Ministers of South Africa, Brazil, China and India – the BASIC group – will meet here on February 13-14 to chalk out a joint strategy for the post-2020 global climate regime. The meeting of the group, which was the most prominent block of countries at Durban talks along with the EU, comes weeks ahead of the deadline to make submissions to the UN on the framework for negotiations for the new regime, Durban Platform.

Garhwal Himalayas – South Asian countries have apparently flunked the global Environmental Performance Index (EPI) examination for 2012, with India faring the worst for the quality of air that its 1.2 billion people breathe.

Maldives’ ex-president Mohamed Nasheed, who today said he was forced to resign, is “at risk,” according to climate change activists who have launched a global petition on his behalf.

The world most’s profitable companies are valued by their carbon reserves – never mind the resulting ruin to the planet.

 

If we could see the world with a particularly illuminating set of spectacles, one of its most prominent features at the moment would be a giant carbon bubble, whose bursting someday will make the housing bubble of 2007 look like a lark. As yet – as we shall see – it’s unfortunately largely invisible to us.

 

– by Bill McKibben 

 

 Read the full story here Why the energy industry is so invested in climate change denial

A group of 20 students from International Climate Champions Program were in Jodhpur to study and experience climatic changes in the Thar Desert spread across western Rajasthan. Organised jointly by the British Council and Jal Bhagirathi Foundation (JBF), this one-week programme saw participation by the students from the UK, China, Bangladesh and India.

India’s environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan called for people-centred development to save India’s biodiversity at a special session at the TERI hosted Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) 2012. The second day of the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit opened with a special session on biodiversity that brought together a panel of leading experts, including India’s environment minister, Jayanthi Natarajan.

 

Deputy Director General (Education) of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education Omkar Singh said, “Climate change is a major challenge for developing countries like India which face large climate variability and are thus exposed to enhanced risks.” He was speaking at the inaugural session of a training programme for women scientists on climate change and carbon mitigation at Forest Research Institute.

Many industrial estates in the city are setting up sewage and effluent treatment plants in an effort to promote eco-friendly practices and reduce burden on civic agencies. The industrial estate in Ambattur is the forerunner among the estates with two sewage treatment plants set up in north and south phase. The projects were implemented by the Chennai Auto Ancillary Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Company (CAAIIUC), a special purpose vehicle promoted by the Central and State governments and stakeholders to improve infrastructure at the estates in Thirumudivakkam, Thirumazhisai and Ambattur.

 

Industries turn eco-friendly 

India recorded a net loss of 367 sq km of forests between 2009 and 2011 with Khammam district in Andhra Pradesh alone losing 182 sq km of green cover in the period, the latest ‘state of forest’ report has found. In all, AP lost 281 sq km of forests in two years. The report, prepared biennially by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), the Dehradun-based wing of the environment and forests ministry, was released on Tuesday.

 

India loses 367 sq km of forests in 2 years 

The 26th convocation of Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV), Akola, was held at the local university ground on Monday morning with Dr Arvind Kumar, deputy director general (education) Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) New Delhi, in the chair. 

 

Climate change posing major agri challenge