Nauru, a small island nation in the Pacific, is selling citizenships to raise funds for climate adaptation.
The initiative aims to relocate 10,000 residents from vulnerable coastal areas.
Citizenship costs at least $140,500, offering visa-free travel to countries like the UK, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Nauru’s plan involves developing a new township, farms, and workplaces on reclaimed land in the island’s interior.
Proceeds will help fund the “Higher Ground Initiative,” a project to combat rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
The initiative follows similar efforts by Dominica.
Nauru’s phosphate mining has left much of the island uninhabitable.
Previous citizenship programs faced criticism for potential misuse by criminals.
Nauru is taking precautions to avoid past vulnerabilities.
The country forecasts raising about $68 million annually from the program.
The initiative faces funding challenges due to the significant adaptation financing gap globally.
Nauru’s extreme flooding is predicted to worsen due to rising sea levels.
NDSA: Dam Safety First
The Supreme Court directed a supervisory committee, chaired by the NDSA head, to address Tamil Nadu’s concerns about Mullaperiyar dam maintenance against Kerala.
The committee must find a solution acceptable to both states and report back to the court within four weeks.
The committee needs to meet all stakeholders within a week and address the issues raised.
Tamil Nadu accuses Kerala of obstructing dam maintenance, citing delays in permissions for materials and machinery, and even routine maintenance like painting and repairs.
Kerala is denying permission for essential strengthening works, citing forest and wildlife clearances, according to Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu wants the committee to direct Kerala to allow strengthening works, grouting, and tree removal.
A previous Kerala proposal to decommission and rebuild the dam was rejected.
The NDSA, a statutory body under the National Dam Safety Act, 2021, oversees and regulates dam safety.
The body formulates policies and guidelines for dam construction, maintenance, and operation.
NDSA has the power to resolve disputes between state dam safety organizations or between organizations and dam owners.
The NDSA promotes dam safety awareness programs and ensures emergency response plans are in place.
Evo 2 AI
Evo 2, a powerful AI system for genetic research, was created by Nvidia, Arc Institute, and Stanford University.
It’s the largest publicly available AI model for genomic data, trained on nearly 9 trillion nucleotides from over 128,000 organisms.
Evo 2 was built on the NVIDIA DGX Cloud platform using 2,000 Nvidia H100 processors on Amazon’s cloud
The system accurately identified 90% of potentially harmful mutations in the BRCA1 gene.
Evo 2 can be used for various biomolecular research applications, including predicting protein function, identifying new molecules, and evaluating gene mutation effects.
Applications include healthcare, agricultural biotechnology, and materials science.
Evo 2 is freely available through Nvidia’s BioNeMo platform.
The technology promises to accelerate biological research, making biological design more accessible and efficient.
Cellulose Bacteria
Bacterial cellulose, a natural polymer produced by bacteria, is a potential plant wound-healing material.
It significantly improves plant wound healing and regeneration, with over 80% of treated wounds healing in a week compared to less than 20% of untreated wounds.
Bacterial cellulose is a sustainable alternative to chemical treatments for plant injuries.
It promotes healthier plant growth, potentially increasing crop yields and resilience.
The material aligns with eco-friendly agricultural practices.
It may also enhance vegetative propagation (growing new plants from cuttings) and be used in agriculture for grafting, preserving cut plant material, or as a growth medium.
Bacterial cellulose is composed of hundreds to thousands of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.
It’s the main substance in plant cell walls, providing stiffness.
Humans cannot digest it, but it’s a dietary fiber.
Its use in human medicine, often for wound healing, suggests potential for agricultural applications.
Bacterial cellulose possesses various beneficial properties such as elasticity, bacterial inhibition, vapor permeability, and low cost for wound healing.
Its physicochemical and mechanical properties, water absorption capacity, non-toxicity, and chemical inertness make it suitable for various applications.
The cellulose from plants and bacteria has the same molecular formula (C6H10O5)n.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recently reported concerning river water quality at Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh Mela.
CPCB is a statutory organization under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and also has powers under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
It provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Principal functions include preventing and controlling water and air pollution.
CPCB advises the central government on pollution control and coordinates with state pollution boards.
CPCB delegates powers to regional administrations in Union Territories.
CPCB develops environmental standards, industrial documents, and guidelines.
It sets standards for streams, wells, air quality, sewage treatment, and industrial emissions.
CPCB develops Minimal National Standards (MINAS) for industries, which states must adopt.
CPCB’s head office is in New Delhi.
CPCB operates under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Mishing
The Mishing tribe, one of Assam’s largest, celebrated Ali Ai Ligang, their sowing festival.
They are an indigenous tribe from Northeast India, part of the Tani people, speaking Tibeto-Burman languages.
They live in parts of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and historically South Tibet.
Tibetans call them “Lhobhas,” meaning “southerners.”
The 2011 census counted 680,424 Mishings in Assam.
Their lives are closely tied to rivers, making them the only riparian tribe in Northeast India.
Culture revolves around agriculture and fishing, originally using the jhum (slash-and-burn) method.
They now primarily practice wet paddy cultivation.
Ali Ai Ligang, their main festival, celebrates sowing, with “Ali” meaning edible root, “Aye” meaning seed, and “Ligang” meaning sowing festival.
Their religion is centered around worshiping the Sun and Moon (Do-nyi-Po:lo).
The Mishing language is a Tibeto-Burman language.
OPEC+ Alliance
OPEC+ is a group of 22 oil-exporting countries, including 12 OPEC members and 10 others, coordinating crude oil production for market stability.
Brazil has joined OPEC+, aiming to leverage its oil production for economic growth.
Brazil’s membership in OPEC+ comes despite its upcoming COP30 hosting duties focused on reducing fossil fuels.
Brazil will not be bound by production limits.
Brazil is the world’s 7th largest oil producer, with oil now exceeding soy as its top export.
OPEC+ was formed in late 2016 to establish cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC producers.
OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) was established in 1960 with five founding members.
The USA is not part of OPEC because it’s a net oil importer.
Orcas
Over 150 false killer whales stranded on a Tasmanian beach.
136 whales still alive, but rescue efforts complicated by remoteness and ocean conditions.
Local resident discovered the stranded whales.
Experts and veterinarians are at the scene.
Authorities haven’t requested public help yet.
Previous mass stranding events have occurred in the area.
Reasons for the beachings are unknown, potential causes include disorientation, illness, old age, injury, predators, and weather.
Killer whales are the largest member of the Delphinidae family (dolphins), found globally.
They use sound for feeding, communication, and navigation, are highly social in pods, and are recognizable by their black and white bodies.
Unihemispheric sleep is a unique sleep method where only one brain hemisphere sleeps at a time.
Some types prey on other whales, hence the name “killer whale.”
They’re apex predators using coordinated hunting strategies.
Vertical Mixer
ISRO develops world’s largest vertical propellant mixer (10 tonnes): This mixer is crucial for solid rocket motor production.
Collaboration with CMTI: Satish Dhawan Space Centre and Central Manufacturing Technology Institute collaborated on the project.
High capacity and precision mixing: The mixer ensures consistent quality and performance in mixing propellant ingredients.
Safety and reliability: Designed to handle hazardous materials safely.
Large scale: The mixer weighs 150 tonnes and measures 5.4m (L) × 3.3m (B) × 8.7m (H).
Advanced technology: Hydrostatic-driven agitators with PLC-based control systems and SCADA stations are used.
Improved productivity and quality: The mixer will enhance efficiency in heavy solid motor production.
Self-reliance in space sector: This development is part of India’s push for self-reliance in space technology.
Critical for India’s spaceflight capabilities: The mixer is expected to significantly advance India’s space program.
Formal handover: The mixer was formally handed over on February 13, 2024.
Fusion Power
Record-breaking fusion: The WEST Tokamak reactor in France sustained a plasma for over 22 minutes, a significant milestone.
Nuclear fusion process: Two light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier one, releasing vast energy. This occurs because the combined mass of the products is less than the original masses.
Plasma state: Fusion reactions happen in plasma, a hot, charged gas of ions and electrons.
Stellar power: The sun and stars utilize nuclear fusion.
Tokamaks (artificial suns): These doughnut-shaped devices are used to replicate fusion on Earth. Over 200 exist globally.
ITER project: The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is the world’s largest fusion experiment, currently under construction.
Energy generation potential: Commercial fusion reactors could heat water, create steam, and spin turbines to generate electricity.
Deuterium-tritium fusion: This type of fusion is a focus for researchers, releasing high energy levels.
Fusion vs. fission: Fusion produces significantly more energy per unit of fuel than fission, used in current nuclear power plants.
Clean energy: Fusion doesn’t produce radioactive waste or harmful emissions, only helium and neutrons.
Abundant fuel: Fusion fuel (heavy hydrogen) is readily available in seawater.
