Sustainability Outlook Headlines

California has only one year of water left: Scientist

The state of California has only about one year's worth of water left in storage and its groundwater is rapidly depleting, a NASA scientist has found. According to Jay Familglietti, the state has been running out of water since the current years-long drought and storage levels have been falling since at least 2002 as revealed by satellite data, the Los Angeles Times reported.

He has called for an immediate rationing of water, including for domestic, municipal, agricultural and industrial uses. Other solutions to rationing are desalination plants. San Diego is building the... Read more..

Date : Mar 16

Source: Zee News

Breakthrough Makes Space-Based Solar Power Possible

Space-based solar power is now a legitimate possibility following a breakthrough by Japanese researchers, who successfully transmitted electric power wirelessly to a pinpoint target using microwaves.

The researchers were able to transform 1.8 kilowatts of electric power into microwaves and transmit it with accuracy into a receiver located 55 meters away, said Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa).

In an experiment conducted last week in Hyogo prefecture in western Japan, the microwaves were successfully converted into direct electrical current, 'The Wall... Read more..

Date : Mar 13

Source: Huffington Post

Commitments of RE-INVEST 2015 Under Porgress: Minister

The Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Piyush Goyal, on Thursday, informed that the Central government has started interactions with the State Governments to facilitate the fulfillment of the commitments received in the RE-INVEST 2015.

In this regard, the Minister informed about the financial commitments given by the banks and financial institutions for Green Energy projects, up to 2021-22.

According to the official statistics by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Green Energy Financing Commitments submitted for financing up to 2021-22, in the... Read more..

Date : Mar 13

Source: The Dollar Business

Rooftop solar power units to get boost in Maharashtra

The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has finally come out with a draft notification for allowing grid connectivity to rooftop solar power generation sets. The notification published on March 9 has cited recommendations of the working committee which was formed on MERC's directives. The committee had submitted its report seven months ago.

Now, MERC has called for objections, if any, by March 31 to the draft notification which has opened avenues for common man's participation in promoting green energy in a big way. If these provisions get final approval, one... Read more..

Date : Mar 13

Source: Times of India

Solar panel stacks get more out of sun

In yet another display of Gujarati 'jugaad', a team of scientists from Gandhinagar-based Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI) has designed solar panels that can be stacked one on top of the other. These solar panel stacks occupy much less space but harvest more of the sun's energy.

The GERMI team showed how stacking up photovoltaic (PV) cells (or solar panels) makes them up to 90% more efficient for harvesting and generating power without having to use huge plots of land to spread out the panels.

The team led by GERMI director Prof T... Read more..

Date : Mar 13

Source: Times of India

Human activity main culprit in Ganga pollution: IIT report

The management of solid and liquid waste generated from domestic and industrial sources, preparation of water resources plan for Ganga river basin with wetlands, distributed ground and surface water storage and management of polluted agricultural runoff were the suggestions of the IIT consortium to Centre for its projects to clean the holy river.

In its report for Ganga River Basin Management Plan (GRBMP), which dna has access to, it was observed that over-drawl of fresh water from surface and ground water sources for domestic and public activities, discharge of urban waste,... Read more..

Date : Mar 13

Source: DNA India

Two-thirds of sewage from 118 towns flows into Ganga

More than two-thirds of the sewage generated in 118 towns, located in the Ganga river basin, get discharged into the country's national river untreated, making the task of its rejuvenation a long drawn process.

Recent findings of a report, prepared by a team of experts from different government agencies, have noted that these towns collectively generate over 3,636 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage as against the treatment capacity of approximately 1,027 MLD of the existing 55 sewage treatment plants (STPs) in these towns spread over five states.

... Read more..

Date : Mar 13

Source: Times of India

Its experts red flag six hydel projects, Govt says ‘critical need’

Told to “place the correct picture” before the Supreme Court on the “critical need” for hydel projects in Uttarakhand, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) first contradicted the recommendations of its own panel, which ruled against six hydel projects, and is now unable to submit it in writing to the court.

The ministry, which was asked by the Supreme Court on December 16 to examine the cumulative and individual status of six of the 24 hydel projects seeking clearance from the court for the upper Ganga region, set up a four-member expert panel on December 30.... Read more..

Date : Mar 13

Source: Indian Express

Govt to make all roads dust-free to decrease pollution level in Delhi

Concerned over increasing air pollution, Delhi government has decided to make all the main roads dust-free, congestion-free and clean, claiming that by this initiative, 25 per cent pollution can be decreased in the national capital.

PWD Minister Satyendra Jain said that in Delhi, 78 per cent of pollution is caused by vehicles, out of which, 38 per cent pollution is due to dust. PWD roads will be targeted under this projecet.

"When vehicles run on roads, dust remains in air... cleaning is done manually due to which dust remains there. Keeping this thing in mind,... Read more..

Date : Mar 13

Source: Zee News

Mamata gets green nod from Modi govt for 43 coal, power, oil and steel projects

As a major takeaway from West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's first meeting with PM Narendra Modi on Monday, the environment ministry has cleared the way for 43 projects - spanning coal, power, oil and steel industries - to take off in the state.

The clearances, ranging from environmental nod to diversion of forest land, cover projects in the Central, state as well as private sector and would help kick-start industrial activities in almost all the districts of the state.

This was the first time during nine months of the Modi regime that such a large... Read more..

Date : Mar 13

Source: Economic Times

EWEA Offshore: India could have offshore wind by 2019

The Indian government is accelerating efforts to introduce offshore wind to the country, according to Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) general secretary Steve Sawyer.

GWEC has been working with the EU to develop a four-year roadmap for the implementation of offshore wind in India. But now Sawyer believes there is a greater drive to make it a reality, with work on pilot projects possible by 2019.

"The genesis of this was with the previous Indian government, who were mildly interested in exploring the options for the sector in India in a post-2020 timeframe," he... Read more..

Date : Mar 13

Source: Wind Power Monthly

Inox Wind's Rs 700-crore IPO to hit market on March 18

Wind power solutions provider Inox Wind is hitting the capital market next week to raise up to Rs 700 crore through an initial public offering (IPO) to fund expansion and meet other requirements.

The issue comprises a fresh offering of equity shares aggregating up to Rs 700 crore and an offer for sale of up to one crore equity shares, or 5 per cent of stake held by Inox Wind promoter Gujarat Fluorochemicals to the extend of Rs 300 crore.

The issue, which will hit the market on March 18 and close on March 20, will be listed on both exchanges, NSE and BSE. The... Read more..

Date : Mar 12

Source: Business Standard

Climate Fight Won't Wait for Paris: Vive la Resistance

Pressure is growing. A relentless climate movement is starting to win big, unprecedented victories around the world, victories which are quickly reshaping the consensus view. In the third piece in the Guardian’s major series on climate change, Bill McKibben describes how relentless climate movements have shifted the advantage towards fossil fuel resistance for the first time in 25 years. But he argues triumph is not certain – we must not rest till the industry is forced to keep the carbon in the ground.

The official view: all eyes are on Paris, where negotiators will meet in... Read more..

Date : Mar 12

Source: The Guardian

Next: Solar Impulse 3.0, a drone that can fly non-stop for 6 months

"Don't go to the moon again. We've done that already. The challenges for innovators are to do things we've not done before," Bertrand Piccard, the Solar Impulse founder says. That's the flight path for the Solar Impulse team in the near future. Piccard's co-pilot Andre Borschberg said the team will work on building an unmanned version of the aircraft.

"In the next five years, we see a potential for an unmanned vehicle which can go very high and communicate with ground stations for six months continuously," Borschberg said. He added that the craft can do what satellites do... Read more..

Date : Mar 12

Source: Times of India

'627,000 die every year of particulate air pollution'

Over 627,000 people die prematurely and 18 million healthy life years are lost every year due to particulate air pollution -- the microscopic solid and liquid matter suspended in the Earth`s atmosphere, an environmentalist said here on Wednesday.

The experts said the situation was of a great concern because carbon -- the dark core of particulate matter -- was contributing to the health burden and even after decades of air quality management, particulate air pollution has remained among the top 10 killers globally.

"It has been found that black carbon -- which is... Read more..

Date : Mar 12

Source: Zee News

Environmentalists wary of India's plan to intervene in publishing of smog data

Environmental activists expressed concern on Wednesday after Indian authorities said they would stop releasing raw air-pollution figures for Delhi, the world’s most polluted city. Three separate government agencies compile data from air-monitoring stations in the capital. Each publishes the figures directly.

The government said late on Tuesday that the data should be sent to the Central Pollution Control Board for analysis before release in order to provide “authentic air quality information to people of Delhi”. It did not give a reason for the move, but several environmental... Read more..

Date : Mar 12

Source: The Guardian

SunEdison’s Japan project to be handled from India

The Indian arm of the US-based solar major, SunEdison, will be putting up a 9.6 MW solar plant in Japan, for which the company has recently secured a non-recourse loan of $21 million. The Asia-Pacific headquarters of SunEdison is India, as the head of Asia-Pacific operations, Pashupathy Gopalan, is based in Chennai. As such, the construction and operations of SunEdison’s projects in Japan and China are handled out of Chennai.

The Tarumizu project is one of the first utility scale projects built by a US company in Japan with non-recourse funding from a Japanese Shinsei Bank, a... Read more..

Date : Mar 12

Source: Business Line- The Hindu

Civic drive to separate waste at source soon

The civic body will soon start a campaign to educate residents on the importance of segregating dry and wet waste and the means to do it. NMMC kicked off its much-delayed plans of door-to-door garbage collection from Vashi on Monday. "Even though it was always expected that the residents should segregate the waste but it was never practised nor enforced by the civic body," said DMC Dr B Rajale.

He added that now they will now undertake a series of awareness campaigns to get the garbage segregated at the source. As a first step towards achieving this goal, the contractor will... Read more..

Date : Mar 12

Source: Times of India

Govt plans to set up 25 solar power parks to promote renewable power generation

The union minister of state for coal, power and renewable energy, Piyush Goyal, said that the government is ambitious to promote clean energy in the country. He also outlined the Modi government's plans of increasing renewable power generation in the country.

"We are encouraging setting up of solar power projects through measures like grant of subsidy on off-grid applications, provision for renewable purchase obligation for solar in the National Tariff Policy, concessional import and excise duty exemption for setting up of solar power plants, accelerated depreciation and tax... Read more..

Date : Mar 12

Source: Business Today

World Bank aid for power projects in Tripura

The World Bank would provide Rs.1,376 crore to create infrastructure in the power sector in Tripura, an official said here on Wednesday. State-owned Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) would execute the World Bank-aided projects in the state which shares its border with Bangladesh.

“A meeting of senior officials of PGCIL, World Bank, Central Electricity Authority, Tripura State Electricity Corporation and Tripura power department would be held here on March 13,” an official of Tripura power department said.Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, Power Minister Manik Dey... Read more..

Date : Mar 12

Source: Eastern Mirror

Paperless assembly will save Rs.15 crore: Himachal governor

Himachal Pradesh Governor Kalyan Singh on Wednesday praised the successful implementation of India's first paperless e-Vidhan Sabha that will help the state save Rs.15 crore every year.

"It is a matter of pleasure to inform the members that the e-Vidhan Sabha system was started from August 4, 2014, in the Vidhan Sabha to ensure paperless work of the house and the various committees. Approximately Rs.15 crore will be saved every year, apart from saving the environment," the governor said in his address on the first day of the assembly session. The Rs.8.12-crore e-Vidhan Sabha... Read more..

Date : Mar 12

Source: Headlines India

MNRE includes Punjab in ambitious 'Green Corridor' project

Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has agreed to include Punjab in the ambitious “Green Corridor Mission” project on the request of minister of new and renewable energy of Punjab, Bikram Singh Majithia.

Punjab will now be in line to receive funds for further strengthening of its transmission and distribution infrastructure to ensure efficient evacuation of solar power to the central grid.

Besides this, the Union Ministry has also announced a major roof top solar power pilot project to demonstrate as well as encourage people to set their own solar... Read more..

Date : Mar 11

Source: Business Standard

Centre proposes online monitoring of Ganga pollution in UP

The Centre has sent a proposal to the UP government asking it to install advanced devices for online monitoring of the pollution level in Ganga. These devices are proposed to be installed at 57 different locations across the state, including Varanasi, Allahabad and Kanpur.

Replying to a question asked by BJP member Hridya Narain Dixit in Legislative Council, Minister Shiv Pratap Yadav on Tuesday said the project will provide minute-to-minute details about pollution level to both the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB). Pollution... Read more..

Date : Mar 11

Source: Indian Express

Wind energy industry seeks stable policy

The wind energy industry has sought stability and convergence in policies to fully harness the potential of the resource across the country.

"The need of the hour is a stable policy and setting up of renewabl energy management centres for streamlining forecasting and scheduling of wind power," industry representatives said in a statement here on Tuesday.

Blaming uncertain policies for their apprehension, Acciona Energy managing director Glen Reccani said though the cost of wind power per MW was the cheapest in the country, he would think twice before investing... Read more..

Date : Mar 11

Source: Business Standard

Land Bill through Lok Sabha, new cities get big jolt

The Narendra Modi government on Tuesday secured the Lok Sabha’s approval for a Bill to replace the land acquisition ordinance issued on the last day of calendar 2014 by tweaking it a bit but without compromising on key provisions aimed at fast-tracking infrastructure creation and urbanisation.

Despite pressure from the Opposition, the government refused to accede to an industry-unfriendly demand for reintroducing the consent and social impact assessment (SIA) clauses for five broad categories of projects, in the case of which the ordinance proposed a waiver.

... Read more..

Date : Mar 11

Source: Financial Express