Cyclone ‘Enawo* Hits Madagascar
- A cyclone that hit North-East Madagascar killed at least three people and left nearly 500 people homeless, on March 8, 2017.
- Cyclone Enavvo hit the island nation with strong winds and rain. The cyclone moved slowly after making landfall in the North, possibly intensifying the threat to the local population.
India Launched Phase-out Plan of the Harmful Refrigerant HCFC
- India launched the country’s latest plan to phase-out one of the key refrigerants l Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)] under its ultimate goal to end use of harmful Ozone-Depleting Substances (ODS) by switching over to non-ozone depleting and low global warming potential technologies on March 7, 2017.
- Though the fresh plan is meant for the 2017-23 period, the final goal is to phase out consumption and manufacturing of this ozone-depleting refrigerant under an accelerated plan by 2030. The HCFC is currently used in various sectors including refrigeration, air-conditioning and foam manufacturing.
- Over 190 countries had in 1987 reached an agreement under Montreal Protocol to phase out the ODS in a time-bound manner. Under the Protocol, India has already successfully phased out the earlier generation of refrigerants, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Halon.
World’s Oldest Fossils Found in Canada
- The scientists found the world’s oldest fossils, thought to have formed between 3.77 billion and 4.28 billion years ago, on March 6, 2017.
- It comprised of tiny tubes and filaments made of an iron oxide known as haematite, the microfossils are believed to be the remains of bacteria that once thrived underwater around hydrothermal vents, relying on chemical reactions involving iron for their energy.
- The new discovery supports the idea that life emerged and diversified rapidly on Earth, complementing research reported last year that claimed to find evidence of microbe-produced structures, known as stromatolites, in Greenland rocks, which formed 3.7 billion years ago.
Polluted Environment Kills 1.7 Million Children a Year
- A quarter of all global deaths of children under five are due to unhealthy or polluted environments, including dirty water and air, second-hand smoke and a lack or adequate hygiene, the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated on March 6, 2017.
- This increases their childhood risk of pneumonia as well as their lifelong risk of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma. Air pollution also increases the lifelong risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer.
- Such unsanitary and polluted environments can lead to fatal cases of diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia, and kill L7 million children a year.
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First Ever Across-the-river Survey to Figure out Aquatic Population Began
- In a bid to determine the population of aquatic life, Including that of endangered Gangctlc dolphin, the Central government has launched the first ever across-the-river survey on March 6, 2017.
- According to the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), th<Rs survey will help create a baseline scientific data for the Centre to take suitable measures to improve the quality of the river water.
- The survey will also seek to ascertained number of ghariyals and turtles in the river after the summer set in fully as their nesting happens then and the counting will continue until October this year.
