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Nearly 15,000 oppose Montenegro plan to drown wild beauty

2010-04-15T16:56:00.011+05:30

Moraca River, MontenegroThe Montenegro government was yesterday handed a 14,764 signature petition asking it to consider alternatives to its four dam plan for the country’s second most important and most scenic River. The plan for multiple dams on the Moraça River, which will inundate areas of the Montegnegro capital’s natural and cultural heritage and threatens flows into the Balkan’s largest lake and its fisheries and bird migration reserves, was drawn up 40 years ago.

The petition was initiated just three weeks ago by WWF and its Montenegro partner association Green Home and signatures were collected online and in pedestrian areas of the cities of Budva, Kotor, Ulcinj, Podgorica, Niksic, Bijelo Polje, Kolasin, Mojkovac, Pljevlja, Danilovgrad and Plav. It drew support from 62 national and international conservation and community groups and concerned people in 110 countries.

It was handed to representatives of the Ministry of Environment, during a period for comment on a government review of environmental impacts of the proposal that WWF and Green Home have labeled inadequate in its consideration of impacts and alternatives.

“During the consultation process we have remarked that the assessments done so far do not prove that the dams are necessary,” said Darko Pajovic, Head of Green Home.

“Furthermore alternatives have been proposed by various stakeholders to both produce and save power and widespread support exists for saving the scenic, cultural and environmental values of the Moraça gorge.”

Following the handing over of the petition, WWF and Green Home representatives met with Mr Clive Rumbold, Deputy head of the EU delegation in Montenegro to stress that the probable EU accession candidate country’s major infrastructure plan falls far short of EU standards on river management, and major infrastructure planning and consultation standards.

Mr. Rumbold underlined that as a potential candidate country Montenegro is strongly encouraged to ensure that all new investments are in line with the EU rules and principles. He reiterated the importance of a public consultation and that comments received are fully taken on board.

The government’s own figures show per capita Montenegro power consumption of five times the EU average, with other studies showing transmission losses of more than three times the European rate. More than 50% of the country’s electricity demand comes from an aging and inefficient aluminium plant – KAP, which is currently undergoing serious economic difficulties.

Lake Skadar, listed under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international significance, is one of Europe's five most important wintering sites for birds.

“Montenegro has declared himself ecological state in 1991. The country has a unique opportunity to take a leadership for sustainable hydropower development in the Western Balkans. Now the world is waiting for the government to stop ticking its way through a 40 year old grand plan for power at huge environmental cost and come up with a modern plan for power which doesn’t involve sacrificing the wild beauty we are promoting internationally.”, added Francesca Antonelli, Head of WWF Mediterranean Freshwater Programme.

From climate change to securing sustainable employment: key issues facing the Arab region

2010-03-16T18:30:00.003+05:30

UNEP-Led "Environment Outlook for the Arab Region" launched at League of Arab States meeting in Cairo

Multiple challenges are facing the Arab region from climate change and food insecurity to decreasing water availability and unemployment according to a new assessment by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The Environment Outlook for the Arab Region (EOAR), compiled at the request of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment (CAMRE) says important progress is being made to address sustainability.

Much of the progress has focused on the development of the environmental frameworks including the necessary legislation alongside improved public awareness and involvement of countries in the region in international treaties and agreements.

The focus now is to translate these institutional gains into transformative action across countries and on the ground in order to catalyze a transition to a low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, said, "This assessment has been a truly collaborative one outlining the progress but also the realities facing this diverse but also dynamic region where if policies and resources are better focused could be a beacon of sustainable, Green Economic, development for millions of people".

"One factor that is both a persistent but also an emerging challenge is water. The EOAR notes that Arab countries are now among most water-scarce in the world and that there has been a worrying decline in per capita water availability with an average of only 1 000 m3 per inhabitant per year, as of 2008," he added.

"Climate change is likely to aggravate these trends. Thus it is in the interests of nations across the region to constructively engage in the climate change negotiations as countries look to Mexico and the UN climate convention meeting later in the year," said Mr Steiner.

He said a transformation towards a low carbon, resource efficient path offered the best opportunity for not only addressing challenges but delivering opportunities in terms of diversified energy supplies, security of natural resources and the chance to generate new kinds of jobs in areas such as clean energy and natural resource management.

The new report, launched at the headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo, has been prepared in collaboration with the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States (LAS), the Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE), as well as the Arab Specialized agencies and Global Environment Outlook collaborating centers in the region.

It notes that biofuels and food security are among a suite of emerging and intertwined challenges facing the region.

Poverty remains a challenge in most countries in the region and unemployment is wide spread at 13.7 per cent or more than twice the global average, according to the latest estimates.

The report says the Arab region is predicted to be among the hardest hit by the potential of direct and indirect impacts linked with climate change.

Impacts include loss of coastal zones, more severe droughts and desertification, increased groundwater salinity, and a surge in epidemics and infectious diseases.

Dr. Nadia Makram Ebeid, CEDARE Executive Director stresses, "The interlinked environmental challenges facing the Arab region are enormous, but also represent an opportunity for development. There is no contradiction between protecting the environment and achieving economic development. Solving environmental problems contributes eventually to the elimination of a large number of obstacles facing development" she says.

The report affirms that the region's natural resources offer a wide ranging opportunities, if these resources are used rationally and sustainably, and if environmental aspects are integrated into the decision making process.

World environment ministers signal resolve to realize sustainable development

2010-02-28T02:07:00.002+05:30

In the first landmark Declaration issued by ministers of the environment in a decade, governments pledged to step up the global response to the major environmental and sustainability challenges of this generation.

The wide-ranging Nusa Dua Declaration, agreed today in the closing session of the UN Environment Programme's (UNEP) Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum, underlines the vital importance of biodiversity, the urgent need to combat climate change and work towards a good outcome in Mexico later in the year and the key opportunities from accelerating a transition to a low-carbon resource-efficient Green Economy.

The statement also highlights the need to improve the overall management of the global environment, accepting that that 'governance architecture' has in many ways become too complex and fragmented.

An important step forward was made earlier in the week in the areas of chemicals, hazardous wastes and human health. Governments agreed at an Extraordinary Meeting to have more cooperative action by the three relevant treaties-the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions - as a first step to boosting their delivery within countries.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary and UNEP Executive Director, said: "The ministers responsible for the environment, meeting just over a month after the climate change conference in Copenhagen, have spoken with a clear, united and unequivocal voice."

"Faced with the continued erosion of the natural environment, the persistent and emerging challenges of chemical pollution and wastes and the overarching challenge of issues such as climate change, the status quo is not an option and change is urgently needed," he added.

"This change starts with recognition that the way we are managing the environmental dimension of sustainable development is currently too complex and fragmented. Change is needed here and the ministers signaled their determination to realize this through a political process," said Mr. Steiner.

"But the ministers also recognized that action towards a Green Economy - one able to meet multiple challenges and seize multiple opportunities- is taking route in economies across the globe. Accelerating this is a key element of the Nusa Dua Declaration and one that can direct future action towards realising the kinds of transitions needed on a planet of six billion people, rising to nine billion by 2050," he added.

The Declaration, the first by world environment ministers since they met in Malmö, Sweden in 2000, will be transmitted to the UN General Assembly later this year.

There governments will begin preparations for a landmark conference in Brazil, called Rio plus 20.

Rio plus 20 comes two decades after the first Rio Earth Summit, which gave birth to many of the key treaties, ranging from climate change to biodiversity, which to date have defined the international response to environmental challenges.

Green Economy

Case studies, illuminating the multiple benefits of a Green Economy, were presented to delegates in advance of a landmark Green Economy report to be released later this year.

Uganda

- The area of land under organic agriculture has risen from 185,000 hectares in 2004 to close to 300,000 hectares in 2008, with a 360 per cent rise in the number of farmers engaged in the sector - from 45,000 certified farmers to 207,000.

- Certified organic exports have risen from US$3.7 million in 2003-2004 to US$22.8 million in 2007-2008.

- The country is also contributing to combating climate change. C02 emissions per hectare are up to 68 per cent less than on conventionally farmed land, with studies indicating that organic fields sequester 3-8 tonnes more carbon per hectare.

China

- More than 10 per cent of Chinese households rely on the sun to heat their water, with more than 40 million solar water heating systems in place.

- The renewable energy sector as a whole generates output worth US$17 billion and employs 1 million workers, of which 600,000 are employed in solar thermal panel making and installing products, such as solar water heaters.

- The warm water from solar water heaters is also reducing rheumatoid arthritis among women as they now have hot water for laundry and dishwashing done by hand instead of only cold water.

Brazil

- The city of Curitiba has, through sustainable urban planning and transport, cut per capita loss from severe congestion. It is about 6.7 and 11 times less than per capita losses in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

- In 2002, Curitiba's annual fuel losses from severe traffic congestion equaled R$1.98 million (US$930,000). On per capita terms, this loss is about 13 times and 4.3 times less than those in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

- Curitiba's fuel usage is also 30 per cent lower than in Brazil's other major cities.

Other Highlights of the UNEP GC/GMEF

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

The delegates were addressed by Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the IPCC which is co- hosted by UNEP and the World Meteorological Organization.

Ministers re-affirmed the central importance of the IPCC and the importance of sound science upon which to base a response to climate change.

However, as a result of recent criticism of the IPCC and some key errors in the body's fourth assessment report, several governments called for an independent review of the IPCC.

Full details of the review and its scope will be announced next week with the report to be presented to the IPCC Plenary taking place in the Republic of Korea in October.

Several key decisions were adopted, including ones on oceans put forward by the Government of Indonesia and the strengthening the environment via the Environmental Management Group which UNEP hosts.

Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)

Many experts believe a science panel or platform for biodiversity and ecosystems is needed to assist governments in combating the erosion of plants and animals and ecosystems such as forests, freshwaters and soils.

Governments agreed to a final meeting in June 2010, halfway through the UN's International Year of Biodiversity, to decide whether to establish such a body.

Haiti

Delegates also backed UNEP's support to Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake of 12 January 2010 and called on the organization to assist the UN country team to incorporate environmental issues in the rehabilitation and reconstruction and restoration phases.

Gaza

Delegates asked UNEP to assist in implementing recommendations from its environmental assessment of the Gaza Strip compiled following the escalation of hostilities in December 2008 through to January 2009.

The assessment covers issues such as solid waste management, pollution and the acute decline of Gaza's underground water supplies.

Food Dictatorship Vs. Food Democracy

2010-02-24T15:20:00.001+05:30

Dr Vandana Shiva. Photo Credit: Documentary.orgAn International conference on “Two Decades of the GMO Free Movement” was organized by Navdanya / Research Foundation for Science, Technology & Ecology in association with the International Commission on the Future of Food, ARSIA, Region of Tuscany, Italy, Center for Food Safety, USA, Save Our Seeds, Germany, Diverse Women for Diversity and Initiative for Health, Equity and Society on February 23, 2010 at India International Centre.

Ever since giant corporations like Monsanto started to commercialize GMO crops and foods, citizens and governments across the world have organized to keep their food and agriculture GMO free.

The public hearings on Bt-Brinjal in India made it very clear that Indian farmers & consumers do not want GM foods. Shri Atul Pandya of the Centre for Environment Education which organized the public hearings on behalf of the Ministry of Environment presented the report of the public hearings. Farmers who participated in the hearings in different parts of the country shared their experience. The Minister of Environment announced a Moratorium on Bt-Brinjal on 9th February, 2010. Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West-Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Mizoram and Tamil Nadu have said they will not allow Bt-Brinjal in their states.

In Europe, 5 countries and 49 regions are GMO free. Maria Grazia Mammucini, who heads the agricultural research agency of the Region of Tuscany and who founded the network of GMO free regions in Europe was denied a visa, but her presentation was made in absentee.

Benny Haerlin, the leader of the GMO free movement in Europe shared the successes they have had. As he said, “To be GMO free is to free of corporate monopolies & unsafe food. GMO-free movements are creating a real, living democracy.”

The debate on GMOs is also a debate about science. “Which science for Biosafety & Food Security” is an increasingly important question. GMO’s are being imposed on grounds that GM crops produce more food & are safe. Prof. Salvatore Ceccarelli of ICARDA showed how participatory breeding is a much more efficient breeding strategy than genetic engineering. Dr T Vijay Kumar who heads an anti poverty programme for the government of Andhra Pradesh and has converted 14 lakh acres to sustainable agriculture showed that neither pesticides nor GM crops are needed for food security.

Prof Marcello Buiatti who is a member of the Network of Independent Scientists of Europe whose research has led to the GMO bans in many countries & regions was also denied a visa. His presentation showed how genetic engineering is an unreliable & risky technology.

Ms Debi Barker of the Centre for Food Safety which has fought all the cases against Monsanto & GMOs said “after over a decade of GM Crops being grown in the US, the myth and the facts about are now clear. GM seeds have failed to increase yields, herbicide use has increased, and farmers in the US have lost the right to save and replant their seeds.”

Monsanto used the US government to start a dispute against Europe in the WTO on May 13, 2003 because of the European moratorium till further research was done, we started a global citizens GMO challenge to tell the W.T.O. that we were committed to keep our food systems and ecosystems GM free, and to defend our freedom to choose safe food. During the Hong-Kong Ministerial, Dr Vandana Shiva, Jose Bove, and Susan George handed over a petition to the W.T.O. singed by more that 135,000 citizens from 100 countries and more than 740 organisations representing 60 million people on the GMO case.

The W.T.O. could not rule against European countries ban on GMO because of the global GMO free movement.

Today, India’s Bt-Brinjal moratorium is bringing a similar response from the Biotechnology industry. A new law is being floated to introduce the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India. The attempt is usurp the regulatory functions from the Ministry of Environment & put it in the hands of the Department of Biotechnology, the agency that finances the development of genetic engineering. The Ministry of Environment and the EPA rules, regulate for Biosafety – the safety of public health & the environment. The proposed BRAI will de-regulate the biotechnology & put GMO approval on a fast track.

While de-regulating the bio-technology industry, BRAI aims to silence citizens & kill democracy. Article 63 of the proposed law states :

“Whoever, without any evidence or scientific record misleads the public about the safety of the organizations & products specified in Part I or Part II or Part II of the Schedule I, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to one year and with fine which may extend to two lakh rupees or both.”

BRAI is a fascist law as far as citizen freedoms are concerned. The fascism of the biotech industry has targeted the best of scientists like Dr Arpad Putzai & Dr Pushpa Bhargava. The Biotechnology industry wants its distorted and manipulated version of science to be the only science that counts scientists independent of industry should have no voice & no freedom. Citizens should have no food freedom.

As Dr Shiva said, “It is becoming increasingly clear that GMO’s can only spread through fascism. We have to make a choice. Either we will have food dictatorship in which the Biotech industry imposes toxic & unsafe GM foods on us or we will stay GMO free & defend our food freedom. We in Navdanya have made the choice for food democracy & food sovereignty, for Anna Swaraj.”

Declaration on the Future of the Global GMO-Free Movement

We commit ourselves to strengthen the global GMO free movement.
We condemn the biotechnology industry’s attempts to force-feed the world with GMOs by violating laws, corrupting institutions and distorting science.
We will resist every undemocratic means to impose GMOs anywhere in the world.
We demand that all decisions related to food and agriculture be based on holistic, multi-disciplinary, consensus-based science (see www.arsia.toscana.it / petizione/documents/cibo/cibo_ing.pdf)
The increasing bias of government to promote biotechnology at the cost of other alternatives is creating risks to the environment, public health and democracy. Governments should strengthen public research independent of corporate influence to protect biodiversity, promote sustainable agriculture and ensure biosafety.
Research worldwide has established that biodiverse ecosystems are more productive and climate change resilient than agriculture systems based on the Green Revolution or genetic engineering. Biodiverse systems are vital to food security and climate security (see International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) Report at www.agassessment.org)
Every individual, community and country has the right to food sovereignty. We will defend food democracy and create Earth Democracy.

Understanding the threat to monkey numbers from forest decline

2010-02-21T19:24:00.004+05:30

Monkey populations in threatened forests are far more sensitive to damage to their habitat than previously thought, according to new research.
An analysis of monkeys living in Tanzania’s Udzungwa Mountains suggests that the impact of external factors, such as human activity, on species numbers is felt in forests as large as 40 square kilometres.

Researchers also found that the health of monkey populations is closely related to the type of habitat found between forest fragments, rather than the distance that separates them.

The findings have broader implications for conservationists as the number of monkeys and the variety of species is a visible indicator of the underlying health of their habitat.

The research was conducted by Dr Andrew Marshall, from the Environment Department at the University of York and Director of Conservation at Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of York, the University of Copenhagen, the Tremto Museum of Natural History (Italy) and the Udzungwa Ecological Monitoring Centre (Tanzania).

Dr Marshall said: “This study suggests that while small forest fragments need protecting we should intervene at an earlier stage to protect larger forest areas that are under threat.

“It also supports the case for working with local communities on practical steps that will help forest species. These could include reducing dependence on bush meat and encouraging the planting of habitat that can form corridors between forest fragments.”

The research investigated the distribution of seven species living in an area covering 10,000 km2 and has led to a wider conservation and education project in the area led by Dr Marshall, through Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo. The discovery of a new species of chameleon in this area was announced last year.

A second hydrocarbon boom threatens the Peruvian Amazon

2010-02-21T19:04:00.002+05:30

A rapid and unprecedented proliferation of oil and gas concessions threatens the megadiverse Peruvian Amazon. The amount of area leased is on track to reach around 70% of the region, threatening biodiversity and indigenous people. This is one of the central conclusions from a pair of researchers from the Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA) of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), and the Washington DC-based NGO Save America's Forests, who have, for the first time, documented the full history of hydrocarbon activities in the region and made projections about expected levels of activity in the near future.

The study, conducted by Martí Orta and Matt Finer, researchers at ICTA and Save America's Forests, respectively, and published in Environmental Research Letters, reconstructs the full history of hydrocarbon activities in the region and makes projections for the next five years. Researchers have found that more of the Peruvian Amazon has recently been leased to oil and gas companies than at any other time on record.

There are now 52 active hydrocarbon concessions covering over 41% of the Peruvian Amazon, up from just 7% in 2003. The authors warn that the region has now entered the early stages of a second hydrocarbon exploration boom and that the amount of area leased to oil and gas companies is on track to reach around 70% of the region.

The collected data reveals an extensive hydrocarbon history for one of the greatest rainforests on Earth—well over 100,000 km of seismic lines and nearly 700 wells have resulted in the extraction of nearly 1 billion barrels of oil over the past 70 years from the Peruvian Amazon, the second largest land area of the Amazon Basin after Brazil. The first major hydrocarbon exploration boom took place in the Peruvian Amazon in the early to mid 1970s, immediately followed by an exploitation boom from the late 1970s to the early 1980s.

The authors also discovered a number of interesting trends. For example, there has been a steady decline in Amazonian oil production ever since its peak in the early 1980s. In contrast, natural gas production from the Peruvian Amazon has been skyrocketing since 2004 and the start of production at Camisea. The year 2009 had the lowest oil output in over 30 years, but marked the sixth consecutive year of rapidly increasing natural gas production.

The vast majority of these concessions overlap sensitive areas, such as official state natural protected areas and indigenous peoples' lands. Nearly one-fifth of the protected areas and over half of all titled indigenous lands in the Peruvian Amazon are now covered by hydrocarbon concessions. And perhaps most disturbingly, over 60% of the area proposed as reserves for indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation are covered by oil concessions. The authors stress that one of the more troubling aspects of the new boom is the expanding hydrocarbon frontier, as much of the last remote and pristine tracts of rainforest left in the Amazon are now fair game for oil and gas companies.

As an example, the researchers highlighted Block 67, operated by Perenco. It is located in one of the most megadiverse and intact corners of the Amazon, but it is slated for major development as it sits on top of over 300 million barrels of probable oil reserves. Block 67 also overlaps a proposed reserve for uncontacted indigenous peoples.

The first hydrocarbon boom of the early 1970s brought with it severe negative environmental and social impacts, according to the authors, and all indications are that this second boom will do so as well. Indeed, in 2009 there was a deadly conflict between indigenous protestors and government forces in Bagua, Peru, largely stemming from government efforts to lease or sell indigenous lands without their free, prior and informed consent.

The authors call for a rigorous policy debate, including a greater analysis of potential environmental and social impacts and how they could be effectively avoided or at least minimized. For example, the authors highlight Ecuador's innovative Yasuni-ITT Initiative, which seeks international contributions in exchange for leaving the massive ITT oil fields untapped beneath a megadiverse Amazonian national park. Given that Block 67 is just across the border from ITT, the authors conclude the paper by suggesting that perhaps Peru employ a similar strategy.

Researchers have compiled official government data collected by the Peruvian Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Peruvian state energy companies Petroperú and Perúpetro. Specifically, they extracted information dealing with contracts, seismic testing, well construction, oil development, and natural gas development for Amazonian oil and gas concessions for each of the past 40 years. Information for activities prior to 1970, when there were only two producing oil concessions, has been pieced together as much as possible from these documents as well.

Introduced Tilapia dine on native fish

2010-01-13T17:14:00.000+05:30

The poster child for sustainable fish farming—the tilapia—is actually a problematic invasive species for the native fish of the islands of Fiji, according to a new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups.

Scientists suspect that tilapia introduced to the waterways of the Fiji Islands may be gobbling up the larvae and juvenile fish of several native species of goby, fish that live in both fresh and salt water and begin their lives in island streams.

The recently published paper appears in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. The authors include: Stacy Jupiter and Ingrid Qauqau of the Wildlife Conservation Society; Aaron P. Jenkins of Wetlands International-Oceania; and James Atherton of Conservation International.

“Many of the unique freshwater fishes of the Fiji Islands are being threatened by introduced tilapia and other forms of development in key water catchment basins,” said Dr. Jupiter, a co-author of the study and one of the investigators examining the effects of human activities on the native fauna. “Conserving the native fishes of the islands will require a multi-faceted collaboration that protects not only the waterways of the islands, but the ecosystems that contain them.”

The most surprising finding of the study centers on the tilapia, a member of the cichlid family of fishes from Africa that has become one of the most important kinds of fish for aquaculture, due in large part to its rapid rate of growth and palatability. Aside from its value as a source of protein, the tilapia is sometimes problematic to native fish species in tropical locations.

To gauge the impacts of tilapia and other human activities on native fish species in the Fiji Archipelago, researchers surveyed the fish species and other denizens of 20 river basins on the major islands of Vitu Levu, Vanua Levu, and Taveuni. In addition to catching and identifying fishes with gill and seine nets, the scientists also rated other environmental factors such as: the potential of erosion due to loss of forest cover and riparian vegetation; road density near rivers and streams; the distances and complexity of nearby mangroves and reefs; and the presence or absence of invasive species (tilapia mainly).

The team found that streams with tilapia contained 11 fewer species of native fishes than those without; species most sensitive to introduced tilapia included the throat-spine gudgeon, the olive flathead-gudgeon, and other gobies. In general, sites where tilapia were absent had more species of native fish.

Since tilapia are known to consume the larvae and juvenile fish, the researchers assume that the introduced species may be consuming the native ones as they make their way upstream and down. Absence of forest cover adjacent to streams was also correlated to fewer fish species.

Based on the spatial information compiled in the study, the researchers found that remote and undeveloped regions—with waterways containing a full complement of native species and no tilapia—on the three islands should be considered priority locations for management. The main management activities, the authors recommend, should include conserving forests around waterways and keeping the tilapia out.

“Protecting marine and aquatic biodiversity takes more than managing isolated rivers or coral reefs,” said Dr. Caleb McClennen, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Marine Program. “A holistic conservation approach is needed, one that incorporates freshwater systems, the surrounding forest cover, coastal estuaries and seaward coral reefs. As aquaculture continues to develop worldwide, best practices must include precautionary measures to keep farmed species out of the surrounding natural environment.”

Sunflower genome holds the promise of sustainable agriculture

2010-01-13T17:01:00.000+05:30

As agricultural land becomes increasingly valuable, the need to maximize its utilization increases and decisions about what crops to plant and where, become paramount.

The sunflower family includes a number of valuable food crops, with sunflower seed production alone valued at about $14 billion annually. Yet the sunflower family is the only one of a handful of economically important plant families where a reference genome is not available to enable the breeding of crops better suited to their growing environment or consumers tastes.

A new research project, largely funded by Genome Canada, Genome BC, the US Departments of Energy and Agriculture, and France's INRA (National Institute for Agricultural Research), will create a reference genome for the sunflower family – currently the world's largest plant family, containing 24,000 species of plants, including many crops, medicinal plants, horticulture plants and noxious weeds.

The US$10.5 million research project titled, Genomics of Sunflower, will use next-generation genotyping and sequencing technologies to sequence, assemble and annotate the sunflower genome and to locate the genes that are responsible for agriculturally important traits such as seed-oil content, flowering, seed-dormancy, and wood producing-capacity.

"The intent is to have the basis for a breeding program within four years," says project leader, Dr. Loren Rieseberg (University of British Columbia).

One of the potential applications of this research includes a hybrid variety of sunflower, grown as a dual-use crop. The wild Silverleaf species of sunflower, known for its tall, woody stalks that grow 10 to 15 feet tall and up to 4 inches in diameter in a single season, could be crossbred with the commercially valuable sunflower plant that produces high quality seeds, capitalizing on the desirable traits of both species.

"The seeds would be harvested for food and oil, while the stalks would be utilized for wood or converted to ethanol. As a dual-use crop it wouldn't be in competition with food crops for land," says project leader, Dr. Loren Rieseberg (University of British Columbia).

In addition, this fast growing annual crop will be highly drought resistant, thanks to desirable traits from the Silverleaf variety, and would therefore be suitable for use in subsistence agriculture in places like Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in much of North America.

Dr. Nolan Kane (University of British Columbia) is one of the co-investigators on the project and together with colleagues at INRA in France, is doing much of the bioinformatics for the genome project.

"The sunflower genome is 3.5 billion letters long – slightly larger than the human genome. The sunflower family is the largest plant family on earth – encompassing several important crops and weeds. Mapping its genome will create a very useful reference template for the entire plant family, which will enable us to work on closely related species," says Kane.

Dr. Steve Knapp (University of Georgia) is another co-investigator on the project, whose work includes genetic mapping for desirable traits such as wood formation, as well as the development of germplasm for breeding. "The complete sequence will give us a full draft of the genome and eliminate the arduous one at a time process that we have been using up until this point," he says.

"Genome BC is very pleased to support this innovative project, which will capitalize on Canada's strong genomics infrastructure and leadership in Sunflower genomics, in collaboration with other experts worldwide," says Dr. Alan Winter, President and CEO of Genome BC. "The potential applications of this research are extremely important, both globally and locally."

Valuable rare-earth raw materials extracted from industrial waste stream

2010-01-11T17:52:00.000+05:30

Fierce competition over raw materials for new green technologies could become a thing of the past, thanks to a discovery by scientists from the University of Leeds.

Researchers from Leeds' Faculty of Engineering have discovered how to recover significant quantities of rare-earth oxides, present in titanium dioxide minerals. The rare-earth oxides, which are indispensable for the manufacture of wind turbines, energy-efficient lighting, and hybrid and electric cars, are extracted or reclaimed simply and cheaply from the waste materials of another industrial process.

If taken to industrial scale, the new process could eventually shift the balance of power in global supply, breaking China's near monopoly on these scarce but crucial resources. China currently holds 95 per cent of the world's reserves of rare earth metals in a multi-billion dollar global market in which demand is growing steadily.

"These materials are also widely used in the engines of cars and electronics, defence and nuclear industries(1). In fact they cut across so many leading edge technologies, the additional demand for device related applications is set to outstrip supply," said Professor Animesh Jha, who led the research at Leeds.

"There is a serious risk that technologies that can make a major environmental impact could be held back through lack of the necessary raw materials - but hopefully our new process, which is itself much 'greener' than current techniques, could make this less likely."

Despite their name, the fifteen rare earth metals occur more commonly within the Earth's crust than precious metals such as gold and platinum, but their oxides are rarely found in sufficient concentrations to allow for commercial mining and purification. They are, however, found relatively frequently alongside titanium dioxide - a versatile mineral used in everything from cosmetics and medicines to electronics and the aerospace industries, which Professor Jha has been researching for the last eight years.

The Leeds breakthrough came as Professor Jha and his team were fine-tuning a patented industrial process they have developed to extract higher yields of titanium dioxide and refine it to over 99 per cent purity. Not only does the technology eliminate hazardous wastes, cut costs and carbon dioxide emissions, the team also discovered they can extract significant quantities of rare earth metal oxides as co-products of the refining process(2).

"Our recovery rate varies between 60 and 80 per cent, although through better process engineering we will be able to recover more in the future," says Professor Jha. "But already, the recovery of oxides of neodymium (Nd), cerium (Ce) and lanthanum (La), from the waste products - which are most commonly found with titanium dioxide minerals - is an impressive environmental double benefit."

The research has been funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the former DTI's Sustainable Technology Programme and industrial sponsor, Cristal Global in US (formerly Millennium Inorganic Chemicals) through a PhD studentship for team member Graham Cooke.

Coastal trees 'poor shield against tsunamis'

2010-01-03T12:56:00.001+05:30

On the 5th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, an international scientific team has cautioned against claims that 'bioshields' – belts of coastal trees – offer protection from tsunami or storm surges.

In fact, planting alien trees along exposed coastlines will do more harm than good, by destroying local ecosystems, displacing people and taking money away from more effective coastal defence projects, according to the scientists.

In the wake of the Indian Ocean Tsunami that struck on December 26 2004, it was widely claimed by many conservation organisations and some scientists that coastal vegetation could reduce the damage caused by tsunamis.

These claims led to large scale efforts to plant belts of foreign trees along exposed coasts in the hope of protecting people from future tsunamis or from storm surges produced during tropical storms, such as Hurricane Katrina or Cyclone Nargis.

However, after reviewing over 30 papers on the subject, the researchers from Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, France, Guam, India, Sri Lanka and the USA conclude that most of the original claims were false.

"There is very little evidence for the idea that coastal vegetation provides meaningful protection from these major surge events. Also, planting introduced, foreign tree species as 'bioshields' is doing extraordinary environmental damage" says the lead author of the paper, Dr Rusty Feagin of Texas A & M University.

"Even more extraordinarily, local topography, such as sand dunes, which CAN provide protection against surges, are being bulldozed to make way for 'bioshields' of exotic species." says Dr Kartik Shanker of the Indian Institute of Science.

Spending money on planting 'bioshields' is also diverting funds from projects with proven potential to save lives, and creating a false sense of security, say the scientists.

"The best way to protect human lives against tsunamis or large storm surges is through education, early warning and evacuation planning" says Dr Andrew Baird of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University.

"The technology is available for adequate early warning. If this is backed up by sensible evacuation planning, there is no reason for anyone to die in a tsunami or a storm surge nowadays," he says.

A case study from Andhra Pradesh India reveals that tsunami relief funding is being used to continue development programs, which include planting exotic species such as Casuarina for firewood, rather than provide any meaningful tsunami protection. "The UNDP has provided millions of dollars for 'bioshield' construction, however, while the trees are being planted, they are being placed beside or even behind coastal villages, where they can't possibly provide protection against ocean surges" says Sudarshan Rodriguez of Dakshin Foundation, India.

The research also challenges the common misconception that storm surges are just large wind waves, pointing out that they are very similar to tsunami in their behaviour and the type of damage they cause.

"While coastal vegetation is very effective at slowing down wind waves, tsunami and storm surges are entirely different beasts" says Dr Alex Kerr from the Marine Laboratory of the University of Guam.

"All vegetation is permeable to the flooding produced by long period waves like tsunami, because they are many kilometer thick, and while forest may slow down the flooding, it can never prevent it," he adds.

While introduced species offer little protection to coastal communities from surge events, there is still benefit in conserving local vegetation, such as dense mangroves, for the simple fact that by being there mangroves prevents people from working and living in harm's way, say the researchers.

"Restoring areas of destroyed mangroves also makes sense because of the many other ecological goods and services they provide, as long as environmental conditions are right" says Nibedita Mukherjee and Dr Farid Dahdouh-Guebas of Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium.

"We need to understand that there is a difference between restoring native vegetation such as mangroves that are naturally adapted to the dynamic conditions on local coastlines around the world, and introducing alien trees purely for the purpose of trying to stabilise a coastline," adds Dr Feagin.

Biogas plant for biological wastes recycling

2009-12-29T20:59:00.000+05:30

Ukrainian engineering company ZORG Ukraine has announced development of new waste-management solution for plants that produce alcohol. Biogas plant can reduce sanitary zone (distance from the enterprise to residential area) from 500m to 150m. In many cases such ecological issues are vital for some enterprises.

Out-of-date lagoons occupy lots of space and have bad smell. Biogas plant requires space that several times less if to be compared to lagoons and manure storages. Water in lagoons is bounded by colloid compounds hence evaporation is very faint. After treatment in biogas plant water is separated and easily vaporised.

Digested biomass can be released to the fields without any time delays, which can reduce lagoons area up to 5 times. Investments into lagoon construction are money thrown down the drain. By investing into biogas plant you payback your money with profit and make land usage more effective. Biogas plant construction is useful not only for new farms but for existing as well, because old lagoons maintenance cost are considerable.

Some of waste products can be stored in lagoons while the other require energy and cost consuming utilisation (slaughterhouse waste), biogas production looks more attractive in that respect.

Usage of conventional lagoons and landfills often makes possible filtrate percolation to the groundwater that causes health problems to people and animals as well as sanctions from state sanitary service and costly medical treatment. Using biogas plant system you will avoid diseases, medical and penalty bills.

Equipped with additional filtration devices (pressure filter, decanter) biogas plant can reduce COD and BOD levels in filtrate so it can be discharged to sewage system or factory water treatment facility. COD – chemical oxygen demand and BOD – biological oxygen demand. Biogas plant makes possible removal of most part of contaminating biological matter (organic matter content reduced up to 60-70 per cent).

Despite the fact, that new waste-management system for plants that produce alcohol is acknowledged as the matter of public interest only now, ZORG Ukraine has already successfully installed its technological solution on various plants in Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

Winter winds will generate electricity for Ames, ISU

2009-12-23T23:39:00.000+05:30

The winds of January are a good thing if you're getting electricity from a wind farm, and that's the case for the City of Ames and Iowa State University. The city and university will begin buying wind-generated electricity from a new wind farm north of Zearing. Around the first of the year, local appliances, lights, and computers may be powered by a new, eco-friendly energy source.

The timing is excellent, says ISU assistant director of utilities Jeff Witt, because "winter is the best time for wind energy in Iowa and January is probably the peak month."

Ames and Iowa State officials plan to buy enough wind power to supply 30 megawatts of output for Ames and six megawatts for ISU. That's more than 15 per cent of Ames' electricity needs and approximately 10 per cent of Iowa State's needs.

The electricity comes from a 100-turbine, 150-megawatt farm recently constructed by NextEra Energy Resources, the top generator of wind power in North America. The new wind farm is the second such farm that NextEra has built in the area and the firm's eighth in Iowa.

"The City of Ames has a long history of supporting new energy technologies including our first in the nation waste-to-energy facility," explains Donald Kom, director of Ames Electric Services. "Adding wind energy helps bolster our portfolio of renewable fuels."

Witt said Iowa State officials look forward to adding wind power to the university's energy lineup. There will be some challenges to utilities staff, who will need to balance wind conditions with electricity needs, he said, but "it's a good thing and we're pretty excited."

Ames and Iowa State have been partnering to buy electricity since the early 1990s and began looking for a renewable energy source a couple of years ago. After reviewing proposals from companies that generate energy from wind, biomass and the sun, they chose NextEra and subsequently developed a 20-year contract for wind energy.

Kenya's Tana River Delta under siege

2009-12-21T21:33:00.004+05:30

Photo:Michael Laplace-Toulouse/BirdLifeThe Tana River Delta in Kenya's north coast is under unprecedented threat as corporations and foreign agencies scramble to exploit its riches for export crops, biofuels and minerals. NatureKenya (BirdLife Partner) – with support of RSPB (BirdLife in UK), Schweizer Vogelschutz SVS/BirdLife Schweiz (BirdLife in Switzerland) and DOF (BirdLife in Denmark) – are working with local communities to try and stop the proposed poorly planned developments which would result in tens of thousands of people losing their livelihoods.

The Tana Delta is a vast patchwork of palm savanna, seasonally flooded grassland, forest fragments, lakes, woodland, mangroves, beaches, sand dunes, coral reefs, seagrass beds and the river itself.

Large assemblages of water birds qualify it as an Important Bird Area. A 1992–93 study recorded 22 different species of water birds occurring in significant numbers, including pelicans, storks, egrets and terns. In seasons of heavy rains, some 5,000 water birds of over 13 species nest in the Delta, and the young fly off to populate wetlands all over the country.

The Delta is of international importance for the conservation of migratory species, and is home to the Endangered Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis, Vulnerable Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotos and Near Threatened Malindi Pipit Anthus melindae, and 13 of Kenya's 30 East African Coast biome bird species.

But Tana Delta has a history of poor environmental management and planning and failing development schemes. Attempts to grow irrigated rice, cotton, maize and shrimp on a commercial scale met with little success, although local farmers continue to grow rice, maize and other crops by traditional methods. Most recently, a rice scheme in the 1990s left a legacy of poverty and environmental damage.

A number of worrying development projects are currently proposed in the Delta. This includes plans by the Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (TARDA – a government agency), and the Mumias Sugar Company, who intend to convert about 20,000 ha of the Delta into a monoculture sugar cane plantation.

The project came to public knowledge in 2007, and advocacy and awareness campaigns, including a court injunction, temporarily stopped it. However, in June 2009, Kenya's High Court ruled in favour of the developers on a technicality. Now the Government has given tenure rights and ownership of 40,000 ha of Delta land to TARDA, ostensibly to grow rice and maize as a response to Kenya’s recent drought and food shortage. However, more than 25,000 people living in 30 villages stand to be evicted from their ancestral land that has now been given to TARDA.

"While we support emergency actions to improve short-term food security, these must not be used as an excuse to evict local people from their land or as a smokescreen to open up the Delta to poorly conceived development schemes which would threaten the long-term future of both the people and the nature of the area", said Dr Helen Byron - Senior International Site Casework Officer RSPB. "What is needed is a long-term plan for the area which builds on the rich biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Delta to provide sustainable livelihoods for the local people and is produced with strong input from the local communities".

Other threats to the delta include:

A second sugar company, Mat International, is acquiring over 30,000 ha of land in Tana Delta and another 90,000 ha in adjacent districts. The company has not carried out any environmental and social impact assessments.

Bedford Biofuels Inc, a privately-held multinational company based in Canada, is in the process of acquiring land through 45-year lease agreements. Its intention is to transform over 90,000 ha of land in Tana River District into biofuel farms, mainly growing Jatropha curcas.

Tiomin Kenya Ltd, a company incorporated in Canada, wants to mine titanium in the Tana Delta, and is in discussions with the local government authorities.

Qatar has asked Kenya to lease it 40,000 ha of land in Tana Delta to grow crops, in exchange for support for a major new port in nearby Lamu town.

The Tana Delta is the largest of several critical natural areas threatened by development in Kenya. NatureKenya is working with communities in the Delta who are opposed to these plans, and have positive proposals for enhancing their livelihoods through community-owned initiatives.

Recently Serah Munguti – NatureKenya's Communication and Advocacy Coordinator – visited the Tana Delta and spoke with people in the local communities. "We spoke with pastoralists, farmers, fishermen and conservation groups who are very concerned and are ready to file a new court case against the proposed plantation sugarcane", said Serah.

"We're moving forward very fast as one village has already been issued with an eviction notice", warned Serah. "Farmers in Wema and pastoralists in Dida Waride affirmed that they would die first before moving out of their land."

The Kenya Wildlife Service is spearheading efforts to get the Delta listed as a Ramsar wetland of international importance. It will take time to compile ecological, hydrological and socioeconomic data, and to map the Delta. Meanwhile, the current development proposals put the people, biodiversity and ecological functions of the Delta in great jeopardy.

An economic study has already shown that a master plan, which integrates better and more sustainable management of existing activities with a conservation-focused future development, could generate more income and better livelihoods than these large and ill thought out developments. NatureKenya hopes to facilitate production of such a plan by working closely with local communities.

Definitive agreement on zero emission mobility

2009-12-18T22:04:00.001+05:30

619 free charging points to be installed by 2011 in North East England

Regional Development Agency One North East and car manufacturer Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., today entered the next phase of their partnership on the development of zero emission mobility in North East England. The two parties have signed a definitive agreement which sets out a road map for the roll-out of electric vehicles and infrastructure in North East England and cements the region's status as the national centre for the development of ultra low carbon vehicles.

The agreement also contains firm commitments on incentives for drivers and education and demonstration initiatives that will be introduced throughout 2010 and 2011.

Under the agreement, One North East will install at least 619 publicly available, 'future-proof' charging points by January 1, 2011, which will support both 3kW and 7kW charges and will also include twelve 50kW 'rapid-charging' stations.

Electricity at the 619 charging points will be provided free of charge until March 31, 2012, or until an itemised billing system becomes available. As part of the agreement, One North East has already installed two charging points for public use within its own head office car park at Newburn Riverside in Newcastle.

Nissan has agreed to work in partnership with One North East to supply Nissan LEAF electric vehicles to the region in early 2011 and to place priority on requests for electric vehicles in the UK from North East England.

Nissan LEAF is the world's first affordable electric vehicle for the global mass market and will go on sale in Japan, the US and Europe in late 2010. Designed specifically for a lithium-ion battery-powered chassis, the medium-size hatchback comfortably seats five adults and has a range of more than 160km (100 miles) to satisfy real-world consumer requirements.

Margaret Fay, Chairman of One North East, and Trevor Mann, Nissan's Senior Vice President for Manufacturing in Europe, formally signed the historic agreement this morning at Nissan's Sunderland car factory, which will also produce batteries for electric vehicles in the future.

One North East will now work with regional partners on developing incentives for people driving electric vehicles that include introducing at least 200 free of charge, dedicated public parking places by November 2010, and introducing preferential access to identified road lanes and city areas. The Agency is also working with developers to have charging points installed in newly constructed buildings which feature parking spaces.

One North East Chairman Margaret Fay said, "Today marks a significant step forward in our ambitions to become a leading global location for ultra low carbon vehicles. The commitments we are making today will show industry and consumers alike that North East England is serious about electric vehicles. We look forward to stimulating and shaping this emerging industry which will create new jobs for our region and help to reduce CO2 emissions."

"With no tailpipe and no emissions, Nissan LEAF redefines the automotive experience – and delivers the performance, roominess, comfort, safety features and quality that people expect from Nissan," said Trevor Mann. "Thanks to One North East's efforts, the necessary conditions – including infrastructure and incentives – will soon be in place to allow rapid adoption of Nissan LEAF and other electric vehicles in this region."

The Definitive Agreement also includes One North East's commitment to a GBP2.4m investment in the National Centre for Sustainable Manufacturing and a GBP2.3m investment in the Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Development Centre.

This definitive agreement on zero emission mobility between One North East and Nissan replaces the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two parties in March 2009 under which they agreed to start cooperating on the introduction and expansion of electric vehicles in the region. Since that agreement was signed, a number of advances in electric vehicle development have taken place in North East England, including the creation of the UK's first Low Carbon Economic Area for Ultra Low Carbon Vehicles.

Deutsche Bank completes 250-kw solar project at Piscataway facility

2009-12-17T14:44:00.000+05:30

New Jersey Project Part of Deutsche Bank's Commitment to be Carbon Neutral by 2012

Deutsche Bank has announced the completion of a 250-kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) system at its Piscataway, NJ, office. The roof-mounted array will offset a portion of the facility's electricity consumption and reduce its carbon emissions by 143 metric tons annually, equivalent to 16,232 gallons of gasoline.

The solar installation consists of 1,066 roof-mounted PV modules that will generate approximately 270,000 kWh per year at the 83,000-square-foot Piscataway facility. The solar installation is capable of providing nearly 100 per cent of the facility's demand for power from the grid during peak daylight hours, and it will produce more than 12 per cent of the electricity needed to operate the facility annually.

An online energy monitoring system will track the facility's power consumption, solar production and system efficiency. The system was designed and installed by Vanguard Energy Partners, a New Jersey-based leader in the design and installation of large-scale solar electric systems.

The solar installation is part of Deutsche Bank's global commitment to be carbon neutral by 2012. As part of that program, the Bank has reduced its annual energy consumption by 19 million kWh in the Americas and 54 million kWh globally through a wide range of efficiency measures. Of the remaining global energy consumption, 67 per cent comes from renewable sources, with 100 per cent of the energy in the US, UK, Italy, Switzerland and Germany coming from renewables.

In the US Deutsche Bank also was one of three firms to be named a "Green Power Partner of the Year" by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at its 2009 Green Power Leadership Awards, which are cosponsored by the US Department of Energy and the Center for Resource Solutions.

"Deutsche Bank is committed to being a leader in sustainability, and this project is a small part of a comprehensive global program to both reduce our consumption and shift to renewable sources," said Seth Waugh, CEO of Deutsche Bank Americas.

Deutsche Bank utilised both state and federal programs designed to encourage investment in renewable energy sources, including New Jersey Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SREC) and US federal renewable energy investment credits, part of the "green stimulus" package passed this year by the US Congress. The incentives were essential to make the investment in this new technology financially viable.

Fertiliser use not always helpful in re-vegetation efforts

2009-12-17T11:36:00.000+05:30

Photo:Danielle Langlois/WikimediaPlants in subarctic Quebec community don't always benefit from application of fertiliser

Companies and communities trying to restore vegetation on damaged northern landscapes should think twice about using fertiliser to stimulate growth according to new research published in the November issue of Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research.Not all plants benefit from the use of fertilisers. In fact, some do worse.

Stéphane Boudreau, a Professor of Ecology at Université Laval, and two colleagues spent a summer growing three types of native plants in the northern village of Whapmagoostui in subarctic Quebec. They found that a top dressing of organic fertiliser had virtually no impact on the plants while mineral fertiliser, the kind sold by gardening stores, showed mixed results.

Over the last 60 years Whapmagoostui, a village of 750 mostly Cree residents, has witnessed the loss of close to 50 per cent of vegetation in the village and surrounding area because of land development and ATV use. The result is a community covered with bare sand but no vegetation.

"The vegetation cover in the village is all degraded. People want to live in a place that's nice," said Boudreau. In addition, the region is subject to strong winds that create sandstorms that cause some respiratory problems for the residents.

The village came to Boudreau and his colleagues for assistance with re-vegetation plans. Villagers selected three plant species to use in the experiment – American dune grass, beach pea and spike trisetum.

The plants were grown outdoors and inside a greenhouse and were fed mineral fertiliser (slow release pellets or water soluble 20-20-20) or top-dressed with organic fertiliser collected from a nearby marsh. Each of the species responded differently to the fertilisers.

The organic material had a neutral or a negative effect. "Some studies show that organic fertiliser can be quite important. It can increase water retention of the soil and increase nutrient levels. But this didn't work at all. It is still a bit puzzling," said Boudreau.

Results for the mineral fertiliser were mixed. Dune grass performed well to the addition of fertiliser, the reaction of spike trisetum was mixed, while the beach pea was impacted negatively.

This was no surprise to Boudreau. "The beach pea is a legume and they tend to grow better if the substrate is poor. So if you add nutrients they don't like it too much."

Based on the results, Boudreau and his colleagues would not recommend beach pea to be used in re-vegetation efforts in areas with similar soil. Dune grass is a much better choice. Not only does it respond well to re-growth efforts, its roots can extent to a few meters, which helps to keep sandy substrate in place.

However, no vegetation will take at Whapmagoostui until ATV traffic is contained to road areas. Although they are smaller than trucks and cars, ATVs uproot and damage new and old plants. "Up to now, they were used everywhere," says Boudreau

Shell awarded permit to study natural gas potential in central South Africa

2009-12-16T16:37:00.000+05:30

The South African Petroleum Authorities (Petroleum Agency SA) today awarded Shell a Technical Cooperation Permit for a one-year study to determine the hydrocarbon potential in parts of the Karoo Basin in central South Africa.

The permit covers an area of approximately 185,000 square kilometres. The study will provide a better understanding of the area's geology and shale gas potential, establishing the scope to pursue natural gas exploration. Shell will have the exclusive right to apply for exploration permits following completion of the study.

"This onshore study and the recent award of offshore exploration acreage in the Orange Basin area together reinforce Shell's interest in exploring for oil and gas in South Africa," said Ceri Powell, Executive Vice President International Exploration.

Shell has been active in the South African retail markets since 1904 and in refining since 1963.

Toward home-brewed electricity with 'personalised solar energy'

2009-12-16T14:01:00.000+05:30

New scientific discoveries are moving society toward the era of "personalised solar energy," in which the focus of electricity production shifts from huge central generating stations to individuals in their own homes and communities.

That's the topic of a report by an international expert on solar energy published in the ACS' Inorganic Chemistry, a bi-weekly journal. It describes a long-awaited, inexpensive method for solar energy storage that could help power homes and plug-in cars in the future while helping keep the environment clean.

Daniel Nocera explains that the global energy need will double by mid-century and triple by 2100 due to rising standards of living world population growth. Personalised solar energy – the capture and storage of solar energy at the individual or home level – could meet that demand in a sustainable way, especially in poorer areas of the world.

The report describes development of a practical, inexpensive storage system for achieving personalised solar energy. At its heart is an innovative catalyst that splits water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen that become fuel for producing electricity in a fuel cell. The new oxygen-evolving catalyst works like photosynthesis, the method plants use to make energy, producing clean energy from sunlight and water.

"Because energy use scales with wealth, point-of-use solar energy will put individuals, in the smallest village in the non-legacy world and in the largest city of the legacy world, on a more level playing field," the report states.

Ethanol-powered vehicles generate more ozone than gas-powered ones

2009-12-14T23:43:00.002+05:30

United States Postal Service vehicle advertising its use of w:E85 fuel, Winter Carnival parade, Saint Paul, Minnesota.Photo:Michael Hicks/WikimediaEthanol, often promoted as a clean-burning, renewable fuel that could help wean the nation from oil, would likely worsen health problems caused by ozone, compared with gasoline, especially in winter, according to a new study led by Stanford researchers.

Ozone production from both gasoline and E85, a blend of gasoline and ethanol that is 85 per cent ethanol, is greater in warm sunny weather than during the cold weather and short days of winter, because heat and sunlight contribute to ozone formation. But E85 produces different byproducts of combustion than gasoline and generates substantially more aldehydes, which are precursors to ozone.

"What we found is that at the warmer temperatures, with E85, there is a slight increase in ozone compared to what gasoline would produce," said Diana Ginnebaugh, a doctoral candidate in civil and environmental engineering, who worked on the study. She will present the results of the study at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco. "But even a slight increase is a concern, especially in a place like Los Angeles, because you already have episodes of high ozone that you have to be concerned about, so you don't want any increase."

But it was at colder temperatures, below freezing, that it appeared the health impacts of E85 would be felt most strongly.

"We found a pretty substantial increase in ozone production from E85 at cold temperatures, relative to gasoline when emissions and atmospheric chemistry alone were considered," Ginnebaugh said. Although ozone is generally lower under cold-temperature winter conditions, "If you switched to E85, suddenly you could have a place like Denver exceeding ozone health-effects limits and then they would have a health concern that they don't have now."

The problem with cold weather emissions arises because the catalytic converters used on vehicles have to warm up before they reach full efficiency. So until they get warm, a larger proportion of pollutants escapes from the tailpipe into the air.

There are other pollutants that would increase in the atmosphere from burning E85 instead of gasoline, some of which are irritants to eyes, throats and lungs, and can also damage crops, but the aldehydes are the biggest contributors to ozone production, as well as being carcinogenic.

Ginnebaugh worked with Mark Z. Jacobson, professor of civil and environmental engineering, using vehicle emissions data from some earlier studies and applying it to the Los Angeles area to model the likely output of pollutants from vehicles.

Because E85 is only now beginning to be used in mass-produced vehicles, the researchers projected for the year 2020, when more "flex fuel" vehicles, which can run on E85, will likely be in use. They estimated that vehicle emissions would be about 60 per cent less than today, because automotive technology will likely continue to become cleaner over time. They investigated two scenarios, one that had all the vehicles running on E85 and another in which the vehicles all ran on gasoline.

Running a widely used, complex model involving over 13,000 chemical reactions, they did repeated simulations at different ambient temperatures for the two scenarios, each time simulating a 48-hour period. They used the average ozone concentrations during each of those periods for comparison.

They found that at warm temperatures, from freezing up to 41 degrees Celsius (give F conversion), in bright sunlight, E85 raised the concentration of ozone in the air by up to 7 parts per billion more than produced by gasoline. At cold temperatures, from freezing down to minus 37 degrees Celsius, they found E85 raised ozone concentrations by up to 39 parts per billion more than gasoline.

"What we are saying with these results is that you see an increase," Ginnebaugh said. "We are not saying that this is the exact magnitude you are going to get in a given urban area, because it is really going to vary from city to city depending on a lot of other factors such as the amount of natural vegetation, traffic levels, and local weather patterns."

Ginnebaugh said the results of the study represent a preliminary analysis of the impact of E85. More data from studies of the emissions of flex fuel vehicles at various temperatures would help refine the estimates, she said.

Climate change financing - the role of development cooperation

2009-12-13T13:09:00.000+05:30

"Development cooperation can play an important role in ensuring that the poorest countries will benefit from climate change funding," says Olof Drakenberg, policy analyst at the Environmental Economics Unit at the School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg.

Available funding for addressing climate change and other environmental issues is but a fraction of what is needed. Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt promised this week that Sweden will contribute about 370 million USD annually for adaptation and emission reductions in developing countries. With its move, the Swedish government seeks to increase the pressure on other EU countries to provide money.

"New and additional money is needed. But it's not just about the amount to be negotiated in Copenhagen, or from where the money comes from. It's also about who will get the money and under what conditions," says Olof Drakenberg.

Together with his colleague Emelie César he has written the report, "Old, New and Future Funding for Environment and Climate Change – the Role of Development Cooperation," which is a background study commissioned by Sida – Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency – that feeds into the ongoing work on Swedish government policy on environment and climate change

Weak rule of law, lack of transparency and low administrative capacity risk hamper climate funding to poor countries. The experience of climate finance coming through the Clean Development Mechanisms is illustrative. The least developed countries have attracted about 5 per cent of climate finance with the large majority ending up in China and India.

The most important role for development cooperation in relation to environment finance in general and climate change finance specifically is to reduce the bottlenecks that inhibit financial flows and effective delivery, so that even the poorest countries benefit from climate change funds.

In practice, support for strengthening institutional capacity, increase transparency and combat corruption becomes even more important. In addition, Sida and other donors should prevent the proliferation of funds and conditions that increase transaction costs and reduces national ownership.

Solar energy can ramp up quickly to help meet global CO2 challenges

2009-12-12T12:13:00.001+05:30

Global solar industry leaders have come to COP15 to showcase the immediate capability of solar power to deliver clean energy and reduce harmful carbon dioxide emissions (CO₂).

The European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) and the U.S.-based Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) are spearheading the SolarCOP15 initiative in Copenhagen, supported by over 40 solar trade associations from around the world.

According to a new report released by the group today, photovoltaics (PV) alone could provide up to 12 per cent of the European Union (EU) electricity demand by 2020. In the United States, the combination of PV and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) could deliver 15 per cent of electricity by the same year. Together, this would reduce CO₂ emissions by nearly 1 billion tons annually and create 6.3 million jobs. Accelerated and baseline projections are presented in the report, including China, India, and Sunbelt countries among others.

"Solar energy has significant potential to fight global climate change," said EPIA President Winfried Hoffman. "For example, in Europe alone, meeting the 12 per cent PV industry target would imply an avoidance of 220 million tons of CO₂ annually by 2020. That is the equivalent to Germany´s CO₂ emissions in 2006."

"Solar technologies are available now and ready to deliver clean energy while creating economic opportunities around the world," said SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch. "While nations negotiate details of a climate treaty, we need to be sure policies are in place so that solar can get to work now."

SolarCOP15's Policy Imperatives in Copenhagen include:

Adoption of binding targets for CO₂ emission reductions that entail the uptake of solar power

Establishment of technology transfer mechanisms

Commitment to finance strategies for solar technology deployment

SolarCOP15 brings together solar industry groups representing over 40 different nations worldwide.

Growing China industry helps clean energy boom

2009-12-11T13:09:00.001+05:30

Wu Jin Weng, inserting a low enery light bulb in her home in Shanghai. Wu Jin has led the way in WWF's "20 ways to 20%" campaign and practices numerous energy and water saving activities in her home including: using low energy light bulbs, collecting and re-using waste water from bathing and her washing machine. She is also a leading force within the community where she works with other residents to raise awareness of environmental issues and how we can all take individual action to reduce our footprint on the World. Shanghai, China.Photo:Brent Stirton / Getty Images / WWF-UKClean energy technology is on track to become the third largest industrial sector globally with a rapidly increasing share taken up by China, predicted a WWF report released at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen.

Clean Economy, Living Planet - Building Strong Clean Energy Technology Industries is a first ever worldwide country ranking by clean energy sales, finding that relative to GDP it is wind energy and insulation pioneer Denmark and bio-ethanol giant Brazil that are leading the way. Germany, trading on a substantial manufacturing base and public support for wind and solar energy, is in third place.

The report predicted that by 2020 the industry would be worth EUR1600 billion a year in 2020, ranking behind automobiles and electronics as the third largest industrial sector. In 2007, clean energy technology had a sales volume of EUR630 billion and was already larger than the global pharmaceutical industry.

Sale revenues from energy efficiency products in 2007 were more than five times the revenues from renewable energy products, but this will change significantly by 2020 with the growth rate for renewables at 15 per cent a year being three times the still respectable five per cent annually of efficiency product and process revenues.

"This is the clean economy growth happening now with only a partial Kyoto protocol international framework supporting clean energy development, patchy national support for green energy and huge subsidies to fossil fuel use," said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF's global climate initiative.

"Imagine what is possible with a successful Copenhagen climate deal and the national mechanisms to deliver its outcomes – clean energy is where the money is going to be and this is where energy security is going to be."

The report advocates countries seeking to develop their clean energy technology sectors should "follow the leaders" with technology action plans to take technologies from research to demonstration and bridge the gap between research institutions and industry.

Central banks could help by encouraging the inclusion of "carbon risk" into financial modelling. Access to seed or venture capital has also been a factor in the success of clean energy in the leading countries

The report also emphasises the importance of developing a strong domestic market in technologies with a strong domestic fit.

"It allows companies to experiment, gain experience and quickly traverse the learning curve – both giving them a competitive lead and providing them with reference and showcase projects," the report said. Governments can support such domestic markets with subsidies, renewables targets and procurement policies.

Countries which could benefit from such moves include the US, ranked 18 on the GDP weighted rankings and behind Germany even in absolute terms, and the UK, ranked 19. Illustrating opportunities lost, Australia - which squandered an early technical lead in solar energy – is ranked 28.

China is ranked fourth in terms of absolute sales, and sixth relative to its GDP.

"Clearly, from a national perspective there is much to gain and nothing to lose from investing in clean energy," said Donald Pols, Head of the Climate Programme at WWF-Netherlands.

"Forgoing these opportunities for the sake of propping up an aging, polluting fossil fuel sector for as long as its lobbying power remains significant is acting for vested interests not the national interest."

Illegally cultivated strawberries begin to fail the supermarket sustainability test

2009-12-11T12:34:00.000+05:30

Legal and efficient use of water and land are among the criteria being applied by some of Europe's leading retailers in sourcing strawberry suppliers from around the beleaguered Doñana National Park in southern Spain, WWF warned.

WWF is hoping that the pressure from retailers will help ease some of the problems of strawberry farm encroachment and interception of water supplies around the national park, while waiting on a long promised management plan from Andalusian authorities.

Doñana National Park is the flagship of Spain's protected areas and it protects a key bird migration route between Europe and Africa.

Europe buys nearly half of the strawberry production of Doñana, which implies an income of 150 Million Euros for the sector. But in the past few decades, an expansion of strawberry growing, part of it illegal, restricted its vital water supplies.

The responsible buying principles being implemented by the collaborating supermarkets is rapidly being adopted by other European retailers, in order to comply with the future requirements of the certification of Global Good Agricultural Practices (GlobalGAP) that will start to be applied in 2011. Among them, the efficient use of water may change from simple recommendations to strict requirements to obtaining the certification.

Some supermarket chains, in collaboration with WWF and some responsible strawberry growers began implementing stricter buying criteria up to three years ago. The introduction was gradual, to give farmers time to adapt. This coming season the requirements will be more strictly applied than ever before.

"If we want to maintain the access of the strawberry from Doñana to the increasingly demanding European market, Spain, and the Government of Andalusia in particular, shall activate the necessary control mechanisms", said Juan Carlos del Olmo, CEO of WWF Spain.

With more than 1000 illegal boreholes in the aquifer of Doñana, it is estimated that half of the strawberry surface is irrigated without the legal permits and one third is placed on formerly forested areas. The mismanagement of the water has reduced by 80 per cent the amount of water that flows from the aquifer to the protected wetlands. But now its management in the Doñana area is coming under critical, external commercial scrutiny.

Doñana Park is home to endangered wildlife including the spoonbill and the Iberian Lynx. Securing Doñana from the threat of being turned into eucalypt plantations and farming land in the 1960s played a key role in both the formation of WWF as the leading global conservation organisation, and the establishment of the first global environment treaty, the Ramsar convention of wetlands of international importance.

Carbon efficient index for emerging markets

2009-12-10T17:19:00.000+05:30

The world's largest public environment fund, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) is joining with the IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and Standard & Poor's to launch the world's first carbon efficient index for emerging markets. The partners predict their efforts could mobilise more than USD1 billion for carbon-efficient companies over the next three years.

The innovative S&P/IFC Carbon Efficient Index will encourage carbon-based competition among emerging-market companies, give carbon-efficient companies access to long-term investors, and should lead to important reductions in carbon emissions in developing countries.

"This is the kind of innovative project the GEF supports as part of our drive to expand collaborations with private sector partners," Monique Barbut, CEO of the GEF said. "Our work with IFC builds on this commitment and we look forward to working with investors who have the vision to meet the climate change challenge. By directing institutional capital towards more carbon efficient companies this product helps brings private sector and institutional investors closer to our mission of investing locally for global impact."

Rachel Kyte, IFC Vice President for Business Advisory Services, added, "With growing pressure on investors to diversify and maintain returns by increasing exposure to emerging markets, and with more and more investors keen to demonstrate a preference for sustainability, including carbon efficient companies, IFC hopes that the launch of this index will help ensure that carbon efficiency is rewarded in the market and that best-in-class companies gain better access to capital."

The index was developed by S&P using carbon data provided by Trucost. It will allow investors to closely track the performance of the S&P/IFC Investable Emerging Markets Index, a leading emerging-market benchmark. Investors will gain exposure to emerging markets and benefit from market rates-of-return while reducing the carbon footprint of their portfolios by 24 per cent.

The Global Environment Facility, through its private sector program, the GEF Earth Fund, provided financial support to the IFC/ S&P Trucost consortium to accelerate the carbon research on emerging market companies. GEF also provided support to the Carbon Disclosure project to increase their outreach to emerging market companies listed on the index.

The initiative is the result of a pioneering collaboration that draws upon S&P's experience in index construction, Trucost's expertise in analysing and estimating carbon emissions, and the Carbon Disclosure Project's leading engagement initiative to encourage public disclosure of carbon emissions.

IFC provided financial support to the S&P/Trucost consortium to accelerate the carbon research on emerging-market companies. It also provided technical support to help validate and refine the methodology, and it is supporting the Carbon Disclosure Project's efforts to increase their emerging-market coverage by over 500 companies. The initiative also was supported by the United Kingdom's Department for International Development.

IFC is the only international financial institution focused exclusively on the private sector, the engine of sustainable development in emerging markets. IFC has worked with GEF to establish the GEF Earth Fund, a window for GEF to engage with private sector and support innovative projects that promote global environmental objectives.

ISWA calls for emission cut in waste sector

2009-12-08T23:06:00.003+05:30

Photo:Fruggo/WikimediaInternational Solid Waste Association releases white paper

The International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) calls the attention of the delegates of the UN COP15 to the important contribution of the waste sector to reduce substantial CO₂ emissions.In its White Paper on Waste and Climate Change ISWA confirms that significant CO₂ emission reductions can be achieved through the better management of solid wastes (i.e., residential and commercial rubbish).

Investments in waste management in developed countries can lead to net emission savings of up to 20 per cent (this includes reduced emissions plus the avoided emissions from recycling materials and energy recovery).

For example, in the European Union it is estimated that municipal waste management activities alone can potentially account for 18 per cent of the Kyoto CO₂ reduction target set for the EU-15. These reductions can be achieved solely through investments in accepted practices and proven solid waste management techniques.

Importantly, nearly 20 per cent of today's Clean Development Mechanism programs on CO₂ emission reductions are waste sector projects. Waste management projects offer affordable investments to deliver net reductions.

To achieve the greatest impact

In most developing countries the potential for net reductions is even larger. Government programs and the private sector can focus on the elimination of open dumping of waste through improved waste collection and developing environmentally-sound waste management systems. Such systems include sustainable landfills to capture and treat methane emissions, composting, or other approaches.

For the developed world, promoting improved practices (including high efficiency energy recovery from waste) will further reduce CO₂ emissions while limiting dependence on fossil fuels. Expansions of composting and recycling programs are good examples that deliver CO₂ reductions and produce less demand for primary natural resources.