Biodiversity

Herpetologist Deepak Veerappan has a snake named after him

The News:

·        A new snake species has been discovered. It has been reported to be an endemic species of Tamil Nadu and has been sighted in a few locations in the southern part of the Western Ghats.

·        Named Xylophis deepaki, it is a tiny snake of just 20 cm length with iridescent scales.

·        The species is named in honour of Indian herpetologist Deepak Veerappan for his contribution in erecting a new subfamily Xylophiinae to accommodate wood snakes.

·        Wood snakes are harmless, sub-fossorial and often found while digging soil in farms and under the logs in the Western Ghat forests. They feed on earthworms and possibly other invertebrates. Interestingly, their close relatives are found in northeast India and Southeast Asia and are known to be arboreal.

·        This new species is found in the drier regions and in lower altitudes around Agasthyamalai hills. The other Xylophis were reported from cold higher altitudes, of 1,700 m and above, in the Nilgiris and the Anaimalai.

·        The new find increases the total number of currently recognised wood snakes to five species.

Environment

BRO reports glacier break in Uttarakhand

The News:

·        A glacier break was reported near the India-China border in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district in Sumna, Niti Valley

·        Uttarakhand witnessed another glacier burst near the India-China border near the Chamoli district on Friday night. The state government has issued a high alert and Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat said he was in constant touch with the district administration and Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

·        Niti Valley is a remote valley located in the northernmost region of Uttarakhand.

Environment

‘U.S. will cut emissions by 52% by 2030’

The News:

Leaders’ Summit on Climate was hosted by US President Joe Biden.

·         40 world leaders, including the Prime Minister of India, Presidents of China and Russia have been invited to the virtual Leaders’ Summit on Climate to underscore the urgency of stronger climate action.

·         The US is seeking to bring America back into a leadership role on climate action after Mr. Trump had withdrawn the country from the Paris Agreement.

·         President Biden and his administration have linked climate action and clean technology to jobs and economic growth.

·         This is seen as a key milestone on the road to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November 2021 in Glasgow.

Modi announces climate partnership with U.S.

The News:

The Prime Minister of India announced that India and the U.S. were launching an energy and climate partnership during the Leaders’ Summit on Climate.

Details:

·         “India-U.S. climate and clean energy agenda 2030 partnership” will help mobilise investments, demonstrate clean technologies, and enable green collaborations.

·         The partnership will proceed along two main tracks which will build on and subsume a range of existing processes:

o   the strategic clean energy partnership and the climate action

o   finance mobilisation dialogue

India’s Climate Targets:

India is targeting a 2030 GDP emissions intensity ( i.e., volume of emissions per unit of GDP) that is 33%-35% below 2005 levels.

It also seeks to have 40% of power generated from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.