THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE NEWS
Tuesday, 26 October, 2010
UNEP and the Executive Director in the News
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UN News Centre: New UN report warns of risks of biological production of renewable
energy
UPI (US): U.N. wants water, biofuel balance
Eco Business (Asia Pacific): Nagoya 2010: Weighing up the risks and benefits of
biofuels development
Calcutta Tube (US): Time to focus on freshwater fish, is India listening?
Fish News (EU): New report highlights importance of inland fisheries resources
Take Part (Blog): Garbage Fish: It's What's on the Menu as Extinctions Plague the
Oceans
Star (Malaysia): A UN study highlights the price of nature
Environmental Expert: Nagoya 2010: Bridging business and biodiversity
Jack Times (Romania): Body Shop joins hands with Emirates Environmental Group to
plant trees in Sultan Al Owais School, Dubai
AME Info (UAE): Body Shop joins hands with Emirates Environmental Group to plant
trees in Sultan Al Owais School, Dubai
Gulf Times (Qatar): Solar power seen key to renewables effort in Gulf
El Financiero (Costa Rica): Producción de biocombustibles presiona escasez de agua
mundial
Prensa Latina (Cuba): PNUMA aboga por desarrollo sostenible de la bioenergía
Windkraft Konstruktion (Germany): Energieversorgung nur mit erneuerbaren Energien
ist bis 2050 machbar
Solar Portal 24 (Germany): Photovoltaik-Anlage für neues UNEP-Bürogebäude in
Nairobi
Publi News (France): La valeur de la nature : un rapport européen inédit révèle
l'importance fondamentale de la biodiversité dans l'économie
Other Environment News
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Guardian (UK): Nagoya biodiversity summit is showing depressing parallels with
Copenhagen
BBC: Obstacles to nature protection emerge as stakes rise
Ecosystem Marketplace (US): Peeling Away the Mystery of UN Biodiversity Talks
– one Layer at a Time
AFP: Climate change to hit Asia's poor hardest: W.Bank
Independent (UK): Earthquake sparks Tsunami in Indonesia
Live Science (US): In Amazon, New Species Discovered Every 3 Days
AP: China panda baby boom aids against extinction
New York Times (US): Serving Up Feathered Bait to Attract Ecosystem Data
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New York Times (US): Calculating Commitment to the Climate
Environmental News from the UNEP Regions
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ROA
ROAP
RONA
ROLAC
Other UN News
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Environment News from the UN Daily News of October 25th 2010
Environment News from the S.G.’s Spokesman Daily Press Briefing of October
26th 2010 (None)
UNEP and the Executive Director in the News
UN News Centre: New UN report warns of risks of biological production of
renewable energy
25th October 2010
Sources of energy derived from biological sources may reduce global dependence on
fossil fuels that emit harmful gases, but they entail the use of large volumes of water and
pose the risk of introducing undesirable crops into ecosystems, the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) warns in a report released today.
The report, “Accessing Biofuels,” recommends new planning and management
approaches to balance the beneficial effects of the production of biofuels – which do not
produce gases associated with climate change – with their environmental and social
consequences.
“There is no doubt that we need to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels and move to
cleaner, more environmentally friendly options,” said Achim Steiner, UNEP’s Executive
Director. “But we need to make sure we are not creating more problems than we solve.
“Biofuel production has risks and opportunities. We need to examine all the risks, so that
we can take full advantage of the opportunities for emissions cuts, for new green jobs, and
for raising the standards of living for some of the world’s poorest communities,” Mr. Steiner
said.
According to the report, bioenergy development can have an impact on biodiversity on a
number of levels, including directly through land-use change, the introduction of potentially
invasive species for use in biofuel production, the overuse of water, and indirectly by
pushing agricultural production into previously high-value conservation areas.
UNEP cites research which shows that 2 per cent, or 44 cubic kilometres, of the global
water withdrawals for irrigation are being used for bioenergy production, and notes that if
current bioenergy standards and targets are fully implemented, a further 180 cubic
kilometres of irrigation water would be needed.
The water demand would create additional pressure on water resources and potentially
have an effect on food production and water supplies, especially in areas already
experiencing water shortages.
In an issue paper published in the report, UNEP argues that while many of the currently
available biofuels are produced from existing food crops, some of the plant species being
considered for advanced biofuels are potentially invasive.
The agency notes that the very qualities that make these plants ideal for biofuels – fast
growth, ability to outperform local vegetation, abundant seed production, tolerance of and
adaptability to a range of soil and climatic conditions, resistance to pests and diseases and
lack of predators – mean they could become invasive in a given landscape.
Invasive species can cause serious damage to the environment, local livelihoods and
economies, according to the report, which was released at the 10th conference of parties
to UN Convention on Biological Diversity that is currently under way in the Japanese city
of Nagoya.
Meanwhile, a website spotlighting some 35 important areas worldwide, including the World
Heritage sites and Protected Areas, was launched at the conference today.
The electronic guide also explains the species and habitats they seek to protect, as well as
their legal status and the extent to which local communities are present.
“The A-Z guide is a useful reference to support business and other sectors with their
biodiversity commitments to mark our contribution to the Year of Biodiversity,”, said Jon
Hutton, Director of the UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC)
which created the guide with the support of several partners.
It is intended to assist the business community, governments as well as non-governmental
organizations by providing useful expert reviewed information, links to tools with spatial
data, and further online resources to raise awareness and support decision-making about
areas important for biodiversity conservation.
Also appears in: Scoop (New Zealand), ISRIA, Environmental Expert,
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UPI (US): U.N. wants water, biofuel balance
25th October 2010
Achim Steiner, the executive director of the U.N. Environment Program, said in a
statement that increasing the water use for biofuel production in areas where water is in
short supply complicates efforts to move toward a green economy.
"There is no doubt that we need to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels and move to
cleaner, more environmentally friendly options, but we need to make sure we are not
creating more problems than we solve," he said in a statement.
A report on bioenergy from UNEP found that 2 percent of the world's water was used for
irrigation of crops used in the production of biofuels.
The report warned that bioenergy development can alter land use and result in a
reduction in water supplies for purposes such as drinking and conventional agricultural
uses.
The UNEP director said the international community needed to strike a delicate balance
between tackling climate change and making the most out of vital resources.
"Biofuel production has risks and opportunities," Steiner said. "We need to examine all
the risks, so that we can take full advantage of the opportunities, for emissions cuts, for
new green jobs, and for raising the standards of living for some of the world's poorest
communities."
Also appears in: Polijam (Blog),
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Eco Business (Asia Pacific): Nagoya 2010: Weighing up the risks and benefits of
biofuels development
25th October 2010
Water could determine the degree to which bioenergy can contribute to combating
climate change by reducing the world’s reliance on fossil fuels, the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) said in an Issue Paper presented at the Convention on
Biodiversity meeting (CBD COP10) in Nagoya, Japan, today.
Increasing water demand for biofuels production in areas where water is already scarce
could increase environmental and social pressures, the paper entitled Water and
Bioenergy, stated.
Bioenergy development can have an impact on biodiversity on a number of levels: by
changing land-use, introducing invasive species for use in biofuel production, overusing
water and pushing agricultural production into areas with high conservation value
(indirect land use change). But there can be beneficial impacts as well: for instance,
replacement of firewood use can decrease deforestation.
A joined-up approach to bioenergy development, one that balances greenhouse gas
emissions with impacts on biodiversity, water and food security, is needed. Proper
planning and management will be essential at the national level, as well as in individual
projects.
“There is no doubt that we need to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels and move to
cleaner, more environmentally friendly options, but we need to make sure we are not
creating more problems than we solve” said Achim Steiner, Under-Secretary General of
the United Nations and UNEP Executive Director.
“Biofuel production has risks and opportunities. We need to examine all the risks, so that
we can take full advantage of the opportunities, for emissions cuts, for new green jobs,
and for raising the standards of living for some of the world’s poorest communities,” he
added.
UNEP spells out some of those considerations in four issues papers circulated today,
which compliment a landmark report-Accessing Biofuels- launched last year by the
UNEP-hosted International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management.
In Water and Bioenergy, the second in the bioenergy paper series, UNEP cites research
which shows that two per cent, or 44 km3, of the global water withdrawals for irrigation
are being used for bioenergy production.
But if current bioenergy standards and targets were fully implemented, a further 180km3
of irrigation water would be needed, creating additional pressure on water resources and
potentially impacting on food production and water supplies, especially in those areas
already experiencing water stress.
As the water footprint of bioenergy can be up to 400 times greater than that of traditional
fossil fuels, the greatest challenges will be to determine how to meet future bioenergy
demand without overexploiting or damaging water resources, and how to better manage
bioenergy supply chains to reduce the pressure on water use and minimize impacts on
water quality.
So important are the links between water and biofuel production that the UNEP is
preparing a report which for the first time examines in depth the links between biofuel
production and water availability, use and quality. The report, called Zoom on the
Bioenergy and Water Nexus, draws on the work of more than 40 experts and will be
released early next year.
Measures that help reduce the impact of bioenergy on water include:
Matching bioenergy feedstocks with locally available water resources, favoring those
that require less irrigation and added agrochemicals, which through run-off can
contaminate water supplies.
Using sustainable agricultural techniques and technologies to minimize water use, and
encouraging the switch to sustainable agriculture.
Conducting life-cycle analyses of total water use and water quality of biofuels.
Fostering market mechanisms that encourage sustainable water use and reduce
potentially harmful effluents and take into account regional needs and contexts.
In another issues paper circulated today, Gain or Pain- Biofuels and Invasive Species,
UNEP, UNEP’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) and the International
Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) say that while many of the currently
available biofuels are produced from food crops that have been grown for centuries,
some of the plant species being considered for advanced biofuels are potentially
invasive.
The very qualities that make these plants ideal for biofuels - fast growth, ability to
outperform local vegetation, abundant seed production, tolerance of and adaptability to a
range of soil and climatic conditions, resistance to pests and diseases, a lack of
predators - mean they could become invasive in a given landscape.
Invasive species can do serious damage to the environment, local livelihoods and
economies. Careful risk assessment that weighs up the likelihood of impacts on
biodiversity, and measures preventing spread are needed.
So far, in the rush to pursue the benefits of biofuels, the risk of invasive species being
introduced for biofuels production has received too little attention.
The paper highlights the need for more research and sharing of information about these
plants, and methods to assess the likelihood to which invasiveness could materialize.
In Beyond the Talk: Engaging Stakeholders in Bioenergy Development, UNEP examines
the critical link between biodiversity and the livelihoods of communities around the world,
building on a recent Decision Support Tool prepared with the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) under the framework of UN Energy, a mechanism to coordinate the
work on sustainable energy.
As bioenergy projects creep into the backyards of these communities, they need to be
properly engaged and communicated with to ensure that these practices are not harmful
to them, that land tenure is secured, and that local biodiversity providing ecosystem
services is maintained.
And in Land Use, Land Use Change and Bioenergy, UNEP points to global estimate
that, on current trends and with current technologies, bioenergy could compromise up to
36 per cent of arable land by 2030. This could have a serious impact on biodiversity.
The challenge is to create processes and methodologies that help designate areas that
are suitable and available for bioenergy development,and those where special care
needs to be applied. Comprehensive land-use planning and management systems need
to be enacted.
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Calcutta Tube (US): Time to focus on freshwater fish, is India listening?
25th October 2010
Fishermen and policymakers alike are worried because many marine fisheries have lost
90 percent of their stocks. What is often forgotten is that inland freshwater fisheries are
in crises too, highlights a new report that is of significance to India.
‘This fascinating report has brought to the fore the often neglected subject of inland
fisheries,’ Achim Steiner, UN under-secretary and UNEP executive director, said.
‘While marine fisheries are under increasing scrutiny, those based on river and lake
systems rarely engage the international community – an oversight of potentially profound
implications.’
‘Why? Because an estimated 100 million people in Africa alone get important levels of
daily protein from these inland sources alongside essential vitamins and minerals.
Meanwhile, unofficial estimates put the global inland catch at close to 30 million tonnes,
comparable to official marine catches, and employment at 60 million people – 13 million
more than in equivalent marine fisheries,’ he added.
In India, 5.5 million people are employed in freshwater fishing and related occupations.
India, China, Bangladesh and Myanmar are the largest producers of freshwater fish with
a total official harvest from inland fisheries of over five million tonnes a year.
The numbers are just as significant in most countries. These fisheries play a vital role in
economies, livelihoods, health and human development.
The report on inland fisheries released on the sidelines of the Oct 18-29 UN biodiversity
summit here says globally, rivers and lakes are providing 13 million tonnes of fish
annually with the true figure perhaps as much as 30 million tonnes due to under
reporting of catches.
These inland fisheries are generating 60 million full and part time jobs in fishing and
other activities such as processing with over half these jobs carried out by women.
Close to 70 percent of the total inland catch is in Asia. Much of the fish is eaten within
the country, underlining the critical importance to the people and economies of the
developing world.
The new report, compiled by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World
Fish Centre, also highlights the wide ranging importance of inland fisheries in diet, and
especially among children, above and beyond the supply of protein.
‘Even more important in many countries (than protein) is the role of inland fisheries in
supplying micronutrients, especially vitamin A, calcium, iron and zinc,’ says the report
Blue Harvest: Inland Fisheries as an Ecosystem Service.
‘Detailed studies in Bangladesh for example have shown that daily consumption of small
fish contributes 40 percent of the total daily household requirement of vitamin A and 31
percent of calcium,’ adds the study.
As well as providing nutritional benefits, fish also play a key role in the functioning of
aquatic ecosystems. Their consumption of plankton, plants, insects and other fish is
critical to the stability and resilience of river and lake habitats.
Fish also serve as important links between ecosystems. The nutrients and organic
matter from fish eggs, carcasses and excretion help to support the production of algae,
insect larvae and other fish species in rivers and lakes.
When fish populations decline, there can be serious knock-on effects for other
organisms. The report warns that despite over 40 years of steady production globally,
rapid environmental changes are occurring which challenge the viability of future fish
stocks.
As reasons, it cites low flows, changes in seasonal flooding patterns and loss of habitat
and spawning grounds linked with dams, unsustainable agriculture and over-abstraction
of water.
Other impacts are coming from urbanisation and road building, pollution including
wastewater discharges and climate change. Pollution is also taking its toll.
The report urges countries to adopt an ‘ecosystem approach’ to managing inland
fisheries given the multiple impacts coming to bear on their health and productivity.
New dams should be located where they have least impact on river ecosystems, and
fish-friendly designs managed to allow fish migration and delivery of seasonal flows, the
report says; where possible older dams need to be altered to provide similar benefits.
The study reports that the number of large dams greater than 15 metres in height has
grown globally from 5,000 in 1949 to over 50,000 by 2006. Meanwhile, there are now
also an estimated 800,000 smaller dams worldwide.
Also appears in: Sify (India), MSN (India),
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Fish News (EU): New report highlights importance of inland fisheries resources
25th October 2010
THE vital importance of inland fisheries to the diet, incomes and livelihoods of people in
developing economies is brought into sharp focus in a new report launched on Friday.
Globally rivers and lakes are providing 13 million tonnes of fish annually with the true
figure perhaps as much as 30 million tonnes due to under reporting of catches.
These inland fisheries are generating 60 million full and part time jobs in fishing and other
activities such as processing with over half these jobs carried out by women.
Close to 70 per cent of the total inland catch is in Asia with 25 per cent in Africa and
around four per cent in Latin America. Much is consumed domestically underlining the
critical importance to the people and economies of the developing world.
The new report, compiled by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the WorldFish
Center, also highlights the wide ranging importance of inland fisheries in diet, and
especially among children, above and beyond the supply of protein.
"Even more important in many countries (than protein) is the role of inland fisheries in
supplying micronutrients, especially vitamin A, calcium, iron and zinc," says the report Blue
Harvest: Inland Fisheries as an Ecosystem Service.
"Detailed studies in Bangladesh for example have shown that daily consumption of small
fish contributes 40 per cent of the total daily household requirement of vitamin A and 31
per cent of calcium," adds the study whose findings were launched at the 10th Meeting of
the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity taking place in Nagoya, Japan.
As well as providing nutritional benefits, fish also play a key role in the functioning of
aquatic ecosystems. Their consumption of plankton, plants, insects, and other fish is
critical to the stability and resilience of river and lake habitats.
Fish also serve as important links between ecosystems. The nutrients and organic matter
from fish eggs, carcasses and excretion help to support the production of algae, insect
larvae and other fish species in rivers and lakes.
When fish populations decline, there can be serious knock-on effects for other organisms.
Widespread mortality of the cisco fish from Lake Mendota in the USA, for example, led to
changes in the plankton composition of the lake, decreased the level of nutrients in the
water column and caused a decline in the biomass of algae.
The report warns that despite over 40 years of steady production globally, rapid
environmental changes are occurring which challenge the viability of future fish stocks and
a range of internationally-agreed development targets including the Millennium
Development Goals.
It cites low flows, changes in seasonal flooding patterns and loss of habitat and spawning
grounds linked with dams, unsustainable agriculture and over-abstraction of water.
Other impacts are coming from urbanization and road building, pollution including
wastewater discharges and climate change.
The report highlights a combination of overfishing and environmental degradation as key
triggers for declines in catches in Lake Malawi and Lake Malombe while catches on the
Niger River have fallen as a result of dam building and drought related reductions in river
flow.
Pollution is also taking its toll. Chongqing, Nanjing, Shanghai and other major cites in
China's Yangtze River valley are adding 25 billion tonnes of wastewater to the river
annually, much of which is untreated.
Along with other factors, such as dams and over-abstraction of water, pollution is linked
with a decline in Yangtze fish catches with the Chinese sturgeon and the Chinese
paddlefish classed as critically endangered.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary and UNEP Executive Director, said: "This fascinating
report has brought to the fore the often neglected subject of inland fisheries. While marine
fisheries are under increasing scrutiny, those based on river and lake systems rarely
engage the international community-an oversight of potentially profound implications".
"Why? Because an estimated 100 million people in Africa alone get important levels of
daily protein from these inland sources alongside essential vitamins and minerals.
Meanwhile unofficial estimates put the global inland catch at close to 30 million tonnes,
comparable to official marine catches, and employment at 60 million people-13 million
more than in equivalent marine fisheries," he added.
The report urges countries to adopt an 'ecosystem approach' to managing inland fisheries
given the multiple impacts coming to bear on their health and productivity.
Such an approach needs to address a wide range of factors from curbing pollution and
destructive fishing practises to sustaining river flows and restoring habitats, including
protecting wetlands and other feeding and spawning grounds.
New dams should be located where they have least impact on river ecosystems, and fishfriendly designs managed to allow fish migration and delivery of seasonal flows. Where
possible older dams need to be altered to provide similar benefits.
Patrick Dugan, the lead author based at the WorldFish Center in Penang, Malaysia,
added: "Recent achievements in the United States and the Vu Gia-Thu Ban River basin in
Vietnam show that political will and careful planning can provide win-win solutions. These
have kept some river corridors free from dams, while others are managed for both
environmental and hydropower objectives. We need urgently to replicate these successes
more widely and in larger rivers if we are to sustain the world's inland fisheries."
Blue Harvest: Inland Fisheries as an Ecosystem Service (UNEP- WorldFish Center) is
available at: www.worldfishcenter.org/resource_centre/Blue_Harvest.pdf
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Take Part (Blog): Garbage Fish: It's What's on the Menu as Extinctions Plague the
Oceans
26th October 2010
The U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity—15,000 delegates from 193 countries
gathered in Ngoya, Japan—opened with a bang over the weekend by predicting that by
2050, marine ecosystems as we know them will have disappeared.
Opening remarks for the two-week conference confirmed a World Wildlife Fund forecast
that within the next four decades, all of the fish we currently consume will be gone.
The factors for this warning are extremely—and sadly—predictable: Pollution, climate
change and overfishing.
Russ Mittermeier, president of Conservation International, predicted in Ngoya, “We are on
the verge of a major extinction spasm.”
A United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report details the depressed future of
marine ecosystems, and particularly fish. Based on studies of 18 regions around the world,
the report predicts that as sea temperatures rise, along with nitrogen levels which trigger
fish-killing algae blooms, both fishing and tourist industries will be endangered.
The inevitable might be staved off by creating more Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and
enforcing tougher laws on who can catch which fish, where and when.
Whenever I cite the WWF forecast—that all of the fish we currently know and eat will be
gone by 2050—I like to point out that it doesn’t mean the last fish will be taken from the
sea.
It does mean that 40 years from now we will be catching, selling and eating fish that
currently live in waters that are too deep or remote and are considered too small, too bony
or simply too … fishy.
Some seafood chefs around the U.S., with one eye on sustainability, are previewing fish
species that may appear on menus in 2050. With some popular species already off-limits
due to polluted or overworked fisheries—including redfish from the Gulf of Mexico and
grouper—smart chefs are experimenting with recipes for species that have previously
been judged dubious.
A recent Wall Street Journal story suggests some of the iffy species (often described on
menus as having an “adventurous” taste) being tried out are undergoing name changes.
Just as the Patagonia toothfish became the Chilean sea bass and the New Zealand
slimehead was rebranded as orange roughy, chefs are looking for a more appetizing
name for the “bearded brotula.”
Fish looks are important to typical shoppers at the local market. But in a restaurant, Tony
Tocco of the Café Atchafalaya in New Orleans tells the WSJ, “Diners never see fish with
their heads still on. You ever seen a monkfish? It’s really ugly, with a big, gaping mouth.
Yet people love the so-called poor-man’s lobster. Flounder isn’t exactly sexy-looking
either, but it’s low-cost and versatile.”
Some new fish on the horizon include the lesser-known sheepshead, tripletail, king
mackerel, golden tilefish, cobia, Florida pompano, cuttlefish and—one definitely headed
for a name change—the hogfish.
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Star (Malaysia): A UN study highlights the price of nature
26th October 2010
THE global economy must be radically altered to put a value on forests, reefs and other
elements of nature. The financial benefits of doing so will be enormous, according to a
United Nations-backed report.
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) report warned that allowing
nature to remain unaccounted for within the economy would lead to the continuing rapid
extinction of species, and ensuing massive financial costs.
“TEEB’s approach can reset the economic compass and herald a new era in which the
value of nature’s services is made visible and becomes an explicit part of policy and
business decision-making,” said banker Pavan Sukhdev, who chaired a study that led to
the report.
After nearly three years of research, the report aims to raise global awareness about the
economic costs of inaction on biodiversity in a similar way to British economist Nicholas
Stern’s famous 2006 report on climate change.
The TEEB report was released on Wednesday in Nagoya, Japan, where delegates from
193 countries are meeting at a UN summit in an effort to map out a strategy to stop
humans from driving species to extinction.
“We hope the next phase after Nagoya ... is going to be a change in policy, a change in
the matrix, a change in consumer behaviour, a change in business behaviour. Do
nothing, and not only do we lose trillions worth of current and future benefits to society,
we also further impoverish the poor and put future generations at risk.
“The time for ignoring biodiversity and persisting with conventional thinking regarding
wealth creation and development is over. We must get onto the path towards a green
economy,” said Sukhdev.
The report highlighted the broad scope of so-called “ecosystem services” that are
generally not valued in the economy. These included regulation of the environment –
such as through water filtration by wetlands, pollination and disaster protection – and as
a source of medicines and wild foods. Spiritual and recreational values, as well as the
environment’s role in nutrient recycling and photosynthesis, also needed to be taken into
account, the report urged.
TEEB recommended that businesses and governments reveal in annual reports or
national accounts how they depleted or damaged the environment.
This depletion or damage would have an economic value, and businesses would need to
compensate for their adverse environmental impacts.
The TEEB reported cited a study by Britain-based consultancy TruCost that found the
negative environmental impacts of the world’s top 3,000 listed companies were worth
US$2.2trillion (RM7trillion) annually.
Effect on the poor
Many studies also found forests and other ecosystems to contribute significantly to the
livelihoods of poor rural households. Conservation of these ecosystems, therefore, will
help alleviate poverty.
It has been estimated that ecosystem services and other non-marketed natural goods
account for 47% to 89% of the so-called “GDP of the Poor” (the effective GDP or total
sources of livelihoods of rural and forest-dwelling poor households) in some large
developing countries.
“In the past only traditional sectors such as manufacturing, mining, retailing, construction
and energy generation were uppermost in the minds of economic planners and ministers
of finance, development and trade. TEEB has brought to the world’s attention that
nature’s goods and services are equal, if not far more central, to the wealth of nations
including the poor ... a fact that will be increasingly the case on a planet of finite
resources with a population set to rise to nine billion people by 2050,” said Achim
Steiner, UN under-secretary general and UNEP executive director.
The TEEB report said the impacts of not giving economic values to ecosystems was
most widely felt in the developing world.
This could be commonly seen when forests were logged, with the economic value
placed only on the trees and not the other immense benefits that the ecosystem
provided. Among the benefits are that forests act as water catchments, provide habitats
for valuable plants and animals, and store carbon so that it is not released into the
atmosphere.
Continuing to log forests at current rates until 2050 would lead to natural capital losses
of US$2trillion to US$4.5trillion (RM6.4trillion to RM14.4trillion) annually, according to
TEEB.
With more than half of the human population now living in urban areas, cities have a
crucial role to play in acknowledging the natural capital required to maintain and improve
the well-being of their residents.
Innovative economic instruments and policies are emerging that reward good practice.
For example, the Japanese city of Nagoya (host to the UN meeting on biodiversity), has
implemented a new system of tradeable development rights whereby developers wishing
to exceed existing limits on highrise buildings can offset their impacts by buying and
conserving areas of Japan’s traditional agricultural landscape.
Discounts on bank loans for buildings that receive a higher “star rating” based on a
green certification system designed by city authorities also create incentives for more
green space within city projects.
The good news is that many communities and countries are already seeing the potential
of incorporating the value of nature into decision-making.
Sukhdev said that India, Brazil and some other developing countries had already
committed to placing values on their natural capital.
Countries such as India have already announced plans for implementing the economic
valuation of their natural capital as well as the value of nature’s services in decisionmaking.
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Environmental Expert: Nagoya 2010: Bridging business and biodiversity
25th October 2010
What is a 'Key Biodiversity Area'? Why is it important, how was it established and what is
its relevance to business? The answers to these and other key questions can be now
found on the 'A-Z Areas of Biodiversity Importance' website, which was launched today at
the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity taking place in
Nagoya, Japan.
Spotlighting some 35 important areas worldwide -such as Ramsar, World Heritage sites
and Protected Areas -this electronic guide also explains the species and habitats they
seek to protect as well as in their legal status and the extent to which local communities
are present.
'The A-Z guide is a useful reference to support business and other sectors with their
biodiversity commitments to mark our contribution to the Year of Biodiversity,' said Jon
Hutton, Director of the United Nations Environment Programme-World Conservation
Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) which created the guide in partnership with the
International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), the International Petroleum Industry
Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA), the European Investment Bank (EIB),
the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (EBRD).
The guide, the first of its kind, is geared to assist the business community, governments as
well as NGOs by providing useful expert reviewed information, links to tools with spatial
data, and further online resources to raise awareness and support decision-making about
areas important for biodiversity conservation.
'The A to Z guide is a useful tool to inform decisions by businesses on the siting of projects
so as to minimize the environmental footprint and maximize conservation opportunities
associated with infrastructure development,' said Ernani Pilla, Natural Resources Senior
Specialist of the IDB.
The guide also covers the criteria behind the management practices for protecting different
areas and important information, like legal and compliance aspects as well as the
biodiversity and socio-cultural values that need to be upheld in each location.
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Jack Times (Romania): Body Shop joins hands with Emirates Environmental Group
to plant trees in Sultan Al Owais School, Dubai
26th October 2010
Body Shop has finally joined the hands with EEG under the aegis of UNEP’s Billion Tree
Campaign.
The Planting Ceremony started with a welcome speech from the Principal of the school
Ms Shiekha Al Mazem, and it was followed by a speech from Ms. Habiba Al Marashi,
EEG’s chairperson. A word on the event was from The Body Shop Public Relations
Manager Ms.Hend Barakat.
Teachers, The Body Shop employees, EEG staff and the enthusiastic students, fielded
shovels and dug pits to plant the trees inside the school campus.
The students were really interested in taking the lead and have in fact got down on their
knees to plant the trees.
The event went on quite peacefully and it did bring a good change.
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AME Info (UAE): Body Shop joins hands with Emirates Environmental Group to
plant trees in Sultan Al Owais School, Dubai
25th October 2010
Under the aegis of UNEP's Billion Tree Campaign, Emirates Environmental Group
(EEG) planted indigenous 15 trees sponsored by The Body Shop at Sultan Al Owais
School for basic education, Dubai.
The Planting Ceremony started with a welcome speech from the principle of the school
Ms. Shiekha Al Mazem, followed by a speech from Ms. Habiba Al Marashi, EEG's
chairperson and a word on the event from The Body Shop Public Relations Manager Ms.
Hend Barakat.
Teachers, The Body Shop employees, EEG staff and the enthusiastic students, fielded
shovels and dug pits to plant the trees inside the school campus. The students were the
ones that took the lead and got down on their knees to plant the trees.
EEG Chairperson, Mrs. Al Marashi, said, "The One Million Tree Campaign for EEG aims
to complement the urban environment and also combat the spin - off from human
activities. Planting indigenous trees will not only help offset the carbon count of our daily
lives, but also provide a cleaner, greener future for our next generation. EEG is thankful
to organisations such as The Body Shop for lending a helping hand to EEG's
Programmes."
The UAE has witnessed an upsurge of growth and development in the past few decades
where the desert habitat has undergone a sea of change. While the city line has
witnessed the tallest and the most breathtaking buildings, this rapid development has left
a dearth of green spaces. Thus the planting and nurturing of trees is necessary to strike
a balance in the environment.
EEG is accredited to United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
and United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) governing Council. Tree planting
is a part of EEG's commitment to the UNEP's Billion Tree programme, wherein EEG had
pledged one million indigenous trees to be planted in UAE in the year 2007. EEG
surpassed its target and succeeded in facilitating planting more than 1.640.022 million
indigenous trees by 2010.
The One Million Tree Campaign is continuing in the year 2010, as an ongoing
commitment to UNEP and the New Year has already brought together numerous
corporate organisations and schools to plant trees for the latter that are committed to the
cause of environmental protection and preservation.
Also appears in: Trading Markets (US),
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Gulf Times (Qatar): Solar power seen key to renewables effort in Gulf
25th October 2010
Promoting solar energy in the Gulf, which has one of the world’s biggest carbon footprints,
will be a priority for the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), its new interim
director-general said.
Securing Saudi Arabia’s participation in the intergovernmental organisation will also be a
major target, Irena’s Adnan Amin told Reuters in an interview yesterday, adding that he
hoped the world’s largest crude oil exporter would become a signatory by next April.
“For the fact that it’s an oil-producing region, they (Gulf countries) fully acknowledge that
they have a very heavy carbon footprint. The issue is how they address reducing the
footprint,” he said.
“There seems to be clear political acceptance that this needs to be happening pretty
soon.”
“Wind (energy) has huge potential, but the key renewable energy for the region is solar,”
Amin said.
Irena, based in Abu Dhabi, was established in January 2009 to promote the development
of the renewable energy industry worldwide.
Currently it is in a preparatory phase with 42 ratifications and 149 signatories received so
far. It will hold its first assembly in April 2011.
A provisional budget of $23.9mn was agreed for 2011, with a core budget of $13.3mn
funded by voluntary contributors and the remainder made up by additional voluntary
contributions from the UAE, Germany and Austria.
“The next four to five months are crucial for Irena to become a full-fledged organisation.
There will be mandatory contributions after the first assembly in April 2011,” Amin said.
Amin, a Kenyan citizen and a former UN Environment Programme official, was appointed
as Irena’s interim director-general as of November 1 until the organisation’s first assembly
in April 2011.
The organisation will set up an office in Bonn, focusing on innovation and a liaison office in
Vienna to deal with other energy agencies.
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El Financiero (Costa Rica): Producción de biocombustibles presiona escasez de
agua mundial
25th October 2010
Un estudio del Pnuma demuestra que el 2%de la extracción de agua para el riego
mundial se están utilizando para la producción de bioenergía.
Si las normas actuales se implementan plenamente se crearía una presión adicional
sobre los recursos hídricos afectando potencialmente la producción de alimentos y la
oferta de agua.
El más reciente informe del Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente (
Pnuma ) indica que, aunque el desarrollo de biocombustibles en el mundo reduce la
dependencia de los combustibles fósiles y ayudar a reducir las emisiones de gases de
efecto invernadero, también genera presión sobre la ya existente escasez de agua .
El desarrollo de la bioenergía puede tener un impacto sobre la biodiversidad en varios
niveles a través del cambio de uso del suelo, la introducción de especies potencialmente
invasoras para la producción, el uso excesivo de agua, e indirectamente, por impulsar la
producción agrícola en áreas de conservación de alto valor.
Pero también pueden tener efectos beneficiosos: por ejemplo, la sustitución del uso de
leña puede reducir la deforestación.
Producción con lupa
La publicación plantea un enfoque sostenible del desarrollo de la bioenergía que logre el
balance entre las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero con los impactos sobre la
biodiversidad , el agua y la seguridad alimentaria, es necesario.
Como la huella hídrica de la bioenergía puede ser desde 70 hasta 400 veces mayor que
la de los combustibles fósiles tradicionales, los mayores retos serán la determinación de
cómo satisfacer la demanda de bioenergía futura sin sobreexplotar o dañar los recursos
hídricos, y cómo mejorar la gestión de cadenas de suministro de bioenergía para reducir
la presión sobre el uso del agua y minimizar los impactos sobre la calidad del agua.
El informe sugiere algunas líneas que podrían disminuir los riesgos de biocombustibles,
tales como hacer coincidir las materias primas para la bioenergía con los recursos
hídricos disponibles a nivel local.
En Costa Rica , la comercialización de biocombustibles está en espera de la aprobación
de la metodología para definir las tarifas. Además, Recope está realizando pruebas para
procesar aceite de palma. La meta será introducir un 5% en la primera etapa.
Además, forma parte del Plan de Energía que el Gobierno actual presentó en julio
anterior.
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Prensa Latina (Cuba): PNUMA aboga por desarrollo sostenible de la bioenergía
25th October 2010
Expertos alertan sobre la necesidad de desarrollar un enfoque sostenible de la
bioenergía, que logre el balance entre las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero con
los impactos sobre la biodiversidad, el agua y la seguridad alimentaria.
Así lo resaltan especialistas del Programa de Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente
(PNUMA), en un informe que además, señala que una adecuada planificación y gestión
serán fundamentales en el plano nacional, así como en proyectos individuales.
El desarrollo de energía renovable a partir de materiales derivados de fuentes biológicas
(bioenergía) puede reducir la dependencia de los combustibles fósiles y ayudar a reducir
las emisiones de gases contaminantes, pero los procesos utilizados para su producción
consumen cantidades considerables de agua.
Asimismo pueden causar la introducción de cultivos invasores usados para los
biocombustibles en los sistemas naturales, destaca el documento divulgado en la Cumbre
de Biodiversidad que sesiona en Nagoya, Japón.
No obstante, el PNUMA indica que impulsar la bioenergía también puede tener efectos
beneficiosos: por ejemplo, la sustitución del uso de leña puede reducir la deforestación.
En ese sentido, Achim Steiner, Director Ejecutivo del PNUMA y Subsecretario General de
las Naciones Unidas, manifestó que se debe reducir la dependencia de los combustibles
fósiles y pasar a opciones más limpias y ambientalmente amigables, "pero tenemos que
asegurarnos que no estamos creando más problemas de los que resolvemos".
La producción de biocombustibles conlleva riesgos y oportunidades. Tenemos que
examinar todos los inconvenientes para poder aprovechar plenamente las oportunidades,
para la reducción de emisiones, para nuevos empleos verdes, y para elevar el nivel de
vida de algunas de las comunidades más pobres del mundo, aseveró.
Las relaciones entre el agua y la producción de biocombustibles son tan estrechas que el
PNUMA está preparando un informe donde, por primera vez, examina en profundidad
estos vínculos. Llamado "Zoom en el Nexo entre la Bioenergía y el Agua", se basa en el
trabajo de más de 40 expertos y será dado a conocer el próximo año, trascendió aquí.
Entretanto, un importante texto fue distribuido hoy en esta ciudad, bajo el título, Ganancia
o dolor? Los biocombustibles y las especies invasoras.
En él se destaca como, si bien muchos de los biocarburantes disponibles actualmente
son producidos a partir de cultivos alimentarios que se han sembrado por siglos, algunas
de las especies de plantas, consideradas para biocombustibles avanzados son
potencialmente invasoras.
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Windkraft Konstruktion (Germany): Energieversorgung nur mit erneuerbaren
Energien ist bis 2050 machbar
25th October 2010
Auf den Fraunhofer-Energietagen diskutierten Wissenschaftler, Unternehmer und PoIitiker
darüber, wie Deutschland den Übergang zu einer nachhaltigen, sicheren, wirtschaftlichen
und umweltfreundlichen Energiewirtschaft schaffen kann: mit erneuerbaren Energien.
Unter dem Motto "Energiekonzept Deutschland – Mit neuer Energie" fanden die
Fraunhofer-Energietage im September 2010 in der Berlin-Brandenburgischen Akademie
der Wissenschaften statt. Prof. Eicke R. Weber, Leiter des Fraunhofer-Instituts für Solare
Energiesysteme ISE und Sprecher der Fraunhofer-Allianz Energie betonte bereits bei der
Eröffnung, dass eine Energieversorgung mit 100 Prozent erneuerbaren Energien schon
2050 machbar sei.
Ausbau erneuerbarer Energien ist Treiber für die Wirtschaft
Die Förderung der regenerativen Energien schont nicht nur die Ressourcen, sondern
stärkt auch die deutschen Unternehmen. "Der Ausbau der erneuerbaren Energien ist ein
Treiber für unsere Wirtschaft. Dies zeigte sich in der Krise", betont Prof. Hans-Jörg
Bullinger, Präsident der Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft und verweist auf Fraunhofer-Studien. Für
ihre Forderung nach einem beschleunigten Ausbau erneuerbarer Energien haben die
Fraunhofer-Experten prominente Unterstützung. Prof. Klaus Töpfer, ehemaliger
Bundesumweltminister und einstiger Direktor des UNO-Umweltprogramms UNEP, hält
das 100-Prozent-Ziel ebenfalls für realistisch: "Wir müssen alles daran setzen – etwa in
der Entwicklung erneuerbarer Energien und durch die Erhöhung der Energieeffizienz –,
diese Zukunft so schnell wie möglich zu erreichen", so Töpfer, der heute das Institute for
Advanced Sustainability Studies in Potsdam leitet.
Klaus Töpfer sieht im schnellen Umstieg auf erneuerbare Energien "große Chancen für
den Markt und die Menschen". Dafür sollte die Bundesregierung allerdings ambitioniertere
Ziele setzen. Die strebt bis 2050 einen Anteil der erneuerbaren Energien am
Bruttoendenergieverbrauch von 60 Prozent an. Doch schon mit Technologien, die bereits
heute zur Verfügung stehen oder derzeit entwickelt werden, ließe sich eine weit höhere
Quote erreichen.
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Solar Portal 24 (Germany): Photovoltaik-Anlage für neues UNEP-Bürogebäude in
Nairobi
26th October 2010
Die Energiebau Solarstromsysteme GmbH (Köln) hat den Auftrag erhalten, eine
leistungsstarke Photovoltaik Anlage auf dem Dach des neuen UNEP-Bürogebäudes in
Nairobi/Kenia zu errichten. Im Dezember 2010 soll das moderne Bauwerk fertig gestellt
sein. Es wird dann von einer der größten Photovoltaik Anlagen Afrikas mit sauberem und
emissionsfreiem Strom versorgt.
Wenn im Februar 2011 die Umweltminister aller Staaten der Erde in Nairobi im neuen
Bürokomplex der UN-Umweltorganisation UNEP zusammenkommen, werden hier bereits
über 1.000 Menschen arbeiten. Die Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter verfügen dann über
modernste Innenausstattung im Bereich Beleuchtung, Klimatisierung und Kommunikation.
Energie-effiziente Technik ist dabei von größter Bedeutung, denn die elektrische Energie
zur Versorgung des Gebäudes wird durch das eigene Photovoltaik Kraftwerk erzeugt. Ziel
ist, dass die Solaranlage auf dem Dach im Verlaufe eines Jahres die Menge an Strom
produziert, welche für den Betrieb des Gebäudes benötigt wird.
Der neue Bürokomplex in Nairobi wird laut UNEP das erste energieneutrale Gebäude auf
dem afrikanischen Kontinent sein. „Um dieses Ziel zu erreichen, wurde das Solarkraftwerk
auf dem Dach auf eine Gesamtleistung von 515 Kilowatt peak (kWp) ausgelegt. Zum
Vergleich können damit über 150 europäische Haushalte mit Strom versorgt werden“,
erklärt Projektleiter Bernd Wolff.
Unter der Leitung von Energiebau arbeitet zurzeit ein deutsch-afrikanisches Team an dem
zukunftsweisenden Projekt. Die einzelnen Systemkomponenten kommen von den
deutschen Herstellern und Energiebau-Partnerfirmen SCHOTT Solar, der SMA Solar
Technology AG sowie dem japanischen Unternehmen KANEKA. Energiebau engagiert
sich seit 1994 auf dem afrikanischen Kontinent und realisiert seitdem in Zusammenarbeit
mit privaten, kirchlichen und staatlichen Projektpartnern hochwertige Solarstromsysteme.
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Publi News (France): La valeur de la nature : un rapport européen inédit révèle
l'importance fondamentale de la biodiversité dans l'économie
26th October 2010
Le rapport final d'un projet d'étude de trois ans examinant les bénéfices que la planète
obtient gratuitement de la nature a été publié. L'étude consacrée à l'économie des
écosystèmes et de la biodiversité (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity TEEB) a sélectionné parmi les données économiques disponibles celles qui montrent de
manière éclatante que les coûts liés à la dégradation des écosystèmes et la perte de la
biodiversité sont réellement exorbitants pour nos sociétés.
Ce projet fait la synthèse de milliers d'études et examine des méthodes d'évaluation, des
instruments d'action et des exemples de mesures prises de par le monde. Se référant à
de nombreuses études de cas, le rapport se conclut par dix recommandations visant à
aider les citoyens et les responsables politiques à intégrer la biodiversité comme
paramètre dans leurs décisions quotidiennes. La Commission européenne est l'un des
principaux bailleurs de fonds de l'étude, qui a été entreprise sous l'égide du programme
des Nations unies pour l'environnement.
Janez Potočnik, membre de la Commission européenne chargé de l'environnement, a
déclaré à ce propos: "Tout en appréciant, bien entendu, la valeur intrinsèque de la nature,
nous reconnaissons également sa valeur économique dans la lutte contre la perte de la
biodiversité. La Commission européenne soutient le projet TEEB depuis le départ, et
continuera de le faire. Nous examinerons les moyens d'intégrer les analyses développées
par le projet TEEB dans notre politique générale. Nous sommes également disposés à
encourager les initiatives venant d'autres pays, qui montrent les bénéfices et les coûts liés
à l'investissement dans la gestion de la biodiversité et des services écosystémiques."
Le chef du projet TEEB, M. Pavan Sukhdev, a déclaré pour sa part que "le projet TEEB
apporte non seulement la preuve de l'importance, estimée à plusieurs milliards de dollars,
de la nature pour l'économie mondiale, mais informe aussi, de manière circonstanciée, sur
les types de virages politiques et de mécanismes de marché "intelligents" qui peuvent
faire surgir des idées neuves dans un monde confronté à une multiplicité croissante de
défis. La bonne nouvelle, c'est que plusieurs communautés et pays voient déjà le potentiel
qu'offre l'intégration de la valeur de la nature dans l'élaboration des politiques."
Apprendre à tenir compte de la valeur de la nature dans tous ses aspects
Le rapport final du TEEB sur l'intégration des aspects économiques de la nature
("Mainstreaming the Economics of Nature") vient compléter quatre rapports publiés au
cours des trois dernières années. Il se concentre sur trois domaines - un écosystème
naturel (forêts), une implantation humaine (villes) et un secteur économique (industrie
minière)- et illustre comment les concepts et outils économiques décrits dans le cadre de
l'étude TEEB peuvent aider la société à intégrer la valeur de la nature dans l'élaboration
des politiques à tous les niveaux.
Le rapport indique comment les paiements pour les services écosystémiques (PES)
peuvent engendrer une meilleure gestion du capital naturel. À Mexico, par exemple, ce
système de paiements a permis de diminuer de moitié le taux annuel de déforestation, de
protéger les bassins hydrographiques et les forêts tropicales, et d'éviter l'émission de 3,2
millions de tonnes de dioxyde de carbone.
Sachant que plus de la moitié de la population mondiale vit dans des zones urbaines, les
villes ont un rôle crucial à jouer dans la reconnaissance du capital naturel indispensable
au maintien et à l'amélioration du bien-être de leurs habitants. Les concepts présentés par
TEEB revêtent donc potentiellement une importance fondamentale. Par exemple, à
Nagoya au Japon, un système de droits de construction échangeables oblige les
promoteurs qui dépassent les limites imposées pour les bâtiments de grande hauteur à
compenser leur impact en achetant des zones de paysage agricole traditionnel japonais et
en en assurant la conservation.
Dix conseils essentiels pour préserver la biodiversité
L'étude TEEB se conclut par dix recommandations:
Il est essentiel que l'évaluation de la biodiversité donne lieu à une ample communication et
responsabilisation en matière d'impacts sur la nature.
Il convient d'améliorer les comptes nationaux de manière à inclure la valeur des évolutions
des richesses naturelles et des flux des services écosystémiques.
Il y a urgence à établir des comptes physiques cohérents des stocks forestiers et des
services écosystémiques.
Les comptes d'entreprises doivent faire apparaître les externalités telles que les
dommages environnementaux.
L'absence de perte nette de biodiversité ou l'incidence positive nette doivent être
considérées comme des pratiques commerciales normales.
Les principes du "pollueur-payeur" et de la "pleine récupération des coûts" constituent les
lignes directrices sur lesquelles s'appuient la réorganisation des structures d'incitation et la
réforme fiscale. Dans certains contextes, le principe du "bénéficiaire-payeur" peut être
invoqué pour soutenir de nouvelles mesures incitatives.
Les gouvernements doivent tendre vers une transparence totale en matière de
subventions afin d'éviter les incitations perverses.
L'établissement, dans le monde entier, de zones protégées gérées de façon plus globale,
efficace et équitable doit se poursuivre et l'évaluation des écosystèmes peut y contribuer.
Le système de conservation des forêts REDD plus doit être mis en place dès que
possible.
La dépendance des pauvres de la planète envers les services écosystémiques doit être
davantage prise en considération dans les actions en faveur du développement et dans
les politiques ayant un impact sur l'environnement.
Contexte
TEEB est un projet réalisé sous l'égide du PNUE (programme des Nations Unies pour
l'environnement), et financé par la Commission européenne et un certain nombre de
gouvernements, dont l'Allemagne, le Royaume-Uni, les Pays-Bas, la Suède, la Norvège,
la Belgique et le Japon. Le projet TEEB doit permettre de formuler des arguments
économiques en vue de modifier notre façon d'évaluer et de gérer les ressources
naturelles. L'évaluation est considérée comme un instrument de correction de la mauvaise
orientation économique qui a mené à des décisions préjudiciables au bien-être des
générations actuelles et futures. L'objectif des rapports TEEB est de montrer que la
biodiversité déploie ses bienfaits de manière invisible, une absence de visibilité qui a
souvent contribué à détruire les richesses naturelles sur lesquelles reposent nos
économies.
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Other Environment News
Guardian (UK): Nagoya biodiversity summit is showing depressing parallels with
Copenhagen
25th October 2010
Nagoya is another ill-tempered bout between the global haves and wanna-haves in which
the fiercest blows are landing on the natural world.
One week down, one left to go. With time running out for a global biodiversity deal, there
ought to be frenetic movement, a spirit of compromise and a sense of urgency at the
United Nations COP10 conference in Nagoya.
But at this half-way stage, delegates appear more interested in protecting their national
interests than reversing the precipitous decline of animal and plant life on Earth.
The conference started last Monday with the usual declarations of hope and exhortations
to action. But the first week ended with scant progress, positions more entrenched than
ever and a widespread mood of disappointment and frustration.
Wealthy nations, mostly in the European Union, are accused of holding back the money
needed for protection of biodiversity hotspots in poorer countries and for failing to share
the benefits that might come from exploiting the genetic resources of such areas (such as
western companies creating drugs from plants in developing countries).
Without a deal on these issues, Brazil and other developing nations – which are home to
most of the world's natural capital – are holding up international efforts to establish a
strategic plan to halt biodiversity loss by 2020.
Meanwhile, Canada is blocking discussion on bio-piracy and the rights of indigenous
people. China is torpedoing moves to significantly expand maritime reserves. And the
United States is once again playing by a completely different set of rules – having never
signed the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in the first place.
In other words, Nagoya is another ill-tempered bout between the global haves and wannahaves in which the fiercest blows are landing on the natural world that both sides claim to
be protecting.
The parallels with last year's Copenhagen climate conference are depressingly evident.
Then, as now, the talks made no progress by the halfway point. Then, as now, the
developed and developing world were at loggerheads. Then, as now, hopes for a
breakthrough were pinned on the imminent arrival of political leaders.
Last year in Copenhagen, we were waiting for Barack Obama, Wen Jiabao, Gordon
Brown, Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy to fly in and save the day, but even that
political A-team was barely able to cobble together a hodgepodge, watered-down accord.
This time, we await a far less heavy-hitting bunch of potential saviours. According to the
organisers, only five heads of state will attend this summit, including the queen of Palau
and the crown prince of Monaco. Most other countries will be represented by ministers,
including the UK's environment secretary, Caroline Spelman.
That does not, of course, mean a deal is impossible. There is no shortage of activity and
endeavour. Some negotiators were working through the night last week to reduce the
number of contentious brackets in the negotiating text (the sections that countries are yet
to agree on). NGOs continue to push for an ambitious deal that will expand nature
reserves, increase conservation funding and prevent bio-piracy.
But, unless a huge amount of progress is made this week, the likelihood once again at an
UN environment conference is of no deal, a weak deal, or putting off the big decision until
the next conference. Anyone for more déjà vu in India in 2012?
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BBC: Obstacles to nature protection emerge as stakes rise
25th October 2010
From the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) meeting in Nagoya:
It's fair to say there's a deal of concern here that what emerges at the end of this fornight's
meeting could amount to less than it was supposed to.
Mind you, it was supposed to amount to quite a bit - a pretty comprehensive and detailed
plan for securing the preservation of the natural world, while ensuring its elements could
be used sustainably and equitably.
That's a lot for one agreement... although in another sense, parties to the CBD have had
18 years to get to the point we're at now, when they decide whether or not to turn the
convention's fine words into concrete pledges.
The reasons why agreement is proving elusive really fall into three piles.
One is simply the amount of words and clauses being argued here. Particularly for
developing countries who can send only two or three delegates, there are lots of sessions
to go to, lots of technicalities to master, and lots of politics to grapple with.
The second is that when countries get to the stage of making pledges that can materially
affect the natural world, they come up slap bang against the hard realities that society
currently needs to consume some of the resources that would be regulated under this
convention.
That can result in corporate lobbying and disputes within governments - disputes that
environment ministeries will typically lose, as environment ministers are typically relatively
junior members of administrations.
The third reason is the scope that wily bureaucrats now have to play a legal game called
"Trade the Treaties", where long and complex conversations ensue about which
jurisdiction a given measure should come under.
As a taster, here's a bit of draft text from the negotiations taking place here on Access and
Benefit-sharing, suggesting that exceptions from the proposed protocol should include:
"...Genetic resources [contained in Annex I of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic
Resources for Food and Agriculture provided they are used for the purposes of the
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture][under the
Multilateral System of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and
Agriculture, both current and as may be amended by the Governing Body of the
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture]..."
The multiple square brackets indicating lack of agreement may be the least of its
problems.
I spent a chunk of Monday sitting in on small groups aiming to rationalise key bits of text.
Some of the detailed discussions were eminently sensible. In looking at conserving and
protecting the coastal environment, for example, should governments agree to implement
"integrated river basin, and integrated coastal zone management"
...or...
"integrated river basin and coastal zone management"?
The grammatical difference yields a complete change of meaning.
In others, you could sense the profound underlying differences of vision and priorities that
exist for different countries here; and especially on targets for marine protection, Trade the
Treaties is in full swing.
If this meeting does go the way of Copenhagen, which remains a distinct possibility, it's
hard to over-estimate the impact that will have on how concerned people attempt to do
conservation.
At the weekend, I shared a dinner table with one of the conservation world's most
prominent and astute figures.
If this goes belly-up, the only solution for those aiming to do serious conservation will be to
raise lots of money however they can, and spend it wherever they can, acknowledging
that the belief (sustained since before the Rio Earth Summit) that these issues could and
should be dealt with on a negotiated basis at international level is effectively dead.
It'll be a simpler game; but it risks all kinds of prioritisation that has little to do with need,
and it also risks losing support for communities who need to use wildife sustainably in
order to survive.
Much conservation, of course, already happens this way.
But global connections are also vital for some species and ecosystems. BirdLife
International illustrates that fact with its new global map of important bird areas.
While checking it out on the BirdLife website, I also stumbled across their list of extinct bird
species.
It put the talks here in stark perspective.
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Ecosystem Marketplace (US): Peeling Away the Mystery of UN Biodiversity Talks –
one Layer at a Time
25th October 2010
The 10th Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to the United Nations Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD) continued on Monday with the groggy “friends of the chair” of
the CBD contact group on finance presenting their latest proposals.
The “friends” had met the previous evening for five hours to discuss “indicators for
monitoring the implementation of the strategy for resource mobilization”. (In English: how
to really determine whether financing is being raised and delivered into the hands of
people who can do something to halt biodiversity loss.)
Arguing Over Indicators
The friends, however, couldn't agree on "the number of countries that have identified and
reported funding needs, gaps and priorities" for conserving biodiversity.
And what could be so contentious about that? Well, apparently there are many nuances
that can be adopted.
Indicators, for example, often lack acknowledgement of the necessary funding and
capacity-building needed to meet the indicator’s criteria, and discussion amongst the
friends often centers on making certain that Parties can realistically meet indicators (…or
that indicators become watered down, depending on your perspective). In the case of
more far-reaching implications, bracketed text can acknowledge something under
consideration without it being quite written in stone.
Those details, and any other text still under discussion, are often presented [in brackets],
which means they're officially on the negotiating table. Most new language that comes out
the other end of a COP has first survived life inside the brackets.
The Inner Workings of the CBD
The negotiations take place in multiple iterations like layers of an onion. At the very outer
edge are the plenary sessions with multiple delegates from all of the countries that have
signed onto the CBD.
These “high-level” delegates draw on expertise fed to them from “working groups”, which
in turn draw their conclusions from “contact groups”.
At the very core of discussions are the “friends of the chair.” They deal with the issues
arising in the larger groups that require much more in-depth discussion to reach
consensus. The “friends” are the ones who worked behind closed doors until 10pm on
Sunday night discussing “to bracket or not to bracket”.
In the larger finance contact group, the chair of the “friends” group explained that only half
the work that was planned had been concluded on Sunday night, so the morning's
discussions were closed to allow the group to finish their work.
An additional morning was still not quite enough, so they resumed again Monday evening.
One point of business that was taken was to publicly apologize for neglecting to include
China in the finance 'friends' discussions and to include China from this point forward.
There was also a request for Norway to be included.
The Green Development Mechanism
As meetings started back up in the afternoon, a side event highlighted just one of those
ideas under consideration within the CBD. The Green Development Mechanism (GDM) is
one of many ideas now currently in brackets.
The GDM began to germinate two years ago, at the last Conference of Parties (COP9),
where Decision 11 called on parties to explore “innovative financial mechanisms”. The
Dutch government put up funds to explore this idea further, and the GDM is the result.
More defined by what it is not than what it is, the GDM is not official development
assistance (ODA), nor is it a replacement for development assistance. It is not a land grab
and it is not international offsets of damage of biodiversity in one place replaced with
conservation of another species halfway around the world. Indeed, what the GDM is, as
Frank Vorhies of EarthMind explains, is an idea that he hopes will be adopted as
something worth further discussion and refinement of modalities.
As IUCN's Director-General Julia Marton-Lefevre explains, "Let's take the inspiration from
the climate convention, which however inadequate, showed that collective agreement can
unleash vast amounts of money… why can't we do that for biodiversity?"
The GDM is intended to provide supplemental financing for biodiversity conservation from
the private sector to complement ODA - possibly at the scale of $20 billion. That's rougnly
20 times the funding of the Global Environment Facility, which is currently replenished at
around $1 billion annually total, of which just $300 million is earmarked for the biodiversity
focal area each year through fiscal 2014.
Life as an Idea
This May, Parties to the CBD met in Nairobi at the Working Group on the Review of
Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (or WGRI) and within discussions
about financing of the CBD, there was both clear support and a lot of nervousness for the
idea of a mechanism.
Vorhies notes, "[the] African union put our paragraph in brackets on the grounds that they
needed to consider it more."
So the GDM now lives inside the brackets in the Convention, with an official information
document putting vague meat on the bones with annexes to discuss the idea that GDM
might be a way to raise supplementary finance from the private sector.
The debate on innovative financial mechanisms continues today in its many layers
('friends' of the contact group, contact group, etc.).
EarthMind's Julian Metcalfe says that the GDM has gotten enmeshed in some delegates
'radical' stance that the market has no place in biodiversity.
"I think we need to have an open and vibrant debate about where funds for the CBD
should be resourced from,” he says, “(but) there has to be space for the private sector and
market-based incentives if we are going to achieve the objectives of the Convention.”
An audience member noted that the name "GDM" might keep discussions of the idea
politicized as it sounds like the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which has become
controversial and has aroused suspicion with the failure of Copenhagen. That participant
was on the money: the G77 has consistently made reference to how the GDM looks and
sounds too much like the CDM and they don’t like it.
"I prefer 'the Cheesecake Mechanism'" laughs Vorhies, explaining the name doesn’t really
matter at this point, but noted that the acronym was championed by the one government
that really stepped up to fund the initiative.
If GDM survives life in the brackets and gets itself into real text, the GDM Initiative will
spend the next two years fleshing out the idea even more, [potentially with pilot projects]
and come to the next CBD COP to determine how the mechanism would work.
Enough of These #$%@ Brackets!
As night falls in Nagoya, the contact group on finance is still discussing where they can
remove brackets in relation to GEF. That’s good; it means more and more text is being
agreed. The “friends” finish up their work on indicators tonight and the contact group on
finance reconvenes for real tomorrow morning to see how many more brackets can be
lifted. But issues can always rear their heads again as the inner layers of the onion start
reporting back to the outer ones. Let’s hope consensus is strong, backroom negotiations
are moving along smoothly, and that when the final brackets are lifted, the text that
survived is strong enough to start halting that biodiversity loss we’ve all been talking about.
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AFP: Climate change to hit Asia's poor hardest: W.Bank
26th October 2010
Asia's poor will bear the brunt of disasters sparked by climate change and rapid
urbanisation, a World Bank expert told a regional conference Tuesday.
"More than others, poor people pay for disaster with their lives," the bank's director for
sustainable development in East Asia, John Roome, told the Asian ministerial conference
on disaster risk reduction.
Last year, he said in a speech, six of the 10 countries with the highest death rates and
GDP losses from natural disasters were in Asia.
And since 1997, 82 percent of all lives lost in disasters were in countries represented at
the meeting in the city of Incheon west of Seoul.
"Climate change, coupled with unprecedented rates of rapid urbanisation, makes the
potential impacts of disasters much worse," Roome said, noting that the frequency and
intensity of climate-related disasters had quadrupled in the past two decades.
Citing OECD estimates, Roome said Asia is home to six of the 10 most vulnerable cities -Guangzhou, Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh, Mumbai, Kolkata and Osaka.
"If additional measures are not put in place in Bangladesh, for instance, the damages from
a single severe cyclone is expected to rise nearly fivefold to over nine billion dollars by
2050, affecting the poorest households most."
Roome said a World Bank study estimated the global cost of adapting to a world which is
two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer by 2050 at around 75-100 billion
dollars a year.
East Asia and the Pacific Region would pay the highest cost, with the bulk going on
improving and adapting infrastructure, coastal zones, and water supply and flood
protection.
Roome said Asia's cities could reduce risks by breaking the link between urban poverty,
squatter areas and disaster risk reduction through community-driven development
programmes.
They should promote sound land-use, invest in early warning systems and make risk
information widely available.
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Independent (UK): Earthquake sparks Tsunami in Indonesia
26th October 2010
A powerful earthquake off western Indonesia triggered a small tsunami that killed one
man, damaged more than 150 homes and sent thousands of people fleeing to high
ground.
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit late yesterday and caused a a 10-foot (three-metre)
wave.
It was caused by the same fault, running the length of the west coast of Sumatra island,
behind the 9.1-magnitude quake that triggered a massive tsunami in 2004, killing
230,000 people in a dozen countries.
Ade Edward, a disaster management agency official, said tremor was centred just 13
miles (20 kilometres) beneath the ocean floor and triggered a small tsunami that hit the
island of Pagai.
He said a farmer was killed and some 2,000 people were seeking shelter today in
emergency camps.
Crews from several ships are still unaccounted for in the Indian Ocean, he said.
The Mentawai islands, a popular surfing spot 175 miles (280 kilometres) from the coast,
are sparsely populated and reports of casualties and damage have only just started
arriving.
The earthquake also jolted towns along Sumatra's western coast - including Padang,
which last year was hit by a deadly 7.6-magnitude tremor that left more than 700 dead. It
prompted mosques to blare tsunami warnings over their loudspeakers.
"Everyone was running out of their houses," said Sofyan Alawi, who also said roads
leading to surrounding hills were quickly jammed with thousands of cars and
motorcycles.
"We kept looking back to see if a wave was coming," said 28-year-old resident Ade
Syahputra.
Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity
due to its location on the Pacific 'ring of fire'.
A group of Australian surfers were on the back deck of their boat, anchored in a bay off
the hardest-hit Mentawai islands, when the earthquake hit.
The large wave it generated caused it to smash into the vessel alongside them and a fire
broke out on their boat, Rick Hallet told Australia's Nine Network.
"We threw whatever we could that floated - surfboards, fenders - then we jumped into
the water," he said.
"Fortunately, most of us had something to hold on to ... and we just washed in the
wetlands, and scrambled up the highest trees that we could possibly find and sat up
there for an hour and a half."
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Live Science (US): In Amazon, New Species Discovered Every 3 Days
25th October 2010
The Amazon, the world's largest remaining rainforest, has only improved upon its
reputation as a biodiversity superstar over the last ten years, according to a new report
released Oct. 26 by the conservation group WWF.
Between 1999 and 2009, scientists cataloged more than 1,200 new species of plants and
animals in the Amazon, including a 13-foot (4-meter)-long anaconda, a bald-headed,
rainbow-hued parrot and a tiny, blind, crimson catfish.
The parade of discoveries amounts to uncovering a brand new species every three days
for a decade. [Amazing creatures discovered in the Amazon.]
Amazon Alive!
The WWF rolled out the report, "Amazon Alive!," at the 10th U.N. conference for the
Convention on Biological Diversity, now in its second week in Nagoya, Japan.
Representatives from governments around the globe are meeting to discuss new targets
to stem the loss of biodiversity worldwide, in the wake of the overall failure to meet the
goals set ahead of the 2010 meeting.
"The purpose of the report is to get people excited about the wonders of the Amazon, and
to draw the attention the Amazon deserves in terms of being a focus for conservation
efforts," said Meg Symington, WWF's managing director for the Amazon.
The Amazon is home to one in ten known terrestrial species on the planet, many of which
aren't found anywhere else on Earth.
"We do need to be careful with habitat destruction," Symington told OurAmazingPlanet.
"At the current rate, we could lose many of these species if we don't act now."
Symington said her organization is working with policymakers in all the countries of the
Amazon - a vast region measuring more than 2.5 million square miles (6.7 million sq km)
of 600 different types of land and freshwater habitats extending into Brazil, Bolivia, Peru,
Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.
Declining deforestation
Although the region remained largely mysterious and untouched by humans for centuries,
in just the last 50 years more than 17 percent of the Amazon's trees have been toppled,
cleared mostly for agriculture and farming. Roughly 80 percent of deforested lands are
now occupied by cattle pastures, according to the WWF report.
However, the numbers are not all grim. Symington said governments in the region have
made serious progress in creating protected areas, and that last year's deforestation rates
for Brazil were the lowest since systematic record-keeping began.
"But part of that decrease could have been accounted for by the economic downturn,"
Symington said. "When commodity prices go up, there's more pressure to convert land for
cattle ranching."
In addition to noting that the Amazon provides basic necessities and livelihoods for as
many as 30 million people in South America, the report highlights that people worldwide
have a stake in the survival of the rainforest.
The region's plants and trees store between 90 and 140 billion tons of carbon. If even a
portion of that carbon is released through further deforestation, the report warns, the
resulting increase in the greenhouse gas in the atmosphere would significantly accelerate
global warming.
"Probably the most helpful thing we could do here in the U.S. would be to pass climate
change legislation," Symington said, "or to really get serious about climate change. It's a
huge threat to the Amazon."
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AP: China panda baby boom aids against extinction
26th October 2010
China's panda population is booming this year thanks to a record number of births in
captivity, a rare accomplishment for the endangered species known for being poor
breeders.
The most recent addition — the birth of female twins — brought the total number of
births this year to 19, surpassing the record of 18 births in 2006, Tang Chunxiang, an
expert at the Wolong Panda reserve in Sichuan province, said Tuesday.
Giant panda "Yo Yo" gave birth to healthy twins at the reserve last week.
Tang attributed this year's record number of births to better research on panda nutrition,
artificial insemination, genetics and creating a more natural habitat for the pandas to
thrive in.
Pandas are threatened by a loss of habitat, poaching and a low reproduction rate.
Females in the wild normally have a cub once every two or three years. Fertility rates of
captive giant pandas are even lower, experts say. Only about 1,600 pandas live in the
wild, mostly in Sichuan in southwest China.
Through artificial insemination, researchers have been able increase the number of
pandas in captivity to more than 300 — a number that experts say should remain steady.
"Right now, we're breeding about the same number of pandas each year," said Tang.
"We want to steady the numbers to avoid inbreeding since there are so few pandas."
Panda females have only three days a year in which they can conceive — one reason
their species is endangered. Some males never succeed at natural breeding, so artificial
insemination has become common practice when breeding captive pandas.
Previous efforts to encourage the poor breeders to mate included showing uninitiated
males "panda porn," which Chinese scientists have deemed a success and is being
used at zoos overseas.
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New York Times (US): Serving Up Feathered Bait to Attract Ecosystem Data
25th October 2010
Mandy Weston stood on a ridge in the Manzano mountains, 9,000 feet above the Rio
Grande Valley, grasping the talons of a juvenile northern harrier in her right hand.
“These are the supermodels of the raptor world,” she said admiringly. “Tall and thin.” She
playfully rotated the bird’s body to reveal that its head remained in a fixed position, like that
of an owl.
Ms. Weston is the public liaison for a five-person crew that is spending 10 weeks on this
mountain observing and banding hawks as they migrate from North America down into
Mexico and points south. This is the first northern harrier of the migration season, and the
team is ecstatic.
This year, 131 biologists and amateur enthusiasts have permits to trap and band the
golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, ospreys, kestrels, peregrine falcons and other birds of
prey migrating to their winter habitats, according to the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service.
Ms. Weston’s team is working under the auspices of HawkWatch International, a
conservation and education nonprofit group based in Salt Lake City that focuses on birds
of prey as indicators of ecosystem health. Each autumn, it counts hawks at 10 sites in
Washington, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and Texas.
Birds are captured and banded at five of the sites.
Over the last 30 years, HawkWatch has counted an estimated 20 million hawks and
banded 125,000 of them, an essential task in understanding and protecting the birds. They
were first to identify three flyways in the American West that follow a pattern similar to
flyways in the East where migrating hawks navigate along coastlines and mountain ridges
featuring strong thermal updrafts.
Hawks today face many threats, said Allen Fish, director of the Golden Gate Raptor
Observatory on the Marin headlands north of San Francisco, which makes the need to
count and band them more important than ever. For example, American kestrels are in
sharp decline, while there is a potential decrease in golden eagles.
As more giant wind farms are erected, an increasing number of hawks are slashed and
killed by turbine blades. Oil and gas exploration is fragmenting many hawk habitats.
Urban-suburban growth, pesticides, herbicides, electricity lines and climate change are
other stressors, he said.
The only way to understand what is happening to hawks is to collect data over many
decades, banding as many birds as can be captured, said James Dawson, a hawk
biologist with 30 years of field experience and curator of wildlife at the High Desert
Museum in Bend, Ore.
Hawks, eagles and other birds of prey are tricky to catch, however. The term “eagle-eyed”
did not come out of nowhere. Mechanical lures that appear overwhelmingly realistic to
human eyes are unconvincing to hawk eyes, Mr. Fish said. His organization spent 17
years trying to perfect such lures but suspended the effort when researchers realized how
easily hawks see the deception.
Hawks see 8 to 10 times better than we humans, Mr. Fish said. They have four foveas
(the part of the eye that sees detail) instead of our two, the ability to detect reflected
ultraviolet light and greatly accelerated speed of visual processing. When a hawk dives at
a mechanical lure, he said, it pulls up 30 to 50 feet before the target as if to say, “there’s
something wrong here.”
The only way to catch hawks is to use live birds as lures, Mr. Fish said. It’s the only
method trappers use. So when the juvenile harrier approached the Manzano mountains
last week, two trappers concealed in a blind 50 yards below the lookout had their lures and
nets ready.
The live pigeons, doves and starlings that are used to attract hawks are outfitted in full
body suits made of leather or Kevlar for protection. With only their heads, wings and feet
exposed, the birds stand near the traps or are tossed up to 20 feet in the air, their feet
securely attached to fishing lines manipulated from the blind.
At the Manzano site, three kinds of nets were arrayed on a spacious apron of ground in
front of the blind. A mist net, made of nylon with a large mesh and multiple compartments
to catch birds that fly into it, was suspended, like a volleyball net, between two poles.
A dho-gaza net, with a smaller nylon mesh, was also affixed to two poles, but set to
collapse when a hawk flew into it. A remotely triggered bow net, a hooplike device with a
spring mechanism, lay on the ground.
Ms. Weston described what happened next (HawkWatch would not allow a reporter to
observe the trappers working): When a hawk that her colleague Tim Hanks had identified
flew overhead and spotted a pigeon waddling on the ground, the trappers pulled on the
line attached to the pigeon to jiggle it, hoping it would pass for a small mammal, the
favored prey of harriers.
When the hawk struck, Ms. Weston said, it entangled itself in the mist net before it could
reach the pigeon. In the standard routine for all trapped birds, it was measured, weighed,
checked for fat deposits under its wing and inspected for parasites. The harrier was
healthy, Ms. Weston said, displaying the bird.
The trappers had fixed a metal band to the harrier’s leg, assigning it an identity should it be
recaptured elsewhere or found dead. Ms. Weston let it go amid a flurry of powerful wing
beats.
During this fall season, Aug. 27 to Nov. 5, the hawk team has been observing between 30
and 200 hawks a day, capturing and banding about 10 percent of the migrants. The most
common species have been sharp-shinned hawks, Cooper’s hawks, red-tailed hawks,
American kestrels, golden eagles, northern harriers and Swainson’s hawks.
The pigeon, unharmed, was soon able to take the rest of the day off. Like other lure birds,
it has an enviable schedule, to limit job stress: 60 to 90 minutes every other day.
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New York Times (US): Calculating Commitment to the Climate
24th October 2010
There was a surge of optimism at the Copenhagen climate conference, when the U.S.
secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, backed an international aid package worth
hundreds of billions of dollars to help poor countries counter threats like rising seas and
desertification.
The surprise announcement by the United States to join the European Union and other
wealthy nations in making the pledges represented a singular moment of global
cohesion during an event remembered more for its unremitting acrimony.
The pledges, inscribed in the Copenhagen Accord, a nonbinding pact that has been
signed by about 140 countries, also represented an unprecedented attempt to overcome
one of the thorniest problems that has plagued international climate talks: recurrent
complaints by poor countries that developed nations, grown prosperous by burning fossil
fuels, are behaving hypocritically by demanding emissions limits in the future.
The money would allow poor nations, in particular small island states and African
countries, to finance infrastructure projects like better defenses to fend off rising seas
and help buildings withstand storms, floods, heat waves and mudslides associated with
climate change.
Poor nations could use the funds to develop technologies like wind, hydro and solar
power, so they could grow economically using cleaner, but more expensive, alternatives
to fossil fuels.
A so-called fast-start fund worth $10 billion annually would operate until 2012. For longterm finance, developed countries agreed to support a goal of jointly mobilizing $100
billion a year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries.
A key problem is that the amounts are much lower than many experts say is necessary
to help poor countries adapt to climate change and develop cleaner technologies.
Another problem is that the Copenhagen Accord did not specify who would pay or how
the money would be raised, at a time when most rich-world governments face
unprecedented pressures to shore up their own budgets and find ways of supporting
their own industries in the wake of agonizing debt and banking crises.
Apparently wary that big donors could delay commitments, Christiana Figueres, the
head of the U.N. climate office, said last month that making good on the pledges was
“the golden key” to unlocking progress at the global climate meeting in Cancún, Mexico,
next month.
So far, the job of calculating what governments have given has proved challenging.
A Web site developed by the Dutch government and managed by the U.N. Development
Program has recorded pledges for the fast-start funds of about $7.6 billion, far short of
the $30 billion goal. But only a few countries — including Canada, Germany, Britain and
Norway — have participated in that project.
The World Resources Institute, which is based in Washington and operates another
online tracking tool that does not depend on governments’ sharing information, has a
much bigger figure. It said pledges add up to about $28 billion, which is just shy of the
$30 billion target for fast-start funds.
But the institute underlined how some donors might have simply renamed existing aid
budgets or counted previous pledges of climate finance, even though the Copenhagen
Accord specifies that financing be “new and additional.”
The institute pointed out that a Japanese pledge called the Hatoyama Initiative
resembled a previously announced plan agreed to several years ago. That is significant
because Japan has promised half the total, or around $15 billion, according to the
institute. Britain and the United States have also counted previous commitments as part
of their fast-start finance pledge, the institute said.
Another complaint by climate experts and academics is the difficulty of comparing
contributions and how they will be deployed.
There was “no specified baseline that would allow anyone to know if the promise has
actually been fulfilled,” said J. Timmons Roberts, the director of the Center for
Environmental Studies at Brown University in Rhode Island.
Those difficulties, and others, over fast-start financing suggest that wealthy nations will
face even more obstacles delivering on the larger promise of $100 billion annually in
new aid by 2020.
To avoid that scenario, in February, the U.N. secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, created
the Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing to come up with “new and innovative”
options for finding the money. That group is expected to submit a report to Mr. Ban by
next month.
But in what amounts to a pre-emptive strike on the forthcoming report, environmental
activists including Friends of the Earth stepped up a campaign early this month to
discourage the group from advocating policies emphasizing the role of private finance,
like carbon trading, to generate the money.
In a letter to the chairmen of the advisory group — Jens Stoltenberg, the prime minister
of Norway, and Meles Zenawi, the prime minister of Ethiopia — the activists said that
carbon trading could prove to be a particularly undependable source of revenue, and
they warned that it presented “a serious risk of fraud” if emissions reductions turned out
to be spurious.
Instead, the activists urged the group to prioritize raising taxes on activities like
international financial transactions, and to find ways of making the shipping and aviation
industries pay for their pollution, like levies on fuel and tickets.
Nicholas Stern, a professor at the London School of Economics and a member of the
advisory group, has already signaled that the advisory group has little choice but to
reserve a strong role for the private sector to raise the money.
In light of the global economic situation, Mr. Stern suggested that investments by
multilateral banks and revenue from carbon markets were currently among the most
promising ways of raising substantial sums of money.
As to new taxes — in particular, a tax on international financial transactions — Mr. Stern,
speaking at an August U.N. meeting in Bonn in a rare briefing on the advisory group’s
work, gave strong hints that they would be unworkable.
“Political acceptability does matter,” said Mr. Stern, adding that a financial transaction
tax had proved “particularly controversial.”
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ROA MEDIA UPDATE
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE NEWS
Tuesday, 26 October, 2010
UNEP or UN in the News

Angola: UNDP Backs Community Awareness at Preservation Areas
Angola: UNDP Backs Community Awareness at Preservation Areas
Angola Press (Luanda) – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in
Angola will support the implementation of the project of sensitizing the communities
living in the outskirts and within areas designed for the preservation of the country's flora
and fauna. UNDP's project will be implemented by the Ministry of Environment,
according to the head of the department of preservation areas of the aforementioned
ministry, Joaquim Manuel.
Joaquim Manuel said he believes that this project will enable the direct involvement of
the communities in the protection and preservation of the fauna and flora, mainly of
national
game
reserves
other
natural
reserves.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201010250433.html
General Environment News




Uganda: Museveni Cautions on Degrading Mt. Rwenzori
Angola: Fires Cause Negative Impact On Fauna and Flora
Tanzania: Plan Starts to Protect Lake Environment
Uganda: Danish Embassy Starts Carbon Project
Uganda: Museveni Cautions on Degrading Mt. Rwenzori
The Monitor (Uganda) - President Yoweri Museveni has warned people living around
Mount Rwenzori against degrading the water catchments, saying this would cause a
disaster.Mr Museveni’s statement was in response to the Rwenzururu Kingdom Prime
Minister, Mr. Constantine Bwambale, who last week requested the government to allow
the kingdom subjects free access to the cultural sites in the Rwenzori Mountains.
The president said, "That forest on Mount Rwenzori is very crucial, all these rivers are
from that forest, so you should understand this and know that the forest is our mother
not only for Rwenzori region but for other parts of the country". Mr. Museveni warned
residents
not
to
temper
with
the
forest
cover
or
risk
floods.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201010260093.html
Angola: Fires Cause Negative Impact On Fauna and Flora
Angola Press (Luanda) - Anarchic fires, furtive hunting and illegal fishing cause severe
damage in several natural reserves of the country, environmentalist Vladimir Russo
denounced today. Vladimir said the conflict between men and animals causes negative
impact on the flora and fauna, such as destruction of the habitat of many types and
reduction of animal and fish stocks. These practices are also causing transformation of
some nature scenery of the country. http://allafrica.com/stories/201010260048.html
Tanzania: Plan Starts to Protect Lake Environment
The Citizen (Dubai) - Panasonic Corporation has partnered with World Wildlife Fund
(WWF) to preserve the environment around Lake Victoria. The company, through the
Panasonic Middle East Marketing FZE (PMM), is supporting WFF's Lake Victoria
Catchment Environmental Education Programme. It is one of projects that PMM is
planning to undertake as it adopts a new environmental protection approach. The project
is designed to empower catchment communities, schools and regional partners with the
knowledge, motivation and abilities for sustainable use and management of natural
resources, said PMM managing director Seiji Koyanagi.
Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya will each have a green model school where students will
be encouraged to develop and sustain a programme on conserving the environment.
They will be encouraged to form a discussion forum between children in the region and
the outside world on the web. http://allafrica.com/stories/201010250799.html
Uganda: Danish Embassy Starts Carbon Project
New Vision (Kampala) - The Danish Embassy has signed a five-year agreement with the
Uganda Carbon Bureau (UCB) to purchase carbon credits from various projects in
Uganda. Danish ambassador Nathalia Feinberg said the initiative was intended to offset
carbon emissions from energy sources used by the embassy. "This demonstrates our
commitment to promote a clean environment," she said at a signing ceremony held in
Kampala recently
The embassy, which is the first to implement the measure, will review its carbon
emissions resulting from vehicles, flights and light energy sources used by the staff.
Under the arrangement, farmers plant trees which capture and store carbon from the
atmosphere. Institutions then pay tree growers an equivalent of the total amount of
carbon
that
they
emit
annually
to
offset
their
emissions.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201010250332.html
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ROAP MEDIA UPDATE
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE NEWS
Tuesday, 26 October, 2010
UNEP or UN in the News
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Malaysia Star- A UN study highlights the price of nature
Sify -Time to focus on freshwater fish, is India listening?
Himalayan Times-Global network sought for ecological research in mountains
Tehran Times-Freshwater losses pose risks for food, health: UN
Inquirer-Economic, social value of ecosystems stressed
The Japan Times- COP10: A meet to save life on Earth?
A UN study highlights the price of nature
THE global economy must be radically altered to put a value on forests, reefs and other
elements of nature. The financial benefits of doing so will be enormous, according to a
United Nations-backed report.
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) report warned that allowing
nature to remain unaccounted for within the economy would lead to the continuing rapid
extinction of species, and ensuing massive financial costs.
“TEEB’s approach can reset the economic compass and herald a new era in which the
value of nature’s services is made visible and becomes an explicit part of policy and
business decision-making,” said banker Pavan Sukhdev, who chaired a study that led to
the report.
After nearly three years of research, the report aims to raise global awareness about the
economic costs of inaction on biodiversity in a similar way to British economist Nicholas
Stern’s famous 2006 report on climate change.
Marine bounty: Fish being harvested in the village of Azyorny, Belarus. Industrial fishing
fleets, funded by generous government subsidies, are emptying our seas.
The TEEB report was released on Wednesday in Nagoya, Japan, where delegates from
193 countries are meeting at a UN summit in an effort to map out a strategy to stop
humans from driving species to extinction.
“We hope the next phase after Nagoya ... is going to be a change in policy, a change in
the matrix, a change in consumer behaviour, a change in business behaviour. Do
nothing, and not only do we lose trillions worth of current and future benefits to society,
we also further impoverish the poor and put future generations at risk.
“The time for ignoring biodiversity and persisting with conventional thinking regarding
wealth creation and development is over. We must get onto the path towards a green
economy,” said Sukhdev.
The report highlighted the broad scope of so-called “ecosystem services” that are
generally not valued in the economy. These included regulation of the environment –
such as through water filtration by wetlands, pollination and disaster protection – and as
a source of medicines and wild foods. Spiritual and recreational values, as well as the
environment’s role in nutrient recycling and photosynthesis, also needed to be taken into
account, the report urged.
Replanting mangrove trees in Kampung Pasir Putih, Kuching, Sarawak. Mangroves are
important fish breeding grounds and coastline buffers but these services are not
accounted for in monetary value.
TEEB recommended that businesses and governments reveal in annual reports or
national accounts how they depleted or damaged the environment.
This depletion or damage would have an economic value, and businesses would need to
compensate for their adverse environmental impacts.
The TEEB reported cited a study by Britain-based consultancy TruCost that found the
negative environmental impacts of the world’s top 3,000 listed companies were worth
US$2.2trillion (RM7trillion) annually.
Effect on the poor
Many studies also found forests and other ecosystems to contribute significantly to the
livelihoods of poor rural households. Conservation of these ecosystems, therefore, will
help alleviate poverty.
It has been estimated that ecosystem services and other non-marketed natural goods
account for 47% to 89% of the so-called “GDP of the Poor” (the effective GDP or total
sources of livelihoods of rural and forest-dwelling poor households) in some large
developing countries.
“In the past only traditional sectors such as manufacturing, mining, retailing, construction
and energy generation were uppermost in the minds of economic planners and ministers
of finance, development and trade. TEEB has brought to the world’s attention that
nature’s goods and services are equal, if not far more central, to the wealth of nations
including the poor ... a fact that will be increasingly the case on a planet of finite
resources with a population set to rise to nine billion people by 2050,” said Achim
Steiner, UN under-secretary general and UNEP executive director.
The TEEB report said the impacts of not giving economic values to ecosystems was
most widely felt in the developing world.
This could be commonly seen when forests were logged, with the economic value
placed only on the trees and not the other immense benefits that the ecosystem
provided. Among the benefits are that forests act as water catchments, provide habitats
for valuable plants and animals, and store carbon so that it is not released into the
atmosphere.
Continuing to log forests at current rates until 2050 would lead to natural capital losses
of US$2trillion to US$4.5trillion (RM6.4trillion to RM14.4trillion) annually, according to
TEEB.
With more than half of the human population now living in urban areas, cities have a
crucial role to play in acknowledging the natural capital required to maintain and improve
the well-being of their residents.
Innovative economic instruments and policies are emerging that reward good practice.
For example, the Japanese city of Nagoya (host to the UN meeting on biodiversity), has
implemented a new system of tradeable development rights whereby developers wishing
to exceed existing limits on highrise buildings can offset their impacts by buying and
conserving areas of Japan’s traditional agricultural landscape.
Discounts on bank loans for buildings that receive a higher “star rating” based on a
green certification system designed by city authorities also create incentives for more
green space within city projects.
The good news is that many communities and countries are already seeing the potential
of incorporating the value of nature into decision-making.
Sukhdev said that India, Brazil and some other developing countries had already
committed to placing values on their natural capital.
Countries such as India have already announced plans for implementing the economic
valuation of their natural capital as well as the value of nature’s services in decisionmaking. – AFP/UNEP
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2010/10/26/lifefocus/7267284&sec=lifefocu
s
Time to focus on freshwater fish, is India listening?
2010-10-25 - Digital PreservationAds by Googleworld leading digital archiving solutions
using DROID www.digital-preservation.com
Nagoya (Japan), Oct 25 (IANS) Fishermen and policymakers alike are worried because
many marine fisheries have lost 90 percent of their stocks. What is often forgotten is that
inland freshwater fisheries are in crises too, highlights a new report that is of significance
to India.
'This fascinating report has brought to the fore the often neglected subject of inland
fisheries,' Achim Steiner, UN under-secretary and UNEP executive director, said.
'While marine fisheries are under increasing scrutiny, those based on river and lake
systems rarely engage the international community - an oversight of potentially profound
implications.'
'Why? Because an estimated 100 million people in Africa alone get important levels of
daily protein from these inland sources alongside essential vitamins and minerals.
Meanwhile, unofficial estimates put the global inland catch at close to 30 million tonnes,
comparable to official marine catches, and employment at 60 million people - 13 million
more than in equivalent marine fisheries,' he added.
In India, 5.5 million people are employed in freshwater fishing and related occupations.
India, China, Bangladesh and Myanmar are the largest producers of freshwater fish with
a total official harvest from inland fisheries of over five million tonnes a year.
The numbers are just as significant in most countries. These fisheries play a vital role in
economies, livelihoods, health and human development.
The report on inland fisheries released on the sidelines of the Oct 18-29 UN biodiversity
summit here says globally, rivers and lakes are providing 13 million tonnes of fish
annually with the true figure perhaps as much as 30 million tonnes due to under
reporting of catches.
These inland fisheries are generating 60 million full and part time jobs in fishing and
other activities such as processing with over half these jobs carried out by women.
Close to 70 percent of the total inland catch is in Asia. Much of the fish is eaten within
the country, underlining the critical importance to the people and economies of the
developing world.
The new report, compiled by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World
Fish Centre, also highlights the wide ranging importance of inland fisheries in diet, and
especially among children, above and beyond the supply of protein.
'Even more important in many countries (than protein) is the role of inland fisheries in
supplying micronutrients, especially vitamin A, calcium, iron and zinc,' says the report
Blue Harvest: Inland Fisheries as an Ecosystem Service.
'Detailed studies in Bangladesh for example have shown that daily consumption of small
fish contributes 40 percent of the total daily household requirement of vitamin A and 31
percent of calcium,' adds the study.
As well as providing nutritional benefits, fish also play a key role in the functioning of
aquatic ecosystems. Their consumption of plankton, plants, insects and other fish is
critical to the stability and resilience of river and lake habitats.
Fish also serve as important links between ecosystems. The nutrients and organic
matter from fish eggs, carcasses and excretion help to support the production of algae,
insect larvae and other fish species in rivers and lakes.
When fish populations decline, there can be serious knock-on effects for other
organisms. The report warns that despite over 40 years of steady production globally,
rapid environmental changes are occurring which challenge the viability of future fish
stocks.
As reasons, it cites low flows, changes in seasonal flooding patterns and loss of habitat
and spawning grounds linked with dams, unsustainable agriculture and over-abstraction
of water.
Other impacts are coming from urbanisation and road building, pollution including
wastewater discharges and climate change. Pollution is also taking its toll.
The report urges countries to adopt an 'ecosystem approach' to managing inland
fisheries given the multiple impacts coming to bear on their health and productivity.
New dams should be located where they have least impact on river ecosystems, and
fish-friendly designs managed to allow fish migration and delivery of seasonal flows, the
report says; where possible older dams need to be altered to provide similar benefits.
The study reports that the number of large dams greater than 15 metres in height has
grown globally from 5,000 in 1949 to over 50,000 by 2006. Meanwhile, there are now
also an estimated 800,000 smaller dams worldwide.
(Joydeep Gupta can be contacted at joydeepgupta1@gmail.com)
http://sify.com/news/time-to-focus-on-freshwater-fish-is-india-listening-newsinternational-kkzo4vbgdfc.html
Global network sought for ecological research in mountains
Himalayan News Service
KATHMANDU: Conservation scientists today emphasised the importance of biodiversity
management in mountain regions.
The scientists, who have gathered in Nagoya of Japan for the Conference of Parties to
the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), called for developing a global network for
ecological research in the mountains. The scientists made such an appeal during a side
event co-organised by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
(ICIMOD), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World
Conservation Union-World Commission on Protected Areas (IUCN-WCPA).
“Developing a global network for long-term ecological research in mountain areas,
combined with strong national institutions, is essential to reduce scientific uncertainty.
The network will help to harmonise research protocols and standardise environmental
monitoring to increase our understanding of changes and needs in the different
mountain regions of the world,” read an ICIMOD press statement issued today from
Japan.
Nepal is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity and a Nepali government
delegation is also attending the meeting.
“Mountains have always been a place of survival due to their topographic richness. The
diversity of functions provided by the rich mountain biodiversity is as important as the
diversity itself. Mountains provide opportunities for species to move vertically and
horizontally and to adapt in response to climate change,” said Professor Christian
Koerner, Chairperson, Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment.
According to ICIMOD, Ibrahim Thiaw, director of policy, UNEP; Dr Penelope Figgis from
IUCN; Dr Andreas Schild, director general, ICIMOD; and Warren Evans, director of
environment, World Bank, stressed on the importance of ecosystem approach in
biodiversity conservation and management.
http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Global+network+sought+for+
ecological+research+in+mountains+&NewsID=262933
Freshwater losses pose risks for food, health: UN
TOKYO (Reuters) -- Damage to rivers, wetlands and lakes threatens to destabilize the
diversity of freshwater fish species, posing risks for food security, incomes and nutrition,
and rivers and lakes are the source of 13 million metric tons of fish annually, which in
turn provide employment to 60 million people, the study by the United Nations
Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Fish Center showed.
Fish from inland waters is also important for nutrition, especially in Africa and parts of
Asia, by supplying micronutrients such as vitamin A, calcium, iron and zinc, the report
added.
It said such factors highlighted the risks to humans from the destruction of freshwater
ecosystems and the urgency to protect them from pollution, climate change, overfishing
and construction of dams.
The report was released on the sidelines of an Oct 18-29 U.N. meeting in Nagoya,
Japan, aimed at pushing governments and businesses to do more to fight accelerating
losses in animal and plant species.
While fish production had grown in Asia and Africa over the past 40 years, catch in other
regions had leveled off and in some cases, fallen, with environmental damage cited as a
factor, the report said.
Fisheries in the Volga River in Europe have declined because of dams, while fisheries in
Lake Malawi and Lake Malombe in Africa have fallen from overfishing and environmental
degradation.
“It takes a concerted effort to protect and maintain these so-to-speak 'free' ecosystem
services around the world,” Yumiko Kura of the World Fish Center told a news
conference on the sidelines of the Nagoya meeting.
“It is important to maintain these natural ecosystem services from human destruction
because it is very costly to replace these ecosystem services once they are lost.”
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=229235
Economic, social value of ecosystems stressed
INQUIRER.net - NAGOYA, Japan—Businesses and policy-makers need to recognize
the tremendous economic value of ecosystems, as well as the social and economic
costs of losing such natural resources as forests, freshwater, soils, and coral reefs, a
new United Nations report released last week said.
The report by the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), a body hosted by
the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), seeks to galvanize the world to recognize the
economic consequences of failing to halt the alarming loss of species as a result of
habitat loss, pollution, and excessive exploitation of ecosystems for financial gain.
The reported was launched at the conference of parties to the UN Convention on
Biodiversity (CBD) under way in the Japanese city of Nagoya.
“TEEB has documented not only the multi-trillion dollar importance to the global
economy of the natural world, but the kinds of policy-shifts and smart market
mechanisms that can embed fresh thinking in a world beset by a rising raft of multiple
challenges,” Pavan Sukhdev, a banker who heads UNEP’s Green Economy Initiative.
“The good news is that many communities and countries are already seeing the potential
of incorporating the value of nature into decision-making.”
The study calls for wider recognition of nature’s contribution to human livelihoods,
health, security, and culture by decision-makers at all levels.
Countries such as India have already announced plans for implementing the economic
valuation of their natural capital, as well as the value of nature’s services in decisionmaking, according to the study.
“TEEB’s approach can reset the economic compass and herald a new era in which the
value of nature’s services is made visible and becomes an explicit part of policy and
business decision-making. Do nothing, and not only do we lose trillions worth of current
and future benefits to society, we also further impoverish the poor and put future
generations at risk,” said Mr. Sukhdev.
The report spells out three scenarios—a natural ecosystem (forests), a human
settlement (city,) and a business sector (mining)—to illustrate how the economic
concepts and tools described in TEEB can help equip society with the means to
incorporate the values of nature into decision-making at all levels.
With more than half of the world’s population now living in urban areas, cities have a
crucial role to play in acknowledging the natural capital required to maintain and improve
the well-being of their residents.
Innovative economic instruments and policies are emerging that reward good practice.
For example, Nagoya has implemented a new system of “tradeable” development rights
whereby developers wishing to exceed existing limits on high-rise buildings can offset
their impacts by buying and conserving areas of Japan’s traditional agricultural
landscape, according to the report.
Discounts on bank loans for buildings that receive a higher star rating based on a green
certification system designed by Nagoya city authorities also create incentives for more
green space within city projects.
An important finding of the study is the contribution of forests and other ecosystems to
the livelihoods of poor rural households, and, therefore, the significant potential for
conservation efforts to contribute to poverty reduction.
It has been estimated that ecosystem services and other non-marketed natural goods
account for 47 to 89 percent of the so-called “Gross Domestic Product of the Poor”—the
total sources of livelihoods of rural and forest-dwelling poor households—in some large
developing countries.
“In the past only traditional sectors such as manufacturing, mining, retailing,
construction, and energy generation were uppermost in the minds of economic planners
and ministers of finance, development, and trade.
“TEEB has brought to the world’s attention that nature’s goods and services are equal, if
not far more central, to the wealth of nations including the poor—a fact that will be
increasingly the case on a planet of finite resources with a population set to rise to nine
billion people by 2050,” said Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20101024-299423/Economicsocial-value-of-ecosystems-stressed
COP10: A meet to save life on Earth?
By WINIFRED BIRD
Special to The Japan Times
The next time someone asks you what biodiversity is, try this: "It's about your life, life on
this planet, and about what we're doing to this planet with our eyes open."
Poetry in motion: A pair of Lear's Macaws, an endangered species of Brazilian parrot
that feeds off the nuts of Licuri palms and is known to live for up to 50 years. However,
the palm habitat is now a precarious 1.6 percent of its original cover. ANDY AND GILL
SWASH PHOTO
So said United Nations Environment Program Executive Director Achim Steiner on
Monday, Oct. 18 at the opening of a U.N. meeting that has brought representatives from
193 countries to Nagoya this week and next to work out a new plan to halt the sixth great
extinction event in the history of the Earth (and the only one caused by humans).
Delegates to the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD), or COP10 for short, also aim to sign off on a deal to ensure
that the benefits of biodiversity are shared fairly — and agree on who's going to pay for it
all.
This isn't the first time that Parties to the CBD have attempted to turn the 17-year-old
treaty's lofty goals of conserving, equitably sharing and sustainably using biodiversity
into concrete action.
In 2003, Parties drew up a so-called Strategic Plan intended to slow the rate of
biodiversity loss by 2010. Yet, according to the Global Biodiversity Outlook 3, a report
published this May by the CBD Secretariat, animal and plant populations continue to
dwindle as quickly as ever.
Certainly, protected areas are growing and some local progress has been made, but the
report says funding, awareness — and action — all fall short of what's needed.
Moreover, biodiversity conservation remains relegated to environment ministries and
NGOs rather than being "mainstreamed" throughout all key areas of government,
business and society.
To counter this disturbing state of affairs, delegates gathered in Nagoya are now
charged with creating a new, more effective Strategic Plan to guide biodiversity
conservation over the next decade. Parties will be expected to incorporate that plan into
their own domestic governance systems, although those that don't, or can't, won't be
dragged before the U.N.'s International Court of Justice, but may merely face adverse
pressure from their peers.
However, if the plan's strongest version garners support, it could include mandates to set
aside 20 percent of the world's land and sea areas in protected areas, end overfishing,
and increase official funding for biodiversity conservation tenfold, to $30 billion per year.
Weaker versions of the Strategic Plan also on the table could lead to much less
ambitious targets being set.
Hanging in the balance are the estimated five to 30 million species that differentiate
Earth from all the other cold, hard rocks floating through space.
Scientists say that these species — which are now being lost at between 100 and 1,000
times the historical "background rate" shown in the fossil record — are worth saving not
only for their own sakes, but because humans literally can't live without them.
"Without biodiversity there's no life. It's not only emblematic species such as polar bears
and giraffes and elephants. It (affects) the air, the forests, the food we eat, the medicines
— it's everything," said CBD Executive Secretary Ahmed Djoghlaf in an interview with
The Japan Times.
Djoghlaf's task is to bring that message to politicians, businesspeople and civil-society
groups often myopically focused on climate change.
However, the goods and services we derive from diverse natural environments matter in
financial terms as well. For example, a recent U.N. study estimated the economic value
of coral reefs alone at up to $1.1 million per hectare per year through the fisheries and
other marine life they support.
Biodiversity is also crucial for ecosystem stability, said Thomas Elmqvist, a professor of
natural resources management at Stockholm University's Resilience Center and
member of Sweden's COP10 delegation, in a recent interview. That's because multiple
species can serve the same function within a given ecosystem — but respond differently
to disasters such as floods, fires and storms.
Consequently, even if one species doesn't survive, another is likely to pull through and
carry on its vital functions within the ecosystem.
Illustrating this are the results of a study Elmqvist has made of two species of flying fox
that are both key dispersers of seeds in Samoan forests. He found was that, after a
major typhoon, one species stayed in the trees and survived, while the other descended
to the forest floor to forage and was decimated by predators.
"After a catastrophic event, even subtle differences can be really important for the
system to recover. You wouldn't attach much importance to them unless you see them in
the light of these big disturbances," says Elmqvist.
Yet just as fires, floods, and other natural (and unnatural) disasters appear to be on the
rise — due in large part to climate change — the biodiversity that helps ecosystems
withstand these shocks is being rapidly eroded.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), more than a
third of the nearly 50,000 species surveyed so far are threatened with extinction, while
the Living Planet Index — another long-term study — shows that overall species
abundance is falling in many parts of the world.
The chief cause behind all of this is, of course, a single species — humans.
Most plants and animals are at risk because we have hunted, fished or harvested too
many of them, or because we have destroyed their habitat by converting it to farmland,
polluting it with chemicals or introducing invasive species into it.
Meanwhile, human population and the global middle class are both growing. That means
more land and natural resources will be needed not only to provide for basic needs, but
to feed growing demand for cars, televisions and other luxuries of the developed world.
Climate change is also now one of the top threats to biodiversity. Habitat range and the
timing of seasonal events is shifting, oceans are growing more acidic and entire
ecosystems, such as those in polar regions, are in danger of disappearing. Indeed, a
2009 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (established in 1988 by
the United Nations Environment Program and the World Meteorological Organization)
warns that if average global temperatures rise by more than 3.5 degrees Celsius, 40 to
70 percent of species could be wiped out.
However, patterns of species loss aren't very predictable. As pressures build and
interact with one another, seemingly stable ecosystems can lurch over "tipping points"
and suddenly become much less diverse.
For instance, a recent study coordinated by the World Bank warned that losing more
than 20 percent of the Amazon rain forest — of which 17 percent is already gone — in
combination with climate change and fires, could trigger a massive dieback that would
transform vast swaths of one of the world's most diverse ecosystem into dry savannah.
These are the issues facing the environment ministers, scientists, NGO groups and
business people gathered in Nagoya for COP10.
Already, they have debated benefit sharing and marine conservation in contentious
meetings that often pit developed countries against developing nations such as Brazil
that are home to extraordinary biological diversity and want strong commitments of
financial help for conservation. Incidentally, as the United States, Andorra and the Holy
See are alone in not having signed the CBD, they may only participate as observers.
For its part, conference chair Japan has focused on promoting biodiversity- friendly
agriculture, pointing out that farmland makes up nearly a third of the world's land
surface. Its Satoyama Initiative proposes Japan's traditional mosaic of rice paddies,
woodlands and grasslands as a model of how farmers can share their land with wild
plants and animals.
Other countries have pushed for more conservation funding and have argued for the
need to link currently uncoordinated action on climate change and biodiversity.
Whichever of these initiatives makes it into the final Strategic Plan, however, CBD
Executive Secretary Djoghlaf has emphasized that what's needed most is a global wakeup call on the importance of preserving biological diversity.
"If business-as-usual continues, we will very soon reach tipping points — which means
irreversible damage to major ecosystems, weakening the capacity of the planet to
continue sustaining life," he said.
"The status of biodiversity for millions of years to come will be determined by what one
species — human beings — does or fails to do in the next one or two decades."
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20101024x1.html
General Environment News
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The Japan Times- Nagoya event can feel far distant from nature
Inquirer-Haze highlights weak Asean cooperation—analysts
Nagoya event can feel far distant from nature
By WINIFRED BIRD
Special to The Japan Times
I have been in Nagoya attending the U.N. biodiversity confrence, COP10, for nearly a
week now (two if you count the pre-COP10 meeting on biosafety, MOP 5), and I think it's
safe to say I haven't heard mention of an actual animal or plant yet.
Socio-economic production landscapes, extinction rates, access and benefit protocols,
and strategic plans — yes. But bees, elephants or whales? No.
To be fair, the Convention on Biological Diversity (which is what the 7,000 participants
currently at this two-week conference are here to talk about) isn't about protecting
specific species. That's dealt with in other international agreements such as the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
This Convention is about protecting the whole grand picture of life on Earth by
safeguarding habitats, encouraging sustainable agriculture, and educating government
officials and ordinary people about why biodiversity matters.
Nevertheless, the bland carpeted halls of the Nagoya Congress Center can feel
remarkably isolated from the natural world outside. Consequently, there follows a quick
guide to one of the world's most unique ecosystems, the U.N. environment conference,
and its native species, Homo sapiens meetingus.
Many of the substantive discussions at COP10 take place in "Working Groups," the large
meetings of delegates where specific texts are debated. Working Group meetings are
surprisingly similar to a high-school English class, except that the students are the
countries of the world and the topic of debate is the future of life on Earth.
Representatives from each country sit at rows of desks in a large hall, each with a
headset that delivers simultaneous translation in six languages and a placard before
them identifying their country. Facing them on a stage is the Chair of the meeting.
Delegates take turns stating their position on a particular topic — say, whether or not a
new expert group on marine protected areas should be set up.
The Chair moderates this discussion, calling on the delegates, commenting on their
comments, and guiding the group toward (often elusive) consensus, which must be
reached for every decision.
Sometimes all that's required is a classic reprimand ("African Union, are you listening?"),
but sometimes the Chair must decide when to continue a discussion and when to move
on.
Is Mexico's preference for the term "scientific study" over "peer study" an unimportant
semantic detail, or is it a small but key point that will shape laws in 193 countries or even
hold up adoption of the text?
The Chair must make that call.
Next week, Japan's brand-new environment minister, Ryu Matsumoto, will take on this
key role of Chair at the ministerial meetings where most of the final decisions are likely
to be made (or not made). It remains to be seen how the new teacher will fare at his
crucial task of managing the global classroom.
Even an environment ministry bureaucrat can't live on words alone, of course — and
luckily, Japan is an excellent host, famous for providing lavish banquets to conference
attendees (sometimes too lavish, as in the case of the lunchtime feasts at the 2008
Hokkaido G8 leaders summit on poverty and hunger, which some journalists declined to
partake of in protest).
This time around, at the opening reception we enjoyed persimmon tiramisu, cheese
fondue and seafood mousse, among other delicacies. Since then, a steady supply of
tea, sandwiches, fried chicken and cupcakes has been provided to keep delegates
going.
We have also been treated to biodiversity-themed entertainment, including a
performance by fourth-generation animal mimicry artist Edoya Nekohachi, who tweeted
several songs, such as the Japanese classic "Furosato" in the voice of various birds at a
show on Monday night.
Monday's opening ceremony also included an extraordinary shadow-play show, in which
hands projected onto a screen transformed themselves into squirrels, birds, crabs, sea
anemone, octopuses and fish.
Delegates have had scant time for carousing, however.
For the past several days, negotiations over contentious issues such as access and
benefit sharing continued until five in the morning. The rest of us are waiting to see
whether the exhausted negotiators will be able to accomplish something within the
conference center by next Friday — something that makes a difference beyond its walls,
that is.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20101024x6.html
Haze highlights weak Asean cooperation—analysts
By Martin Abbugao, Agence France-Presse
Filed Under: Pollution, Environmental Issues, ASEAN, Asia Australia - East Asia, Asia
Australia - South Asia
SINGAPORE—Just a week after Southeast Asia hailed "substantive progress" against
cross-border air pollution, Singapore and parts of Malaysia are again being blanketed by
smog from forest fires in Indonesia.
The problem, known euphemistically as "the haze," raises fresh questions about the
effectiveness of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), whose leaders will
hold a summit in Hanoi from October 28-29.
Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo phoned his Indonesian counterpart Marty
Natalegawa on Friday to press for action and offer help in extinguishing forest fires
largely set by farmers in the vast island of Sumatra to clear land for cultivation.
Malaysian officials also vented their frustration at the persistent problem, which analysts
said highlights weakness both within individual Asean countries and the bloc itself in
enforcing domestic laws and regional pacts.
"This just shows that Asean must move from talk to action," said Joko Arif, Southeast
Asia forest team leader at environmental group Greenpeace.
"Asean has been talking for more than 10 years on how to combat forest fires and haze,
but I think more concrete action needs to be done," he told AFP.
For its part, Indonesia should effectively implement laws that ban the use of fire to clear
land and be more transparent in giving out information on the location and size of the
burning activities, Arif said.
Haze has been on Asean’s agenda since 1997-1998, when a choking pall of smoke
caused by fires on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan wafted across
Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
More than nine million hectares (22 million acres) of land were burnt, costing the region
an estimated nine billion dollars in economic, social, and environmental losses,
according to Asean.
In 2002, the grouping adopted the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution
to coordinate efforts to fight the fires, often caused by slash-and-burn practices by
farmers and companies as they clear massive tracts of land for products like palm oil.
Only Indonesia has yet to ratify the treaty.
Asean also boasts a Regional Haze Action Plan, the Asean Peatland Management
Strategy, and a Panel of Asean Experts on Fire and Haze Assessment and
Coordination.
Yet the forest fires recur every year and the smoke continues to afflict Indonesia's
neighbors with varying degrees of seriousness.
The latest fires on Sumatra this month triggered health alerts in Singapore and parts of
Malaysia.
"Asean really has to transcend its reputation as a talk shop," said Rafael Senga, the Asia
Pacific energy policy chief at World Wildlife Fund International.
"We all know that Asean has achieved some headway in some areas as an organization.
But for issues that have a domestic character like deforestation, Asean is basically
toothless," Senga told AFP.
"They can issue communique after communique every year but at the end of the day, it
still depends on the national governments involved to do something about it."
Senga said that Indonesia's drive to significantly increase its palm oil production is
leading to massive deforestation, while Indonesian officials often blame poor farmers for
the fires.
The region is susceptible to haze pollution because 60 percent of the world's tropical
peatlands are in Southeast Asia, covering around 24 million hectares, with Indonesia
accounting for 70 percent, Asean’s website said.
When set on fire, dry peatland can burn for weeks because the blaze can be
extinguished on the surface but continue to burn underground.
Mely Caballero-Anthony, a Singapore-based expert on non-traditional security threats,
said that while Asean has a haze agreement, it cannot be fully implemented because
Indonesia has yet to ratify it.
Moreover, the bloc has yet to draw up an implementing mechanism for the treaty, said
Caballero-Anthony, who heads the Center for Non-Traditional Security Studies at
Nanyang Technological University.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20101024-299446/Hazehighlights-weak-Asean-cooperationanalysts
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RONA MEDIA UPDATE
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE NEWS
Monday, 25 October, 2010
UNEP or UN in the News
USA
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NY Times: Calculating commitment to climate
NY Times: Profiting from Biodiversity
Reuters: U.N. talks on nature inch forward but rifts remain
Reuters: U.N panel seeks to streamline JI CO2 cutting scheme
Reuters: Freshwater losses pose risks for food, health: U.N.
ClimateWire: Brazil plans a price on oil to accelerate climate efforts
CANADA
 Montreal Gazette: Feds never tried to hush ecosystem report: minister
Calculating commitment to climate
NY Times, October 24, 2010, BY James Kanter
BRUSSELS — There was a surge of optimism at the Copenhagen climate conference,
when the U.S. secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, backed an international aid
package worth hundreds of billions of dollars to help poor countries counter threats like
rising seas and desertification. The surprise announcement by the United States to join
the European Union and other wealthy nations in making the pledges represented a
singular moment of global cohesion during an event remembered more for its
unremitting acrimony.
The pledges, inscribed in the Copenhagen Accord, a nonbinding pact that has been
signed by about 140 countries, also represented an unprecedented attempt to overcome
one of the thorniest problems that has plagued international climate talks: recurrent
complaints by poor countries that developed nations, grown prosperous by burning fossil
fuels, are behaving hypocritically by demanding emissions limits in the future.
The money would allow poor nations, in particular small island states and African
countries, to finance infrastructure projects like better defenses to fend off rising seas
and help buildings withstand storms, floods, heat waves and mudslides associated with
climate change.
Poor nations could use the funds to develop technologies like wind, hydro and solar
power, so they could grow economically using cleaner, but more expensive, alternatives
to fossil fuels.
A so-called fast-start fund worth $10 billion annually would operate until 2012. For longterm finance, developed countries agreed to support a goal of jointly mobilizing $100
billion a year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries.
A key problem is that the amounts are much lower than many experts say is necessary
to help poor countries adapt to climate change and develop cleaner technologies.
Another problem is that the Copenhagen Accord did not specify who would pay or how
the money would be raised, at a time when most rich-world governments face
unprecedented pressures to shore up their own budgets and find ways of supporting
their own industries in the wake of agonizing debt and banking crises.
Apparently wary that big donors could delay commitments, Christiana Figueres, the
head of the U.N. climate office, said last month that making good on the pledges was
“the golden key” to unlocking progress at the global climate meeting in Cancún, Mexico,
next month.
So far, the job of calculating what governments have given has proved challenging.
A Web site developed by the Dutch government and managed by the U.N. Development
Program has recorded pledges for the fast-start funds of about $7.6 billion, far short of
the $30 billion goal. But only a few countries — including Canada, Germany, Britain and
Norway — have participated in that project.
The World Resources Institute, which is based in Washington and operates another
online tracking tool that does not depend on governments’ sharing information, has a
much bigger figure. It said pledges add up to about $28 billion, which is just shy of the
$30 billion target for fast-start funds.
But the institute underlined how some donors might have simply renamed existing aid
budgets or counted previous pledges of climate finance, even though the Copenhagen
Accord specifies that financing be “new and additional.”
The institute pointed out that a Japanese pledge called the Hatoyama Initiative
resembled a previously announced plan agreed to several years ago. That is significant
because Japan has promised half the total, or around $15 billion, according to the
institute. Britain and the United States have also counted previous commitments as part
of their fast-start finance pledge, the institute said.
Another complaint by climate experts and academics is the difficulty of comparing
contributions and how they will be deployed.
There was “no specified baseline that would allow anyone to know if the promise has
actually been fulfilled,” said J. Timmons Roberts, the director of the Center for
Environmental Studies at Brown University in Rhode Island.
Those difficulties, and others, over fast-start financing suggest that wealthy nations will
face even more obstacles delivering on the larger promise of $100 billion annually in
new aid by 2020.
To avoid that scenario, in February, the U.N. secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, created
the Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing to come up with “new and innovative”
options for finding the money. That group is expected to submit a report to Mr. Ban by
next month.
But in what amounts to a pre-emptive strike on the forthcoming report, environmental
activists including Friends of the Earth stepped up a campaign early this month to
discourage the group from advocating policies emphasizing the role of private finance,
like carbon trading, to generate the money.
In a letter to the chairmen of the advisory group — Jens Stoltenberg, the prime minister
of Norway, and Meles Zenawi, the prime minister of Ethiopia — the activists said that
carbon trading could prove to be a particularly undependable source of revenue, and
they warned that it presented “a serious risk of fraud” if emissions reductions turned out
to be spurious.
Instead, the activists urged the group to prioritize raising taxes on activities like
international financial transactions, and to find ways of making the shipping and aviation
industries pay for their pollution, like levies on fuel and tickets.
Nicholas Stern, a professor at the London School of Economics and a member of the
advisory group, has already signaled that the advisory group has little choice but to
reserve a strong role for the private sector to raise the money.
In light of the global economic situation, Mr. Stern suggested that investments by
multilateral banks and revenue from carbon markets were currently among the most
promising ways of raising substantial sums of money.
As to new taxes — in particular, a tax on international financial transactions — Mr. Stern,
speaking at an August U.N. meeting in Bonn in a rare briefing on the advisory group’s
work, gave strong hints that they would be unworkable.
“Political acceptability does matter,” said Mr. Stern, adding that a financial transaction
tax had proved “particularly controversial.”
Profiting from Biodiversity
NY Times, October 20, 2010, BY Thomas Lovejoy
Last year the nations of the world gathered in Copenhagen in hopes of advancing the
global agenda for climate change. Similarly — with much less fanfare yet no less
importance — they are now gathered in Nagoya, Japan, to improve the prospects for the
living planet and its biodiversity.
Many people live under the illusion that the Earth’s biology is largely irrelevant to us.
That was manifest in the way the Millenium Development Goals were discussed at the
recent United Nations General Assembly completely independent from the discussions
related to the International Year of Biodiversity.
Ironically, almost everyone present during the General Assembly talks probably was
unaware that the water they were drinking was purified by the biodiversity of the nearby
Catskill watershed. Back in the 1990s the quality of New York water — once rated as
some of the best of any city — had declined so badly that the Environmental Protection
Agency was about to require the city to build an $8 billion water treatment plant. Instead,
for a fraction of that cost, the city restored the watershed’s ecosystems and biodiversity
so that they once again could provide high quality drinking water. In doing so, one of the
wealthiest cities in the world was recognizing explicitly the value of an ecosystem
service.
A major reason the biology of the planet is largely ignored in human affairs, is that its
critical contributions to human wellbeing are not taken into account in the formal
economy. The world’s poor, for example, derive 40 to 89 percent of their annual
“income” from nature, both directly through the goods it provides (e.g., food and fiber)
and indirectly through its services.
A project initiated by the Group of 8 leading industrialized nations known as The
Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity, or TEEB, being released in Nagoya makes
the case for bringing these factors into the economic calculus as much as possible.
For example, conventional economics would always support the removal of mangrove
ecosystems to make way for shrimp aquaculture. However, if economic subsidies are
subtracted, the choice to develop rather than leave untouched becomes pretty marginal.
Furthermore, if the service function of mangroves as nurseries for local fisheries is
added to the value of the intact ecosystems, the numbers very clearly argue for
maintenance of the mangrove ecosystem.
A classic study in Costa Rica shows that coffee plantations close to forest areas have 20
percent greater yield because of pollination services from wild pollinators. That
translates to an additional $60,000 in income for a farmer with an adjacent forest. Costa
Rica has a pioneering ecosystem services law that, among other things, rewards
landholders financially for maintaining forests and thus reliable water flow for
downstream hydroelectric generation.
On a larger scale, the TEEB project reckons the annual value contributed by global
wetlands at $3.4 billion. On land the project calculates the annual loss of natural capital
from natural ecosystems like forests at $2 trillion to $4.5 trillion.
All these benefits are in jeopardy. Disturbing trends documented in the Third Biodiversity
Outlook tell us this is not a normal time on the planet. Despite many laudatory efforts,
the Earth’s vital signs are very disturbing and its biological infrastructure is degrading
rapidly. Almost all indicators are negative and many are in decline exponentially. Fifteen
tipping points, like dieback of the southern and southeastern Amazon forest, loom.
We can see plainly in Haiti what happens when the biology of a nation is largely
destroyed; indeed it is clear that for the country to have any hope in its future Haiti needs
substantial ecosystem restoration and reforestation.
It is simply not acceptable for us to bequeath a world like this to future generations —
one riddled with inequity for humanity, with the poor buffered least and suffering most.
We need to move from thinking of nature as just something set aside in a protected area
in the midst of a human dominated landscape, to a vision of humanity and its aspirations
embedded in the planet’s natural infrastructure.
There is much on the agenda in Nagoya. One item is to create an intergovernmental
science structure for ecosystems and biodiversity. Another is to make progress on
access and sharing of the benefits we derive from the biology of the living planet.
Above all what is needed is greater recognition of the value of biodiversity and
conservation efforts commensurate with the scale of the problem.
U.N. talks on nature inch forward but rifts remain
Reuters, October 25, 2010, BY Chisa Fujioka
(Reuters) - A U.N. meeting to set targets to fight rising animal and plant extinctions
inched on Friday toward agreement, but rich and poor countries remained split over
details of a new framework on genetic resources.
Envoys from nearly 200 countries are meeting in Nagoya, Japan, from Oct 18-29 to set
new goals to preserve nature's riches after they failed to meet a goal for a "significant
reduction" in losses of biological diversity by 2010.
The meeting hopes to push governments and businesses into taking more action to
protect and restore ecosystems such as forests that clean the air, insects that pollinate
crops and coral reefs that nurture valuable fisheries.
But negotiations have been plagued by the same mistrust between developed and
developing countries that has bogged down U.N. talks on combating climate change,
such as how to share the effort and who should pay.
Developing nations in Nagoya have refused to sign up to 2020 conservation targets
without agreement on a new U.N. protocol that would give them a fairer share of profits
made by companies, such as pharmaceutical firms, from their genetic resources.
The protocol could unlock billions of dollars for developing countries, where much of the
world's natural riches remain, but envoys have been divided over issues such as the
scope of the agreement and how to check where a genetic resource comes from.
DEADLINE
Delegates missed a deadline on Friday to update a draft of the so-called "access and
benefit-sharing" (ABS) protocol, but said progress was made on some details and that
hope was not lost for an agreement by the end of the talks late next week.
"If all parties from both sides, groups with different views on the issues, can find a
common ground, it's possible that we could arrive at a good compromise text," Paulino
Franco de Carvalho, head of the environment division at Brazil's foreign ministry, told
Reuters.
Wrangling over the ABS framework has threatened to derail a deal in Nagoya to agree a
2020 "mission" to halt or take urgent steps toward halting the loss of biodiversity.
In addition, a 20-point strategic plan aims to protect fish stocks, fight the loss and
degradation of natural habitats and conserve larger land and marine areas but the level
of ambition for these targets is still being debated and is tied to funding.
"They have to speed up, come very quickly to compromises, otherwise it will take nights
and nights, days and days," said Gunter Mitlacher, biodiversity director for WWF
Germany on the sidelines of the meeting.
There was no sign yet of developed countries pledging funding for poorer nations to help
set up protected areas and stem the mounting loss of habitats, although pledges could
be made by ministers in a high-level session late next week.
Current funding is about $3 billion a year but some developing nations say this should be
increased 100-fold. Environmental groups said any funding needed to be new money,
not re-packaged funds from earlier promises of aid.
"I expect we will see some pledges, but what I would be looking for is actual new money
that gets us a significant step toward where we need to be in terms of finance," said
Tove Ryding, Greenpeace political adviser for climate and forests.
Japan's Environment Minister Ryu Matsumoto, chair of the talks, said he was hopeful for
a deal.
"We are living thanks to the blessings of nature," he told a news conference.
"If we can all share the thought that a species could be disappearing even as we speak,
we can work together to solve these issues."
(Reporting by Chisa Fujioka; Editing by David Fogarty)
U.N panel seeks to streamline JI CO2 cutting scheme
Reuters, October 25, 2010, BY Nina Chestney
(Reuters) - A United Nations panel has proposed merging the two tracks of its Joint
Implementation (JI) emissions cutting mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol, the JI
Supervisory Committee (JISC) said.
Under JI, companies can invest in carbon-cutting projects in nations that signed up to
emissions targets under Kyoto, and in return receive emissions reduction units (ERUs),
which can be used toward their own corporate emissions targets or sold for profit.
Currently, countries can either issue carbon credits for emissions reductions made
themselves -- known as Track 1 -- or let the U.N. do an independent assessment, under
Track 2.
The proposal would see the establishment of a unified track in place of the two distinct
regulatory tracks, the panel said.
"We're putting forward ambitious but extremely practical proposals that would draw on
the best features of national and international approaches to incentivizing emission
reduction projects," said JISC Chair Benoit Leguet in a statement.
Last week, Russia approved its first Track 2 project. JI projects in Russia are expected
to generate the lion's share of around 150 million ERUs, which are expected to be
issued by the end of 2012.
"Still, it is thought unlikely that the JISC could continue its work without a significant
overhaul of its operations, including its funding model," the JISC said.
The panel's recommendations will be considered and approved at U.N. talks for a new
global climate pact in Cancun, Mexico, next month.
Four months ago, the panel was forced to postpone meetings due to the lack of funds.
The Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012 and there are concerns that if there is no global
climate agreement next month, a gap will open at the end of the protocol.
The JISC is asking for a mandate from next month's talks to ensure the JI will be able to
continue in such a gap occurs.
In particular, it wants to know if it can approve new projects after 2012 and that credits
can be issued from the start of 2013 to allow countries to use them to meet emissions
reduction targets which end in 2012.
(Reporting by Nina Chestney; Editing by Alison Birrane)
Freshwater losses pose risks for food, health: U.N.
Reuters, October 22, 2010, BY Chisa Fujioka
(Reuters) - Damage to rivers, wetlands and lakes threatens to destabilize the diversity
of freshwater fish species, posing risks for food security, incomes and nutrition, a Rivers
and lakes are the source of 13 million metric tonnes of fish annually, which in turn
provide employment to 60 million people, the study by the United Nations Environment
Program (UNEP) and the World Fish Center showed.
Fish from inland waters is also important for nutrition, especially in Africa and parts of
Asia, by supplying micronutrients such as vitamin A, calcium, iron and zinc, the report
added.
It said such factors highlighted the risks to humans from the destruction of freshwater
ecosystems and the urgency to protect them from pollution, climate change, overfishing
and construction of dams.
The report was released on the sidelines of an Oct 18-29 U.N. meeting in Nagoya,
Japan, aimed at pushing governments and businesses to do more to fight accelerating
losses in animal and plant species.
While fish production had grown in Asia and Africa over the past 40 years, catch in other
regions had leveled off and in some cases, fallen, with environmental damage cited as a
factor, the report said.
Fisheries in the Volga River in Europe have declined because of dams, while fisheries in
Lake Malawi and Lake Malombe in Africa have fallen from overfishing and environmental
degradation.
"It takes a concerted effort to protect and maintain these so-to-speak 'free' ecosystem
services around the world," Yumiko Kura of the World Fish Center told a news
conference on the sidelines of the Nagoya meeting.
"It is important to maintain these natural ecosystem services from human destruction
because it is very costly to replace these ecosystem services once they are lost."
(Reporting by Chisa Fujioka; Editing by Sugita Katyal)
Brazil plans a price on oil to accelerate climate efforts
ClimateWire, October 25, 2010, BY Lisa Friedman
Brazil expects to see its lowest rates of illegal deforestation since 1988 by the end of this
year.
Minister of Environment Izabella Teixeira said the government will reduce the annual
chopping and burning of the Amazon rainforest to between 4,000 and 5,000 square
kilometers. The figures will be announced in the run-up to this year's U.N. climate
change conference in Cancun, Mexico, this December.
The Amazon clearing is a far cry from the 24,000 square kilometers the so-called "lungs
of the Earth" lost in the beginning of this decade. But, Teixeira said, it's also not enough.
"OK, you did this, yes, we are so great," the minister said in a self-mocking flourish at the
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars' Brazil Institute. But, she added with
seriousness, "this challenge is not the only one."
Last year, at climate talks in Copenhagen, Denmark, Brazil promised to reduce its
carbon dioxide output 36 percent over the coming decade. Meeting that goal would bring
Brazil -- now the world's seventh-largest emitter -- back to its 1994 levels. This week,
Teixeira said, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will sign Brazil's sectoral strategy and
investment plan to show how the country will meet that target. Also this week, Brazil will
launch a long-planned climate change fund, bankrolled by a levy on oil production and
exploration.
Together, these moves and others are part of a larger Brazilian strategy of assuming a
new role in the U.N. climate talks: that of an emerging economic superpower intent on
protecting smaller, developing countries while also proving to the United States and
others that it will do its part to fight rising global emissions.
But what impact that will have at the 16th U.N. Framework Convention on Climate
Change, or COP16, talks, where nearly all attention will be focused on getting the United
States and China to come to terms over mitigating emissions, is unclear.
An emerging player throws chips on the table
In an interview with ClimateWire after speaking to the Brazil Institute about the current
Convention on Biological Diversity conference in Nagoya, Japan, Teixeira was at once
dismissive and upbeat about the Cancun meeting.
"COP 16? Forget it," said Teixeira when told the interview topic. Then she recovered.
Cancun, she said, is key to bringing leaders together. "It's important that you have a
pragmatic approach, and that you can show the global society that we are doing
something. It's important to show the world that we can establish a pragmatic basis for
actions."
Teixeira maintained the need for an international treaty -- though she didn't specify when
that might become a reality -- and stressed the importance of developed countries like
the United States making good on commitments to give poor countries $30 billion by
2020 to cope with climate change consequences.
"Let's be current with our declaration," she said. "If we're not able to do this, why are we
able to spend lots of money with wars?"
The gregarious minister, who in the course of her public talk teased a questioner about
her marital status ("I hope that you can have a lot of marriages. High biodiversity.") and
handed her personal e-mail to a graduate student who had written recently on Brazil,
offered few other specifics on COP16. Instead, she peppered much of her talk with
platitudes.
On whether the Cancun meeting is a referendum on the troubled U.N. climate process:
"It's important to understand that climate change is an issue with high complexity."
On whether countries, including Brazil, trust the United States when it says it will keep its
Copenhagen promise to cut carbon about 17 percent below 2005 levels, despite the
absence of legislation: "It's very important that you have political leadership from
President Obama."
As to whether Lula will attend COP16, the minister said she wasn't sure. But, she added,
"to have political leadership, you don't necessarily need to go to the COP."
Brazil's plan to grow jobs in a 'low-carbon economy'
But beyond the boilerplate on Cancun, Teixeira was clear about what she felt Brazil must
do in the international arena. The sectoral agreements, which will lay out plans to both
reduce the country's deforestation rates 80 percent by 2020 as well as sharp emission
reductions in the agriculture and steel industry, she said, are key.
"This is part of a strategy to have a plan for a low-carbon economy," she said. Brazil,
Teixeira insisted, needs to have the blueprint not just as something to show the
international community, but for its own economic and social development.
"We need to change," she said. "I do believe we need to have a different approach. Not
just how to preserve, how to conserve, but how to use. ... We are doing our part, but we
need to think about development in the Amazon region."
Amazon deforestation accounts for more than half of Brazil's emissions. Since 2004,
though, rates have steadily declined, due both to tough new enforcement provisions and
to falling commodity prices. But at the same time, Teixeira noted, demand for energy has
increased 13 percent per year in the Amazon regions -- and that's something
policymakers can't ignore, either.
"I also have to generate jobs, and I have to increase the social inclusion," she said. "It's
very important that you show how environmental issues are a precondition for social
development, not a restriction."
On the international level, she called for new leadership. Not necessarily from in her own
country -- which, one way or another, will get it when voters elect a president to succeed
Lula on Oct. 31. Rather, the entire trajectory of the climate change discussions needs to
focus more on ways to listen to the needs of developing countries and, she said,
"understand the perspectives of the other side."
In Cancun, Teixeira said, "We are working hard to have some results there. We can
have good news in Cancun. We cannot give up on the Cancun conference."
Feds never tried to hush ecosystem report: minister
Montreal Gazette, October 20, 2010, Mike de Souza
- Federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice slammed critics yesterday for suggesting
the government was trying to hide some alarming findings from a major national report
on the state of Canada's ecosystems by quietly publishing it online last Friday.
"We posted it on our website for heaven's sake," Prentice said in an interview. "I think
that's a ridiculous assertion."
He said Environment Canada released the report, the contents of which were first
reported by Postmedia News, before beginning its negotiations at a United Nations
biodiversity summit this week in Japan. It's being billed as one of the most important
environmental conferences since the Kyoto climate change summit in 1997, which
resulted in a binding agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"So I think that speaks for itself," Prentice said. "We posted it publicly and I'm prepared
to answer any questions that anyone has about it."
The 102-page report, Canadian biodiversity: ecosystem status and trends 2010, lists
numerous areas of Canada where "natural processes are compromised or increased
stresses are reaching critical thresholds." This includes fishing stocks, grasslands that
support bird populations, and fragmented forests that place caribou at risk.
It also states that ice-associated species such as polar bears are at risk from a "dramatic
loss of sea ice in the Arctic."
Environment Canada did not publicly announce that the report was available. It is billed
as the first assessment of Canada's biodiversity from an ecosystem perspective and was
prepared for federal, provincial and territorial governments based on technical reports
from more than 500 experts across the country.
Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae and environment critic Gerard Kennedy accused the
government of downplaying the assessment to avoid talking about its position at the UN
summit.
"It's just not looking at how we balance development around the world, but also not
looking at how we engage with the United Nations and how we engage on these
important international multilateral efforts," Rae said. "It's clear that the Conservative
(government) doesn't take its international responsibilities seriously."
But Prentice said that the biggest challenges in protecting global biodiversity are in
threatened tropical forests, such as those in the Amazon. He said there is optimism
about negotiating an agreement at this week's summit and a December summit on
climate change to provide support for developing countries in order to protect those
forests.
Countries at this week's conference are negotiating measures to protect species that are
threatened with extinction because of pollution and a lack of sustainable development.
General Environment News
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Washington Post: Green Collar Jobs
Washington Post: Google’s involvement in wind power project draws attention to
small energy transmission firm
Washington Post: Coast Guard checks discolored water near La.
Washington Post: BP CEO backs deepwater drilling despite Gulf spill
NY Times: Responsible recycling: My E-waste odyssey
Planet Ark: Warmer Arctic permanent, scientists say
Planet Ark: Plants clean air pollution better than expected
Greenwire: Obama to address emissions through ‘bite-sized’ energy policy
CANADA:
Globe and M ail: Sure, worry about climate change but not too much
Vancouver Sun: Environmental Group says Canada falling short on climatechange funding
Montreal Gazette: Putting the first ‘R’ to action
Montreal Gazette: Climate change funds fall short
Green Collar Jobs
Washington Post, October 24, 2010 Is there green to be made in the "green jobs"
market?
Discussing "green collar jobs" around here can produce a range of reactions, from
optimism and encouragement to frustration and skepticism. Supporters point to the $3.2
billion that Congress included in the stimulus package for creating green jobs and
improving energy efficiency throughout the country. Naysayers point to that same pot of
money and refer to a recent audit by the Department of Energy's inspector general,
which showed minimal use of the money among cities as of the second quarter of this
year. So will the D.C. area see more green job opportunities or is it a lot of hot air with
little to back it up?
The term "green collar job" is a broad one, referring to employment opportunities that
result in increased efficiency, clean energy, high-performance buildings, conservation of
natural resources and restoration of the environment. Green collar jobs can be the ones
that often come to mind when thinking about the environment, such as those in
emerging industries like solar and wind power, bio-fuel, urban planning and
environmental engineering. But they can also apply to existing businesses and trades
such as real estate development, construction, carpentry, roofing, electrical work,
painting and landscape architecture. In fact, because the green collar job market is still
figuring itself out, so to speak, nearly any career or position can be tweaked or recreated
to fit into the category. A sales professional, for example, can become part of the green
job force by driving a hybrid vehicle and selling only environmentally responsible
products.
In Feb. 2009, the D.C. Office of Planning created a "Green Collar Jobs Demand
Analysis" that assessed the number of current green jobs, projected the potential
number of green jobs through 2018 and highlighted the occupations in which green jobs
were growing. Their outlook for the District was highly optimistic, suggesting the creation
of more than 169,000 job opportunities through 2018. By their estimates, 37 percent of
new green job opportunities will require little to no training, with the highest number of
occupations including construction laborers, roofers, landscaping and grounds keeping
crews, office clerks and painters. Roughly the same number of green jobs will require
moderate training and/or job preparation. The highest number of these occupations
includes operating engineers, construction equipment operators, electricians,
construction supervisors, carpenters and plumbers.
Counties throughout northern Virginia and Maryland have similar programs in place or in
the works, with plans to weatherize homes, retrofit public buildings--including city offices,
firehouses and libraries--modernize schools, conduct energy audits and install lowenergy streetlights and traffic lights.
So what does this mean for jobseekers? Local and federal officials expect a surge late
this year in green jobs as programs are approved, stimulus money is freed up and work
finally begins on a number of projects around the region. The national culture, and even
more so our own local culture, has undergone a dramatic shift in perspective over the
past few years. Corporations and public offices have become proud stewards of the
environment, while consumers have begun paying much more attention to and
supporting such businesses. As the need grows for green business initiatives, the need
will continue to grow in the job market surrounding those businesses. Even if only a
portion of the stimulus money set aside for green jobs gets out the door, the need for
green professionals--whether a landscape designer or green graphic designer--will
almost certainly grow.
Google’s involvement in wind power project draws attention to small energy
transmission firm
Washington Post, October 25, 2010, BY Steven Overly
The days have grown longer for Trans-Elect Development founder Bob Mitchell in the
past two weeks as he juggles a deluge of meetings, late-night dinners and interviews
with U.S. and European media, including one with this reporter that ended after
midnight.
But then, that's the power of Google.
The Internet giant shoveled an undisclosed sum of cash into a transmission network for
offshore wind energy that Mitchell's Chevy Chase company aims to develop, and hordes
of techies, investors, government agencies and journalists took notice.
"It's very rare that you ever see an infrastructure project command the attention this
project has attracted, and certainly the fact that Google is involved has been a major
contributing factor, but at the same time the project itself has captured the attention and
excitement of people throughout the country," Mitchell said.
Indeed, the Atlantic Wind Connection is an ambitious undertaking considering the cost -Mitchell anticipates the price will be more than $5 billion over 10 years -- and the fact the
United States currently has no offshore wind operations.
When Mitchell created Trans-Elect Development in 1999, it was the first independent
transmission company in North America. Built on the idea of acquiring and improving
transmission networks operated by government, Trans-Elect eventually decided to
develop its own networks as well. To date, the company has owned and managed about
12,600 miles of transmission assets across the continent, though it has since sold off
some.
Trans-Elect is a small shop day-to-day, consisting of Mitchell and two primary partners.
The company brings on additional staff to assist with projects and there are currently
seven principals working on the offshore wind energy network, Mitchell said. He declined
to disclose the company's annual revenue.
If built as planned, the new network could connect up to 12 offshore wind projects along
a 350-mile stretch from northern New Jersey to southern Virginia. A "superhighway" of
underwater cables could then carry 6,000 megawatts of energy to shore.
While Google's investment has brought international media attention, local industry
players are divided on whether more tangible benefits will follow.
Jim Lanard, president of the Offshore Wind Development Coalition, an arm of the
District-based industry group American Wind Energy Association, hopes Google's highprofile investment will prompt regulators to speed up the approval process for offshore
wind projects, which can sometimes drag on for a decade. "There are policy issues that
the offshore wind developers that I represent and Google and Trans-Elect face that are
exactly the same that will need to be addressed through regulation and policy," he said.
Some companies, though, worry Google's entry may complicate their own projects.
Theo de Wolff, the head of Richmond-based Seawind Renewable Energy, filed an
unsolicited application in September 2009 to lease a parcel of ocean floor off the coast
of Virginia Beach. Virginia, along with Maryland and other mid-Atlantic states, is seeking
a green light from federal regulators to develop offshore sites.
"We like the [Trans-Elect-Google] initiative, but to some extent we think we are ahead of
the game, that it applies to projects in the next decade rather than this decade," de Wolff
said.
Mitchell said his project aims to reduce the cost of developing offshore wind farms by
eliminating the need for individual transmission lines. He also said a large transmission
network is necessary to build a substantial renewable energy industry in the region and
create jobs.
"I think every one of the wind farm developers would acknowledge that if we are going to
have offshore wind development reach a critical mass, you're going to have to have a
backbone to support that," Mitchell said.
The company intends to submit a formal proposal by early next year to the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission and the Bureau of Ocean Energy.
Google has a 37.5 percent stake in the equity needed for initial development and
regulatory approval, with the remaining money provided by international investors Good
Energies and Marubeni. Company officials placed the investment at "tens of millions of
dollars," but did not disclose the actual amount.
"We're interested in two main things: We want to push renewable energy forward and we
want to have a good return on our capital," said Jamie Yood, a Google spokesman. He
added that Google will evaluate whether to invest further as the project nears
construction.
Coast Guard checks discolored water near La.
Washington Post, October 23, 2010, BY AP
NEW ORLEANS -- The Coast Guard said Saturday that an area of discolored water near
a Mississippi River pass south of New Orleans appears to be an algae bloom, but
another spot 10 miles away could be oil.
Jeff Hall, spokesman for the Unified Area Command, said tests could determine if the
suspected oil is from the BP spill.
The Coast Guard sent two flights over the West Bay area near Venice on Saturday. Two
boats also went out to check the waters.
Hall told The Associated Press that tests will be done Monday on water samples from an
area where a marine investigator believes there's an algae bloom near Venice. The area
of discolored water there was about 2.5 miles long and 300 yards wide, Hall said.
About 10 miles away, Hall said a crew spotted what appears "some kind of silvery,
weathered oil." The crew in that area didn't have a sampling kit but investigators could
go back out and take samples that could be tested to determine whether it's oil from the
Deepwater Horizon spill, he said.
Six months after the spill started, the federal government maintains much of the oil is
now gone from the Gulf. But independent researchers say they are discovering
significant amounts of crude below the sea's surface, including on the ocean floor. They
fear the oil that remains could harm species lower down the food chain.
The Times-Picayune reported in its Saturday editions that fishermen on Friday spotted
what appeared to be miles-long strings of weathered oil, and a photojournalist with the
newspaper captured the images in a flight over the water.
Hall said the material discovered Saturday that appears to be weathered oil is "away
from where those photographs were taken."
The Deepwater Horizon rig exploded April 20, killing 11 people. About 172 million
gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf before the well was initially plugged July 15. It was
permanently sealed Sept. 19.
Robert Barham, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, told the
Times-Picayune that if oil is confirmed by his agency, the area will be closed again to
fishing.
The Mississippi River delta is a primary wintering ground for hundreds of thousands of
ducks and geese, some of which already have begun arriving. The West Bay area leads
into several shallower interior bays that attract ducks, geese and myriad species of
shore and wading birds each winter.
BP CEO backs deepwater drilling despite Gulf spill
Washington Post, October 25, 2010, BY Jane Wardell
LONDON -- BP Chief Executive Bob Dudley defended potentially dangerous deepwater
drilling on Monday, even as he attempted to strike a penitent note for the devastating
Gulf of Mexico spill in his first external address since taking the top job.
The American also stressed BP's commitment to the United States despite the ongoing
political and public fallout there and talked up the company's ability to withstand the
expected financial hit from the spill.
Dudley said that deep waters are becoming an increasingly important source of energy
to fuel the global economy amid predictions that the world could be consuming 40
percent more energy than today by 2030.
"We are one of only a handful of companies with the financial and technological
strengths to undertake development projects in these difficult geographies," he told the
annual conference of Britain's leading business lobby group. "And it can be done safely."
"That's why the response to what happens in the Gulf of Mexico matters so much," he
added at the Confederation of British Industry's gathering in central London. "We together with the rest of the industry and our regulators around the world - simply have
to ensure that public confidence in deepwater drilling is restored."
Deepwater drilling is projected to grow to account for 9 percent of total oil supplies in
2020, from 7 percent currently.
U.S. President Barack Obama recently lifted a moratorium on new deepwater drilling in
the Gulf, imposed after the April 20 explosion that kicked off the worst oil spill in U.S.
history. The U.S. leader is due to announce further recommendations under a
Presidential Commission in the coming months.
Dudley, who took over from gaffe-prone former CEO Tony Hayward early this month,
also sought again to reassure business leaders that the company has the financial
strength to shoulder the anticipated heavy costs of the Gulf spill.
"Our underlying operational and financial performance is sound," he said, stressing the
company's wide geographical reach.
To help cover the costs of the spill, BP has begun shedding assets around the world,
with a goal of raising $30 billion. It has already raked in almost $9 billion from the sale of
assets in Egypt, Canada, the U.S. and Colombia and earlier Monday announced that it
has sold its stake in four mature oil and gas fields in the Gulf of Mexico to Marubeni Oil
and Gas for $650 million (euro466 million).
Dudley said he has spent much of his time since becoming CEO traveling the world to
visit BP's partners.
"The message I have come back with is strong support and a powerful desire for BP to
succeed and prosper," he said.
Dudley dismissed suggestions that the United States might turn its back on the
company, or that BP could voluntarily leave the United States.
"I am confident that neither of these propositions is true," he said. "Contrary to what is
sometimes said, BP is not widely seen over there as 'British Petroleum': we're part of the
American community."
"Our relationships have survived and are now beginning to recover," he added.
But Dudley also sought to make clear that BP was learning every lesson possible from
the disaster, stressing that he has also met with experts from other hazardous industries,
including the nuclear and chemical industries, as part of the company's focus on
improving safety.
"We were certainly not perfect in our response, but we have tried to do the right thing
and we are making significant changes to our organization as a result of the accident,"
he added. "That is the standard by which we expect to be judged as we work to restore
trust in BP."
Dudley dismissed a suggestion that it had taken the Gulf spill for the company to change
its culture to focus more greatly on safety, saying that significant changes were made
following the deadly Texas City refinery explosion in 2005.
Dudley, who has spent many years in Britain over his career, also had a word of thanks
for British support during the fallout: "Believe me, at the height of the crisis it made a big
difference knowing we had such good friends at home."
Responsible recycling: My E-waste odyssey
NY Times, October 25, 2010, BY Elisabeth Rosenthal
Most Americans know that e-waste is supposed to be recycled. Items like cellphones,
batteries, televisions, digital clocks, video game systems and broken computers
shouldn’t be tossed in the trash because they contain dangerous chemicals and heavy
metals that could end up in landfill that way, experts warn.
Computer boxes exhort you to “Please Recycle.” Battery containers now carry pictures
of little trash bins with an emphatic red “X” drawn across them. But exhorting consumers
to recycle their e-waste in cute little cartoons is far easier than properly disposing of it as
a consumer. Unlike the universal recycling bin that is usually close at hand for disposing
of a soda can, systems for e-waste recycling vary greatly from place to place. Rules also
vary depending on the kind of gadget involved.
Laws now govern e-waste recycling. In New York City, it is illegal to throw rechargeable
batteries into the trash; in New York State, wireless providers must take up to 10
cellphones from a customer or provide free shipping to a recycler. More laws are in the
pipeline. But these regulations are even harder to enforce than pooper-scooper laws,
and for now are routinely broken.
I make a living writing about the environment and have reported on the dangerous traffic
in electronic waste, which can end up poisoning children in Africa and Asia who eke out
a living picking apart our children’s old computers. Which is why over the last few years
my family gradually accumulated a veritable graveyard of broken and outdated electronic
equipment in our small apartment that I could not throw away or quickly figure out how to
recycle: laptops, old cellphones, Game Boys, Xbox equipment, batteries and used
printer cartridges.
Well this fall, the jig was up: we were moving to a different Manhattan apartment, and I
resolved to figure out how to get rid of the junk. The process took considerable
investigation — the answer was not always easy or obvious. After all, stores want to sell
you new things, not take back your old stuff. Here are some tips gathered on my e-waste
recycling odyssey. Please share yours!
• Printer cartridges. Some office supply stores will accept these, most notably Staples,
where my spent cartridge collection ended up. You can even get a small store credit for
each cartridge turned in as an incentive. (Note to those with dozens of cartridges: you
only get credit for 10 cartridges per visit.)
• Cellphones, chargers and batteries. Many electronics stores collect these, although few
advertise the service (as in, “Drop Off Your Broken Phones Here!”). Some will take old
equipment as partial payment for new purchases. Others have a box somewhere in the
store where old equipment can be deposited. My items ended up in a small unmarked
brown box at a Radio Shack in the Morningside Heights area. They barely fit into the
box, and certainly no one thanked me. But at least it wasn’t in my apartment.
• Computers. This turned out to be the hard one. Some environment groups and
computer stores organize e-waste recycling collection drives. In New York City, the
Lower East Side Ecology Center and Tekserve, a computer store on 23rd Street,
organize four collection days a year, but I don’t have a car and it was hard for me to get
three old computers to the location at the prescribed time. (The store will also accept
your old computer for recycling when you purchase a new one.)
Since the three old computers in my home were Macs, I stopped by the local Apple
store. I discovered that old iPods can be turned in, and the customer gets 10 percent off
of the purchase of a new one. But it’s more complicated to offload computers, which the
stores will not accept directly. Instead you must go to the Apple site, where you provide
information about the type of equipment you want to turn in.
PowerOn, the California company that takes back the material, will send you a box with
packaging material. You pack up the computer and peripherals and take it to the nearest
Fedex store. Shipping is free. In theory, you even get some profit for your trouble since
PowerOn promises to send you an Apple gift card (I was promised $70 to $80 for each
laptop) as compensation for the merchandise sent.
So for a brief blessed interlude, my home is free of e-waste.
Or was. This week my son’s laptop died and could not be fixed. It’s a Sony. At its Web
site, Sony proudly describes its national “e-recycling” drop-off points. But there are none
near my zip code. Here we go again….
How is e-waste recycled where you live?
Warmer Arctic permanent, scientists say
Planet Ark, October 25, 2010, BY Deborah Zabarenko
The signs of climate change were all over the Arctic this year -- warmer air, less sea ice,
melting glaciers -- which probably means this weather-making region will not return to its
former, colder state, scientists reported on Thursday.
In an international assessment of the Arctic, scientists from the United States, Canada,
Russia, Denmark and other countries said, "Return to previous Arctic conditions is
unlikely."
Conditions in the Arctic are important because of their powerful impact on weather in the
heavily populated middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.
The heavy snows in the United States, northern Europe and western Asia last winter are
linked to higher air temperatures over the Arctic, the scientists found.
"Winter 2009-2010 showed a new connectivity between mid-latitude extreme cold and
snowy weather events and changes in the wind patterns of the Arctic, the so-called
Warm Arctic-Cold Continents pattern," said the report, issued by the U.S. National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The scientists found evidence of widespread Arctic warming, with surface air
temperatures rising above global averages twice as quickly as the rate for lower
latitudes, Jackie Richter-Menge of the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and
Engineering Laboratory.
Part of the reason for this is a process called polar amplification. Warming air melts the
sun-reflecting white snow and ice of the Arctic, revealing darker, heat-absorbing water or
land, spurring the effects of warming. This is further amplified by the action of the roundthe-clock sunlight of Arctic summers, Richter-Menge said in a telephone briefing.
SNOWY PARADOX
Normally cold air is "bottled up" in the Arctic during winter months but in late 2009 and
early 2010, powerful winds blew cold air from north to south instead of the more typical
west to east pattern, said Jim Overland, an oceanographer at NOAA's Pacific Marine
Environmental Laboratory in Seattle.
Overland saw this as a direct link between a warmer Arctic with less sea ice and weather
in the middle latitudes, and he suggested it was likely to become more common as Arctic
sea ice melts over the next 50 years.
This pattern has occurred only three times in the past 160 years, Overland said at the
briefing.
"It's a bit of a paradox where you have overall global warming and warming in the
atmosphere (that) actually can create some more of these winter storms," Overland said.
"Global warming is not just warming everywhere. ... It creates these complexities."
Records tumbled in Greenland, where 2010 was the warmest year in 138 years in the
island's capital city of Nuuk, and four big glaciers lost more than 10 square miles (25.90
sq km) each, said Jason Box of the Byrd Polar Research Center in Ohio.
"There's now really no doubt that glacier ice losses have not just increased but have
accelerated," Box said. "Sea level rise projections for the future will again need to be
revised upward."
(Editing by Will Dunham)
Plants clean air pollution better than expected
Planet Ark, October 22, 2010, BY Deborah Zabarenko
Plants, especially some trees under stress, are even better than expected at scrubbing
certain chemical pollutants out of the air, researchers reported on Thursday.
"Plants clean our air to a greater extent than we had realized," Thomas Karl of the U.S.
National Center for Atmospheric Research, a federally funded research center based in
Boulder, Colorado, said in a statement. "They actively consume certain types of air
pollution."
Scientists have long known that plants take in carbon dioxide, a naturally occurring gas
that can build up in the atmosphere and trap heat beneath it. But they did not know that
some plants excel at sucking up a class of chemicals known as oxygenated volatile
organic compounds, or oVOCs.
These compounds, which can have long-term health and environmental impacts, form in
the atmosphere from hydrocarbons and other chemicals from natural and human-made
sources, including plants, vehicles and construction materials.
Because oVOCs can combine with nitrogen oxides to form ozone, they can contribute to
lung inflammation and swelling and asthma attacks, according to the American Lung
Association.
Karl, lead author of the study published in the journal Science, worked with other
scientists to determine that deciduous plants -- those that seasonally shed their leaves -appear to take in these compounds as much as four times more quickly than was
previously thought.
Plants are especially good at doing this in dense forests, and this process is most
evident at the top of the forest canopy, where as much as 97 percent of the uptake of
oVOCs was observed, the researchers said.
Looking specifically at poplar trees, the researchers found that when these trees were
under stress -- due to a physical wound or exposure to an irritant like ozone pollution -they sharply increased their uptake of oVOCs.
That appeared to show that the uptake of oVOCs is part of a larger metabolic cycle, the
scientists found.
The uptake of oVOCs is the kind of service provided by nature that is being discussed
this week in Nagoya, Japan, at an international meeting aimed at setting targets for 2020
to fight losses in biological diversity.
(Editing by Will Dunham)
Obama to address emissions through ‘bite-sized’ energy policy
Greenwire, October 25, 2010, BY Katherine Ling
President Obama plans to tackle a renewable electricity standard, fuel efficiency and
green buildings as part of a "bite sized" strategy to work with Republicans to address
climate and energy policy next year.
The piecemeal approach is workable for Democrats, Republicans and a skeptical public
worried about any policy "perceived as reducing job growth," Obama told National
Journal in an interview published yesterday.
"Most of the steps that we can take for our national security, for our energy
independence, for our economy are ones that would have the side benefit of dealing with
climate change," Obama said.
"So my approach to Republicans would be to say, 'Regardless of what you think about
climate change, here are a bunch of things that are smart to do. It will save consumers
money, it will save the country as much money going into foreign oil imports, so let's
concentrate on things that we just know are smart to do.' If we do that, we can probably
get a quarter of the way there in terms of where we need to be in terms of carbon
emissions," Obama said.
Obama said it is "not realistic to expect that we have another big, omnibus,
comprehensive, one-size-fits-all energy bill."
Instead, he will work to pass energy legislation in a "series of more bite-sized pieces that
have to do with renewable energy standards, that continue to build on the good work
we've done to improve fuel efficiency in cars, energy efficiency in buildings," he said.
Obama laid out a similar "chunks" strategy last month (E&ENews PM, Sept. 28).
Obama said he also sees potential collaboration with Republicans on bills supporting
nuclear power, natural gas and strong investment in "clean technology" research and
development.
"The point is that there's things that we can do short-term on that don't require you to
perfectly agree on the science of climate change in order for you to think that it's
beneficial for Americans long-term," he said.
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Committee, has laid out a similar agenda and introduced bills that parallel Obama's
strategy. Likewise, Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) have said
they are open to such a plan.
Lobbyists are doubtful, however, that smaller bills just addressing energy efficiency or
small nuclear reactors will be able to pass through the Senate and House without getting
bogged down with other lawmakers' priorities (Greenwire), Oct. 18).
During the interview, Obama also said Republicans' plans to balance the budget and cut
taxes while maintaining entitlement programs can only be accomplished by eliminating
investment in items like clean energy or infrastructure. But those are key to America's
future economic prospects, he said, and there is probably not enough money to cut from
areas like national parks or U.S. EPA to cover the deficit.
"Do they think it's wise for us not to make investments in clean energy? Does anybody
think that our infrastructure is adequate to compete with the 21st century?" Obama said.
"I do not know a single person who's been to Shanghai or Beijing or Singapore and
comes back and says, 'We're doing great when it comes to infrastructure.'"
With the right investments in clean energy, Obama said, the United States will maintain
its prominence in the world, similar to what it was able to do in the late 1980s during
Japan's economic expansion.
"Everybody was sure that Japan was going to clean our clock. We had a similar sense of
distress about America's position in the world. And next thing you know, in the mid-'90s,
we took off again and left everybody else behind. I have confidence in our ability to
adapt again," Obama said.
"When it comes to manufacturing, the investments we made in research and
development, particularly in sectors like clean energy that show promise for the future,"
he added. "Those aren't going to pay off immediately, but if we start positioning
ourselves so that we're a leader in advanced battery manufacturing, we're a leader when
it comes to solar and wind energy, then we have the opportunity once again to make up
some of that ground that we lost over the last decade."
Sure, worry about climate change but not too much
Globe and Mail, October 22, 2010, BY Bjorn Lomborg
For some years now, the debate over global warming has been dominated by fear.
Understandably frustrated that their message might not be getting through, climate
activists have been ratcheting up the rhetoric to the point where one could be excused
for wondering whether they are quoting from scientific journals or the Book of
Revelations. If nothing is done, we’ve been told, global warming would soon destroy “up
to 40 per cent of the Amazonian forests,” cut African crop yields in half by 2020, turn the
American Southwest into a new dust bowl within a few decades and melt the Himalayan
glaciers, causing them to disappear completely “by the year 2035 and perhaps sooner.”
All very frightening, but none of it was based on solid science.
The chief Cassandra in this chorus of doom has been Al Gore, whose 2006 Oscarwinning documentary An Inconvenient Truth was unabashedly (and rather accurately)
marketed as “the most terrifying film you will ever see.” Mr. Gore rightly was awarded the
2007 Nobel Peace Prize for putting climate change on the global agenda, but his
penchant for hyperbole – as in “we have just 10 years to avert a major catastrophe” or
we must take “large-scale, preventative measures to protect human civilization as we
know it” – isn’t likely to win him any prizes for accuracy or good science.
Here’s a case in point. Mr. Gore and his acolytes speak darkly of the likelihood that,
because of global warming, sea levels that may rise 15 or 20 feet over the next century.
Let’s put aside for the moment the fact that, according to the best research we have
(from the UN’s climate panel, which shared the Nobel Prize with Mr. Gore), global sea
levels are not likely to rise more than about 20 inches by 2100 – a level that history
shows we can deal with quite easily. Rather, let’s imagine that, over the next 80 or 90
years, a giant port city – say, Tokyo –found itself engulfed by a sea-level rise of the
magnitude Mr. Gore suggests. It’s a truly awful prospect, isn’t it? Millions of inhabitants
would be imperilled, along with trillions of dollars worth of infrastructure. Without a vast
global effort, how could we possibly cope with such a terrifying catastrophe?
Well, we already have. In fact, we’re doing it right now. Since 1930, excessive
groundwater withdrawal has caused Tokyo to subside by as much as 15 feet. Similar
subsidence has occurred over the past century in a vast range of cities, including Tianjin,
Shanghai, Osaka, Bangkok and Jakarta. And in each case, the city has managed to
protect itself from such large relative sea-level rises without much difficulty.
The point isn’t that we can or should ignore global warming. The point is that we should
be wary of fear-mongering. More often than not, what sounds like horrific changes in
climate and geography actually turns out to be quite manageable. In research funded by
the European Union, climate scientists Robert J. Nicholls, Richard S.J. Tol and
Athanasios T. Vafeidis recently studied what would happen in the unlikely event that the
entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapsed. The result, they found, would be a sea-level
rise of 20 feet over the next hundred years – exactly Mr. Gore’s nightmare. But how
calamitous would this really be?
Not very. According to these scientists, a 20-foot rise in sea levels would inundate about
16,000 square miles of coastline and affect more than 400 million people. That’s a lot of
people, to be sure, but it’s hardly all of mankind. In fact, it amounts to less than 6 per
cent of the world’s population –which is to say that 94 per cent of the population would
be unaffected. And most of those who do live in the flood areas wouldn’t even get their
feet wet. That’s because the vast majority of those 400 million people reside within cities
and other areas that could – and would – be protected relatively easily. (Remember
Tokyo?) As a result, only about 15 million people would have to be relocated. And that’s
over the course of a century.
The fact is, trying to scare the socks off people with end-of-the-world rhetoric doesn’t
make the world a better or safer place. Yes, a startling statistic combined with some
hyperbolic prose will make us sit up and pay attention. But we quickly become
desensitized, requiring ever more outrageous scenarios to move us. And as the scare
stories grow more exaggerated, so, too, does the likelihood that they will be exposed for
the exaggerations they are – and the public will end up tuning the whole thing out.
This may explain recent polling data showing that public concern about global warming
has declined precipitously in recent years. For instance, a Gallup Poll found that the
number of Americans who regard global warming as a serious problem has declined
from 40 per cent in 2008 to just 32 per cent this year; the same poll also showed that the
number of those who believe the seriousness of the problem has been greatly
exaggerated has shot up from 30 per cent to 48 per cent over the past four years.
Similarly, an Ipsos MORI poll published in the U.K. last June found that just 28 per cent
of Britons are “very concerned” about climate change, down from 44 per cent five years
ago. And in Germany, Der Spiegel magazine reported survey results showing that only
42 per cent feared global warming, compared with 62 per cent in 2006.
As these numbers imply, fear may be a great motivator, but it’s a terrible basis for
making smart decisions about a complicated problem that demands our full intelligence.
Environmental Group says Canada falling short on climate-change funding
Vancouver Sun, October 23, 2010, BY Mike de Souza
The Harper government is falling short on its "fair share" of a $30-billion international
fund to deal with climate change, according to a breakdown provided by Environment
Canada and a recent analysis by an environmental think-tank.
The government and Canadian environmental groups agree that a $400-million pledge
by Environment Minister Jim Prentice is an appropriate amount for the fund, which is
being used for climate-change adaptation and clean-energy projects in developing
countries.
But the Environment Canada breakdown suggests the pledge was overstated, since 72
per cent of the money is going toward loans. This percentage is higher than any other
developed country, according to a June analysis.
The study, published by the San Francisco-based ClimateWorks Foundation, revealed
that only one third of combined climate financing from developed countries was in the
form of loans, while the rest was in grants. The study was produced before Canada had
provided a breakdown of its own spending. In total, $285.7 million would be provided by
the Canadian government as loans through the International Finance Corp., a member
of the World Bank Group that would distribute the loans to private-sector recipients
managing clean-energy projects that help reduce pollution in developing countries.
A spokesman for Environment Canada said in an e-mail that Canada's support would
still mean significant private investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency that
"may not have occurred otherwise."
"Concessional finance, such as loans and equity financing, is also an important part of
public climate finance and can be an effective tool to leverage scaled-up private
investments for actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said spokesman Mark
Johnson. Only 11 per cent of Canada's $400-million package is going toward helping
developing countries adapt to the impacts of climate change, according to an analysis by
the Pembina Institute, an Alberta-based environmental research group.
"In our opinion, Canada is overstating their [pledge's] true value," said Clare Demerse,
associate director of climate change at the Pembina Institute.
Putting the first ‘R’ to action
Montreal Gazette, October 25, 2010, BY Monique Beaudin
MONTREAL - Environmentalist Coralie Deny carries a refillable water bottle in her
shoulder bag.
Montreal city councillor Alan De-Sousa skips shopping in favour of going for walks with
his family.
And Laval businesswoman Patricia Oliver and her husband do their own home baking so
they don't have to pack individually wrapped pre-made snacks in their kids' lunch boxes.
All three of them are reducing their consumption, the most importantof the3Rsof
theenvironmental movement. But reducing is often in theshadowof theeasierR-recycling.
"It is the first R, and the most important one," said Deny, who heads the Conseil regional
de l'environnement de Montreal. "When we have choices to make about our
consumption habits, we should always choose the ones that reduce consumption."
Environmentalists suggest people who want to reduce their impact on the planet follow
the 3 Rs -reduce, reuse, recycle. Municipal leaders have embraced recycling, with nearly
every Quebec resident having access to some kind of collection of recyclable materials,
such as paper, plastic, glass and metal.
And creative minds in the province have come up with all kinds of ways to reuse items
that used to be thrown in the trash -clocks made from old records, picture frames from
bike chains, new bikes from old bike parts, funky new clothes from less-stylish duds and
even purses and backpacks from old tires.
But lately, attention is turning to reducing, from garbage production to water
consumption.
The Quebec government has introduced a bill that would force companies to
compensate municipalities for the full cost of recycling their product packaging. Right
now they pay 50 per cent of the cost, and the government hopes that making them foot
the entire bill will mean companies will use less paper and plastic to package their
products. This month, Montreal announced that all single-use water bottles will be
banned from city buildings under its new sustainable-development plan.
Schools across the island hold waste-free lunch days to teach children about how to cut
the amount of garbage. Two years ago, Patricia Oliver had had it with all the plastic bags
her children were taking in their lunch box every day.
"I just didn't like the waste factor," she said. "All of these baggies were just being thrown
out in the garbage."
Oliver headed online and found Wrap'n'mats, reusable plastic wraps that she could use
to package her kids' food, and liked them so much that she ended up becoming a sales
rep for the Ontario company that makes them.
DeSousa, who is in charge of sustainable development for the city, said he thinks
Montrealers are thinking more about reducing their consumption.
He pointed to an ad campaign the city ran last year with the Montreal Metropolitan
Community, that urged people to buy less stuff during the holidays. Instead of objects,
the campaign said, think of giving experiences as gifts, such as concert tickets. DeSousa
said the campaign got a great reception.
"Rather than buying goods that would consume (resources) and might end up in landfills,
by using a service such as cultural events, they were giving people the pleasure of
seeing something that was in their own community," he said. "That supported the arts
and culture groups in our community."
Deny said that life-cycle analyses, where the environmental impact of producing a
certain product is assessed, help to raise awareness of reducing consumption.
"When you realize, for example, that you need to use as much water as there is in two
water bottles just to produce one plastic water bottle, then people think twice about
choosing them," she said.
"People need those tools to help them reduce their consumption."
Deny said it is also important for citizens to pressure their government representatives to
introduce legislation to tackle over-packaging.
"Governments can have more of an impact on a large scale," she said.
Both Deny and DeSousa said there are simple steps people can take to reduce their
consumption. Here are some of them:
* Before you buy something, think about whether you want it or need it.
* Use reusable containers for water and food instead of disposable ones.
* Buy in bulk. Stores like Frenco on St. Laurent Blvd. and the Coop la Maison Verte on
Sherbrooke St. in Notre Dame de Grace carry bulk shampoos, conditioners and cleaning
products. Frenco also has a vast selection of bulk foods from rice and flour to peanut
butter and maple syrup.
* Avoid over-packaged products, like vegetables wrapped in plastic on unrecyclable
Styrofoam trays. Raise awareness about overpackaging by asking merchants why they
use Styrofoam or why they don't provide products in bulk.
Climate change funds fall short
Montreal Gazette, October 23, 2010, BY Mike de Souza
The Harper government is falling short on its "fair share" of a $30-billion international
fund to deal with climate change, according to a breakdown provided by Environment
Canada and a recent analysis by an environmental think-tank.
The government and Canadian environmental groups agree that a $400-million pledge
by Environment Minister Jim Prentice is an appropriate amount for the fund, which is
being used for climate-change adaptation and clean-energy projects in developing
countries.
But the Environment Canada breakdown suggests the pledge was overstated, since 72
per cent of the money is going toward loans.
This percentage is higher than any other developed country, says a June analysis of
funding pledges.
The study, published by the San Francisco-based ClimateWorks Foundation, revealed
that only one third of combined climate financing from developed countries was in the
form of loans, while the rest was in grants. The study was produced before Canada had
provided a breakdown of its own spending.
In total, $285.7 million would be provided by the Canadian government as loans through
the International Finance Corp., a member of the World Bank Group that would distribute
the loans to private-sector recipients managing clean-energy projects that help reduce
pollution in developing countries.
A spokesman for Environment Canada said in an email that Canada's support would still
mean significant private investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency that "may
not have occurred otherwise."
Back to Menu
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ROLAC MEDIA UPDATE
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE NEWS
Monday, 25 October, 2010
UNEP or UN in the News
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A Case for a More Balanced Approach to Bioenergy Production
Un caso para un enfoque más equilibrado en la producción de Bioenergía
A Case for a More Balanced Approach to Bioenergy Production
10 – 25 – 10
To Reduce Biodiversity Risk & Maximise Climate Mitigation Potential
Nagoya – The development of renewable energy from materials derived from biological
sources (bioenergy) may reduce dependence on fossil fuels and help cut green gas
emissions. The processes used for bioenergy production, however, consume
considerable amounts of water and may cause the introduction of invasive biofuel crops
to natural systems.
A new UNEP report makes the case for the adoption of new planning and management
approaches to balance the potential of biofuels production to combat climate change
with environmental and social impacts.
Bioenergy development can have an impact on biodiversity on a number of levels,
including directly through land use change, the introduction of potentially invasive
species for use in biofuel production, the overuse of water, and indirectly by pushing
agricultural production into previously high-value conservation areas. But there can be
beneficial impacts, too: for instance, replacement of firewood use can decrease
deforestation.
A sustainable approach to bioenergy development, one that balances greenhouse gas
emissions with impacts on biodiversity, water and food security, is needed. Proper
planning and management will be essential at the national level, as well as in individual
projects.
“There is no doubt that we need to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels and move to
cleaner, more environmentally friendly options,” said Achim Steiner, executive Director
of UNEP and Under Secretary General of the United Nations, “but we need to make sure
we are not creating more problems than we solve.
“Biofuel production has risks and opportunities. We need to examine all the risks, so that
we can take full advantage of the opportunities, for emissions cuts, for new green jobs,
and for raising the standards of living for some of the world’s poorest communities.”
UNEP spells out some of those considerations in four issues papers which complement
a landmark report--Accessing Biofuels-- launched last year by the UNEP-hosted
International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management.
In Water and Bioenergy, the second in the bioenergy issues paper series, UNEP cites
research which shows that 2 per cent, or 44km³, of the global water withdrawals for
irrigation are being used for bioenergy production.
But if current bioenergy standards and targets were fully implemented, a further 180km³
of irrigation water would be needed, creating additional pressure on water resources and
potentially impacting on food production and water supplies, especially in those areas
already experiencing water stress.
As the water footprint of bioenergy can be 70-400 times greater than that of traditional
fossil fuels, the greatest challenges will be to determine how to meet future bioenergy
demand without overexploiting or damaging water resources, and how to better manage
bioenergy supply chains to reduce the pressure on water use and minimize impacts on
water quality.
So important are the links between water and biofuel production that UNEP is preparing
a report, which, for the first time, examines in depth the links between biofuel production
and water availability, use and quality. The report, called Zoom on the Bioenergy and
Water Nexus, draws on the work of more than 40 experts and will be released early next
year.
Measures that help reduce the impact of bioenergy on water include:
• Matching bioenergy feedstocks (the crops, wastes and algae used to produce fuel) with
locally available water resources, favoring those that require less irrigation and added
agrochemicals, which through run-off can contaminate water supplies.
• Using sustainable agricultural techniques and technologies to minimize water use, and
encouraging the switch to sustainable agriculture.
• Conducting life-cycle analyses of total water use and water quality of biofuels.
• Fostering market mechanisms that encourage sustainable water use and reduce
potentially harmful effluents and take into account regional needs and contexts.
In another issues paper circulated today, Gain or Pain? Biofuels and Invasive Species,
UNEP says that while many of the currently available biofuels are produced from food
crops that have been grown for centuries, some of the plant species being considered
for advanced biofuels are potentially invasive.
The very qualities that make these plants ideal for biofuels – fast growth, ability to
outperform local vegetation, abundant seed production, tolerance of and adaptability to a
range of soil and climatic conditions, resistance to pests and diseases, a lack of
predators – mean they could become invasive in a given landscape.
Invasive species can do serious damage to the environment, local livelihoods and
economies. Careful risk assessment that weighs up the likelihood of impacts on
biodiversity is considered an important step to identify where special care of urgent
action may be needed.
So far, in the rush to pursue the benefits of biofuels, the risk of invasive species being
introduced for biofuels production has received little attention.
The paper highlights the need for more research and information-sharing about these
plants and the development of methods to that information available globally.
In Beyond the Talk: Engaging Stakeholders in Bioenergy Development, UNEP examines
the critical link between biodiversity and the livelihoods of communities around the world.
As bioenergy projects creep into the backyards of these communities, they need to be
properly engaged and communicated with to ensure that these practices are not harmful
to them or local biodiversity.
And in Land Use, Land Use Change and Bioenergy, UNEP points to global estimate
that, on current trends, bioenergy could compromise up to 36 per cent of arable land by
2030. This could have a serious impact on biodiversity
The challenge is to create processes and methodologies that designate areas that are
sustainable and unsustainable for bioenergy development. Comprehensive land use
planning and management systems need to be enacted.
CONTACTS
Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson and Head of Media, +41 795 965 737 or
nick.nuttall@unep.org
Moira O’Brien-Malone, Head, DTIE Communications, UNEP Paris, Tel: +33 1 44 37 76
12 or +33 6 82 26 9373 or moira.obrien-malone@unep.org
EDITORS’ NOTE
For more information, and to download the issues papers, please go to
http://www.unep.fr/energy/bioenergy/
Accessing Biofuels
http://www.unep.fr/energy/bioenergy/documents/pdf/Assessing%20Biofuels-SummaryWeb-.pdf
ABOUT UNEP
Created in 1972, UNEP represents the United Nations’ environmental conscience.
Based in Nairobi, Kenya, its mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership
in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples
to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. UNEP’s
Division of Technology, Industry and Economics - based in Paris - helps governments,
local authorities and decision-makers in business and industry to develop and implement
policies and practices focusing on sustainable development. The Division leads UNEP's
work in the areas of climate change, resource efficiency, and harmful substances and
hazardous waste.
http://www.pnuma.org/english/comunicados/251010/1cpb35n_i_en.htm?DocumentID=6
49&ArticleID=6792&l=en&t=long
Un caso para un enfoque más equilibrado en la producción de Bioenergía
25 – 10 – 10
Para reducir el riesgo a la biodiversidad y maximizar el potencial de mitigación del
cambio climático
Nagoya - El desarrollo de energía renovable a partir de materiales derivados de fuentes
biológicas (bioenergía) puede reducir la dependencia de los combustibles fósiles y
ayudar a reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero. Los procesos utilizados
para la producción de bioenergía, sin embargo, consumen cantidades considerables de
agua y pueden causar la introducción de cultivos invasores usados para los
biocombustibles en los sistemas naturales.
Un nuevo informe del PNUMA aboga por la adopción de nueva planificación y enfoques
de gestión para equilibrar el potencial de producción de los biocombustibles para
combatir el cambio climático, con los impactos ambientales y sociales.
El desarrollo de la bioenergía puede tener un impacto sobre la biodiversidad en varios
niveles, incluso directamente a través del cambio de uso del suelo, la introducción de
especies potencialmente invasoras para su uso en la producción de biocombustibles, el
uso excesivo de agua, e indirectamente, por impulsar la producción agrícola en áreas
de conservación de alto valor. Pero también pueden tener efectos beneficiosos: por
ejemplo, la sustitución del uso de leña puede reducir la deforestación.
Un enfoque sostenible del desarrollo de la bioenergía, uno que logre el balance entre
las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero con los impactos sobre la biodiversidad,
el agua y la seguridad alimentaria, es necesario. La adecuada planificación y la gestión
serán fundamentales en el plano nacional, así como en proyectos individuales.
"No hay duda de que tenemos que reducir nuestra dependencia de los combustibles
fósiles y pasar a opciones más limpias y ambientalmente amigables ", dijo Achim
Steiner, Director Ejecutivo del PNUMA y Subsecretario General de las Naciones Unidas,
"pero tenemos que asegurarnos de no estar creando más problemas de los que
resolvemos”.
"La producción de biocombustibles conlleva riesgos y oportunidades. Tenemos que
examinar todos los riesgos para que podamos aprovechar plenamente las
oportunidades, para la reducción de emisiones, para nuevos empleos verdes, y para
elevar el nivel de vida de algunas de las comunidades más pobres del mundo. "
EL PNUMA explica algunas de esas consideraciones en cuatro documentos temáticos
que complementan un informe histórico - Acceso a los biocombustibles - lanzado el año
pasado por el Panel Internacional para el Desarrollo Sostenible de Gestión de Recursos
auspiciado por el PNUMA.
En el documento Agua y Bioenergía, el segundo en la serie de los documentos sobre
bioenergía, el PNUMA cita investigaciones que demuestran que el 2 por ciento, o 44
kilómetros cúbicos, de la extracción de agua para el riego mundial se están utilizando
para la producción de bioenergía.
Si las normas actuales de bioenergía y las metas se implementan plenamente, 180
kilómetros cúbicos adicionales de agua de riego serían necesarios, creando una presión
adicional sobre los recursos hídricos y afectando potencialmente la producción de
alimentos y la oferta de agua, especialmente en aquellas áreas que ya están
experimentando estrés hídrico.
Como la huella hídrica de la bioenergía puede ser desde 70 hasta 400 veces mayor que
la de los combustibles fósiles tradicionales, los mayores retos serán la determinación de
cómo satisfacer la demanda de bioenergía futura sin sobreexplotar o dañar los recursos
hídricos, y cómo mejorar la gestión de cadenas de suministro de bioenergía para reducir
la presión sobre el uso del agua y minimizar los impactos sobre la calidad del agua.
Tan importante son los vínculos entre el agua y la producción de biocombustibles que el
PNUMA está preparando un informe, que, por primera vez, examina en profundidad los
vínculos entre la producción de biocombustibles y la disponibilidad uso y calidad del
agua. El informe, llamado “Zoom en el Nexo ente la Bioenergía y el Agua”, se basa en el
trabajo de más de 40 expertos y será dado a conocer el próximo año.
Medidas que ayudan a reducir el impacto de la bioenergía en el agua incluyen:
• Hacer coincidir las materias primas para la bioenergía (cultivos, residuos y algas para
producir combustible) con los recursos hídricos disponibles a nivel local, favoreciendo a
aquellos que requieren menos riego y el uso de agroquímicos, que a través de la
escorrentía puede contaminar los suministros de agua.
• Uso de técnicas agrícolas sostenibles y tecnologías para reducir al mínimo el uso del
agua, y fomentar la transición hacia la agricultura sostenible.
• Realización de análisis de ciclo de vida del consumo total de agua y de la calidad del
agua de los biocombustibles.
• Fomento de los mecanismos de mercado que promueven el uso sostenible del agua y
reducir los efluentes potencialmente dañinos, y tener en cuenta las necesidades y los
contextos regionales.
En otro documento distribuido hoy: Ganancia o dolor? Los biocombustibles y las
especies invasoras, el PNUMA sostiene que, si bien muchos de los biocarburantes
disponibles actualmente son producidos a partir de cultivos alimentarios que se han
cultivado por siglos, algunas de las especies de plantas que están siendo consideradas
para biocombustibles avanzados son potencialmente invasoras.
Las cualidades que hacen que estas plantas sean ideales para los biocombustibles rápido crecimiento, la capacidad para superar a la vegetación local, la producción
abundante de semillas, la tolerancia y adaptabilidad a una variedad de suelos y
condiciones climáticas, la resistencia a plagas y enfermedades, la falta de depredadores
- significa que pueden convertirse en invasoras en un paisaje determinado.
Las especies invasoras pueden causar graves daños al medio ambiente, los medios de
subsistencia y las economías locales. La evaluación cuidadosa del riesgo, que mide la
probabilidad de impactos sobre la biodiversidad, se considera un paso importante para
identificar donde se requiere de atención especial y donde podrían ser necesarias
medidas urgentes.
Hasta ahora, en la prisa por alcanzar los beneficios de los biocombustibles, el riesgo de
introducción de especies invasoras en la producción de biocombustibles ha recibido
poca atención.
El documento pone de relieve la necesidad de más investigación y el intercambio de
información sobre estas plantas y el desarrollo de métodos que estén disponibles para
contar con la información a nivel mundial.
En “Más allá de la conversación: Involucrando a los actores interesados en el desarrollo
de la bioenergía”, el PNUMA examina el vínculo esencial entre la biodiversidad y el
sustento de vida de las comunidades en todo el mundo.
Conforme los proyectos de bioenergía se dan en en las tierras de estas comunidades,
sus habitantes requieren estar involucrados adecuadamente e informados para
asegurarse de que estas prácticas no son perjudiciales para ellos o para la
biodiversidad local.
En “Uso de la Tierra, cambio de uso de la tierra y la Bioenergía”, el PNUMA señala la
estimación global de que, si continúan las tendencias actuales, la bioenergía podría
comprometer hasta 36 por ciento de las tierras cultivables para el año 2030. Esto podría
tener un grave impacto sobre la biodiversidad.
El reto es crear procesos y metodologías que permitan designar las áreas que sean
sostenibles y no sostenibles para el desarrollo de la bioenergía. Sistemas de planeación
integral del uso y manejo de la tierra requieren ser promulgados.
CONTACTOS
Nick Nuttall, Vocero del PNUMA y el Director de Medios de Comunicación, 41 795 965
737 o nick.nuttall@unep.org
Moira O'Brien-Malone, Jefa de Comunicaciones DTIE, París PNUMA, Tel: 33 1 44 37 76
12 o 33 6 82 26 9373 o moira.obrien-malone@unep.org
NOTA AL EDITOR
Para obtener más información y para descargar los documentos de los temas, por favor
vaya a http://www.unep.fr/energy/bioenergy/
Acceso a los biocombustibles
http://www.unep.fr/energy/bioenergy/documents/pdf/Assessing biocombustiblesResumen-Web-.pdf
Sobre el PNUMA
Creado en 1972, el PNUMA representa la conciencia de las Naciones Unidas sobre el
medio ambiente. Con sede en Nairobi, Kenia, su misión es proporcionar liderazgo y
fomentar la colaboración en el cuidado del medio ambiente, inspirando, informando y
capacitando a las naciones y pueblos para mejorar su calidad de vida sin comprometer
las de futuras generaciones. La División de Tecnología, Industria y Economía - con sede
en París - ayuda a los gobiernos, autoridades locales y los tomadores de decisiones en
los negocios y la industria para desarrollar y aplicar políticas y prácticas centradas en el
desarrollo sostenible. La División conduce el trabajo del PNUMA en materia de cambio
climático, la eficiencia de los recursos, y las sustancias nocivas y residuos
peligrosos.http://www.pnuma.org/informacion/comunicados/2010/25Octubre2010/1cpb3
5n_i.htm
General Environment News
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Regional - América Central levanta el cartel de "frágil"
Regional - ECLAC presents Caribbean environmental indicators
Regional - Grupos ambientalistas se reunirán en Nicaragua para discutir el cambio
climático
Venezuela - Venezolanos reciben Premios Europa a la Innovación para el Desarrollo
Sustentable
México - Huracán "Richard" llega a estado mexicano de Quintana Roo
Uruguay - Presentan en Uruguay centro socioambiental de Cuenca del Plata
Belize - Hurricane Richard makes landfall in Belize
Guyana - Commentary: Guyana's low carbon development strategy and global
environmental law
Trinidad & Tobago - T&T artists go Green at De Gallery
Costa Rica - Costa Rica crea fondo mixto de 56 millones de dólares para proteger
ambiente
México - Nuevas formas para reuso de agua potable
México - Implementarán energía solar en más de 60 mil viviendas
Global - Ballenas y tiburones a salvo en Palau
Global - ONU destaca importancia de la pesca continental
Global - Un río sano no tiene precio
Global - Cumbre de Cancún debe contagiarse con Expo-Shanghai
Regional - América Central levanta el cartel de "frágil"
10 – 24 – 10
GUATEMALA (IPS) - Arruinados por devastadores fenómenos meteorológicos, como
los ciclones Mitch, Stan y Agatha, los países de América Central harán énfasis en su
vulnerabilidad en la próxima cumbre mundial sobre el clima para acceder a mejores
condiciones que les permitan afrontar las catástrofes.
El planteamiento se hará en el marco de la 16 Conferencia de las Partes de la
Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Cambio Climático (COP 16), que
tendrá lugar entre el 29 de noviembre y el 10 de diciembre en el sudoriental balneario
mexicano de Cancún.
"Lo que más nos interesa es el tema de vulnerabilidad y adaptación, tomando en cuenta
que la región contribuye poco al efecto invernadero pero somos muy vulnerables al
cambio climático", dijo a IPS Carlos Mancilla, coordinador de la Unidad de Cambio
Climático del Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales de Guatemala.
"El conjunto de los países de Centroamérica contribuyen con menos del 0,5 por ciento
del total de las emisiones de GEI (Gases de efecto invernadero) a nivel global", señala
el estudio "La economía del cambio climático en América Latina y el Caribe 2009", de la
Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
China es el mayor emisor mundial de gases de efecto invernadero, responsables del
recalentamiento planetario, como el dióxido de carbono, por delante de Estados Unidos.
"Debemos contribuir con reducir las emisiones de acuerdo al principio de
responsabilidades comunes pero diferenciadas, es decir el que produce bastantes
gases de efecto invernadero, debe reducir bastante", insistió Mancilla.
Este principio constituye uno de los pilares de la Convención Marco de las Naciones
Unidas sobre Cambio Climático (CMNUCC) y del Protocolo de Kyoto, en vigor desde
1994 y 2005, respectivamente.
El Protocolo de Kyoto, enmarcado en la CMNUCC, obliga a los 37 países más
industrializados que lo ratificaron a reducir en al menos 5,2 por ciento para 2012 sus
emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero, respecto a los niveles de 1990.
A criterio de Mancilla, debe reconocerse a América Central como una de las regiones
más vulnerables al cambio climático del planeta, de manera de lograr financiamiento
para la adaptación y apoyo para el desarrollo de capacidades y transferencia de
tecnología.
Los ciclones Mitch (1998), Stan (2005) y Agatha (2010), y una sequía en 2009,
atribuidos al cambio climático, dejaron cientos de miles de damnificados y cuantiosos
daños a la infraestructura y agricultura de la región, principalmente en Nicaragua,
Honduras, El Salvador y Guatemala.
América Central también buscará en Cancún una compensación por los daños
derivados de estas catástrofes. "Podrían ser donaciones o desarrollo de capacidades
para poder replicar estas acciones en los lugares críticos por la sequía o las
inundaciones", agregó el funcionario guatemalteco.
"Hay convergencia y acuerdos en común para declarar al istmo como uno de los más
vulnerables a los impactos adversos del cambio climático", dijo a IPS Mirza Castro,
coordinadora nacional de Cambio Climático de Honduras.
"La idea es que los países desarrollados contribuyan con fondos adicionales y
accesibles para implementar medidas de adaptación, en particular en países como
Honduras donde los índices de riesgo son altos", señaló la funcionaria.
En este marco, América Central también busca unirse a la Alianza de Pequeños
Estados Insulares (AOSIS, por sus siglas en inglés), conformada por 42 miembros y
observadores, y la Comunidad del Caribe (Caricom), integrada por 15 miembros,
reconocidos territorios vulnerables, reveló Castro.
A su juicio, es necesario crear un fondo especial de emergencia para atender las
catástrofes provocadas por los fenómenos climáticos extremos.
El resultado de la COP 16 es motivo de preocupación entre expertos y activistas, puesto
que la anterior cumbre realizada en Copenhague en diciembre de 2009 terminó con un
acuerdo alcanzado sólo por Brasil, China, Estados Unidos, India y Sudáfrica, que no
impone recortes definidos de emisiones ni es vinculante.
Los países deben suscribir un convenio que le dé continuidad al Protocolo de Kyoto,
cuyo primer periodo de compromisos vence en 2012.
"Una de mis principales preocupaciones es que no se logre un acuerdo" en este
sentido, declaró Castro.
"El grave problema es que en estos encuentros prevalecen los acuerdos comerciales y
políticos, y no las realidades de nuestros pobladores", dijo a IPS Eddie Gallegos,
coordinador ejecutivo de la Asociación de Municipios Integrados por la Cuenca y
Territorios de la Laguna de Apoyo de Nicaragua.
"Si estas reuniones fuesen realmente una plataforma de diálogo, sería de gran
trascendencia trasmitir los problemas y las necesidades de nuestros países", comentó.
De cualquier forma, para Gallegos, América Central debe lograr una posición conjunta y
reclamar. "Nuestra región es la más afectada por los impactos del cambio climático.
Mientras los países ricos explotan los recursos del planeta para sostener sus niveles de
consumo, nosotros aguantamos las embestidas de la naturaleza y, para colmo, sus
aportes se ven como un favor, cuando deberían exigirse como una indemnización", dijo.
Si la región no asume una posición conjunta, los países desarrollados impondrán su
agenda, la cual no beneficia en nada a la mayoría de la población mundial, señaló el
miércoles en conferencia de prensa Ángel Ibarra, de la no gubernamental Mesa
Permanente para la Gestión de Riesgo de El Salvador.
http://www.ipsnoticias.net/nota.asp?idnews=96728
Regional - ECLAC presents Caribbean environmental indicators
10 – 25 – 10
SANTIAGO, Chile -- The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
(ECLAC) presented last week the Statistical Notebook Nº 38: Environmental Indicators
of Latin America and the Caribbean 2009, which includes indicators that reveal the main
environmental trends in the region.
Latin America and the Caribbean is one of the regions in the world that largely depends
on the exploitation of natural resources to manage and sustain its economic growth and
human development.
This document provides governments and the general public with environmental
statistical series in the region with the aim of contributing to the monitoring and design of
public policies for development and sustainability.
The Statistical Notebook Nº 38 compares indicators calculated for 1990 with the most
recent data.
The document reveals, for example, that the designation of protected areas in order to
preserve biodiversity made up 19.5% of the region's territory in 2009, whereas in 1990 it
was only 9.5%.
Another indicator that signals a changing trend over the past two decades is in the lower
consumption of ozone-depleting substances: from 74.500 tons of ODP (measurement of
ozone depletion potential) in 1989 to 6.700 tons in 2008.
In contrast, the loss of forest surface and coverage in the region worsened from 1990 to
2007, dropping from 48.8% to 44.9%, respectively, with total loss reaching 78 million
hectares.
The indicators also show a sustained increase in the intensity of the use of fertilizers and
agrochemicals in countries with available information.
With regard to biodiversity, Latin America and the Caribbean shows a concerning index
of threatened species (plants and animals), while water and air pollution in cities is also
high, with their subsequent effects on the quality of life, human health and the
ecosystem.
The Statistical Notebook Nº 38 was presented during the Conference on Official
Statistics and Environment: Approaches, Issues, Challenges and Ties, organized by the
International Association of Official Statistics (IAOS), which took place in Santiago, Chile
on 20-22 October.
http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/headline-ECLAC-presents-Caribbeanenvironmental-indicators-2928.html
Regional - Grupos ambientalistas se reunirán en Nicaragua para discutir el
cambio climático
23 – 10 – 10
Dirigentes de organizaciones ambientalistas de Centroamérica se reunirán el 27 y 28 de
octubre en Nicaragua para discutir los efectos del cambio climático con miras a la
conferencia sobre este asunto que se celebrará en México en noviembre próximo,
informaron hoy en Guatemala fuentes del sector
CD. DE GUATEMALA; Guatemala - El encuentro en Nicaragua servirá para buscar una
posición conjunta para contrarrestar los efectos del cambio climático en la región y que
se llevará a la XVI Conferencia de las Partes (COP16) que se realizará en Cancún
(México) a finales de noviembre, explicó en rueda de prensa Vivian Lanuza, de la
Fundación guatemalteca ambientalista Solar.
La ecologista dijo que en toda Centroamérica existen problemas muy grandes por el
cambio climático. "Es el momento de empezar a prepararnos para enfrentar las
eventualidades de este fenómeno", agregó.
Lanuza señaló que las redes centroamericanas de organizaciones ambientales
compartirán en Nicaragua información sobre lo que está pasando con las negociaciones
sobre el cambio climático.
Por su parte, Gardy Estrada, de la Asociación Pro Integración de Centroamérica y
República Dominicana (Proica), explicó que Guatemala buscará posicionar los acuerdos
que se han alcanzado en el seno de la Mesa Nacional del Cambio Climático.
Entre ellas figura una propuesta de hacer un compromiso interinstitucional a nivel
regional para reducir la contaminación en 1% y también asignar ese porcentaje de los
presupuestos de las naciones para contrarrestar los efectos del cambio climático,
detalló.
Además, anotó, se impulsará una estrategia de alianza con los países de África y otras
regiones que como Centroamérica, son vulnerables a los efectos del clima.
Guatemala es uno de los diez países más vulnerables al cambio climático del mundo,
por lo que las autoridades creen que es indispensable crear conciencia en la ciudadanía
sobre su impacto para tomar acciones a corto plazo.
http://www.planetaazul.com.mx/www/2010/10/23/grupos-ambientalistas-se-reuniran-ennicaragua-para-discutir-el-cambio-climatico/
Venezuela - Venezolanos reciben Premios Europa a la Innovación para el
Desarrollo Sustentable
22 – 10 – 10
Caracas, Periodismo por el Cambio Climático (PCC).- Un trabajo de investigación y un
proyecto piloto en comunidades fueron galardonados en la primera edición de los
Premios Europa a la Innovación para el Desarrollo Sustentable en Venezuela.
Se trata de la primera edición de los referidos premios, y cuenta con dos categorías:
investigación y ejecución de proyectos; y es una iniciativa de la Unión Europea en
Venezuela.
Para esta primera convocatoria fueron consignados cerca de 30 trabajos, que durante
dos meses fueron evaluados; en esta semana deliberó el jurado en pleno y
consensuaron en dos premios y dos menciones especiales.
En investigación, Viviana Bilbao, profesora de la Universidad Simón Bolívar por el
trabajo: Factores de Riesgo en la Reducción del Hábitat en el Parque Nacional
Canaima: Vulnerabilidad y Herramientas para el Desarrollo Sustentable.
En la categoría ejecución de proyectos, ganó Proyecto Piloto Ambiental Integral
Tacarigua de la Laguna; iniciativa bajo la dirección de la ecóloga, Evellyn Pallota,
directora de Ambiente de la Gobernación del estado Miranda.
Arnoldo J. Gabaldón, presidente del jurado de los Premios Europa explicó que estos
galardones son “una feliz iniciativa de una serie de países europeos: España, Francia,
Gran Bretaña, Alemania y la Unión Europea en conjunto para estimular la ejecución de
proyectos y la investigación de desarrollo sustentable en Venezuela”.
Premios Europa son reconocimientos de ámbito exclusivo para Venezuela; pero es un
premio internacional que designa un jurado integrado por venezolanos y extranjeros.
Los miembros del jurado por Venezuela son: Carlos Machado Allison, Individuo de
Número de la Academia de Ciencias; Llellys Bravo, profesora e investigadora de la
Universidad Simón Bolívar (USB) y Arnoldo José Gabaldón, Individuo de Número de la
Academia de Ciencias.
Mientras que los representantes por la Unión Europea son: Esteban Manrique Real,
director del Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales de Madrid, España; y Valery
Lemaitre, director adjunto de Estrategia Nacional de Desarrollo Sustentable, Francia.
Sobre los reconocimientos que recibirán los ganadores, Gabaldón señaló que “en esta
primera edición, los premios son modestos, 15 mil bolívares fuertes, una semana
financiada en Europa en una institución que le pueda dar valor agregado a los intereses
profesionales que tengan los ganadores; y la posibilidad de que la síntesis de los
trabajos sean publicados en revistas especializadas”.
Sobre los requerimientos para participar en Premios Europa, el Presidente del jurado
indicó “creatividad, participación de las comunidades (aplica para las dos categorías),
que las propuestas sean replicables, que tomen en consideración las dimensiones del
desarrollo sostenible: ecológica, social y económica, entre otras”.
La ceremonia se llevó a cabo en el Palacio de las Academias, la mañana de este
viernes.
La próxima edición será en 2012 y la fecha está determinada por el Comité Ejecutivo de
los Premios Europa integrado por las embajadas de la UE en Venezuela.
México - Huracán "Richard" llega a estado mexicano de Quintana Roo
25 – 10 – 10
Cancún, México (PL) El huracán "Richard" penetró anoche en el territorio beliceño, con
vientos de 150 kilómetros por hora, afecta hoy con lluvias y fuertes vientos el sur del
estado de Quintana Roo.
Ante la presencia de el fenómeno natural, el gobernador de esta demarcación
mexicana, Félix González Canto, activó desde la víspera la máxima alerta (roja) para el
municipio de Othón P. Blanco y ordenó ley seca, la suspensión de actividades y clases
en las zonas más vulnerables.
Desde anoche, la capital del estado, la ciudad de Chetumal, ya se encontraba vacía,
con los establecimientos públicos cerrados para prevenir el paso "Richard" por la vecina
nación, desde donde ya se reportan daños menores, así como en la zona meridional de
Quintana Roo.
De acuerdo con el presidente municipal de Othón P. Blanco, Andrés Ruíz Morcillo, 49
comunidades rurales de la zona limítrofe con Campeche y la rivera del río Hondo
fronteriza con Belice están siendo las más afectadas por el huracán.
El Servicio Meteorológico Nacional de México (SMN) consideró que Richard tiene un
índice de peligrosidad moderado y que, de acuerdo con sus proyecciones, tendría su
mayor efecto en el sudeste mexicano.
Se supo aquí que el estado de Veracruz se sumó a las demarcaciones mexicanas que
ya habían adoptado las primeras precauciones ante las posibles afectaciones de
"Richard", como Son Yucatán, Campeche, Tabasco y Chiapas, además de Quintana
Roo.
En el caso de Campeche, ante el curso del fenómeno meteorológico, El Consejo Estatal
de Protección Civil decretó alerta amarilla para los municipios de Calakmul, Hopelchén,
Candelaria, Palizada, Carmen y Champotón, donde las escuelas permanecen cerradas
este lunes.
La mayor vigilancia en la región sur de Campeche, donde el impacto de las lluvias ya se
hace presente, se centra en las márgenes de los ríos Palizada y Candelaria, los cuales
desde hace poco más de un mes están a punto de desbordarse.
El parte más reciente del SMN indica que "Richard" debe atravesar durante el día por la
frontera entre Guatemala y Campeche para internarse mañana en el golfo de México.
Los pronósticos sobre la trayectoria de Richard agregan que se dirigirá hoy mismo a los
límites de Chiapas con Tabasco, lo que generaría lluvias fuertes en los municipios de
Ocosingo, Las Margaritas, Altamirano y otros ubicados en la selva chiapaneca.
http://www.prensalatina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=231847&Itemid=1
Uruguay - Presentan en Uruguay centro socioambiental de Cuenca del Plata
22 – 10 – 10
Montevideo (PL) El Ministerio de Vivienda, Ordenamiento Territorial y Medio Ambiente
de Uruguay presentó el Centro de Saberes y Cuidados Socioambientales de la Cuenca
del Plata en este país, informó hoy la web presidencial.
De acuerdo con la fuente, la unidad constituye un espacio de diálogo e integración entre
ONG, gobiernos, universidades y representantes de los pueblos indígenas de los cinco
países del área para dar respuestas a la degradación ambiental regional.
La página digital señaló que el proyecto surgió a partir de diálogos desarrollados en
2006 entre especialistas latinoamericanos en temas del hábitat.
Desde entonces actores gubernamentales, universidades y comunicadores, entre otros,
de los cinco países de la Cuenca se integraron para fomentar diferentes saberes como
el académico y el popular y tradicional de los pueblos originarios.
Con una extensión de 3,2 millones de kilómetros cuadrados, la del Plata constituye una
de las cuencas hidrográficas más importantes del planeta y la segunda del continente.
En ella viven 130 millones de habitantes de Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Uruguay y
Paraguay.
Llamada Paraná Guazú antes de la presencia europea, está formada por grandes ríos
como el Paraná, el Uruguay y el Paraguay.
Este conjunto hidrográfico desemboca en el Río de la Plata y, por intermedio de esa
corriente fluvial, en el océano Atlántico.
El caudal medio es de 23 mil metros cúbicos y la mayoría de estos cursos son
navegables por buques de mediano porte y casi todos por trenes de barcazas.
http://www.prensalatina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=231285&Itemid=1
Belize - Hurricane Richard makes landfall in Belize
10 – 25 – 10
MIAMI, USA – Radar data from Belize indicated that the eye of Hurricane Richard made
landfall around 8:45 pm EDT on Sunday along the coast of Belize about 20 miles southsouthwest of Belize City.
According to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, maximum sustained winds at
landfall were estimated to be 90 mph. Richard is a category one hurricane on the SaffirSimpson hurricane wind scale.
The centre of Hurricane Richard was moving toward the west-northwest near 10 mph
and this general motion was expected to continue Sunday night with a decrease in
forward speed on Monday.
On the forecast track, the centre of Richard will move inland over Belize on Sunday
night, across northern Guatemala on Monday and into southern Mexico late Monday or
Monday night.
Weakening is expected as Richard moves inland. Hurricane force winds extend outward
up to 15 miles from the centre and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 105
miles.
A storm surge is expected to raise water levels by as much as 3 to 5 feet above normal
tide levels along the coast of Belize near and to the north of the centre. Near the coast,
the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.
Richard is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 3 to 6 inches over the Bay
Islands, Belize and the southern Yucatan peninsula, with maximum storm total amounts
of around 10 inches. Additional rains of 1 to 2 inches are possible over northern
Honduras. These rains could produce life-threatening flash floods and mud slides,
especially in mountainous terrain.
Hurricane conditions will continue to spread inland over portions of central Belize on
Sunday night and early Monday. Tropical storm conditions will spread over portions of
the coast of southeastern Mexico on Sunday night in the tropical storm warning area –
the east coast of Yucatan from Punta Gruesa to Chetumal.
http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/topstory-Hurricane-Richard-makes-landfall-in-Belize2945.html
Guyana - Commentary: Guyana's low carbon development strategy and global
environmental law
10 – 25 – 10
The Guyana low carbon development strategy (LCDS) has been hailed as an innovative
mechanism by which developing countries might maintain their forest resources for the
mitigation of global environmental degradation, whilst being compensated for their
trouble by developed countries.
While the plan seems simple enough, and the regulation of this model has been
impressively written up and presented as viable, there has not been significant
investigation or consideration of the legal regulation of this model with the intention of
creating an holistic legal structure that accounts for the domestic and the international
legal principles and regimen that will affect it.
Abiola Inniss LLB, LLM (Business Law), mediator, and arbitrator, is a legal consultant in
business law, and law teacher, who resides in Georgetown, Guyana, with an established
practice in Alternative Dispute Resolution
There is little understanding of the concept of traditional knowledge and Intellectual
property, the interplay of the law of international trade and private international law, the
domestic law requirements for the internal regulation of the scheme and the rules of
global environmental law that will be applicable to the entire project.
Global environmental law has emerged as an amalgam of various concepts from
different legal systems across the globe, from which it has shamelessly borrowed a
number of principles. It may be described a set of legal principles developed by national,
international and transnational environmental systems to protect the environment and to
manage natural resources This has resulted in the universal application of several ideas
about the regulation of the environment which are as widely recognized.
Global environmental law has its own body of substantive and procedural rules and
mechanisms that are unique to the governance of environmental law across the world. In
example, it comprises public international environmental law, which nomenclature
commonly refers to the treaties and customary international law principles governing the
relations between nations. It includes national environmental law, which of course
describes the principles used by local legislation to govern the activities and behaviour of
persons within a nation’s borders. It extends to transnational law, which describes the
set of legal rules used to regulate the relations of private persons and organizations
across nations.
It should be immediately obvious that a national economic strategy that promotes the
controlled and innovative use of forest and forest products with the goal of lessening
environmental impact and developing a new brand of commerce would immediately fall
into the inextricable embrace of global environmental law. There seems however, to be
little attention to this critical aspect of the legal regulation of the LCDS and there is yet
significant ignorance about the value of this area of law to the Guyana situation.
Global environmental law has emerged as the result of a necessary interrelation of the
practical experiences of regulation, the pragmatic needs of persons and the necessity of
regulating national and international conduct. It is not the offspring of social scientists
and intellectuals who have nothing better to do than create abstract legal concepts,
which they are afterward at pains to explain to both themselves and others.
The discipline of law is as practical as it is academic, a combination that is exemplified in
global environmental law. It is hardly fathomable that the Guyana LCDS, which is a
significant undertaking, does not have the necessary legal research and resulting
structure that will support it with a sound internationally viable legal structure.
While Guyana seems to have something of an environmental policy, there is as yet no
environmental legislation. This is perhaps significant from the point of view of the
existing possibility of creating a substantial set of laws that will encompass some of the
requirements of global environmental law; it might also be seen as the result of an
apathetic approach to legal intellectual work, which does not acknowledge the value of
sound, in-depth research, analysis and application, and which could not be bothered to
invest in such work.
It is the role of the University of Guyana to contribute to the development of the legal
framework of the LCDS and to the discussion of the impact of global environmental law
on our unique circumstances in Guyana. Our transnational legal relations (GuyanaSouth America and Guyana-Caribbean with reference to the CSME - CARICOM Single
Market and Economy) and international relations must also be addressed.
As concerns national law, intellectual property must be addressed in a way that takes
account of Guyana’s unique circumstances, the WIPO rules and the needs of producers
and end users. Global environmental law also contains a significant component which
requires intellectual property regulation and from which there is no escape.
It is to be hoped that legal regulators , academics and of course the Guyana government
will consult seriously on this subject with the intention of acquiring the necessary
knowledge and expertise to devise the supporting legal system for the LCDS. This is not
a task for the faint hearted, but it is far easier than coping with the local and international
legal issues that will develop in short order, and for which there will be no scheme for
redress.
It can hardly be restated enough that the Guyana LCDS needs a robust, working,
workable legal and regulatory framework if it is to succeed in the long term. The
University of Guyana Department of Law ought to lend its expertise to instigate the
necessary critical research and reporting on this and other areas of law through the
establishment of a research unit for the purpose. There is too much at risk, and there are
too many challenges ahead to be laissez faire in approach to legal regulation.
http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/topstory-Commentary%3A-Guyana%27s-lowcarbon-development-strategy-and-global-environmental-law-2923.html
Trinidad & Tobago - T&T artists go Green at De Gallery
10 – 25 – 10
Junya Craigwell and Caroline Williams are the T&T artists of international acclaim
behind the show titled Ours To Treasure to be held at De Gallery, located at 77
Woodford Street, Newtown, starting tomorrow. Photo: SEAN NERO
Sean Nero
Two Trinidad-born international artists will mount a month-long exhibition that will add to
the universal call for the preservation and protection of the environment. Junya Craigwell
and Caroline Williams are the T&T artists of international acclaim behind the showing
titled Ours To Treasure, to be held at the De Gallery, located at 77 Woodford Street,
Newtown, starting tomorrow.
Viewing starts from 6.30 pm. A Zodiac Collection is the theme of Craigwell’s work in
which he strives to illustrate each sign in its natural habitat, while A Collection of Pressed
Flowers from Williams was designed to help cause citizens to develop and innate
yearning to treasure green spaces.
“We want to make people aware that the environment is to be protected and it is
important for us to guard it and and let people know going green is a culture that must be
practised throughout your life,” Williams said. “We want people to understand how
important flowers and foliage are. When I went to England, I was taken aback by the
buses on the road. There were trees (painted) on each side. In our country we cut down
trees and we shouldn’t. So, I am trying to save some of it.” Craigwell said his Zodiac
Collection was about being in harmony with nature. He said people are very passionate
about the signs which told of one’s personality. He said: “Earth, air, water and fire is of
us and it is of the universe. It is the harmony that we should have with nature. The signs
are in harmony with nature.” The artists believe fate brought them together. They came
from different angles with a single purpose.
Now that they have met, Craigwell and Williams agree that the journey ahead was laden
with glorious possibilities. Since their meeting, they developed an eagerness to share
their works with children through the formal linkages with schools. Williams said: “I love
this work. I’m an artist everyday. I go to other art galleries. I appreciate everybody’s
work. I passionate about my work. “So I’m coming up with new ideas all the time. I’ve
just presented this calendar collection to match quietly, likely, Mr Craigwell’s deep
Zodiac Collection.”
De Gallery
Art exhibitions are usually scheduled for two-week runs, but at De Gallery—the
brainchild of Craigwell and William Munro of Caribbean Prestige for the Performing
Arts—which opened back in June, things are being done quite differently.
The idea behind this particular operation was to give artists more time to have their
works on show and with the aim that prospective clients not able to view collections with
the traditional two-week roster could view them, but more importantly purchase pieces.
Partnerships between Craigwell and Munro at this level weren’t uncommon.
Craigwell was responsible for the Royal Collection of pieces depicting all International
(Power) Soca Monarchs.
From inception of that competition Craigwell was the man responsible for the backdrop
on competition night.
About Junya Craigwell
Junya Craigwell is a self-taught artist who began his journey in the creative realm while
in London. It was there that the life of this son of the soil changed after placing paint to
canvas. Since then, he developed a variety of styles, techniques and medium in the
sphere and had been commissioned to do pieces that were now on show regional and
internationally. But his artistic prowess goes beyond artist. He had been very
instrumental in adding to the colour and pageantry of T&T’s national festival—Carnival
having contributed not just to the design of mas, but the building of mas as well as stage
design.
Caroline Williams
Caroline Williams is an active member of Women In Art Organisation of T&T and the Art
Society of T&T and had participated in several group exhibitions over the years. She,
too, was self-taught. Botanical art is the preferred style of this T&T native, who was born
in Maraval. A decade ago, Williams discovered a unique style of pressing flowers, leaves
and foliage and began producing inspiring works. Soon enough, she was commissioned
to create pieces that are now on display around the world. Using this country’s
abundance of flowers and foliage, Williams composed exquisite collages and greeting
cards in various styles. “These are some of the jewels of our land which we must
treasure forever,” she said. She’s convinced, however, that her work is far from done
and therefore made her pieces available for local charities.
http://guardian.co.tt/news/general/2010/10/25/tt-artists-go-green-de-gallery
Costa Rica - Costa Rica crea fondo mixto de 56 millones de dólares para proteger
ambiente
25 – 10 – 10
Autoridades costarricenses presentaron la iniciativa "Costa Rica por siempre", un
fideicomiso de 56 millones de dólares provenientes de organizaciones no
gubernamentales y el Estado, que se destinará a la protección de la naturaleza
SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica - La directora del Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación
(SINAC) del Ministerio de Ambiente, Giselle Méndez, afirmó en conferencia de prensa
que la principal meta es "consolidar un sistema de áreas protegidas ecológicamente
representativo y eficazmente administrado".
De los 56 millones de dólares, que serán administrados por la Asociación Costa Rica
por Siempre, 29 provienen de las organizaciones no gubernamentales internacionales
The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Fundación Linden para la Conservación, Fundación
Gordon y Betty Moore, y Fundación Walton Family.
Los restantes 27 millones de dólares los aportará el Estado costarricense con pagos
mensuales durante los próximos 15 años, gracias a un canje de deuda por naturaleza
por ese monto, formalizado el jueves por Estados Unidos con Costa Rica.
Méndez explicó que se ha establecido como una prioridad utilizar el dinero en la
protección de las áreas marinas protegidas, que históricamente, dijo, han sido las zonas
más descuidadas por las autoridades medioambientales.
También se financiarán planes de manejo de áreas protegidas para determinar las
necesidades prioritarias y lograr una mayor efectividad en el resguardo de la
biodiversidad, manifestó Méndez.
Por su parte, la directora de la Asociación Costa Rica por Siempre, Zdenka Piskulich,
comentó que el nombre de la organización responde a la idea de utilizar principalmente
los rendimientos del fideicomiso para financiar proyectos por lo que siempre habrá
dinero disponible.
"Esto demuestra que cuando tenemos una buena idea podemos lograrla y demostrarle
al mundo que un país pequeño puede plantearse metas ambiciosas de conservación",
aseguró Piskulich.
Costa Rica, país de 4,5 millones de habitantes y 51.100 kilómetros cuadrados de
extensión, mantiene bajo protección en Parques Nacionales y áreas de conservación la
cuarta parte de su territorio.
Además, alberga al 4,5% de la biodiversidad del planeta, lo que atrae cada año a unos
dos millones de turistas.
http://www.planetaazul.com.mx/www/2010/10/25/costa-rica-crea-fondo-mixto-de-56millones-de-dolares-para-proteger-ambiente/
México - Nuevas formas para reuso de agua potable
23 – 10 – 10
Nuevas formas para el reuso del agua tratada estudian investigadores de la
Universidades Autónoma de Baja California (UABC) y del Colegio de la Frontera Norte
(Colef) en el Centro de Estudios de Reuso y Conservación de Agua (CERCA) del
Complejo Montes Los Olivos, a fin de ampliar el aprovechamiento del líquido y con ello
obtener mayores ahorros de agua potable, informó el director de la Comisión Estatal de
Servicios Públicos de Tijuana (Cespt), ingeniero Hernando Durán Cabrera
TIJUANA, B.C. - Dijo que actualmente de toda el agua residual que se trata en las
plantas de la Cespt sólo se reutiliza entre el 7 y 8 por ciento, el 92 por ciento restante se
tira al mar, e indicó que por el momento se reusa agua tratada para el riego de áreas
verdes del parque Morelos y está en proceso la construcción de otra línea en la
Internacional para el riesgo de árboles.
Asimismo, el agua tratada en las plantas Arturo Herrera, La Morita, Rosarito y
próximamente la planta Tecolote-La Gloria, las cuales tienen equipo de alta tecnología
para dar tratamiento terciario, cumple con las normas de calidad para el reuso en
industria.
El funcionario comentó que hace año muchos proyectos de inversión que requerían
bastante agua para sus procesos de producción, se iban a otras partes porque en esta
ciudad no había suficiente agua; ahora, con las cuatro plantas que dan tratamiento
terciario al agua residual, la Comisión Estatal de Servicios Públicos está en condiciones
de darle toda el agua que requieran las industrias, a un costo de 2.5 pesos por metro
cúbico, mientras el agua potable cuesta entre 15 a 16 pesos.
Mencionó que la meta es incrementar de 8 a 20 por ciento el reuso de agua tratada en
la presente administración estatal, y para ello ya se investigan nuevas formas de
aprovechamiento, como podría ser por ejemplo inyectar líquido a la presa Abelardo L.
Rodríguez, además está un anteproyecto de llevar agua al Valle de Guadalupe para el
cultivo de la vid.
http://www.planetaazul.com.mx/www/2010/10/23/nuevas-formas-para-reuso-de-aguapotable/
México - Implementarán energía solar en más de 60 mil viviendas
23 – 10 – 10
Desarrollar el primer proyecto de energía sustentable y utilizar vías alternas que eviten
daños al medio ambiente será el objetivo del proyecto "Valle Verde", el cual
implementará energía solar en más de 60 mil viviendas en Valle de las Palmas
VALLE DE LAS PALMAS, Tijuana - En el marco de evento Tijuana Innovadora, Jorge
Ramos Hernández, junto con Emilio Cuenca, director regional de Casas GEO; Miguel
Islas Tovar, director de Ciudad de las Palmas, y Francisco Mollat, director de la
empresa solar Siliquen, llevaron a cabo la firma de la carta compromiso para la
generación y utilización de energía solar en la primera ciudad sostenible y sustentable
de Latinoamérica.
Miguel islas Tovar detalló que el proyecto consistirá en la aplicación de plantillas en más
de 60 mil viviendas "súper económicas" que serán ofrecidas por un costo de 190 mil
pesos y al menos 100 mil personas se encuentran a la espera de las viviendas.
"Esto es una manifestación de acciones para desarrollar por primera vez una ciudad
ordenada, segura y limpia que utilizará el recurso que más poseemos, el sol, evitando
terribles daños al medio ambiente", concluyó.
http://www.planetaazul.com.mx/www/2010/10/23/implementaran-energia-solar-en-masde-60-mil-viviendas/
Global - Ballenas y tiburones a salvo en Palau
23 – 10 – 10
NAGOYA, Japón (IPS) - Palau, uno de los aliados más cercanos de Japón en materia
de caza comercial de ballenas, declaró este sábado a todo su territorio marino, más de
600.000 kilómetros cuadrados, reserva de cetáceos, dugongos, tiburones y otras
especies.
"No habrá más caza en nuestras aguas y no se molestará a los mamíferos marinos ni a
otras especies", declaró el ministro de Ambiente, Recursos Naturales y Turismo de
Palau, Harry Fritz.
"Urgimos a otras naciones a unirse a nuestros esfuerzos para proteger a las ballenas,
los delfines y otros animales marinos", añadió Fritz en conferencia de prensa en la 10
Conferencia de las Partes del Convenio sobre la Diversidad Biológica, que comenzó el
18 de este mes y terminará el viernes de la semana que viene en la ciudad japonesa de
Nagoya.
Desde hace muchos años, Japón trata de anular la prohibición mundial sobre la caza
comercial de ballenas con el apoyo de Palau.
Japón es el mayor donante de asistencia al desarrollo de ese país insular, después de
Estados Unidos.
Además, muchos japoneses escogen sus islas como destino turístico porque hay
bastante gente que habla su idioma.
Pero "ahora Palau está a favor de conservar los mamíferos marinos, además de
tiburones y otras especies", señaló Susan Lieberman, directora de política internacional
de la organización estadounidense Pew Environment Group (PEW).
"Es un anuncio muy significativo", dijo a IPS.
"Japón seguirá siendo nuestro mejor amigo y esperamos trabajar en armonía para
lograr objetivos comunes", declaró Fritz.
Palau es un estado insular del océano Pacífico, a 800 kilómetros al este de Filipinas y a
3.200 kilómetros al sur de Tokio. Es una de las naciones más pequeñas del mundo con
22.000 habitantes.
Japón invadió Palau en la Primera Guerra Mundial (1914-1918) y fomentó la emigración
de japoneses hasta la Segunda Guerra Mundial (1939-1945), cuando Estados Unidos
ocupó la zona.
El presidente de Palau, Johnson Toribiong, anunció hace un año en la Asamblea
General de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas que sus aguas jurisdiccionales, con
una superficie similar a la de Francia, serían una reserva de tiburones.
La mitad de los escuálidos del océano están en peligro de extinción, en especial por la
práctica de cortarles las aletas.
Palau tiene por lo menos 11 especies de ballenas, incluida una población de cachalotes
que se zambulle a más de tres kilómetros de profundidad persiguiendo a su presa.
Otras 30 especies de cetáceos y delfines también podrán aprovechar las ricas aguas
que rodean Palau, señaló Fritz.
"La reserva promoverá el turismo de avistamiento de ballenas, que ya es un sector
multimillonario y una oportunidad económica para la población de Palau", añadió.
Desde 1986 rige una prohibición mundial de caza de ballenas.
Pero Japón mata entre 600 a 900 rorcuales aliblanco y comunes al año en el Antártico
para lo que llama "investigación científica", permitida en el marco de la prohibición.
Noruega e Islandia también cazan cierta cantidad de ballenas lejos de sus costas. Esos
países, entre otros, hicieron una fuerte presión para poner fin a la prohibición comercial
de cazar especies como el rorcual, cuyas poblaciones se estiman en más de un millón
de ejemplares.
La mayoría de las poblaciones de ballenas son cada vez más pequeñas, incluidas las
del océano Pacífico, debido a la caza practicada por empresas extranjeras, indicó Fritz.
La reserva de Palau tiene un solo barco suministrado por Australia, pero operado por el
gobierno para patrullar la vasta región. "Agradecemos a PEW la donación de
combustible para que podamos salir dos veces al mes", dijo a IPS.
"Recibí en agosto un informe de funcionarios estadounidenses en Guam según el cual
más de 850 barcos pescan de forma ilegal en aguas jurisdiccionales de Palau", apuntó.
Algunos fueron llevados ante la justicia y multados por el gobierno.
Submarinismo, snorkel y otras actividades turísticas son las principales fuentes de
divisas extranjeras de Palau, señaló Lieberman, de PEW.
"Ballenas y tiburones valen mucho más vivos que muertos para la población de Palau",
remarcó.
http://www.ipsnoticias.net/nota.asp?idnews=96724
Global - ONU destaca importancia de la pesca continental
10 – 22 – 10
El Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente (PNUMA) destacó este
viernes la importancia de la pesca en ríos y lagos en la dieta, especialmente como
fuente de proteínas, vitaminas y minerales para los niños.
Un informe del PNUMA indicó que esa actividad genera unas 30 millones de toneladas
de pescado al año y emplea a 60 millones de personas, 13 millones más que la pesca
marina.
Sin embargo, la publicación advirtió que los rápidos cambios en el medio ambiente,
como la alteración de los patrones de inundación estacional, la agricultura insostenible y
la sobre-extracción de agua, podrían afectar al sector poniendo en peligro la seguridad
alimentaria de numerosas comunidades.
Según el PNUMA, alrededor del 70% del total de la pesca en el interior de los
continentes se realiza en Asia, el 25% en África y el 4% en América Latina.
http://www.un.org/spanish/News/fullstorynews.asp?newsID=19514&criteria1=&criteria2=
Global - Un río sano no tiene precio
22 – 10 – 10
NAGOYA, Japón (IPS) - Las represas sobre los ríos pueden generar electricidad, pero
para construirlas a menudo se sacrifican pesquerías de alta calidad, según expertos.
"Es muy difícil valuar las pesquerías continentales en dólares, porque representan
mucho más que el valor de los pescados que se desembarcan en el muelle", dijo
Yumiko Kura, del WorldFish Center (Centro Mundial de Pesca) en Phnom Penh.
Kura es coautora del informe "Cosecha azul: Pesquerías continentales como servicio
ambiental", que subraya la importancia de estas existencias en las dietas,
especialmente infantiles, y no sólo en cuanto a las proteínas que aportan, sino también
en materia de micronutrientes, entre ellos vitamina A, calcio, hierro y cinc.
"Estudios detallados en Bangladesh, por ejemplo, han demostrado que el consumo
diario de pescado pequeño contribuye al 40 por ciento del requerimiento diario en el
hogar de vitamina A y al 31 por ciento de calcio", según el informe presentado este
viernes en la 10 Conferencia de las Partes del Convenio sobre la Diversidad Biológica
(COP 10), que se realiza hasta el día 29 en Nagoya, Japón.
Además, el estudio señala que se generan más de 60 millones de empleos a tiempo
completo y parcial en la pesca y otras actividades como el procesamiento, y que la
mitad de estos trabajos los efectúan mujeres.
Un sistema fluvial como el del Mekong cuenta con una de las reservas pesqueras más
productivas del mundo, en buena medida porque hay pocas represas y porque
mantiene la mayor parte de sus pantanos, dijo Kura a IPS.
Los pescadores del Mekong capturan más de 500 especies. Su propia diversidad
mantiene la salud del río, y unos 22 millones de personas en Camboya y Laos
dependen de esa abundancia.
Por contraste, los sistemas fluviales de los países industrializados son casi desiertos
biológicos, con pocas especies, según un estudio publicado este mes en la revista
especializada Nature.
Paradójicamente, los países ricos emplean vastas cantidades de hormigón para obtener
energía y controlar inundaciones, diezmando las capacidades naturales de los ríos de
brindar agua limpia y brindar alimento, según el estudio.
"Lo que nos dejó de boca abierta es que algunas de las mayores amenazas mundiales
están en Estados Unidos y Europa", dijo a IPS para un artículo anterior Peter McIntyre,
coautor del informe de Nature y zoólogo de la estadounidense Universidad de
Wisconsin-Madison.
Los peces también sirven como importantes vínculos entre los ecosistemas. Los
nutrientes y la materia orgánica de sus huevos, cadáveres y excreciones ayudan a
mantener la producción de algas, larvas de insectos y otras especies de peces en ríos y
lagos, según el reporte compilado por el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el
Medio Ambiente (PNUMA) y el World Fish Centre.
Cuando las poblaciones de peces se reducen, puede haber serios efectos colaterales
para otros organismos, dijo Jacqueline Alder, del PNUMA.
La muerte a gran escala de peces cisco en el estadounidense lago Mendota acarreó
cambios en la composición del plancton, redujo la cantidad de nutrientes y también la
biomasa de las algas.
"A diferencia de los océanos, las aguas continentales son muy vulnerables y los
cambios pueden ocurrir muy rápidamente", dijo Adler a IPS.
El informe advierte que, pese a más de 40 años de producción mundial constante, se
están produciendo rápidos cambios ambientales que ponen en riesgo la viabilidad de
las futuras poblaciones de peces, así como el cumplimiento de los Objetivos de
Desarrollo de las Naciones Unidas para el Milenio.
Las represas, la agricultura insostenible y las grandes extracciones de agua con fines
industriales, junto con la contaminación y la descarga de aguas servidas, tienen
impactos significativos sobre los sistemas fluviales, según el estudio.
Japón tenía pesquerías continentales productivas, pero ahora quedan muy pocas, casi
totalmente por culpa de las construcciones, dijo Kura, ella misma japonesa.
En las últimas dos décadas, muchos de los ríos del país fueron cercados con hormigón,
en un intento corto de miras por controlar las inundaciones y mantener los canales de
transporte. Los ríos necesitan poder fluir hacia el mar, permitiendo que la vegetación
costera y los pantanos los mantengan sanos y productivos, agregó Kura.
La represa de Pak Mun, construida a comienzos de los años 90 sobre un afluente del
río Mekong en Tailandia, causó una reducción de entre 60 y 80 por ciento en las
capturas. Sus promotores dijeron que la nueva reserva creada por la represa produciría
220 kilogramos de peces por hectárea, pero apenas se llegó a 10.
Desde 2001 se aplica una política por la cual se abren las compuertas de la represa
temporariamente, ayudando a devolver a cerca de 130 especies al río Mun, reduciendo
el impacto del embalse en las existencias pesqueras.
Sin embargo, hay propuestas para crear otras represas en el Mekong, dijo Kura.
El valor total de las pesquerías del río es difícil de evaluar. El impacto en materia de
empleo, seguridad alimentaria, cultura, salud y biodiversidad en la región no se
considera adecuadamente en los planes regionales de desarrollo, que se centran en la
energía y la irrigación, añadió.
http://www.ipsnoticias.net/nota.asp?idnews=96720
Global - Cumbre de Cancún debe contagiarse con Expo-Shanghai
25 – 10 – 10
Beijing (PL) Con su lema "Mejor ciudad, mejor vida", la Exposición Universal de
Shanghai transmite un mensaje que ahora requiere acciones para hacerlo realidad. El
apoyo de la venidera cumbre sobre Cambio Climático de Cancún es necesario en ese
camino.
Innegable el positivo efecto de la muestra abierta al público el pasado 1 de mayo en los
esfuerzos de la comunidad internacional por promover una mayor conciencia sobre la
protección del medio ambiente al vincular a más de 190 países y 50 organizaciones
internacionales con ese objetivo común.
Nuevas tecnologías, programas y experiencias de sus participantes, ricos y pobres,
aportaron a la causa de trabajar por un desarrollo sostenible, lo cual impone medidas
urgentes ante el ya palpable cambio climático y sus consecuencias en la Tierra.
Si recordamos que el mundo vive un creciente proceso de urbanización, incluido China,
el país más poblado del planeta, bien podemos saber el alcance del lema de la Expo de
Shanghai y su contribución a la necesaria protección medioambiental, máxime cuando
por sus pabellones pasaron más de 70 millones de personas.
De una forma u otra, todos poseen hoy más conocimientos sobre ese gran tema como
condición para ser mejores ciudadanos.
Pero la muestra pronto será historia, por lo que urge dar continuidad a las iniciativas y
programas presentados allí. La difusión de todo ello y el intercambio de experiencias no
se deben detener con el fin de ese acontecimiento, el próximo domingo, según se
reconoce.
La Conferencia sobre Cambio Climático convocada del 29 de noviembre al 10 de
diciembre en Cancún debe aprovecharse como oportunidad para hacer realidad muchas
de las ideas debatidas en Shanghai en torno al desarrollo sostenible. Sin embargo, a la
venidera cita se le pronostica un posible fracaso por las divergencias entre las partes en
sus principales temas.
Si en la urbe china todo fue alegría y voluntad, ese espíritu debe contagiar a la cercana
reunión para que la comunidad internacional pueda escribir una nueva página en el
camino hacia lograr medidas y acuerdos capaces de minimizar los efectos del
mencionado fenómeno.
¿Puede pensarse en una urbanización sostenible, uno de las prioridades de la
Exposición Universal, si algunos países industrializados se oponen a contraer
compromisos en cuanto a la reducción de gases de efecto invernadero, responsables
del calentamiento global?
En Shanghai predominó el diálogo e intercambio de experiencias a fin de conocer lo
mejor de cada parte, ¿cómo entender entonces que algunos recurran a maniobras y
otros se muestren reticentes a entregar ayuda a quienes la necesitan para hacer frente
a lo que ya se le atribuyen adversidades como históricas sequías, inundaciones,
incremento de los huracanes y olas de calor con nivel récord, entre otros efectos?
Tal como la tecnología y programas exhibidos en la muestra deben facilitarse a los
estados subdesarrollados, en Cancún la cooperación tiene que ser una de sus
protagonistas. La urgencia de salvar el planeta compete a todos.
Qué ironía realizar una exitosa exposición universal que promueve una mejor ciudad
para una mejor vida y luego ver fracasar una conferencia mundial decisiva para la
protección del medio ambiente, el desarrollo sostenible y por ende de la supervivencia
de la Humanidad.
Válido entonces hacer de Cancún una extensión de Shanghai.
http://www.prensalatina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=231788&Itemid=1
Global - Gulf corals in oil spill zone appear healthy
10 – 24 – 10
JUST 20 miles north of where BP's blown-out well spewed millions of gallons of oil into
the sea, life appears bountiful despite initial fears that crude could have wiped out many
of these delicate deepwater habitats.
Plankton, tiny suspended particles that form the base of the ocean's food web, float en
masse 1,400 feet beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, forming a snowy-like
underwater scene as they move with the currents outside the windows of a two-man sub
creeping a few feet off the seafloor.
Crabs, starfish and other deep sea creatures swarm small patches of corals, and tiny
sea anemones sprout from the sand like miniature forests across a lunar-like landscape
illuminated only by the lights of the sub, otherwise living in a deep, dark environment far
from the sun's reach.
Scientists are currently in the early stages of studying what effects, if any, BP PLC's April
20 oil well blowout off Louisiana and the ensuing crude gusher has had on the delicate
deep sea coral habitats of the northern Gulf.
So far, it appears the area dodged a bullet, but more research is needed. Some of the
deep sea corals near the spill site were only discovered just last year.
"Originally, when we saw the trajectory for the oil spill and where it was going, we were
very concerned that these habitats would be impacted," said researcher Steve Ross of
the Centre for Marine Science at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Ross and others are conducting research from a Greenpeace ship in the Gulf, using a
two-man sub as they work to determine if the corals have suffered damage, or may take
a hit from long-term impacts, such as stunted reproduction rates.
"We thought certainly that ... we would see signs of damage," Ross said. "And we're
very pleased to say so far, that in these locations, we haven't seen a large scale damage
to the coral habitats. We're still looking, but so far, it's good."
Ross was part of a team of researchers that studied deep sea corals in the Atlantic
Ocean between North Carolina and Florida. The research eventually helped lead to
added federal protections for a roughly 23,000 square-mile network believed to be
among the largest continuous distribution of deep water corals in the world.
Ross and others have now turned their attention to the Gulf.
While fishermen have for centuries dragged up corals from the deep sea, it wasn't until
the early 1900s that scientists discovered these extensive cold-water reefs. And it wasn't
until the 1970s that researchers were able to use subs and cameras to reach the sea
floor to document them. It had long been thought coral reefs only formed in shallow,
warm waters.
Deepwater reefs and pinnacles are much more slow-growing and can take several
million years to form. Science is only now beginning to understand these underwater
"frontier zones." Researchers are looking to these regions for the development of
additional pharmaceuticals since these cold-water critters have adapted to live in such
unique environments void of sunlight, they possess unusual qualities that federal
scientists say could aid in creating new drugs for cancer, heart disease and other
ailments.
"We are very interested in any potential damage to deep sea corals," said Steve
Murawski, chief fisheries scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, which is currently conducting research into oil in Gulf sediments, among
other studies.
The federal government maintains much of the oil is now gone from the Gulf, but some
studies indicate it remains in significant amounts on the sea floor. Microscopic particles
have also been found in the water column.
It is now a prime time for coral spawning in the Gulf, when the corals release tiny larvae
that eventually form new corals.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/environment/Gulf-corals-in-oil-spill-zone-appearhealthy_8081165
Global - Last year's moonshot splashed up lots of water
10 – 24 – 10
LOS ANGELES, USA (AP) — When NASA blasted a hole in the moon last year in
search of water, scientists figured there would be a splash. They just didn't know how
big. Now new results from the Hollywood-esque moonshot reveal lots of water in a crater
where the sun never shines -- 41 gallons of ice and vapour.
That may not sound like much — it's what a typical washing machine uses for a load -but it's almost twice as much as researchers had initially measured and more than they
ever expected to find.
The estimate represents only what scientists can see from the debris plume that was
kicked up from the high-speed crash near the south pole by a NASA spacecraft on
October 9, 2009.
Mission chief scientist Anthony Colaprete of the NASA Ames Research Centre
calculates there could be 1 billion gallons of water in the crater that was hit -- enough to
fill 1,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
"Where we impacted was quite wet," Colaprete said, adding there could be more such
craters at both the moon's poles.
Proof that the moon is dynamic and not a dry, desolate world offers hope for a possible
future astronaut outpost where water on site could be used for drinking or making rocket
fuel.
But the scientists' excitement is tempered by the political reality that there's no plan to
land on the moon anytime soon.
The $79 million moon mission known as the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing
Satellite, or LCROSS, was launched to determine whether water exists at the moon's
poles. Previous spacecraft spied hints of possible ice in polar craters.
The mission involved slamming a spent rocket into Cabeus crater. The crash carved a
hole about one quarter the size of a football field.
A trailing spacecraft then flew through the cloud of debris and dust thrown up by the
impact and used its instruments to analyse what was inside before it also struck the
moon.
Besides water, the plume also contained carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ammonia,
sodium, mercury and silver. The findings were published in Friday's issue of the journal
Science.
How the soup of compounds became trapped in Cabeus crater, among the coldest
places in the solar system, is unclear. One theory is that they came from comets and
asteroids, which pounded the lunar surface billions of years ago, and later drifted to the
poles.
Mission scientist Kurt Retherford of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio,
Texas, thinks the discovery of mercury could pose a challenge for any human settlers
because of its toxicity.
But Colaprete, the mission chief scientist, said there are ways around the mercury
dilemma.
"Just like we use filters on Earth to make sure our drinking water is clean, we will do the
same on the moon. We can distil or purify it," he said.
Apollo astronauts previously found traces of silver and gold in lunar samples facing the
Earth. Specks of silver in the frigid polar crater are "not going to start the next `silver
rush' to the moon," said planetary geologist Peter Schultz of Brown University, who
analysed the plume.
While scientists celebrated the copious data returned to Earth, the highly hyped mission
last year was a public relations bomb. Scores of space fans who stayed up all night to
glimpse NASA's promised debris plume through webcast or telescopes saw little more
than a fuzzy white flash.
LCROSS was originally hatched as a robotic mission before a future human trip. That
was before Congress approved a blueprint last month for NASA that shifts the focus
from a manned moon landing -- as outlined under President George W. Bush -- in favour
of sending astronauts to near-Earth asteroids and eventually Mars. A return to the moon
could potentially be a way station -- something still to be decided -- but the moon won't
be an overall goal.
Given the recent water find, "it's disappointing that we're not going to forge ahead" with a
moon return next decade, said space scientist Greg Delory of the University of
California, Berkeley, who was not involved in the project.
But he believes that "when the time is right, we're going to send people there again."
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/environment/Last-year-s-moonshot-splashed-up-lotsof-water_8081182
Global - U.S. Offers $1.5 billion aid for biofuel production
10 – 25 – 10
The government is offering more than $1.5 billion in assistance, from field to filling
station, to bring next-generation biofuels to market, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
said last week.
WASHINGTON, USA - Vilsack said the aid would assure renewable fuel consumption
reaches 36 billion gallons by 2022, with the bulk of it coming from non-food sources such
as grass, algae or woody plants.
During a speech, Vilsack also urged Congress to revive a biodiesel tax credit and to
extend, possibly at a lower rate, an ethanol tax credit due to expire on Dec 31. He said a
54-cent-a-gallon tariff on imported ethanol was likely to continue but eventually be
phased out.
Biofuels are a favorite cause in the U.S. Midwest, where the ethanol industry is
concentrated. Vilsack announced the biofuels aid less than two weeks before mid-term
elections when Republicans are expected to gain seats. Two-thirds of the most
competitive U.S. House races are in rural districts.
Ethanol makers will produce about 13 billion gallons of the renewable fuel this year,
chiefly from corn. A 2007 law requires annual use of 36 billion gallons from 2022 and
reserves 21 billion gallons of it for "advanced" biofuels.
Cargill Inc's corn milling complex, which turns more than 100 million bushels of corn
every year in food, feed, fuels and an increasing array of manufactured products from
biodegradable plastics to industrial enzymes"Production of 36 billion gallons of biofuels
will require that biorefineries dot the rural landscape," said Vilsack, who linked biofuels
with rural prosperity.
The number of biorefineries would have to double at a minimum to meet the biofuel goal.
There are 204 plants in half of the U.S. states. The average plant employs 40-50 people
and spends $130 million a year on supplies, wages and transportation.
Vilsack listed four steps to expand biofuel production and usage:
–Launch of the Biomass Crop Assistance Program, which pays up to 75 percent of
farmers' costs to grow and harvest biomass crops for use in nearby bioengineered or
biopower plants. Forestland owners can qualify for payments on materials harvested
from forest health or ecosystem restoration and used in bioplants. Cost is estimated at
$461 million over 15 years.
Eligible crops include switchgrass, miscanthus, woody poplar, jatropha, algae, "energy
cane," and pongamia, said
USDA.
–Selection within 60 days of five biorefinery or bioenergy projects around the nation for
loan guarantees to assist construction. An Agriculture Department official said $650
million in guarantees were available and half a dozen projects were under review. USDA
awarded two guarantees in 2009.
–Action to make $281 million available to defray the cost of feedstock to bioplants that
increase production. Vilsack said USDA intends to issue a regulation by year's end to
make the money available.
–Matching funds to retailers to install 10,000 "blender" pumps and storage systems
within five years. Blender pumps can dispense fuel with various amounts of ethanol
beyond the 10 percent mix that is standard. The pumps and storage tanks cost around
$25,000 or more. Total cost could be $250 million.
http://www.planetaazul.com.mx/www/2010/10/25/us-offers-15-billion-aid-for-biofuelproduction/
Global - Indigenous groups allege Canadian obstructionism to biodiversity ABS
protocol
10 – 23 – 10
With the clock ticking and less than a day to go before a draft of a legally binding
instrument to prevent biopiracy is due to be presented to the assembly of a major United
Nations meeting on biodiversity, delegations kept trying to find acceptable language,
with different echoes coming from the negotiating room. Meanwhile, Canadian
indigenous people convened a press briefing to charge that Canada was trying to block
the negotiations and deny their human rights.
NAGOYA, Japan - A group of Canadian indigenous peoples representatives held the
briefing to protest the position Canada adopted yesterday evening, when it opposed a
preambular text “noting the significance of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Peoples” (UNDRIP) in the Access and Benefit Sharing protocol, according
to the group. “Canada insisted that the reference to the UNDRIP be both bracketed and
deleted” from the text, the group said at the press conference. A press release is
available here.
Canada is undermining indigenous peoples’ rights but also biodiversity as a whole, the
group said. Canada could stall negotiations even if they stand alone in their position, as
the protocol needs consensus on language and content, the group said. An even worse
scenario would be that no parties support the indigenous peoples and that the language
really is taken out of the protocol, they said.
Armand MacKenzie, executive director of the Innu Council of Nitassinan (Innu Nation),
said at the briefing, “you cannot claim to be a champion of human rights on one hand
and at the same time oppose the most widely accepted international charter in relation to
indigenous peoples rights.”
The holders and owners of much of the world’s biodiversity and traditional knowledge
are indigenous peoples, the group said, and “the Canadian government has been
undermining the human rights of the world’s Indigenous peoples since 2006, both at
home and internationally,” said Paul Joffe, a lawyer representing the Grand Council of
the Crees.
International human rights set up standards for most vulnerable peoples, MacKenzie
said, but “Canada along with other countries have been introducing language that
weakens more and more those standards and leave them as the lowest common
denominator,” which prevent indigenous peoples to advance their rights in those
processes.
“This protocol in its present state and form will allow more exploitations of traditional
knowledge to continue,” Gabriel said. “We depend on biodiversity, our identity as
indigenous peoples is linked to our relationship and our dependency on the land. This is
kind of a disturbing discussion on access and benefit sharing because, really, we are at
the mercy of states in this particular discussion,” she said.
“We were left in a vulnerable position,” said Gabriel, as indigenous peoples’ ability to
propose text relies on the support of government parties. “Our rights have been
weakened in the protocol itself,” she said.
“Canada [doesn’t] wish to discuss with us whether their positions are consistent with
Canadian constitutional law, which they are supposed to respect and they don’t wish to
discuss with us whether their positions are consistent with their international human
rights obligations,” said Joffe.
http://www.planetaazul.com.mx/www/2010/10/23/indigenous-groups-allege-canadianobstructionism-to-biodiversity-abs-protocol/
Global - Invasive species and climate change a “deadly duo”: report
10 – 23 – 10
Climate change is set to drive the spread of invasive plant and animals species,
threatening forests, fisheries and crops, in a double blow to nature and livelihoods, a
World Bank-funded report said on Friday.
SINGAPORE, Singapore - The study by Nairobi-based Global Invasive Species
Programme says a warmer world, more extreme weather and higher levels of planet-
warming carbon dioxide will give some species an edge, devastating ecosystems at sea
and on land.
"The estimated damage from invasive species worldwide totals more than $1.4 trillion
annually — 5 percent of the global economy," says the report issued on the sidelines of
a major U.N. meeting in Japan aimed at combating the destruction of nature.
The United Nations says climate change, pollution, deforestation and over-hunting have
led to a rapid rise in extinctions, threatening the richness of nature that underpins
services such as clean air, water as well as food and health.
"Individually, climate change and invasive species present two of the greatest threats to
biodiversity and the provision of valuable ecosystem services," says the report for
policymakers.
It outlines myriad examples of invasive plants and animals that have proven much more
adept at survival than other local species, leading to erosion, damage to crops, livestock
and fisheries and lost income for tourism.
In particular, climate change can lead to some local species becoming much less able to
adapt to warmer temperatures or more extreme droughts and floods, making them
vulnerable to other species that have much greater tolerance levels.
In some cases, invasive species can also curb the amount of carbon dioxide that nature
can soak up from the atmosphere.
In North America, warmer winter temperatures have led to an explosion in the numbers
of native mountain pine beetles, killing off large areas of forest.
GREEN CRABS, LIONFISH
In the Caribbean, the lionfish, which is native to coral reefs in the South Pacific, Indian
Ocean and Red Sea, has quickly spread since first released in the mid-1980s.
The fish is a voracious predator with venomous spines and has no natural enemies in
the Caribbean, threatening local fish, shrimp and crab populations. Warming ocean
temperatures in the region have helped it thrive.
Along the west coast of the United States and Canada, the European green crab is
threatening native clam, mussel and crab species and possibly arrived in ship ballast
water.
Weeds, pests and diseases were also a growing threat to agriculture, the study says,
undermining food security.
"Indirectly, climate change will impact agriculture by increasing the incidence and
intensity of invasive species," says the report. Agriculture supports the livelihoods of
more than a third of the world's population.
The study also pointed to the likely spread of diseases such as bird flu, plague, Rift
Valley fever, dengue, ebola and malaria. "Climate change combined with global trade
and transport networks may significantly increase the threat of such pandemics," the
authors say.
The study urged policymakers to take steps to halt the spread of non-native species,
develop early detection systems, restore and protect existing ecosystems to make them
more resilient and eradicate or control species that limit nature's ability to soak up
carbon.
http://www.planetaazul.com.mx/www/2010/10/23/invasive-species-and-climate-changea-deadly-duo-report/
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ENVIRONMENT NEWS FROM THE
UN DAILY NEWS
25th October 2010
New UN report warns of risks of biological production of renewable energy
Sources of energy derived from biological sources may reduce global dependence on
fossil fuels that emit harmful gases, but they entail the use of large volumes of water and
pose the risk of introducing undesirable crops into ecosystems, the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) warns in a report released today.
The report, “Accessing Biofuels,” recommends new planning and management
approaches to balance the beneficial effects of the production of biofuels – which do not
produce gases associated with climate change – with their environmental and social
consequences.
“There is no doubt that we need to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels and move to
cleaner, more environmentally friendly options,” said Achim Steiner, UNEP’s Executive
Director. “But we need to make sure we are not creating more problems than we solve.
“Biofuel production has risks and opportunities. We need to examine all the risks, so that
we can take full advantage of the opportunities for emissions cuts, for new green jobs, and
for raising the standards of living for some of the world’s poorest communities,” Mr. Steiner
said.
According to the report, bioenergy development can have an impact on biodiversity on a
number of levels, including directly through land-use change, the introduction of potentially
invasive species for use in biofuel production, the overuse of water, and indirectly by
pushing agricultural production into previously high-value conservation areas.
UNEP cites research which shows that 2 per cent, or 44 cubic kilometres, of the global
water withdrawals for irrigation are being used for bioenergy production, and notes that if
current bioenergy standards and targets are fully implemented, a further 180 cubic
kilometres of irrigation water would be needed.
The water demand would create additional pressure on water resources and potentially
have an effect on food production and water supplies, especially in areas already
experiencing water shortages.
In an issue paper published in the report, UNEP argues that while many of the currently
available biofuels are produced from existing food crops, some of the plant species being
considered for advanced biofuels are potentially invasive.
The agency notes that the very qualities that make these plants ideal for biofuels – fast
growth, ability to outperform local vegetation, abundant seed production, tolerance of and
adaptability to a range of soil and climatic conditions, resistance to pests and diseases and
lack of predators – mean they could become invasive in a given landscape.
Invasive species can cause serious damage to the environment, local livelihoods and
economies, according to the report, which was released at the 10th conference of parties
to UN Convention on Biological Diversity that is currently under way in the Japanese city
of Nagoya.
Meanwhile, a website spotlighting some 35 important areas worldwide, including the World
Heritage sites and Protected Areas, was launched at the conference today.
The electronic guide also explains the species and habitats they seek to protect, as well as
their legal status and the extent to which local communities are present.
“The A-Z guide is a useful reference to support business and other sectors with their
biodiversity commitments to mark our contribution to the Year of Biodiversity,”, said Jon
Hutton, Director of the UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC)
which created the guide with the support of several partners.
It is intended to assist the business community, governments as well as non-governmental
organizations by providing useful expert reviewed information, links to tools with spatial
data, and further online resources to raise awareness and support decision-making about
areas important for biodiversity conservation.
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S.G’s SPOKESPERSON DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
14th May 2010 (None)
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