5th July 2022
Mains Question:
Q1. The world is in the middle of an “ocean emergency”. In the light of this statement, discuss measures required to protect oceans at the national and international levels. (150 words)
Approach
- Introduction- Briefly discuss oceans and significance for the world
- Challenges faced by the world ( coastal erosion, rising sea levels, warmer and more acidic waters, marine pollution, overexploitation of fish stocks and decrease of marine biodiversity)
- International regulation
- Required measures
- Conclude accordingly
Editorials
Context
On June 23, the U.K. hosted the fourth summit for Space Sustainability in London in collaboration with the Secure World Foundation and a new ‘Plan for Space Sustainability’ was announced.
What does sustainability in outer space mean?
- Orbital crowding - One of the hot issues when it comes to space sustainability is orbital crowding. It poses a direct threat to the operations and safety of a mission and is likely to cause legal and insurance related confl
- Space Debris- Space debris is another prominent issue. After the completion of a mission, an ‘endoflife protocol’ requires space objects to be moved to the graveyard orbit or to a low altitude. Neither of the options are sustainable in the long run.
- Space research and development of technology - Longterm sustainability looks toward space research and development of technology to ensure the reuse and recycling of satellites at every stage.
What does the U.K. plan for space sustainability entail?
- “Astro Carta” for space sustainability - The U.K. calls for an “Astro Carta” for space sustainability, based on the Artemis Accords model for sustainable space exploration.
- Primary elements -The U.K. Space Sustainability plan mentions four primary elements: to review the regulatory framework of the U.K.’s orbital activity; to work with organisations such as the G7 and the UN to emphasise international engagement on space sustainability; to try and develop safety and qualityrelated metrics that quantify the sustainability of activities; and, to induce additional funding of $6.1 million on active debris removal.
- Investment in collision assessment services - The U.K. also confirmed investments in its National Space Surveillance and Tracking Programme, which works on collision assessment services for U.K.licenced satellite operators.
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