Illinois environment officials want state Attorney General Lisa Madigan to force a railroad company to clean up contamination from last week's freight-train derailment and explosion near Rockford.
One motorist was killed and several others injured trying to escape the ensuing explosions and fire after a 114-car Canadian National Railroad train derailed last Friday.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency says up to 75,000 gallons of ethanol leaked into the ground and a nearby creek.
The agency wants the railroad to clean up any contamination and supply residents with safe drinking water if wells are polluted.
Officials also believe the spill killed fish in nearby rivers. If confirmed, they want the railroad to restock the waterways.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Climate Change Bill to Heat Up Senate
Word that the House has narrowly passed a (historic! landmark!) climate change bill that would employ a cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse gases in the United States to 83 percent below 2005 levels by mid-century, touches down on the front pages of each major paper and finds a top spot on most business news Web sites. The controversial bill now heads to the Senate, "where political divisions and regional differences are even more stark [than in the House]," according to the New York Times. Adds the Wall Street Journal, "The 1,200 page bill—formally known as the 'American Clean Energy and Security Act'—will reach into almost every corner of the U.S. economy. By putting a price on emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, the bill would affect the way electricity is generated, how homes and offices are designed, how foreign trade is conducted and how much Americans pay to drive cars or to heat their homes." The Congressional Budget Office estimates the measure would cost an average of $175 a year per household, Bloomberg says.
Cap-and-trade works by setting "a limit on overall emissions of heat-trapping gases while allowing utilities, manufacturers and other emitters to trade pollution permits, or allowances, among themselves. The cap would grow tighter over the years, pushing up the price of emissions and presumably driving industry to find cleaner ways of making energy," the NYT explains. Proponents of the bill, including Dow Chemical (DOW) and Ford (F), a slew of environmental clubs and the president himself, say the measure would create jobs while helping save the environment. Opponents
—chiefly House Republicans—argue that the bill is no more than a national energy tax that would, in fact, cause the economy to shed more jobs rather than gain them. Diana Furchtgott-Roth, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Labor, clearly lays out much of the opposition's view in a column published by Reuters, highlighting issues such as the lack of technology to meet the would-be requirements under the legislation: "Meeting these standards now is technologically impossible without radically reducing our standards of living, but Congress is hoping that technology will magically appear as needed." As well as the effect it would have on businesses: "Not only does the bill penalize American firms through higher costs, it gives firms a financial incentive to move abroad through 'offsets,' activities that supposedly lower carbon emissions elsewhere."
In the last court day before Bernard Madoff, 71, is sentenced in next week, U.S. prosecutors argued that he should get 150 years for conducting Wall Street's largest-ever fraud, or "a term of years that both would assure that Madoff will remain in prison for life," Reuters reports. In response, Madoff's lawyer, Ira Lee Sorkin, argued a sentence of 12 years "would be sufficient." Madoff plead guilty in March to 11 criminal charges. In other Madoff news, the WSJ reports that Ruth Madoff, Bernie's wife, has reached an agreement with federal prosecutors to cede her potential claim to more than $80 million worth of assets, instead keeping "just" $2.5 million in cash. The court has also issued an order for the family to forfeit $170 billion, "which represents the amount of money that prosecutors say flowed into his investment firm." However, the paper explains, "that massive amount is largely symbolic and simply an indication that prosecutors can tap any assets of Madoff's they can find." Over the years the $170 billion was used to pay investors' withdrawals and fund the Madoffs' "lavish lifestyle and that of some associates."
Regulators on Friday closed four small banks, bringing the total of bank closures this year to 44. That amount vastly surpasses last year's 25 failures and 2007's mere three, according to Reuters. But on a more positive note, the WSJ says small banks "are not shying away from TARP funds," casting a sharp contrast to the actions of Wall Street's biggest banks, which have rushed to pay back loans. Since May 31, 20 small banks have received a total of $164.1 million in taxpayer-funded capital, the paper says. With that, the banks are granting loans to local businesses and charities. "Analysts see no end in sight to the trend," according to the Journal. "The recession and borrowers are squeezing most of the 8,200 federally insured commercial banks and savings institutions in the U.S., so even a dollop of TARP funds could make a difference."
It appears, however, that not everyone is short on cash—or the need for advice from one of Wall Street's most sought-after sages. Yesterday, an unidentified bidder agreed to pay $1.68 million as part of a charity auction for a steak lunch with Warren Buffett. The auction marked the tenth year Buffett has participated, and the bid placed second among the most anyone has paid for the privilege. Last year's amount still holds the record at $2.11 million, which was forked over by Hong Kong-based investor Zhao Danyang. The starting price was $25,000. Winning bidders in the past have paid $650,100 (in 2007) and $620,100 (in 2006).The winner and up to seven friends may dine with Buffett at the Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in New York.
U.S. stocks fell last week, "giving the Standard & Poor's 500 Index the first two-week decline since March, after the highest American savings rate in 15 years spurred concern that consumer spending will slow and oil retreated," Bloomberg says. The savings rate surged to 6.9 percent, the highest level since December 1993. The S&P 500 dropped 0.2 percent to 918.88; the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 34.01 points, or 0.4 percent, to 8,438.39. The dollar lost ground on a call from China's central bank for a worldwide currency, slumping 0.7 percent. In addition to a hike in the savings rate, consumer spending in May rose for the first time since February "as federal stimulus measures boosted incomes, bolstering the view that the economy was close to emerging from recession," Reuters reports. Consumer spending, accounting for more than 70 percent of U.S. economic activity, rose 0.3 percent last month.
And finally, Wacko Jacko (Michael Jackson's erstwhile nickname) has left behind a financial mess, the NYT says in a look at the departed pop star's monetary situation. Although Jackson had made some shrewd business moves over the years—see the rights to the Beatles' catalogue—his accounts have dwindled in recent years "as he burned through millions of dollars to maintain his Neverland ranch, go on art-buying sprees and indulge in whimsies like traveling with a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles." Alvin Malnik, a former adviser to Jackson, the (maybe) executor of the pop star's estate, and the (definite) godfather of Prince Michael II, the youngest of Jackson's three children, tells the Times, "Michael never thought his personal finances were out of control. He never kept track of what he was spending. He would indiscriminately charter jets. He would buy paintings for $1.5 million. You couldn't do that every other week and expect your books to balance." What will become of Jackson's assets remains unknown.
According to the paper, Jackson is estimated to have raked in some $700 million in the '80s and on, though much of that has likely been spent. His debts, on the other hand, could reach up to $500 million. "His single biggest asset is a 50 percent share in Sony/ATV Music Publishing—which owns the rights to more than 200 Beatles songs, along with thousands of others—valued at more than $500 million, but he has about $300 million of debt against it held by Barclays, Jackson's biggest creditor. He also owns his own publishing catalog, called Mijac, which is estimated to be worth $50 million to $100 million, and has an unknown amount of debt attached," the Times writes.
Cap-and-trade works by setting "a limit on overall emissions of heat-trapping gases while allowing utilities, manufacturers and other emitters to trade pollution permits, or allowances, among themselves. The cap would grow tighter over the years, pushing up the price of emissions and presumably driving industry to find cleaner ways of making energy," the NYT explains. Proponents of the bill, including Dow Chemical (DOW) and Ford (F), a slew of environmental clubs and the president himself, say the measure would create jobs while helping save the environment. Opponents
—chiefly House Republicans—argue that the bill is no more than a national energy tax that would, in fact, cause the economy to shed more jobs rather than gain them. Diana Furchtgott-Roth, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Labor, clearly lays out much of the opposition's view in a column published by Reuters, highlighting issues such as the lack of technology to meet the would-be requirements under the legislation: "Meeting these standards now is technologically impossible without radically reducing our standards of living, but Congress is hoping that technology will magically appear as needed." As well as the effect it would have on businesses: "Not only does the bill penalize American firms through higher costs, it gives firms a financial incentive to move abroad through 'offsets,' activities that supposedly lower carbon emissions elsewhere."
In the last court day before Bernard Madoff, 71, is sentenced in next week, U.S. prosecutors argued that he should get 150 years for conducting Wall Street's largest-ever fraud, or "a term of years that both would assure that Madoff will remain in prison for life," Reuters reports. In response, Madoff's lawyer, Ira Lee Sorkin, argued a sentence of 12 years "would be sufficient." Madoff plead guilty in March to 11 criminal charges. In other Madoff news, the WSJ reports that Ruth Madoff, Bernie's wife, has reached an agreement with federal prosecutors to cede her potential claim to more than $80 million worth of assets, instead keeping "just" $2.5 million in cash. The court has also issued an order for the family to forfeit $170 billion, "which represents the amount of money that prosecutors say flowed into his investment firm." However, the paper explains, "that massive amount is largely symbolic and simply an indication that prosecutors can tap any assets of Madoff's they can find." Over the years the $170 billion was used to pay investors' withdrawals and fund the Madoffs' "lavish lifestyle and that of some associates."
Regulators on Friday closed four small banks, bringing the total of bank closures this year to 44. That amount vastly surpasses last year's 25 failures and 2007's mere three, according to Reuters. But on a more positive note, the WSJ says small banks "are not shying away from TARP funds," casting a sharp contrast to the actions of Wall Street's biggest banks, which have rushed to pay back loans. Since May 31, 20 small banks have received a total of $164.1 million in taxpayer-funded capital, the paper says. With that, the banks are granting loans to local businesses and charities. "Analysts see no end in sight to the trend," according to the Journal. "The recession and borrowers are squeezing most of the 8,200 federally insured commercial banks and savings institutions in the U.S., so even a dollop of TARP funds could make a difference."
It appears, however, that not everyone is short on cash—or the need for advice from one of Wall Street's most sought-after sages. Yesterday, an unidentified bidder agreed to pay $1.68 million as part of a charity auction for a steak lunch with Warren Buffett. The auction marked the tenth year Buffett has participated, and the bid placed second among the most anyone has paid for the privilege. Last year's amount still holds the record at $2.11 million, which was forked over by Hong Kong-based investor Zhao Danyang. The starting price was $25,000. Winning bidders in the past have paid $650,100 (in 2007) and $620,100 (in 2006).The winner and up to seven friends may dine with Buffett at the Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in New York.
U.S. stocks fell last week, "giving the Standard & Poor's 500 Index the first two-week decline since March, after the highest American savings rate in 15 years spurred concern that consumer spending will slow and oil retreated," Bloomberg says. The savings rate surged to 6.9 percent, the highest level since December 1993. The S&P 500 dropped 0.2 percent to 918.88; the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 34.01 points, or 0.4 percent, to 8,438.39. The dollar lost ground on a call from China's central bank for a worldwide currency, slumping 0.7 percent. In addition to a hike in the savings rate, consumer spending in May rose for the first time since February "as federal stimulus measures boosted incomes, bolstering the view that the economy was close to emerging from recession," Reuters reports. Consumer spending, accounting for more than 70 percent of U.S. economic activity, rose 0.3 percent last month.
And finally, Wacko Jacko (Michael Jackson's erstwhile nickname) has left behind a financial mess, the NYT says in a look at the departed pop star's monetary situation. Although Jackson had made some shrewd business moves over the years—see the rights to the Beatles' catalogue—his accounts have dwindled in recent years "as he burned through millions of dollars to maintain his Neverland ranch, go on art-buying sprees and indulge in whimsies like traveling with a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles." Alvin Malnik, a former adviser to Jackson, the (maybe) executor of the pop star's estate, and the (definite) godfather of Prince Michael II, the youngest of Jackson's three children, tells the Times, "Michael never thought his personal finances were out of control. He never kept track of what he was spending. He would indiscriminately charter jets. He would buy paintings for $1.5 million. You couldn't do that every other week and expect your books to balance." What will become of Jackson's assets remains unknown.
According to the paper, Jackson is estimated to have raked in some $700 million in the '80s and on, though much of that has likely been spent. His debts, on the other hand, could reach up to $500 million. "His single biggest asset is a 50 percent share in Sony/ATV Music Publishing—which owns the rights to more than 200 Beatles songs, along with thousands of others—valued at more than $500 million, but he has about $300 million of debt against it held by Barclays, Jackson's biggest creditor. He also owns his own publishing catalog, called Mijac, which is estimated to be worth $50 million to $100 million, and has an unknown amount of debt attached," the Times writes.
UPDATE:EU Govts Agree To Tighten Rules On Industrial Pollution
European Union governments agreed Thursday to tighten up limits to polluting emissions by large combustion plants, as they spur efforts to simplify rules and increase environment protection.
After lengthy and difficult discussions, we reached an agreement," said Ladislav Miko, the Czech environment minister who chaired the meeting. The deal was approved by a slight qualified majority, a diplomat close to the negotiations said.
Environment ministers of the 27 E.U. member countries decided at a meeting in Luxembourg that existing large combustion plants, such as power plants or installations in oil refineries and metal producers, would have to use state-of-the-art technologies to reduce their polluting emissions by 2020 at the latest, with a phasing-in period starting in 2016, a spokeswoman for the European Commission said.
New plants should do so two years after the implementation of the new rules, which is expected by 2010, she added.
The new rules will merge seven different existing pieces of legislation and also seek to limit the number of exemptions now in place for the 52,000 installations covered.
The rules, originally proposed by the European Commission at the end of 2007, regulate emissions such as sulfur and nitrogen compounds, dust particles and asbestos, in an effort to reduce air as well as water and soil pollution.
The European Parliament will have to approve the governments' agreement before it can become law. The Parliament, which has recently been reelected, has previously shown a commitment to lower thresholds than originally proposed, but adopted a tougher stance on eliminating exemptions.
After lengthy and difficult discussions, we reached an agreement," said Ladislav Miko, the Czech environment minister who chaired the meeting. The deal was approved by a slight qualified majority, a diplomat close to the negotiations said.
Environment ministers of the 27 E.U. member countries decided at a meeting in Luxembourg that existing large combustion plants, such as power plants or installations in oil refineries and metal producers, would have to use state-of-the-art technologies to reduce their polluting emissions by 2020 at the latest, with a phasing-in period starting in 2016, a spokeswoman for the European Commission said.
New plants should do so two years after the implementation of the new rules, which is expected by 2010, she added.
The new rules will merge seven different existing pieces of legislation and also seek to limit the number of exemptions now in place for the 52,000 installations covered.
The rules, originally proposed by the European Commission at the end of 2007, regulate emissions such as sulfur and nitrogen compounds, dust particles and asbestos, in an effort to reduce air as well as water and soil pollution.
The European Parliament will have to approve the governments' agreement before it can become law. The Parliament, which has recently been reelected, has previously shown a commitment to lower thresholds than originally proposed, but adopted a tougher stance on eliminating exemptions.
Filner Votes to Clean Air, Drinking Water, and Protect Natural Resources
Congressman Bob Filner has voted in favor of landmark legislation that will help to protect our air, clean up our waterways and restore our public lands. The Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act emphasizes reducing pollution in our air and water, cleaning up dangerous toxic waste sites, boosting the production of renewable fuels and encouraging energy efficiency. The bill also eliminates 6 programs and cuts funding for another 37 to maintain fiscal responsibility.
“This nation’s legacy lies in its magnificent natural resources,” said Rep. Filner. “And with this bill, we can make real progress to clean up our water sources, spur the use and production of clean, efficient energy and help restore the splendor of our lakes, forests and parks.”
The bill takes significant steps to reduce pollution in our water and air and provides aid to over 1,500 communities to improve their drinking water and wastewater systems. It also provides funding to clean up dangerous toxic waste sites and gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the tools it needs to study the impact of toxins and pollution on children.
“Our environment has a direct impact on the health and safety of our kids and our families,” said Rep. Filner. “By passing this legislation, we can make sure our kids are drinking clean water and breathing clean air. There is no higher priority than protecting their health.”
To support our national security objectives and economic recovery efforts, the legislation reduces our reliance on foreign oil and cuts the pollution caused by greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging consumer energy efficiency and the production of clean, renewable American energy. To help Americans save money and make wise environmental decisions, the bill allocates $50 million for the EPA’s successful Energy Star Program - which already saves consumers $14 billion a year in energy costs. The bill also dedicates funds towards the development of renewable clean energy sources on Federal lands and water.
“With this bill, we are making great strides towards meeting our goal of producing 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2022 and boosting research in new renewable energy sources,” said Rep. Filner. “The future of our country and our planet depends on the investments we make today, and I am proud to say that with the passage of this legislation and the Clean Energy Act, we can all look forward to a brighter future.”
“This nation’s legacy lies in its magnificent natural resources,” said Rep. Filner. “And with this bill, we can make real progress to clean up our water sources, spur the use and production of clean, efficient energy and help restore the splendor of our lakes, forests and parks.”
The bill takes significant steps to reduce pollution in our water and air and provides aid to over 1,500 communities to improve their drinking water and wastewater systems. It also provides funding to clean up dangerous toxic waste sites and gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the tools it needs to study the impact of toxins and pollution on children.
“Our environment has a direct impact on the health and safety of our kids and our families,” said Rep. Filner. “By passing this legislation, we can make sure our kids are drinking clean water and breathing clean air. There is no higher priority than protecting their health.”
To support our national security objectives and economic recovery efforts, the legislation reduces our reliance on foreign oil and cuts the pollution caused by greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging consumer energy efficiency and the production of clean, renewable American energy. To help Americans save money and make wise environmental decisions, the bill allocates $50 million for the EPA’s successful Energy Star Program - which already saves consumers $14 billion a year in energy costs. The bill also dedicates funds towards the development of renewable clean energy sources on Federal lands and water.
“With this bill, we are making great strides towards meeting our goal of producing 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2022 and boosting research in new renewable energy sources,” said Rep. Filner. “The future of our country and our planet depends on the investments we make today, and I am proud to say that with the passage of this legislation and the Clean Energy Act, we can all look forward to a brighter future.”
House Passes Historic Climate And Energy Bill
A climate bill, which would revolutionize the way the nation uses energy and cut industrial pollution deemed responsible for global warming, was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives Friday.
This major victory for President Barack Obama will force refiners, power plants and other businesses to cut their greenhouse-gas emissions.
The passing of such a controversial bill gives President Barack Obama and Democrats much to celebrate as a pivotal administration policy succeeds and gives Washington substantial leverage to bargain in international climate negotiations later this year. It is an historic bill as it marks the first vote by the U.S. Congress to mandate the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions.
"History was made here in the House of Representatives this evening," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said after the vote. "It's legislation that can take us into the future."
The climate change bill was voted through by 219-212 by the Democratic ruled House.
The vote was partisan, as were many this year, having only eight Republicans siding with the Democrats for the bill. Forty-four Democrats opposed the bill.
The seven-vote margin further emphasized the challenges the bill will face to be made law. It was difficult to get the law passed in the House, but the Senate will face even greater issues.
Many senators fear that their states will suffer far more than other states from increases in power prices. Senators were expected to try to write their own version but prospects for this year were uncertain.
But House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said that any changes the Senate makes will probably ease hesitant lawmakers in the House when both chambers begin to reconcile differences in the two versions.
After the House vote, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he hoped the Senate can pass a bill "this fall."
GA_googleFillSlotWithSize("ca-pub-5440138744487553", "News_Main_300x250", 300, 250);
Obama lauded the House for taking "historic action" and encouraged the Senate to act.
"It's a bold and necessary step that holds the promise of creating new industries and millions of new jobs, decreasing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil," Obama said.
Now that the House has acted, Obama will be able to boast substantial progress for the U.S. in contending with global warming after years of scrutiny from foreign countries saying that Washington is not contributing to the international effort.
The bill aims to cut greenhouse gases thought to contribute to global warming by 17% below 2005 levels by 2020 and more than 80% by mid-century. By cutting emissions while trying to create a market for buying and selling the rights to emit such gases, it will make emitting such gases as carbon dioxide and methane expensive, which in turn will raise the cost of energy production.
The bill will be a major setback for the oil industry while the renewable energy, biofuels and other low-carbon energy sectors will greatly benefit. ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Chevron and the American Petroleum Industry strongly disapprove of the bill, saying it would greatly harm an industry that has been the cornerstone of the economy for nearly a century.
The crux of the 1,500-page bill is a "cap and trade" program designed to meet the emissions reductions by industry.
The plan would mean that the government would issue fewer pollution permits to companies, which could sell those permits to each other as needed.
Republicans argue that the bill will not be effective in improving the environment or an economy trying to get its head above the deep waters of recession.
House Republican leader John Boehner called the measure "the biggest job-killing bill that has ever been on the floor of the House of Representatives."
Representative Joe Barton, the senior Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee that played a key role in the bill, believes it would set unrealistic goals for reducing carbon pollution. "You would have to reduce emissions in the United States to the level that we had in 1910," Barton said.
They both forecast price increases for energy and other consumer goods and more U.S. jobs being shipped abroad as companies circumvent pollution-control requirements.
Democrats, on the other hand, say consumers would be protected from price hikes for the most part.
During House debate, Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, the chief sponsor of the bill, said, "The scientists are telling us there's an overwhelming consensus ... global warming is real and it's moving very rapidly."
Massachusetts Representative Edward Markey, who wrote the bill with Waxman, added, "When it becomes law, and it will, for the first time in the history ... of our country we will put enforceable limits on global warming pollution."
Obama says the United States also has to work with developing countries to ensure that their "obligations are clear" on the fight against global warming.
China and the United States are the lead contributors of carbon pollution.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, said in a statement, "Although this bill is not perfect, it is a significant step in the national fight against climate change and it puts the United States in a position of leadership in international climate negotiations that must produce a global solution to this global problem."
California is known for having the most aggressive plan to fight global warming in the United States.
Many major environmental groups gave enthusiastic support for the bill, but some said it needed to be fortified.
"This bill is the most important environmental and energy legislation in the history of our country," said Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund.
Even though climate change is a global problem as it poses a major threat to polar ice caps and animal and plant species, a great amount of the debate in Congress focused on regional geography, setting Midwestern and Southern states that heavily rely on dirty coal against coastal areas that have a greater availability of clean energies.
This major victory for President Barack Obama will force refiners, power plants and other businesses to cut their greenhouse-gas emissions.
The passing of such a controversial bill gives President Barack Obama and Democrats much to celebrate as a pivotal administration policy succeeds and gives Washington substantial leverage to bargain in international climate negotiations later this year. It is an historic bill as it marks the first vote by the U.S. Congress to mandate the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions.
"History was made here in the House of Representatives this evening," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said after the vote. "It's legislation that can take us into the future."
The climate change bill was voted through by 219-212 by the Democratic ruled House.
The vote was partisan, as were many this year, having only eight Republicans siding with the Democrats for the bill. Forty-four Democrats opposed the bill.
The seven-vote margin further emphasized the challenges the bill will face to be made law. It was difficult to get the law passed in the House, but the Senate will face even greater issues.
Many senators fear that their states will suffer far more than other states from increases in power prices. Senators were expected to try to write their own version but prospects for this year were uncertain.
But House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said that any changes the Senate makes will probably ease hesitant lawmakers in the House when both chambers begin to reconcile differences in the two versions.
After the House vote, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he hoped the Senate can pass a bill "this fall."
GA_googleFillSlotWithSize("ca-pub-5440138744487553", "News_Main_300x250", 300, 250);
Obama lauded the House for taking "historic action" and encouraged the Senate to act.
"It's a bold and necessary step that holds the promise of creating new industries and millions of new jobs, decreasing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil," Obama said.
Now that the House has acted, Obama will be able to boast substantial progress for the U.S. in contending with global warming after years of scrutiny from foreign countries saying that Washington is not contributing to the international effort.
The bill aims to cut greenhouse gases thought to contribute to global warming by 17% below 2005 levels by 2020 and more than 80% by mid-century. By cutting emissions while trying to create a market for buying and selling the rights to emit such gases, it will make emitting such gases as carbon dioxide and methane expensive, which in turn will raise the cost of energy production.
The bill will be a major setback for the oil industry while the renewable energy, biofuels and other low-carbon energy sectors will greatly benefit. ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Chevron and the American Petroleum Industry strongly disapprove of the bill, saying it would greatly harm an industry that has been the cornerstone of the economy for nearly a century.
The crux of the 1,500-page bill is a "cap and trade" program designed to meet the emissions reductions by industry.
The plan would mean that the government would issue fewer pollution permits to companies, which could sell those permits to each other as needed.
Republicans argue that the bill will not be effective in improving the environment or an economy trying to get its head above the deep waters of recession.
House Republican leader John Boehner called the measure "the biggest job-killing bill that has ever been on the floor of the House of Representatives."
Representative Joe Barton, the senior Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee that played a key role in the bill, believes it would set unrealistic goals for reducing carbon pollution. "You would have to reduce emissions in the United States to the level that we had in 1910," Barton said.
They both forecast price increases for energy and other consumer goods and more U.S. jobs being shipped abroad as companies circumvent pollution-control requirements.
Democrats, on the other hand, say consumers would be protected from price hikes for the most part.
During House debate, Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, the chief sponsor of the bill, said, "The scientists are telling us there's an overwhelming consensus ... global warming is real and it's moving very rapidly."
Massachusetts Representative Edward Markey, who wrote the bill with Waxman, added, "When it becomes law, and it will, for the first time in the history ... of our country we will put enforceable limits on global warming pollution."
Obama says the United States also has to work with developing countries to ensure that their "obligations are clear" on the fight against global warming.
China and the United States are the lead contributors of carbon pollution.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, said in a statement, "Although this bill is not perfect, it is a significant step in the national fight against climate change and it puts the United States in a position of leadership in international climate negotiations that must produce a global solution to this global problem."
California is known for having the most aggressive plan to fight global warming in the United States.
Many major environmental groups gave enthusiastic support for the bill, but some said it needed to be fortified.
"This bill is the most important environmental and energy legislation in the history of our country," said Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund.
Even though climate change is a global problem as it poses a major threat to polar ice caps and animal and plant species, a great amount of the debate in Congress focused on regional geography, setting Midwestern and Southern states that heavily rely on dirty coal against coastal areas that have a greater availability of clean energies.
2M Americans Face Heightened Cancer Risks From Air Pollution, EPA Says
Two million Americans face increased cancer risks of greater than 100 in a million from exposure to toxic air pollution, according to a U.EPA estimates that all 285 million U.S. residents have an increased cancer risk of greater than 10 in a million from exposure to air toxics. The average cancer risk, based on 2002 pollution levels, is 36 in a million.
The agency has asserted that levels above a 100-in-a-million risk level are generally unacceptable.
The data comes from a county-by-county analysis of toxic air pollution released today in a survey known as the National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA). The report covers 181 air toxics and diesel particulate matter and estimates risks from exposure to emissions from industrial sources and mobile sources such as cars and trucks.
"The implication for me is we still have a long way to go to reduce toxic air pollution to protect the public," said John Walke, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "It still shows an unacceptable number of Americans being exposed to cancer risk solely attributed to air pollution on top of all the other risks from smoking and indoor air pollution and other risks."
Mobile emissions account for about 30 percent of the overall cancer risk, the study found. The majority of that risk comes from benzene, a carcinogen that is released into the air by burning coal and oil. Gasoline service stations and motor vehicle exhaust also release benzene.
Other contributors to cancer risks include local industry emissions, which make up about 25 percent of the average overall risk, and "background" pollutants with no known emission sources. Those "background" toxics, including carbon tetrachloride, account for the remaining 45 percent of overall cancer risk.
The study is based on 2002 data and is the first such document released by EPA since 2006, when the agency analyzed 1999 data. The new report does not account for changes in air quality since 2002. The agency has already begun work on the next such analysis that will focus on 2005 emissions inventory data.S. EPA report released today.
The agency has asserted that levels above a 100-in-a-million risk level are generally unacceptable.
The data comes from a county-by-county analysis of toxic air pollution released today in a survey known as the National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA). The report covers 181 air toxics and diesel particulate matter and estimates risks from exposure to emissions from industrial sources and mobile sources such as cars and trucks.
"The implication for me is we still have a long way to go to reduce toxic air pollution to protect the public," said John Walke, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "It still shows an unacceptable number of Americans being exposed to cancer risk solely attributed to air pollution on top of all the other risks from smoking and indoor air pollution and other risks."
Mobile emissions account for about 30 percent of the overall cancer risk, the study found. The majority of that risk comes from benzene, a carcinogen that is released into the air by burning coal and oil. Gasoline service stations and motor vehicle exhaust also release benzene.
Other contributors to cancer risks include local industry emissions, which make up about 25 percent of the average overall risk, and "background" pollutants with no known emission sources. Those "background" toxics, including carbon tetrachloride, account for the remaining 45 percent of overall cancer risk.
The study is based on 2002 data and is the first such document released by EPA since 2006, when the agency analyzed 1999 data. The new report does not account for changes in air quality since 2002. The agency has already begun work on the next such analysis that will focus on 2005 emissions inventory data.S. EPA report released today.
Environmental Pollution
The environmental problems in India are growing rapidly. The increasing economic development and a rapidly growing population that has taken the country from 300 million people in 1947 to over one billion people today is putting a strain on the environment, infrastructure, and the country’s natural resources. Industrial pollution, soil erosion, deforestation, rapid industrialization, urbanization, and land degradation are all worsening problems. Overexploitation of the country's resources be it land or water and the industrialization process has resulted in considerable environmental degradation of resources.
Environmental Pollution News Environment Laws in India The skies over North India are seasonally filled with a thick soup of aerosol particles all along the southern edge of the Himalayas, Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. - NASA research findings. Fire, Haze -Northwest India (NASA)
The cost of environmental damage in India would shave 4 percent off of the country's gross domestic product. Lost productivity from death and disease due to environmental pollution are the primary culprits. The government agency responsible for environmental affairs is the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). Coping with India’s industrial pollution is perhaps the agency’s top priority. MoEF recognizes the need to strike a balance between development and protecting the environment in administering and enforcing the country’s environmental laws and policies. The government heightened the Ministry’s powers with the passage of the 1986 Environment Protection Act. This act built on the 42nd amendment to India's constitution in 1976 that gave the government the right to step in and protect public health, forests, and wildlife. This amendment however had little power as it contained a clause that stated it was not enforceable by any court. India is the first country in the world to pass an amendment to its constitution ostensibly protecting the environment.
Industrial pollution Fog due to air pollution
Air Pollution There are four reasons of air pollution are - emissions from vehicles, thermal power plants, industries and refineries. The problem of indoor air pollution in rural areas and urban slums has assumed significant attention lately. India’s environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation. Coal supplies more than half of the country’s energy needs and is used for nearly three-quarters of electricity generation. While India is fortunate to have abundant reserves of coal to power economic development, the burning of this resource, especially given the high ash content of India’s coal, has come at a cost in terms of heightened public risk and environmental degradation. Reliance on coal as the major energy source has led to a nine-fold jump in carbon emissions over the past forty years. The government estimates the cost of environmental degradation has been running at 4.5% of GDP in recent years.The low energy efficiency of power plants that burn coal is a contributing factor. India's coal plants are old and are not outfitted with the most modern pollution controls. Given the shortage of generating capacity and scarcity of public funds, these old coal-fired plants will remain in operation for sometime. Power plant modernization to improve the plant load factor, improvements in sub-transmission and distribution to cut distribution losses, and new legislation to encourage end user energy conservation were all mentioned as part of the energy efficiency effort. The government has taken steps to address its environmental problems. As of now the use of washed coal is required for all power plants. Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70% of the country’s air pollution. The major problem with government efforts to safeguard the environment has been enforcement at the local level, not with a lack of laws. Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India. Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago; industrial pollution has risen four times over the same period. The economy has grown two and a half times over the past two decades but pollution control and civil services have not kept pace. Air quality is worst in the big cities like Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, etc. Bangalore holds the title of being the asthma capital of the country. Studies estimate that 10 per cent of Bangalore’s 60 lakh population and over 50 per cent of its children below 18 years suffer from air pollution-related ailments. CHENNAI: Exhaust from vehicles, dust from construction debris, industrial waste, burning of municipal and garden waste are all on the rise in the city. So are respiratory diseases, including asthma. At least six of the 10 top causes of death are related to respiratory disease, says Dr D Ranganathan, director (in-charge), Institute of Thoracic Medicine. Mumbai: Not only are levels of Suspended Particulate Matter above permissible limits in Mumbai, but the worst pollutant after vehicular emissions has grown at an alarming rate. The levels of Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM), or dust, in Mumbai’s air have continued to increase over the past three years. The air pollution in Mumbai is so high that Mumbai authorities have purchased 42,000 litres of perfume to spray on the city’s enormous waste dumps at Deonar and Mulund landfill sites after people living near the landfill sites complained of the stench. The Deonar landfill site, one of India’s largest, was first used by the British in 1927. Today, the festering pile covers more than 120 hectares and is eight story's high. These cities are on the World Health Organization's list of top most polluted cities. Vehicle exhaust, untreated smoke, and untreated water all contribute to the problem. Continued economic growth, urbanization, and an increase in the number of vehicles, together with lax enforcement of environmental laws, will result in further increases in pollution levels. Concern with New Delhi's air quality got so bad that the Supreme Court recently stepped in and placed a limit on the number of new car registrations in the capital. The effects of air pollution are obvious: rice crop yields in southern India are falling as brown clouds block out more and more sunlight. And the brilliant white of the famous Taj Mahal is slowly fading to a sickly yellow. In the famous “Tajmahal Case” a very strong step was taken by Supreme Court to save the Tajmahal Case being polluted by fumes and more than 200 factories were closed down. In the case of Shatistar of 1990, AIR 1990 SC 630 (pp.8 to 13), Supreme Court declared in a clear tone that a citizen has right for a decent environment in his living area.
Poison in the air due to Power plants. In India, air pollution is estimated to cause, at the very minimum, 1 lakh excess deaths and 25 million excesses illnesses every year. Poison in the air due to vehicle emissions The brilliant white of the Taj Mahal is slowly fading to a sickly yellow. In the famous “Tajmahal Case” a very strong step was taken by Supreme Court to save the Taj Mahal Case being polluted by fumes and more than 200 factories were closed down. Multi-storeyed residential buildings stand behind an expanse of slums in Mumbai Mumbai authorities have purchased 42,000 litres of perfume recently to spray on the city’s enormous waste dumps at Deonar and Mulund landfill sites
River water Pollution Fully 80 percent of urban waste in India ends up in the country's rivers, and unchecked urban growth across the country combined with poor government oversight means the problem is only getting worse. A growing number of bodies of water in India are unfit for human use, and in the River Ganga, holy to the country's 82 percent Hindu majority, is dying slowly due to unchecked pollution. New Delhi's body of water is little more than a flowing garbage dump, with fully 57 percent of the city's waste finding its way to the Yamuna. It is that three billion liters of waste are pumped into Delhi's Yamuna (River Yamuna) each day. Only 55 percent of the 15 million Delhi residents are connected to the city's sewage system. The remainder flush their bath water, waste water and just about everything else down pipes and into drains, most of them empty into the Yamuna. According to the Centre for Science and Environment, between 75 and 80 percent of the river's pollution is the result of raw sewage. Combined with industrial runoff, the garbage thrown into the river and it totals over 3 billion liters of waste per day. Nearly 20 billion rupees, or almost US $500 million, has been spent on various clean up efforts. The frothy brew is so glaring that it can be viewed on Google Earth. Much of the river pollution problem in India comes from untreated sewage. Samples taken recently from the Ganges River near Varanasi show that levels of fecal coliform, a dangerous bacterium that comes from untreated sewage, were some 3,000 percent higher than what is considered safe for bathing.
Agara city's waste finding its way to the River Yamuna
Groundwater exploitation Groundwater exploitation is a serious matter of concern today and legislations and policy measures taken till date, by the state governments (water is a state subject) have not had the desired effect on the situation. Plastic Pollution Plastic bags, plastic thin sheets and plastic waste is also a major source of pollution. See in detail: Plastic Bag Pollution in the country Municipal solid waste India’s urban population slated to increase from the current 330 million to about 600 million by 2030, the challenge of managing municipal solid waste (MSW) in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner is bound to assume gigantic proportions. The country has over 5,000 cities and towns, which generate about 40 million tonnes of MSW per year today. Going by estimates of The Energy Research Institute (TERI), this could well touch 260 million tonnes per year by 2047. Municipal solid waste is solid waste generated by households, commercial establishments and offices and does not include the industrial or agricultural waste. Municipal solid waste management is more of an administrative and institutional mechanism failure problem rather than a technological one. Until now, MSW management has been considered to be almost the sole responsibility of urban governments, without the participation of citizens and other stakeholders. The Centre and the Supreme Court, however, have urged that this issue be addressed with multiple stakeholder participation. Cities in India spend approximately 20% of the city budget on solid waste services. Pollution due to Mining New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on December 29, 2007 said mining was causing displacement, pollution, forest degradation and social unrest. The CSE released its 356-page sixth State of India’s Environment report, ‘Rich Lands Poor People, is sustainable mining possible?’ According to the Centre for Science and Environment ( CSE) report the top 50 mineral producing districts, as many as 34 fall under the 150 most backward districts identified in the country. The CSE report has made extensive analysis of environment degradation and pollution due to mining, wherein it has said, in 2005-06 alone 1.6 billion tonnes of waste and overburden from coal, iron ore, limestone and bauxite have added to environment pollution. With the annual growth of mining at 10.7 per cent and 500-odd mines awaiting approval of the Centre, the pollution would increase manifold in the coming years. In Orissa state, in the next five to 10 years, Jharsuguda will be home to production of 3.1 million tonne aluminum. This, however, will generate 3,100 tonne of fluoride every year. Similarly, the State is gearing up for power projects - mostly coal-based - targeting 20,000 mega watt energy. This will require 3.2 lakh tonne of coal daily which in turn can lead to generation of 1,200 tonne ash a day. Besides, there is emission of sulphur dioxide. The emissions at Jharsuguda alone will be higher than that of all refineries in India put together. Jharsuguda will also see 12 million tonne steel annually being produced when the projects go on stream. This will mean generation of 20 million tonne of solid waste every year. In Jharkhand there are abundant coalmines, most of the coalmines are situated in Hazaribag, Chatra, Palamau, Rajmahal, Dhanbad and Ranchi district. Mighty Damodar River and its tributaries flow through these coalmines. Due to extensive coal mining and vigorous growth of industries in this area water resources have been badly contaminated. The habitants have, however, been compromising by taking contaminated and sometimes polluted water, as there is no alternative source of safe drinking water. Thus, a sizeable populace suffers from water borne diseases. Besides mining, coal based industries like coal washeries, coke oven plants, coal fired thermal power plants, steel plants and other related industries in the region also greatly impart towards degradation of the environmental equality and the human health. Pollution due to biomedical waste Pollution due to biomedical waste is likely to spread disease dangerous to life and making atmosphere noxious to health. On February 27, 2009 Modasa’s in Gujarat deadly hepatitis-B trail has led investigators to a major medical waste recycling racket in Ahmedabad’s own backyard where a whopping 50 tonne biological waste, including syringes, needles, IV sets and vials, was impounded. This illegally procured waste stored in godowns could expose the city and the whole state to the threat of not just hepatitis-B but other deadly infections spread through intravenal treatments. Usually such waste has to be segregated and destroyed in an incinerator. But the huge quantity of waste found in the godowns were being probably repackaged and sold. Delhi's air is choking with pollutant PM 2.5 PM 2.5 is only 2.5 microns in diameter is very very small particle. The diameter of a human hair strand is around 40-120. Being so small, it escapes emission apparatus prescribed by Euro II and III. Any kind of combustion, especially of vehicular origin, contains this particle. If PM 2.5 is not regulated it will ensure major health hazards. The number of Asthma patients will rise and in future there may huge rise of lung cancer cases also. The toxic value of PM 2.5 is such that metals like lead present in the PM 2.5 get inhaled deeper into lungs which deposits there. The children are most affected by depositing lead due to inhaling the poisonous air. The increasing amount of PM 2.5 is like a poison in the air we breathe. Researchers believe particulates, or tiny particles of soot, interfere with the respiratory system because they are so small they can be breathed deeply into the lungs. Toxic smog is set to engulf New Delhi once again this winter after a six-year respite because of the huge number of new cars clogging the roads. New Delhi adds nearly 1,000 new cars a day to the existing four million registered in the city, almost twice as many as before 2000. Pollution levels are up to 350 micrograms per cubic metre in 2006-2007 and the levels of nitrogen oxides have been increasing in the city to dangerous levels, which is a clear sign of pollution from vehicles. Of these it is the diesel cars that are responsible for the pollution. Diesel- run vehicles constituted just two percent of the total number of cars on Delhi's roads seven years ago compared to more than 30 percent today and a projected 50 percent by 2010.Diesel is being increasingly used because it is a cheaper fuel. Diesel emissions can trigger asthma and in the long run even cause lung cancer. A survey by the Central Pollution Control Board and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences survey showed that a majority of people living in Delhi suffered from eye irritation, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath and poor lung functioning. One in 10 people have asthma in Delhi. Worse, the winter months bring respiratory attacks and wheezing to many non-asthmatics who are old, who smoke, have respiratory infections or chronic bronchitis. Across the national capital and its suburbs, polluted air is killing people, bringing down the quality of life, and leaving people feeling ill and tired. Some studies show children are among the worst-affected by the dense haze that often shrouds the city, and doctors frequently tell parents to keep their children indoors when smog levels are particularly high. In a survey of almost 12,000 city schoolchildren late last year, 17 percent reported coughing, wheezing or breathlessness, compared to just eight percent of children in a rural area. Greenhouse Gas Emissions India emits the fifth most carbon of any country in the world. At 253 million metric tons, only the U.S., China, Russia, and Japan surpassed its level of carbon emissions in 1998. Carbon emissions have grown nine-fold over the past forty years. In this Industrial Age, with the ever-expanding consumption of hydrocarbon fuels and the resultant increase in carbon dioxide emissions, that greenhouse gas concentrations have reached levels causing climate change. Going forward, carbon emissions are forecast to grow 3.2% per annum until 2020. To put this in perspective, carbon emissions levels are estimated to increase by 3.9% for China and by 1.3% for the United States. India is a non-Annex I country under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and as such, is not required to reduce its carbon emissions. An historical summary of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel use in India is increasing rapidly and causes global warming. All inhabitants of our planet have an equal right to the atmosphere, but the industrialized countries have greatly exceeded their fair, per-capita share of the planet’s atmospheric resources and have induced climate change. The most developed countries possess the capital, technological and human resources required for successful adaptation, while in the developing countries, a large proportion of the population is engaged in traditional farming, that is particularly vulnerable to the changes in temperature, rainfall and extreme weather events associated with climate change. According to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol , the most industrialized countries are mainly responsible for causing climate change. Thus equity requires that they should sharply reduce their emissions in order to arrest further climate change and allow other countries access to their fair share of atmospheric resources in order to develop. Pollution of Indian Seas The first sophisticated Pollution Control Vessel to patrol the seas for oil spills and other environmental exigencies is likely to be ready by October, 2008, Vice Admiral Rusi Contractor, Director-General, Indian Coast Guard, said in the 11th National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOSDCP) preparedness meeting on April 23, 2008. Mr. Contractor said the proposed induction of at least three specialised vessels by mid- 2009 would shorten the response time to an emergency. The Coast Guard chief highlighted the importance of enforcement of maritime laws. He said 90 per cent of trade was essentially sea-borne and substantial numbers of vessels were old and un-seaworthy or single-hull vessels and raised the risk of significant pollution of Indian waters. He said pollution remedy measures were being thought of following the various international conventions on environmental pollution that would also include exhaust and greenhouse gas emissions from ships and energy efficiency certification. He pointed out that none of 10 accidents involving vessels during 2007 in Indian waters had resulted in an oil spill. NASA research findings Latest research findings by NASA and Stanford University indicate that aerosol pollution will slow down winds, impacting normal rainfall pattern in tropical countries. The unique combination of meteorology, landscape (relatively flat plains framed by the Himalayas to the north and open ocean to the south), and the large population maximize the effects of aerosol pollution in India. The skies over North India are seasonally filled with a thick soup of aerosol particles all along the southern edge of the Himalayas, streaming southward over Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. Most of this air pollution comes from human activities. Accumulation of aerosol particles in the atmosphere also makes clouds last longer without releasing rain. This is because atmospheric water forms deposits on naturally occurring particles, like dust, to form clouds. But if there is pollution in the atmosphere, the water has to deposit on more particles. Thus it causes lesser rain.
Environmental Pollution and chronic diseases In an Indo-US joint workshop, on September 05, 2008 at Chandigarh, Prof S K Jindal said it has been globally recognised that environmental factors, have important links with infectious as well as non-infectious diseases of both acute and chronic nature. “The WHO estimates that 24 per cent of global disease burden and 23 per cent of all deaths can be attributed to environmental factors. The burden is more on the developing than the developed countries.” He said: “In developing countries, an estimated 42 per cent of acute lower respiratory infections are caused by environmental factors.” The major burden of these hazards is borne by the lungs. Bronchial asthma and other allergies; chronic obstructive lung disease, respiratory infections including tuberculosis and occupational lung diseases are some of the common problems with a strong environmental risk which, account for a large disease burden all over the world, including in India. “There is a need for extensive studies to gauge the effects of environmental factors on the human health.” According to New England Journal of Medicine, 2007, even a short exposure to traffic fumes can increase your chances of heart disease, including heart attack. People who exercise in areas where there is heavy traffic may be especially at risk, researchers say.
Invasive alien species Invasive alien species are species whose introduction and/or spread outside their natural habitats threatens biological diversity. They occur in all groups, including animals, plants, fungi, bacteria and viruses, and can affect all types of ecosystems. They can directly affect human health. Infectious diseases are often traced to IAS imported by travellers or vectored by exotic species of birds, rodents and insects. IAS also have indirect health effects on humans as a result of the use of pesticides and herbicides, which pollute water and soil. They may look harmless but are dangerous, mainly causing flu, allergies, respiratory disorders and even infertility among humans and animals. Sometimes they manifest themselves as bird flu and at other times as foot-and-mouth disease and mad cow disease and lead to massive destruction of livestock populations. The biggest casualty of such species has been our rich biodiversity, and threats to food security. MIKANIA MICRANTHA, is of the most prominent invasive aliens in India.It is a major threat in many parts of the country, it grows 8 to 9 cm a day and muzzles small plants and chokes larger trees such as coconut and oil palm. Parthenium: Parthenium Hystrophorous a poisonous plant The parthenium now occupies 50 lakh hectares in the country and has become a major health hazard for people and animals. PROSOPIS JULIFLORA: Vilayati babul(prosopis juliflora) was introduced in India in the last century as a very promising species for the afforestation of dry and degraded land. But over the years, it has emerged as a noxious invader that can grow in diverse ecosystems, enable it to wipe out other plant species in its surroundings.
Parthenium Hystrophorous
Anti-Pollution Uniform by Schools The hundreds of youngsters, ranging from age five to 18, who trooped into the Park Street campus of Apeejay School, Kolkata faces covered in anti-pollution masks in April is now a regular routine. “It is part of our school uniform now. It will protect us from the pollution that is killing the children of Kolkata,” said a student. The anti-pollution mask has been made a part of the uniform from this academic session by Apeejay School in a bid to safeguard the health of its students and boost attendance. “We realised that a lot of our students had health problems that kept them away from school. Watery eyes, blocked noses or breathing problems, it all stems from pollution and we realised that we needed to do something to help ourselves,”said the principal and administrator, Reeta Chatterjee.
Students entering school in blue-and-white uniform, with a yellow mask covering mouth and nose.
The most polluted places in India Vapi in Gujarat and Sukinda in Orrisa is among the world's top 10 most polluted places, according to the Blacksmith Institute, a New York-based nonprofit group. Vapi : Potentially affected people: 71,000 -Pollutants: Chemicals and heavy metals due to its Industrial estates. Sukinda: Potentially affected people: 2,600,000. -Pollutants: Hexavalent chromium due to its Chromite mines. The most polluted cities in India As many as 51 Indian cities have extremely high air pollution, Lucknow, Raipur, Faridabad and Ahmedabad topping the list. An environment and forest ministry report, released on September 14, 2007 has identified 51 cities that do not meet the prescribed Respirable Particulate Matter (RSPM) levels, specified under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). In 2005, an Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) placed India at 101st position among 146 countries. Taking a cue from the finding, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) formulated NAAQS and checked the air quality, which led to the revelation about air quality in leading cities. According to the report, Gobindgarh in Punjab is the most polluted city, and Ludhiana, Raipur and Lucknow hold the next three positions. Faridabad on the outskirt of Delhi is the 10th most polluted city, followed by Agra, the city of Taj Mahal. Ahmedabad is placed 12th, Indore 16th, Delhi 22nd, Kolkata 25th, Mumbai 40th, Hyderabad 44th and Bangalore stands at 46th in the list. The Orissa town of Angul, home to National Aluminium Company (NALCO), is the 50th polluted city of the country.Emissions of gaseous pollutants: satellite data Scientists and researchers from around the world gathered at ESRIN, ESA’s Earth Observation Centre in Frascati, Italy, recently to discuss the contribution of satellite data in monitoring nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere. Using nitrogen dioxide (NO2) data acquired from 1996 to 2006 by the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) instrument aboard ESA’s ERS-2 satellite, Nitrous oxide emissions over India is growing at an annual rate of 5.5 percent/year. The location of emission hot spots correlates well with the location of mega thermal power plants, mega cities, urban and industrial regions. Emissions of gaseous pollutants have increased in India over the past two decades. According to Dr Sachin Ghude of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), rapid industrialization, urbanization and traffic growth are most likely responsible for the increase. Because of varying consumption patterns and growth rates, the distribution of emissions vary widely across India. Is nuclear energy a solution of global warming? India a country of 1.1 billion people currently gets only a fraction of its electricity from nuclear power. Now the US atomic trade pact with India and an atomic energy pact with France, India can fight global warming with clean nuclear energy. Nuclear energy has been recognized as a clean as CO2 to the atmosphere after its reaction that could damage our environment. It's also known that nuclear energy has reduced the amount of greenhouse gas emission, reducing emissions of CO2for about 500 million metric tons of carbon. Despite the advantage of nuclear as a clean energy, the big concern is the waste resulted from nuclear reaction, which is a form of pollution, called radioactivity. Nuclear waste is also a problem with nuclear power, in that spent nuclear fuel has no safe place to be stored right now. Perhaps the greatest problem with nuclear power is the price to taxpayers. Each new nuclear plant built in the United States will cost at least one billion dollars in federal subsidies. Reduce pollutions: suggestions Reduce tax on incomes and institute a tax on pollution was a suggestion environmental crusader Al Gore had for India to tackle the issue of global warming effectively. "Reduce tax on employees and employers and put a tax on pollution. The more carbon dioxide one emits the more he pays in taxes," said Gore in an interactive session at the India Today Conclave here on March 16, 2008. Replying to a question by Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma, Gore also suggested subsidising clean energy generation instead of carbon fuels like kerosene. AGRA, December 12, 2008: Now Tulsi an ayurveda wisdom to help Taj Majal retain its pristine allure. The forest department has come up with a quick-fix project -- plant a Tulsi drive in Agra. The recommended complexion care regimen, officers claim, has full backing from ancient texts which hold Tulsi to be the panacea for all problems from cosmic to cosmetic. The department is all set to launch the Tulsi plantation drive from January 2009. The public-private joint venture is expected to provide an eco-protection cover to sensitive Taj trapezium zone surrounding the 17th century monument as well as the other two world heritage monuments -- Agra Fort and Aitma-ud-Daula tomb. Tulsi (Occinum sanctum) chosen for its anti-pollutant anti-oxidation and air-purifying properties making it an ideal ornamental shrub in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal. By the initiatives of the Delhi Metro and the Delhi Bicycling Club, which encourage people to use bicycles for short distances, pedaling a cycle is increasingly and becoming routine for people. On bicycle, one can change destination without hassles and it’s cheap.Taking to pedal, Delhiites choose an eco-friendly saddle.
ETP dicharge at Vapi Worst 5 Indian power companies in terms of total emission of CO2 -NTPC LTD.-Maharastra State Power Gen Co.- Gujrat Urja Vikas Nigam- Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut- Andhra Pradesh Power Gen Corp. Nuclear power plants in India Tulsi (Holy Basil) chosen for its anti- pollutant anti-oxidation and air-purifying properties making it an ideal ornamental shrub in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal. Choose an eco- friendly bicycle for short distance.
The environmental problems in India are growing rapidly. The increasing economic development and a rapidly growing population that has taken the country from 300 million people in 1947 to over one billion people today is putting a strain on the environment, infrastructure, and the country’s natural resources. Industrial pollution, soil erosion, deforestation, rapid industrialization, urbanization, and land degradation are all worsening problems. Overexploitation of the country's resources be it land or water and the industrialization process has resulted in considerable environmental degradation of resources.
Environmental Pollution News Environment Laws in India The skies over North India are seasonally filled with a thick soup of aerosol particles all along the southern edge of the Himalayas, Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. - NASA research findings. Fire, Haze -Northwest India (NASA)
The cost of environmental damage in India would shave 4 percent off of the country's gross domestic product. Lost productivity from death and disease due to environmental pollution are the primary culprits. The government agency responsible for environmental affairs is the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). Coping with India’s industrial pollution is perhaps the agency’s top priority. MoEF recognizes the need to strike a balance between development and protecting the environment in administering and enforcing the country’s environmental laws and policies. The government heightened the Ministry’s powers with the passage of the 1986 Environment Protection Act. This act built on the 42nd amendment to India's constitution in 1976 that gave the government the right to step in and protect public health, forests, and wildlife. This amendment however had little power as it contained a clause that stated it was not enforceable by any court. India is the first country in the world to pass an amendment to its constitution ostensibly protecting the environment.
Industrial pollution Fog due to air pollution
Air Pollution There are four reasons of air pollution are - emissions from vehicles, thermal power plants, industries and refineries. The problem of indoor air pollution in rural areas and urban slums has assumed significant attention lately. India’s environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation. Coal supplies more than half of the country’s energy needs and is used for nearly three-quarters of electricity generation. While India is fortunate to have abundant reserves of coal to power economic development, the burning of this resource, especially given the high ash content of India’s coal, has come at a cost in terms of heightened public risk and environmental degradation. Reliance on coal as the major energy source has led to a nine-fold jump in carbon emissions over the past forty years. The government estimates the cost of environmental degradation has been running at 4.5% of GDP in recent years.The low energy efficiency of power plants that burn coal is a contributing factor. India's coal plants are old and are not outfitted with the most modern pollution controls. Given the shortage of generating capacity and scarcity of public funds, these old coal-fired plants will remain in operation for sometime. Power plant modernization to improve the plant load factor, improvements in sub-transmission and distribution to cut distribution losses, and new legislation to encourage end user energy conservation were all mentioned as part of the energy efficiency effort. The government has taken steps to address its environmental problems. As of now the use of washed coal is required for all power plants. Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70% of the country’s air pollution. The major problem with government efforts to safeguard the environment has been enforcement at the local level, not with a lack of laws. Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India. Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago; industrial pollution has risen four times over the same period. The economy has grown two and a half times over the past two decades but pollution control and civil services have not kept pace. Air quality is worst in the big cities like Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, etc. Bangalore holds the title of being the asthma capital of the country. Studies estimate that 10 per cent of Bangalore’s 60 lakh population and over 50 per cent of its children below 18 years suffer from air pollution-related ailments. CHENNAI: Exhaust from vehicles, dust from construction debris, industrial waste, burning of municipal and garden waste are all on the rise in the city. So are respiratory diseases, including asthma. At least six of the 10 top causes of death are related to respiratory disease, says Dr D Ranganathan, director (in-charge), Institute of Thoracic Medicine. Mumbai: Not only are levels of Suspended Particulate Matter above permissible limits in Mumbai, but the worst pollutant after vehicular emissions has grown at an alarming rate. The levels of Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM), or dust, in Mumbai’s air have continued to increase over the past three years. The air pollution in Mumbai is so high that Mumbai authorities have purchased 42,000 litres of perfume to spray on the city’s enormous waste dumps at Deonar and Mulund landfill sites after people living near the landfill sites complained of the stench. The Deonar landfill site, one of India’s largest, was first used by the British in 1927. Today, the festering pile covers more than 120 hectares and is eight story's high. These cities are on the World Health Organization's list of top most polluted cities. Vehicle exhaust, untreated smoke, and untreated water all contribute to the problem. Continued economic growth, urbanization, and an increase in the number of vehicles, together with lax enforcement of environmental laws, will result in further increases in pollution levels. Concern with New Delhi's air quality got so bad that the Supreme Court recently stepped in and placed a limit on the number of new car registrations in the capital. The effects of air pollution are obvious: rice crop yields in southern India are falling as brown clouds block out more and more sunlight. And the brilliant white of the famous Taj Mahal is slowly fading to a sickly yellow. In the famous “Tajmahal Case” a very strong step was taken by Supreme Court to save the Tajmahal Case being polluted by fumes and more than 200 factories were closed down. In the case of Shatistar of 1990, AIR 1990 SC 630 (pp.8 to 13), Supreme Court declared in a clear tone that a citizen has right for a decent environment in his living area.
Poison in the air due to Power plants. In India, air pollution is estimated to cause, at the very minimum, 1 lakh excess deaths and 25 million excesses illnesses every year. Poison in the air due to vehicle emissions The brilliant white of the Taj Mahal is slowly fading to a sickly yellow. In the famous “Tajmahal Case” a very strong step was taken by Supreme Court to save the Taj Mahal Case being polluted by fumes and more than 200 factories were closed down. Multi-storeyed residential buildings stand behind an expanse of slums in Mumbai Mumbai authorities have purchased 42,000 litres of perfume recently to spray on the city’s enormous waste dumps at Deonar and Mulund landfill sites
River water Pollution Fully 80 percent of urban waste in India ends up in the country's rivers, and unchecked urban growth across the country combined with poor government oversight means the problem is only getting worse. A growing number of bodies of water in India are unfit for human use, and in the River Ganga, holy to the country's 82 percent Hindu majority, is dying slowly due to unchecked pollution. New Delhi's body of water is little more than a flowing garbage dump, with fully 57 percent of the city's waste finding its way to the Yamuna. It is that three billion liters of waste are pumped into Delhi's Yamuna (River Yamuna) each day. Only 55 percent of the 15 million Delhi residents are connected to the city's sewage system. The remainder flush their bath water, waste water and just about everything else down pipes and into drains, most of them empty into the Yamuna. According to the Centre for Science and Environment, between 75 and 80 percent of the river's pollution is the result of raw sewage. Combined with industrial runoff, the garbage thrown into the river and it totals over 3 billion liters of waste per day. Nearly 20 billion rupees, or almost US $500 million, has been spent on various clean up efforts. The frothy brew is so glaring that it can be viewed on Google Earth. Much of the river pollution problem in India comes from untreated sewage. Samples taken recently from the Ganges River near Varanasi show that levels of fecal coliform, a dangerous bacterium that comes from untreated sewage, were some 3,000 percent higher than what is considered safe for bathing.
Agara city's waste finding its way to the River Yamuna
Groundwater exploitation Groundwater exploitation is a serious matter of concern today and legislations and policy measures taken till date, by the state governments (water is a state subject) have not had the desired effect on the situation. Plastic Pollution Plastic bags, plastic thin sheets and plastic waste is also a major source of pollution. See in detail: Plastic Bag Pollution in the country Municipal solid waste India’s urban population slated to increase from the current 330 million to about 600 million by 2030, the challenge of managing municipal solid waste (MSW) in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner is bound to assume gigantic proportions. The country has over 5,000 cities and towns, which generate about 40 million tonnes of MSW per year today. Going by estimates of The Energy Research Institute (TERI), this could well touch 260 million tonnes per year by 2047. Municipal solid waste is solid waste generated by households, commercial establishments and offices and does not include the industrial or agricultural waste. Municipal solid waste management is more of an administrative and institutional mechanism failure problem rather than a technological one. Until now, MSW management has been considered to be almost the sole responsibility of urban governments, without the participation of citizens and other stakeholders. The Centre and the Supreme Court, however, have urged that this issue be addressed with multiple stakeholder participation. Cities in India spend approximately 20% of the city budget on solid waste services. Pollution due to Mining New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on December 29, 2007 said mining was causing displacement, pollution, forest degradation and social unrest. The CSE released its 356-page sixth State of India’s Environment report, ‘Rich Lands Poor People, is sustainable mining possible?’ According to the Centre for Science and Environment ( CSE) report the top 50 mineral producing districts, as many as 34 fall under the 150 most backward districts identified in the country. The CSE report has made extensive analysis of environment degradation and pollution due to mining, wherein it has said, in 2005-06 alone 1.6 billion tonnes of waste and overburden from coal, iron ore, limestone and bauxite have added to environment pollution. With the annual growth of mining at 10.7 per cent and 500-odd mines awaiting approval of the Centre, the pollution would increase manifold in the coming years. In Orissa state, in the next five to 10 years, Jharsuguda will be home to production of 3.1 million tonne aluminum. This, however, will generate 3,100 tonne of fluoride every year. Similarly, the State is gearing up for power projects - mostly coal-based - targeting 20,000 mega watt energy. This will require 3.2 lakh tonne of coal daily which in turn can lead to generation of 1,200 tonne ash a day. Besides, there is emission of sulphur dioxide. The emissions at Jharsuguda alone will be higher than that of all refineries in India put together. Jharsuguda will also see 12 million tonne steel annually being produced when the projects go on stream. This will mean generation of 20 million tonne of solid waste every year. In Jharkhand there are abundant coalmines, most of the coalmines are situated in Hazaribag, Chatra, Palamau, Rajmahal, Dhanbad and Ranchi district. Mighty Damodar River and its tributaries flow through these coalmines. Due to extensive coal mining and vigorous growth of industries in this area water resources have been badly contaminated. The habitants have, however, been compromising by taking contaminated and sometimes polluted water, as there is no alternative source of safe drinking water. Thus, a sizeable populace suffers from water borne diseases. Besides mining, coal based industries like coal washeries, coke oven plants, coal fired thermal power plants, steel plants and other related industries in the region also greatly impart towards degradation of the environmental equality and the human health. Pollution due to biomedical waste Pollution due to biomedical waste is likely to spread disease dangerous to life and making atmosphere noxious to health. On February 27, 2009 Modasa’s in Gujarat deadly hepatitis-B trail has led investigators to a major medical waste recycling racket in Ahmedabad’s own backyard where a whopping 50 tonne biological waste, including syringes, needles, IV sets and vials, was impounded. This illegally procured waste stored in godowns could expose the city and the whole state to the threat of not just hepatitis-B but other deadly infections spread through intravenal treatments. Usually such waste has to be segregated and destroyed in an incinerator. But the huge quantity of waste found in the godowns were being probably repackaged and sold. Delhi's air is choking with pollutant PM 2.5 PM 2.5 is only 2.5 microns in diameter is very very small particle. The diameter of a human hair strand is around 40-120. Being so small, it escapes emission apparatus prescribed by Euro II and III. Any kind of combustion, especially of vehicular origin, contains this particle. If PM 2.5 is not regulated it will ensure major health hazards. The number of Asthma patients will rise and in future there may huge rise of lung cancer cases also. The toxic value of PM 2.5 is such that metals like lead present in the PM 2.5 get inhaled deeper into lungs which deposits there. The children are most affected by depositing lead due to inhaling the poisonous air. The increasing amount of PM 2.5 is like a poison in the air we breathe. Researchers believe particulates, or tiny particles of soot, interfere with the respiratory system because they are so small they can be breathed deeply into the lungs. Toxic smog is set to engulf New Delhi once again this winter after a six-year respite because of the huge number of new cars clogging the roads. New Delhi adds nearly 1,000 new cars a day to the existing four million registered in the city, almost twice as many as before 2000. Pollution levels are up to 350 micrograms per cubic metre in 2006-2007 and the levels of nitrogen oxides have been increasing in the city to dangerous levels, which is a clear sign of pollution from vehicles. Of these it is the diesel cars that are responsible for the pollution. Diesel- run vehicles constituted just two percent of the total number of cars on Delhi's roads seven years ago compared to more than 30 percent today and a projected 50 percent by 2010.Diesel is being increasingly used because it is a cheaper fuel. Diesel emissions can trigger asthma and in the long run even cause lung cancer. A survey by the Central Pollution Control Board and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences survey showed that a majority of people living in Delhi suffered from eye irritation, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath and poor lung functioning. One in 10 people have asthma in Delhi. Worse, the winter months bring respiratory attacks and wheezing to many non-asthmatics who are old, who smoke, have respiratory infections or chronic bronchitis. Across the national capital and its suburbs, polluted air is killing people, bringing down the quality of life, and leaving people feeling ill and tired. Some studies show children are among the worst-affected by the dense haze that often shrouds the city, and doctors frequently tell parents to keep their children indoors when smog levels are particularly high. In a survey of almost 12,000 city schoolchildren late last year, 17 percent reported coughing, wheezing or breathlessness, compared to just eight percent of children in a rural area. Greenhouse Gas Emissions India emits the fifth most carbon of any country in the world. At 253 million metric tons, only the U.S., China, Russia, and Japan surpassed its level of carbon emissions in 1998. Carbon emissions have grown nine-fold over the past forty years. In this Industrial Age, with the ever-expanding consumption of hydrocarbon fuels and the resultant increase in carbon dioxide emissions, that greenhouse gas concentrations have reached levels causing climate change. Going forward, carbon emissions are forecast to grow 3.2% per annum until 2020. To put this in perspective, carbon emissions levels are estimated to increase by 3.9% for China and by 1.3% for the United States. India is a non-Annex I country under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and as such, is not required to reduce its carbon emissions. An historical summary of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel use in India is increasing rapidly and causes global warming. All inhabitants of our planet have an equal right to the atmosphere, but the industrialized countries have greatly exceeded their fair, per-capita share of the planet’s atmospheric resources and have induced climate change. The most developed countries possess the capital, technological and human resources required for successful adaptation, while in the developing countries, a large proportion of the population is engaged in traditional farming, that is particularly vulnerable to the changes in temperature, rainfall and extreme weather events associated with climate change. According to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol , the most industrialized countries are mainly responsible for causing climate change. Thus equity requires that they should sharply reduce their emissions in order to arrest further climate change and allow other countries access to their fair share of atmospheric resources in order to develop. Pollution of Indian Seas The first sophisticated Pollution Control Vessel to patrol the seas for oil spills and other environmental exigencies is likely to be ready by October, 2008, Vice Admiral Rusi Contractor, Director-General, Indian Coast Guard, said in the 11th National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOSDCP) preparedness meeting on April 23, 2008. Mr. Contractor said the proposed induction of at least three specialised vessels by mid- 2009 would shorten the response time to an emergency. The Coast Guard chief highlighted the importance of enforcement of maritime laws. He said 90 per cent of trade was essentially sea-borne and substantial numbers of vessels were old and un-seaworthy or single-hull vessels and raised the risk of significant pollution of Indian waters. He said pollution remedy measures were being thought of following the various international conventions on environmental pollution that would also include exhaust and greenhouse gas emissions from ships and energy efficiency certification. He pointed out that none of 10 accidents involving vessels during 2007 in Indian waters had resulted in an oil spill. NASA research findings Latest research findings by NASA and Stanford University indicate that aerosol pollution will slow down winds, impacting normal rainfall pattern in tropical countries. The unique combination of meteorology, landscape (relatively flat plains framed by the Himalayas to the north and open ocean to the south), and the large population maximize the effects of aerosol pollution in India. The skies over North India are seasonally filled with a thick soup of aerosol particles all along the southern edge of the Himalayas, streaming southward over Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. Most of this air pollution comes from human activities. Accumulation of aerosol particles in the atmosphere also makes clouds last longer without releasing rain. This is because atmospheric water forms deposits on naturally occurring particles, like dust, to form clouds. But if there is pollution in the atmosphere, the water has to deposit on more particles. Thus it causes lesser rain.
Environmental Pollution and chronic diseases In an Indo-US joint workshop, on September 05, 2008 at Chandigarh, Prof S K Jindal said it has been globally recognised that environmental factors, have important links with infectious as well as non-infectious diseases of both acute and chronic nature. “The WHO estimates that 24 per cent of global disease burden and 23 per cent of all deaths can be attributed to environmental factors. The burden is more on the developing than the developed countries.” He said: “In developing countries, an estimated 42 per cent of acute lower respiratory infections are caused by environmental factors.” The major burden of these hazards is borne by the lungs. Bronchial asthma and other allergies; chronic obstructive lung disease, respiratory infections including tuberculosis and occupational lung diseases are some of the common problems with a strong environmental risk which, account for a large disease burden all over the world, including in India. “There is a need for extensive studies to gauge the effects of environmental factors on the human health.” According to New England Journal of Medicine, 2007, even a short exposure to traffic fumes can increase your chances of heart disease, including heart attack. People who exercise in areas where there is heavy traffic may be especially at risk, researchers say.
Invasive alien species Invasive alien species are species whose introduction and/or spread outside their natural habitats threatens biological diversity. They occur in all groups, including animals, plants, fungi, bacteria and viruses, and can affect all types of ecosystems. They can directly affect human health. Infectious diseases are often traced to IAS imported by travellers or vectored by exotic species of birds, rodents and insects. IAS also have indirect health effects on humans as a result of the use of pesticides and herbicides, which pollute water and soil. They may look harmless but are dangerous, mainly causing flu, allergies, respiratory disorders and even infertility among humans and animals. Sometimes they manifest themselves as bird flu and at other times as foot-and-mouth disease and mad cow disease and lead to massive destruction of livestock populations. The biggest casualty of such species has been our rich biodiversity, and threats to food security. MIKANIA MICRANTHA, is of the most prominent invasive aliens in India.It is a major threat in many parts of the country, it grows 8 to 9 cm a day and muzzles small plants and chokes larger trees such as coconut and oil palm. Parthenium: Parthenium Hystrophorous a poisonous plant The parthenium now occupies 50 lakh hectares in the country and has become a major health hazard for people and animals. PROSOPIS JULIFLORA: Vilayati babul(prosopis juliflora) was introduced in India in the last century as a very promising species for the afforestation of dry and degraded land. But over the years, it has emerged as a noxious invader that can grow in diverse ecosystems, enable it to wipe out other plant species in its surroundings.
Parthenium Hystrophorous
Anti-Pollution Uniform by Schools The hundreds of youngsters, ranging from age five to 18, who trooped into the Park Street campus of Apeejay School, Kolkata faces covered in anti-pollution masks in April is now a regular routine. “It is part of our school uniform now. It will protect us from the pollution that is killing the children of Kolkata,” said a student. The anti-pollution mask has been made a part of the uniform from this academic session by Apeejay School in a bid to safeguard the health of its students and boost attendance. “We realised that a lot of our students had health problems that kept them away from school. Watery eyes, blocked noses or breathing problems, it all stems from pollution and we realised that we needed to do something to help ourselves,”said the principal and administrator, Reeta Chatterjee.
Students entering school in blue-and-white uniform, with a yellow mask covering mouth and nose.
The most polluted places in India Vapi in Gujarat and Sukinda in Orrisa is among the world's top 10 most polluted places, according to the Blacksmith Institute, a New York-based nonprofit group. Vapi : Potentially affected people: 71,000 -Pollutants: Chemicals and heavy metals due to its Industrial estates. Sukinda: Potentially affected people: 2,600,000. -Pollutants: Hexavalent chromium due to its Chromite mines. The most polluted cities in India As many as 51 Indian cities have extremely high air pollution, Lucknow, Raipur, Faridabad and Ahmedabad topping the list. An environment and forest ministry report, released on September 14, 2007 has identified 51 cities that do not meet the prescribed Respirable Particulate Matter (RSPM) levels, specified under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). In 2005, an Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) placed India at 101st position among 146 countries. Taking a cue from the finding, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) formulated NAAQS and checked the air quality, which led to the revelation about air quality in leading cities. According to the report, Gobindgarh in Punjab is the most polluted city, and Ludhiana, Raipur and Lucknow hold the next three positions. Faridabad on the outskirt of Delhi is the 10th most polluted city, followed by Agra, the city of Taj Mahal. Ahmedabad is placed 12th, Indore 16th, Delhi 22nd, Kolkata 25th, Mumbai 40th, Hyderabad 44th and Bangalore stands at 46th in the list. The Orissa town of Angul, home to National Aluminium Company (NALCO), is the 50th polluted city of the country.Emissions of gaseous pollutants: satellite data Scientists and researchers from around the world gathered at ESRIN, ESA’s Earth Observation Centre in Frascati, Italy, recently to discuss the contribution of satellite data in monitoring nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere. Using nitrogen dioxide (NO2) data acquired from 1996 to 2006 by the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) instrument aboard ESA’s ERS-2 satellite, Nitrous oxide emissions over India is growing at an annual rate of 5.5 percent/year. The location of emission hot spots correlates well with the location of mega thermal power plants, mega cities, urban and industrial regions. Emissions of gaseous pollutants have increased in India over the past two decades. According to Dr Sachin Ghude of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), rapid industrialization, urbanization and traffic growth are most likely responsible for the increase. Because of varying consumption patterns and growth rates, the distribution of emissions vary widely across India. Is nuclear energy a solution of global warming? India a country of 1.1 billion people currently gets only a fraction of its electricity from nuclear power. Now the US atomic trade pact with India and an atomic energy pact with France, India can fight global warming with clean nuclear energy. Nuclear energy has been recognized as a clean as CO2 to the atmosphere after its reaction that could damage our environment. It's also known that nuclear energy has reduced the amount of greenhouse gas emission, reducing emissions of CO2for about 500 million metric tons of carbon. Despite the advantage of nuclear as a clean energy, the big concern is the waste resulted from nuclear reaction, which is a form of pollution, called radioactivity. Nuclear waste is also a problem with nuclear power, in that spent nuclear fuel has no safe place to be stored right now. Perhaps the greatest problem with nuclear power is the price to taxpayers. Each new nuclear plant built in the United States will cost at least one billion dollars in federal subsidies. Reduce pollutions: suggestions Reduce tax on incomes and institute a tax on pollution was a suggestion environmental crusader Al Gore had for India to tackle the issue of global warming effectively. "Reduce tax on employees and employers and put a tax on pollution. The more carbon dioxide one emits the more he pays in taxes," said Gore in an interactive session at the India Today Conclave here on March 16, 2008. Replying to a question by Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma, Gore also suggested subsidising clean energy generation instead of carbon fuels like kerosene. AGRA, December 12, 2008: Now Tulsi an ayurveda wisdom to help Taj Majal retain its pristine allure. The forest department has come up with a quick-fix project -- plant a Tulsi drive in Agra. The recommended complexion care regimen, officers claim, has full backing from ancient texts which hold Tulsi to be the panacea for all problems from cosmic to cosmetic. The department is all set to launch the Tulsi plantation drive from January 2009. The public-private joint venture is expected to provide an eco-protection cover to sensitive Taj trapezium zone surrounding the 17th century monument as well as the other two world heritage monuments -- Agra Fort and Aitma-ud-Daula tomb. Tulsi (Occinum sanctum) chosen for its anti-pollutant anti-oxidation and air-purifying properties making it an ideal ornamental shrub in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal. By the initiatives of the Delhi Metro and the Delhi Bicycling Club, which encourage people to use bicycles for short distances, pedaling a cycle is increasingly and becoming routine for people. On bicycle, one can change destination without hassles and it’s cheap.Taking to pedal, Delhiites choose an eco-friendly saddle.
ETP dicharge at Vapi Worst 5 Indian power companies in terms of total emission of CO2 -NTPC LTD.-Maharastra State Power Gen Co.- Gujrat Urja Vikas Nigam- Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut- Andhra Pradesh Power Gen Corp. Nuclear power plants in India Tulsi (Holy Basil) chosen for its anti- pollutant anti-oxidation and air-purifying properties making it an ideal ornamental shrub in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal. Choose an eco- friendly bicycle for short distance.
Environmental Pollution News Environment Laws in India The skies over North India are seasonally filled with a thick soup of aerosol particles all along the southern edge of the Himalayas, Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. - NASA research findings. Fire, Haze -Northwest India (NASA)
The cost of environmental damage in India would shave 4 percent off of the country's gross domestic product. Lost productivity from death and disease due to environmental pollution are the primary culprits. The government agency responsible for environmental affairs is the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). Coping with India’s industrial pollution is perhaps the agency’s top priority. MoEF recognizes the need to strike a balance between development and protecting the environment in administering and enforcing the country’s environmental laws and policies. The government heightened the Ministry’s powers with the passage of the 1986 Environment Protection Act. This act built on the 42nd amendment to India's constitution in 1976 that gave the government the right to step in and protect public health, forests, and wildlife. This amendment however had little power as it contained a clause that stated it was not enforceable by any court. India is the first country in the world to pass an amendment to its constitution ostensibly protecting the environment.
Industrial pollution Fog due to air pollution
Air Pollution There are four reasons of air pollution are - emissions from vehicles, thermal power plants, industries and refineries. The problem of indoor air pollution in rural areas and urban slums has assumed significant attention lately. India’s environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation. Coal supplies more than half of the country’s energy needs and is used for nearly three-quarters of electricity generation. While India is fortunate to have abundant reserves of coal to power economic development, the burning of this resource, especially given the high ash content of India’s coal, has come at a cost in terms of heightened public risk and environmental degradation. Reliance on coal as the major energy source has led to a nine-fold jump in carbon emissions over the past forty years. The government estimates the cost of environmental degradation has been running at 4.5% of GDP in recent years.The low energy efficiency of power plants that burn coal is a contributing factor. India's coal plants are old and are not outfitted with the most modern pollution controls. Given the shortage of generating capacity and scarcity of public funds, these old coal-fired plants will remain in operation for sometime. Power plant modernization to improve the plant load factor, improvements in sub-transmission and distribution to cut distribution losses, and new legislation to encourage end user energy conservation were all mentioned as part of the energy efficiency effort. The government has taken steps to address its environmental problems. As of now the use of washed coal is required for all power plants. Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70% of the country’s air pollution. The major problem with government efforts to safeguard the environment has been enforcement at the local level, not with a lack of laws. Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India. Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago; industrial pollution has risen four times over the same period. The economy has grown two and a half times over the past two decades but pollution control and civil services have not kept pace. Air quality is worst in the big cities like Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, etc. Bangalore holds the title of being the asthma capital of the country. Studies estimate that 10 per cent of Bangalore’s 60 lakh population and over 50 per cent of its children below 18 years suffer from air pollution-related ailments. CHENNAI: Exhaust from vehicles, dust from construction debris, industrial waste, burning of municipal and garden waste are all on the rise in the city. So are respiratory diseases, including asthma. At least six of the 10 top causes of death are related to respiratory disease, says Dr D Ranganathan, director (in-charge), Institute of Thoracic Medicine. Mumbai: Not only are levels of Suspended Particulate Matter above permissible limits in Mumbai, but the worst pollutant after vehicular emissions has grown at an alarming rate. The levels of Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM), or dust, in Mumbai’s air have continued to increase over the past three years. The air pollution in Mumbai is so high that Mumbai authorities have purchased 42,000 litres of perfume to spray on the city’s enormous waste dumps at Deonar and Mulund landfill sites after people living near the landfill sites complained of the stench. The Deonar landfill site, one of India’s largest, was first used by the British in 1927. Today, the festering pile covers more than 120 hectares and is eight story's high. These cities are on the World Health Organization's list of top most polluted cities. Vehicle exhaust, untreated smoke, and untreated water all contribute to the problem. Continued economic growth, urbanization, and an increase in the number of vehicles, together with lax enforcement of environmental laws, will result in further increases in pollution levels. Concern with New Delhi's air quality got so bad that the Supreme Court recently stepped in and placed a limit on the number of new car registrations in the capital. The effects of air pollution are obvious: rice crop yields in southern India are falling as brown clouds block out more and more sunlight. And the brilliant white of the famous Taj Mahal is slowly fading to a sickly yellow. In the famous “Tajmahal Case” a very strong step was taken by Supreme Court to save the Tajmahal Case being polluted by fumes and more than 200 factories were closed down. In the case of Shatistar of 1990, AIR 1990 SC 630 (pp.8 to 13), Supreme Court declared in a clear tone that a citizen has right for a decent environment in his living area.
Poison in the air due to Power plants. In India, air pollution is estimated to cause, at the very minimum, 1 lakh excess deaths and 25 million excesses illnesses every year. Poison in the air due to vehicle emissions The brilliant white of the Taj Mahal is slowly fading to a sickly yellow. In the famous “Tajmahal Case” a very strong step was taken by Supreme Court to save the Taj Mahal Case being polluted by fumes and more than 200 factories were closed down. Multi-storeyed residential buildings stand behind an expanse of slums in Mumbai Mumbai authorities have purchased 42,000 litres of perfume recently to spray on the city’s enormous waste dumps at Deonar and Mulund landfill sites
River water Pollution Fully 80 percent of urban waste in India ends up in the country's rivers, and unchecked urban growth across the country combined with poor government oversight means the problem is only getting worse. A growing number of bodies of water in India are unfit for human use, and in the River Ganga, holy to the country's 82 percent Hindu majority, is dying slowly due to unchecked pollution. New Delhi's body of water is little more than a flowing garbage dump, with fully 57 percent of the city's waste finding its way to the Yamuna. It is that three billion liters of waste are pumped into Delhi's Yamuna (River Yamuna) each day. Only 55 percent of the 15 million Delhi residents are connected to the city's sewage system. The remainder flush their bath water, waste water and just about everything else down pipes and into drains, most of them empty into the Yamuna. According to the Centre for Science and Environment, between 75 and 80 percent of the river's pollution is the result of raw sewage. Combined with industrial runoff, the garbage thrown into the river and it totals over 3 billion liters of waste per day. Nearly 20 billion rupees, or almost US $500 million, has been spent on various clean up efforts. The frothy brew is so glaring that it can be viewed on Google Earth. Much of the river pollution problem in India comes from untreated sewage. Samples taken recently from the Ganges River near Varanasi show that levels of fecal coliform, a dangerous bacterium that comes from untreated sewage, were some 3,000 percent higher than what is considered safe for bathing.
Agara city's waste finding its way to the River Yamuna
Groundwater exploitation Groundwater exploitation is a serious matter of concern today and legislations and policy measures taken till date, by the state governments (water is a state subject) have not had the desired effect on the situation. Plastic Pollution Plastic bags, plastic thin sheets and plastic waste is also a major source of pollution. See in detail: Plastic Bag Pollution in the country Municipal solid waste India’s urban population slated to increase from the current 330 million to about 600 million by 2030, the challenge of managing municipal solid waste (MSW) in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner is bound to assume gigantic proportions. The country has over 5,000 cities and towns, which generate about 40 million tonnes of MSW per year today. Going by estimates of The Energy Research Institute (TERI), this could well touch 260 million tonnes per year by 2047. Municipal solid waste is solid waste generated by households, commercial establishments and offices and does not include the industrial or agricultural waste. Municipal solid waste management is more of an administrative and institutional mechanism failure problem rather than a technological one. Until now, MSW management has been considered to be almost the sole responsibility of urban governments, without the participation of citizens and other stakeholders. The Centre and the Supreme Court, however, have urged that this issue be addressed with multiple stakeholder participation. Cities in India spend approximately 20% of the city budget on solid waste services. Pollution due to Mining New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on December 29, 2007 said mining was causing displacement, pollution, forest degradation and social unrest. The CSE released its 356-page sixth State of India’s Environment report, ‘Rich Lands Poor People, is sustainable mining possible?’ According to the Centre for Science and Environment ( CSE) report the top 50 mineral producing districts, as many as 34 fall under the 150 most backward districts identified in the country. The CSE report has made extensive analysis of environment degradation and pollution due to mining, wherein it has said, in 2005-06 alone 1.6 billion tonnes of waste and overburden from coal, iron ore, limestone and bauxite have added to environment pollution. With the annual growth of mining at 10.7 per cent and 500-odd mines awaiting approval of the Centre, the pollution would increase manifold in the coming years. In Orissa state, in the next five to 10 years, Jharsuguda will be home to production of 3.1 million tonne aluminum. This, however, will generate 3,100 tonne of fluoride every year. Similarly, the State is gearing up for power projects - mostly coal-based - targeting 20,000 mega watt energy. This will require 3.2 lakh tonne of coal daily which in turn can lead to generation of 1,200 tonne ash a day. Besides, there is emission of sulphur dioxide. The emissions at Jharsuguda alone will be higher than that of all refineries in India put together. Jharsuguda will also see 12 million tonne steel annually being produced when the projects go on stream. This will mean generation of 20 million tonne of solid waste every year. In Jharkhand there are abundant coalmines, most of the coalmines are situated in Hazaribag, Chatra, Palamau, Rajmahal, Dhanbad and Ranchi district. Mighty Damodar River and its tributaries flow through these coalmines. Due to extensive coal mining and vigorous growth of industries in this area water resources have been badly contaminated. The habitants have, however, been compromising by taking contaminated and sometimes polluted water, as there is no alternative source of safe drinking water. Thus, a sizeable populace suffers from water borne diseases. Besides mining, coal based industries like coal washeries, coke oven plants, coal fired thermal power plants, steel plants and other related industries in the region also greatly impart towards degradation of the environmental equality and the human health. Pollution due to biomedical waste Pollution due to biomedical waste is likely to spread disease dangerous to life and making atmosphere noxious to health. On February 27, 2009 Modasa’s in Gujarat deadly hepatitis-B trail has led investigators to a major medical waste recycling racket in Ahmedabad’s own backyard where a whopping 50 tonne biological waste, including syringes, needles, IV sets and vials, was impounded. This illegally procured waste stored in godowns could expose the city and the whole state to the threat of not just hepatitis-B but other deadly infections spread through intravenal treatments. Usually such waste has to be segregated and destroyed in an incinerator. But the huge quantity of waste found in the godowns were being probably repackaged and sold. Delhi's air is choking with pollutant PM 2.5 PM 2.5 is only 2.5 microns in diameter is very very small particle. The diameter of a human hair strand is around 40-120. Being so small, it escapes emission apparatus prescribed by Euro II and III. Any kind of combustion, especially of vehicular origin, contains this particle. If PM 2.5 is not regulated it will ensure major health hazards. The number of Asthma patients will rise and in future there may huge rise of lung cancer cases also. The toxic value of PM 2.5 is such that metals like lead present in the PM 2.5 get inhaled deeper into lungs which deposits there. The children are most affected by depositing lead due to inhaling the poisonous air. The increasing amount of PM 2.5 is like a poison in the air we breathe. Researchers believe particulates, or tiny particles of soot, interfere with the respiratory system because they are so small they can be breathed deeply into the lungs. Toxic smog is set to engulf New Delhi once again this winter after a six-year respite because of the huge number of new cars clogging the roads. New Delhi adds nearly 1,000 new cars a day to the existing four million registered in the city, almost twice as many as before 2000. Pollution levels are up to 350 micrograms per cubic metre in 2006-2007 and the levels of nitrogen oxides have been increasing in the city to dangerous levels, which is a clear sign of pollution from vehicles. Of these it is the diesel cars that are responsible for the pollution. Diesel- run vehicles constituted just two percent of the total number of cars on Delhi's roads seven years ago compared to more than 30 percent today and a projected 50 percent by 2010.Diesel is being increasingly used because it is a cheaper fuel. Diesel emissions can trigger asthma and in the long run even cause lung cancer. A survey by the Central Pollution Control Board and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences survey showed that a majority of people living in Delhi suffered from eye irritation, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath and poor lung functioning. One in 10 people have asthma in Delhi. Worse, the winter months bring respiratory attacks and wheezing to many non-asthmatics who are old, who smoke, have respiratory infections or chronic bronchitis. Across the national capital and its suburbs, polluted air is killing people, bringing down the quality of life, and leaving people feeling ill and tired. Some studies show children are among the worst-affected by the dense haze that often shrouds the city, and doctors frequently tell parents to keep their children indoors when smog levels are particularly high. In a survey of almost 12,000 city schoolchildren late last year, 17 percent reported coughing, wheezing or breathlessness, compared to just eight percent of children in a rural area. Greenhouse Gas Emissions India emits the fifth most carbon of any country in the world. At 253 million metric tons, only the U.S., China, Russia, and Japan surpassed its level of carbon emissions in 1998. Carbon emissions have grown nine-fold over the past forty years. In this Industrial Age, with the ever-expanding consumption of hydrocarbon fuels and the resultant increase in carbon dioxide emissions, that greenhouse gas concentrations have reached levels causing climate change. Going forward, carbon emissions are forecast to grow 3.2% per annum until 2020. To put this in perspective, carbon emissions levels are estimated to increase by 3.9% for China and by 1.3% for the United States. India is a non-Annex I country under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and as such, is not required to reduce its carbon emissions. An historical summary of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel use in India is increasing rapidly and causes global warming. All inhabitants of our planet have an equal right to the atmosphere, but the industrialized countries have greatly exceeded their fair, per-capita share of the planet’s atmospheric resources and have induced climate change. The most developed countries possess the capital, technological and human resources required for successful adaptation, while in the developing countries, a large proportion of the population is engaged in traditional farming, that is particularly vulnerable to the changes in temperature, rainfall and extreme weather events associated with climate change. According to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol , the most industrialized countries are mainly responsible for causing climate change. Thus equity requires that they should sharply reduce their emissions in order to arrest further climate change and allow other countries access to their fair share of atmospheric resources in order to develop. Pollution of Indian Seas The first sophisticated Pollution Control Vessel to patrol the seas for oil spills and other environmental exigencies is likely to be ready by October, 2008, Vice Admiral Rusi Contractor, Director-General, Indian Coast Guard, said in the 11th National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOSDCP) preparedness meeting on April 23, 2008. Mr. Contractor said the proposed induction of at least three specialised vessels by mid- 2009 would shorten the response time to an emergency. The Coast Guard chief highlighted the importance of enforcement of maritime laws. He said 90 per cent of trade was essentially sea-borne and substantial numbers of vessels were old and un-seaworthy or single-hull vessels and raised the risk of significant pollution of Indian waters. He said pollution remedy measures were being thought of following the various international conventions on environmental pollution that would also include exhaust and greenhouse gas emissions from ships and energy efficiency certification. He pointed out that none of 10 accidents involving vessels during 2007 in Indian waters had resulted in an oil spill. NASA research findings Latest research findings by NASA and Stanford University indicate that aerosol pollution will slow down winds, impacting normal rainfall pattern in tropical countries. The unique combination of meteorology, landscape (relatively flat plains framed by the Himalayas to the north and open ocean to the south), and the large population maximize the effects of aerosol pollution in India. The skies over North India are seasonally filled with a thick soup of aerosol particles all along the southern edge of the Himalayas, streaming southward over Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. Most of this air pollution comes from human activities. Accumulation of aerosol particles in the atmosphere also makes clouds last longer without releasing rain. This is because atmospheric water forms deposits on naturally occurring particles, like dust, to form clouds. But if there is pollution in the atmosphere, the water has to deposit on more particles. Thus it causes lesser rain.
Environmental Pollution and chronic diseases In an Indo-US joint workshop, on September 05, 2008 at Chandigarh, Prof S K Jindal said it has been globally recognised that environmental factors, have important links with infectious as well as non-infectious diseases of both acute and chronic nature. “The WHO estimates that 24 per cent of global disease burden and 23 per cent of all deaths can be attributed to environmental factors. The burden is more on the developing than the developed countries.” He said: “In developing countries, an estimated 42 per cent of acute lower respiratory infections are caused by environmental factors.” The major burden of these hazards is borne by the lungs. Bronchial asthma and other allergies; chronic obstructive lung disease, respiratory infections including tuberculosis and occupational lung diseases are some of the common problems with a strong environmental risk which, account for a large disease burden all over the world, including in India. “There is a need for extensive studies to gauge the effects of environmental factors on the human health.” According to New England Journal of Medicine, 2007, even a short exposure to traffic fumes can increase your chances of heart disease, including heart attack. People who exercise in areas where there is heavy traffic may be especially at risk, researchers say.
Invasive alien species Invasive alien species are species whose introduction and/or spread outside their natural habitats threatens biological diversity. They occur in all groups, including animals, plants, fungi, bacteria and viruses, and can affect all types of ecosystems. They can directly affect human health. Infectious diseases are often traced to IAS imported by travellers or vectored by exotic species of birds, rodents and insects. IAS also have indirect health effects on humans as a result of the use of pesticides and herbicides, which pollute water and soil. They may look harmless but are dangerous, mainly causing flu, allergies, respiratory disorders and even infertility among humans and animals. Sometimes they manifest themselves as bird flu and at other times as foot-and-mouth disease and mad cow disease and lead to massive destruction of livestock populations. The biggest casualty of such species has been our rich biodiversity, and threats to food security. MIKANIA MICRANTHA, is of the most prominent invasive aliens in India.It is a major threat in many parts of the country, it grows 8 to 9 cm a day and muzzles small plants and chokes larger trees such as coconut and oil palm. Parthenium: Parthenium Hystrophorous a poisonous plant The parthenium now occupies 50 lakh hectares in the country and has become a major health hazard for people and animals. PROSOPIS JULIFLORA: Vilayati babul(prosopis juliflora) was introduced in India in the last century as a very promising species for the afforestation of dry and degraded land. But over the years, it has emerged as a noxious invader that can grow in diverse ecosystems, enable it to wipe out other plant species in its surroundings.
Parthenium Hystrophorous
Anti-Pollution Uniform by Schools The hundreds of youngsters, ranging from age five to 18, who trooped into the Park Street campus of Apeejay School, Kolkata faces covered in anti-pollution masks in April is now a regular routine. “It is part of our school uniform now. It will protect us from the pollution that is killing the children of Kolkata,” said a student. The anti-pollution mask has been made a part of the uniform from this academic session by Apeejay School in a bid to safeguard the health of its students and boost attendance. “We realised that a lot of our students had health problems that kept them away from school. Watery eyes, blocked noses or breathing problems, it all stems from pollution and we realised that we needed to do something to help ourselves,”said the principal and administrator, Reeta Chatterjee.
Students entering school in blue-and-white uniform, with a yellow mask covering mouth and nose.
The most polluted places in India Vapi in Gujarat and Sukinda in Orrisa is among the world's top 10 most polluted places, according to the Blacksmith Institute, a New York-based nonprofit group. Vapi : Potentially affected people: 71,000 -Pollutants: Chemicals and heavy metals due to its Industrial estates. Sukinda: Potentially affected people: 2,600,000. -Pollutants: Hexavalent chromium due to its Chromite mines. The most polluted cities in India As many as 51 Indian cities have extremely high air pollution, Lucknow, Raipur, Faridabad and Ahmedabad topping the list. An environment and forest ministry report, released on September 14, 2007 has identified 51 cities that do not meet the prescribed Respirable Particulate Matter (RSPM) levels, specified under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). In 2005, an Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) placed India at 101st position among 146 countries. Taking a cue from the finding, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) formulated NAAQS and checked the air quality, which led to the revelation about air quality in leading cities. According to the report, Gobindgarh in Punjab is the most polluted city, and Ludhiana, Raipur and Lucknow hold the next three positions. Faridabad on the outskirt of Delhi is the 10th most polluted city, followed by Agra, the city of Taj Mahal. Ahmedabad is placed 12th, Indore 16th, Delhi 22nd, Kolkata 25th, Mumbai 40th, Hyderabad 44th and Bangalore stands at 46th in the list. The Orissa town of Angul, home to National Aluminium Company (NALCO), is the 50th polluted city of the country.Emissions of gaseous pollutants: satellite data Scientists and researchers from around the world gathered at ESRIN, ESA’s Earth Observation Centre in Frascati, Italy, recently to discuss the contribution of satellite data in monitoring nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere. Using nitrogen dioxide (NO2) data acquired from 1996 to 2006 by the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) instrument aboard ESA’s ERS-2 satellite, Nitrous oxide emissions over India is growing at an annual rate of 5.5 percent/year. The location of emission hot spots correlates well with the location of mega thermal power plants, mega cities, urban and industrial regions. Emissions of gaseous pollutants have increased in India over the past two decades. According to Dr Sachin Ghude of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), rapid industrialization, urbanization and traffic growth are most likely responsible for the increase. Because of varying consumption patterns and growth rates, the distribution of emissions vary widely across India. Is nuclear energy a solution of global warming? India a country of 1.1 billion people currently gets only a fraction of its electricity from nuclear power. Now the US atomic trade pact with India and an atomic energy pact with France, India can fight global warming with clean nuclear energy. Nuclear energy has been recognized as a clean as CO2 to the atmosphere after its reaction that could damage our environment. It's also known that nuclear energy has reduced the amount of greenhouse gas emission, reducing emissions of CO2for about 500 million metric tons of carbon. Despite the advantage of nuclear as a clean energy, the big concern is the waste resulted from nuclear reaction, which is a form of pollution, called radioactivity. Nuclear waste is also a problem with nuclear power, in that spent nuclear fuel has no safe place to be stored right now. Perhaps the greatest problem with nuclear power is the price to taxpayers. Each new nuclear plant built in the United States will cost at least one billion dollars in federal subsidies. Reduce pollutions: suggestions Reduce tax on incomes and institute a tax on pollution was a suggestion environmental crusader Al Gore had for India to tackle the issue of global warming effectively. "Reduce tax on employees and employers and put a tax on pollution. The more carbon dioxide one emits the more he pays in taxes," said Gore in an interactive session at the India Today Conclave here on March 16, 2008. Replying to a question by Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma, Gore also suggested subsidising clean energy generation instead of carbon fuels like kerosene. AGRA, December 12, 2008: Now Tulsi an ayurveda wisdom to help Taj Majal retain its pristine allure. The forest department has come up with a quick-fix project -- plant a Tulsi drive in Agra. The recommended complexion care regimen, officers claim, has full backing from ancient texts which hold Tulsi to be the panacea for all problems from cosmic to cosmetic. The department is all set to launch the Tulsi plantation drive from January 2009. The public-private joint venture is expected to provide an eco-protection cover to sensitive Taj trapezium zone surrounding the 17th century monument as well as the other two world heritage monuments -- Agra Fort and Aitma-ud-Daula tomb. Tulsi (Occinum sanctum) chosen for its anti-pollutant anti-oxidation and air-purifying properties making it an ideal ornamental shrub in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal. By the initiatives of the Delhi Metro and the Delhi Bicycling Club, which encourage people to use bicycles for short distances, pedaling a cycle is increasingly and becoming routine for people. On bicycle, one can change destination without hassles and it’s cheap.Taking to pedal, Delhiites choose an eco-friendly saddle.
ETP dicharge at Vapi Worst 5 Indian power companies in terms of total emission of CO2 -NTPC LTD.-Maharastra State Power Gen Co.- Gujrat Urja Vikas Nigam- Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut- Andhra Pradesh Power Gen Corp. Nuclear power plants in India Tulsi (Holy Basil) chosen for its anti- pollutant anti-oxidation and air-purifying properties making it an ideal ornamental shrub in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal. Choose an eco- friendly bicycle for short distance.
The environmental problems in India are growing rapidly. The increasing economic development and a rapidly growing population that has taken the country from 300 million people in 1947 to over one billion people today is putting a strain on the environment, infrastructure, and the country’s natural resources. Industrial pollution, soil erosion, deforestation, rapid industrialization, urbanization, and land degradation are all worsening problems. Overexploitation of the country's resources be it land or water and the industrialization process has resulted in considerable environmental degradation of resources.
Environmental Pollution News Environment Laws in India The skies over North India are seasonally filled with a thick soup of aerosol particles all along the southern edge of the Himalayas, Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. - NASA research findings. Fire, Haze -Northwest India (NASA)
The cost of environmental damage in India would shave 4 percent off of the country's gross domestic product. Lost productivity from death and disease due to environmental pollution are the primary culprits. The government agency responsible for environmental affairs is the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). Coping with India’s industrial pollution is perhaps the agency’s top priority. MoEF recognizes the need to strike a balance between development and protecting the environment in administering and enforcing the country’s environmental laws and policies. The government heightened the Ministry’s powers with the passage of the 1986 Environment Protection Act. This act built on the 42nd amendment to India's constitution in 1976 that gave the government the right to step in and protect public health, forests, and wildlife. This amendment however had little power as it contained a clause that stated it was not enforceable by any court. India is the first country in the world to pass an amendment to its constitution ostensibly protecting the environment.
Industrial pollution Fog due to air pollution
Air Pollution There are four reasons of air pollution are - emissions from vehicles, thermal power plants, industries and refineries. The problem of indoor air pollution in rural areas and urban slums has assumed significant attention lately. India’s environmental problems are exacerbated by its heavy reliance on coal for power generation. Coal supplies more than half of the country’s energy needs and is used for nearly three-quarters of electricity generation. While India is fortunate to have abundant reserves of coal to power economic development, the burning of this resource, especially given the high ash content of India’s coal, has come at a cost in terms of heightened public risk and environmental degradation. Reliance on coal as the major energy source has led to a nine-fold jump in carbon emissions over the past forty years. The government estimates the cost of environmental degradation has been running at 4.5% of GDP in recent years.The low energy efficiency of power plants that burn coal is a contributing factor. India's coal plants are old and are not outfitted with the most modern pollution controls. Given the shortage of generating capacity and scarcity of public funds, these old coal-fired plants will remain in operation for sometime. Power plant modernization to improve the plant load factor, improvements in sub-transmission and distribution to cut distribution losses, and new legislation to encourage end user energy conservation were all mentioned as part of the energy efficiency effort. The government has taken steps to address its environmental problems. As of now the use of washed coal is required for all power plants. Vehicle emissions are responsible for 70% of the country’s air pollution. The major problem with government efforts to safeguard the environment has been enforcement at the local level, not with a lack of laws. Air pollution from vehicle exhaust and industry is a worsening problem for India. Exhaust from vehicles has increased eight-fold over levels of twenty years ago; industrial pollution has risen four times over the same period. The economy has grown two and a half times over the past two decades but pollution control and civil services have not kept pace. Air quality is worst in the big cities like Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, etc. Bangalore holds the title of being the asthma capital of the country. Studies estimate that 10 per cent of Bangalore’s 60 lakh population and over 50 per cent of its children below 18 years suffer from air pollution-related ailments. CHENNAI: Exhaust from vehicles, dust from construction debris, industrial waste, burning of municipal and garden waste are all on the rise in the city. So are respiratory diseases, including asthma. At least six of the 10 top causes of death are related to respiratory disease, says Dr D Ranganathan, director (in-charge), Institute of Thoracic Medicine. Mumbai: Not only are levels of Suspended Particulate Matter above permissible limits in Mumbai, but the worst pollutant after vehicular emissions has grown at an alarming rate. The levels of Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM), or dust, in Mumbai’s air have continued to increase over the past three years. The air pollution in Mumbai is so high that Mumbai authorities have purchased 42,000 litres of perfume to spray on the city’s enormous waste dumps at Deonar and Mulund landfill sites after people living near the landfill sites complained of the stench. The Deonar landfill site, one of India’s largest, was first used by the British in 1927. Today, the festering pile covers more than 120 hectares and is eight story's high. These cities are on the World Health Organization's list of top most polluted cities. Vehicle exhaust, untreated smoke, and untreated water all contribute to the problem. Continued economic growth, urbanization, and an increase in the number of vehicles, together with lax enforcement of environmental laws, will result in further increases in pollution levels. Concern with New Delhi's air quality got so bad that the Supreme Court recently stepped in and placed a limit on the number of new car registrations in the capital. The effects of air pollution are obvious: rice crop yields in southern India are falling as brown clouds block out more and more sunlight. And the brilliant white of the famous Taj Mahal is slowly fading to a sickly yellow. In the famous “Tajmahal Case” a very strong step was taken by Supreme Court to save the Tajmahal Case being polluted by fumes and more than 200 factories were closed down. In the case of Shatistar of 1990, AIR 1990 SC 630 (pp.8 to 13), Supreme Court declared in a clear tone that a citizen has right for a decent environment in his living area.
Poison in the air due to Power plants. In India, air pollution is estimated to cause, at the very minimum, 1 lakh excess deaths and 25 million excesses illnesses every year. Poison in the air due to vehicle emissions The brilliant white of the Taj Mahal is slowly fading to a sickly yellow. In the famous “Tajmahal Case” a very strong step was taken by Supreme Court to save the Taj Mahal Case being polluted by fumes and more than 200 factories were closed down. Multi-storeyed residential buildings stand behind an expanse of slums in Mumbai Mumbai authorities have purchased 42,000 litres of perfume recently to spray on the city’s enormous waste dumps at Deonar and Mulund landfill sites
River water Pollution Fully 80 percent of urban waste in India ends up in the country's rivers, and unchecked urban growth across the country combined with poor government oversight means the problem is only getting worse. A growing number of bodies of water in India are unfit for human use, and in the River Ganga, holy to the country's 82 percent Hindu majority, is dying slowly due to unchecked pollution. New Delhi's body of water is little more than a flowing garbage dump, with fully 57 percent of the city's waste finding its way to the Yamuna. It is that three billion liters of waste are pumped into Delhi's Yamuna (River Yamuna) each day. Only 55 percent of the 15 million Delhi residents are connected to the city's sewage system. The remainder flush their bath water, waste water and just about everything else down pipes and into drains, most of them empty into the Yamuna. According to the Centre for Science and Environment, between 75 and 80 percent of the river's pollution is the result of raw sewage. Combined with industrial runoff, the garbage thrown into the river and it totals over 3 billion liters of waste per day. Nearly 20 billion rupees, or almost US $500 million, has been spent on various clean up efforts. The frothy brew is so glaring that it can be viewed on Google Earth. Much of the river pollution problem in India comes from untreated sewage. Samples taken recently from the Ganges River near Varanasi show that levels of fecal coliform, a dangerous bacterium that comes from untreated sewage, were some 3,000 percent higher than what is considered safe for bathing.
Agara city's waste finding its way to the River Yamuna
Groundwater exploitation Groundwater exploitation is a serious matter of concern today and legislations and policy measures taken till date, by the state governments (water is a state subject) have not had the desired effect on the situation. Plastic Pollution Plastic bags, plastic thin sheets and plastic waste is also a major source of pollution. See in detail: Plastic Bag Pollution in the country Municipal solid waste India’s urban population slated to increase from the current 330 million to about 600 million by 2030, the challenge of managing municipal solid waste (MSW) in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner is bound to assume gigantic proportions. The country has over 5,000 cities and towns, which generate about 40 million tonnes of MSW per year today. Going by estimates of The Energy Research Institute (TERI), this could well touch 260 million tonnes per year by 2047. Municipal solid waste is solid waste generated by households, commercial establishments and offices and does not include the industrial or agricultural waste. Municipal solid waste management is more of an administrative and institutional mechanism failure problem rather than a technological one. Until now, MSW management has been considered to be almost the sole responsibility of urban governments, without the participation of citizens and other stakeholders. The Centre and the Supreme Court, however, have urged that this issue be addressed with multiple stakeholder participation. Cities in India spend approximately 20% of the city budget on solid waste services. Pollution due to Mining New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on December 29, 2007 said mining was causing displacement, pollution, forest degradation and social unrest. The CSE released its 356-page sixth State of India’s Environment report, ‘Rich Lands Poor People, is sustainable mining possible?’ According to the Centre for Science and Environment ( CSE) report the top 50 mineral producing districts, as many as 34 fall under the 150 most backward districts identified in the country. The CSE report has made extensive analysis of environment degradation and pollution due to mining, wherein it has said, in 2005-06 alone 1.6 billion tonnes of waste and overburden from coal, iron ore, limestone and bauxite have added to environment pollution. With the annual growth of mining at 10.7 per cent and 500-odd mines awaiting approval of the Centre, the pollution would increase manifold in the coming years. In Orissa state, in the next five to 10 years, Jharsuguda will be home to production of 3.1 million tonne aluminum. This, however, will generate 3,100 tonne of fluoride every year. Similarly, the State is gearing up for power projects - mostly coal-based - targeting 20,000 mega watt energy. This will require 3.2 lakh tonne of coal daily which in turn can lead to generation of 1,200 tonne ash a day. Besides, there is emission of sulphur dioxide. The emissions at Jharsuguda alone will be higher than that of all refineries in India put together. Jharsuguda will also see 12 million tonne steel annually being produced when the projects go on stream. This will mean generation of 20 million tonne of solid waste every year. In Jharkhand there are abundant coalmines, most of the coalmines are situated in Hazaribag, Chatra, Palamau, Rajmahal, Dhanbad and Ranchi district. Mighty Damodar River and its tributaries flow through these coalmines. Due to extensive coal mining and vigorous growth of industries in this area water resources have been badly contaminated. The habitants have, however, been compromising by taking contaminated and sometimes polluted water, as there is no alternative source of safe drinking water. Thus, a sizeable populace suffers from water borne diseases. Besides mining, coal based industries like coal washeries, coke oven plants, coal fired thermal power plants, steel plants and other related industries in the region also greatly impart towards degradation of the environmental equality and the human health. Pollution due to biomedical waste Pollution due to biomedical waste is likely to spread disease dangerous to life and making atmosphere noxious to health. On February 27, 2009 Modasa’s in Gujarat deadly hepatitis-B trail has led investigators to a major medical waste recycling racket in Ahmedabad’s own backyard where a whopping 50 tonne biological waste, including syringes, needles, IV sets and vials, was impounded. This illegally procured waste stored in godowns could expose the city and the whole state to the threat of not just hepatitis-B but other deadly infections spread through intravenal treatments. Usually such waste has to be segregated and destroyed in an incinerator. But the huge quantity of waste found in the godowns were being probably repackaged and sold. Delhi's air is choking with pollutant PM 2.5 PM 2.5 is only 2.5 microns in diameter is very very small particle. The diameter of a human hair strand is around 40-120. Being so small, it escapes emission apparatus prescribed by Euro II and III. Any kind of combustion, especially of vehicular origin, contains this particle. If PM 2.5 is not regulated it will ensure major health hazards. The number of Asthma patients will rise and in future there may huge rise of lung cancer cases also. The toxic value of PM 2.5 is such that metals like lead present in the PM 2.5 get inhaled deeper into lungs which deposits there. The children are most affected by depositing lead due to inhaling the poisonous air. The increasing amount of PM 2.5 is like a poison in the air we breathe. Researchers believe particulates, or tiny particles of soot, interfere with the respiratory system because they are so small they can be breathed deeply into the lungs. Toxic smog is set to engulf New Delhi once again this winter after a six-year respite because of the huge number of new cars clogging the roads. New Delhi adds nearly 1,000 new cars a day to the existing four million registered in the city, almost twice as many as before 2000. Pollution levels are up to 350 micrograms per cubic metre in 2006-2007 and the levels of nitrogen oxides have been increasing in the city to dangerous levels, which is a clear sign of pollution from vehicles. Of these it is the diesel cars that are responsible for the pollution. Diesel- run vehicles constituted just two percent of the total number of cars on Delhi's roads seven years ago compared to more than 30 percent today and a projected 50 percent by 2010.Diesel is being increasingly used because it is a cheaper fuel. Diesel emissions can trigger asthma and in the long run even cause lung cancer. A survey by the Central Pollution Control Board and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences survey showed that a majority of people living in Delhi suffered from eye irritation, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath and poor lung functioning. One in 10 people have asthma in Delhi. Worse, the winter months bring respiratory attacks and wheezing to many non-asthmatics who are old, who smoke, have respiratory infections or chronic bronchitis. Across the national capital and its suburbs, polluted air is killing people, bringing down the quality of life, and leaving people feeling ill and tired. Some studies show children are among the worst-affected by the dense haze that often shrouds the city, and doctors frequently tell parents to keep their children indoors when smog levels are particularly high. In a survey of almost 12,000 city schoolchildren late last year, 17 percent reported coughing, wheezing or breathlessness, compared to just eight percent of children in a rural area. Greenhouse Gas Emissions India emits the fifth most carbon of any country in the world. At 253 million metric tons, only the U.S., China, Russia, and Japan surpassed its level of carbon emissions in 1998. Carbon emissions have grown nine-fold over the past forty years. In this Industrial Age, with the ever-expanding consumption of hydrocarbon fuels and the resultant increase in carbon dioxide emissions, that greenhouse gas concentrations have reached levels causing climate change. Going forward, carbon emissions are forecast to grow 3.2% per annum until 2020. To put this in perspective, carbon emissions levels are estimated to increase by 3.9% for China and by 1.3% for the United States. India is a non-Annex I country under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and as such, is not required to reduce its carbon emissions. An historical summary of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel use in India is increasing rapidly and causes global warming. All inhabitants of our planet have an equal right to the atmosphere, but the industrialized countries have greatly exceeded their fair, per-capita share of the planet’s atmospheric resources and have induced climate change. The most developed countries possess the capital, technological and human resources required for successful adaptation, while in the developing countries, a large proportion of the population is engaged in traditional farming, that is particularly vulnerable to the changes in temperature, rainfall and extreme weather events associated with climate change. According to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol , the most industrialized countries are mainly responsible for causing climate change. Thus equity requires that they should sharply reduce their emissions in order to arrest further climate change and allow other countries access to their fair share of atmospheric resources in order to develop. Pollution of Indian Seas The first sophisticated Pollution Control Vessel to patrol the seas for oil spills and other environmental exigencies is likely to be ready by October, 2008, Vice Admiral Rusi Contractor, Director-General, Indian Coast Guard, said in the 11th National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOSDCP) preparedness meeting on April 23, 2008. Mr. Contractor said the proposed induction of at least three specialised vessels by mid- 2009 would shorten the response time to an emergency. The Coast Guard chief highlighted the importance of enforcement of maritime laws. He said 90 per cent of trade was essentially sea-borne and substantial numbers of vessels were old and un-seaworthy or single-hull vessels and raised the risk of significant pollution of Indian waters. He said pollution remedy measures were being thought of following the various international conventions on environmental pollution that would also include exhaust and greenhouse gas emissions from ships and energy efficiency certification. He pointed out that none of 10 accidents involving vessels during 2007 in Indian waters had resulted in an oil spill. NASA research findings Latest research findings by NASA and Stanford University indicate that aerosol pollution will slow down winds, impacting normal rainfall pattern in tropical countries. The unique combination of meteorology, landscape (relatively flat plains framed by the Himalayas to the north and open ocean to the south), and the large population maximize the effects of aerosol pollution in India. The skies over North India are seasonally filled with a thick soup of aerosol particles all along the southern edge of the Himalayas, streaming southward over Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. Most of this air pollution comes from human activities. Accumulation of aerosol particles in the atmosphere also makes clouds last longer without releasing rain. This is because atmospheric water forms deposits on naturally occurring particles, like dust, to form clouds. But if there is pollution in the atmosphere, the water has to deposit on more particles. Thus it causes lesser rain.
Environmental Pollution and chronic diseases In an Indo-US joint workshop, on September 05, 2008 at Chandigarh, Prof S K Jindal said it has been globally recognised that environmental factors, have important links with infectious as well as non-infectious diseases of both acute and chronic nature. “The WHO estimates that 24 per cent of global disease burden and 23 per cent of all deaths can be attributed to environmental factors. The burden is more on the developing than the developed countries.” He said: “In developing countries, an estimated 42 per cent of acute lower respiratory infections are caused by environmental factors.” The major burden of these hazards is borne by the lungs. Bronchial asthma and other allergies; chronic obstructive lung disease, respiratory infections including tuberculosis and occupational lung diseases are some of the common problems with a strong environmental risk which, account for a large disease burden all over the world, including in India. “There is a need for extensive studies to gauge the effects of environmental factors on the human health.” According to New England Journal of Medicine, 2007, even a short exposure to traffic fumes can increase your chances of heart disease, including heart attack. People who exercise in areas where there is heavy traffic may be especially at risk, researchers say.
Invasive alien species Invasive alien species are species whose introduction and/or spread outside their natural habitats threatens biological diversity. They occur in all groups, including animals, plants, fungi, bacteria and viruses, and can affect all types of ecosystems. They can directly affect human health. Infectious diseases are often traced to IAS imported by travellers or vectored by exotic species of birds, rodents and insects. IAS also have indirect health effects on humans as a result of the use of pesticides and herbicides, which pollute water and soil. They may look harmless but are dangerous, mainly causing flu, allergies, respiratory disorders and even infertility among humans and animals. Sometimes they manifest themselves as bird flu and at other times as foot-and-mouth disease and mad cow disease and lead to massive destruction of livestock populations. The biggest casualty of such species has been our rich biodiversity, and threats to food security. MIKANIA MICRANTHA, is of the most prominent invasive aliens in India.It is a major threat in many parts of the country, it grows 8 to 9 cm a day and muzzles small plants and chokes larger trees such as coconut and oil palm. Parthenium: Parthenium Hystrophorous a poisonous plant The parthenium now occupies 50 lakh hectares in the country and has become a major health hazard for people and animals. PROSOPIS JULIFLORA: Vilayati babul(prosopis juliflora) was introduced in India in the last century as a very promising species for the afforestation of dry and degraded land. But over the years, it has emerged as a noxious invader that can grow in diverse ecosystems, enable it to wipe out other plant species in its surroundings.
Parthenium Hystrophorous
Anti-Pollution Uniform by Schools The hundreds of youngsters, ranging from age five to 18, who trooped into the Park Street campus of Apeejay School, Kolkata faces covered in anti-pollution masks in April is now a regular routine. “It is part of our school uniform now. It will protect us from the pollution that is killing the children of Kolkata,” said a student. The anti-pollution mask has been made a part of the uniform from this academic session by Apeejay School in a bid to safeguard the health of its students and boost attendance. “We realised that a lot of our students had health problems that kept them away from school. Watery eyes, blocked noses or breathing problems, it all stems from pollution and we realised that we needed to do something to help ourselves,”said the principal and administrator, Reeta Chatterjee.
Students entering school in blue-and-white uniform, with a yellow mask covering mouth and nose.
The most polluted places in India Vapi in Gujarat and Sukinda in Orrisa is among the world's top 10 most polluted places, according to the Blacksmith Institute, a New York-based nonprofit group. Vapi : Potentially affected people: 71,000 -Pollutants: Chemicals and heavy metals due to its Industrial estates. Sukinda: Potentially affected people: 2,600,000. -Pollutants: Hexavalent chromium due to its Chromite mines. The most polluted cities in India As many as 51 Indian cities have extremely high air pollution, Lucknow, Raipur, Faridabad and Ahmedabad topping the list. An environment and forest ministry report, released on September 14, 2007 has identified 51 cities that do not meet the prescribed Respirable Particulate Matter (RSPM) levels, specified under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). In 2005, an Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) placed India at 101st position among 146 countries. Taking a cue from the finding, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) formulated NAAQS and checked the air quality, which led to the revelation about air quality in leading cities. According to the report, Gobindgarh in Punjab is the most polluted city, and Ludhiana, Raipur and Lucknow hold the next three positions. Faridabad on the outskirt of Delhi is the 10th most polluted city, followed by Agra, the city of Taj Mahal. Ahmedabad is placed 12th, Indore 16th, Delhi 22nd, Kolkata 25th, Mumbai 40th, Hyderabad 44th and Bangalore stands at 46th in the list. The Orissa town of Angul, home to National Aluminium Company (NALCO), is the 50th polluted city of the country.Emissions of gaseous pollutants: satellite data Scientists and researchers from around the world gathered at ESRIN, ESA’s Earth Observation Centre in Frascati, Italy, recently to discuss the contribution of satellite data in monitoring nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere. Using nitrogen dioxide (NO2) data acquired from 1996 to 2006 by the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) instrument aboard ESA’s ERS-2 satellite, Nitrous oxide emissions over India is growing at an annual rate of 5.5 percent/year. The location of emission hot spots correlates well with the location of mega thermal power plants, mega cities, urban and industrial regions. Emissions of gaseous pollutants have increased in India over the past two decades. According to Dr Sachin Ghude of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), rapid industrialization, urbanization and traffic growth are most likely responsible for the increase. Because of varying consumption patterns and growth rates, the distribution of emissions vary widely across India. Is nuclear energy a solution of global warming? India a country of 1.1 billion people currently gets only a fraction of its electricity from nuclear power. Now the US atomic trade pact with India and an atomic energy pact with France, India can fight global warming with clean nuclear energy. Nuclear energy has been recognized as a clean as CO2 to the atmosphere after its reaction that could damage our environment. It's also known that nuclear energy has reduced the amount of greenhouse gas emission, reducing emissions of CO2for about 500 million metric tons of carbon. Despite the advantage of nuclear as a clean energy, the big concern is the waste resulted from nuclear reaction, which is a form of pollution, called radioactivity. Nuclear waste is also a problem with nuclear power, in that spent nuclear fuel has no safe place to be stored right now. Perhaps the greatest problem with nuclear power is the price to taxpayers. Each new nuclear plant built in the United States will cost at least one billion dollars in federal subsidies. Reduce pollutions: suggestions Reduce tax on incomes and institute a tax on pollution was a suggestion environmental crusader Al Gore had for India to tackle the issue of global warming effectively. "Reduce tax on employees and employers and put a tax on pollution. The more carbon dioxide one emits the more he pays in taxes," said Gore in an interactive session at the India Today Conclave here on March 16, 2008. Replying to a question by Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma, Gore also suggested subsidising clean energy generation instead of carbon fuels like kerosene. AGRA, December 12, 2008: Now Tulsi an ayurveda wisdom to help Taj Majal retain its pristine allure. The forest department has come up with a quick-fix project -- plant a Tulsi drive in Agra. The recommended complexion care regimen, officers claim, has full backing from ancient texts which hold Tulsi to be the panacea for all problems from cosmic to cosmetic. The department is all set to launch the Tulsi plantation drive from January 2009. The public-private joint venture is expected to provide an eco-protection cover to sensitive Taj trapezium zone surrounding the 17th century monument as well as the other two world heritage monuments -- Agra Fort and Aitma-ud-Daula tomb. Tulsi (Occinum sanctum) chosen for its anti-pollutant anti-oxidation and air-purifying properties making it an ideal ornamental shrub in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal. By the initiatives of the Delhi Metro and the Delhi Bicycling Club, which encourage people to use bicycles for short distances, pedaling a cycle is increasingly and becoming routine for people. On bicycle, one can change destination without hassles and it’s cheap.Taking to pedal, Delhiites choose an eco-friendly saddle.
ETP dicharge at Vapi Worst 5 Indian power companies in terms of total emission of CO2 -NTPC LTD.-Maharastra State Power Gen Co.- Gujrat Urja Vikas Nigam- Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut- Andhra Pradesh Power Gen Corp. Nuclear power plants in India Tulsi (Holy Basil) chosen for its anti- pollutant anti-oxidation and air-purifying properties making it an ideal ornamental shrub in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal. Choose an eco- friendly bicycle for short distance.
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