Tag: science & technology

As of the time this question was written, the United States was the only major industrialized nation that had not ratified the Kyoto Protocol. The US withdrew from the protocol under the Bush administration. Australia, Japan, and India had all approved the agreement.

The first United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP1) was held in Berlin, Germany in 1995. This established the ongoing pattern of annual COP meetings. The conference focused on implementing the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The 2009 Copenhagen climate summit (COP15) was attended by 192 countries. This represented nearly worldwide participation in climate negotiations. The number includes UN member states and observer organizations.

The greenhouse effect is the process by which certain gases trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, causing global warming. Gases like CO2 and methane act like glass in a greenhouse, letting sunlight in but preventing heat from escaping. There is no scientific concept called 'White House', 'Blue House', or 'Red House' effect.

Nepal's cabinet held a meeting at Everest Base Camp on December 4, 2009 to highlight climate change impacts on Himalayan glaciers. Mt. Everest is the world's highest peak and Nepal's most iconic mountain. K2 is in Pakistan, Kangchenjunga is on the India-Nepal border, and Nanda Devi is in India.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are synthetic chemicals that both deplete the ozone layer and contribute to global warming as potent greenhouse gases. They were used in refrigerants and aerosols before being phased out by the Montreal Protocol. Nitrogen dioxide and ammonia do not have this dual impact.

The 2010 Ayodhya verdict was a three-part judgment by the Allahabad High Court. It divided the disputed land into three parts: one for the Sunni Waqf Board, one for the Nirmohi Akhara, and one for the party representing Ram Lala. This complex partition aimed to address competing claims.

Microsoft developed Worldwide Telescope, a software program that enables users to explore the universe through astronomical imagery and data from telescopes worldwide. Google has Google Earth/Google Sky for earth and sky mapping, IBM is primarily an enterprise technology company, and Oracle focuses on database software and cloud services.

Air India used 'Your Place in the Sky' as its official slogan. Air Sahara (later JetLite) had 'Emotionally Yours', Air Deccan was a low-cost carrier with different branding, and IndiGo uses 'Go Indigo' as its slogan.