- Global Stocktake Report by ISA
- Revision of Fertilizers Subsidy
- Tragedies minimization in Himalayan Region
- Ancient Landscape cut by rivers found deep under Antarctic Ice
- A law to protect consumers from deep fake ads
Global Stocktake Report by ISA
Context:
- The International Solar Alliance (ISA), comprised of 116 member nations dedicated to advancing the global adoption of solar technology, is preparing to release its inaugural ‘global solar assessment report.’
- This initiative draws inspiration from the United Nations’ ‘Global Stocktake’ event, scheduled to take place in Dubai later this year.
International Solar Alliance (ISA) Overview
- The ISA is a coalition of over 121 countries, primarily located within the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, known for their abundant sunshine. Its headquarters are situated in Gurugram, India.
- The primary objective of the alliance is to promote the efficient utilization of solar energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
- The ISA operates as a treaty-based inter-governmental organization, and it was launched during the India Africa Summit and a meeting of member countries preceding the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in November 2015.
ISA’s Solar Assessment Report A Historic Debut: A Solar Stocktake Report
- The ISA’s forthcoming ‘solar assessment’ report is a momentous undertaking, with its release scheduled for mid-November. This report will comprehensively assess the progress made by nations in adopting solar energy.
- Global Solar Investments: It’s worth noting that investments in solar energy have surged, reaching nearly $300 billion in 2020 and approximately $380 billion in 2022. However, there is a considerable concentration of solar manufacturing in China.
- Diversifying Solar Manufacturing: The ISA is actively exploring strategies to diversify solar manufacturing beyond China.
ISA’s Commitment to Solar Expansion Leadership:
- Co-led by India and France, the ISA is gearing up for its sixth annual meeting to be held in Delhi.
- Focus on Solar Initiatives in Africa: A primary objective of the ISA is to expand solar installations in Africa, and to facilitate this, the Global Solar Facility (GSF) has been established.
Global Solar Facility (GSF)
- The GSF encompasses three funds: a payment guarantee fund, an insurance fund to mitigate project risks, and an investment fund for technical assistance.
- Expansion to Other Regions: After its work in Africa, the ISA plans to extend its efforts to West Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
- Global Solar Energy Landscape Increasing Solar Capacity: As of 2022, global solar photovoltaic installations reached 1,133 gigawatts (GW), with an impressive addition of 191 GW in 2022.
- China’s Dominance: Despite not being an ISA member, China accounts for almost a quarter of global solar installations, totaling around 350 GW.
- The United States, an ISA member, follows with 111 GW. India, also an ISA member, ranks among the top five countries globally, boasting 62 GW of solar capacity.
Conclusion
The ISA’s ‘solar assessment’ report signifies a significant milestone in the worldwide push for solar energy adoption. As the world grapples with the necessity of transitioning to renewable energy sources, this initiative provides valuable insights into the progress made and the challenges that lie ahead.
Revision of Fertilizers Subsidy
Context:
The Union Cabinet has introduced adjustments to the subsidy rates for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur fertilizers in India, differentiating between the October-March and April-September periods.
Subsidy Rate Changes
- Nitrogen (N): The subsidy for nitrogen has declined by 38% in the first half of FY-24 compared to the October-March period.
- Phosphorus (P): Phosphorus subsidy has been reduced by 49%.
- Potassium (K): The subsidy for potassium has experienced an 84% reduction.
- Sulfur (S): Sulfur subsidy has decreased by 32.5% during the same period.
Why Discuss This?
- Fertilizer subsidies have been a pivotal component of India’s agricultural policy since the Green Revolution of the 1970s-80s.
- This overview explores the concept of fertilizer subsidies, their distribution, and the associated challenges.
Understanding Fertilizer Subsidy
- Origins: Fertilizer subsidies were initiated during the Green Revolution to enhance agricultural productivity.
- Subsidized Pricing: Fertilizer subsidies entail farmers purchasing fertilizers at prices lower than the Maximum Retail Price (MRP), often below market rates.
- Determining Subsidy Rates: Subsidy rates are influenced by the average price of imported fertilizer over the preceding six months.
Recipient and Payment of Subsidy
- Beneficiary: While fertilizer companies receive the subsidy, it ultimately benefits farmers who obtain fertilizers at reduced prices.
- Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): Since March 2018, the government has introduced a DBT system, where subsidy payments to companies occur after actual sales to farmers through retailers.
- Retailer’s Role: Each of India’s 2.3 lakh retailers is equipped with a point-of-sale (PoS) machine linked to the Department of Fertilizers’ e-Urvarak DBT portal.
- Neem-Coated Urea Illustration: Neem-coated urea serves as an example. The government sets its MRP at Rs. 5,922.22 per tonne, while domestic production costs about Rs. 17,000 per tonne. The difference is covered by the central government through subsidy disbursement.
Non-Urea Fertilizers
- Decontrolled Pricing: Non-urea fertilizers have prices determined by companies rather than government intervention.
- Two Categories: These non-urea fertilizers are categorized into DAP (Diammonium Phosphate) and MOP (Muriate of Phosphate).
- Flat Subsidy: The government provides a uniform per-tonne subsidy to maintain soil nutrition levels and ensure the affordability of other fertilizers.
Challenges Associated with Fertilizer Subsidies
- Low Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE): Indian soil displays low NUE, primarily in Urea, resulting in excessive use and groundwater pollution.
- Groundwater Contamination: Excessive fertilizer application contributes to groundwater contamination.
- Overuse: Urea applied to the soil results in losses as NH3 (Ammonia) and Nitrogen Oxides, surpassing WHO-prescribed limits, especially in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
- Health Impacts: Nitrate-contaminated water poses health risks, including “blue baby syndrome” in humans.
Conclusion
Fertilizer subsidies are a crucial element of Indian agriculture, assisting farmers by reducing the cost of essential inputs.
However, challenges like overuse, groundwater pollution, and health concerns call for a comprehensive approach to ensure sustainable and responsible fertilizer usage in the country.
Tragedies minimization in Himalayan Region
Context:
This version of pulse of the day delves into the growing threat of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in the Indian Himalayan Region due to climate change.
It stresses the necessity for a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to create early warning systems and strategies for mitigating high-risk glacial lakes.
Definition of GLOFs
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) are abrupt and massive releases of water from glacial lakes, often triggered by the collapse of glacial moraines or other natural occurrences. These floods present significant dangers to downstream areas.
Characteristics of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs)
Sudden Onset: GLOFs are distinguished by their abrupt and swift onset, catching downstream communities off guard by releasing substantial amounts of water in a short time.
Highly Destructive: GLOFs are immensely destructive natural disasters. The vast volume of water released during an outburst can result in flash floods, causing extensive damage to infrastructure, agriculture, and ecosystems in the affected regions.
Glacial Lakes as Potential Hazards: Glacial lakes, formed through glacier melting, serve as reservoirs for potential GLOFs. The accelerated glacier melt, linked to climate change, raises concerns about the increasing number of these potential threats to downstream regions.
Global Impact: GLOFs are not limited to specific regions but have a worldwide impact. The risk of GLOFs exists in various mountainous areas globally, including the Himalayas, Andes, Alps, and the Rocky Mountains. Climate change exacerbates these risks, making GLOFs a global concern.
Consequences of GLOFs
- Flash Floods: The rapid release of water leads to flash floods downstream, resulting in immediate and extensive damage.
- Alterations in Landscape: GLOFs reshape the landscape, leading to changes in river courses and topography.
- Loss of Life and Property: Downstream communities face a high risk of casualties, property damage, and loss of livelihoods.
- Permanent Transformations: GLOFs bring lasting changes to the affected areas, affecting their socio-economic fabric.
Challenges in Monitoring and Prediction
- Monitoring and predicting these cascading events present challenges, necessitating an integrated system for early warnings and risk reduction.
- The Himalayan Region encounters various hydro-meteorological, tectonic, climate, and human-induced mountain hazards, making monitoring and estimation challenging due to the multitude of glaciers and temporal variations in glacial retreat.
Notable Examples
- South Lhonak Lake, Sikkim (2023): The recent GLOF in Sikkim resulted in the loss of 14 lives and the disappearance of 102 individuals. The South Lhonak Lake, located at 17,000 ft, burst due to continuous rainfall, causing flash floods in downstream areas along the Teesta river.
- Chorabari Tal, Uttarakhand (2013): In 2013, flash floods and a GLOF were triggered by the Chorabari Tal glacial lake in Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath, resulting in widespread destruction and the loss of thousands of lives.
Government Initiatives and Schemes
- Early Warning Systems: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) led a preparatory mission, installing automated cameras and monitoring equipment at high-altitude glacial lakes, marking a step toward creating a comprehensive early warning system.
- Geo-technical Solutions: Globally, initiatives such as excavating channels, drainage systems, constructing spillways, and small catchment dams have been undertaken. However, implementing these measures at high altitudes poses formidable challenges, including accessibility and harsh conditions.
- National Remote Sensing Centre’s Atlas: The NRSC’s Glacial Lake Atlas of 2023 offers critical data on the distribution of glacial lakes. It highlights the numerous high-risk lakes in the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra basins, emphasizing the enormity of the challenge.
The Way Forward
Collaborative Efforts: Addressing the GLOF risk necessitates cooperation among institutions. The NRSC’s remote sensing data, the Central Water Commission’s hydro-dynamic assessments, and the NDMA’s guidelines contribute to a comprehensive grasp of the hazard.
Comprehensive GLOF Risk Mitigation Plan: A plan is underway, focusing on installing monitoring and early warning systems. However, the success of this plan depends on the combined efforts of governments and scientific institutions.
Conclusion
Addressing GLOFs demands immediate attention. The integration of resources and capacities, along with a focus on prevention and mitigation, will reduce the impact on downstream communities.
Government initiatives and collaborative endeavors are pivotal steps toward ensuring the stability and resilience of Himalayan communities in the face of escalating climate risks.
Ancient Landscape cut by rivers found deep under Antarctic Ice
Context:
- Researchers have recently disclosed a vast prehistoric landscape concealed beneath Antarctica’s ice sheet, granting a glimpse into a time when it was not a frozen wilderness but a flourishing region with rivers and forests, supporting abundant life.
- This groundbreaking discovery, located in the Wilkes Land region of East Antarctica, holds the key to unraveling Antarctica’s environmental history and the enigmas of its distant past.
Exploring Wilkes Land:
- Wilkes Land, situated on the eastern side of Antarctica, is one of the largest unclaimed territories on the continent.
- Its extensive coverage by the East Antarctic Ice Sheet has made it a challenging area to access and study.
- The name “Wilkes Land” commemorates the leadership of US Navy Officer Charles Wilkes, who spearheaded the 1838-1842 exploring expedition that comprehensively charted significant portions of the Antarctic coastline, including the region now known as Wilkes Land.
- Particularly within the East Antarctic Ice Sheet of Wilkes Land, invaluable information regarding climate history and ice sheet dynamics is preserved, offering critical insights into global climate patterns and rising sea levels.
Antarctica’s Geological Transformation:
- In the past, Antarctica was part of the supercontinent Gondwana, alongside modern-day continents like Africa, South America, Australia, and the Indian subcontinent. Separation was initiated by plate tectonics.
- Researchers propose that as Antarctica’s climate warmed, rivers coursed across this newly revealed landscape towards coastlines formed during the continent’s division.
- Subsequent cooling led to glacial erosion, preserving this landscape for countless millennia.
Unveiling the Subglacial Landscape:
- Modern technologies such as satellite observations and ice-penetrating radar have unveiled a sprawling ancient terrain concealed beneath Antarctica’s ice sheet.
- This expansive landscape, equivalent in size to Belgium or the US state of Maryland, resides within East Antarctica’s Wilkes Land region, adjacent to the Indian Ocean.
- This prehistoric terrain is estimated to date back at least 14 million years and potentially even further, extending back over 34 million years, coinciding with Antarctica’s transition into a frozen expanse.
A Glimpse into a Bygone Era:
- This concealed landscape offers a snapshot of an earlier period when Antarctica experienced milder climates.
- The precise characteristics of this environment remain uncertain, but it might have encompassed anything from temperate to tropical conditions.
- While it is probable that a diverse array of wildlife thrived in this environment, the incomplete fossil record obscures the identity of its inhabitants.
Beneath the Icy Veil:
- This ancient landscape lies buried beneath roughly 2.2 to 3 kilometers of ice, creating a mysterious world hidden from human observation.
- Exploring this subglacial realm poses greater challenges than investigating the surface of Mars.
- Researchers are considering the possibility of drilling through the ice to obtain sediment core samples, which could potentially reveal remnants of ancient flora and fauna, reminiscent of Greenland’s samples dating back 2 million years.
Identification Process:
- The research relied on scientific methods involving satellite observations and data from ice-penetrating radar collected during overflight missions.
- What sets this discovery apart is that it unveils ancient landscapes shaped by rivers and distinctive geological processes, in contrast to previous findings beneath Antarctica’s ice.
These revelations shed light on the substantial changes that Antarctica’s landscape and climate underwent, transitioning from cold temperate rainforests to its current frozen state.
A law to protect consumers from deep fake ads
Context:
- In India, there is a notable deficiency in establishing clear definitions for important terms like consent, personality rights, deep fakes, dark patterns, AI, and their associated limitations, which are essential for protecting the rights of consumers, data subjects, and public figures.
Dark Patterns and Violation of Personality Rights
Key Legal Development: A recent interim ruling by the Delhi High Court has acknowledged that the use of deceptive techniques, such as deepfakes, with the intention of misleading for financial gain constitutes an infringement on personality rights.
Understanding Dark Patterns: Dark patterns are deceptive design practices that mislead users, infringing upon consumer rights and constituting unfair trade practices.
Challenges with Anonymous Offenders: Many perpetrators employing deepfakes operate anonymously, which hinders the pursuit of legal action, often resulting in injunctions with limited consequences. Celebrities and Social Media Platforms
Anticipated Legal Disputes: This ruling is expected to lead to a surge in legal cases where celebrities seek to protect their personality rights, and consumers seek redress against celebrities, advertisers, and social media platforms.
Platform Accountability: Social media platforms are increasingly being held accountable for preventing the dissemination of deepfake-laden advertisements, as demonstrated in cases like Karen Hepp v Facebook.
Ineffectiveness of Self-Regulation: The current self-regulation framework implemented by companies has proven to be insufficient, necessitating government intervention and mandatory disclosure of deepfake content in advertisements. Call for Comprehensive Regulation
Demand for Unified Oversight: Advancements in AI underscore the need for a comprehensive legal framework, similar to the EU’s AI Act, to regulate its applications in the consumer market.
Clarity in Terminology: Precise definitions of terms like consent, personality rights, deepfakes, and dark patterns are of utmost importance in safeguarding the rights of consumers and public figures.
Guidelines for Consumer Protection: Comprehensive guidelines mandated under the Consumer Protection Act should require the disclosure of deepfake usage in advertisements, addressing the evolving threat posed by sophisticated deepfake advertising.
