IN NEWS

Why are forests central to the climate fight?

LONDON—The world’s remaining tropical forests are at the center of attention like never before.

Rich nations such as Norway and the United States have pledged billions of dollars to help poorer nations set aside large areas of forest to fight climate change by soaking up heat-trapping carbon dioxide.

But with the world’s population heading for nine billion, forests face equal pressure from mining, agriculture, timber and pulp firms eager to meet the voracious demands from an ever expanding global economy. The race is on to place a new value on forests to drive governments and companies to put the brakes on deforestation……………….

http://www.malaya.com.ph/11192010/envi1.html

Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Award2010

The Ministry of Environment and Forests will give away Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Awards (IPVM)- 2010 tomorrow. IPVM Awards were instituted in 1986 to recognize the pioneering and innovative contribution made by the individuals and institutions in the field of afforestation/wasteland development every year. Till the year 2005, the IPVM Awards were given in 12 different categories having two awardees each. Since 2006, awards are given in four categories namely Individuals including Government Servants, Institutions/ Organizations under Government Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC) and Non-Governmental Institutions/Organizations. Only one award carrying a Cash Prize of Rs.2.5 lakhs along with medallion and citation are given for each category.
IPVM Award for States/UTs was introduced in the year 2008 in three categories ………………

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=67247

It’s no-go for Ramesh in cabinet

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times
Email Author
New Delhi, November 18, 2010

First Published: 00:26 IST(18/11/2010)
Last Updated: 01:22 IST(18/11/2010)

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh may find himself isolated on go and no-go areas for coal mining, with the coal ministry getting overwhelming support for its proposal to restrict no-go areas to 10% of forestland. At least six central ministries, which submitted comments on the coal ministry’s note for the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, had termed Ramesh’s stand unjustified and an impediment to economic growth.The environment ministry has given six reasons why the coal ministry’s proposal is not a good idea. It said accepting the proposal would have an adverse impact on forests and wildlife, ignoring the classification could result in judicial intervention, and would go against the spirit of forest conservation law open floodgates for similar requests from other ministries…………………………………..

http://www.hindustantimes.com/It-s-no-go-for-Ramesh-in-cabinet/H1-Article1-627714.aspx

Nitin Desai: The climate for Cancun

The worst risks of climate change can only be avoided by the acceptance that we are in one lifeboat

Nitin Desai /  November 18, 2010, 0:35 IST

About 10 days from today, the parties to the UN climate convention will have another bash at hammering out an agreement to avert what they all agree is one of the gravest threats that the world faces in the decades ahead. Is there any chance that they will do better there than at Copenhagen about a year go?

The elements of an international agreement needed to address the threat of climate change are basically as follows:

The acceptable limit for the likely temperature increase.

The implied time profile of global carbon dioxide and other GHG emissions………

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/nitin-desaiclimate-for-cancun/415233/

Report: India faces major climate changes by 2030

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By KATY DAIGLE, Associated Press – Wed Nov 17, 6:10 am ET

NEW DELHI – A new report says India could be 2 degrees Celsius (3.8 F) warmer than 1970s levels within 20 years — a change that would disrupt rain cycles and wreak havoc on the country's agriculture and freshwater supplies, experts said Wednesday.

More flooding, more drought and a spreading of malaria would occur, as the disease migrates northward into Kashmir and the Himalayas, according to the report by 220 Indian scientists and 120 research institutions.The temperature rise, which could be even more extreme along the coasts, would cause drastic changes in India's rain cycles that threaten water supplies and agriculture — the key source of livelihood for most of India's 1.2 billion people.

The report comes out just weeks before the Nov. 29 …………………………….

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101117/ap_on_sc/as_india_climate_2

India: battleground to save the tiger

November 18, 2010 - 7:24PM

AFP

Efforts to save the tiger, set to be addressed at a conference in Russia next week, will depend for a large part on the effectiveness of the shield India has tried to throw over the animal.

The country is home to more than half of the world's rapidly dwindling wild tigers, but even its conservation program, said by the government to be the world's most comprehensive, has failed to halt the creature's decline. In the land that inspired Rudyard Kipling's legendary Jungle Book stories - featuring the cunning tiger protagonist Shere Khan………….

 http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/india-battleground-to-save-the-tiger-20101118-17z5g.html

Sariska Tiger death: two forest officers suspended

Tue, Nov 16 07:10 PM

Jaipur, Nov 16 (PTI) Rajasthan government today suspended two officials of Sarika reserve forest on the charge of dereliction of duty which led to the death of a tiger there. "In preliminary investigation, District Forest Officer B.Praveen and Assistant Conservator of Forest Mukesh Saini were found guilty of dereliction of duty.

They were suspended today," state Forest and Environment Minister Ramlal Jaat said. .

http://in.news.yahoo.com/20/20101116/1416/tnl-sariska-tiger-death-two-forest-offic_1.html

  

Owls said suffering due to 'Potter' books

Published: Nov. 17, 2010 at 8:17 PM

NEW DELHI, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- A crisis in India involving endangered owl species has some putting the blame at the feet of the Harry Potterbooks and movies, environmentalists say.

India's Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh says the country's population has become infatuated with owls as a result of the book series and films, and many parents have bought wild owls from illegal bird traders to give to their children as pets, LiveScience.com reported Wednesday.

"Following Harry Potter, there seems to be a strange fascination even among the urban middle classes for presenting their children with owls," Ramesh said.

Owls are featured in the books ………………..

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2010/11/17/Owls-said-suffering-due-to-Potter-books/UPI-67701290043060/