Environment and Biodiversity

Draft regulations on Extended Producer Responsibility – UPSC GS3

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Context: Environment Ministry published draft regulations on Extended Producer Responsibility. What is Extended Producer Responsibility? EPR requires the manufacturer of a product, or the party that introduces the product into the community, to take responsibility for its life cycle. For Example : It mandates the FMCG company to account for the costs of collection and …

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Opposition to Kasturirangan Committee report – UPSC GS3

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Context: Karnataka Government has submitted its opposition to the Centre against the Kasturirangan Committee report as it can adversely affect the livelihood of people in the region. Important recommendations under the report: It proposes 37 per cent of the total area of Western Ghats be declared as Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA). (Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) are notified by Ministry of Environment, forest and climate change, MoEFCC) around Protected areas. These …

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Adopting sustainable food systems due to climate change – UPSC GS3

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Context: COP27 in Egypt will have special focus on Sustainable Food Systems. How are food systems and climate change related to each other? Interrelation between climate and agriculture: The climate crisis impacts all parts of the global food system, from production to consumption. It destroys land and crops, kills livestock, depletes fisheries, and cuts off transport …

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Contribution of Computerisation in Climate Change – UPSC GS3

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How computerization and technology adoption is contributing to climate change? A UN study revealed that the manufacture of one desktop computer took 240 kg of fossil fuels, 22 kg of chemicals and 1,500 kg of water. A University of Massachusetts team calculated that training one model for natural-language processing emits 626,155 pounds of carbon dioxide, what 125 New York–Beijing …

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Contribution of Livestock in Climate Change – UPSC GS3

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Global Methane Pledge: About 103 countries, took the Global Methane Pledge, which includes a commitment to reduce emissions of this gas by 30% from 2020 levels by the end of this decade. Problem of emissions from animal agriculture and livestock production is central to the global discussion on climate change. Contribution of Livestock to climate change: …

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Contribution of Agriculture in Green House Gas Emissions – UPSC GS3

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Context: During the recent climate summit in Glasgow, India did not ratify “Action Agenda on Sustainable Agriculture”. India stated that it already has a “National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture” as part of its broad “National Action Plan on Climate Change”. However, these initiatives have failed to improve the condition of Indian agriculture. What are the …

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Human induced evolution of species – UPSC GS3

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Example of Human induced evolution: Tuskless Elephants: In Mozambique, past hunting pressure has led to an increase of naturally tuskless elephants. According to researchers, decades of poaching have made tusklessness relatively advantageous from an evolutionary standpoint in Gorongosa. This has resulted in the proliferation of tuskless females with mutations in two tooth genes. Decrease in …

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Stubble Burning : Causes & Solutions – UPSC GS3

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Why do farmers prefer to burn stubble? Long term causes Policy issues: In 2009 the Punjab government made a law that barred farmers from planting paddy before the dates notified. This was done to time plantings to the arrival of the annual monsoon. This enforced delay in planting pushed the date of harvest to November, …

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COP26 : Glasgow Declaration on Zero Emission Cars and Vans – UPSC GS3

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What is the Glasgow Declaration on Zero Emission Cars and Vans? The declaration promises to work towards ensuring that only zero-emission cars and vans are sold by the year 2040. However, this timeline is meant mainly for the developed country signatories and is not a legally-binding commitment. Emerging markets like India have only promised to work …

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