IN NEWS

Kuno Palpur to get cheetah, not lions

Himanshu Kaushik, TNN, Dec 7, 2010, 05.12am IST

AHMEDABAD: Madhya Pradesh has agreed in principle to accommodate African cheetah in Kuno Palpur. This could mean that the neighbouring state, which is famous for its tigers, is off Gujarat's back as far as the Asiatic lion is concerned.
The MP government had been trying to get wild Asiatic lions from its only habitat in the world in Gir, but Gujarat had refused to part with its pride. Finally, the Centre had proposed that MP settle for zoo-bred Asiatic lions for Kuno Palpur. However, after a presentation by the Wildlife Institute of India and the Wildlife Trust of India over reintroducing cheetah at Kuno Palpur, it looks like the controversy could be drawing to a close, as …………………………………….

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Kuno-Palpur-to-get-cheetah-not-lions/articleshow/7056853.cms

Is MoU for power plant a death warrant for Konkan belt?

Published on Tue, Dec 07, 2010 at 09:05   | 

French energy giant AREVA and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to build a nuclear power plant at Jaitapur which is in coastal Maharashtra. The plant received conditional approval from the environment ministry, but there is still widespread concern about this plant and the other power plants that have been planned in the region and what impact they can have on the regions eco-system in the Konkan belt in Maharashtra, an eco-system that is acknowledged to be rich, diverse and fragile. Professor Madhav Gadgil, a member of the national advisory council, and an expert …………................

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/is-mou-for-power-plantdeath-warrant-for-konkan-belt_503629.html

Banning wildlife tourism in India is not the solution

BY HECTOR DSOUZA, ETN | DEC 06, 2010

INDIA (eTN) - Resort owners and tour operators in wildlife reserves are up against a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) filed in the Jabalpur High Court seeking to ban tourists and visitors from entering the core areas of forest reserves. The respondents to the PIL are National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Madhya Pradesh forest department. Since resort owners and tour operators are going to be directly affected, they too will have a say in the response. Are we going to be so doomsday or will we be given a realistic opportunity of making a new beginning? The case comes for a hearing on December 6, 2010 The problems of dwindling natural reserves inside the forest are being attributed to the disturbances tourists and visitors create inside the core areas while on a jeep/elephant safari. Simple rules of  ………...........

http://www.eturbonews.com/19922/banning-wildlife-tourism-india-not-solution

China, India, Brazil Push U.S. for Deeper Greenhouse Gas Cuts

By Kim Chipman and Mathew Carr - Dec 7, 2010 11:05 AM GMT+0530

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-07/u-s-pressed-for-deeper-greenhouse-gas-reductions-by-china-india-brazil.html

India’s forest protection laws start getting teeth

Monday, December 6, 2010, 20:58

This news item was posted in Top Stories category and has 0 Comments so far.

New Delhi – India’s forests, spread over an estimated 70 million hectares at the latest count, have long been at the centre of a development-versus-conservation debate in the rising Asian power. The forests are home not only to more than 100,000 species of flora and fauna, many of them rare, but provide livelihoods for 200 million largely tribal people. India’s forests also contain some of the country’s richest mineral deposits, specifically iron ore and bauxite. In confrontations with mining corporations aligned with the state, the conservationists and tribal forest dwellers …………………………..

http://www.all24news.com/indias-forest-protection-laws-start-getting-teeth-feature.html

Keoladeo gets Asian Wetland Centre award

TNN, Dec 7, 2010, 05.12am IST
JAIPUR: After arrival of water, followed by winged guests, there are some more good news for the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. The Salim Ali Visitor Interpretation Centre at Keoladeo National Park has been conferred with the Best Asian Wetland Centre Award 2010 by Wetlands Links International (WLI), a global network of wetland education centres. A team from World Wide Fund for Nature-India along with the state forest department is running the centre since 2006, which received the award at the Wetland Link InterNational Symposium held in Malaysia last month. ……………………
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Keoladeo-gets-Asian-Wetland-Centre-award/articleshow/7055968.cms

Forest minister to reform dept

TNN, Dec 6, 2010, 09.37pm IST

MANGALORE: Most recommendations given by the sub-committee for revenue and forest on a host of issues related to forest in the state including planting of avenue trees, in 1995-96, 1996-97 is gathering dust. Seeking to wipe the dust of these recommendations a good 15 years later, and bring clarity to the state forest policy is none other than minister for forest C H Vijayshankar, who interestingly made these recommendations. Vijayshankar, who nearly a month ago entrusted his senior department officials with the specific task of going in to various aspects of the forest policy and ………………………

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mangalore/Forest-minister-to-reform-dept/articleshow/7055210.cms

PEBBLE CREEK MINING LTD. OBTAINS LAST REMAINING PERMIT (FOREST CLEARANCE) REQUIRED FOR A 30-YEAR MINING LEASE

Canada NewsWire

VANCOUVER AND NEW DELHI, India, Dec. 6 /CNW/ - Pebble Creek Mining Ltd. (the "Company" or "Pebble Creek") is pleased to announce that the government's Advisory Group on Forests has recommended final approval of "Forest Clearance" for a pre-approved 30-year Mining Lease on the Company's Askot deposit in Uttarakhand, India. India's Ministry of Environment and Forests convened a hearing on December 3, 2010 in the Uttarakhand state capital of Dehradun with all concerned State officials present. Pebble Creek's…………….
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/177423#ixzz17Rm1XQkH