Whalebone
🔆 World’s Oldest Whalebone Industry Discovered

✅ Researchers studied 173 whalebone tools from Magdalenian caves near the Bay of Biscay.
✅ Late Paleolithic people used bones from at least five large whale species to craft tools.
✅ Toolmaking flourished between 17,500 and 16,000 years ago.
✅ No whaling technology found; likely people scavenged stranded whales and extracted oil and baleen.
✅ This discovery rewrites understanding of early human use of marine resources.

#Archaeology #Paleolithic #WhaleboneTools #HumanHistory
#Environment

🔆 Key Takeaways: Climate Benefit and Pollution Concerns of EVs

✅ Climate Benefit of EVs:
• Electric vehicles (EVs) help eliminate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and thus play a crucial role in combating climate change.

✅ Air Pollution Concern with EVs:
• A recent study shows that EVs may worsen air pollution due to increased tyre wear, caused by their greater weight.

✅ Study Details:
• Conducted by researchers from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), IIT Bombay, and an American university.
• Established the relationship between the weight and speed of a vehicle to the size of the plastic particles released from tyres as a result of wear and tear.

✅ Tyre Particle Pollution:
• Tyre wear releases microplastic and nanoplastic particles into the atmosphere.
• Two primary processes of degradation:
▪ Primary fragmentation: Releases larger particles due to sudden braking or potholes.
▪ Sequential fragmentation: Releases smaller, more airborne particles due to prolonged use and increased friction.

✅ Heavier Vehicles, Higher Emissions:
• EVs are 15–20% heavier than petrol/diesel cars due to their batteries (300–900 kg).
• EVs are also able to accelerate more rapidly. This can lead to additional stress on the tyres due to increased friction and heat generation.
• Heavier and faster vehicles produce more and smaller airborne particles, worsening air pollution.

✅ Global Implications:
• As EV adoption rises globally (20% of new car sales in 2024), this issue has worldwide relevance.
• Highlights need to revisit conventional assumptions about the environmental friendliness of EVs.

✅ Policy and Technological Responses:
• Existing air quality norms (PM2.5, PM10) may not cover finer tyre particles; standards need revision.
• Need for R&D in tyre design to suit heavier EVs.
• Possible technological solutions:
▪ Capturing tyre particles at the point of release.
▪ Enhancing road quality to reduce fragmentation.

🔆 Key Takeaways

📍 Environmental Impact of Data Centres:
✅ Data centres consume nearly as much energy for cooling as for computing.
✅ To curb climate change, the ICT industry needs to cut emissions by 42% by 2030 (from its 2015 levels).
✅ Data centres need greener designs that use less energy and water, and have lower greenhouse gas emissions to help meet global climate goals and keep warming below 1.5°C. Urgent upgrades to energy, efficiency, and cooling are critical.

📍 Innovative Cooling Techniques:
✅ Cold-plate and immersion cooling are emerging as energy-efficient alternatives to traditional air cooling.
✅ In a cold-plate system, the liquid-to-air heat transfer ratio ranges from 50% to 80%, sometimes more.
✅ In Cold-plate cooling, small coolant-filled channels absorb heat into tiny channels filled with coolant.
✅ Immersion cooling submerges equipment in a non-conductive fluid, drastically improving heat dissipation.
✅ These techs cut corrosion, boost reliability, and slash carbon footprint — all while running silent without fans.
✅ Pioneers like Microsoft and Alibaba are already deploying these systems at scale.

📍 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Findings:
✅ The report from researchers from Microsoft and WSP Global demonstrate that advanced cooling methods like cold plates and immersion cooling can cut data centre emissions by 15-21%, energy use by 15-20%, and water consumption by 31-52% compared to traditional air cooling.
✅ Life cycle assessment has shown that reducing data centre energy use through advanced liquid-cooling technologies will lead to marked reductions in data centre environmental impacts.
✅ The assessment revealed that with grid electricity, cold plates and immersion cooling cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than 15%, energy use by more than 15%, and water consumption by more than 31%.
✅ Switching to renewables slashes emissions by 85-90%, energy use by 6-7%, and water demand by 55–85%, regardless of cooling tech.

📍 Policy and Technology Implications:
✅ As electronic heat removal is key to sustainability, innovations in cooling can help the ICT sector meet climate goals and net-zero targets.
✅ These technologies also enhance equipment lifespan, improve performance, and reduce risk of failure.

📍 Challenges and Cautions:
✅ Coolant fluids involve different regulations, and complex designs delay deployment. Using them is like swapping plastic straws for paper: they are greener, but not without trade-offs.
✅ Cooling gains can backfire if pollution is merely shifted elsewhere.

#s/t #env

Women’s Empowerment and India’s Malnutrition Crisis

✅ Context
• Focuses on India’s persistent malnutrition despite extensive food and nutrition programmes.
• Highlights the critical role of women’s empowerment in improving nutrition outcomes.

✅ Persistent Malnutrition and Gender Disparity
• Women and girls continue to be nutritionally disadvantaged, despite the free foodgrain programme.
• POSHAN Abhiyaan targets vulnerable groups, but outcomes remain skewed.
• NFHS-5 findings: 57% women are anaemic vs 26% men; 1 in 5 women remain underweight.

✅ Issues with Implementation
• Underutilization of POSHAN 2.0 funds (69% used in 2022).
• Anaemia prevalence increased over two NFHS rounds.
• Malnutrition linked to gender-based deprivation and financial dependence.

✅ The Empowerment Link
• 49% of women lack decision-making power over earnings, negatively affecting dietary quality.
• Studies show financial empowerment of women increases spending on nutrition and child welfare.
• Empowering women leads to better nutritional autonomy and resilience.

✅ Challenges in Women’s Employment
• Female labour force participation rose to 33% in 2021–22, but 5% hold salaried jobs, 20% are self-employed.
• Self-employed women earn 53% less than men in similar roles.

✅ Recommendations and Need for Convergence
• POSHAN 2.0 targets: Financial independence, decision-making authority for women.
• Break silos: Integrate nutrition, health, and livelihood schemes.
• Use Anganwadi centres for skill training, credit support, and job linkages.

#WomenEmpowerment #Malnutrition #India #GenderEquality #Nutrition #WomenInWorkforce

Press Release:Press Information Bureau
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2091250

🔆 Key Takeaways: Eco-Safe Lubrication Innovation

✅ Scientists at IASST, Guwahati developed an environmentally friendly lubricant by integrating surface-modified graphitic carbon nitride into bio-based castor oil.
✅ This formulation significantly enhances friction reduction (54%), wear resistance (60%), and overall performance.
✅ The lubricant shows higher load-bearing capacity and greater thermal stability, with oxidation onset temperature increasing from 320°C to 339°C.
✅ It offers a sustainable alternative to conventional mineral or synthetic oil-based lubricants, reducing environmental risks.
✅ Toxicity assessments confirm minimal free radical formation, making it safe for environmentally sensitive applications.

#EcoFriendly #Lubricants #Sustainability #IASST

India's biodiversity
Environment

Biodiversity: environment
🔆 Key Takeaways: India’s Biodiversity

✅ India’s Biodiversity
• India covers about 2% of global land area but harbours nearly 8% of global biodiversity.
• Ranked as one of 17 ‘megadiverse’ countries, it contains sections of 4 out of 36 global biodiversity hotspots.
• India is also one of only 8 centres of global food-crop diversity.
• Natural services from India’s forests are valued at ₹130 trillion per year, sustaining livelihoods of rural populations.

✅ Challenges
• Continuous decline in natural assets reduces GDP and hinders sustainable development.
• Biodiversity has the potential to significantly increase human well-being, but it remains largely unexplored.

#Biodiversity #India #Sustainability #Conservation

Orphan crops
🔆 Key Takeaways: Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS)

✅ Overview of NUS
• Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) refers to locally grown crops like millets, buckwheat, jackfruit, yams, and indigenous legumes.
• These crops have often been overshadowed by commercial crops but are now gaining attention as “orphan crops”.

✅ NUS as Opportunity Crops
• NUS are becoming known as opportunity crops due to their nutritional value, climate-resilience, and adaptation to local environments.
• They play a vital role in ensuring food security and supporting sustainable agriculture.

#Sustainability #Agriculture #NutritionalDiversity #ClimateResilience #OpportunityCrops

🔆 Key Takeaways on Exposomics and Environmental Health

📍 Theme of World Environment Day 2025
✅ Focuses on eliminating plastic pollution, particularly micro-plastics, which pose serious public health risks.

📍 Need for Exposomics
✅ A comprehensive approach to disease etiology and prevention must be adopted.
✅ Exposomics focuses on understanding all environmental exposures throughout an individual’s life.

📍 India’s Environmental Burden
✅ India contributes 25% of the global environmental disease burden.
✅ Rapid economic growth exacerbates environmental exposures and health risks.

📍 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Approach
✅ Environmental risks caused 18.9% of global deaths and 14.4% of all disability-adjusted life years.

📍 Challenges in Data & Research
✅ Current environmental burden estimates are underdeveloped, failing to address complex environmental interactions.

📍 Exposomics as an Emerging Method
✅ Exposomics studies environmental exposures and their link to health, enabling more comprehensive research.
✅ Requires interdisciplinary technologies like AI, wearables, and biomonitoring.

📍 Policy and Infrastructure Needs
✅ Building capacity for exposomics data generation and interoperable data repositories is essential for actionable results.
✅ Immediate focus on creating a robust data ecosystem to enable health research.

#EnvironmentalHealth #Exposomics #PlasticPollution #India

🔆Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicles (EVs)

✅ Climate Benefit of EVs:
• EVs help eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, playing a crucial role against climate change.

✅ Air Pollution Concern:
• Recent study shows EVs may worsen air pollution due to increased tyre wear from their greater weight.

✅ Study Details:
• Conducted by TIFR, IIT Bombay, and a US university.
• Established how vehicle weight and speed affect the size of plastic particles released from tyre wear.

✅ Tyre Particle Pollution:
• Tyre wear emits microplastic and nanoplastic particles into the air.
• Two degradation types:
• Primary fragmentation: Larger particles from sudden braking or potholes.
• Sequential fragmentation: Smaller airborne particles from prolonged use and friction.

✅ Heavier Vehicles, Higher Emissions:
• EVs are 15–20% heavier (300–900 kg batteries) than petrol/diesel cars.
• Faster acceleration causes more tyre stress, friction, and heat.
• Heavier, faster vehicles release more and smaller airborne particles, increasing pollution.

✅ Global Implications:
• With EV sales at 20% globally in 2024, this pollution concern is worldwide.
• Calls for revisiting assumptions on EVs’ environmental friendliness.

✅ Policy and Technological Responses:
• Current air quality norms (PM2.5, PM10) don’t cover fine tyre particles—standards need updating.
• R&D needed for tyres suited to heavier EVs.
• Possible solutions include:
• Capturing tyre particles at release points.
• Improving road quality to reduce fragmentation.

#environment #EVs

🔆 Key Outcomes of COP29

📍 New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG)
✅ Triple climate finance to $300 billion annually by 2035.
➤ Mobilize $1.3 trillion per year by 2035 from public and private sources.

📍 Carbon Markets and Article 6
✅ Finalized Article 6 rules of the Paris Agreement for international carbon markets.
➤ Facilitates carbon credit trading and financing of climate actions.

📍 Transparency
✅ Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) finalized for tracking climate actions.

📍 Adaptation
✅ Baku Adaptation Roadmap launched to implement Article 7 of the Paris Agreement.
➤ Support program established for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to implement National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).

📍 Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities
✅ Adopted Baku Workplan for knowledge exchange, capacity building, and integrating diverse knowledge into climate policies.

📍 Gender and Climate Change
✅ Enhanced Lima Work Programme on Gender extended for another 10 years.

🔆 Indian Biodiversity
✅ Four global biodiversity hotspots are located in India, making it one of the most biodiverse regions in the world.
✅ As of 2020-21, there are 981 protected areas, including 566 wildlife sanctuaries and 104 national parks.

📍Wildlife
✅ There are 3,167 tigers in India.
✅ From 2019 to 2020, environmental crimes increased by 78%. (Source: Environment of India, State of 2022)


📍Forest Conservation
✅ 30% of Indian districts are susceptible to severe forest fires (CEEW).
✅ 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation.


📍Water Resources
✅ 75% of families lack access to clean drinking water on their property. (Source: Aayog NITI)
✅ By 2030, water stress is expected to affect 70% of India’s thermal power plants.

📍 Water Pollution
✅ 8 states comprise the majority of contaminated river segments, including Maharashtra, Assam, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, and Karnataka.
✅ 70% of surface water in India is unsafe for human consumption. (Source: WEF)

📍Climate Change
✅ 40% of Indian districts are experiencing flooding and droughts interchangeably.
✅ India has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070 at the 26th COP in 2021.

#mains #environment #GS3


Join @CSE_EXAM
@UPSC_FACTS

🔆 Sustainable Nickel Extraction
📍 New Method: Uses hydrogen to replace carbon, offering a greener alternative.
✅ Key Advantage: More energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.

📍 Challenges
✅ Requires initial investment in infrastructure and renewable energy.
✅ High purity ferronickel produced, benefiting stainless steel production.

📍 Sustainability
✅ Scaling up the process could transform the nickel industry for carbon neutrality

🔆 Pollution Dome

📍 Definition
✅ Formed when unfavorable atmospheric conditions trap pollutants in urban areas, causing smog buildup.

📍 Contributing Factors
✅ Stagnant Air: Calm winds trap pollutants.
✅ Temperature Inversions: Warm air traps cooler air, preventing vertical dispersion.
✅ Geographic Bottlenecks: Mountains/valleys restrict air movement, trapping pollutants.

📍 Additional Factors
✅ Industrial Activity: Emissions from factories, power plants, and vehicles worsen pollution in stagnant air.
✅ Unfavorable Weather Patterns: Systems like anticyclones limit atmospheric mixing, trapping pollutants closer to the ground.

#Geography
#environment

🔆 India’s Water Management Needs a New Direction

📍 Global Context
✅ 2025: UN’s International Year of Glaciers Preservation
✅ Focus on mountain & glacier ecosystems as critical water sources

📍 India’s Water Security Issues
✅ India uses 60.5% of extractable groundwater
✅ Over 60% of irrigation & 85% drinking water from groundwater
✅ Punjab, Rajasthan overuse beyond 100%
✅ Water table is declining, posing future risks

📍 Key Frameworks Suggested
✅ Source to Sea (S2S) Approach: Views water systems as a single continuum
✅ Push for ridge-to-reef strategies, interlinked governance, and integrated catchment solutions

📍 Action Steps
✅ Shift from isolated management to holistic basin-level plans
✅ Implement causal analysis for better decision-making
✅ Revive 1987 National Water Policy with new ecological vision

Name Wise 2025 Pre

🔆 Oil Pollution

📍 Examples
✅ Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (2010): Largest marine oil spill in Gulf of Mexico.
✅ Ennore Oil Spill (2017): Collision off Chennai coast, impacting marine life and fishermen.
✅ MV Wakashio Spill (2020): Ship ran aground off Mauritius, spilling oil in a biodiversity-rich area.

📍 Causes
✅ Oil spills from tankers, offshore rigs.
✅ Leakages from drilling, transportation.
✅ Ballast water discharge, pipeline ruptures.

📍 Consequences
✅ Environmental: Marine life death, long-term damage to ecosystems.
✅ Economic: Livelihood loss, high cleanup costs.
✅ Health Hazards: Skin disorders, respiratory issues, contamination of seafood.

📍 Steps Taken
✅ International: MARPOL Convention, OPRC, IMO standards.
✅ India: NOS-DCP, INCOIS oil spill trajectory model.

📍 Way Forward
✅ Enforce safety regulations, improve warning systems, develop response capacity, promote bioremediation techniques.

#environment #mains


Join @PIB_UPSC
@upsc_4_environment