MANGROVES NOT BIOSHIELDS: Coastal forests such as mangroves cannot protect communities from tsunamis, claims a new study to be published by the United Nations Environment Programme. Researchers from ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University, Australia, analyzed the pattern of damage that occurred during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and said there was no compelling evidence that coastal forests could act as 'bioshields' against tsunamis or cyclone storm surges.
CLEAN ENERGY OPTIONS: Wind power is the best option and ethanol the most undesirable source of energy for batteries, a new study said. The study, published online in Journal of Energy and Environmental Science, was carried out to rank future energy sources according to the repercussions of their use. Power was harnessed from different energy sources to run new-technology vehicles. Criteria like direct impact on global warming and air and water pollution were used to rank the energy sources.
The study conducted by Mark Jacobson, director of Atmosphere/ Energy programme at Stanford University found that ethanol caused maximum damage to climate.
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