- Taurid meteor shower: The Taurid meteors are debris from the periodic Comet 2P/Encke, which has the shortest known orbital period for a comet (it takes only 3.3 years to make one complete trip around the sun).These showers are named after the constellation Taurus. It is unique in that it comprises two distinct streams (i.e., Southern and Northern Taurids), both of which have spread over time due to the gravitational influence of Jupiter. It can be seen with the naked eye and is best viewed at around midnight. These are modest, offering fewer than 10 shooting stars per hour on peak nights. However, November is one of the better months for shooting stars because there are many sporadic meteors.
- National Efficient Cooking Programme: Recently, the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) launched its groundbreaking National Efficient Cooking Programme (NECP) and Energy Efficient Fans Programme (EEFP). It is a subset of the Clean Cooking Scheme. It focuses on Non-Solar/Electricity-based Induction Cookstoves, aligning with the Go- electric initiative by the Ministry of Power. This programme introduces induction-based cookstoves. The target is to deploy 20 Lakh Induction cook-stoves across India. EESL seeks to reduce the environmental impact of cooking methods, ensuring cleaner air and improved health for citizens. EESL has also partnered with Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) for the large-scale deployment of induction cooktops. The deployment is expected to accelerate the acceptance and large-scale adoption of modern electric cooking devices in Indian kitchens. It offers a cost advantage of 25-30% over traditional cooking methods, promising both energy savings and cost-effective cooking solutions.
- Adaptation Gap Report: According to the Adaptation Gap Report, the money being made available to developing countries for adaptation measures has been declining and is nowhere near the scale of requirement. It has been published annually by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) since. The aim of the reports is to inform national and international efforts to advance adaptation. It provides an update on the global status and progress of the adaptation process across three elements: planning, financing, and implementation. It complements the Emissions Gap Report series and explores the implications of failing to close the emissions gap. It is co-produced by the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre (UNEP-CCC) and the World Adaptation Science Programme (WASP).
Key findings: It is estimated that adaptation costs will increase significantly by 2050 for most sectors, especially under high-warming scenarios.
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- The adaptation finance needs are 10-18 times as high as the current international public adaptation fund flows.
- The world countries must urgently cut greenhouse gas emissions and increase adaptation efforts to protect vulnerable populations.
- In 2021, funding from developed countries to developing countries for adaptation projects was 15% lower than in previous years.
- It identifies seven ways to bridge the adaptation gap, which include an increase in international finance flows and greater domestic mobilisation of resources.
- Also, it calls for a reform of the global financial architecture to ensure greater and easier access to finance for climate-related purposes from multilateral agencies such as the World Bank or the IMF.
