Tossing iron powder into ocean to fight global warming
6 Jan 2009, 2137 hrs IST, Amit Bhattacharya, TNN
NEW DELHI: Can tossing tonnes of iron powder into the ocean help the world fight global warming? A team of Indian scientists, along with their counterparts from Germany and elsewhere, is embarking on an ambitious 70-day ocean expedition on Wednesday to find answers to that question.
Twenty-nine scientists from India, eleven from Germany and ten others will board German research vessel, Polarstern, in Cape Town and head to the experiment site in southwest Atlantic near Antartica. They will stay in the cold and notoriously stormy waters for nearly two months to test a controversial hypothesis that, experts say, has the potential to clean up as much as 1 billion tonne (1 Gt) of CO2 from the atmosphere every year and store it below the ocean for centuries.
CO2 is a greenhouse gas chiefly responsible for global warming. According to current estimates, world emits 7 Gt of carbon into the air every year.
"We hope to have a deeper understanding of the technique than previous researches,'' S W A Naqvi of National Institute of Oceanography, who is the chief Indian scientist for the expedition, told TOI on email from Cape Town.
The experiment, called LOHAFEX loha for iron and FEX for fertilization experiment will test the efficacy of a technique that could not only become the most important way to dispose of CO2, but which also has millions riding on it by way of carbon credits. At least two US companies hope to profit from ‘ocean iron fertilization’ (OIF), as the method is called, by selling credits.
During the $2 million experiment, scientists will throw 20 tonnes of dissolved iron sulphate in 300 sq km of ocean. The iron is expected to stimulate a rapid blooming of phytoplankton, a microscopic algae that grows on the ocean surface.
Like all plants, phytoplankton takes up CO2 from air and converts it to carbon compounds like carbohydrates. The plant quickly dies and starts sinking, taking the carbon with it. What happens thereafter is the key to the technique's efficacy: If it sinks well below the ocean surface, the carbon would effectively have been put away for a long period.
The nutrient-rich but iron-deficient southern ocean is seen as an ideal site for OIF. The area is spread across 50 million sq km 15 times the size of India. The math done by scientists show that if the entire southern ocean were fertilized by iron and a sizeable fraction of the phytoplankton sank well below 1,000m, then about 1 Gt of carbon would be isolated for centuries. Water at depths below 500m takes about 100 years to come to the surface.
The scientists say the carbon footprint - additional carbon emitted by the technique - would be minor as compared with the gains.
For seven weeks, LOHAFEX's team of physicists, chemists, biologists and geochemists will study the effects of the algal bloom on the exchange of CO2 between ocean and atmosphere as well as on the oceanic food chain and the organisms of the underlying sea floor.
As Prof Naqvi put it, "The core issue the fate of organic matter produced due to iron fertilization is still not settled. It is not clear whether this material gets recycled in the near-surface layer (which would make OIF not very useful) or a substantial fraction of it gets transported to the deep sea (which will make OIF a useful technique to isolate CO2). LOHAFEX is better equipped to track the fate of this carbon than previous researches.''
The researchers will also study krill, a shrimp-like animal which feeds on phytoplankton and is the main food of Antarctic penguins, seals and whales. Krill stocks have declined by over 80% in past decades and their response to the iron-fertilized bloom could give clues to help in recovery of the decimated great whale populations as well.
"India hasn't carried out such an experiment in the ocean so far. It requires a high level of expertise not found elsewhere in the Third World. So, apart from the scientific gains, the experiment itself should enhance our prestige. Significantly, more than half the Indian participants are students (from NIO),'' Naqvi said.
But OIF remains controversial, with many environmentalists saying it amounts to major tinkering with the marine eco-system. If done on the scales proposed in the future, it could have unforeseen consequences, they warn.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Spotted Deer off Banned List in the Andamans
Spotted Deer off Banned List; Hunting License in Process
THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS, Vol. 33, Issue 34-35, January 2, 2009
BYSTAFFREPORTER
N ew Year brings a rea- son to smile for those interested in sport hunting and all those who havve been resorting to illegal means to get venison or deer meat. If you have a licensed gun rusting in some corner of your house, its time get busy with oiling, cleaning and shooting practice.
The department of wildlife has taken spotted dear off the list of protected species of animals on the ground that it is an exotic animal introduced by the British regime sometimes in early 1920s.
"Spotted deer is an exotic species that plays havoc with the environment. It causes tremendous damage to the forest and hence the department has decided to take it off the protected list" said Bhanu Pratap Yadav, Divisional Forest Officer, Havelock Forest Division. "Process is on to introduce hunting license and it will be implemented very soon" he concluded.
Deer meat or venison is very popular among the local people. Putting it on the protected species list had come as a rude shock. The demand was mostly met by illegal had come up allegedly in connivance with unscrupulous forest officials. License to hunt would go a long way to eliminate the black market. However, it would be nobody's interest if the species is washed out through over exploitation.
The Wildlife department would certainly take precaution to contain rather than annihilate the species.
THE LIGHT OF ANDAMANS, Vol. 33, Issue 34-35, January 2, 2009
BYSTAFFREPORTER
N ew Year brings a rea- son to smile for those interested in sport hunting and all those who havve been resorting to illegal means to get venison or deer meat. If you have a licensed gun rusting in some corner of your house, its time get busy with oiling, cleaning and shooting practice.
The department of wildlife has taken spotted dear off the list of protected species of animals on the ground that it is an exotic animal introduced by the British regime sometimes in early 1920s.
"Spotted deer is an exotic species that plays havoc with the environment. It causes tremendous damage to the forest and hence the department has decided to take it off the protected list" said Bhanu Pratap Yadav, Divisional Forest Officer, Havelock Forest Division. "Process is on to introduce hunting license and it will be implemented very soon" he concluded.
Deer meat or venison is very popular among the local people. Putting it on the protected species list had come as a rude shock. The demand was mostly met by illegal had come up allegedly in connivance with unscrupulous forest officials. License to hunt would go a long way to eliminate the black market. However, it would be nobody's interest if the species is washed out through over exploitation.
The Wildlife department would certainly take precaution to contain rather than annihilate the species.
Monday, January 5, 2009
No more padauk in South Andaman forests?
We have no padauk trees in the entire South Andaman area
THE ANDAMAN CHRONICLE
http://andamanchronicle.com/
Jan 04, 2009 at 09:48 PM
Presently extraction of padauk is done from North & Middle Andaman District, which may not last for long: SS Choudhury, PCCF
Port Blair, Jan. 4: A state level marketing workshop on Handicrafts of Andaman & Nicobar Islands was organised at Sun Sea Resort, Port Blair on Friday, Jan 2, 2008. The Secretary (Textiles), Govt. of India, Shri A K Singh was the chief guest on the occasion.
During the interactive session, the artisans who were linked to the furniture industry demanded that they are not given Padauk timber, which is in major demand. Replying to the artisans, Mr. S S Choudhury, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest said, “We are left with not even a single padauk tree in the entire south Andaman. At present extraction is done from Diglipur area and in a limited quantity”. The PCCF Mr. Choudhury also underlined that the present crises of padauk is only because we always want to harvest but no one tries to replace it by planting trees.
Addressing the inaugural session, the chief guest explained the need for giving importance to quality and consistency of handicraft products so as to attract customers and fetch good returns. This will benefit the artisans engaged in production of handicrafts. He advised the artisans to take advantage of trainings provided to them by different agencies and utilize the skills in their handicrafts with innovative designs and quality.
Shri Sanjay Agrawal, Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, New Delhi highlighted the objective of the workshop and informed that various initiatives need to be taken up for the improvement of handicrafts in the islands such as sea shell, coconut shell, wooden handicrafts, cane & bamboo. For these, the Govt. would provide financial help in the form of advance, he said.
Smt. SKP Sodhi Secretary, Industries explained that branding of products is more important that production. A study of the demand and then branding would definitely help in fetching good returns, she said.
In the technical session, speakers highlighted the role of different development agencies in development of handicrafts of the islands including marketing, raw materials, insurance of artisans and the problems they face. The speakers included S/Shri R Nityanandam, DGM NABARD, A Sinha Roy, Executive Officer KVIC Port Blair, N C Saravanan, DCF (Mill), S K Halder, GM, DIC, Abhijit Bhattacharya, Branch Manager LIC of India, D Halder, Chief Manager (CSC), M K Biswas, President, AFIA, A Jobai, President SSAWA and A M Abdul Kader, Asst Director (Handicrafts Marketing & Service Extension Center, Port Blair.
About 100 artisans attended the workshop which was organized by the Office of the Development Commissioner, Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles, GoI, Southern Regional Office, Chennai.
--
THE ANDAMAN CHRONICLE
http://andamanchronicle.com/
Jan 04, 2009 at 09:48 PM
Presently extraction of padauk is done from North & Middle Andaman District, which may not last for long: SS Choudhury, PCCF
Port Blair, Jan. 4: A state level marketing workshop on Handicrafts of Andaman & Nicobar Islands was organised at Sun Sea Resort, Port Blair on Friday, Jan 2, 2008. The Secretary (Textiles), Govt. of India, Shri A K Singh was the chief guest on the occasion.
During the interactive session, the artisans who were linked to the furniture industry demanded that they are not given Padauk timber, which is in major demand. Replying to the artisans, Mr. S S Choudhury, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest said, “We are left with not even a single padauk tree in the entire south Andaman. At present extraction is done from Diglipur area and in a limited quantity”. The PCCF Mr. Choudhury also underlined that the present crises of padauk is only because we always want to harvest but no one tries to replace it by planting trees.
Addressing the inaugural session, the chief guest explained the need for giving importance to quality and consistency of handicraft products so as to attract customers and fetch good returns. This will benefit the artisans engaged in production of handicrafts. He advised the artisans to take advantage of trainings provided to them by different agencies and utilize the skills in their handicrafts with innovative designs and quality.
Shri Sanjay Agrawal, Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, New Delhi highlighted the objective of the workshop and informed that various initiatives need to be taken up for the improvement of handicrafts in the islands such as sea shell, coconut shell, wooden handicrafts, cane & bamboo. For these, the Govt. would provide financial help in the form of advance, he said.
Smt. SKP Sodhi Secretary, Industries explained that branding of products is more important that production. A study of the demand and then branding would definitely help in fetching good returns, she said.
In the technical session, speakers highlighted the role of different development agencies in development of handicrafts of the islands including marketing, raw materials, insurance of artisans and the problems they face. The speakers included S/Shri R Nityanandam, DGM NABARD, A Sinha Roy, Executive Officer KVIC Port Blair, N C Saravanan, DCF (Mill), S K Halder, GM, DIC, Abhijit Bhattacharya, Branch Manager LIC of India, D Halder, Chief Manager (CSC), M K Biswas, President, AFIA, A Jobai, President SSAWA and A M Abdul Kader, Asst Director (Handicrafts Marketing & Service Extension Center, Port Blair.
About 100 artisans attended the workshop which was organized by the Office of the Development Commissioner, Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles, GoI, Southern Regional Office, Chennai.
--
Dugong killed in Neil Island
Endangered sea mammal slaughtered in Andamans
Neha Sinha Posted: Jan 02, 2009 at 0028 hrs IST
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/endangered-sea-mammal-slaughtered-in-an.../405612/
New Delhi: THE dugong, a massive sea mammal often mistaken by sailors as
the mythical mermaid, has most of its last viable populations in the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The population here too, of these slow
breeding, 13 feet long animals, is only 25-30. Now, there’s one less.
The long arm of poaching has not spared the pristine Andaman and Nicobar
Islands. A breeding female dugong, protected under Schedule One of the
Wildlife Protection Act, was hacked to death by poachers around
Christmas on Neil Island. The meat of the dugong may have been used as
fish bait and was chanced upon by scuba-divers in the area.
“Tourists in Neil island, part of the Andaman complex, woke up to the
sight of a mutilated carcass of the dugong on beach number 3 of Neil
islands. We found the carcass dripping with blood. We had spotted the
same animal with a calf on the beach so it is now unlikely the calf will
survive on its own. Its shocking that anti-social elements can operate
like this,” said Lucan, a scuba-diver in the area. The Chief Wildlife
warden of the area, Khajan Singh, has deputed a senior forest department
official to investigate the matter.
The number of dugongs, which exist only in areas with shallow waters,
mostly with coral reef formations, has dwindled enormously in the past
few years due to indiscriminate hunting. There is current evidence of
the dugong living in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Though they
existed in the Gulf of Kutch, there have not been any recent sightings
of the animal there. They are also found in the Great Reefs in Australia.
In 2008, the Cabinet approved India joining international efforts to
protect and manage dugongs. Dugongs are legally protected under Schedule
I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. They are listed in Appendix-I
of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES) and in Appendix II of the Convention of
Migratory Species (CMS) to both of which India is a signatory.
--
Neha Sinha Posted: Jan 02, 2009 at 0028 hrs IST
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/endangered-sea-mammal-slaughtered-in-an.../405612/
New Delhi: THE dugong, a massive sea mammal often mistaken by sailors as
the mythical mermaid, has most of its last viable populations in the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The population here too, of these slow
breeding, 13 feet long animals, is only 25-30. Now, there’s one less.
The long arm of poaching has not spared the pristine Andaman and Nicobar
Islands. A breeding female dugong, protected under Schedule One of the
Wildlife Protection Act, was hacked to death by poachers around
Christmas on Neil Island. The meat of the dugong may have been used as
fish bait and was chanced upon by scuba-divers in the area.
“Tourists in Neil island, part of the Andaman complex, woke up to the
sight of a mutilated carcass of the dugong on beach number 3 of Neil
islands. We found the carcass dripping with blood. We had spotted the
same animal with a calf on the beach so it is now unlikely the calf will
survive on its own. Its shocking that anti-social elements can operate
like this,” said Lucan, a scuba-diver in the area. The Chief Wildlife
warden of the area, Khajan Singh, has deputed a senior forest department
official to investigate the matter.
The number of dugongs, which exist only in areas with shallow waters,
mostly with coral reef formations, has dwindled enormously in the past
few years due to indiscriminate hunting. There is current evidence of
the dugong living in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Though they
existed in the Gulf of Kutch, there have not been any recent sightings
of the animal there. They are also found in the Great Reefs in Australia.
In 2008, the Cabinet approved India joining international efforts to
protect and manage dugongs. Dugongs are legally protected under Schedule
I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. They are listed in Appendix-I
of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES) and in Appendix II of the Convention of
Migratory Species (CMS) to both of which India is a signatory.
--
Conviction for hunting spotted deer in Marine National Park
Three found guilty & convicted under the Wildlife (Protection) Act
Port Blair, Jan 04
THE DAILY TELEGRAMS, January 5, 2009
The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Port Blair, Shri Manas Basu has
convicted three persons and sentenced to them suffer simple imprisonment
for one year each. The accused pesons are A Muthu, S Kumar and Karthick
and they have been convicted under section 51 of the Wildlife
(Protection) Act 1972.
The case against all the three convicts was initiated by the
Assistant Wildlife Warden of Mahatma Gandhi Marine National park,
Wandoor alleging therein that on Jan 31, 2002. While on routine
patrolling duty he apprehended two accused persons red handed while they
were loading spotted deers on an engine dinghy anchored at the shore of
Tarmugli Island.
The persons apprehended A Muthu, Panchayat member and S Kumar, both
residents of Indira Nagar when interrogated implicated one more person
named Karthick who alongwith them captured the spotted deers at the
Tarmugli Islands.
The hunting / capturing of the spotted deers is totally prohibited
being wild animal of schedule III except as provided U/s 11 and 12 of
Wildlife (protection) Act, 1972. After hearing the evidence adduced on
behalf of the complainant the Chief Judicial Magistrate found the three
persons guilty of the offence and sentenced them accordingly, the APP,
Shri Salim Mohammed informed in a communication here.
Port Blair, Jan 04
THE DAILY TELEGRAMS, January 5, 2009
The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Port Blair, Shri Manas Basu has
convicted three persons and sentenced to them suffer simple imprisonment
for one year each. The accused pesons are A Muthu, S Kumar and Karthick
and they have been convicted under section 51 of the Wildlife
(Protection) Act 1972.
The case against all the three convicts was initiated by the
Assistant Wildlife Warden of Mahatma Gandhi Marine National park,
Wandoor alleging therein that on Jan 31, 2002. While on routine
patrolling duty he apprehended two accused persons red handed while they
were loading spotted deers on an engine dinghy anchored at the shore of
Tarmugli Island.
The persons apprehended A Muthu, Panchayat member and S Kumar, both
residents of Indira Nagar when interrogated implicated one more person
named Karthick who alongwith them captured the spotted deers at the
Tarmugli Islands.
The hunting / capturing of the spotted deers is totally prohibited
being wild animal of schedule III except as provided U/s 11 and 12 of
Wildlife (protection) Act, 1972. After hearing the evidence adduced on
behalf of the complainant the Chief Judicial Magistrate found the three
persons guilty of the offence and sentenced them accordingly, the APP,
Shri Salim Mohammed informed in a communication here.
Whales strandings and earthquakes: an uncanny connection
Very interesting....
From: Arunachalam Kumar
I would like to share this interesting bit of correspondence and news
with others here. I have extracted the pieces from orkut, a popular
interactive site. A query addressed to me and my response to it on
orkut, read along with the news item published today on the website,
should add more strength to my oft repeated theory that whale strandings
are invariably followed up by earthquakes / tsunamis within a few weeks.
(*Dr. Arunachalam Kumar's prediction of the tsunami in Asia)*
http://csiwhalesalive.org/csi05106.html
On 4th Dec 2004 he posted the following message to a Natural History
list pertaining to India: "It is my observation, confirmed over the
years, that mass suicides of whales and dolphins that occur sporadically
all over the world, are in someway related to change and disturbances in
the electromagnetic field coordinates and possible realignments of
geotectonic plates thereof. Tracking the dates and plotting the locales
of tremors and earthquakes, I am reasonably certain, that major
earthquakes usually follow within a week or two of mass beaching of
cetaceans. I have noted with alarm, the last week report of such mass
deaths of marine mammals in an Australian beachside. I will not be
surprised if within a few days a massive hit hits some part of the
globe. The interrelationship between the unusual `death-wish' of pods of
whales and its inevitable aftermath, the earthquake, may need a further
impassioned and unbiased looking into'
The Asian tsunami struckon 26 Dec 2004.
*30th NOV 2008 / orkut*
*http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#Profile.aspx?rl=pv&uid=6538249859382243801*
from: Soubhagya Ranjan:
Good afternoon sir, how are you sir?
Sir while going through the Australian news paper Sydney Morning Herald,
I read the news regarding the 150 whales perished in the mass stranding
off at Tasmania's west coast.
http://news.smh.com.au/national/tasmanian-whale-death-toll-reaches-150-20081130-6nj0.html
Sir should we anticipate a tsunami in the coming days?
*30th NOV 2008 / orkut*
*http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#Profile.aspx?rl=fpn&uid=10433972028384849926*
reply from: Dr. Kumar Arunachalam:
Not necessarily a tsunami, but some undersea tectonic plate shift or
terrestrial earthquake is an imminent and distinct possibility....the
locale could be South Asia or west coast of USA within 2 to 4 weeks
*3rd JAN 2009 / Mangalorean.com *
*http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=107519*
Jakarta/Washington, Jan 4 (DPA) An underwater earthquake with a
magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale was recorded early Sunday off the
coast of eastern Indonesia, the US Geological Survey said. The quake
struck at 4.43 a.m. Sunday (1943 GMT Saturday) at a depth of 35 km below
the Earth surface. The epicentre was located 150 km west-north-west of
Manokwari in Indonesia's Irian Jaya, or 623 km northeast of Ambon in
Indonesian Molucca.
Dr. Arunachalam Kumar
ixedoc@SULEKHA.COM
From: Arunachalam Kumar
I would like to share this interesting bit of correspondence and news
with others here. I have extracted the pieces from orkut, a popular
interactive site. A query addressed to me and my response to it on
orkut, read along with the news item published today on the website,
should add more strength to my oft repeated theory that whale strandings
are invariably followed up by earthquakes / tsunamis within a few weeks.
(*Dr. Arunachalam Kumar's prediction of the tsunami in Asia)*
http://csiwhalesalive.org/csi05106.html
On 4th Dec 2004 he posted the following message to a Natural History
list pertaining to India: "It is my observation, confirmed over the
years, that mass suicides of whales and dolphins that occur sporadically
all over the world, are in someway related to change and disturbances in
the electromagnetic field coordinates and possible realignments of
geotectonic plates thereof. Tracking the dates and plotting the locales
of tremors and earthquakes, I am reasonably certain, that major
earthquakes usually follow within a week or two of mass beaching of
cetaceans. I have noted with alarm, the last week report of such mass
deaths of marine mammals in an Australian beachside. I will not be
surprised if within a few days a massive hit hits some part of the
globe. The interrelationship between the unusual `death-wish' of pods of
whales and its inevitable aftermath, the earthquake, may need a further
impassioned and unbiased looking into'
The Asian tsunami struckon 26 Dec 2004.
*30th NOV 2008 / orkut*
*http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#Profile.aspx?rl=pv&uid=6538249859382243801*
from: Soubhagya Ranjan:
Good afternoon sir, how are you sir?
Sir while going through the Australian news paper Sydney Morning Herald,
I read the news regarding the 150 whales perished in the mass stranding
off at Tasmania's west coast.
http://news.smh.com.au/national/tasmanian-whale-death-toll-reaches-150-20081130-6nj0.html
Sir should we anticipate a tsunami in the coming days?
*30th NOV 2008 / orkut*
*http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#Profile.aspx?rl=fpn&uid=10433972028384849926*
reply from: Dr. Kumar Arunachalam:
Not necessarily a tsunami, but some undersea tectonic plate shift or
terrestrial earthquake is an imminent and distinct possibility....the
locale could be South Asia or west coast of USA within 2 to 4 weeks
*3rd JAN 2009 / Mangalorean.com *
*http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=107519*
Jakarta/Washington, Jan 4 (DPA) An underwater earthquake with a
magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale was recorded early Sunday off the
coast of eastern Indonesia, the US Geological Survey said. The quake
struck at 4.43 a.m. Sunday (1943 GMT Saturday) at a depth of 35 km below
the Earth surface. The epicentre was located 150 km west-north-west of
Manokwari in Indonesia's Irian Jaya, or 623 km northeast of Ambon in
Indonesian Molucca.
Dr. Arunachalam Kumar
ixedoc@SULEKHA.COM
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