IN NEWS

Forests may raise local temperature, professor says

By Benjamin Lempert

Contributing Reporter

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Planting trees may not be a universal solution to global warming, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies professor Xuhui Lee said before an audience of about 50 at a talk at Kroon Hall Wednesday.While trees can lower temperature by removing carbon from the atmosphere, forests also absorb large amounts of heat radiation from the sun, Lee said. A forest, he added, may either increase or decrease local temperatures depending on the climate in which it grows.“[Planting trees] may not always be a good way forward in fighting climate change,” he said.

Lee offered the Yatir Forest in Israel as an example of the several factors that determine whether a forest increases or decreases local temperature. While the forest removes a significant amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, it absorbs significantly more of the sun’s radiation than the treeless areas surrounding…………

http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2010/sep/30/forests-may-raise-local-temperature-professor-says/

'Southasia's commons are weakening'  

October 2010

Common property resource (CPR) management has long been a significant arrangement in many parts of rural Southasia, playing an important economic and environmental role at the grassroots. The importance of research on this subject recently received recognition through the 2009 Nobel Prize for Economics conferred on Elinor Ostrom for her work on CPRs (see box). N S Jodha, who worked until recently at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu, and ex-President of the International Association for Study of Commons, is one of the pioneers in this field, having devoted over 30 years of work to the subject. He spoke to Himal about the importance of CPRs in rural Southasia, the gradual decline that they have been experiencing and the need to rehabilitate them, as well as the role of the state, the market and the communities themselves in the process……………….

 http://www.himalmag.com/-Southasia%E2%80%99s-commons-are-weakening-_nw4738.html

  

Two Forest department employees sentenced in bribe case

PTI | 02:09 PM,Sep 30,2010

Chandigarh, Sep 30 (PTI) Two employees of the Forest Department were sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment for demanding bribe from the widow of a Delhi Assistant Sub Inspector who was killed in the 2001 Parliament attack. Rajesh Kumar and Gurmukh Singh Peon were found guilty of demanding bribe from Ganga Devi in 2006 for issuing a no-objection certificate for setting up a petrol pump on the land alloted to her by the Centre after her husband Nanak Chand was killed in the 2001 Parliament attack. The accused, both belonging to the Conservator of Forest office were convicted here yesterday by the Additional District Sessions Judge Gurbir Singh and a fine of Rs 6000 each was imposed on them. The widow of the ASI wanted to set up a pump on the land alloted to her in Gurgaon but could not get the required NOC from the Conservator of Forest Office after she turned down their alleged demand to pay extra money. Her case was taken up by the All India Anti Terrorist Front (AIATF) Chief Maninderjit Singh Bitta, following which a trap was laid and the two were caught allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 3000.

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/two-forest-department-employees-sentenced-in-bribe-case/365358.html

Source: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) 
Thursday, September 30, 2010 06:32 PM IST (01:02 PM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest, Economy, Environment, Law & justice, People, Politics, Social issues; Business: Banking & financial services, Business services, Energy companies

TERI-North America Organizes the 2nd US-India Energy Partnership Summit 2010: Technologies & Policies for Energy Security 

Washington DC, United States, Thursday, September 30, 2010 -- (Business Wire India)

Ahead of President Barack Obama visit to India, the high-level summit deliberates on strategies and activities for Indo-U.S. collaboration on energy security as they move towards low carbon economic pathways.Carrying the momentum of unprecedented cooperation and providing the perfect setting for deliberation on strategies and activities for Indo-U.S. collaboration towards energy security ahead of the much awaited visit of President Barack Obama to India in November, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) North America organized the second annual U.S.-India Energy Partnership Summit. The summit themed “Technologies and Policies for Energy Security” was co-convened by Yale University with support from the US-INDIA Business Council (USIBC) and drew over 200 participants from government, industry, think tanks, academia, banks and the finance sector…………………..
http://www.businesswireindia.com/PressRelease.asp?b2mid=24112

Amity School of Natural Resources and Sustainable Development organises Two-day training workshop for Indian Forest Service Officers

Date: 9/27/2010

Amity School of Natural Resources and Sustainable Development organised Two-day training workshop for Indian Forest Service Officers on “Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Certification: Criteria and Indicators” at F-2 Block, MDP Conference Hall, Amity University Campus, Sector-125, Noida on 27-28th September, 2010.
Workshop was inaugurated by Dr. T.R. Manoharan, Head (Forest Programme), WWF-India, New Delhi, Prof. B.K.P. Sinha, Director, ASNR&SD.Prof. B.K.P. Sinha, Director, Amity School of Natural Resources and Sustainable Development presented the welcome address and briefed the audience about the theme of the Training Workshop.
Inauguration was followed by technical sessions. During the first technical session Dr. T.R. Manoharan, Head (Forest Programme), WWF-India, New Delhi discussed about the case study - Forest Certification in Developing Countries. Mr. Samir Sinha, IFS, TRAFIC India, WWF India, New Delhi presented his thoughts on Legal Issues on International Trade of Forest Products.
During second technical session Dr. H.D. Kulkarni, Vice President (Plantation), ITC Ltd., Sarapaka, Andhra Pradesh shared his thought on Forest Certification – An Industry Experience. Dr. Prodyut Bhattacharya, Professor, IP University, Delhi talked on Criteria and Indicator for Sustainable Management of Forest: Bhopal India Process.
On second day two technical session were organised. During first technical session Mr. A.M. Singh, IFS, DIG, Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi talked on Criteria and Indicator for Sustainable Forest Management – A Potential Tool for Forest Certification. Mr. Piare Lal, Chief Executive, Pragati Biotechnologies, Jalandhar, Punjab shared his thought on the topic Procurement Policies of Forest Based Industries: Its Linkages with Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest management. During second technical session Mr. A.K. Bansal, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest & Project Director, Orissa Forestry Sector Development Project, Bhubaneswar talked on Joint Forest Management plus – Sustainable Forest Management.
Technical session was followed by Panel Discussion. In this session Dr. J.C. Kala, Ex-Director General, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Member, National Environment Appellate Authority, New Delhi, Dr. V.K. Bahuguna, Member (Technical Expert – Forestry), National Rainfed Area Authority, New Delhi, Mr. Piare Lal, Chief Executive, Pragati Biotechnologies, Jalandhar, Punjab, Mr. A.K. Bansal, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest & Project Director, Orissa Forestry Sector Development Project, Bhubaneswar, Mr. A.M. Singh, IFS, DIG, Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi, Prof. B.K.P. Sinha, IFS (Retd.), Director, Amity School of Natural Resources and Sustainable Development, Noida presented their thoughts.

http://amity.edu/events/eventdetails.asp?id=1379