Priyesh sir (geography)

India’s concern over Beijing trade policies:

Context : India has questioned several moves by China at the WTO, turning the heat on non-transparent subsidies that lead to influx of low priced , poor quality goods into the country, harming its local industries.

Cause : India’s trade deficit with China is $85.08 billion in FY24.
1) market access to many products is restricted such as bovine meat, shrimp health certificate , etc.
2) China led plurilateral investment facilitation development (IFD) agreement at the WTO, India opposed this emphasis transparency of investment measures, streamlining and speeding up investment related authorisation.
3) export control measures on critical minerals and non tariff barriers that adversely impact pharmaceutical export.

Generations of Ethanol/Biofuels:
1. First-Generation Ethanol
• Feedstocks: Produced from food crops such as sugarcane, corn, and wheat.
• Process: Involves the fermentation of sugars from these crops to produce ethanol.
• Characteristics: Uses edible parts of crops; raises concerns over food vs. fuel debates and land use.
2. Second-Generation Ethanol (2G Ethanol)
• Feedstocks: Produced from non-food biomass, including agricultural residues (e.g., rice straw, corn
stover), wood chips, and dedicated energy crops.
• Process: Involves breaking down cellulose and hemicellulose from lignocellulosic biomass into
fermentable sugars, which are then fermented to produce ethanol.
• Characteristics: Utilizes waste and non-edible parts of plants; addresses food vs. fuel concerns and aims
for higher sustainability.
3. Third-Generation Ethanol (3G Ethanol)
• Feedstocks: Produced from algae and other microorganisms.
• Process: Involves cultivating algae, which can be converted into ethanol through various biochemical
processes.
• Characteristics: Potential for high yield and efficiency; reduces competition with food crops and can
utilize non-arable land.
4. Fourth-Generation Ethanol (4G Ethanol)
• Feedstocks: Focuses on integrating carbon capture technologies with algae or other advanced feedstocks.
• Process: Incorporates carbon capture and utilization (CCU) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
during ethanol production.
• Characteristics: Aims to further reduce environmental impact and enhance sustainability through
innovative technologies.

Carbon Types in Stores, Sinks, and Sources:
Sinks (Storage):

Green Carbon: Stored in forests, grasslands, and soils.
Blue Carbon: Stored in coastal ecosystems (mangroves, salt marshes, seagrasses).
Teal Carbon: Stored in freshwater ecosystems (peatlands, wetlands, lakes, rivers).
Soil Organic Carbon: Stored in healthy soils, especially under sustainable land management.
Geological Carbon: Stored underground in fossil fuels and through carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Sources (Release):

Fossil Carbon: Released from burning fossil fuels for energy and industry.
Red Carbon: Released from deforestation and land-use changes.
Black Carbon: Released from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass.
Grey Carbon: Released from industrial processes and energy production.
Methane (CH₄): Released from agriculture, landfills, and fossil fuel extraction.
Soil Carbon Emissions: Released from disturbed or degraded soils.
Peat Carbon: Released from drained or degraded peatlands.
By understanding the different types of carbon sinks and sources, strategies can be developed to protect natural carbon stores and reduce carbon emissions to combat climate change.

atmospheric rivers are shifting poleward

Atmospheric rivers are shifting poleward from last 4 decades :

Atmospheric rivers are long narrow bands of water vapour in the sky that brings heavy rainfall and storms mainly west coast of USA and Europe are shifting towards higher lati and that’s changing weather patterns around the world.

This shifting is worsening droughts in some regions , intensifying flooding in others, and putting water resources of many communities at risk. When atmospheric rivers reaches in arctic can also melt the sea ice, affecting the global climate.

New study published in university of California shown that atmospheric rivers have shifted about 6-10 degrees towards the poles over the past 4 decades.

Areas affected by atmospheric rivers in the world:

They form in many parts of the world and provide over half of the mean annual rainfall and runoff in these regions, including the US south east coast and west coast, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, northern Spain, Portugal, UK and South central chile.

They are commonly seen in extra tropics a region between 30-50 degrees in both north and south hemisphere.

Atmospheric rivers get the water vapours from tropics atmospheric instability of the jet streams allows them to curve poleward.

Our study shows that the atmospheric rivers have been shifted poleward over the past four decades. In both hemispheres, activity has increased along 50 degrees and decreased along 30 degrees since 1979.

Cause for poleward shifting of atmospheric rivers :

One main reason for this shift in sea surface temperatures in eastern tropical Pacific. Since 2000, waters in the eastern tropical Pacific have had a cooling tendency, which affects atmospheric circulation worldwide. This cooling , often associated with La Niña conditions, pushes atmospheric rivers towards the poles.

The poleward shifting of atmospheric rivers can be explained as a chain of interconnected processes.

- during La Niña condwhen sea surface temperatures cools in the eastern tropical Pacific, the walker circulation get stronger causing the tropical rainband to expand. The expanded tropical rainfall, combined with changes in atmospheric eddy patterns , results in high pressure anomalies and wind patterns that steer atmospheric rivers poleward.

—-conversely during the ElNino conditions, with warmer sea surface temperatures, the mechanism operates in the opposite direction, walker circulation get weaker, shifting the atmospheric rivers less away from equator

Why does this poleward shift of atmospheric rivers matters?

It can affect the local climate.

— in the subtropics, where atmospheric rivers are becoming less common, the results into longer droughts and lesser water. That leads to water crisis, rivers and lakes dried up, agriculture get adversely affected, creating farmer crisis and food shortages due to water shortages.
—- in higher latitudes, atmospheric rivers moving poleward could leads to more extreme rainfall, flooding, landslides, storms and snowfall
—- in Arctic, more atmospheric rivers could speed up sea ice melting, adding global warming and affecting animals of polar regions, 36% increase in summer rainfall
—- due to global warming the frequency and intensity of atmospheric rivers increased because a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture
—- predicting and forecasting weather conditions remains more uncertain and difficult.

A recent study confirms that canine distemper virus (CDV) is circulating among common leopards (Panthera pardus) in Nepal, causing fatalities; this is the first documentation of live CDV in leopards, establishing a direct link to their deaths.  

WWF 2024 living planet report:

Context: The living planet report 2024, released a biennial assessment by conservation organisation the world wildlife fund (WWF) revealed that the average size of wildlife population has decreased by 73% since 1970.

The WWF uses living planet index to track the average trend in wildlife population they say
—— between 1970-2020, freshwater species decline by 85%, terrestrial species decline by 69%, and marine population decline by 56%.
——- at regional level steepest declines in Latin America and Caribbean by 95%, followed by Africa 76%, Asia Pacific region decline by 60%, North American by 39% and Central Asia by 35%


Causes for decline in wildlife population:

1) Habitat loss and degradation
2) over exploitation of resources
3) pest and invasive species
4) climate change and pollution
5) replacing hardwood with softwood
6) hunting and illegal trade
7) forest fires
8) global temperature rise triggering multiple tipping points
9) agricultural use of 40% of available land, 10 major crops cover 83% of all harvest food.
10) failed commitment for climate change, NDC targets, SDG targets

Impacts of wildlife loss

— food insecurity
— overfishing
— coral bleaching and coral reef degradation by 75% in world
— positive feedback loops will accelerate the global warming due to more release of carbon and methane, reduce carbon sink
—- species endangered are forest elephants, etc
—- economic loss by 10-15 trillion dollar annually, 12% of global GDP fall
—- indigenous peoples and local communities lost their livelihoods

Solution lies in protecting and conserving wildlife by implementing sustainable development goals, CBD targets, climate change mitigation, clean and green technologies, sustainable agriculture, financial and institutional support at all levels and involving all stakeholders.