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Sustainability Outlook Headlines
'Miracle tree' could produce clean drinking water inexpensivelyScientists have turned to Moringa oleifera, also called the "miracle tree" - a plant grown in equatorial regions for food, traditional medicine and biofuel - to economically produce clean drinking water in developing countries.
The latest episode in the American Chemical Society's (ACS) award-winning "Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions" podcast series describes how the seeds of the plant can be used to produce clean drinking water.
The new water-treatment process requiring only tree seeds and sand could purify and clarify water... Read more.. Date : Mar 1 Source: Newstrack India
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ADaRSH in Association with MNRE and TERI Organises the 3rd National Conference on Green DesignADaRSH, a platform to facilitate a pan-India, ongoing interaction and networking between building professionals, developers and government officials in association with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Govt of India, organised a two-day ‘National Conference on ‘Green Design’ and also launched the SvaGRIHA Rating System. Present on the occasion were, Dr Farooq Abdullah, Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Govt of India, Mr. Arun Maira, Member- Planning Commission, Government of India, Dr. R K Pachauri, Director General... Read more.. Date : Mar 1 Source: Business Wire
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Singanallur tank may get a fresh lease of lifeSinganallur tank may get a fresh lease of life if the Coimbatore Corporation has its way. The Corporation is readying a proposal seeking Rs. 134 crore from the Union Government under phase two of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission to clean the tank and a few others in the city. Corporation Commissioner T.K. Ponnusamy told The Hindu that the civic body would send the proposal to the Government in April 2012. The proposal would talk about removing the weeds, cleaning the slush, arresting the flow of sewage and initiating overall development works. ... Read more..Date : Mar 1 Source: The Hindu
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Gaur calls on Nath, appeals for release of pending fundsMadhya Pradesh Urban Administration & Development Minister Babulal Gaur called on Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath in New Delhi on Wednesday and appealed to him to release the pending funds of Rs 965.20 crore of various schemes of the State in the next budget. Nath assured him to release funds to Madhya Pradesh on priority basis. Principal Secretary Urban Administration and Development SPS Parihar were also present on the occasion. During the meeting with the Union Urban Development Minister at his residence, Gaur urged him to release pending funds of about Rs... Read more.. Date : Mar 1 Source: Daily Pioneer
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Lowest Ever Bid in Indian Solar MarketHow did buildings keep cool before the invention of air conditioning? As architects consider how to reduce the energy demands of new builds, some are turning to the past for simple, low-tech solutions. At the height of summer, in the sweltering industrial suburbs of Jaipur, Rajasthan in north-west India, where temperatures can hit 45C Pearl Academy of Fashion remains 20 degrees cooler inside than out, by drawing on Rajasthan's ancient architecture. While the exterior appears very much in keeping with the trends of contemporary design, at the base of the building is a vast... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: CleanTechnica
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Gujarat needs sustainable agri growth: Y K AlaghEmphasizing the need for achieving faster agricultural growth in Gujarat, Dr Y K Alagh, chairman, Institute of Rural Management Anand said that the state needs to increase the area under oilseeds and pulses. Alagh pointed out that while cotton is one of the few successful commercial crops, the area under cereals and pulses has decreased. "We have to plan for other crops focusing on short-term and long-term seed policies and develop seed production plans for pulses, cereals, vegetables etc," he said during a seminar on sustainable agriculture titled 'Sustainable Growth: The Next... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: Times of India
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GE unit buys stake in Arizona solar projectGE Energy Financial Services, part of General Electric (GE.N), said on Wednesday it bought a stake in a large U.S. solar power project for $100 million, bringing its investments in the sector to $1.4 billion in the last year. The deal was the latest big solar purchase by companies eager to own utility-scale plants that have benefited from government targets for renewable energy and a now-expired federal grant program that pays a portion of a project's costs. GE EFS has so far invested in a gigawatt of solar projects in the United States, Australia, Spain, Canada and Italy,... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: Reuters
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BGR Energy emerges lowest bidder for NTPC boiler ordersBGR Energy said it has emerged as the lowest bidder for the tender of 11 super critical boilers floated by country's largest power producer NTPC. The tender is for supply of 11x660 MW super-critical boilers for five thermal power projects, BGR Energy said in a statement. "As per tender conditions of NTPC, BGR Energy would be awarded contract for three projects. The aggregate value of contract is about Rs 6,500 crore. BGR Energy has competed against BHEL and Larsen &Toubro, who are other qualified bidders," it noted. The orders would be placed for NTPC's four... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: Economic Times
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India's Reliance to restart CDU this weekIndia's Reliance Industries is to restart a 290,000 barrels per day (bpd) crude distillation unit (CDU) within one or two days, traders said on Wednesday. A company spokesman was not immediately reachable for comment. The unit at its 580,000 bpd Jamnagar refinery was shut for a three-week maintenance this month, which traders said had affected its naphtha exports. Average monthly naphtha exports from Reliance are 180,000-200,000 tonnes, but it sold less than half of the volumes for February lifting. For March, it has so far sold 10,000 tonnes. The naphtha... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: Reuters
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Intelligent Energy fundraising nets $30mIntelligent Energy, which develops low-emission fuel cell power systems for automotive and other sectors, has closed a $30m fundraising, valuing the Loughborough-based company at about $500m (£800m). The money will be used to help the company build a portfolio of consumer electronics products. It will also expand its operations in India, where it provides low-carbon, back-up power systems for mobile telecoms operators under the Indian government’s GOOD, or Get Out of Diesel, project. Fuel cells, which use the power generated when hydrogen is combined with oxygen, are an... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: Financial Times
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Is monsoon pattern changing? India-UK study will try to find outHow will climate change affect the Indian monsoon in the coming years and decades? Given the crucial importance of the annual rains for the country's food and water needs, scientists from 10 institutions in India and the UK have mounted the most comprehensive research exercise yet to answer that question. The Rs 10 crore project - called South Asian Precipitation: A Seamless Assessment (SAPRISE) - is bringing together around 35 scientists who would scrutinize all factors that impact rainfall in the region. "The project will look at how climate change is likely to affect each... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: Times of India
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REC trading high, but trend disappointsAlthough trading in ‘renewable energy certificates' (REC) touched a new watermark on Wednesday – for the first time the volumes crossed the 200,000-mark – the trend in demand and prices have left market watchers disappointed. As many as 206,188 RECs were traded on Wednesday, of a total value of Rs 62 crore. On the Indian Energy Exchange, which accounted for 92 per cent of the trading, the average price was Rs 3,066, marginally bettering the Rs 3,051 witnessed in the trading session of January. (Trading happens once a month, on the last Wednesday.) On Power Exchange of India... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: Hindu Business Line
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Committee to check pollutionWith concerns being raised by NGOs and general public, especially fisherfolk, in recent times over the alleged pollution caused by various public sector units and private industries, the district administration formed a high level committee with experts in various fields to check the menace. With concerns being raised by NGOs and general public, especially fisherfolk, in recent times over the alleged pollution caused by various public sector units and private industries, the district administration formed a high level committee with experts in various fields to check the menace.... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: Deccan Chronicle
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City conclave to promote sustainable developmentThe Global Initiative for Sustainable Development and Planning (GISDP)'s first national stakeholders' meet was held on February 20 at NECRD, IGNOU Guwahati, in collaboration with NRL Assam, United Nations Resource Centre, Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad, Tata Institute of Social Sciences. With this conclave, the GISDP's aimed to intervene in the planning of loose collaborations and facilitate exchange of expertise between institutions from across the world for sustainable development of northeast India. P P Shrivastava, member of North East Council, said: "More emphasis... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: Times of India
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Icrisat project to study impact of climate change on diseases, insect pestsThe International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) recently launched a plant protection project to carry out a research on diseases and insect pests that cause huge crop loss. Diseases and insect pests cause a crop loss of over $8.48 billion annually and this loss is likely to grow at least four-fold under the climate change scenario, an Icrisat official said. Considering this threat to sustainable food production, particularly in the dry land areas of India and other developing countries, Icrisat... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: The Hindu Business Line
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“Kudankulam will give power for 4 million people”The Kundankulam plant has the most advanced reactor and operations and the safety design adopted is sound with “excellent regulations”, R. Chidambaram, principal scientific advisor to the Government of India, said on Tuesday, stressing the role of the plant in fulfilling the country's energy needs. Dr. Chidambaram, who was the chief guest at the Research Day celebrations at SRM University, said nuclear technology was far cleaner than other non-renewable energy sources as there is no emission of carbon dioxide. Efforts were on to help residents in the vicinity of Kudankulam... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: The Hindu
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Supply chain roadblocks problematic for Indian concentrating solar powerCSP Today explore the difficulties that the Indian Concentrated Solar Thermal Power industry have faced in treading the fine line between reliance on foreign expertise and building a local manufacturing base. Supply chain roadblocks problematic for Indian concentrating solar power Developing an indigenous supply chain for... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: E V Wind
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Mela will upgrade knowledge, skill of farmers: MirAgriculture Department, Jammu today deputed a group of 255 farmers and its 18 officers to Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela. On the occasion, the minister said the Mela being organized on the theme “Prosperity Through Innovative Farm Technology”, will upgrade the knowledge and skills of farmers. Date : Feb 29 Source: Greater Kashmir
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Goa's development not at cost of its environment: PMPrime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said the ruling Congress wants development of Goa but not at the cost of environment, which has emerged as a key issue in the coastal state going to the polls on March 3. In a brief election speech marred by technical glitch in the sound system which left the Congress embarrassed, Singh said environmental preservation was a major issue in Goa. The party wants development of the tourist state, but not at the cost of its environment, he said. "In the new Coastal Regulation Zone notification, Goa's concerns have been addressed by the... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: IBN Live
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Low wind speed serious obstruction for a solar cityWith several hiccups, including too less wind speed in the city (3 metres per second), negligible biogas and lesser municipal waste to meet 10% energy needs through non-conventional sources, Chandigarh's projection as a 'Solar City of future' appears to be a serious challenge and an arduous task for the UT administration. With Chandigarh figuring in the list of 11 prospect solar cities in India that have already received a grant of Rs 47.58 lakh by the Union government, brain-storming on its practical implementation has begun. Challenges concerning planning and implementation... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: Times of India
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Govt to restrict imports for solar energy: FarooqThe government will limit imports and encourage domestic manufacturing through public private partnerships to boost solar energy generation as power consumption goes up dramatically with the fast-growing economy, minister for new and renewable energy Farooq Abdullah said on Wednesday. Foreign companies must set up manufacturing facilities along with research and development centres if they want to enter India for solar power generation, he said while inaugurating a conference organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). About 170 megawatt... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: New Kerala
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India's Government Grudgingly Releases Report on Nuclear Power's Effect on Human HealthIndia is betting heavily on nuclear power to meet its surging energy needs. India currently has six nuclear power plants (NPPs) with 20 reactors generating 4,780 megawatts; seven other reactors are under construction and are expected to generate an additional 5,300 megawatts. This current rate of nuclear power generation pales into insignificance with New Delhi's future plans, as on February 22 Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: Minyanville
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NTPC boiler orders: BGR Energy emerges lowest bidderBGR Energy said it has emerged as the lowest bidder for the tender of 11 super critical boilers floated by country's largest power producer NTPC. The tender is for supply of 11x660 MW super-critical boilers for five thermal power projects, BGR Energy said in a statement. "As per tender conditions of NTPC, BGR Energy would be awarded contract for three projects. The aggregate value of contract is about Rs 6,500 crore. BGR Energy has competed against BHEL and Larsen &Toubro, who are other qualified bidders," it noted. The orders would be placed for NTPC's four... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: Economic Times
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EU's carbon tax now faces fire closer homeOpposition to the controversial European Union (EU) carbon emission tax on airlines is increasing with even European carriers joining the chorus for a re-think. British carrier Virgin Atlantic has said it is worried about the "disjointed approach" and the "retaliatory taxes" being mulled by countries like India. "Aviation is a global industry and there has to be a global solution and I think we haven't done the best job," Julie Southern, chief commercial officer, Virgin Atlantic, told Hindustan Times. "We are worried about Emission Trading Scheme (ETS)... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: Hindustan Times
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Effect of climatic changes on Indian farms higher than predictedThe climatic changes is likely to impact majority of the Indian farmers at a faster rate than expected. Eighty percent of the farmer community, who are mainly small and marginal farmers will have to face the burden, according to a study conducted by ActionAid . These 80% of the farmers constitute about 50% of the crop production of the country. According to farmers, the introduction of technologies in the farming sector like fertilizers, pumps to pump in water from ground to farm lands has further added stress to the farm lands. Meanwhile, the ActionAid study noted... Read more.. Date : Feb 29 Source: Commodity Online
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