Crop-specific weather forecast soon

 
An early agricultural weather forecasting mechanism that will help farmers reduce crop damage caused by climate change by making use of the strides in satellite technology will be launched in Kerala in a few months.The multi-institutional mechanism, supported by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD), will be jointly executed by Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) and the State Agriculture Department."The mechanism aims to provide highly localised agriculture-related weather information to the farmers four or five days in advance," KAU Vice-Chancellor K.R. Viswambharan told The Hindu. When in full swing, the information would be available at panchayat-level, he said. Some 30 mini-super computers would be established at Cusat's Department of Atmospheric Sciences for the purpose. These computers would process the data sent down by weather satellites. The pilot project would be operational in about six months, Mr. Viswambharan said.C.K. Rajan, head of Cusat's Centre for Monsoon Studies, pointed out that the agricultural weather forecasting system would make use of over 60 automatic weather stations (AWS) being set up in Kerala. The AWSs were being set up by ISRO and the IMD all over the country to make weather forecasting sophisticated, more accurate and early. Already, 42 AWSs, linked to weather satellites, had been set up in the State. A few of the rest would be located in such a way that they would be accessible to farmers in different parts of the State.The coordinator of the KAU's Centre for Climate Change Research, G.S.L.H.V. Prasada Rao, said that the system could provide weather forecast and information to farmers on rice, rubber, cardamom, banana and a lot of other crops. He pointed out that in Kerala, rice, coconut and banana were the crops that were most sensitive to climate change. In each district, 50 farmers would be trained as agro-weather information providers. They would go to villages on motorcycles every week, either on Tuesday or Wednesday, and give the weather forecast (such as the possibility of rainfall) for the following week and data on previous week's weather and other related information. This information would be panchayat-specific. Again, depending on the dominant crop in a district or region, the information would be made crop-specific. For instance, in Kuttanad, the data would be specifically on rice, but in Idukki it would be on cardamom and pepper and in Kottayam rubber and tea.Prof. Rao, whose specialisation is in agricultural meteorology, pointed out that the project was an outcome of last March's extensive rice crop damage caused by unexpected heavy rain in Kuttanad. Such damage could be considerably reduced by providing more accurate weather information well in advance. He said that the most-sensitive agro-ecological zones in the State were Kuttanad, Palakkad, Wayanad and Idukki.

The Hindu, 25th August 2008

Pampa river basin authority proposed

 
The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to form a river basin authority for smooth implementation of the Pampa Action Plan. It recommended issue of an Ordinance to the Governor for constituting the authority on an urgent basis. The Pampa River Basin Authority, as per the proposed Ordinance, will have powers to take executive decisions on implementation of various projects under the Action Plan. The Plan aims at controlling the pollution of the river. The Authority will coordinate, manage and monitor works to be implemented by various departments and agencies in the Pampa basin as part of the Plan. It will also have powers to control exploitation of natural resources and encroachments on the Pampa river basin and their efficient administration. The Ordinance provides for co-opting of non-governmental organisations by the Authority for implementation of the Action Plan. The whole of the river basin will be taken as an integral unit for efficient management. The Chief Minister will be the chairman of the Authority. Minister for Water Resources will be the vice-chairman and the Secretary (Water Resources) the member-secretary of the Authority. It will have the secretaries for Revenue, Forests, Health, Science and Technology, Power, Finance, Devaswoms and chairman of the State Pollution Control Board as members besides two experts in water resources. The Authority will be an autonomous institution. The implementation of the Pampa Action Plan, which may finally have an outlay of about Rs.200 crore, had got intertwined with the Sabarimala Master Plan, delaying the project. The Centre has sanctioned Rs.18 crore for the project, which remains unspent. Minister for Water Resources N. K. Premachandran took the initiative to form the Authority to speed up implementation.

The Hindu, 24th August 2008

Furore over new carbon-trading plan

 
Developing  countries and human rights groups are heading few a clash at a U.N climate change meeting intended to stop the destruction of tropical forests. Diplomats from more than 100 countries are meeting in Accra, Ghana, to open talks on whether tropical forests should join the emerging global carbon market. This would allow countries and companies to earn money from not cutting down trees. The felling is responsible for almost 20 percent of annual global carbon emissions, making it a crucial target on the battle against global warming. The move which is backed strongly by many developing countries and the G8, is expected to greatly increase the financial value of forests, encourage governments and corporations to protect them, and would potentially transfer millions of dollars a year to some of the poorest countries. Human rights and environment groups are warning that the over hasty inclusion of forests in the post Kyoto carbon market could trigger a "land grab ", leaving millions of people worse off. Without clear guidelines on land ownership and the involvement of local people, the groups said, the money poured into preserving forests could also fuel violent conflict.

The Hindu, 23rd August 2008

Barbadians slam discovery, naming of tiny snake

 
A small snake has sparked a big debate in Barbados. Residents of the wealthy Caribbean nation have been heating up blogs and clogging radio airwaves to vent their anger at an American scientist, who this week announced his "discovery" of the world's smallest snake and named it Leptotyphlops carlae, after his wife Carla. "If he needs to blow his own trumpet... well, fine," said 43-year-old Barbadian Charles Atkins. "But my mother, who was a simple housewife, she showed me the snake when I was a child." One writer on the Barbados Free Press blog took a an even tougher tone, questioning how someone could "discover" a snake long known to locals, who called it the thread snake. "How dare this man come in here and name a snake after his wife?" said the writer, identified as Margaret Knight. The man she refers to is Penn State University evolutionary biologist S. Blair Hedges, whose research teams also have discovered the world's tiniest lizard in the Dominican Republic and the smallest frog in Cuba. He recently became the first to describe the snake — which is so small it can curl up on a U.S. quarter — when he published his observations and genetic test results in the journal Zootaxa. Full-grown adults typically are less than 10 cm. Mr. Hedges said he understands Barbadians' angry reactions, but under established scientific practice, the first person to do a full description of a species is said to have discovered it and gives it a scientific name. He said most newly "discovered" species are already well known to locals, and the term refers to the work done in a laboratory to establish a genetic profile. In the study, he reported that two specimens he analysed were found in 1889 and 1963. "There are no false claims here, believe me," he said. Karl Watson, a historian and ornithologist, said it is common for people to get excited over very tiny or very large animals, especially if found in their country

The Hindu, 10th August 2008

Study links warm spells to heavy rain

 
Scientists studying variations in tropical heat and rainfall since the mid-1980s have found a strong link between warm periods and extreme downpours. The observed rise in the heaviest rains is about twice that produced by computer simulations used to assess human-caused global-warming, said the researchers. Other studies have already measured a rise in heavy rains in areas as varies as North America and India, and climatologists have long forecast more heavy rains in a world warmed by accumulating greenhouse gases, but this analysis, using 20 years of satellite measurements by  the national Aeronautics and Space Administration, is the first to find a strong statistical link between warmth and extreme downpours, the researchers said. The study was published on Thursday in the online journal Science Express. The authors were Richard P.Allan of the University of Reading in England and Brian. J.Soden at the University of Miami. A general relationship between warming and heavier rainfall is widely  accepted; the new paper is important " because it uses observations to demonstrate the sensitivity of extreme rainfall to temperature", said  Anthony J.Broccoli, the director of the Centre for Environmental Prediction at Rutgeres University. "Flash flooding is produced by the extreme rain events", he said. "In the U.S., flooding is a greater cause of death than lightning or tornadoes, and presumable poses similar risks elsewhere. In developing countries, cities with poor drainage routinely grind to a halt and see outbreak of water-borne disease after extreme rainstorms. Such downpours have been estimated in some such countries to blunt economic growth by several percentage points, according to World Bank experts.

The Hindu, 9th August 2008

TERI working on Sunderbans project

 
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is working on a project on the Sunderbans delta, a fragile ecosystem now threatened by rising sea-levels, TERI director-general R.K. Pachauri said. Dr. Pachauri, chief of the Nobel-prize winning United Nation's Intergovernmental panel on climate change, was talking to journalists after holding an hour-long discussion with West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Wednesday. He described the meeting in the State Secretariat as "an enlightening one." "We discussed the impact of climate change on West Bengal and how the government would tackle this, especially in view of its dependence on fossil fuels," he said. Nuclear power as a clean fuel source was not discussed at the meeting.The TERI also submitted a proposal to the Chief Minister to set up a climate-related research centre. "This State has a very diverse ecosystem with the Himalayas in the north and the Sunderbans in the south – this needs to be protected," Dr. Pachauri said. "Here, there are droughts and floods – melting Himalayan glaciers will bring about many changes that we need to worry about," he said.Earlier, he launched a scheme for green-rating of environment-friendly buildings. This rating, being introduced for residential as well as corporate buildings, would be given by the TERI in partnership with the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Green Power Corporation, the corporate entity of the West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency, which is headed by S.P. Gonchaudhuri.

The Hindu, 8th August 2008

Umari keerai and global warming

 
Some novel solutions are suggested to cope with the twin problem of global warming and increasing energy needs. Global warming has arisen due to climate change, which, in turn, has come about due to the increase in greenhouse gases, notably carbon dioxide. These gases trap incoming solar radiation and heat up the earth and its atmosphere. One direct result of this is the melting of polar ice and glaciers, leading to a slow and steady rise in sea level. At this rate of rise, it is apprehended that low-lying coastal areas and islands might be flooded and swamped off.How has this happened? Not because of natural causes (as some would fondly assert), but due to our burning more and more organic fuel — coal, wood, oil and petroleum. The way humanity has been guzzling energy during the last century has led to significant rise in the levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The gas would not go away from the earth, since (unlike hydrogen or helium) it is too heavy to be pulled out of the earth's gravity. Hence the greenhouse effect, global warming and sea level rise.Some look to ways of 'fixing' or using up the carbon dioxide. One great way is provided by Mother Nature herself — photosynthesis. Green plants and algae absorb carbon dioxide and water, and convert them, using sunlight, into carbohydrates. Hence the suggestion: plant more trees, create more efficient algae and spread them all over. They should sponge off the man-manufactured carbon dioxide and reduce global warming. Not a bad idea, but the scale involved is humongous. The amount of land that can be used for this is not much, since we cannot usurp areas growing food grains, or where people live in dense groups. Deserts and arid zones are one possibility. Hence the attraction to certain desert plants such as jatropha and jojoba. They not only help siphon off carbon dioxide but also produce oil that can be used as what has come to be called as 'biodiesel.' Indeed, many governments and companies promote such biofarming a bit too eagerly; we need to stop and think of what areas are being taken up (or over), addition to the greenhouse gas burden through biodiesel burning, viability of the oil as an all-purpose fuel and so forth. There is a spirited and informed debate on this issue, on the Internet.Focus has also turned to coastal areas and mudflats near the sea, where the salinity does not allow farming of the usual food crops. But there are plants that grow and flourish here. One such plant is salicornia, also called sea asparagus, or umari keerai. In the U.S., one Dr. Carl Hughes of the Environmental Research Lab of the University of Arizona (and head of the non-profit Seawater Foundation) has keenly advocated propagating it. He has suggested diverting seawater inland into coastal lakes where salicornia can be farmed. Why salicornia? First of all, its tips are edible, not just by animals but also by us. The plant yields oil that is edible (rich in polyunsaturates), and usable as biodiesel. The September 5, 2003 issue of The Hindu carries an informed report, by its Agriculture Correspondent, on salicornia. And salicornia is a better photosynthesizer than wheat and some other grains. It uses what botanists call the C-4 pathway, converting the captured carbon dioxide first into compound containing four carbons (oxaloacetate), using the enzyme PEPCase. Wheat can only convert the same gas into a one carbon less, C-3 molecule (phosphoglycerate), using the enzyme RUBISCase. Salicornia (like sugarcane) laps up carbon dioxide better, does so in saline water, and gives oil (or biodiesel, if you wish).The Central salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI) at Bhavnagar, Gujarat, has been working on salicornia (and jatropha too) for some time now. Its Director, Dr. Pushpito Ghosh, points out that apart from the oil, the plant produces several other valuable products. Indeed, he suggests using salicornia oil, not neat, but as a blend with others, since this way it keeps better and also it suits our tastes better.One other interesting product that comes out of the plant is its salt, which contains a small but nutritionally adequate amount of potassium. CSMCRI has also found a nitrogen- fixing microbe that is symbiotic with salicornia, which is salt-tolerant; a double whammy of carbon and nitrogen fixing set up in one. And they have taken a patent on a molecule that the plant produces which is antibacterial. This is all well, but would it not be very useful if we could grow food grains that are salt-tolerant? That would be a boon to tsunami-hit and brackish areas. Professor HY Mohan Ram of Delhi reminds us of such a rice variety that used to be grown in Kerala. The Manila-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has a stock of 40 strains of rice, which can tolerate salty growing conditions. Some of these varieties are currently being evaluated at Karnal in Haryana.

The Hindu, 7th August 2008

39% of world’s primates found to be at risk of extinction

 
Nearly half of all primate species are threatened with extinction, according to an evaluation by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The study — the most comprehensive analysis for more than 10 years and drawing on work by hundreds of scientists — found that the conservation outlook for monkeys, apes and other primates has dramatically worsened. In some regions, the thriving bushmeat trade means the animals are being "eaten to extinction." The 2007 IUCN Red List has 39 per cent of primate species and subspecies in the three highest threat categories: vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered. In the revised list, 303 of the 634 species and subspecies are in the most threatened categories. The two biggest threats to primates are habitat destruction through logging, and hunting for bushmeat and the illegal wildlife trade. "We've raised concerns for years about primates being in peril, but now we have solid data to show the situation is far more severe than we imagined," said Russell Mittermeier, chairman of the union's primate specialist group and the president of Conservation International. He added: "Tropical forest destruction has always been the main cause, but now it appears that hunting is just as serious a threat in some areas, even where the habitat is still quite intact. In many places, primates are literally being eaten to extinction." The picture is particularly bleak in South-East Asia. More than 70 per cent of all Asian primates are threatened, while in Vietnam and Cambodia 90 per cent are considered at risk. Populations of gibbons, leaf monkeys and langurs have fallen due to rapid habitat loss and hunting to satisfy the Chinese medicine and pet trade. "What is happening in South-East Asia is terrifying," said Jean-Christophe Vie, deputy head of the union's species programme. "To have a group of animals under such a high level of threat is, quite frankly, unlike anything we have recorded among any other group of species to date." In Africa, 11 of 13 kinds of red colobus monkey have been listed as critically endangered or endangered. Two — the Bouvier's red colobus and Miss Waldron's red colobus — may already be extinct. Species and subspecies (11 per cent of the total) seen as critically endangered include the mountain gorilla in central Africa, Tonkin snub-nosed monkey in Vietnam and grey-shanked douc langur from Asia. In the endangered category (22 per cent) are species and subspecies such as the Javan gibbon from Indonesia, golden lion tamarin from Brazil and Berthe's mouse lemur from Madagascar. Species are placed in these categories if they have a small population size, are suffering rapid depopulation and have a limited geographic range. The apparent jump in numbers of threatened primates from 39 per cent to 48 per cent has not happened in the course of one year. The new analysis has filled in missing data that was not available previously, said Michael Hoffman, at Conservation International. The last major assessment was carried out in 1996. "The situation could well have been as bad as this, say, five years ago — we just didn't know. But now we have a much better indication of the state of the world's primates, and the news is not good." The review, funded by Conservation International, the Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation, Disney's Animal Kingdom and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, is part of an unprecedented examination of the world's mammals to be released at the IUCN world conservation congress in Barcelona in October. There was some good news among the bad. In Brazil, the black lion tamarin has been brought back from the brink of extinction and shifted from the critically endangered to endangered category. This is the result of a concerted conservation effort which has also benefited the golden lion tamarin; it was downlisted to endangered in 2003. "The work with lion tamarins shows that conserving forest fragments and reforesting to create corridors that connect them is not only vital for primates, but offers the multiple benefits of maintaining healthy ecosystems and water supplies, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change," said Anthony Rylands, the deputy chairman of the union's primate Nearly half of all primate species are threatened with extinction, according to an evaluation by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The study — the most comprehensive analysis for more than 10 years and drawing on work by hundreds of scientists — found that the conservation outlook for monkeys, apes and other primates has dramatically worsened. In some regions, the thriving bushmeat trade means the animals are being "eaten to extinction." The 2007 IUCN Red List has 39 per cent of primate species and subspecies in the three highest threat categories: vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered. In the revised list, 303 of the 634 species and subspecies are in the most threatened categories. The two biggest threats to primates are habitat destruction through logging, and hunting for bushmeat and the illegal wildlife trade. "We've raised concerns for years about primates being in peril, but now we have solid data to show the situation is far more severe than we imagined," said Russell Mittermeier, chairman of the union's primate specialist group and the president of Conservation International. He added: "Tropical forest destruction has always been the main cause, but now it appears that hunting is just as serious a threat in some areas, even where the habitat is still quite intact. In many places, primates are literally being eaten to extinction." The picture is particularly bleak in South-East Asia. More than 70 per cent of all Asian primates are threatened, while in Vietnam and Cambodia 90 per cent are considered at risk. Populations of gibbons, leaf monkeys and langurs have fallen due to rapid habitat loss and hunting to satisfy the Chinese medicine and pet trade. "What is happening in South-East Asia is terrifying," said Jean-Christophe Vie, deputy head of the union's species programme. "To have a group of animals under such a high level of threat is, quite frankly, unlike anything we have recorded among any other group of species to date." In Africa, 11 of 13 kinds of red colobus monkey have been listed as critically endangered or endangered. Two — the Bouvier's red colobus and Miss Waldron's red colobus — may already be extinct. Species and subspecies (11 per cent of the total) seen as critically endangered include the mountain gorilla in central Africa, Tonkin snub-nosed monkey in Vietnam and grey-shanked douc langur from Asia. In the endangered category (22 per cent) are species and subspecies such as the Javan gibbon from Indonesia, golden lion tamarin from Brazil and Berthe's mouse lemur from Madagascar. Species are placed in these categories if they have a small population size, are suffering rapid depopulation and have a limited geographic range. The apparent jump in numbers of threatened primates from 39 per cent to 48 per cent has not happened in the course of one year. The new analysis has filled in missing data that was not available previously, said Michael Hoffman, at Conservation International. The last major assessment was carried out in 1996. "The situation could well have been as bad as this, say, five years ago — we just didn't know. But now we have a much better indication of the state of the world's primates, and the news is not good." The review, funded by Conservation International, the Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation, Disney's Animal Kingdom and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, is part of an unprecedented examination of the world's mammals to be released at the IUCN world conservation congress in Barcelona in October. There was some good news among the bad. In Brazil, the black lion tamarin has been brought back from the brink of extinction and shifted from the critically endangered to endangered category. This is the result of a concerted conservation effort which has also benefited the golden lion tamarin; it was downlisted to endangered in 2003. "The work with lion tamarins shows that conserving forest fragments and reforesting to create corridors that connect them is not only vital for primates, but offers the multiple benefits of maintaining healthy ecosystems and water supplies, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change," said Anthony Rylands, the deputy chairman of the union's primate specialist group

The Hindu, 6th August 2008

CZM notification: role of NGO flayed

 
The Kerala Swatantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF) has expressed concern over the role of a Non-Governmental Organisation called Centre for Environment and Education (CEE) in the public consultation on the controversial Coastal Zone Management (CZM) notification issued by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). A pressnote quoting T. Peter, KSMTF president, here on Tuesday feared that the real sentiments of the people would not be taken into consideration by the NGO during the consultation. The website of the NGO states that it was working in tandem with the Ministry to create awareness on the CZM notification. This, he said, revealed the real agenda of the NGO.Mr. Peter said the CZM notification was severely opposed by the fishing community all over the country right from the time it was suggested by Dr. M.S. Swaminathan on the grounds that the CZM would legitimise the establishment of hazardous industries in the coastal belt, threatening the lives of fishing community and their rights over the coastal land." The CEE, Mr. Peter said, was a 'Centre of Excellence' supported by the Ministry and two members of its governing council were nominees from the MoEF. The pressnote said the attempt of the Ministry to use an NGO to generate legitimacy was highly questionable. It added that the KSMTF would launch an agitation unless the Ministry called off its efforts to implement the CZM notification.

The Hindu, 6th August 2008

Project to double paddy cultivation

 
The Agricultural Department is implementing ' Ellavarum Padathekku' , a Rs.100-crore comprehensive project aimed at doubling paddy cultivation in the state by 2010. The project will be launched in September, Agricultural Minister Mullakkara  Ratnakaran said in a statement here. A core committee with the Agricultural director as convener, soil and paddy experts as members has been formed for implementing the project. The Agricultural Production Commissioner will supervise the implementation of the project. The project involves reviving 'group farming' and combining them with the latest technology and agriculture machinery available to rev up production in the state. The paddy thus produced will be procured at the highest rates in the country. During the last two harvest seasons, 2.51 lakh tonnes of paddy were procured from the major paddy production zones in the state. Two more rice mills, in addition to the recently-opened one at Alathur, will be operational soon. As part of encouraging farming in the fallow lands, Rs.5000  will be given s financial aid to farmers per hectare. The Agriculture Department is spearheading an action-plan to revive 1,000 hectares in Pathanamthitta. The aim of the project is to spread paddy cultivation to three lakh hectares and up production to 12 lakh tonnes

The New Indian Express, 6th August 2008

Measure of a shark’s ‘chomp’

 
The jaws of a great white shark can inflict a bone-crunching bite of up to 1.8 tonnes, according to Australian researchers. The predator's chomp is around three times more powerful than a lion's, at least 20 times stronger than a human's and just over half as strong as Tyrannosaurus rex. But today's largest predatory fish would have come off much worse against a now extinct leviathan of the deep called Carcharodon megalodon, or "big tooth," which died out 1.5 million years ago. At 16 metres long and 100 tonnes, it would have put Jaws to shame, and the new analysis suggests that its colossal mouth could have produced a bite force of 10.8 to 18.2 tonnes."Nature has endowed [the great white shark] with more than enough bite force to kill and eat large and potentially dangerous prey," said Stephen Wroe at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. "Pound for pound, the great white's bite is not particularly impressive, but the sheer size of the animal means that in absolute terms it tops the scales. It must also be remembered that its extremely sharp serrated teeth require relatively little force to drive them through thick skin, fat and muscle," he said.Trying to measure the bite of a live shark might sound like suicidal devotion to your field of science. The researchers got around the danger by using an engineering technique called finite element analysis. The method, which is used widely in building and car design, involves creating a computer model of the passage of stresses and strains through a material. The first step is to create an accurate 3D digital representation of the skull or fossil — in this case the skull of a 2.4 metre long male shark — using an X-ray scanning technique called computer tomography. This 3D shape is then broken up into tetrahedral blocks or "elements," which are linked together and react realistically to stresses and the movements of nearby elements. In this way, scientists can apply imaginary forces to the structure and work out what stresses the shape can withstand. The results are reported in the Journal of Zoology. The technique was first applied to biological structures by Emily Rayfield at the University of Bristol in 2001. She first analysed the skull of Allosaurus, a carnivorous dinosaur, but later applied the technique to T rex.

The Hindu, 5th August 2008

Innovative olive crop project in Rajasthan

 
Olive farming is expected to receive an impetus in India with the implementation of a pilot project involving the Rajasthan Government and an Israeli firm to cultivate on 250 hectares the plants that produce the fruits that yield the oil. "The country is taking to olive plantation for the first time…, and if it becomes a success, the Rajasthan Government is planning to extend the cultivation to about 25 million ha," Indian Olive Association president V.N. Dalmia said here. Under the project, 1,025 olive trees have been planted. The target number is 1.25 lakh. involving the Rajasthan government, a Pune firm and an Israeli firm. The Rajasthan Government is providing land and capital and the Pune firm is investing funds. The Israeli firm is providing dryland farming technology and buyback opportunities. Punjab and Himachal Pradesh have announced similar projects on over 300 ha each. Olive plants take five years to yield the first fruits and could provide good crops for up to 500 years, Mr. Dalmia said. However, good crop-years may be followed by low-yield years alternately. Olive oil consumption in India is estimated to rise over nine times in the next four years, according to Mr. Dalmia. "Olive oil consumption is pegged at 42,218 tonnes by 2012, growing at a rate of 75 per cent a year. The target for this year stands at 4,500 tonnes." Consumption has picked up by 73 per cent over the last two years. South India leads in consumption, followed by the western and northern parts. India now depends on imports for all its olive oil needs.

The Hindu, 5th August 2008

Hearings on CZM norms from Friday

 
Those who have expressed reservations about the draft Coastal Zone Management (CZM) norms, notified by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in May this year, would get an opportunity to present their case at public consultations on the norms to be held in different parts of the State beginning August 8.The first of the consultations, to be held in the State capital, will be inaugurated by Fisheries Minister S. Sarma, who has himself expressed serious reservations about the draft CZM norms. Similar consultations will be held under the aegis of the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) in Ernakulam and Kannur, possibly on August 12 and 18 respectively. The CEE has been entrusted with the task of holding public consultations on the draft norms in Kerala and Lakshadweep.The Union government had notified the draft CZM norms, which is to supersede the Coastal Regulation Zone Act of 1991, in May as a new framework for managing and regulating activities in the coastal and marine areas to conserve and protect the coastal resources and coastal environment, to ensure protection of coastal population and structures from risk of inundation due to natural hazards and safeguard and strengthen the livelihoods of coastal populations. The Ministry had called for opinions, comments, suggestions and objections from the public on the notification, the last date for which was July 7. However, in view of the volume of discussion on the subjects and discordant views expressed by different sections, the Ministry has extended the deadline for receipt of views and objections to August 31. The public hearings are intended to both create awareness about CMZ notification and to provide a platform for public opinion.The State government, it may be recalled, has already sought comprehensive changes in the draft CZM norms. It had submitted to the Centre a series of proposals aimed at ensuring that the CZM norms did not hit the livelihood of fishing communities or prevent them from constructing houses on the coastal stretches of the country. The State government had prepared its objections to various provisions of the draft norms after holding two rounds of consultation with trade unions in the fisheries sector, in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.The State has taken particular exception to the draft proposal to place the territorial waters up to 22 km. under the CZM norms and had told the Centre that this should not in any way affect fishing rights of indigenous communities. It had also told the Centre that the local bodies and the fishing community must have sufficient say in the planning and development processes along the coastal areas. Two other major counts on which the State has opposed the draft norms relate to the proposal to have a 'setback line' along the coast and to scrap the existing 'No Development Zones' on the coastal stretches. The first proposal, it is feared, would mean that the fisher folk would be able to have houses only outside the 'setback line' and the second, it is pointed out, would result in indiscriminate construction activity in the coastal areas leading to alienation of the fishing communities.

The Hindu, 4th August 2008

Developed nations to blame for climate change

 
Environmental scientist Justin Podur has said that developed countries, including the United States and Canada, are the worst culprits responsible for global warming.Delivering the keynote address at a symposium on 'development, environment and climate change' organised by the Department Students Union on the Thalassery campus of Kannur University at Palayad here on Wednesday, Dr. Podur, Assistant Professor of Environment Studies at York University in Canada, said that the basic ideology of the developed countries was consumption and it was causing the problem of global warming.The wealthy countries were taking more than their share of the resources at the expense of the survival of other people, he said adding that they had the moral obligation to make changes.Observing that neo-liberalism was a basic method of keeping poor people poor, Dr. Podur said that though the Kerala model of development was said to have limitations, it aimed straight for human development as it was based on social investment directly on public health, education and other areas. The model of economy that was now being followed by the government of India was neo-liberal which is open to foreign investment and mega projects, he said adding that this model was harmful to the environment.Dr. Podur said there were dangers to development from climate change which would first melt the glaciers leading to rising of sea level leaving coastal areas under water.He said renewable energy would make more sense in countries like India. He also said that India's middle class behaviour was destructive.The symposium was inaugurated by C.P. Hareendran of the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad. T.P. Padmanabhan of the Society for Environment Education Kerala spoke.

The Hindu, 31st July 2008

‘No effluent outlets into Periyar’

The Hyderabad-based National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) has submitted a report to the State Pollution Control Board that there were no clandestine outlets of industrial units into the Periyar river. The NGRI was asked to probe the existence of illegal outlets in the river following widespread protests by environmentalists that industrial units were dumping effluents into the river. The draft report submitted by the research agency said it could not find any clandestine outlets into the river. The State Pollution Control Board has now asked the agency to conduct further investigations to ascertain reports that several industrial units had set up such illegal outlets.

The report submitted by the NGRI explained that deep penetrating radar was used to detect clandestine outlets, if any, in the river. But studies could not detect any such outlet, it is learnt. The report suggested that the radar was used to find out hidden pipelines directed from industrial units into the river. Experts from the agency used technical equipment to verify whether there was any illegal outlet at a depth of 20 to 30 metres. Preliminary investigations failed to spot such outlets.

The board has asked the NGRI to use its technical expertise in cracking down the industrial units dumping effluents. Sources said that liquid wastes could be channelised to rivers through factory waste water outlets. The board has also instructed industrial units located along the Periyar to keep their waste water outlets visibly above the water level in the adjacent river. It has also asked the industries to set up zero effluent discharge system within two years.Some of the other recommendations include lighting arrangements on factory backyards, online monitoring systems, delay-pond to hold back the waste water for four hours and special energy meters to keep tabs on the continuous running of these equipment in all industrial units.

The Hindu, Thursday, Jul 31, 2008