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ACs to maintain ATMs cool are unhealthy information for atmosphere : The Tribune India

A well-liked cartoon typically making rounds on WhatsApp reveals an individual standing in entrance of a financial institution automated teller machine (ATM) and saying: “This small room has an air conditioner (AC) preserving it chilled and this machine is asking me to not print the receipt to save lots of atmosphere.” This can be a thought that has crossed the thoughts of each ATM person no less than as soon as. Typically, an previous 1.5 tonne air conditioner consumes round 1.5 items per hour. Now, think about all the facility wanted for all so many ACs throughout the nation. As per the information obtained from Reserve Financial institution of India (RBI), there are a complete of two,15,677 ATMs throughout India, of which, 1,17,594 are on website, ie, on the Financial institution’s branches, and 98,083 are off website. Useless so as to add, the metro cities, particularly Delhi and Mumbai, have the very best variety of ATMs. Every ATM geared up with AC – typically, two of them if there are multiple machine within the facility – consumes a number of electrical energy. With the mercury hovering increased and better – and this summer season has been significantly unhealthy for northwest India with the continual spells of warmth waves – the facility demand has been ever on the rise. Delhi’s common summer season demand is definitely greater than 6,500 MWs and the facility discoms battle to fulfill the demand. “What do you do when you may have much less cash to spend? You prioritise your bills. Precisely the identical method, when the facility demand is on the rise, the federal government must prioritise its utilization. Energy saved is one of the best type of era,” mentioned environmentalist Manoj Mishra. Additionally, virtually all of those ACs contribute to the air air pollution and generate a small warmth island round its compressors. Avikal Somvanshi, senior program supervisor, city lab on the Middle for Science and Surroundings (CSE), mentioned: “ACs do not immediately contribute to the air air pollution downside. Nevertheless, the elevated use of ACs, particularly in the course of the summers, will increase the demand for electrical energy, which in flip, will increase the air air pollution brought on by thermal energy crops as they are going to want extra coal to cater to the elevated demand.” One other widespread expertise for a lot of ATM customers is that the machine will not be working, not dishing out money or some other downside, however the small room is chilled because the guard sits inside with AC at 18 levels Celsius cooling. “That could be a quite common downside. Machine might or will not be working. However there may be optimization of energy use. A regulated temperature at 25-26 levels Celsius is sweet sufficient,” mentioned Prafulla Pathak, president, Photo voltaic Vitality Society of India (SESI), an advocacy group for photo voltaic vitality. He additionally factors out that about 10-12 years in the past, expertise was not out there, so ACs had been wanted however now, there’s expertise the place these machines don’t want ACs and like how lots of the devices include self-cooling followers, the ATMs can also have that. “Regardless of this, if in any respect the ATMs want ACs, then solar-based cooling at 25-28 levels may be simply labored out wherever potential. A begin must be carried out someplace,” Pathak mentioned. “ACs within the ATMs are pointless, until the machine so requires it. Within the mild of rampant local weather change, if it’d simply develop into one other necessity of life, tech innovation is urgently required to make it much less damaging to the atmosphere,” echoed Mishra . Prioritising the atmosphere pays extra dividends any day.

ACs to keep ATMs cool are bad news for environment – The Tribune India

A popular cartoon often making rounds on WhatsApp shows a person standing in front of a bank automated teller machine (ATM) and saying: “This small room has an air conditioner (AC) keeping it chilled and this machine is asking me not to print the receipt to save environment.” This is a thought that has crossed the mind of every ATM user at least once. Generally, an old 1.5 tonne air conditioner consumes around 1.5 units per hour. Now, imagine all the power needed for all so many ACs across the country. As per the data obtained from Reserve Bank of India (RBI), there are a total of 2,15,677 ATMs across India, of which, 1,17,594 are on site, i.e., at the Bank’s branches, and 98,083 are off site. Needless to add, the metro cities, especially Delhi and Mumbai, have the highest number of ATMs. Each ATM equipped with AC – sometimes, two of them if there are more than one machine in the facility – consumes a lot of electricity. With the mercury soaring higher and higher – and this summer has been particularly bad for northwest India with the continuous spells of heat waves – the power demand has been ever on the rise. Delhi’s average summer time demand is easily more than 6,500 MWs and the power discoms struggle to meet the demand. “What do you do when you have less money to spend? You prioritise your expenses. Exactly the same way, when the power demand is on the rise, the government needs to prioritise its usage. Power saved is the best kind of generation,” said environmentalist Manoj Mishra. Also, almost all of these ACs contribute to the air pollution and generate a small heat island around its compressors. Avikal Somvanshi, senior programme manager, urban lab at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said: “ACs don’t directly contribute to the air pollution problem. However, the increased use of ACs, especially during the summers, increases the demand for electricity, which in turn, increases the air pollution caused by thermal power plants as they will need more coal to cater to the increased demand.” Another common experience for many ATM users is that the machine is not working, not dispensing cash or any other problem, but the small room is chilled as the guard sits inside with AC at 18 degrees Celsius cooling. “That is a very common problem. Machine may or may not be working. But there can be optimisation of power use. A regulated temperature at 25-26 degrees Celsius is good enough,” said Prafulla Pathak, president, Solar Energy Society of India (SESI), an advocacy group for solar energy. He also points out that about 10-12 years ago, technology was not available, so ACs were needed but now, there is technology where these machines do not need ACs and like how many of the gadgets come with self-cooling fans, the ATMs too can have that. “Despite this, if at all the ATMs need ACs, then solar-based cooling at 25-28 degrees can be easily worked out wherever possible. A start needs to be done somewhere,” Pathak said. “ACs in the ATMs are unnecessary, unless the machine so requires it. In the light of rampant climate change, if it might just become another necessity of life, tech innovation is urgently required to make it less damaging to the environment,” echoed Mishra. Prioritising the environment will pay more dividends any day

ACs to keep ATMs cool are bad news for environment : The Tribune India

A popular cartoon often making rounds on WhatsApp shows a person standing in front of a bank automated teller machine (ATM) and saying: “This small room has an air conditioner (AC) keeping it chilled and this machine is asking me not to print the receipt to save environment.” This is a thought that has crossed the mind of every ATM user at least once. Generally, an old 1.5 tonne air conditioner consumes around 1.5 units per hour. Now, imagine all the power needed for all so many ACs across the country. As per the data obtained from Reserve Bank of India (RBI), there are a total of 2,15,677 ATMs across India, of which, 1,17,594 are on site, i.e., at the Bank’s branches, and 98,083 are off site. Needless to add, the metro cities, especially Delhi and Mumbai, have the highest number of ATMs. Each ATM equipped with AC – sometimes, two of them if there are more than one machine in the facility – consumes a lot of electricity. With the mercury soaring higher and higher – and this summer has been particularly bad for northwest India with the continuous spells of heat waves – the power demand has been ever on the rise. Delhi’s average summer time demand is easily more than 6,500 MWs and the power discoms struggle to meet the demand. “What do you do when you have less money to spend? You prioritise your expenses. Exactly the same way, when the power demand is on the rise, the government needs to prioritise its usage. Power saved is the best kind of generation,” said environmentalist Manoj Mishra. Also, almost all of these ACs contribute to the air pollution and generate a small heat island around its compressors. Avikal Somvanshi, senior programme manager, urban lab at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said: “ACs don’t directly contribute to the air pollution problem. However, the increased use of ACs, especially during the summers, increases the demand for electricity, which in turn, increases the air pollution caused by thermal power plants as they will need more coal to cater to the increased demand.” Another common experience for many ATM users is that the machine is not working, not dispensing cash or any other problem, but the small room is chilled as the guard sits inside with AC at 18 degrees Celsius cooling. “That is a very common problem. Machine may or may not be working. But there can be optimisation of power use. A regulated temperature at 25-26 degrees Celsius is good enough,” said Prafulla Pathak, president, Solar Energy Society of India (SESI), an advocacy group for solar energy. He also points out that about 10-12 years ago, technology was not available, so ACs were needed but now, there is technology where these machines do not need ACs and like how many of the gadgets come with self-cooling fans, the ATMs too can have that. “Despite this, if at all the ATMs need ACs, then solar-based cooling at 25-28 degrees can be easily worked out wherever possible. A start needs to be done somewhere,” Pathak said. “ACs in the ATMs are unnecessary, unless the machine so requires it. In the light of rampant climate change, if it might just become another necessity of life, tech innovation is urgently required to make it less damaging to the environment,” echoed Mishra.

ACs to keep ATMs cool are bad news for environment

A popular cartoon often making rounds on WhatsApp shows a person standing in front of a bank automated teller machine (ATM) and saying: “This small room has an air conditioner (AC) keeping it chilled and this machine is asking me not to print the receipt to save environment.” This is a thought that has crossed the mind of every ATM user at least once. Generally, an old 1.5 tonne air conditioner consumes around 1.5 units per hour. Now, imagine all the power needed for all so many ACs across the country. As per the data obtained from Reserve Bank of India (RBI), there are a total of 2,15,677 ATMs across India, of which, 1,17,594 are on site, ie, at the Bank’s branches, and 98,083 are off site. Needless to add, the metro cities, especially Delhi and Mumbai, have the highest number of ATMs. Each ATM equipped with AC – sometimes, two of them if there are more than one machine in the facility – consumes a lot of electricity. With the mercury soaring higher and higher – and this summer has been particularly bad for northwest India with the continuous spells of heat waves – the power demand has been ever on the rise. Delhi’s average summer time demand is easily more than 6,500 MWs and the power discoms struggle to meet the demand. “What do you do when you have less money to spend? You prioritise your expenses. Exactly the same way, when the power demand is on the rise, the government needs to prioritise its usage. Power saved is the best kind of generation,” said environmentalist Manoj Mishra. Also, almost all of these ACs contribute to the air pollution and generate a small heat island around its compressors. Avikal Somvanshi, senior program manager, urban lab at the Center for Science and Environment (CSE), said: “ACs don’t directly contribute to the air pollution problem. However, the increased use of ACs, especially during the summers, increases the demand for electricity, which in turn, increases the air pollution caused by thermal power plants as they will need more coal to cater to the increased demand.” Another common experience for many ATM users is that the machine is not working, not dispensing cash or any other problem, but the small room is chilled as the guard sits inside with AC at 18 degrees Celsius cooling. “That is a very common problem. Machine may or may not be working. But there can be optimization of power use. A regulated temperature at 25-26 degrees Celsius is good enough,” said Prafulla Pathak, president, Solar Energy Society of India (SESI), an advocacy group for solar energy. He also points out that about 10-12 years ago, technology was not available, so ACs were needed but now, there is technology where these machines do not need ACs and like how many of the gadgets come with self-cooling fans, the ATMs too can have that. “Despite this, if at all the ATMs need ACs, then solar-based cooling at 25-28 degrees can be easily worked out wherever possible. A start needs to be done somewhere,” Pathak said. “ACs in the ATMs are unnecessary, unless the machine so requires it. In the light of rampant climate change, if it might just become another necessity of life, tech innovation is urgently required to make it less damaging to the environment,” echoed Mishra .

ACs to keep ATMs cool are bad news for environment

A popular cartoon often making rounds on WhatsApp shows a person standing in front of a bank automated teller machine (ATM) and saying: “This small room has an air conditioner (AC) keeping it chilled and this machine is asking me not to print the receipt to save environment.” This is a thought that has crossed the mind of every ATM user at least once. Generally, an old 1.5 tonne air conditioner consumes around 1.5 units per hour. Now, imagine all the power needed for all so many ACs across the country. As per the data obtained from Reserve Bank of India (RBI), there are a total of 2,15,677 ATMs across India, of which, 1,17,594 are on site, i.e., at the Bank’s branches, and 98,083 are off site. Needless to add, the metro cities, especially Delhi and Mumbai, have the highest number of ATMs. Each ATM equipped with AC – sometimes, two of them if there are more than one machine in the facility – consumes a lot of electricity. With the mercury soaring higher and higher – and this summer has been particularly bad for northwest India with the continuous spells of heat waves – the power demand has been ever on the rise. Delhi’s average summer time demand is easily more than 6,500 MWs and the power discoms struggle to meet the demand. “What do you do when you have less money to spend? You prioritise your expenses. Exactly the same way, when the power demand is on the rise, the government needs to prioritise its usage. Power saved is the best kind of generation,” said environmentalist Manoj Mishra. Also, almost all of these ACs contribute to the air pollution and generate a small heat island around its compressors. Avikal Somvanshi, senior programme manager, urban lab at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said: “ACs don’t directly contribute to the air pollution problem. However, the increased use of ACs, especially during the summers, increases the demand for electricity, which in turn, increases the air pollution caused by thermal power plants as they will need more coal to cater to the increased demand.” Another common experience for many ATM users is that the machine is not working, not dispensing cash or any other problem, but the small room is chilled as the guard sits inside with AC at 18 degrees Celsius cooling. “That is a very common problem. Machine may or may not be working. But there can be optimisation of power use. A regulated temperature at 25-26 degrees Celsius is good enough,” said Prafulla Pathak, president, Solar Energy Society of India (SESI), an advocacy group for solar energy. He also points out that about 10-12 years ago, technology was not available, so ACs were needed but now, there is technology where these machines do not need ACs and like how many of the gadgets come with self-cooling fans, the ATMs too can have that. “Despite this, if at all the ATMs need ACs, then solar-based cooling at 25-28 degrees can be easily worked out wherever possible. A start needs to be done somewhere,” Pathak said. “ACs in the ATMs are unnecessary, unless the machine so requires it. In the light of rampant climate change, if it might just become another necessity of life, tech innovation is urgently required to make it less damaging to the environment,” echoed Mishra. Prioritising the environment will pay more dividends any day.

ACs to keep ATMs cool are bad news for environment

A popular cartoon often making rounds on WhatsApp shows a person standing in front of a bank automated teller machine (ATM) and saying: “This small room has an air conditioner (AC) keeping it chilled and this machine is asking me not to print the receipt to save environment.” This is a thought that has crossed the mind of every ATM user at least once. Generally, an old 1.5 tonne air conditioner consumes around 1.5 units per hour. Now, imagine all the power needed for all so many ACs across the country. As per the data obtained from Reserve Bank of India (RBI), there are a total of 2,15,677 ATMs across India, of which, 1,17,594 are on site, i.e., at the Bank’s branches, and 98,083 are off site. Needless to add, the metro cities, especially Delhi and Mumbai, have the highest number of ATMs. Each ATM equipped with AC – sometimes, two of them if there are more than one machine in the facility – consumes a lot of electricity. With the mercury soaring higher and higher – and this summer has been particularly bad for northwest India with the continuous spells of heat waves – the power demand has been ever on the rise. Delhi’s average summer time demand is easily more than 6,500 MWs and the power discoms struggle to meet the demand. “What do you do when you have less money to spend? You prioritise your expenses. Exactly the same way, when the power demand is on the rise, the government needs to prioritise its usage. Power saved is the best kind of generation,” said environmentalist Manoj Mishra. Also, almost all of these ACs contribute to the air pollution and generate a small heat island around its compressors. Avikal Somvanshi, senior programme manager, urban lab at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said: “ACs don’t directly contribute to the air pollution problem. However, the increased use of ACs, especially during the summers, increases the demand for electricity, which in turn, increases the air pollution caused by thermal power plants as they will need more coal to cater to the increased demand.” Another common experience for many ATM users is that the machine is not working, not dispensing cash or any other problem, but the small room is chilled as the guard sits inside with AC at 18 degrees Celsius cooling. “That is a very common problem. Machine may or may not be working. But there can be optimisation of power use. A regulated temperature at 25-26 degrees Celsius is good enough,” said Prafulla Pathak, president, Solar Energy Society of India (SESI), an advocacy group for solar energy. He also points out that about 10-12 years ago, technology was not available, so ACs were needed but now, there is technology where these machines do not need ACs and like how many of the gadgets come with self-cooling fans, the ATMs too can have that. “Despite this, if at all the ATMs need ACs, then solar-based cooling at 25-28 degrees can be easily worked out wherever possible. A start needs to be done somewhere,” Pathak said. “ACs in the ATMs are unnecessary, unless the machine so requires it. In the light of rampant climate change, if it might just become another necessity of life, tech innovation is urgently required to make it less damaging to the environment,” echoed Mishra.

ACs to keep ATMs cool are bad news for environment

A popular cartoon often making rounds on WhatsApp shows a person standing in front of a bank automated teller machine (ATM) and saying: “This small room has an air conditioner (AC) keeping it chilled and this machine is asking me not to print the receipt to save environment.” This is a thought that has crossed the mind of every ATM user at least once. Generally, an old 1.5 tonne air conditioner consumes around 1.5 units per hour. Now, imagine all the power needed for all so many ACs across the country. As per the data obtained from Reserve Bank of India (RBI), there are a total of 2,15,677 ATMs across India, of which, 1,17,594 are on site, i.e., at the Bank’s branches, and 98,083 are off site. Needless to add, the metro cities, especially Delhi and Mumbai, have the highest number of ATMs. Each ATM equipped with AC – sometimes, two of them if there are more than one machine in the facility – consumes a lot of electricity. With the mercury soaring higher and higher – and this summer has been particularly bad for northwest India with the continuous spells of heat waves – the power demand has been ever on the rise. Delhi’s average summer time demand is easily more than 6,500 MWs and the power discoms struggle to meet the demand. “What do you do when you have less money to spend? You prioritise your expenses. Exactly the same way, when the power demand is on the rise, the government needs to prioritise its usage. Power saved is the best kind of generation,” said environmentalist Manoj Mishra. Also, almost all of these ACs contribute to the air pollution and generate a small heat island around its compressors. Avikal Somvanshi, senior programme manager, urban lab at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said: “ACs don’t directly contribute to the air pollution problem. However, the increased use of ACs, especially during the summers, increases the demand for electricity, which in turn, increases the air pollution caused by thermal power plants as they will need more coal to cater to the increased demand.” Another common experience for many ATM users is that the machine is not working, not dispensing cash or any other problem, but the small room is chilled as the guard sits inside with AC at 18 degrees Celsius cooling. “That is a very common problem. Machine may or may not be working. But there can be optimisation of power use. A regulated temperature at 25-26 degrees Celsius is good enough,” said Prafulla Pathak, president, Solar Energy Society of India (SESI), an advocacy group for solar energy. He also points out that about 10-12 years ago, technology was not available, so ACs were needed but now, there is technology where these machines do not need ACs and like how many of the gadgets come with self-cooling fans, the ATMs too can have that. “Despite this, if at all the ATMs need ACs, then solar-based cooling at 25-28 degrees can be easily worked out wherever possible. A start needs to be done somewhere,” Pathak said. “ACs in the ATMs are unnecessary, unless the machine so requires it. In the light of rampant climate change, if it might just become another necessity of life, tech innovation is urgently required to make it less damaging to the environment,” echoed Mishra. Prioritising the environment will pay more dividends any day.

ACs to keep ATMs cool are bad news for environment

This is a thought that has crossed the mind of every ATM user at least once. Generally, an old 1.5 tonne air conditioner consumes around 1.5 units per hour. Now, imagine all the power needed for all so many ACs, not just in Delhi but across the country. As per the data obtained from Reserve Bank of India (RBI), there are a total of 2,15,677 ATMs across India, of which, 1,17,594 are on site, i.e., at the Bank’s branches, and 98,083 are off site. Needless to add, the metro cities, especially Delhi and Mumbai, have the highest number of ATMs. Each ATM equipped with AC – sometimes, two of them if there are more than one machine in the facility – consumes a lot of electricity. With the mercury soaring higher and higher – and this summer has been particularly bad for northwest India with the continuous spells of heat waves – the power demand has been ever on the rise. Delhi’s average summer time demand is easily more than 6,500 MWs and the power discoms struggle to meet the demand. "What do you do when you have less money to spend? You prioritise your expenses. Exactly the same way, when the power demand is on the rise, the government needs to prioritise its usage. Power saved is the best kind of generation," said environmentalist Manoj Mishra. Also, almost all of these ACs contribute to the air pollution and generate a small heat island around its compressors. Avikal Somvanshi, senior programme manager, urban lab at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said: "ACs don’t directly contribute to the air pollution problem. However, the increased use of ACs, especially during the summers, increases the demand for electricity, which in turn, increases the air pollution caused by thermal power plants as they will need more coal to cater to the increased demand." Another common experience for many ATM users is that the machine is not working, not dispensing cash or any other problem, but the small room is chilled as the guard sits inside with AC at 18 degrees Celsius cooling. "That is a very common problem. Machine may or may not be working. But there can be optimisation of power use. A regulated temperature at 25-26 degrees Celsius is good enough," said Prafulla Pathak, president, Solar Energy Society of India (SESI), an advocacy group for solar energy. He also points out that about 10-12 years ago, technology was not available, so ACs were needed but now, there is technology where these machines do not need ACs and like how many of the gadgets come with self cooling fans, the ATMs too can have that. "Despite this, if at all the ATMs need ACs, then solar-based cooling at 25-28 degrees can be easily worked out wherever possible. A start needs to be done somewhere," Pathak said. "ACs in the ATMs are unnecessary, unless the machine so requires it. In the light of rampant climate change, if it might just become another necessity of life, tech innovation is urgently required to make it less damaging to the environment," echoed Mishra. Prioritising the environment will pay more dividends any day.

भारत की स्क्रैपिंग नीति की धीमी शुरुआत: क्यों

भारत की कबाड़ नीति को पुराने वाहनों को सड़क से हटाने के लिए अधिकृत स्क्रैपयार्ड के माध्यम से आसान रीसाइक्लिंग को सक्षम करने, पुराने वाहनों के पुन: पंजीकरण के लिए शुल्क बढ़ाने और नए वाहनों के पंजीकरण पर कम कर (और छूट) शुरू करने के साधन के रूप में पेश किया गया था। खरीदार ने अपने पुराने वाहन को स्क्रैप कर दिया था। संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका की कैश फॉर क्लंकर्स नीति पर आधारित, आशा थी कि पुरानी कारों के मालिकों को अपने वाहनों को स्क्रैप करने के लिए पर्याप्त लुभाया जाएगा। और यह निश्चित रूप से देश के संघर्षरत ऑटो क्षेत्र को बढ़ावा देने वाला हो सकता है। लेकिन अब तक, नीति का सार्वजनिक आलिंगन कमजोर रहा है। लोकलसर्किल का एक सर्वेक्षण कार मालिकों के तर्क को समझने का एक तरीका है। सर्वे में बताया गया है कि ज्यादातर मालिक अपने वाहन को सिर्फ इसलिए बदलने में दिलचस्पी नहीं रखते हैं क्योंकि वह पुराना हो गया है। भारत की स्क्रैपिंग नीति की धीमी शुरुआत: क्यों 10,543 वाहन मालिकों में से 57 प्रतिशत वाहन मालिकों ने कहा कि एक वाहन को उनके ओडोमीटर रीडिंग के आधार पर स्क्रैप किया जाना चाहिए यानी वाहन ने वर्षों की संख्या के बजाय कितने किलोमीटर की दूरी तय की है। पिछले साल सरकार के जनादेश में कहा गया था कि 20 साल से पुराने निजी वाहनों और 15 साल से पुराने वाणिज्यिक वाहनों को सड़क पर बने रहने के लिए फिटनेस टेस्ट से गुजरना होगा। भारत की स्क्रैपिंग नीति की धीमी शुरुआत: क्यों भारत 2070 तक शुद्ध कार्बन शून्य करना चाहता है – इसलिए निश्चित रूप से नीति को बदलने के लिए बहुत समय है। अगर हवा को प्रदूषित करने वाले पुराने वाहन चलते रहेंगे तो लक्ष्य हासिल नहीं होगा। इसलिए पुरानी कारों को रिसाइकिल करना भारत के लिए महत्वपूर्ण हो गया है। पुराने वाहनों के खरीदार जो नया वाहन खरीदेंगे, उससे कम प्रदूषण होगा और संभावना है कि यह एक इलेक्ट्रिक वाहन भी हो सकता है। कहा जा रहा है कि चार्जिंग इंफ्रास्ट्रक्चर की कमी के कारण कई लोग अभी भी इलेक्ट्रिक वाहन नहीं खरीद रहे हैं। लोगों द्वारा इलेक्ट्रिक वाहन न खरीदने का दूसरा कारण यह है कि वे अपने ICE-समकक्ष की तुलना में काफी अधिक महंगे हैं। उदाहरण के लिए, Tata Nexon की शुरुआती कीमत 7.55 लाख रुपये एक्स-शोरूम है। जबकि Nexon EV 14.79 लाख रुपये एक्स-शोरूम से शुरू होती है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट ने भविष्यवाणी की थी कि 2025 तक, भारत में 20 मिलियन पुराने वाहन होंगे जो उनके जीवन के अंत के करीब हैं और एक महत्वपूर्ण मात्रा में प्रदूषण का उत्सर्जन कर रहे हैं जो पर्यावरण को नुकसान पहुंचाएगा। सरकार को उम्मीद है कि यह कार्यक्रम 100 अरब रुपये (1.3 अरब डॉलर) से अधिक के नए निवेश को आकर्षित करेगा और धातुओं के लिए अन्य देशों पर देश की निर्भरता को कम करेगा। Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. के अध्यक्ष आरसी Bhargava ने कहा कि वाहन की उम्र एक वाहन को स्क्रैप करने के लिए एक अच्छा मानदंड नहीं था। तर्क कार की सड़कों को सुरक्षित रूप से चलाने की क्षमता होना चाहिए ताकि यह अन्य सड़क उपयोगकर्ताओं को खतरे में न डाले। एक वाहन को रद्द कर दिया जाता है जब उपयोगकर्ता पाता है कि फिटनेस प्रमाण पत्र प्राप्त करने के लिए इसकी मरम्मत करना किफायती नहीं है। निजी वाहनों को कम से कम हर तीन साल में फिटनेस टेस्ट से गुजरना चाहिए। जब कोई कार सड़क पर चलती है तो आमतौर पर यह जांचने के लिए कोई और निरीक्षण नहीं होता है कि बिक्री के समय निर्धारित सुरक्षा मानकों को पूरा किया जा रहा है या नहीं। ऐसे वाहनों में खराबी के कारण बड़ी संख्या में दुर्घटनाएं होती हैं जिन्हें समय-समय पर फिट के रूप में प्रमाणित नहीं किया जाता है।”

India’s Plan to Recycle Old Cars Failing to Woo Vehicle Owners

India’s plan to remove millions of older polluting cars from its roads in an effort to clear some of the world’s most toxic air looks set to face several challenges with a new survey showing the majority of vehicle owners aren’t interested in trading in their automobile based on age. Some 57% of 10,543 vehicle owners surveyed by LocalCircles say whether a car should be removed from service or not should depend on miles on the odometer rather than age. The government last year mandated that personal vehicles more than 20 years old and commercial vehicles more than 15 years old will need to undergo fitness tests in order to remain on the road. In addition, just over half of consumers surveyed said they’re planning to reduce the number of cars they own because they believe India’s cash-for-clunkers policy will make it more expensive to keep an old vehicle. Authorities have made auto fitness tests more expensive since April, with owners of cars that are older than 15 years now having to spend eight times more to renew their registration. The public’s lack of interest in getting rid of polluting vehicles is a potential setback for India’s ambitions to turn net carbon zero by 2070. Recycling old cars is crucial for India to cut emissions considering the take up of electric vehicles is lagging due to sparse charging networks and the high price of battery-powered transport. The nation’s Centre for Science and Environment forecasts that by 2025, India will have as many as 20 million old vehicles nearing the end of their lives, causing huge environmental damage. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration has said it expects the program to attract fresh investment of more than 100 billion rupees ($1.3 billion) and curb the nation’s dependency on other countries for metals. Modi has said scrapping end-of-life vehicles in India is currently not productive because precious metals aren’t recycled and the energy recovery is close to nothing. Automakers however appear to be siding with the public. “Age is not a good criteria for scrapping a vehicle,” Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. Chairman R.C. Bhargava said in an interview. “The logic has to be the car’s ability to ply roads safely so it doesn’t put other road users in danger. A vehicle gets scrapped when the user finds it isn’t economical to repair it to get a fitness certificate.” Personal vehicles should undergo fitness tests every three years at least, Bhargava said. In India, when a car goes on the road there’s typically no further inspection to check whether safety standards that were prescribed at the time of sale are being met. A large number of accidents happen because of defects in vehicles that aren’t periodically certified as fit, he said. India also needs more large scrapping centers with recycling currently dominated by informal small-scale units. Maruti Suzuki and Toyota Tsusho Corp. have jointly set up a facility with an investment of 440 million rupees to scrap and recycle over 24,000 end-of-life vehicles annually. Mahindra MSTC Recycling Pvt., which has a recycling facility in Pune, is building four more scrapping units in the western state of Maharashtra with a capacity of 40,000 vehicles annually.

स्टॉकहोम सिंड्रोम: 50 साल का जश्न हमारे साझे भविष्य के बारे में होना चाहिए, अतीत के विभाजनों पर नहीं

स्टॉकहोम सम्मेलन की 50वीं वर्षगांठ की ओर बढ़ रहे हैं, हमें अपने देश की पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री इंदिरा गांधी के शब्द याद करने होंगे. मेजबान देश स्वीडन के राष्ट्र प्रमुख को छोड़कर वह दुनिया की इकलौती प्रधानमंत्री थीं, जिन्होंने इस सम्मेलन में भाग लिया और इसकी बैठक में अपने विचार भी रखे. मानव-पर्यावरण पर 1972 में स्टॉकहोम में हुए सम्मेलन ने पहली बार स्थिरता पर वैश्विक चेतना की पहल को रेखांकित किया. यह सम्मेलन, विकास और पर्यावरण-प्रबंधन जैसे बड़े मुद्दों पर चर्चा के लिए दुनिया को एक मंच पर लेकर आया था. यही वह समय था, जब रैचेल कार्सन ने अपनी पहली किताब ‘साइलेंट स्प्रिंग’ के जरिए प्रकृति में जहर घुलने की कहानी बताई थी. यह वह समय भी था, जब औद्योगीकृत हो चुकी पश्चिमी दुनिया, प्रदूषण और जहरीलेपन से जूझ रही थी. 1972 में स्टॉकहोम सम्मेलन में मौजूद रहने वाले हमारे सहयोगी अनिल अग्रवाल अक्सर याद किया करते थे कि तब स्टॉकहोम की झीलें, रसायनों से इतनी दूषित थीं कि आप पानी में फिल्म का निगेटिव तैयार कर सकते थे. यह सम्मेलन औद्योगीकरण के नतीजों और इसके हानिकारक प्रभावों से निपटने और उन्हें कम करने के बारे में था. अब जब हम, उसकी 50वीं वर्षगांठ की ओर बढ़ रहे हैं, हमें अपने देश की पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री इंदिरा गांधी के शब्द याद करने होंगे. मेजबान देश स्वीडन के राष्ट्र प्रमुख को छोड़कर वह दुनिया की इकलौती प्रधानमंत्री थीं, जिन्होंने इस सम्मेलन में भाग लिया और इसकी बैठक में अपने विचार भी रखे. विस्तार से पढ़ें. सम्मेलन के पूर्ण सत्र में इंदिरा गांधी ने कहा था कि औद्योगिक हो चुकी दुनिया, जिसने अपने अमीरों और उपनिवेश के मजदूरों की बदौलत तरक्की की, उसे बाकी दुनिया को यह उपदेश नहीं देना चाहिए कि जिस तरह से विकासशील चल रहे हैं, उसमें खामियां हैं. उन्होंने कहा था- ‘हम नहीं चाहते कि आने वाले समय में पर्यावरण को थोड़ा सा भी नुकसान पहुंचाया जाए, फिर भी हम एक पल के लिए भी अपने यहां बड़ी तादाद में मौजूद लोगों की भयंकर गरीबी को नहीं भूल सकते.’ उन्होंने यह तर्क भी दिया था कि गरीबी ही, सबसे बड़ा प्रदूषक है. इंदिरा गांधी का यह बयान ऐतिहासिक बन गया. हालांकि इसे यह कहकर बड़े पैमाने पर गलत समझा गया कि गरीब देशों को कम नहीं, बल्कि ज्यादा विकास करना है और इसका मतलब यह है कि वे इसके लिए जरूरत से ज्यादा प्रदूषण करेंगे. जबकि तथ्य यह है कि इंदिरा गांधी ने कभी ऐसा कहा ही नहीं. उन्होंने कहा था कि उनकी गहरी रुचि केवल धरती में ही नहीं, बल्कि उसे ऐसी जगह बनाने में है, जो दुनिया के हर आदमी के रहने के लए उपयुक्त हो. उन्होंने कहा था कि आज केवल धरती ही नहीं, मानव-जाति भी संकट में डाल दी गई है. उनके मुताबिक, आदमी अगर गरीबी में जीता है, तो उसे कुपोषण और बीमारियों का खतरा रहता है, जब युद्ध चल रहा होता है तो उसे कमजोरी का डर रहता है और जब वह अमीर बन जाता है तो उसे अपनी ही लाई हुई संपत्ति से प्रदूषण का खतरा रहता है. किसी पैंगबर के कहे जैसे इन गंभीर शब्दों की दुनिया ने उपेक्षा की. 1992 में जब ब्राजील के शहर रियो डी जेनेरियो में अगला सम्मेलन हुआ, तब तक दुनिया का पुनर्गठन हो चुका था और उसके सामने नई चुनौतियां थीं. अब, वैश्विक पर्यावरण की दूसरी चुनौतियां दुनिया के दिमाग में थीं- समृद्ध दुनिया ने ओजोन परत में एक छेद का उभार देखा था, जो इसके एयर-कंडीशनिंग और दूसरी प्रणालियों में उपयोग किए जाने वाले रसायनों के चलते हुआ था. न्यूज़लॉन्ड्री डाक न्यूज़लॉन्ड्री हिन्दी के साप्ताहिक संपादकीय, चुनिंदा बेहतरीन रिपोर्ट्स, टिप्पणियां और मीडिया की स्वस्थ आलोचनाएं. ओजोन परत में छेद से दुनिया को यह भी महसूस हुआ कि कोई देश अकेले इस समस्या को हल नहीं कर सकता. यह कीटनाशक के जहरीले होने के उस मुद्दे से अलग था जिसे कार्सन ने उजागर किया था. इस मामले में, छेद वातावरण में था और किसी भी देश द्वारा क्लोरोफ्लोरोकार्बन को छोड़ना सभी के हित को खतरे में डाल देता. यही वह समय भी था, जब आज हमें परेशान करने वाले जलवायु-परिवर्तन के मुद्दे पर समझ बननी शुरू हुई. एक बार फिर, वैश्विक सहयोग की जरूरत थी, क्योंकि उत्सर्जन से लड़ाई भी उतनी ही महत्वपूर्ण थी, जितना आर्थिक विकास. यह बात दुनिया आज की तरह तब भी जानती थी. हालांकि दुनिया को एक साथ लाने की बजाय 1992 में हुए संयुक्त राष्ट्र के पर्यावरण और विकास पर हुए सम्मेलन ने एक बार फिर अमीर और गरीब देशों को उनके खेमों में बांट दिया. अमीर देश निरंतरता यानी ‘सस्टेनीबिलिटी’ का उपदेश दे रहे थे, जो इस सम्मेलन में एक नए शब्द की तरह सामने आया था. जबकि गरीब देशों की मांग थी कि उनके लिए विकास जरूरी है. मैं रियो के सम्मेलन में मौजूद थी और इस छल-कपट की गवाह थी. तथ्य यह है कि भारत समेत बाकी विकासशील दुनिया पर्यावरण के क्षरण के खिलाफ इस लड़ाई में भागीदार बनने के लिए बहुत इच्छुक थी, लेकिन दुनिया को समानता की इस जरूरत को स्वाीकार करने की जरूरत थी. न केवल दो अलग- अलग पीढ़ियों के बीच की समानता का बल्कि एक ही पीढ़ी के बीच की समानता का भी सम्मान किया जाना चाहिए था. जलवायु-परिवर्तन के मुद्दे पर यह समझ बननी चाहिए थी कि पहले से अमीर देश किस तरह से ग्रीनहाउस गैसों का उत्सर्जन तेजी से कम करके, विकासशील देशों को बिना प्रदूषण फैलाए तरक्की करने का मौका देंगे. जबकि यह अमीर देशों के सरकोर में ही नहीं था. विकासशील देशों ने रियों में दलील दी थी कि वे दुनिया को आश्वस्त करना चाहते हैं कि हम प्रदूषण फैलाए बिना बिकास करेंगे लेकिन इसके लिए हमें अमीर देशों से आर्थिक मदद और तकनीक मिलनी चाहिए. जैव-विविधता और वन-संरक्षण के मामले में भी यही स्थिति थी. विकासशील देशों के ऐसा सोचने के पीछे यह तर्क था कि गरीब समुदायों की जिन जमीनों पर अमीर तैयार हुए हैं, तो अमीरों को संरक्षण के जरिए गरीब देशों को उनका लाभ बांटना चाहिए. ऐसा नहीं हुआ. इसके बजाय पिछले तीन दशकों में अमीर और छोटे देश आपस की छोटी-छोटी लड़ाईयों में उलझकर वैश्विक सहयोग के विचार को ही हराने में लगे हुए हैं. यही वजह है कि हम आज इस स्थिति में हैं, जिसमें जीवों की कई प्रजातियां विलुप्त हो रही हैं और जलवायु-परिवर्तन तेजी से हो रहा है. इसीलिए, जब दुनिया के नेता पांच दशकों के बाद 2022 में फिर से स्टॉकहोम में सम्मेलन में साथ आने जा रहे हैं तो उन्हें पुरानी गलतियां नहीं दोहरानी चाहिए. दुनिया को भारत की पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री इंदिरा गांधी के शब्द याद करने चाहिए और उन्हें भविष्य के एजेंडे में शामिल करना चाहिए. स्टॉकहोम सम्मेलन की 50वीं वर्षगांठ का उत्सव हमारे साझे भविष्य के बारे में होना चाहिए, अतीत के विभाजनों पर नहीं.

Why Bonn climate talks are important — and what their rough start could mean for COP27

The Bonn Climate Conference in Germany is a step to further the COP26 agenda and prepare for COP27. But developing countries say the summit’s agenda limits space for discussions. New Delhi: Seven months after the COP26 in Glasgow, countries across the world have sent their delegations to Germany’s Bonn for another set of climate change negotiations. However, rather like in Glasgow, the Bonn conference has witnessed developing countries raise concerns with their developed counterparts about climate finance as well as loss and damage caused by climate change. Called the Bonn Climate Conference, the 6-16 June summit is expected to lay the ground for COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, later this year. The summit is different from the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP), the 26th summit of which was held between 31 October and 12 November in the United Kingdom’s Glasgow. For one thing, the Bonn summit is being led by COP’s two Subsidiary Bodies. While the COP is the decision making body formed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change — the Subsidiary Bodies are what Ulka Kelkar, director of the climate programme at the World Resources Institute India, describes as the “working wings” of the COP. VDO.AI For another, although less glamorous than the COP26 — which saw over 120 world leaders and more than 40,000 participants in attendance — the Bonn Climate Conference will set in motion what was decided at the COP26 while continuing negotiations on matters related to climate mitigation (reducing emissions), adaptation (adjusting to climate change), and finance (for mitigation and adaptation), among others. The COP26 resulted in the adoption of the Glasgow Pact, with countries pledging to cut emissions to halt global warming. “This is a different set up from the flash and pomp of the COPs, which is attended by world leaders and announcements are made. Here, the technical and actionable items of what is announced at the COP are taken forward,” Avantika Goswami, programme manager, climate change at the Centre for Science and Environment, explained. “The purpose of this conference is to advance those technical discussions so they can be adopted at the next COP,” she added. But groups of developing countries — including India – have expressed unhappiness at the agendas for both Subsidiary Bodies saying that they limit the space to discuss climate adaptation, a crucial aspect for poorer countries to cope with climate change. According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, “adaptation refers to adjustments in ecological, social, or economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli and their effects or impacts”. Another demand from developing countries is more time and space to discuss loss and damage, which refers to the destruction resulting from climate change — a topic that has been sidelined so far. ThePrint explains what the Bonn Climate Conference is, why it’s important and why developing countries want out of the discussions. A rough start There are two Subsidiary Bodies under COP. The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) provides negotiators with the scientific and technical knowledge needed to inform their discussions focusing on climate impacts, vulnerability adaptation, and the development of new technologies. The Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI), on the other hand, is concerned with the implementation of various climate agreements. The common goal, as stated in the 2015 Paris Agreement and endorsed in the COP26, is to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, exceeding which life on earth will become increasingly difficult. However, the responsibilities of climate change are not evenly distributed, with richer countries contributing the most, and neither are its effects, with poor countries being the most impacted. The Subsidiary Bodies’ work is significant because it facilitates countries to move towards their climate goals, while providing them with a blueprint to do so, Kelkar told ThePrint. “In other words, the two Subsidiary Bodies divide the technical groundwork required for negotiations at the next COP conference,” she said. The COP26 negotiations saw developing countries like India demand that richer countries increase their climate ambitions while paying their dues to poorer ones. These issues are likely to spill over into the talks currently underway at Bonn. Already, at the opening of the conference, Diego Pacheco, the lead negotiator for Bolivia and representing the Like-Minded Developing Countries — a formal negotiating group that has 20 countries, including China, India, Malaysia and Indonesia — said: “It’s incredible to see how developing countries have to fight to achieve balance in climate negotiations”, adding that it was unfortunate that time was limited in the areas that are of “highest priority” for developing countries. “The less time there is to negotiate, the less pressure there is to commit to issues like climate adaptation,” explained Sanjay Vashist, director of the Climate Action Network South Asia. “If there isn’t enough time to discuss something, it’s easier for richer, developed countries to get out of making firm commitments,” he told ThePrint. Developing countries as well as civil society organisations are also pushing for a loss and damage finance facility, which can mobilise finance meant specifically for the purposes of rehabilitation in the wake of climate change. What to look out for Countries like India are particularly interested in the agenda items that further discussions on adaptation, loss and damage, and climate finance. Developed countries were meant to mobilise $100 billion in climate finance by 2020 — a goal that has not been achieved, and is unlikely to be fulfilled before 2023. Out of the climate finance that has been raised, only 20 per cent has gone towards climate adaptation, while 50 per cent is towards climate mitigation. The need for climate finance has since risen to $5.8-5.9 trillion, according to estimates by a UN group. “There is a quantified goal for climate change mitigation — limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. But there’s no set goal for climate adaptation, and that’s what needs to be discussed,” said Vashist, adding, “We also need a new finance goal because the current pledges are totally insufficient.”

Delhi will need to source an additional 530 MGD of water by 2031, say experts

New Delhi: The city would need to source an additional 530 million gallons of water per day by 2031 and the challenge must be met by creating infrastructure for both sourcing and storing water, said experts on Thursday. Speaking at an event on Delhi’s water ecosystem on Thursday, Shashank Shekhar, professor of geology at Delhi University, said Delhi Jal Board produced around 1,000 MGD in their water treatment plants. “Out of Delhi’s water demand of around 1,178 MGD in 2022, along around 800 MGD reaches the people, leaving a deficit of around 370 MGD,” pointed out Shekhar. “However, Delhi’s population is assumed to stabilise at 27 million by 2031 and the water demand then would be around 1,332 MGD as per the planning policy. In the next nine years, therefore, we have to think of finding a source for 532 MGD — and that’s a tough task.” Shekhar added that infrastructure had to be installed with the focus on sourcing and treating the water. In Delhi, there has been no planning about a certain percentage of treated water to be processed to be of drinking quality, observed Depinder Kapur, director (Water), Centre for Science and Environment. He said this was a lacuna in the Master Plan Delhi 2041. “There has been no commitment to reuse at least 25% of treated water for potable purposes. All they say is that around 45 MGD of treated water will be reused for filling water bodies,” Kapur said. The event titled ‘Dialogue to Develop a Vision for the Environment of Delhi – 2025’ was organised by Green Circle of Delhi in association with India International Centre. Suhas Borker, founder member, Green Circle of Delhi, highlighted how open nullahs were covered with concrete some years ago and they were reinvented as storm water drains. Reacting to this, Ankit Srivastava, technical advisor to DJB, said the state government was converting old nullahs into recharge zones. Four major and 54 minor drains would be developed as eco-trails zones with plantations around them watered by wastewater. Covering of nullah is not permitted by the National Green Tribunal, remarked Srivastava. Jasmine Shah, vice-chairman, Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi, talked about how the AAP government was working on water equity for seven years. “Half of the unauthorised colonies did not have drinking water pipelines in 2015. By 2022, 97% percent of such colonies had been connected to water supply,” said Shah. “Leakage in water supply too was the accepted norm in 2015.”

India’s plan to remove old, polluting vehicles faces challenges

In a survey, most vehicle owners say the decision to remove them should be based on miles covered and not vehicle age. India’s plan to remove millions of older polluting cars from its roads in an effort to clear some of the world’s most toxic air looks set to face several challenges with a new survey showing the majority of vehicle owners aren’t interested in trading in their automobile based on age. Some 57% of 10,543 vehicle owners surveyed by LocalCircles say whether a car should be removed from service or not should depend on miles on the odometer rather than age. The government last year mandated that personal vehicles more than 20 years old and commercial vehicles more than 15 years old will need to undergo fitness tests in order to remain on the road. In addition, just over half of consumers surveyed said they’re planning to reduce the number of cars they own because they believe India’s cash-for-clunkers policy will make it more expensive to keep an old vehicle. Authorities have made auto fitness tests more expensive since April, with owners of cars that are older than 15 years now having to spend eight times more to renew their registration. The public’s lack of interest in getting rid of polluting vehicles is a potential setback for India’s ambitions to turn net carbon zero by 2070. Recycling old cars is crucial for India to cut emissions considering the take up of electric vehicles is lagging due to sparse charging networks and the high price of battery-powered transport. The nation’s Centre for Science and Environment forecasts that by 2025, India will have as many as 20 million old vehicles nearing the end of their lives, causing huge environmental damage. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration has said it expects the program to attract fresh investment of more than 100 billion rupees ($1.3 billion) and curb the nation’s dependency on other countries for metals. Modi has said scrapping end-of-life vehicles in India is currently not productive because precious metals aren’t recycled and the energy recovery is close to nothing. Automakers however appear to be siding with the public. “Age is not a good criteria for scrapping a vehicle,” Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. Chairman R.C. Bhargava said in an interview. “The logic has to be the car’s ability to ply roads safely so it doesn’t put other road users in danger. A vehicle gets scrapped when the user finds it isn’t economical to repair it to get a fitness certificate.” Personal vehicles should undergo fitness tests every three years at least, Bhargava said. In India, when a car goes on the road there’s typically no further inspection to check whether safety standards that were prescribed at the time of sale are being met. A large number of accidents happen because of defects in vehicles that aren’t periodically certified as fit, he said. India also needs more large scrapping centers with recycling currently dominated by informal small-scale units. Maruti Suzuki and Toyota Tsusho Corp. have jointly set up a facility with an investment of 440 million rupees to scrap and recycle over 24,000 end-of-life vehicles annually. Mahindra MSTC Recycling Pvt., which has a recycling facility in Pune, is building four more scrapping units in the western state of Maharashtra with a capacity of 40,000 vehicles annually.

Explainer: What are carbon markets and are they effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions?

Before India’s first carbon market comes up in Gujarat, here is the lowdown on how such a market works. India is the third-largest carbon emitter in the world and is just now warming up to the idea of putting a price on carbon dioxide emissions. India is behind 40 countries and more than 20 cities, states and provinces that have already implemented carbon pricing schemes. This covers about 13% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions, as per the World Bank. China, the world’s largest carbon emitter, embarked on the largest carbon emission trading system in July 2021. Advertisement The Gujarat government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago and Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab on May 23 to set up India’s first carbon market. Carbon dioxide helps trap heat in the atmosphere and is also the primary greenhouse gas accounting for about 76% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the world. Why are carbon markets needed? Since the beginning of the industrial era, human activities have raised atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide by about 50%, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. To tackle this, political authorities from nations across the world adopted the Kyoto Protocol, which committed to reducing greenhouse gases by implementing a strategy called carbon trading. The Protocol called for 38 industrialised economies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions between 2008 and 2012 to levels 5.2% lower than 1990. Advertisement In 2015, a structured framework for carbon markets was put in place through the latest international treaty on climate change under Article 6 of The Paris Agreement. If executed correctly, international emissions trading could nearly double emissions reductions between 2020 and 2035, according to the Environmental Defence Fund. What are carbon markets? Carbon markets are created to discourage polluters from emitting more carbon into the atmosphere. Like any other trading market, a carbon market is a trading system in which carbon credits are either purchased or sold by regulated entities, mainly companies. “Carbon markets are one of the instruments of pricing carbon,” Vaibhav Chaturvedi, an economist and Research Fellow at the Council on Energy Environment and Water, told FactChecker. “In any market, there is a commodity, a demand and supply of that commodity and then its price. Here, carbon is the commodity. However, it is not an inherent market like the food market. Carbon markets are born out of externalities (unintended consequences of any production or consumption). Hence it will need strict regulations.” This approach to reducing carbon emissions focuses on putting a price on carbon. Assigning monetary value to carbon could potentially create responsibility within polluting companies for emissions that were previously unaccounted for. Advertisement How do carbon markets work? There are two ways of implementing carbon pricing: the emissions trading system, also known as the “cap and trade” scheme and carbon tax. In the “cap and trade” system, a regulator, in most cases the government, fixes an upper limit on emissions allowed across a given polluting industry. The government then issues a limited number of permits to these industries to cap the amount of carbon they are allowed to emit in a period of time. Each entity is either allotted a specific allowance of carbon it can emit (grandfathering) or has to buy emission rights through an auction process. Representational image. Jayanta Shaw/ Reuters For instance, if a group of fossil-fuel fired power plants emit 1 lakh tonnes of carbon a year, the cap would mean that the government would allow the collective emissions across these plants to be 80,000 tonnes. If a plant manages to reduce its carbon emissions to levels lower than its emission rights, it is allowed to sell its carbon credits to another power plant that is finding it expensive to mitigate emissions in-house. Here, carbon credits are used as a currency or trading unit to trade carbon. Carbon tax, on the other hand, is imposed on polluting industries that use coal, oil and natural gases for each tonne of carbon dioxide they emit. The Council on Energy Environment and Water researcher explained that by placing higher taxes polluting industries are compelled to reduce the level of pollution and look to alternatives that impact the environment less. Since these taxes are imposed directly and do not require trading, they act as revenue for the government to fund various other sustainable development projects. Advertisement As of April 2021, the global rate of carbon ranges from less than $1 (Rs 77.70) to as high as $137 (Rs 10,647) per metric tonne of carbon dioxide, according to the World Bank’s Global Carbon Pricing Dashboard. How effective is carbon pricing? While carbon pricing has been hailed as an effective tool in reducing carbon emissions, environmentalists argue that the challenges lie in applying the strategy. According to findings of the Stockholm Environment Institute, around 80% of projects under the carbon trading scheme in both countries were of low environmental quality and that the system had actually increased emissions by 600 million metric tonnes. One common concern is the possibility of double-counting, which is a situation where two parties claim the same carbon removal or emission reduction. All countries have emission targets. For instance, if a developing country reduced its carbon emissions by 1 metric tonne through an energy-efficient scheme and sold its reduction to a developed country and also counted the reduction in its own target, it would lead to double counting. According to Carbon Market Watch, it is equivalent to “cheating” the atmosphere. Secondly, political and corporate corruption could lead to a carbon market collapse. In 2015, companies in Russia and Ukraine abused the system in this manner. It is imperative to look at carbon trading from the context of every economy, said Chaturvedi while adding that although carbon markets as an instrument to reduce emissions is useful, it is the relaxed regulations that could make it ineffective. “It is not the fault of the instrument but the relaxation in caps by regulators that lead to lower mitigation of emissions,” he said. Advertisement Where does India stand in carbon trading? While India does not have a formal mechanism or policy for carbon markets yet, it has four schemes that place a price on carbon in one way or another, according to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, a statutory body under the Ministry of Power. 1. Coal cess: A tax on coal was introduced by the Indian government in 2010. Under this scheme, tax was to be levied as excise duty on items such as coal, lignite and peat. The cess rate steadily increased from Rs 50 in 2010 to Rs 400 in 2016. Representational image. Photo credit: Mukesh Gupta/ Reuters While the scheme was aimed at utilising the collected revenue to finance clean-energy initiatives and research via the National Clean Energy Fund, it failed. Of the Rs 86,440 crore collected as cess, Rs 15,911 crore ended up being utilised for the desired purpose. In 2017, the coal cess was abolished and replaced by the GST Compensation Cess. Currently, the proceeds from this tax are used for compensating states for revenue losses. Advertisement 2. Perform, Achieve and Trade Scheme: Under this scheme which was launched in 2008, the government assigns specific energy reduction targets to major polluting industrial sectors. Those exceeding the targets are awarded Energy Saving Certificates while industries that do not meet these targets are required to purchase Energy Saving Certificates from industries that have exceeded their targets through a centralised online trading mechanism hosted by the Indian Energy Exchange. 3. Renewable Energy Certificates: Renewable Energy Certificate which was introduced in 2010 is a market-based instrument meant to promote renewable energy and facilitate compliance of renewable purchase obligations. Under this scheme, electricity distribution agencies are required to purchase or produce a minimum specified quantity of their requirements from renewable energy sources. Under this scheme, one Renewable Energy Certificate is created when 1 megawatt-hour is generated from renewable energy. In the last decade, India’s Renewable Energy Certificate market has recorded net sales of Rs 9,266 crore, according to a study conducted by the Council on Energy Environment and Water. The study highlighted that Renewable Energy Certificates saw a linear trend line in volume growth till 2020, but due to inadequate demand and supply, the scheme was later suspended. 3. Internal Carbon Pricing Scheme: Internal Carbon Pricing is a mechanism for private companies to voluntarily reduce emissions so they can channel investments toward clean and energy-efficient technologies and meet corporate sustainability goals. As of 2019, more than 1,600 companies worldwide were practising Internal Carbon Pricing strategies. In India, in 2019, 697 companies practised internal carbon pricing. Advertisement Avantika Goswami, Programme Manager, Climate Change, Centre for Science and Environment, wrote in an article on Down To Earth, that between 1990 and 2019, China, along with the original seven, was behind 67% of the world’s emissions. The remaining world, which is home to about 66% of the world population, emitted only 33%. China and the developed world will continue to grab the lion’s share of the carbon budget in 2020-’30 and the burden of reducing emissions will be borne by developing countries.

Microplastics in the Indian Ocean Easily Identified Using New Methods in Water Samples

A novel approach for extracting and identifying microplastic particles from water samples was used to study samples from the tropical Indian Ocean. Experts have cautioned that extreme weather events, such as severe rains and cyclones, may be moving a considerable amount of plastic garbage into the sea. Climate change is predicted to worsen extreme weather occurrences; thus, they ask for legislation to address the plastic problem. Near-surface water in the tropical Indian Ocean had an average concentration of 50 microplastic particles and fibers per cubic meter of water, which is very high for the open ocean, as per ScienceDaily. Paint particles (49%), probably from abrasion of ship painting, were the most frequent form of plastic, followed by polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with a 25% share. PET is used to make polyester microfibers for synthetic clothes and beverage bottles, among other things. It might get into the environment via washing garments. Microplastic particles are also generated when PET bottles break due to mechanical stress or exposure to sunlight. Microplastic contamination in the environment has steadily grown in recent years. The findings suggested that numerous microplastic particles, such as polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene, were broken on their trip from land-based sources to the open ocean, according to Fadi El Gareb, the study's co-first author. As a result, organisms may consume them more readily. A major portion of the detected plastic debris may have reached the Indian Ocean via the Sunda Strait, a strait between Sumatra and Java, making it a microplastic pollution hotspot. A large amount of the world's plastic garbage is transferred to countries on the Indian Ocean's edge. Every year, over five million tons of plastic trash are dumped into the ocean from China and the Indonesian archipelago due to inadequate waste management. Also Read: Microplastics: The 'Missing Plastics' of the Ocean Uncovered by Scientists Weather in India transported more plastic According to research, almost 1 million tonnes of debris, including plastics, was deposited along Chennai's shoreline during the 2015 Chennai floods. Another research found that increasing river discharge increased the microplastic concentration on Chennai's beaches by three times. This is a pervasive tendency. Microplastics are being carried to the beaches of Goa and Kozhikode by increasing winds and surface currents during the southwest monsoon (Calicut). The investigators from the Chennai-based National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), Bengaluru-based NIAS, and the United Kingdom-based Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science wrote that the strong seasonality influenced by the monsoon has significantly affected the volume of plastics in the surface water, as confirmed by studies carried out in the north Indian Ocean and other regions. India began producing plastic in the late 1950s. They reported that consumption grew 20-fold from 0.9 metric tonnes in 1990 to 18.45 metric tonnes in 2018. The majority of the information we have is based on assumptions or industry estimates. The problem with microplastics is that it is not now on the agenda, at least in poor nations like India, according to Siddharth Ghanshyam Singh, program manager of Municipal Solid Waste at the Delhi-based think-tank Centre for Science and Environment.