UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS

A recent report submitted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) revealed that 80% of the environmental compensation funds remain unutilized. 

On a historic day, the Union Transport Minister inaugurated India’s first National Highway constructed using Bio-Bitumen — the Nagpur-Mansar Bypass on National Highway 44. 

The Government of Karnataka has declared Hesaraghatta Grassland as a conservation reserve. This decision is a significant initiative towards protecting the shrinking ecological diversity and natural resources under the pressure of urbanization.

White Category Industries are those industries or business activities that have negligible or no adverse impact on the environment. 

Light pollution refers to the excessive, misdirected, or obtrusive use of artificial outdoor light. 

Gas flaring is a long-standing but under-addressed environmental concern in the global energy sector. 

The Carbonate Compensation Depth (CCD) is a specific depth in the ocean below which calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) dissolves faster than it accumulates, meaning no calcium carbonate sediments can build up on the seafloor.

In the recent report titled “The Arctic’s Plastic Crisis: Toxic Threats to Health, Human Rights, and Indigenous Lands from the Petrochemical Industry,” two major environmental organizations have raised serious concerns.

Aquatic Deoxygenation (AD) is gaining global attention as scientists and environmental experts call for its recognition as a new planetary boundary. 

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are toxic chemicals that persist in the environment, bio-accumulate through the food web, and pose a risk to human health and the ecosystem.