Clouds and aerosol particles have bedevilled climate modellers for decades. Now researchers are starting to gain the upper hand.

Human activities are releasing tiny particles (aerosols) into the atmosphere. These human-made aerosols enhance scattering and absorption of solar radiation. They also produce brighter clouds that are less efficient at releasing precipitation. These in turn lead to large reductions in the amount of solar irradiance reaching Earth's surface, a corresponding increase in solar heating of the atmosphere, changes in the atmospheric temperature structure, suppression of rainfall, and less efficient removal of pollutants.

Producer gas generated in partial combustion of biomass in the gasifier can be used for heating purposes as also as a supplementary or sole fuel in internal combustion engines. In the present study, producer gas generated from partial combustion of rice husk was used as the fuel for the CI engine.

Power producers demand higher benchmark prices for cost components. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) recently went public with its proposed terms and conditions for determining electricity tariffs to be paid to renewable energy power producers. A public hearing on the draft regulations was held in December last where stakeholders submitted their objections and suggestions. The regulations, which will replace the regulations that expire this year, will be valid for the next five years, starting April 1.

India has abundant bioenergy resources and although the segment has made progress in the past few years, less than 10 per cent of the total potential has been achieved so far. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) expects the launch of the long awaited National Bioenergy Mission (NBEM) to provide a platform for achieving this potential by providing an enabling environment for large-scale biomass-based capacity addition during the Twelfth and Thirteenth plan periods.

The previously increasing atmospheric methane concentration has inexplicably stalled over the past three decades. This may be due to a fall in fossil-fuel emissions or to farming practices that are curtailing microbial sources.