Satellite data show potential of rice straw as bioenergy

Milap Punia from the Center for the Study of Regional Development at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Vinod Prasad Nautiya and Yogesh Kant, both from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, first sketch the scale and seriousness of the current practise: setting fire to millions of tonnes of crop residues releases vast amounts of greenhouse and trace gases (CH4, CO, N2O, NOx), which heavily contribute to global warming and result in perturbations to regional atmospheric chemistry. The resulting air pollution is an important health hazard for Punjab's population. Weather patterns can change because of the aerosols that enter the atmosphere as a result of the burning.
Reference Report

Workshop on Openstreetmap

There is need for spatial data sharing to avoid duplication, both gloabaly and locally. With same outreach openstreetmap has been put on web. On 27th february 2008 a small workshop was organised in JNU, where Mikel Maron demonstrated NavSat GPS for collecting points from the neigbourhood to CSRD students.

GIScience for Spatial Analysis and Regional Development

Workshop conducted (31st January- 7th February 2008) for research scholars and university faculties, so that they can have insight into societal challenges by using GIscience. About 28 scholars participated in the programme. Guest speakers were Prof. Josef Strobl and Dr. Shahnawaz from Salzburg University, Austria and Dr. M.C. Porwal from IIRS (NRSA), Dehradun.

GHG Observations from Space

From next summer, green house effect will be monitored through satellite-Green House Gases Observation satellite (GOSAT) - will be launched by Japan to monitor the region wise emission of carbon dioxide and methane.( Text from HT, December 24, 2007 edited by Fujino, NIES)