Current Affair Category: Environment & Ecology

High-performance buildings (HPBs)/How can design help a building be more climate-resilient? High-performance buildings are at the forefront of sustainable construction, focusing on energy efficiency, resource conservation, and climate resilience through integrative design and the use of sustainable materials; they employ passive and active strategies to minimise environmental impact What are High-performance buildings (HPBs)? High-performance buildings […]

Why has CO2 caused most of the global warming? What is Radiative Forcing (RF) ? Why in News? Studies have shown that CO2 has contributed more than any driver to climate change. In fact, CO2 is responsible for about 70% of global warming, according to an analysis by Facts on Climate Change, a Czech Republic-based […]

The Asian Brown Cloud (ABC) refers to a persistent layer of air pollution covering parts of South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean, especially during the dry season. It consists of aerosols, soot, and other pollutants and has significant environmental and health implications. Key Characteristics: Composition: Composed of fine particles, including soot, ash, black […]

The INDOEX (Indian Ocean Experiment) was a scientific research initiative aimed at understanding the role of the Indian Ocean in the global climate system. It was part of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and was conducted in the 1990s. The primary objective of INDOEX was to study the impact of the Indian Ocean on […]

Namami Gange Program: The Namami Gange Program started in June 2014 to clean up the Ganges River and its tributaries. Initially, it was supposed to end in March 2021 with a budget of Rs. 20,000 crore. Because the work is ongoing and important, the Indian government has extended the program, now called Namami Gange Mission-II, […]

Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) refers to energy systems that generate electricity from renewable sources on a small, localized scale, often near the point of use rather than at large, centralized power plants. Examples include rooftop solar panels, small-scale wind turbines, micro-hydropower, and biomass systems, which are commonly deployed in homes, businesses, rural areas, and off-grid […]

The New Collective Quantitative Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG) is a forthcoming financial commitment by developed countries to assist developing nations in addressing climate change. It is set to replace the previous target of $100 billion per year, established in 2009, which has been criticized for falling short in both scale and actual delivery. The NCQG aims […]

Carbon markets are systems where companies, governments, and other entities can trade carbon emission allowances or credits, essentially turning greenhouse gas emissions into a tradable commodity. The goal of these markets is to incentivize reduction of emissions by setting a cap on allowable emissions and creating financial incentives for entities to reduce their carbon output. […]

Will financial roadblocks continue to hinder conservation efforts? A big bone of contention at the COP16 was the mobilisation of resources to meet the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework target of $700 billion a year for biodiversity conservation by 2030, including $30 billion from developed countries. But pledges at COP16 totalled $163 million The 16th meeting […]

Kodo millet plants   /CPA (cyclopiazonic acid Why in News? According to the toxicology report of the 10 elephants that died at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, they had consumed a “large quantity” of kodo millet plants that were infected with a fungus. Presence cyclopiazonic acid was detected in all pooled samples. Approximate concentration of cyclopiazonic acid detected […]