French Revolution:-

It gave birth to ideas of liberty, freedom and equality It led to the end of monarchy in France A society based on privileges gave way to a new system of governance The Declarations of the Rights of Man during the revolution, announced the coming of a new time. The idea that all individuals had … Read more

American War of Independence.

Philosophes such as Voltaire considered England’s government the most progressive in Europe. England’s ruler was no despot, not even an enlightened one. His power had been limited by law. The Glorious Revolution of 1688 had given England a constitutional monarchy. However, while the English monarch’s power was being limited at home, the power of the … Read more

Coastal Regulation Zone

 Act of 1991 To regulate development activity on India’s coastline The approach adopted by the first notification was to define the ‘High Tide Line’ and ‘Coastal Regulation Zone’ and thereafter specify the activities permitted and restricted in the vicinity of the CRZ This regulated zone was further divided into four categories (CRZ 1-4) as per permitted … Read more

Wetland Conservation Programme, Ramsar Convention and The Montreux Record.

Wetland Conservation Programme Wetlands are lands transitional between terrestrial and aquatic system where the water table is usually near the water surface and land is covered by shallow water. Essential as: control floods, water treatment, recharging of water sources, reduce sediments, check soil erosion, bulwark against encroachment by the sea, winter resort for birds and … Read more

Sustainable Development

Bruntland Report (1983) was the first publication and recognition of the term ‘Sustainable Development’ “meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of the future generation” Three pillars of sustainable development (Bruntland) Care and respect for People, Planet and Prosperity (Commercial Activities) <hence poverty alleviation, conservation and business development> These three pillars … Read more

CoP15 (Copenhagen Summit)

Main aim was to establish a global climate agreement for the period from 2012 when the first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol expires The conference did not achieve any binding agreement for long term action A ‘political accord’ was negotiated by approximately 25 parties Collective commitment by developed countries for new and additional resources … Read more

Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol has put in place three flexibility mechanisms to reduce emission of Green House Gases. Although the Protocol places maximum responsibility of reducing emissions on the developed countries by committing them to specific emission targets, the three mechanisms are based on the premise that reduction of emissions in any part of the globe … Read more

Inter-governmental action

IPCC UN Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit), 1992 Agenda 21 An action plan of UN relating to sustainable development adopted at the Earth Summit, 1992 UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol IPCC 1988 by World Meteorological Organisation and UNEP tasked with reviewing and assessing the most recent scientific, technical and socio-economic information produced worldwide relevant to … Read more

Climate Change Mitigation

Alternative Energy sources Renewable energy Nuclear Power Reduce the carbon intensity of fossil fuels Energy efficiency and conservation Transport and urban planning Building design Reforestation and avoid deforestation Eliminating waste methane Geoengineering Greenhouse gas remediation Biomass Carbon air capture Carbon capture and storage Societal control Population Sustainable life-style

Global Warming

An increase in the average temperature of Earth’s near surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century 4th assessment report of IPCC: global temperature increased 74+0.18 degree C during the 20th century. Caused by greenhouse gases Water vapour, Co2, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, Ozone, CFCs (in order of abundance) Since the industrial revolution, the burning of … Read more