In May 2011, the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) presented
its report on potential of renewable
energy (RE) which emphasizes
significant future role of RE in cutting
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and
powering sustainable development. A
global team of technological experts and
scientists reviewed over 160 scenarios on
the potential of six RE technologies and
compiled a report entitled ‘Special
Report on Renewable Energy Sources and
Climate Change Mitigation’ (SRREN)
approved by member countries of IPCC.
The present report is a short summary of
approximately 1000-page comprehensive
assessment done by 120 scientists for the
IPCC Working Group III (WGIII)1.
IPCC is the leading international body

An intercropping trial was conducted during 2007– 2010 on 6-year-old aonla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.; cv. NA-7) orchard planted at 6 m × 6 m spacing and growing under rainfed calciorthent soil, to identify the suitable and profitable intercrops.

Cry1Ac toxin concentration was assessed in leaves of Bt transgenic cotton hybrid grown on shallow (90 cm) black soils of Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. Cry toxin concentration increased up to 80 days after sowing followed by a steep decline. In general, toxin concentration was greater on the deep black soils than the shallow soil. This was because of greater water-holding capacity of the deep soils. Cry toxin concentration was closely related to the soil water content. Beyond (excess moisture) and below (moisture deficit) field capacity, toxin concentration declined.

We studied the soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics in two types of tropical ground cover (grasses predominantly as C4 functional type and herbaceous predominantly as C3 functional type), located in a permanent plot of the Department of Botany, the M.S. University of Baroda, Vadodara, India. T

Sugarcane is a high water-requiring (with an average of 20 megalitres of water/ha) crop and 80% of its water requirement is met through groundwater. The Central Ground Water Board has estimated that only 162 billion cubic metres (BCM)/yr of groundwater is available for future irrigation, out of which around 40 BCM/yr is available in the sugar-producing states. Sugarcane cultivation in 5.0 million ha area will require about 100 BCM of water/yr.

Biomimetics is a field of science that studies biological processes for effectively using them in the development of innovative engineering materials and systems. It is a new field of emergence in materials science and engineering in which lessons learned from biology form the basis for evolution of novel technological materials. Biomimetics is finding application in diverse areas ranging from micro/nano electronics to civil/structural engineering.

Middle and South Andaman Islands have a fairly good fringing reef ecosystem, particularly the North Bay, Chidiyatappu, Ross and Havelock Islands. These reefs are dominated by Porites lutea, Porites nigrescens and Acropora spp. The appearance of corals or part of them in white (bleaching) is known to be associated with stress, which may be induced by sudden increase of sea-surface temperature (SST). 

Original Source

Conversion of carbon dioxide into methanol or to any other value-added chemical using solar light (known as artificial photosynthesis) is of great importance from the point of view of energy crisis and global warming problem. This note discusses the methods and challenges that need to be addressed for realizing processes for converting carbon dioxide to value-added chemicals.

In May 2011, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) presented its report on potential of renewable energy (RE) which emphasizes

The recent disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan following the devastating earthquake and tsunami has triggered widespread apprehension of a similar catastrophe in India. Even scientists are beginning to voice concern and are advising a review of our nuclear power policy. A panel discussion was held on 13 June 2011 in Mumbai to deliberate on the safety aspects of Indian nuclear power plants.