The Hindu Editorial (Green washing) – Jul 12, 2023

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The Hindu Editorial (Green washing) – Jul 12, 2023:

greenwashing (noun) – the misleading claim/act of companies/organisations that their products and services are environmentally friendly & energy-efficient without providing enough evidence.
green (adjective) – environmentally friendly, ecologically sound, energy-efficient, clean.
Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 (noun) – Generally speaking, the Bill exempts certain types of forest land from the protection afforded by the Act. It also expands the list of activities that can be carried out on forest land. This Bill seeks to amend the pivotal 1980 law which was enacted to ensure that India’s forest land is not wantonly usurped for non-forestry purposes.
Bill (noun) – A Bill is a draft statute that becomes law after it is passed. All legislative proposals are brought before Parliament in the forms of Bills (or) draft statute/law, proposed legislation, proposal (presented to parliament/congress/council for discussion).
back (verb) – support, endorse, sanction, uphold, approve, advocate, champion.
deliberate (verb) – think about, consider, discuss, contemplate, ponder.
House committees (noun) – The parliamentary (standing & select) committees; They do close examination and investigation of government policies, actions and spending.
Parliamentary Standing Committee/Parliamentary panel (noun) – it is a committee (consisting of Members of Parliament) constituted usually on an annual basis to enable detailed consideration/discussion on all bills (all proposed laws).
Parliamentary select committee (noun) – ‘parliamentary select committee’ can be formed for a specific purpose, for instance, to deliberate on a particular bill. Once the Bill is disposed of, that select committee ceases to exist.
joint parliamentary committee (noun) – ad hoc (temporary) Committees appointed for a specific purpose (to examine irregularities and aberrations, if any, and the consequences therefore in the implementation of Government decisions and policy prescriptions) and they (JPCs) cease to exist when they finish the task assigned to them and submit a report.
contentious (adjective) – controversial, disputable, debatable.
legislation (noun) – body of laws, acts, rules, regulations, statutes.
industrialisation (noun) – the extensive development of industries in a region, country, culture, etc.
inevitably (adverb) – unavoidably, certainly, definitely.
usurp (verb) – seize something by force (or without legal right); take over, expropriate, appropriate, commandeer, wrest, grab, claim, steal
tract (noun) – area, region, stretch, swathe, territory, piece of land, parcel of land.
ecosystem (noun) – complex situation/environment.
The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (noun) – it was enacted to provide for the conservation of forests and for matters connected therewith or ancillary or incidental thereto. It provides that prior permission of the Central Government is required for de-reservation of forest land, use of forest land for non-forest purposes, assigning of forest land by way of lease to private entities and for clearing of naturally grown trees for the purpose of reafforestation.
mantelpiece (noun) – hood or shelf like framework/projection/structure that surrounds the opening of a fireplace (chimney or furnace).
empower (verb) – authorize, permit, allow.
the state (noun) – the government.
regulate (verb) – control, manage, direct, guide, govern, administer.
impose (verb) – levy, charge, apply, enforce.
exploitation (noun) – misuse, utilization, manipulation, cashing in on, taking advantage.
landmark (noun as modifier) – milestone, watershed, historic event, major achievement.
T.N. Godavarman Thirumalpad case (1996) (noun) – In 1995, T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad filed a writ petition with the Supreme Court of India to protect the Nilgiris forest land from deforestation by illegal timber operations. The Supreme Court issued detailed directions for the sustainable use of forests and created its own monitoring and implementation system through regional and state level communities, regulating the felling, use and movement of timber across the country in the hope of preserving the nation’s forest. The Court examined in detail all the aspect of the National Forest Policy, the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, which was enacted with a view to check further deforestation. It emphasised that the word ‘forest’ must be understood according to its dictionary meaning of the term irrespective of the nature of ownership and classification thereof.
among other things (phrase) – used to indicate that there are several more things like the one mentioned, but that you do not intend to mention them all.
broaden (verb) – widen, increase, enlarge.
marginal (adjective) – slight, small, minute, negligible.
forest cover (noun) – ‘Forest cover’, in India, refers to land greater than one hectare in size where the tree canopy density is greater than 10%.
biennial (adjective) – taking place/happening every two years.
India State of Forest Report (ISFR) (noun) – India State of Forest Report (ISFR) is a biennial publication of Forest Survey of India (FSI) an organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
illustrate (verb) – show, display, demonstrate, represent, exemplify.
stagnant (adjective) – inactive, slow, dull, sluggish, lethargic.
at best (phrase) – only, simply, but, nothing but.
incremental (adjective) – gradual, step-by-step, phased.
orchard (noun) – an enclosed place where fruit trees are grown.
homestead (noun) – home, place of residence.
on the rise (phrase) – increasing, becoming higher/greater (in number, amount, value, etc.).
supplement (verb) – complement, augment, enhance, accompany.
claim (noun) – assertion, profession, affirmation, declaration.
carbon sink (noun) – also known as carbon sequestration; a natural environment (forest or reservoir) which absorbs and stores carbon (greenhouse gases) from the atmosphere and thereby maintain a balance. (carbon sequestration is the process by which the forest removes and stores carbon from the atmosphere).
reckoning (noun) – judgement, calculation, estimation, consideration, evaluation, opinion/view, way of thinking.
for that end (phrase) – for that reason; with that goal.
incentivise (verb) – encourage, motivate, galvanize.
incentive (noun) – stimulus, boost, encouragement, impetus.
invoke (verb) – cite, refer to, bring forth, turn to, resort to.
provision (noun) – term, clause, requirement, specification, stipulation.
forestry (noun) – the science or skill of growing and taking care of trees in forests; forest management, forest planting, tree growing/forestation, afforestation.
effectively (adverb) – practically, actually, in effect, virtually, more or less.
unclassified forest (noun) – an area recorded as forest but not included in reserved or protected forest category. Ownership status of such forests varies from state to state.
protected Forest (noun) – an area notified under the provisions of India Forest Act or the State Forest Acts having limited degree of protection. In Protected Forests all activities are permitted unless prohibited.
reserved Forest (noun) – an area notified under the provisions of India Forest Act or the State Forest Acts having full degree of protection. In Reserved Forests all activities are prohibited unless permitted.
appropriate (verb) – seize something (e.g. a position of power) by force (or without legal right); take over, expropriate, usurp, commandeer, wrest, grab, claim, steal
strategic (adjective) – relating to achieving long-term military advantage or overall goals.
afforestation (noun) – the effort to plant trees in barren (unproductive) lands so as to create a forest.
end (noun) – purpose, goal, intention, motive, desire.
statutory (adjective) – legal, legitimate, constitutional.
privilege (noun) – prerogative, right, liberty, benefit, advantage.
the way forward (phrase) – something (a plan/action) that leads to success in the future.
groom (verb) – prepare, arrange.
in theory (phrase) – in principle, on paper, hypothetically.
carbon stock (noun) – it is the amount of carbon that has been sequestered from the atmosphere and is now stored within the forest ecosystem, mainly within living biomass and soil, and to a lesser extent also in dead wood and litter. (‘sequester’ means isolate, separate, segregate, withdraw, remove).
ishful (adjective) – based on impractical desires instead of facts.
wishful thinking (noun) – utopianism, idealism, daydreaming, mistaken belief, illusion, fantasy, chimera.
given (preposition) – considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.
carbon credit (noun) – a tradable permit or certificate that provides the holder of the credit the right to emit one ton of carbon dioxide or an equivalent of another greenhouse gas.
necessitate (verb) – make necessary, require, entail, need, want, involve, demand, call for.
interpret (verb) – translate, transcribe, convert; explain, clarify, elucidate, spell out.
rigorous (adjective) – strict, stringent, severe, stern, demanding, uncompromising.