Post-Glacial Ecosystems: A Silver Lining to Climate Change? 🌍❄️
📰 Why in News?
Glacier retreat, a clear consequence of climate change, is revealing opportunities for developing new ecosystems that could help mitigate climate change impacts, as per a global study.
🌱 Key Findings:
✅ Emerging Ecosystems: Glacier retreat gives rise to new ecosystems, capable of capturing carbon through biogeochemical processes and biomass growth.
✅ Microbial Colonization: Microorganisms like bacteria and algae are the first settlers, followed by plants (lichens, mosses, grass), enriching the soil for larger life forms.
✅ Temporary Habitats: Deglaciated areas, particularly in Himalayas and sub-polar regions, act as biodiversity hotspots and serve as refuges for cold-adapted species.
🌍 Why Are These Ecosystems Important?
✅ Biodiversity: Potential for medicinal and agricultural discoveries.
✅ Eco-Tourism: Boosts local economies while promoting conservation.
✅ Water Regulation: Post-glacial ecosystems in regions like the Himalayas help regulate water availability, affecting rivers that millions depend on.
🧊 About Glaciers:
✅ What Are They? Massive ice sheets moving under their own weight, shaping landscapes like valleys and moraines.
✅ Significance: Glaciers store 69% of the world’s freshwater and are critical for water supplies.
🌊 Impacts of Melting Glaciers:
✅ Rising Sea Levels: Causes coastal flooding and erosion.
✅ Freshwater Scarcity: Shrinking glaciers threaten future water supplies.
✅ Biodiversity Loss: Disrupts ecosystems and wildlife habitats.
✅ Economic Risks: Tourism-dependent regions, like the Himalayas, face uncertainties.
✅ Global Warming Feedback Loop: Loss of reflective glacier surfaces accelerates warming.
🌟 Way Forward:
Efforts to study, manage, and promote biodiversity in post-glacial ecosystems are vital for creating a sustainable balance between climate change mitigation and natural habitat preservation. 🌿
#Environment
📰 Why in News?
Glacier retreat, a clear consequence of climate change, is revealing opportunities for developing new ecosystems that could help mitigate climate change impacts, as per a global study.
🌱 Key Findings:
✅ Emerging Ecosystems: Glacier retreat gives rise to new ecosystems, capable of capturing carbon through biogeochemical processes and biomass growth.
✅ Microbial Colonization: Microorganisms like bacteria and algae are the first settlers, followed by plants (lichens, mosses, grass), enriching the soil for larger life forms.
✅ Temporary Habitats: Deglaciated areas, particularly in Himalayas and sub-polar regions, act as biodiversity hotspots and serve as refuges for cold-adapted species.
🌍 Why Are These Ecosystems Important?
✅ Biodiversity: Potential for medicinal and agricultural discoveries.
✅ Eco-Tourism: Boosts local economies while promoting conservation.
✅ Water Regulation: Post-glacial ecosystems in regions like the Himalayas help regulate water availability, affecting rivers that millions depend on.
🧊 About Glaciers:
✅ What Are They? Massive ice sheets moving under their own weight, shaping landscapes like valleys and moraines.
✅ Significance: Glaciers store 69% of the world’s freshwater and are critical for water supplies.
🌊 Impacts of Melting Glaciers:
✅ Rising Sea Levels: Causes coastal flooding and erosion.
✅ Freshwater Scarcity: Shrinking glaciers threaten future water supplies.
✅ Biodiversity Loss: Disrupts ecosystems and wildlife habitats.
✅ Economic Risks: Tourism-dependent regions, like the Himalayas, face uncertainties.
✅ Global Warming Feedback Loop: Loss of reflective glacier surfaces accelerates warming.
🌟 Way Forward:
Efforts to study, manage, and promote biodiversity in post-glacial ecosystems are vital for creating a sustainable balance between climate change mitigation and natural habitat preservation. 🌿
#Environment
NEWS :UN Environment Programme (UNEP) led initiative focuses on biodiversity conservation, sustainable land management and enhanced water security in Lake Tanganyika Basin.
Lake Tanganyika Basin:
1️⃣ Shared by four countries: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zambia.
2️⃣ One of Africa's Great Lakes and the world's second-largest freshwater lake by volume.
3️⃣ Internationally recognised as a Global biodiversity hotspot.
#environment #prelims
Lake Tanganyika Basin:
1️⃣ Shared by four countries: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zambia.
2️⃣ One of Africa's Great Lakes and the world's second-largest freshwater lake by volume.
3️⃣ Internationally recognised as a Global biodiversity hotspot.
#environment #prelims
🔆 Ozone Depleting Substances (ODSs)
📍 Definition:
✅ Chlorine, bromine, CFCs, carbon tetrachloride, halons, etc.
📍 Potential Drivers of Ozone Hole over Antarctica:
1. Changes in Antarctic polar vortex
2. Changes in solar cycle
3. Increased atmospheric abundance of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
📍 Polar Vortex
✅ Stratospheric wind patterns with vast low-pressure areas and very cold air, more pronounced over the South Poles.
✅ Leads to formation of Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs).
📍 Impact of Volcanic Eruptions on Ozone Layer:
✅ Triggers massive stratospheric water vapor plume.
✅ Injects large quantities of sulphur dioxide (facilitates chemical conversion of chlorine making it more reactive).
✅ Contributes atmospheric bromine and hydrogen chloride.
✅ Eruption particles provide surfaces for chemical reactions for ODSs.
📍 PSCs (Polar Stratospheric Clouds):
✅ Also known as nacreous clouds or mother of pearl.
✅ Formed below -78°C and trap outgoing longwave radiation.
📍 Location:
✅ Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, a submarine volcano in the Tongan archipelago located in the Southern Pacific Ocean, erupted in January 2022.
📍 Ozone Layer Depletion Process (Infographic):
✅ 1st step: UV rays split chlorine atom from CFC molecule.
✅ 2nd step: Chlorine atom breaks up ozone molecule.
✅ 3rd step: The chlorine molecule left behind creates chlorine monoxide and oxygen (O2).
#environment
📍 Definition:
✅ Chlorine, bromine, CFCs, carbon tetrachloride, halons, etc.
📍 Potential Drivers of Ozone Hole over Antarctica:
1. Changes in Antarctic polar vortex
2. Changes in solar cycle
3. Increased atmospheric abundance of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
📍 Polar Vortex
✅ Stratospheric wind patterns with vast low-pressure areas and very cold air, more pronounced over the South Poles.
✅ Leads to formation of Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs).
📍 Impact of Volcanic Eruptions on Ozone Layer:
✅ Triggers massive stratospheric water vapor plume.
✅ Injects large quantities of sulphur dioxide (facilitates chemical conversion of chlorine making it more reactive).
✅ Contributes atmospheric bromine and hydrogen chloride.
✅ Eruption particles provide surfaces for chemical reactions for ODSs.
📍 PSCs (Polar Stratospheric Clouds):
✅ Also known as nacreous clouds or mother of pearl.
✅ Formed below -78°C and trap outgoing longwave radiation.
📍 Location:
✅ Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, a submarine volcano in the Tongan archipelago located in the Southern Pacific Ocean, erupted in January 2022.
📍 Ozone Layer Depletion Process (Infographic):
✅ 1st step: UV rays split chlorine atom from CFC molecule.
✅ 2nd step: Chlorine atom breaks up ozone molecule.
✅ 3rd step: The chlorine molecule left behind creates chlorine monoxide and oxygen (O2).
#environment
🔆What is PBAT?
✅Kamalpur Nagar Panchayat in Tripura has introduced compostable bags made from PBAT as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic (SUP).
📍What is PBAT?
✅PBAT (Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate) is a biodegradable thermoplastic polymer used as an eco-friendly substitute for traditional plastics.
✅It is a copolymer of adipic acid, 1,4-butanediol, and terephthalic acid and can be processed using conventional plastic manufacturing methods.
✅PBAT is often blended with other biopolymers to enhance its mechanical and barrier properties
📍Properties of PBAT
✅100% compostable – breaks down into water, CO₂, and biomass under industrial composting conditions within 180 days.
✅Flexible and tough, making it ideal for bags, films, and packaging.
✅It is moisture-resistant, chemically inert, and offers good barrier properties.
#gs3
#environment
✅Kamalpur Nagar Panchayat in Tripura has introduced compostable bags made from PBAT as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic (SUP).
📍What is PBAT?
✅PBAT (Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate) is a biodegradable thermoplastic polymer used as an eco-friendly substitute for traditional plastics.
✅It is a copolymer of adipic acid, 1,4-butanediol, and terephthalic acid and can be processed using conventional plastic manufacturing methods.
✅PBAT is often blended with other biopolymers to enhance its mechanical and barrier properties
📍Properties of PBAT
✅100% compostable – breaks down into water, CO₂, and biomass under industrial composting conditions within 180 days.
✅Flexible and tough, making it ideal for bags, films, and packaging.
✅It is moisture-resistant, chemically inert, and offers good barrier properties.
#gs3
#environment
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🔆 Marine Microplastics Tied to Higher Diabetes Risk
📍 New U.S. study finds health impact correlation with ocean microplastic exposure
✅ Microplastic pollution (within 370 km of U.S. coast) linked to:
– 18% ↑ in Type-2 diabetes
– 7% ↑ in coronary artery disease
– 9% ↑ in stroke incidents
✅ Study used data from 152 coastal counties.
✅ Pattern holds even after controlling for age, sex, race, ethnicity, income, healthcare access, etc.
✅ Suggests microplastics as a potential new risk factor in chronic disease burden.
📝 Prelims Question:
Which of the following diseases has NOT been associated with microplastic exposure in recent studies?
A. Type-2 Diabetes
B. Coronary Artery Disease
C. Stroke
D. Asthma
Answer: D
📝 Mains Question (GS3 – Environment/Health):
#GS3 #Environment #Microplastics #PublicHealth #Diabetes #Prelims2025 #Mains2025
📍 New U.S. study finds health impact correlation with ocean microplastic exposure
✅ Microplastic pollution (within 370 km of U.S. coast) linked to:
– 18% ↑ in Type-2 diabetes
– 7% ↑ in coronary artery disease
– 9% ↑ in stroke incidents
✅ Study used data from 152 coastal counties.
✅ Pattern holds even after controlling for age, sex, race, ethnicity, income, healthcare access, etc.
✅ Suggests microplastics as a potential new risk factor in chronic disease burden.
📝 Prelims Question:
Which of the following diseases has NOT been associated with microplastic exposure in recent studies?
A. Type-2 Diabetes
B. Coronary Artery Disease
C. Stroke
D. Asthma
Answer: D
📝 Mains Question (GS3 – Environment/Health):
#GS3 #Environment #Microplastics #PublicHealth #Diabetes #Prelims2025 #Mains2025
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Every year, the shores of Costa Rica host the largest sea turtle gathering on Earth, an extraordinary event known as an arribada (Spanish for "arrival").
#prelims #environment
#prelims #environment
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