'75% of Himalayan glaciers retreating'

A study by Isro satellite images reveals 75% of Himalayan glaciers are on the retreat, with the average shrinkage being 3.75km during the 15 years under study.

The shocking findings come after raging controversy over claims in the 2007 IPCC report of Himalayan glaciers disappearing by 2035, which were later retracted.

The project, which studied 2,190 glaciers, was commissioned by the Indian ministry of environment and forests and department of space to break myths about the disappearance of Himalayan glaciers. The study used satellite images taken by Resourcesat-1 over a period of 15 years (1989-2004). Around 50 experts and 14 organizations were involved in the project which included field trips.

Organisations that were part of a comprehensive study on Himalayan glaciers included G B Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Kashmir University and Jawaharlal Nehru University. The experts also physically visited the glaciers to compare the study results.

This is the second report on glaciers released by Isro. In March 2010, the space organization released a study involving 1,317 Himalayan glaciers which said these glaciers had retreated by 16% since 1962.

Lioness dies of snake-bite at Gir National Park

A strange news. A seven-year-old lioness has died due to a snake-bite at the Sayna Vasiya village in the Una range of the Gir National Park in Gujarat, India.

According to forest officials the lioness, who was from a group of three, consisting of two lions, died last evening.The body was sent to a veterinary hospital for post mortem.

Gir is the only place where Asiatic lions are found. As per the 2010 census, their number was 411.

Himalayan Blunder

The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had grossly exaggerated the rate at which Himalayan glaciers are melting, striking a blow to the credibility of climate change science. In 2007 report, the IPCC had claimed that if current warming trends continued, the glaciers would be gone by 2035. It now transpires that the estimate was based on a 10-year-old interview with one climate scientist, glaciologist Syed Hasnain, and that there is no actual scientific data to back the claim. Interestingly, Syed Hasnain said that he was never consulted by the IPCC. More interestingly, he now works with TERI -- the same institute of which IPCC head R K Pachauri is. The Indian government had questioned the finding last year and come out with its own report doubting the glacier melt at the pace the IPCC had predicted. At that time, everybody including snubbed the MoeF report. Now, the table has turned. IPCC has already appologised for the mistake.. Strange is the world of global warming and their experts.

Ram, Ramayana and global warming

Ram, Ramayana and global warming - the association may sound odd, until you realise how an NGO in Uttar Pradesh is helping in combating the ill effects of climate change. The NGO Raunak Evam Jagruk Samaj Sanstha in Sonbhadra district, about 250 km from Lucknow, conducts recitation of the Ramayana in parts of Uttar Pradesh, holds prayers for Lord Ram and distributes saplings as prasad (consecrated offering) among the devotees. One can say it's religious formula to protect the environment and fight against global warming. Planting trees is something simple everyone can do to reduce carbon dioxide, a main greenhouse gas that causes global warming. The NGO has distributed over 18,000 saplings since the launch of Ram, Ramayana and Global Warming programme some six months ago. The programme was started in June 2009 and till now have successfully conducted it in several districts including Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur and Sonbhadra.

Elephant corridor for Karnataka jumbos

Around 1,000 elephants and other wild species can now wander freely without any human interference through. They have their own corridor. This has been made possible by an NGO, Wildlife Trust of India supported by its partner - the International Fund for Animal Welfare which purchased about 25 acre-Kollegal (Edayarhalli-Doddasampige) elephant corridor from private ownership and transferred to the state government. The corridor which connects Kollegal forests to Biligiri Ranganswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary would be soon notified to be made a part of a protected area as Karnataka Forest Department officials and WTI signed the land ownership transfer agreement last week. Let's celebrate this. May more such corridors are developed in India.

Snowfall in Kashmir declining

Global warming appears to have taken a toll on the climate patterns in Kashmir valley which has been experiencing a decline in snowfall and rise in temperature. Scientists from Snow and Avalanche study establishment attributes this decreasing trend in areal extent of snow cover, rise in maximum temperature and decreasing trend in total snowfall may be the indicators of global warming or climate change. The total snowfall in the winter of 2004-05 was 1,082 centimetres across the valley that declined to 968 centimetres in 2005-06 and further to 961 centimetres in 2006-07.

Next Live Earth concert in Mumbai

The world is coming to rock India. Former US vice president Al Gore and the organisers of the Live Earth series of music concerts have announced that the next edition of the mega event will be held in Mumbai on December 7 at the Andheri Sports Complex.

Nobel laureate Rajendra Pachauri, film director Shekhar Kapur and bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan their support for the initiative which uses the power of the world's celebrity musicians to draw attention to the climate crisis caused by global warming. A record two billion people around the world watched the first series on July 7, 2007. American rocker Jon Bon Jovi will perform at the Mumbai show. So be there to contribute your bit to the environment and for Music.