The introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds after 1965 and the increased use of fertilizers and irrigation are known collectively as the Green Revolution, which provided the increase in production needed to make India self-sufficient in food grains, thus improving agriculture in India. Famine in India, once accepted as inevitable, has not returned since the introduction of Green Revolution crops.
Initiation
The program was started with the help of the United States-based Rockefeller Foundation and was based on high-yielding varieties of wheat, rice, and other grains that had been developed in Mexico and in the Philippines. Of the high-yielding seeds, wheat produced the best results. Production of coarse grains- the staple diet of the poor and pulses the main source of protein- lagged behind, resulting in reduced per capita availability.
Results
The major benefits of the Green Revolution were experienced mainly in northern and northwestern India between 1965 and the early 1980s; the program resulted in a substantial increase in the production of food grains, mainly wheat and rice. Food-grain yields continued to increase throughout the 1980s, but the dramatic changes in the years between 1965 and 1980 were not duplicated. By FY 1980, almost 75 percent of the total cropped area under wheat was sown with high-yielding varieties. For rice the comparable figure was 45 percent. In the 1980s, the area under high-yielding varieties continued to increase, but the rate of growth overall was slower. The eighth plan aimed at making high-yielding varieties available to the whole country and developing more productive strains of other crops.
The Green Revolution created wide regional and interstate disparities. The plan was implemented only in areas with assured supplies of water and the means to control it, large inputs of fertilizers, and adequate farm credit. These inputs were easily available in at least parts of the states of Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh; thus, yields increased most in these states. In other states, such as Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, in areas where these inputs were not assured, the results were limited or negligible, leading to considerable variation in crop yields within these states. The Green Revolution also increased income disparities: higher income growth and reduced incidence of poverty were found in the states where yields increased the most and lower income growth and little change in the incidence of poverty in other states.
The Green Revolution has also been criticized as unsustainable. It requires immense amounts of capital each year to purchase equipment and fertilizers. This may lead to a cycle of debt if a farmer is unable to pay off the loans required each year. Addtionally, the crops require so much water that water tables in some regions of India have dropped dramatically. If this drop continues, it is possible that the process of desertification may take place. Already, the low water is starting the process of salinization. If continued, this would leave the land infertile, spelling disaster for India
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Global Warming Leads to 150,000 Deaths Every Year
Global warming is not only a threat to our future health, it already contributes to more than 150,000 deaths and 5 million illnesses annually, according to a team of health and climate scientists at the World Health Organization and the University of Wisconsin at Madison—and those numbers could double by 2030.
Research data published in the journal Nature show that global warming may affect human health in a surprising number of ways: speeding the spread of infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue fever; creating conditions that lead to potentially fatal malnutrition and diarrhea; and increasing the likelihood of heat waves and floods.
Health Effects of Global Warming Hardest on Poor NationsAccording to the scientists, who have mapped the growing health impacts of global warming, the data show that global warming affects different regions in very different ways. Global warming is particularly hard on people in poor countries, which is ironic, because the places that have contributed the least to global warming are most vulnerable to the death and disease higher temperatures can bring.
"Those least able to cope and least responsible for the greenhouse gases that cause global warming are most affected," said lead author Jonathan Patz, a professor at UW-Madison's Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. "Herein lies an enormous global ethical challenge."
Global Regions at Highest Risk from Global WarmingAccording to the Nature report, regions at highest risk for enduring the health effects of climate change include coastlines along the Pacific and Indian oceans and sub-Saharan Africa. Large sprawling cities, with their urban "heat island" effect, are also prone to temperature-related health problems. Africa has some of the lowest per-capita emissions of greenhouse gases. Yet, regions of the continent are gravely at risk for diseases related to global warming.
"Many of the most important diseases in poor countries, from malaria to diarrhea and malnutrition, are highly sensitive to climate," said co-author Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum of WHO. "The health sector is already struggling to control these diseases and climate change threatens to undermine these efforts."
"Recent extreme climatic events have underscored the risks to human health and survival," added Tony McMichael, director of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University. "This synthesizing paper points the way to strategic research that better assesses the risks to health from global climate change."
Global Responsibilities of Developed and Developing NationsThe United States, which currently emits more greenhouse gases than any other nation, has refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, choosing instead to initiate a separate multinational effort with less ambitious goals. Patz and his colleagues say their work demonstrates the moral obligation of countries with high per-capita emissions, such as the United States and European nations, to take the lead in reducing the health threats of global warming. Their work also highlights the need for large, fast-growing economies, such as China and India, to develop sustainable energy policies.
"The political resolve of policymakers will play a big role in harnessing the man-made forces of climate change," said Patz, who also holds a joint appointment with the UW-Madison department of Population Health Sciences.
Global Warming is Getting WorseScientists believe that greenhouse gases will increase the global average temperature by approximately 6 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century. Extreme floods, droughts and heat waves, such as Europe's 2003 heat wave, are likely to strike with increasing frequency. Other factors such as irrigation and deforestation can also affect local temperatures and humidity.
According to the UW-Madison and WHO team, other model-based forecasts of health risks from global climate change project that:
Climate-related disease risks of the various health outcomes assessed by WHO will more than double by 2030.
Flooding as a result of coastal storm surges will affect the lives of up to 200 million people by the 2080s.
Heat related deaths in California could more than double by 2100.
Hazardous ozone pollution days in the Eastern U.S. could increase 60 percent by 2050. Individual People Can Make a DifferenceAside from research and the needed support of policymakers worldwide, Patz says individuals can also play an important role in curbing the health consequences of global warming.
"Our consumptive lifestyles are having lethal impacts on other people around the world, especially the poor," Patz said. "There are options now for leading more energy-efficient lives that should enable people to make better personal choices."
Research data published in the journal Nature show that global warming may affect human health in a surprising number of ways: speeding the spread of infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue fever; creating conditions that lead to potentially fatal malnutrition and diarrhea; and increasing the likelihood of heat waves and floods.
Health Effects of Global Warming Hardest on Poor NationsAccording to the scientists, who have mapped the growing health impacts of global warming, the data show that global warming affects different regions in very different ways. Global warming is particularly hard on people in poor countries, which is ironic, because the places that have contributed the least to global warming are most vulnerable to the death and disease higher temperatures can bring.
"Those least able to cope and least responsible for the greenhouse gases that cause global warming are most affected," said lead author Jonathan Patz, a professor at UW-Madison's Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. "Herein lies an enormous global ethical challenge."
Global Regions at Highest Risk from Global WarmingAccording to the Nature report, regions at highest risk for enduring the health effects of climate change include coastlines along the Pacific and Indian oceans and sub-Saharan Africa. Large sprawling cities, with their urban "heat island" effect, are also prone to temperature-related health problems. Africa has some of the lowest per-capita emissions of greenhouse gases. Yet, regions of the continent are gravely at risk for diseases related to global warming.
"Many of the most important diseases in poor countries, from malaria to diarrhea and malnutrition, are highly sensitive to climate," said co-author Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum of WHO. "The health sector is already struggling to control these diseases and climate change threatens to undermine these efforts."
"Recent extreme climatic events have underscored the risks to human health and survival," added Tony McMichael, director of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University. "This synthesizing paper points the way to strategic research that better assesses the risks to health from global climate change."
Global Responsibilities of Developed and Developing NationsThe United States, which currently emits more greenhouse gases than any other nation, has refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, choosing instead to initiate a separate multinational effort with less ambitious goals. Patz and his colleagues say their work demonstrates the moral obligation of countries with high per-capita emissions, such as the United States and European nations, to take the lead in reducing the health threats of global warming. Their work also highlights the need for large, fast-growing economies, such as China and India, to develop sustainable energy policies.
"The political resolve of policymakers will play a big role in harnessing the man-made forces of climate change," said Patz, who also holds a joint appointment with the UW-Madison department of Population Health Sciences.
Global Warming is Getting WorseScientists believe that greenhouse gases will increase the global average temperature by approximately 6 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century. Extreme floods, droughts and heat waves, such as Europe's 2003 heat wave, are likely to strike with increasing frequency. Other factors such as irrigation and deforestation can also affect local temperatures and humidity.
According to the UW-Madison and WHO team, other model-based forecasts of health risks from global climate change project that:
Climate-related disease risks of the various health outcomes assessed by WHO will more than double by 2030.
Flooding as a result of coastal storm surges will affect the lives of up to 200 million people by the 2080s.
Heat related deaths in California could more than double by 2100.
Hazardous ozone pollution days in the Eastern U.S. could increase 60 percent by 2050. Individual People Can Make a DifferenceAside from research and the needed support of policymakers worldwide, Patz says individuals can also play an important role in curbing the health consequences of global warming.
"Our consumptive lifestyles are having lethal impacts on other people around the world, especially the poor," Patz said. "There are options now for leading more energy-efficient lives that should enable people to make better personal choices."
How It Affects Your Health
It's a fair bet that global warming is going to lead to a rise in human sickness and death. But what form they will take is difficult to say. We can be pretty sure that as average temperatures climb, there will be more frequent and longer heat waves of the sort that contributed to the death of at least 20,000 Europeans in August 2003. Other predictions are more tenuous. For example, rising temperatures could--if rainfall and other conditions are right--result in larger mosquito populations at higher elevations in the tropics, which could in turn contribute to the spread of malaria, dengue and other insect-borne infections. Early indications are not encouraging. The World Health Organization (WHO) believes that even the modest increases in average temperature that have occurred since the 1970s have begun to take a toll. Climate change is responsible for at least 150,000 extra deaths a year--a figure that will double by 2030, according to WHO's conservative estimate. As with so many public-health issues, a disproportionate part of the burden appears to be falling on the poorest of the poor. That doesn't mean, however, that the comparatively wealthy--who account for more than their share of greenhouse-gas emissions--will escape harm.
A look at three key factors affected by warming offers a hint of things to come.
AIR We're used to thinking of industrial and traffic pollution as having a detrimental effect on air quality. But all other things being equal, rising temperature by itself increases the amount of ground-level ozone, a major constituent of smog. So many studies have linked higher ozone levels to death rates from heart and lung ailments that many cities issue smog alerts to warn those at risk to stay indoors. You can expect more and longer alerts.
It gets worse. Higher levels of carbon dioxide favor the growth of ragweed and other pollen producers over other plants, according to Dr. Paul Epstein at Harvard's Center for Health and the Global Environment. In addition, ragweed churns out more pollen as CO2 levels rise. Scientists have tied local spikes in asthma and allergy attacks to increases in molds and emissions from diesel engines. Apparently, the molds attach themselves to diesel particles, which deliver them more efficiently deep into the lungs. Add a plentiful helping of dust storms (from, for instance, the desertification of Mongolia or northern Africa) and a rise in drought-driven brushfires, and you have a made- to-order recipe for increasing respiratory distress worldwide.
WATER Residents of the U.S. Gulf Coast don't have to be reminded that water can be a killer. You can usually evacuate people ahead of a major storm, but you can't evacuate infrastructure. "Thirteen of the 20 largest cities in the world happen to be located at sea level," says Dr. Cindy Parker of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore, Md. That means that where people are most at risk from floods, so are hospitals and water-treatment plants. As we have seen in New Orleans, the health effects of losing those facilities persist long after the water has receded.
A look at three key factors affected by warming offers a hint of things to come.
AIR We're used to thinking of industrial and traffic pollution as having a detrimental effect on air quality. But all other things being equal, rising temperature by itself increases the amount of ground-level ozone, a major constituent of smog. So many studies have linked higher ozone levels to death rates from heart and lung ailments that many cities issue smog alerts to warn those at risk to stay indoors. You can expect more and longer alerts.
It gets worse. Higher levels of carbon dioxide favor the growth of ragweed and other pollen producers over other plants, according to Dr. Paul Epstein at Harvard's Center for Health and the Global Environment. In addition, ragweed churns out more pollen as CO2 levels rise. Scientists have tied local spikes in asthma and allergy attacks to increases in molds and emissions from diesel engines. Apparently, the molds attach themselves to diesel particles, which deliver them more efficiently deep into the lungs. Add a plentiful helping of dust storms (from, for instance, the desertification of Mongolia or northern Africa) and a rise in drought-driven brushfires, and you have a made- to-order recipe for increasing respiratory distress worldwide.
WATER Residents of the U.S. Gulf Coast don't have to be reminded that water can be a killer. You can usually evacuate people ahead of a major storm, but you can't evacuate infrastructure. "Thirteen of the 20 largest cities in the world happen to be located at sea level," says Dr. Cindy Parker of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore, Md. That means that where people are most at risk from floods, so are hospitals and water-treatment plants. As we have seen in New Orleans, the health effects of losing those facilities persist long after the water has receded.
Ways to combat Global Warming
Global warming is the increase in the earth's temperature as a result of the green house effect. Certain gases such as Carbon-di-oxide, Nitrous Oxide, and Methane act as the additional blanket around the earth. They allow sun's heat to reach the earth surface and warm up the earth's temperature. Although, it is the natural phenomena occurring on the planet earth. Than with the increase in globalization, deforestation is the another devastating force behind global warming. It is the second main cause of releasing the carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Trees collect the CO2 that we breath and give back oxygen that we breath in. Thus, as the trees dies, it leads to the greater concentration of CO2 into the environment. Global warming is constantly resulting in extreme high temperature of the surface, reduction of snow cover, and rise in the water level.
However the increasing human activities are significantly contributing to the cause of global warming. And the foremost among them is the clearing of the forests and converting them into the agricultural lands. Than the another threat to the environment is the burning of the fossil fuels by the industries, which forms the layer of the Sulphuric and the Nitric acid into the air. In this way the environment is dealing with some of the very serious problems, which are having its considerable effect on the climate too. So it has become really important to reduce the process of warming as soon as possible. Each one of our effort can save the environment from the serious hazards. Here are some of the simplest ways to slow down the system of global warming:-Using recyclable products : Start using recyclable products instead of disposables. By this you can reduce the waste which ultimately leads to global warming. You can buy those products from the market, which can be reused. However there are methods to recycle certain products such as plastic, glass and aluminum cans, paper and newspapers. Purchase energy efficient products : The most efficient way to reduce the global warming is to suggest various measures for the energy conservation. If you are planning to buy a new car choose the one that offers the good gas mileage. Get your car and other vehicles serviced periodically. Than the home energy accounts to biggest cause of global warming. Avoid products that come with the excessive packages, that cannot be recycled. If you save garbage at your house, you can save large amount of carbon-di-oxide annually. Turn off the heaters, air conditioners, coolers when not in use. Tree plantation : Grow trees in and around your house to lower down the temperature of your house. Infact tree plantation is the best possible way to combat global warming. They absorb the carbon-di-oxide and gives off oxygen. They also absorb the harmful gases generated by the vehicles. Reducing pollution : When you have to cover the shorter distance prefer walking or biking, which saves gasoline and reduces pollution caused by the vehicles. As the main reason for the increase in the global warming is the the gases emitted by the vehicles which has severely damage the ozone layer. And due to this the, the ultra violet rays and other harmful rays from the sun reaches out the earth causing the problem of global warming. Another way to reduce the air pollution caused by the industries into the atmosphere is to use the low Sulphur fuels instead of fossil fuels. Than there should be strict control on the emission of harmful gases from the industries.
However the increasing human activities are significantly contributing to the cause of global warming. And the foremost among them is the clearing of the forests and converting them into the agricultural lands. Than the another threat to the environment is the burning of the fossil fuels by the industries, which forms the layer of the Sulphuric and the Nitric acid into the air. In this way the environment is dealing with some of the very serious problems, which are having its considerable effect on the climate too. So it has become really important to reduce the process of warming as soon as possible. Each one of our effort can save the environment from the serious hazards. Here are some of the simplest ways to slow down the system of global warming:-Using recyclable products : Start using recyclable products instead of disposables. By this you can reduce the waste which ultimately leads to global warming. You can buy those products from the market, which can be reused. However there are methods to recycle certain products such as plastic, glass and aluminum cans, paper and newspapers. Purchase energy efficient products : The most efficient way to reduce the global warming is to suggest various measures for the energy conservation. If you are planning to buy a new car choose the one that offers the good gas mileage. Get your car and other vehicles serviced periodically. Than the home energy accounts to biggest cause of global warming. Avoid products that come with the excessive packages, that cannot be recycled. If you save garbage at your house, you can save large amount of carbon-di-oxide annually. Turn off the heaters, air conditioners, coolers when not in use. Tree plantation : Grow trees in and around your house to lower down the temperature of your house. Infact tree plantation is the best possible way to combat global warming. They absorb the carbon-di-oxide and gives off oxygen. They also absorb the harmful gases generated by the vehicles. Reducing pollution : When you have to cover the shorter distance prefer walking or biking, which saves gasoline and reduces pollution caused by the vehicles. As the main reason for the increase in the global warming is the the gases emitted by the vehicles which has severely damage the ozone layer. And due to this the, the ultra violet rays and other harmful rays from the sun reaches out the earth causing the problem of global warming. Another way to reduce the air pollution caused by the industries into the atmosphere is to use the low Sulphur fuels instead of fossil fuels. Than there should be strict control on the emission of harmful gases from the industries.
Shocking Report Says Cigarette Smuggling Finances 'terrorist' Groups
new report has shockingly said that cigarette and tobacco smuggling finances militant groups such as the Pakistani Taliban and saps about 40 billion dollars a year from government budgets.
The claims were made as 160 countries resumed talks at the World Health Organisation on expanding an international anti-smoking treaty to clamp down on the illicit trade in tobacco. Apart from issues such as enforcement and coordination, the 10-day preparatory negotiations are also examining a possible halt to duty free sales of cigarettes or measures against Internet sales, WHO documents showed. An alliance of some 350 anti-tobacco campaign groups said in a statement that concerted action against the contraband and counterfeit cigarettes trade would far outweigh the 40.5 billion dollars in lost tax revenue. Some 11.6 percent of the global cigarette market was illicit, equivalent to some 657 billion cigarettes a year, the International Union Against Tobacco and Lung Disease estimated in a report. Citing enforcement officials, other researchers also alleged that "half a dozen terrorist" or militant groups rely on black market tobacco and smuggling for revenue. They included the Pakistani Taliban, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Hezbollah, leftwing FARC rebels in Colombia, the Real IRA in Northern Ireland, and a Tutsi rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo. "We believe that tobacco has been second only to drugs as a source of finance to the Pakistani Taliban," David Kaplan, editorial director of the US-based Center for Public Integrity, told journalists
His body's report also highlighted "smuggling hubs" in China, Paraguay and Ukraine, where either illegally produced counterfeits or contraband excess production from legal factories were fuelling black markets around the world. It estimated that 80 percent of counterfeit cigarettes in the European Union and 99 percent of those sold on US streets were among the estimated 400 billion made illegally every year in China.
"Renegade factories, multinational companies and weak enforcement all play a role in fuelling this massive illegal trade, whose profits rival those of narcotics," said Bill Buzenberg, executive director of the Center. Legitimate cigarette factories in Ukraine helped feed a two billion dollar black market in the European Union, according to the report. "Ukraine... is overproducing and flooding the market," said one of the authors, Marina Walker Guevara. Meanwhile, plants in Paraguay produce 20 times what can be consumed in the country, and local officials estimated that some 90 percent of output -- one billion dollars -- disappeared into the black market, especially in South America. The report was produced by the center's International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, backed by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Washington. The WHO negotiations are aimed at expanding the 2003 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, that strengthened measures against smoking, possibly next year. One of the measures being considered is a ban, or restrictions, on duty free sales that are "often diverted into illicit trade," according to official reports for the meeting. They concluded that there would be no legal obstacles to such a ban, while a "track and trace" system on tobacco to prevent contraband was "feasible".
The claims were made as 160 countries resumed talks at the World Health Organisation on expanding an international anti-smoking treaty to clamp down on the illicit trade in tobacco. Apart from issues such as enforcement and coordination, the 10-day preparatory negotiations are also examining a possible halt to duty free sales of cigarettes or measures against Internet sales, WHO documents showed. An alliance of some 350 anti-tobacco campaign groups said in a statement that concerted action against the contraband and counterfeit cigarettes trade would far outweigh the 40.5 billion dollars in lost tax revenue. Some 11.6 percent of the global cigarette market was illicit, equivalent to some 657 billion cigarettes a year, the International Union Against Tobacco and Lung Disease estimated in a report. Citing enforcement officials, other researchers also alleged that "half a dozen terrorist" or militant groups rely on black market tobacco and smuggling for revenue. They included the Pakistani Taliban, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Hezbollah, leftwing FARC rebels in Colombia, the Real IRA in Northern Ireland, and a Tutsi rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo. "We believe that tobacco has been second only to drugs as a source of finance to the Pakistani Taliban," David Kaplan, editorial director of the US-based Center for Public Integrity, told journalists
His body's report also highlighted "smuggling hubs" in China, Paraguay and Ukraine, where either illegally produced counterfeits or contraband excess production from legal factories were fuelling black markets around the world. It estimated that 80 percent of counterfeit cigarettes in the European Union and 99 percent of those sold on US streets were among the estimated 400 billion made illegally every year in China.
"Renegade factories, multinational companies and weak enforcement all play a role in fuelling this massive illegal trade, whose profits rival those of narcotics," said Bill Buzenberg, executive director of the Center. Legitimate cigarette factories in Ukraine helped feed a two billion dollar black market in the European Union, according to the report. "Ukraine... is overproducing and flooding the market," said one of the authors, Marina Walker Guevara. Meanwhile, plants in Paraguay produce 20 times what can be consumed in the country, and local officials estimated that some 90 percent of output -- one billion dollars -- disappeared into the black market, especially in South America. The report was produced by the center's International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, backed by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Washington. The WHO negotiations are aimed at expanding the 2003 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, that strengthened measures against smoking, possibly next year. One of the measures being considered is a ban, or restrictions, on duty free sales that are "often diverted into illicit trade," according to official reports for the meeting. They concluded that there would be no legal obstacles to such a ban, while a "track and trace" system on tobacco to prevent contraband was "feasible".
HFCs - Protect The Ozone But Raise Global Warming
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), known for protecting the ozone layer from destruction, may also be responsible for global warming, a recent research has held. The research was conducted by scientists from NOAASHFC earth system research laboratory and theircolleagues, which do not contain ozone-destroying chlorine or bromine atoms, are used as substitutes for ozone-depleting compounds such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in such uses as refrigeration, air conditioning, and the production of insulating foams. The researchers took a fresh look at how the global use of HFCs is expected to grow in coming decades. Using updated usage estimates and looking farther ahead than past projections (to the year 2050), they found that HFCs, especially from developing countries, will become an increasingly larger factor in future climate warming. "HFCs are good for protecting the ozone layer, but they are not climate friendly," said David W. Fahey, a scientist at NOAA and second author of the new study. "Our research shows that their effect on climate could become significantly larger than we expected, if we continue along a business-as-usual path," he added. HFCs currently have a climate change contribution that is small (less than 1 percent) in comparison to the contribution of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The researchers have shown that by 2050, the HFCs contribution could rise to 7 to 12 percent of what CO2 contributes, and if international efforts succeed in stabilizing CO2 emissions, the relative climate contribution from HFCs would increase further.NOAA's Earth System ResearHFCs, which do not contain ozone-destroying chlorine or bromine atoms, are used as substitutes for ozone-depleting compounds such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in such uses as refrigeration, air conditioning, and the production of insulating foams. The researchers took a fresh look at how the global use of HFCs is expected to grow in coming decades. Using updated usage estimates and looking farther ahead than past projections (to the year 2050), they found that HFCs, especially from developing countries, will become an increasingly larger factor in future climate warming. "HFCs are good for protecting the ozone layer, but they are not climate friendly," said David W. Fahey, a scientist at NOAA and second author of the new study. "Our research shows that their effect on climate could become significantly larger than we expected, if we continue along a business-as-usual path," he added. HFCs currently have a climate change contribution that is small (less than 1 percent) in comparison to the contribution of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The researchers have shown that by 2050, the HFCs contribution could rise to 7 to 12 percent of what CO2 contributes, and if international efforts succeed in stabilizing CO2 emissions, the relative climate contribution from HFCs would increase further.
ch Laboratory and their colleagues.
ch Laboratory and their colleagues.
India has only around 1,500 tigers: govt survey
While the new survey shows a marginal decline in tiger numbers inside sanctuaries and protected areas, the tiger population outside them appears to have fallen drastically
There are only between 1,300-1,500 tigers left in India, according to a new study commissioned by the government. This figure is less than half the reported figure from the last official tiger census conducted in 2001, although many experts had questioned those numbers. The prime minister has promised action to tackle the alarming decline in the country?s tiger population.
The Wildlife Institute of India, which carried out the survey with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), said the tiger population in reserves and protected areas had dropped marginally but had declined sharply in unprotected forest areas.
?Today?s presentation has brought home the fact that we may have made a mistake about wanting to have people co-exist with tigers, and become dinner. And it wasn?t such a good idea for people. The idea was to try and find ways to remove them from those areas and let nature rejuvenate itself,? said conservationist Prahalad Kakkar.
The survey was presented to a National Wildlife Board meeting, chaired by India?s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The new numbers confirm fears expressed when initial results from the study were reported in May. ?The earlier tiger census figures were exaggerated because there was a tendency that if you are a manager of a tiger reserve, if you did a census and showed a lower number, your knuckles were rapped,? added Belinda Wright, director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India.
The last major tiger census relied on estimating the population by examining tiger pugmarks; the current study is far more extensive and accurate, using camera ?traps? triggered by passing animals, as well as hundreds of wildlife officials tracking the animals through droppings and pugmarks.
Listing urgent measures that have been taken to bolster tiger conservation in India, the NTCA said, while releasing the study on November 2, that central assistance is being provided for the creation of a ?tiger protection force? comprising ex-army personnel and local people. This will complement the efforts of field staff and existing protection initiatives.
Meanwhile, renowned conservationist Valmik Thapar said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had promised prompt action to deal with the dwindling tiger population. ?Yesterday?s National Wildlife Board meeting headed by the prime minister was excellent. He came up with three solutions -- one, a sub-committee should be formed to look into tiger conservation; second, a tiger population force must be formed which should be headed by various state governments to check the number of tigers in every state; and third, a senior policeman should head a wildlife crime bureau that has been headless for quite some time now. These three ways will affect the tigers in a positive way. This could be the beginning of a new era in wildlife conservation. Government, NGOs and individuals can partner much better. The prime minister was very much in tune with the problem and is doing what needs to be done. So we are keeping our fingers crossed,? Thapar concluded.
A century ago, India?s tiger population was believed to number in the tens of thousands. But unchecked development, rampant poaching and population pressure on tiger habitats have rapidly depleted their
There are only between 1,300-1,500 tigers left in India, according to a new study commissioned by the government. This figure is less than half the reported figure from the last official tiger census conducted in 2001, although many experts had questioned those numbers. The prime minister has promised action to tackle the alarming decline in the country?s tiger population.
The Wildlife Institute of India, which carried out the survey with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), said the tiger population in reserves and protected areas had dropped marginally but had declined sharply in unprotected forest areas.
?Today?s presentation has brought home the fact that we may have made a mistake about wanting to have people co-exist with tigers, and become dinner. And it wasn?t such a good idea for people. The idea was to try and find ways to remove them from those areas and let nature rejuvenate itself,? said conservationist Prahalad Kakkar.
The survey was presented to a National Wildlife Board meeting, chaired by India?s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The new numbers confirm fears expressed when initial results from the study were reported in May. ?The earlier tiger census figures were exaggerated because there was a tendency that if you are a manager of a tiger reserve, if you did a census and showed a lower number, your knuckles were rapped,? added Belinda Wright, director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India.
The last major tiger census relied on estimating the population by examining tiger pugmarks; the current study is far more extensive and accurate, using camera ?traps? triggered by passing animals, as well as hundreds of wildlife officials tracking the animals through droppings and pugmarks.
Listing urgent measures that have been taken to bolster tiger conservation in India, the NTCA said, while releasing the study on November 2, that central assistance is being provided for the creation of a ?tiger protection force? comprising ex-army personnel and local people. This will complement the efforts of field staff and existing protection initiatives.
Meanwhile, renowned conservationist Valmik Thapar said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had promised prompt action to deal with the dwindling tiger population. ?Yesterday?s National Wildlife Board meeting headed by the prime minister was excellent. He came up with three solutions -- one, a sub-committee should be formed to look into tiger conservation; second, a tiger population force must be formed which should be headed by various state governments to check the number of tigers in every state; and third, a senior policeman should head a wildlife crime bureau that has been headless for quite some time now. These three ways will affect the tigers in a positive way. This could be the beginning of a new era in wildlife conservation. Government, NGOs and individuals can partner much better. The prime minister was very much in tune with the problem and is doing what needs to be done. So we are keeping our fingers crossed,? Thapar concluded.
A century ago, India?s tiger population was believed to number in the tens of thousands. But unchecked development, rampant poaching and population pressure on tiger habitats have rapidly depleted their
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