Researchers have discovered the world’s first hybrid sharks in Australian waters, indicating that animals are adapting to climate change for survival.

Leading researchers in marine biology have come across 57 animals along a 2,000-km stretch from Queensland to New South Wales which they believe are the result of cross-breeding between the common blacktip shark and Australian blacktip shark, two related but genetically distinct species.

The inter-breeding between the two species shows that the animals are adapting to climate change and the hybridisation can make the fishes stronger, the scientists said.

“Hybridisation can enable sharks to adapt to ecological change as the smaller Australian blacktip currently favours tropical waters in the north while the larger common blacktip is more abundant in sub-tropical and temperate waters along the south-eastern Australian coastline,” Jennifer Ovenden of Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries was quoted as saying by the Herald Sun.

“Wild hybrids are usually hard to find, so detecting them and their offspring is extraordinary. To find 57 hybrids along 2000-km of coastline is unprecedented,” she said.

Another researcher at the University of Queensland researcher, Jess Morgan, said it was unusual for sharks to breed in such a way.

She said as sharks physically mate, it makes sure they do not hybridise with the wrong species.

The find was made during cataloguing work off Australia’s east coast when genetic testing showed certain sharks to be one species when physically they looked to be another.

Colin Simpfendorfer of James Cook University’s Fishing and Fisheries Research Centre, said the results of this research show that we still have a lot to learn about these important ocean predators.

The island nation of Kirabati has become the first to declare that its territory has become uninhabitable due to global warming. They have asked for help to evacuate the population.

NASA’s Launch Schedule features the planned dates and details for missions by NASA and the partner nations in the International Space Station Program, including Russia, European Space Agency and Japan. To learn more about how the schedule is arranged and what it includes, check out Launch Schedule 101.

2011 Launches

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Date: Oct. 25
Mission: NPP
Launch Vehicle: Delta II
Launch Site: Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
Launch Pad: Space Launch Complex 2W
Launch Window: 2:48:01 a.m. – 2:57:11 a.m. PDT / 5:48:01 a.m. – 5:57:11 a.m. EDT
Description: The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project (NPP) mission for NASA and NOAA is to measure Earth’s atmospheric and sea surface temperatures, humidity sounding, land and ocean biological activity and cloud and aerosol properties.

Date: Oct. 30
Assembly Flight: 45P
Mission: ISS Progress 45
Launch Vehicle: Russian Soyuz Rocket
Launch Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Description: International Space Station resupply.

Date: Nov. 14
Assembly Flight: 28S
Mission: Expedition 29/30
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz TMA-22
Launch Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Description: Soyuz TMA-22 will carry three Expedition 29/30 crew members to the International Space Station.

Date: Nov. 25 *
Mission: Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity Rover
Launch Vehicle: Atlas V
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Pad: Space Launch Complex 41
Launch Time: 10:21 a.m. EST
Description: The Mars Science Laboratory is a rover that will assess whether Mars ever was, or is still today, an environment able to support microbial life and to determine the planet’s habitability.

Date: Nov. 30 *
Mission: SpaceX
Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9/Dragon
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Pad: Space Launch Complex 40
Description: NASA is working with SpaceX to combine its last two demonstration flights. If approved, the Falcon 9 rocket would launch the Dragon capsule to the International Space Station for a docking.

Date: Dec. 26 +
Assembly Flight: 29S
Mission: Expedition 30/31
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz TMA-03M
Launch Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Description: Soyuz TMA-03M will carry three Expedition 30/31 crew members to the International Space Station.

Date: December +
Mission: Orbital Sciences Corporation
Launch Vehicle: Taurus II
Launch Site: Wallops Flight Facility
Launch Pad: 0A
Description: The Taurus II is scheduled for a test flight under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services agreement with the company.

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2012 Launches

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Date: February +
Mission: Orbital Sciences Corporation
Launch Vehicle: Cygnus/Taurus II
Launch Site: Wallops Flight Facility
Launch Pad: 0A
Description: The Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled for a demonstration flight on an Orbital Taurus II launch vehicle under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services agreement with the company.

Date: Feb. 3
Mission: NuSTAR
Launch Vehicle: Pegasus XL
Launch Site: Kwajalein Atoll
Description: The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) is an Explorer mission that will allow astronomers to study the universe in high energy X-rays.

Date: March +
Assembly Flight: 30S
Mission: Expedition 31/32
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz TMA-04M
Launch Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Description: Soyuz TMA-04M will carry three Expedition 31/32 crew members to the International Space Station.

Date: May +
Assembly Flight: 3R
Mission: Multipurpose Laboratory Module with European Robotic Arm (ERA)
Launch Vehicle: Russian Proton
Launch Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Description: A Russian Proton rocket will deliver the Multipurpose Laboratory Module with European Robotic Arm (ERA) to the International Space Station.

Date: May +
Assembly Flight: 31S
Mission: Expedition 32/33
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz TMA-05M
Launch Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Description: Soyuz TMA-05M will carry three Expedition 32/33 crew members to the International Space Station.

Date: June
Mission: Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-K (TDRS-K)
Launch Vehicle: Atlas V
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Pad: Space Launch Complex 41
Description: The TDRS-K spacecraft is part of the next-generation series in the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, a constellation of space-based communication satellites providing tracking, telemetry, command and high-bandwidth data return services.

Date: Aug. 23 *
Mission: RBSP
Launch Vehicle: Atlas V-401
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Launch Pad: Space Launch Complex 41
Description: The Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission will help us understand the Sun’s influence on Earth and Near-Earth space by studying the Earth’s radiation belts on various scales of space and time.

Date: October +
Assembly Flight: 32S
Mission: Expedition 33/34
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz TMA-06M
Launch Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Description: Soyuz TMA-06M will carry three Expedition 33/34 crew members to the International Space Station.

Date: November +
Assembly Flight: 33S
Mission: Expedition 34/35
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz TMA-07M
Launch Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Description: Soyuz TMA-07M will carry three Expedition 34/35 crew members to the International Space Station.

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2013 Launches

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Date: March +
Assembly Flight: 34S
Mission: Expedition 35/36
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz TMA-08M
Launch Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Description: Soyuz TMA-08M will carry three Expedition 35/36 crew members to the International Space Station.

Date: May +
Assembly Flight: 35S
Mission: Expedition 36/37
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz TMA-09M
Launch Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Description:Soyuz TMA-09M will carry three Expedition 36/37 crew members to the International Space Station.

Date: September +
Assembly Flight: 36S
Mission: Expedition 37/38
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz TMA-10M
Launch Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Description: Soyuz TMA-10M will carry three Expedition 37/38 crew members to the International Space Station.

Date: November +
Assembly Flight: 37S
Mission: Expedition 38/39
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz TMA-11M
Launch Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Description: Soyuz TMA-11M will carry three Expedition 38/39 crew members to the International Space Station.

National Green Tribunal (NGT) is a judicial body constituted to try all matters related to environmental issues. The Tribunal is headed by Justice L.S. Panta. The first sitting of NGT was held on July 4, 2011.

Every year September 16^th is celebrated as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. Since 1995, this date has been designated by the United Nations General Assembly to commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. This commemoration around the world offers an opportunity to focus attention and action at the global, regional and national levels on the protection of the ozone layer. The theme for this year’s celebrations is “HCFC phase out- a unique opportunity.”

What is Ozone Layer?

The Ozone Layer describes the protective layer of naturally occurring gas, comprised of three atoms of oxygen found about 10-50 km above the earth’s surface that protects us from the harmful ultraviolet radiation or UV-B rays of sun. Scientist in the 1970’s discovered that the layer was thinning as a result of the release of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s), consequently, the Ozone Hole developed. In 1985, nations around the world convened at Vienna in an attempt to develop a framework for co-operative activities to protect the Ozone layer. This signed agreement became known as the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer.

The UNEP is monitoring compliance with the programmes of the international treaties aimed at eliminating the projection and use of ozone-depleting substances, including (CFCs), used as industrial refrigerants and in aerosols, and the pesticide methyl bromide.

Specifically, developing countries need to focus on eliminating the use of methyl bromide as an agricultural pesticide and they must halt illegal trade in CFCs.More than 130,000 new cases of melanoma are reported around the world and some 66,000 people die from skin cancer every year.

June 17 – World Day to Combat Desertification

Approximately one third of the Earth is arid or semi-arid. With the modern problem of global warming, it is predicted that in the next century the areas of desert climates will increase and every year more and more arid land will become unproductive.

On the 17 June 1994, the United Nations proclaimed World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. There was acknowledgment that desertification and drought affect all regions of the world and that international co-operation should be enlisted to combat the problem which is especially evident in Africa. The purpose of this day is to promote awareness of the implications of desertification and land degradation as well as the problem of drought and the need for international cooperation to contend with these problems.

The Global theme of this year’s is ‘Forests: Nature at Your Service’ .India is beeing the global host of World Environment Day 2011

Name of Continents   Area (Sq. Km.)
Asia    41667920
Africa    29800540
North America    24320000
South America    17599050
Antarctica    14245000
Europe    9699550
Australia    7687120

A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by water but connected to mainland via an isthmus.

Here are the major Peninsulas name and the size of the World:
Peninsulas     Area (Sq. Km.)
Arabia     32,50,000
Southern India     20,72,000
Alaska     15,00,000
Labrador     13,00,000
Scandinavia     8,00,000
Iberian     584,000

Green jobs are either:
A. Jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit the
environment or conserve natural resources.

B. Jobs in which workers’ duties involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources.
A. Jobs in businesses that produce goods and provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources. These goods and services are sold to customers, and include research and development, installation, and maintenance services. This definition will be used in the BLS survey of establishments in industries that produce green goods and services.

Green goods and services fall into one or more of five groups:
1. Energy from renewable sources. Electricity, heat, or fuel generated from renewable sources. These energy sources include wind, biomass, geothermal, solar, ocean, hydropower, landfill gas, and municipal solid waste.
2. Energy efficiency. Products and services that improve energy efficiency. Included in this group are energy-efficient equipment, appliances, buildings, and vehicles, as well as products and services that improve the energy efficiency of buildings and the efficiency of energy storage and
distribution, such as Smart Grid technologies.
3. Pollution reduction and removal, greenhouse gas reduction, and recycling and reuse.

These are products and services that:
•  Reduce or eliminate the creation or release of pollutants or toxic compounds, or remove pollutants or hazardous waste from the environment.
•  Reduce greenhouse gas emissions through methods other than renewable energy generation and energy efficiency, such as electricity generated from nuclear sources.
•  Reduce or eliminate the creation of waste materials; collect, reuse, remanufacture, recycle, or compost waste materials or wastewater.
4. Natural resources conservation. Products and services that conserve natural resources. Included in this group are products and services related to organic agriculture and sustainable forestry; land management; soil, water, or wildlife conservation; and stormwater management.

5. Environmental compliance, education and training, and public awareness.

These are products and services that:
•  Enforce environmental regulations.
•  Provide education and training related to green technologies and practices.
•  Increase public awareness of environmental issues.

B. Jobs in which workers’ duties involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources.

These workers research, develop, maintain, or use technologies and practices to lessen the environmental impact of their establishment, or train the establishment’s workers or contractors in these technologies and practices. This definition will across all industries to identify jobs related to green technologies and practices used within the establishment.

These technologies and practices fall into one or more of four groups:

1. Energy from renewable sources. Generating electricity, heat, or fuel from renewable sources primarily for use within the establishment. These energy sources include wind, biomass, geothermal, solar, ocean, hydropower, landfill gas, and municipal solid waste.

2. Energy efficiency. Using technologies and practices to improve energy efficiency within the establishment. Included in this group is cogeneration (combined heat and power).
3. Pollution reduction and removal, greenhouse gas reduction, and recycling and reuse. Using technologies and practices within the establishment to:
•  Reduce or eliminate the creation or release of pollutants or toxic compounds, or remove pollutants or hazardous waste from the environment.
•  Reduce greenhouse gas emissions through methods other than renewable energy generation and energy efficiency.
•  Reduce or eliminate the creation of waste materials; collect, reuse, remanufacture, recycle, or compost waste materials or wastewater.

4. Natural resources conservation. Using technologies and practices within the establishment to conserve natural resources. Included in this group are technologies andpractices related to  organic agriculture and sustainable forestry; land management; soil, water, or wildlife conservation; and stormwater management

Information Courtesy: http://www.bls.gov

SarkarJobs.com and Government Jobs

If you are looking for job in  Government /Public Sector Companies/Banks ,then start  reading SarkarJobs.com -the India’s Most Reading Job Portal exclusively for  Government Jobs  and Public Sector Jobs.

www.SarkarJobs.com

JobsKut.com and Private Sector Jobs

If you are looking for  High Paying Executive Jobs like Sales/Marketing/IT Sector Jobs,then start  reading JobsKut.com -the India’s Most Reading Job Portal exclusively for  Private  Sector  !.

JobsKut.com

Jobs in Multi National Companies

If you are looking for a  Job in Multi National Companies,then

Upload your CV on Monster, Get shortlisted in Top Companies!

National Green Tribunal (NGT) Act 2010

The Union Government is to set up a National Green Tribunal for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection, conservation of forests and other natural resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief and compensation for damages.