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Salman suggests cycling to combat pollution
Mumbai, February 21, 2010 (PTI) :Bollywood actor Salman Khan today said that
cycling is the best solution to curb pollution in the metropolis. The actor was speaking to reporters after participating in the cyclothon which
was organised in collaboration with his charity "Being Human".
"Traffic has gone up so much in Mumbai and other places.However, you can cycle at the speed of a postman or a milkman and reach faster
than a car in the traffic," he said. Proceeds of the cyclothon will go to charity, said the actor.
India refinery threatens health of local community
February 9, 2010: An alumina refinery in east India run by a
UK- based firm is causing pollution that threatens the health of local people, a human rights group says.Amnesty International said those living near the Lanjigarh refinery in Orissa breathed polluted air and were afraid to drink from or bathe in local rivers.
It called on Vedanta Resources not to expand the refinery or mine for bauxite nearby before resolving the problems.
Vedanta has consistently rejected the allegations against it.
It points out that India's Supreme Court has approved its initial plans The firm has previously argued it has support from the state authorities. But it did not respond immediately when asked for the
comment by the BBC on the Amnesty report. On Friday, the Church of England said it had sold its £2.5m stake in Vedanta.
The Church said it was not satisfied the firm had shown "the level of respect for human rights and local communities that we expect".
Vedanta said it was disappointed by the Church's decision and remained "fully committed to pursuing its investments in a responsible manner, respecting the environment and human rights". Source: BBC
Pollution control: India ranks 123rd
WASHINGTON, January 30, 2010 (IANS): India and China rank 123rd and 121st in pollution control respectively, reflecting the strain rapid economic growth imposes on the environment, according to the 2010 Environmental Performance Index
(EPI). However, among the other newly industrialised nations Brazil and Russia rank 62nd and 69th, suggesting that the level of development is just one of many factors affecting pollution control.
Iceland leads the world in addressing pollution control and natural resource management challenges, according to the index produced by a team of environmental experts at Yale University and Columbia
University.
Misleading
report that Himalayan glaciers could melt by 2035
January 23, 2010 (CNN): The U.N.'s leading panel on climate change has apologized for
misleading data published in a 2007 report that warned Himalayan glaciers could
melt by 2035. In a statement released Wednesday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) said estimates relating to the rate of recession of the Himalayan
glaciers in its Fourth Assessment Report were "poorly substantiated" adding that
"well-established standards of evidence were not applied properly."
Despite the admission, the IPCC reiterated its concern about the dangers melting glaciers present in a region that is home to more than one-sixth of the world's population. "Widespread mass losses from glaciers and reductions in snow cover over recent
decades are projected to accelerate throughout the 21st century, reducing water
availability, hydropower potential, and changing seasonality of flows in regions supplied by meltwater from major mountain ranges (e.g. Hindu-Kush,
Himalaya, Andes).." "The chair, vice-chairs, and co-chairs of the IPCC," the statement continued,
"regrets the poor application of IPCC procedures..."
The apology follows a growing storm of controversy which initially forced the
IPCC to concede that data relating to the Himalayan glacier melt included in the
2007 report was not backed up by sufficient scientific data.Speaking at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi Wednesday, the IPCC
chairman, Rajendra Pachauri admitted errors had been made but said it was not an
excuse to question the legitimacy of all global warming science.
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