportable and verifiable manner".
Their joint appeal assumes significance ahead of the informal round of discussions - called pre-COP (pre-conference of parties) - among environment and other ministers\representatives of over 80 countries in Paris during November 8-10 when they would try to resolve the sticky points of climate finance.
India was represented by its environment minister Prakash Javadekar in the BASIC meet where all the four countries also reaffirmed their commitments to remain united under 'G77 plus China' group and worked to strengthen the voice of 134 developing countries during the Paris climate summit (COP21) and get an "equitable, ambitious, comprehensive, balanced and durable" global agreement.
The COP21 is scheduled to be held during November 30-December 11 in Paris where the countries are expected to sign a legally binding climate agreement to reduce global carbon emissions.
Touching upon the rich nations' pre-2020 targets, the BASIC ministers in Beijing urged them to revisit and increase their emission reduction commitments of the 2013-2020 periods in order to achieve at least 25%-40% reduction in their carbon emission by 2020 from the year 1990 level.
Similarly for their post-2020 targets, the BASIC nations asked their rich counterparts to take lead by committing and implementing economy-wide absolute quantified emission reduction targets. "On their part, the developing countries will enhance their different types of mitigation efforts
These appeals are significant in view of the 30th October’s UN report which analyzed climate action plans of 146 countries and said that their joint post-2020 actions may lead the average global temperature to rise by around 2.7 degree Celsius by 2100 -- a scenario which will have major disastrous consequences all around the world in the form of sea-level rise and extreme weather events.
Though the report noted that the promises made by these countries as part of their efforts to fight climate change can "dramatically" slow global emissions into the atmosphere and bring down per capita emissions in next 15 years, it flagged that these commitments are not enough. - ISRO’s ANTRIX to launch 6 Singapore satellites
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has started promoting its commercial arm Antrix’s launch potential of the medium-lift vehicle among international spacecraft manufacturers.
ISRO is gearing up for 6 Singapore satellite launches including a 500 kg earth observatory satellite by mid-December this year
There is shortage of launches in 1,000-1,500 small to medium-sized satellites segment and space agencies will launch satellites in this segment in coming two-three years, for that purpose they will use GSLV, said Hedge. Although, there is high demand for GSLV in the international market but ISRO will focus on fulfilling national demands first, then only it will turn towards other countries.
Of six satellite, one is a 500 kg earth observation spacecraft that will be launched in December. “The 500 kg dedicated satellite (TeLOS-1) will be a commercial launch for Singapore Technologies Electronics Ltd while five other smaller satellites are from Singapore Universities
To ensure that these satellites work round the clock and transmit uninterrupted signals, all six satellites will be put in a sun-synchronous polar orbit 550 km above the earth. According to subsidiary company Satcom & Sensor Pte LTD, these satellites will be used for several purposes including monitor environment, disaster management, security purposes, maritime safety, etc.
While being proud Hedge said that Antrix made business of Rs 1,800 crore in 2014 and it is expected to beat previous year record. Hedge expects the Antrix to make business of more than Rs 2,000 crore in the current fiscal year.
Moreover, India will also launch a satellite Aisat — 900 kg dedicated communication satellite for the German space agency (GLR) from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh in 2016.
Recently, ISRO launched 5 British satellites while blasting India’s first space observatory satellite, ASTROSAT. Till date, ISRO has assisted in 51 foreign satellite launches. - Report on climate funds says $62 bn raised in 2014-15
A recent report claiming $62 billion were mobilised as climate-finance funds in 2014-15, against the developed countries' commitments of an annual $100 billion by 2020, has caused a storm at the United Nations (UN)'s climate change negotiations in Bonn, Germany.
Developing countries, including India, have questioned the truth of the contents. They have also questioned the report coming weeks ahead of the Paris talks.
The ongoing round of talks is the last one in the UN negotiations before 196 countries meet in Paris in November for a climate-change agreement.
The report was commissioned by Peru and France to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and a US-based think-tank, Climate Policy Initiative.
The report has said a large share of the rise in funds from 2013-14 to 2014-15 came due to a substantial increase in outflows from multilateral banks. Figures, the report added, were preliminary and open to improvement in data collection.
Those opposing the report said rich nations could, with this report, show they were living up to their financial promises and so a binding commitment from them on climate finance might not be necessary. Developing countries have been demanding legally binding commitments from developed countries.
In 2010, developed countries had committed to mobilising $100 billion annually by 2020 as a start towards their legal obligations under the UN climate change convention. Developing countries have demanded the Paris agreement should contain a road map for delivering these funds and for enhancing these over time.
Developed countries have steadfastly opposed such a road map or more clarity on their financial commitments. Instead, they prefer a political announcement on climate finance at Paris that would not be legally binding or questioned under the UN climate change convention.
Developed countries, including the US, are demanding that emerging economies India and China should provide climate-finance.
A similar controversy had arisen in 2010-12 when developed countries claimed they had fulfilled their obligations to a climate fund of $30 billion. A study by Oxfam International had concluded that only 33 per cent of those funds appeared new money and only 24 per cent of public finance was additional to existing aid promises. - World Health Organization study lists four key climate pollutants
Clamping down on four key climate pollutants -- black carbon, ozone, methane, carbon dioxide -- can help save an average of 2.4 million premature deaths annually by 2030, says a new report by World Health Organisation. The combined effect of these four pollutants on air pollution contributes to over seven million premature deaths at present.
These four short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) not only produce a strong global warming effect, but also impact food security and nutrition, says the report. Reducing global health risks through mitigation of short-lived climate pollutants, brought out by WHO in collaboration with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.
Ozone and black carbon in the atmosphere can both negatively influence plant growth and agricultural productivity, it says, citing a study that found that the combined effects of climate and air pollution reduced India’s wheat yield by as much as 36 per cent in 2010, with the majority of the reductions attributable to the direct effects of SLCPs.
The report noted that in countries such as India, Nepal and Nigeria, where recent economic growth and demand for electricity have not been matched by power supply, stand-alone diesel generators were a growing source of black carbon emissions, especially in areas that are off-grid or have unreliable access to grid electricity.
The large number of kilns are another source of air pollution in India and China -- the two top producers of bricks. “India alone has an estimated 100,000 kilns that employ around 10 million people,” says the report, adding that bricks are often fired in traditional kilns that release high levels of heath-relevant pollutants, as the fuel used is either wood or coal.
Vehicular pollution is another top pollutant that damages the ozone, with diesel vehicles generally emitting more per km travelled than comparable gasoline vehicles, says the report, seeking a shift to cleaner transport modes.
Ahead of the launch of WHO’s first climate change and health country profiles, to be released before the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21) begins, the report calls upon governments to urgently reduce these pollutants. It suggests four interventions – reduction in vehicle emissions by implementing higher emissions and efficiency standards, policies and investments to prioritise dedicated rapid transit, such as buses and trains and foster safe pedestrian and cycle networks, provide cleaner and more efficient stove and fuel alternatives to low-income households and encourage high and middle-income populations to increase their consumption of nutritious plant-based foods. - Four new crab species found in Kerala
Four new crab species found in Kerala. Researchers at the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, have reported the discovery of these new species from the Kerala coast, highlighting the crustacean diversity in the State.
The first of the new hermit crab species named Paguristes luculentus was collected off the coast of Kollam. It represents the ninth of the genus known from Indian waters. The species name luculentus(meaning colourful) refers to the livid living colour of the crustacean. The second species Diogenes canaliculatus is light brown or tan and named after the longitudinal furrows on the outer surface of the arm of the left chelate leg.
The narrow bodied animal lives inside a shell shaped like an elephant tusk. Both the hermit crabs belong to the family Diogenidae, which are left handed hermits because the left claw is larger.
Collected from Neendakara, Kollam, the third species Pagurus spinossior belongs to another hermit crab family Paguridae known as right handed crabs and is tan in colour. The name spinossior refers to the strong armature on the clawed legs of the species. - Two new birds listed into Goa's pelagic list
Two new bird species—Swinhoe's storm petrel and flesh-footed shearwater—have been added to the list of over 450 birds documented in Goa, after the recent second pelagic bird survey. Goan birders are ecstatic, as they covered more area in the open-sea survey spread over three trips in August and September. While the first survey conducted by the Goa Bird Conservation Network (GBCN) helped find 12 species in 2014, some were land birds.
This year's survey, in association with the captain of ports department, led the surveyors on the trail of Swinhoe's storm petrel, a bird that has been designated as a near-threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Wilson's petrel was also recorded in unexpectedly high numbers. They are fondly called the Kangaroos of the seas by birders for their unique behaviour known as pattering. They bounce over the waves and literally walk over the surface of the water.
Pelagic birds hardly come to land, except for breeding, and all previous records from Goa are credited to ornithologist Heinz Lainer, who used a technique of sea watching from Aguada. The other highlights of the survey were the first photographic record of the roseate tern from Goa and the second record of brown noddy for the state. In total, this year's survey helped in recording 10 species of pelagic birds off Goa coast. - Research of revolutionize flexible electronics
A team of scientists has come up with a new research that could revolutionize flexible electronics and solar cells. Binghamton University researchers have demonstrated an eco-friendly process that enables unprecedented spatial control over the electrical properties of graphene oxide.
This two-dimensional nanomaterial has the potential to revolutionize flexible electronics, solar cells and biomedical instruments.
By using the probe of an atomic force microscope to trigger a local chemical reaction, Jeffrey Mativetsky and Austin Faucett showed that electrically conductive features as small as four nanometers can be patterned into individual graphene oxide sheets. One nanometer is about one hundred thousand times smaller than the width of a human hair.
Their approach makes it possible to draw nanoscale electrically-conductive features in atomically-thin insulating sheets with the highest spatial control reported so far, according to scientists that unlike standard methods for manipulating the properties of graphene oxide, their process can be implemented under ambient conditions and is environmentally-benign, making it a promising step towards the practical integration of graphene oxide into future technologies.
The study provides new insight into the spatial resolution limits and mechanisms for a relatively new process for patterning conductive regions in insulating graphene oxide. The minimum conductive feature size of four nanometers is the smallest achieved so far by any method for this material.
This approach is promising for lab-scale prototyping of nanoscale conductive patterns in graphene oxide, noting and there is significant interest in defining regions with different functionalities, and writing circuitry into two-dimensional materials. This approach provides a way to directly pattern electrically-conductive and insulating regions into graphene oxide with high spatial resolution.
This research not only enables fundamental study of the nanoscale physical properties of graphene oxide but also opens up new avenues for incorporating graphene oxide into future technologies. - Automated mass crowd count
University of Central Florida Researchers have conducted the world’s first automated mass crowd count with the help of a software that can speedily scan aerial photographs of the crowd.
The University of Central Florida (UCF) software promises to automate the process and cut down the time dramatically, from up to a week to 30 minutes, giving critical information to organisers while planning for events or responding to emergencies.
UCF’s test run was conducted in September when thousands of demonstrators along a 3.2 mile stretch of Barcelona were calling for independence of the Catalonia province from Spain. Using the new software, 67 aerial images of different sections were analysed.
The programme came up with a total count for each of the images within 30 minutes. The images and calculations were then sent to Pompeu Fabra University in Spain, where statistics professor Albert Satorra led a team reviewing the data. Using UCF results for the images, they concluded the count for the entire crowd at about 530,000. - DRDO sets up world's highest terrestrial research centre
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has established the world's highest terrestrial centre at Changla near Pengong lake in Ladakh. The centre will serve as a natural cold storage for preserving rare and endangered medical plants for generations to come.
The centre was inaugurated by Director General, DRDO Dr S Christopher. Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), Leh, a constituent establishment of DRDO has established this Extreme Altitude Research Centre at Changla at 17,600 ft above mean sea level.
The centre will act as an important utility for research work in frontal areas of food and agriculture and bio-medical sciences for well being of the soldiers deployed in high altitude cold desert. A large number of Life Sciences activities are proposed to be undertaken at this centre. - Climate change threat highlighted
As countries around the world rededicate themselves to cutting down on carbon emissions, India could play a leading role in mitigating the impact of climate change, according to environment experts. An International Conference was held on Climate Change Resilience hosted by the Pondicherry Central University
China, India and the United States account for about 55 per cent of global CO2 emissions. India has promised to cut its energy intensity by 35 per cent compared to 2005-levels by the year 2030 while China has said it will peak its emissions by around 2030 and the U.S. will reduce its emissions by 26 to 28 per cent compared to 2005-levels by 2030. Europe has also said it will reduce its emissions by 40 per cent, compared to the 1990-levels, by 2030.
The biggest four countries and regions had promised to initiate action. The Paris summit due in December would see a global agreement on climate change and this was a step in the right direction. - Indian Navy’s indigenously designed TRV, INS Astradharani commissioned
Indian Navy’s first totally indigenously designed and built torpedo launch and recovery vessel (TRV), INS Astradharani was commissioned in Visakhapatnam on 6th October. It is an advanced replacement for Astravahini, which was decommissioned on July 17 this year.
- New species found in Himalayas: WWF
World Wide Fund for Nature has found more than 200 new species in Indian sub continent. A monkey that sneezes when it rains and a “walking” fish are among species discovered in the fragile eastern Himalayas in recent years
WWF has compiled a survey of wildlife discovered by scientists across Bhutan, northeast India, Nepal, north Myanmar and southern Tibet in a bid to raise awareness of the threats facing the ecologically sensitive region.
The species include what the WWF described as a blue-coloured “walking snakehead fish,” which can breathe air, survive on land for four days and slither up to 400 metres (a quarter of a mile) on wet ground.
Others include an ornate red, yellow and orange pit viper that could pass for a piece of jewellery, a fresh-water “Dracula” fish with fangs and three new types of bananas. In the forests of northern Myanmar, scientists learned in 2010 of a black and white monkey with an upturned nose that causes it to sneeze when it rains. On rainy days they often sit with their heads tucked between their knees to avoid getting water in their snub noses.
The 211 new species discovered between 2009 and 2014 include 133 plants including orchids, 26 kinds of fish, 10 amphibians, 39 invertebrates, one reptile, one bird and a mammal.
In its report, WWF warned of a series of threats to the species including population growth, deforestation, overgrazing, poaching, mining and hydropower development. - World's corals threatened by bleaching: NOAA
Corals worldwide are at risk from a major episode of bleaching which turns reefs white, scientists have confirmed. The bleaching has hit reefs in the Pacific, Atlantic and Caribbean. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned that it may affect over 38 percent of the world's reefs, and kill over 12,000 sq km of reefs.
The mass bleaching is caused by rising water temperatures resulting from two natural warm currents and exacerbated by man-made climate change. Bleaching happens when corals under stress drive out the algae known as zooxanthellae that give them colour. - 52 Gangetic dolphin sightings reported
Around 52 sightings of Gangetic dolphins have been reported in the Ganga between 280km Hamirpur- Allahabad stretch by the state forest team and WWF-India conducting the dolphin census since 5th October.
The population of the Gangetic dolphin has gone up at nearly 10 spots between Fatehpur and Dalmau. The last state-level census conducted in 2012 in collaboration with WWF-India had recorded 671 sightings in the Ganga and its tributaries.
Research conducted under the Ganga Action Plan in 1980s had estimated presence of around 6,000 dolphins in Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli river systems. Today, the population is estimated to be around 2,000. Others are found in the Indus river (mainly in Pakistan), Amazon and the Yangtze river in China. The Indus is estimated to have around 1,100-1,200 dolphins.
During survey in a stretch of nearly 77 km starting from Ekdala to Mau Ghat, 22 Gangetic dolphin sightings were recorded. At Osagi Ghat near Asothar Fatehpur, researchers came across a huge group of nearly 28 Gangetic dolphins. At Daposara and Mawaipur locations, the survey found two dolphins
Gangetic dolphins, India's national aquatic animal, are killed at an alarming rate by poachers for their flesh as well as oil, which is used as an ointment and considered an aphrodisiac. Their carcasses are regularly found on the river banks.
The mammal is covered under the Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act and has been declared an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). - ISRO eyes a global role in satellite navigation
The Indian Space Research Organisation has unveiled plans to gradually make its regional satellite navigation system global — akin to powerful position-telling systems such as the U.S.’ GPS and the Russian GLONASS.
According to ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar, four of the seven Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) satellites are in orbit and the last three spacecraft would be added in orbit by March 2016.
The IRNSS would provide self-reliance in the strategically important area of position-related information, he said at a users’ conference on global navigation satellite systems on 7th October.
The focus now was on completing the regional constellation and extending it to South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation countries. The signals from the regional system were already available 1,500 km beyond the borders.
In April this year, ISRO and the Airports Authority of India also completed GAGAN, focussed on airlines, airports and the civil aviation sector but applicable to land and sea-based services. GAGAN enhances the GPS-derived details of location and time of objects or persons.
Both IRNSS and GAGAN, he said, would drive an unlimited set of personal, public and industrial users, from transportation, railways, forestry, farming, agriculture and security. Around 200 navigation receiver sets built by industry and using ISRO design would be out soon. - Nasa's discovery of water on Mars
NASA has confirmed that Scientists have found the first evidence that briny water may flow on the surface of Mars during the planet's summer months. Scientists analyzing data from a NASA spacecraft have found the first evidence that briny water flowed on the surface of Mars as recently as last summer, raising the possibility that the planet could support life.
The slopes, first reported in 2011, appear during the warm summer months on Mars, then vanish when the temperatures drop.
NASA's ongoing Mars rover Curiosity has already found evidence that Mars had all the ingredients and suitable habitats for microbial life to exist at some point in its past.
US space agency NASA say they have evidence that briny water may flow on the surface of Mars during the planet's summer months a critical discovery that could influence current thinking about whether the Red Planet can support microbial life. - Nasa missions to Venus, near-Earth objects and asteroids by 2020
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has zeroed in on five key spaceflight missions in its quest to explore Venus, near-earth objects and a variety of asteroids beginning as early as 2020. The US space agency has selected five science investigations for refinement during the next year as a first step in choosing one or two missions for flight opportunities as early as 2020. The submitted proposals would study Venus, near-Earth objects and a variety of asteroids, Nasa said.
Each investigation team will receive $3 million to conduct concept design studies and analyses after a detailed review and evaluation of the concept studies.
Any selected mission will cost approximately $500 million, not including launch vehicle funding or the cost of post-launch operations, Nasa said. A panel of Nasa and other scientists and engineers reviewed 27 submissions.
The planetary missions associated with Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California that were selected to pursue concept design studies includes The Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy mission (VERITAS).
VERITAS would produce global, high-resolution topography and imaging of Venus’ surface and produce the first maps of deformation and global surface composition. Near Earth Object Camera (NEOCam) would discover 10 times more near-Earth objects than all NEOs discovered to date. It would also begin to characterise them.
The two other selections are:Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging (DAVINCI). DAVINCI would study the chemical composition of Venus’ atmosphere during a 63-minute descent.
It would answer scientific questions that have been considered high priorities for many years, such as whether there are volcanoes active today on the surface of Venus and how the surface interacts with the atmosphere of the planet.
‘Lucy’ mission would perform the first reconnaissance of the Jupiter Trojan asteroids, objects thought to hold vital clues to deciphering the history of the solar system. - New lizard species discovered
Researchers have discovered a new species of rock-dwelling lizard at Kanker district of Chhattisgarh. The new gecko species has been named Hemidactylus yajurvedi (Kanker Rock Gecko). The large-sized lizard having a snout-vent length (SVL) of up to 98mm is the 27th Hemidactylus species known in India.
With over 121 species distributed across the tropics and subtropics worldwide, Hemidactylus is one of the most species-rich gekkonid genera.
The investigating collections at the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kolkata, came across lizard specimens labelled as Hemidactylus giganteus, collected from Kanker district of then Madhya Pradesh (now Chhattisgarh) state way back in 1979. However, a detailed examination raised doubts that the ZSI specimens could be of an undescribed lizard species and that they were wrongly assigned to this species due to their large size and superficial similarity in colouration.
The team visited areas around Kanker to establish the distinctiveness of the new species and collected additional specimens and tissue samples. Morphological and molecular examination revealed a distinct new species.
The new lizard species has been spotted at five localities in Chhattisgarh in habitats mainly consisting of a mixture of dry deciduous forest and scrub vegetation.
The new species has been named in honour of Hanumanth Narasimhachar Yajurvedi, professor, department of studies and research in Zoology at Manasagangotri, University of Mysore, for his contribution to the field of reproductive biology of reptiles and mammals. - NHAI to sign pact with Isro for satellite mapping of highways
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is planning to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) for adoption of best technologies in the road sector. It is also planning to utilise 'GAGAN' and 'BHUVAN' satellite systems to prepare a 360-degree mapping of all national highways by 2017 under its road assets management system (RAMS). This will facilitate timely repair of roads, maintenance, monitoring of road progress, formulation of detailed project reports (DPR), etc.
It is also mulling signing a pact with the North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) for deployment of drones and aerial vehicles in difficult terrains to map the roads under RAMS.
RAMS is being developed for the entire national highways network bringing both public-funded and private-funded roads under one umbrella. The data collected will be stored and managed through a web-based application which will be hosted in the public domain.
The World Bank-funded project will assist in the accurate and scientific planning and finalising of road projects, maintenance of roads, executing road safety measures and development of the national highways network. Information collected from this project will be useful for the transport ministry, finance ministry, NHAI, and funding agencies. - 147 nations present emissions reduction target plans to UN
Officials from 147 nations and territories have presented emissions reduction target plans to the United Nations ahead of a UN climate change conference in Paris. The COP21 conference begins on November 30th. The aim is to agree on a new global framework to reduce greenhouse gas emissions beyond 2020. The 147 governments that submitted targets account for nearly 90 percent of global emissions.
Japanese officials informed the UN climate change secretariat in July of their emissions target. They aim to cut output 26 percent by 2030 compared to 2013 levels.
Some NGO members have pointed out that the targets presented by governments so far are not enough. They say the targets will not reach the goal of keeping temperature rises within 2 degrees Celsius of pre-industrial times.
India has pledged to curb its greenhouse gas emissions by up to 35 per cent by 2030. Unveiling Intended Nationally Determined Contribution, INDC document in New Delhi on 2nd October, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the goal is to reduce emissions intensity by 33 to 35 percent from the 2005 level. He said India's per capita emissions in 2030 shall be lower than current global average.
The Minister said they are aiming to achieve 40 per cent of electric power installed base capacity from non-fossil fuel by 2030. He said the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions are comprehensive, progressive and ambitious.
Saying that India's share in global carbon emissions is just 5.7 per capita, he said it has been decided to formulate a 15 year plan to contribute towards global action against climate change.
Highlights of India's climate action plan
INDC
Countries across the globe committed to create a new international climate agreement by the conclusion of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris in December 2015. In preparation, countries have agreed to publicly outline what post-2020 climate actions they intend to take under a new international agreement, known as their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). The INDCs will largely determine whether the world achieves an ambitious 2015 agreement and is put on a path toward a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.
How does the process work?
The process for INDCs pairs national policy-setting — in which countries determine their contributions in the context of their national priorities, circumstances and capabilities — with a global framework that drives collective action toward a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.
The INDCs can create a constructive feedback loop between national and international decision-making on climate change.
INDCs are the primary means for governments to communicate internationally the steps they will take to address climate change in their own countries.
INDCs will reflect each country’s ambition for reducing emissions, taking into account its domestic circumstances and capabilities. Some countries may also address how they’ll adapt to climate change impacts, and what support they need from, or will provide to, other countries to adopt low-carbon pathways and to build climate resilience.
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