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Eco/Invest/Demography

U.S. Supreme Court backs energy companies over Baltimore in climate case

The Democratic-governed Maryland city’s lawsuit targeted 21 U.S. and foreign energy companies that extract, produce, distribute or sell fossil fuels, arguing that their activities contribute to emissions of carbon dioxide and other so-called greenhouse gases linked to climate change. An important port city, Baltimore noted that it is vulnerable to sea-level rise and flooding driven by climate change.

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Wildfires, thawing permafrost pose new challenge to curb climate change: Study

As temperatures rise and permafrost thaws, carbon dioxide and methane trapped within the long-frozen soil are released. The deeper the thaw, the more gas is released.

That threatens to create a feedback loop that contributes to even more warming of the atmosphere, scientists warn in a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Good ventilation dilutes COVID-19 viral load, crucial in reducing transmission

“Measures to improve ventilation in these spaces must be taken up on urgent priority in urban and rural areas alike, recommendations for hutments, homes, offices and large centralised buildings are given. Simple strategic placement of fans, open windows and doors, even slightly open windows can introduce outdoor air and improve the air quality inside,” it stated.

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Govt notifies new regulations for increasing FDI in insurance sector to 74 %

Nnot less than fifty per cent. of directors of  such insurers will be independent directors, unless the chairperson of its board is an independent director, in which case at least one-third of its board shall comprise of independent directors.

In an Indian insurance company having foreign investment a majority of its directors, a majority of its Key Management Persons, and at least one among the chairperson of its board, its managing director and its chief executive officer, has to be resident Indian citizens, said the draft rules.

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At Rs 5.18 tln in FY21, pvt sector investments lowest since FY05: Report

What is more worrying is that the gross fixed capital formation rate has been plunging continuously from 34.3 per cent in FY12 to 28.8 per cent in FY20 and is expected to go down further to 26.7 per cent in FY21, he warns. Again, among all the new investment projects announced until FY17, government-run companies dominated with a share of 58 per cent but even this has been coming down since then it plunged to 32 per cent in FY21 from 49 per cent in FY20, shows the report

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Chip crisis in ‘Danger Zone’ as wait times reach new record

Chip shortages are rippling through industry after industry, preventing companies from shipping products from cars to game consoles and refrigerators. Automakers are now expected to lose out on $110 billion in sales this year, as Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and others have to idle factories for lack of essential components. That’s undercutting economic growth and employment, as well as raising fears of panic ordering that may lead to distortions in the future.

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Cyclone Tauktae causes economic losses of over $ 2 billion, agriculture hit most: RMSI 

Pushpendra Johari, senior vice president, sustainability, RMSI said“Cyclone Tauktaeis an unique event that has impacted all coastal western states and union territories of India . Though the cyclone effect on Kerala, Karnataka and  Maharashtra and Goa was not severe, Gujarat and Diu are badly impacted.”

“Though the cyclone has made a landfall , this is not the end of our distress. Recent climate change studies have highlighted rising  sea surface temperature in the Arbian sea. This will increase the cyclone frequency in these region. We should improve our preparedness even further to deal with more such events in future.”

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