THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE NEWS
Tuesday, 16 February, 2016
UNEP and the Executive Director in the News
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Environmental Leader (Blog):U.S. Trails Only U.K. on Climate Accountability, Performance
Daily Monitor (Uganda): Explaining water scarcity
Business Green (Blog):Global business leaders reassert commitment to environmental
action
Africa News (Blog):WC 2010: PUMA introduce Africa Unity Kits
Indepth News (Blog):Brisk Business on the Green Front
Temoignages (France):Le PNUE honore des acteurs de la transition vers l’économie verte
Ecoticias (Spain):Deja de hablar, ponte a sembrar!
Goal (Blog):Einigkeit: Die Botschaft Afrikas für die WM 2010
Other Environment News
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Reuters: Climate debate gets ugly as world moves to curb CO2
AFP: Developing nations want global climate accord by 2011
AP: Developing nations: Climate change treaty in 2010
Guardian (UK): On the frontline of climate change
Reuters: Whale feces could help oceans absorb CO2
AFP:New whaling plan draws fire from all sides
Telegraph (UK):Endangered whales could be killed legally
Guardian (UK): Water pollution expert derides UN sanitation claims
BBC News:Oil rig spill off Louisiana could threaten coastline
Environmental News from the UNEP Regions
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RONA
ROWA
ROAP
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UNEP and the Executive Director in the News
Environmental Leader (Blog):U.S. Trails Only U.K. on Climate Accountability,
Performance
26 April 2010
In a study combining data sets on both climate accountability and climate performance,
the United States trails only the United Kingdom.
The annual Climate Competitiveness Index judges major nations on their climate
accountability (whether the climate strategy is clear, ambitious and supported by all
stakeholders) and climate performance (whether the country has the track record and
capabilities to deliver the strategy).
The index was produced by the non-profit institute AccountAbility, in partnership with the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The index accounts for 95 countries responsible for 97 percent of global economic activity
and 96 percent of global carbon emissions.
Despite gaps in performance and accountability, 46 percent of nations have shown some
improvement in climate accountability since the Copenhagen climate conference in
December.
Germany, China and the Republic of Korea have made the most improvement, according
to the index.
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Daily Monitor (Uganda): Explaining water scarcity
25 April 2010
Every day, Ms Mariam Kusasira, a resident of Kampala’s Salama -Munyonyo suburb,
walks down to a nearby drainage channel to draw water to drink, wash and cook.
The offices of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation are just a few meters from
where she collects her water. But Ms Kusasira cannot afford to pay the utility’s Shs1,000
daily charge, so she chooses to get her water at no cost from the drainage channel,
despite the risk to her health.
“Buying water daily is very expensive for me,” she explains.
Ms Kasusira is an early-warning sign of a problem that is likely to become very serious in
coming years: Water is becoming scarce. Today, scarcity takes the form of rising costs to
get clean water to people. Also, taps occasionally run dry.
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But the rapid drying up of once huge lakes like Chad, Nakuru and Naivasha, as well as the
rapid desertification of the African continent, point to more serious problems ahead –
problems that will affect even green Uganda.
“Uganda will be water stressed by 2020 and water scarced by 2032,” Water Minister Maria
Mutagamba warned recently.
At the moment, Uganda is lucky relative to some other African nations. A United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) report indicates that the most important fresh water
reserves in Africa could be reduced to inhospitable bogs or even completely dry out within
a few decades.
“The water levels of many of Africa’s lakes have dropped, some drastically, and the supply
of clean drinking water to an exploding population is being endangered. The rapid
changes that are sweeping Africa’s lakes are due to a combination of human activities and
climate change,” the report says.
The UNEP report further indicates that the level of Lake Victoria, the largest water body in
Africa, is one meter lower than it was 10 years ago, while Lake Chad has been reduced to
one tenth of its original size.
“It is not only the water supply that is being affected, but also water quality, as invasive
species and pollution from sewage and industrial waste affect the supply of clean drinking
water,” the report adds.
For the moment, Uganda officials are focused more on immediate problems in water
systems rather than the long term threat. Last year, the Head of Planning at the NWSC,
Mr David Isingoma, said: “We have the capacity, but our problem now is in our
redistribution system.” He cited funding problems. He said, in the meantime, NWSC was
“bridging” demand and supply to avoid total chaos.
But more broadly, Uganda suffers the same problems as the rest of Africa: population
growth, deforestation, and contamination of available water recourses. The results include
droughts, famine economic and health problems.
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Business Green (Blog):Global business leaders reassert commitment to
environmental action
23 April 2010
A UN-backed meeting of some of the world's top business leaders kicked off in Seoul
earlier today with a reassertion of the commitment by many of the world's largest firms to
develop more sustainable business models.
The fourth annual meeting of the Business for Environment Global Summit (B4E) was
attended by around 1,000 senior executives from some of the world's largest
multinationals, including Coca-Cola, Dow Chemical, HP, Hitachi, LG Electronics,
McKinsey & Co, Puma, Siemens, and Virgin Group.
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Speaking at the opening of the summit, which was organised by the UN Environment
Programme (UNEP) and environmental group WWF, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon
said that he was looking to businesses to play a "major role" in efforts to tackle climate
change.
"We need green growth for our economic and environmental well-being," he said. "Climate
change, desertification and declining biodiversity are themselves a threat to the Millennium
Development Goals. We need action. Innovation. Resolve."
His comments were echoed by Achim Steiner, UN under-secretary-general and executive
director of the UNEP, who warned that businesses could either take part in a wellmanaged transition to a low-carbon economy or face a rapid and potentially unplanned
change in business models brought about by climate change and resource constraints.
"The blunt economic models of the 20th century are unlikely to deliver the kind of lowcarbon, resource-efficient development path so urgently needed on a planet of six billion,
and rising to over nine billion people by 2050," he explained.
"Thus a transition to a Green Economy is in the end inevitable. The question now is
whether this happens by design or by default."
The summit demonstrated that large numbers of firms now accept this argument and are
exploring how best to develop new sustainable business models.
Georg Kell, executive director of the UN Global Compact, said that the UN's corporate
responsibility programme had grown to include nearly 6,000 businesses from more than
140 countries over the past 10 years.
"We must build on this momentum," he added. "The message is clear: incorporating
environmental, social and governance issues into business strategies and operations
leads to long-range value creation for companies and societies. It is a winning formula for
the global economy and our planet."
Executives attending the summit in South Korea discussed a range of different proposals
for reducing the environmental impact of their operations, including the widespread
adoption of green procurement policies, improved marketing to encourage consumers to
purchase sustainable products, a shift in investment priorities designed to encourage
investors to back low-carbon projects with long-term rewards, and the development of new
water and biodiversity corporate policies.
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Africa News (Blog):WC 2010: PUMA introduce Africa Unity Kits
23 April 2010
World Cup qualifiers - Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Algeria - will all be sporting their
new colours in the run up to the World Cup 2010 on June 11.
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FIFA granted the sanction, which features an Africa Unity badge depicting two hands
locked in a solitary handshake, making the new shirt the world's first continental football
kit.
PUMA's creative team generated the brown colour on the shirt by mixing soil samples
from Mozambique, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Cameroon.
According to a statement from PUMA management, football is often accused of taking and
not giving but a radical initiative from the sportswear company is changing that perception
in Africa.
“The new PUMA kit is bringing the continent together and unity is the African message for
the World Cup 2010 in South Africa,” said a PUMA official.
Goal.com writes that PUMA has a long association with African football and is ploughing a
portion of the profits from sales of the new kit to support crucial environmental
programmes.
The sportswear brand has teamed up with the United Nations Environment Programme's
(UNEP) International Year of Biodiversity to highlight the threatened reservoirs of plant
and animal life on the continent.
Cameroon and Inter Milan star Samuel Fils Eto'o, one of the African players chosen to do
testimonials for PUMA said, "The new Africa Unity kit has inspired me and my teammates. We are very proud to wear a shirt that helps bring the continent of Africa together.
This is another unique idea from a unique brand for a continent as unique as Africa."
The kit has already proved a hit with the players but behind the brand new colours is an
important campaign to combine the world's passion for football with a powerful green
message. Nine of the planet's 35 biodiversity hotspots - the richest and most threatened
reservoirs of plant and animal life are in Africa.
"As the whole planet comes together for the World Cup, 2010 marks the year when people
around the world will unite to conserve the planet's almost priceless natural resource - it's
biodiversity," said Angela Cropper, UNEP's Deputy Executive Director to journalists during
a news conference.
Eto'o added, "Football already helps us unite, overlooking differences and politics. It sends
out a positive message for Africa, we are uniting as a continent to help life and the planet."
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Indepth News (Blog):Brisk Business on the Green Front
25 April 2010
While the fate of global climate change negotiations hangs in balance since the botched
Copenhagen summit four months ago, brisk activity is being unfolded around the world to
face environmental challenges, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and powering growth
for a global green economy.
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The reason: Protecting the environment, and mitigating and adapting to climate change is
not only the backbone of sustainable development in industrialized, rapidly industrializing
and developing countries, but also a lucrative business and subsequently an important
source of sustainable income.
In view of this, it is not surprising that a new United Nations-backed study shows that
countries forged ahead with low-carbon growth economic strategies in the first quarter of
2010 despite the uncertainty surrounding international climate negotiations.
The good news is derived from the annual Climate Competitiveness Index (CCI), created
by the independent non-profit institute AccountAbility in partnership with the UN
Environment Programme (UNEP).
The institute investigated “climate accountability” to confirm if a country’s climate strategy
is clear, ambitious and supported by stakeholders and “climate performance” to consider
each country’s capabilities and track record on delivering its strategy.
The Index was released at this year’s Business for the Environment (B4E) summit April
21-23 in Seoul, the South Korean capital. The meeting was attended by more than 1,000
representatives from business, government, and civil society.
Analyzing 95 countries responsible for 97 per cent of global economic activity and 96 per
cent of global carbon emissions, the index concludes that despite gaps in performance
and accountability, 46 per cent of countries demonstrated some improvement in climate
accountability since the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
conference in the Danish capital in December 2009.
According to the index, 32 countries made significant improvements, with Germany, China
and South Korea being the outstanding examples. India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, the
Philippines and Rwanda also enhanced their climate accountability.
“This report comes as a breath of fresh air,” said Alex MacGillivray, managing director at
AccountAbility. “The CCI shows that countries at all levels of development can develop
political leadership, stronger institutions and engaging with stakeholders to deliver climate
competitiveness.
“Climate competitiveness is no longer rhetoric. It is a real, massive and dynamic economic
frontier. This latest analysis proves that governments are seizing opportunities for green
growth and making significant strides to tackle the climate crisis,” he added.
Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Japan and France show the most consistent progress on
combining accountability and performance. Switzerland and Austria are strong on
performance, while Britain and United States are strong on accountability.
The CCI shows that South Korea, Hong Kong and Malaysia are developing good
strategies and Brazil, South Africa, India and China are progressing towards climate
competitiveness. Climate Competitiveness is the ability of an economy to create enduring
economic value through low carbon technology, products and services.
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The CCI predicts that the global market for low carbon products and services will be in
excess of two trillion U.S. dollars by 2020. However, to secure this market, countries need
ambitious climate competitiveness strategies, as well as the institutional infrastructure to
build markets and convince investors, it notes.
It concludes that business must play a proactive role in promoting climate
competitiveness. Countries that perform well on the CCI have a critical mass of firms
managing, reporting on and reducing their emissions, while aggressively growing portfolios
of low carbon products and services.
In an associated development, UNEP released a new publication to help companies
understand how they can be part of the transition to low-carbon, resource-efficient green
economy.
The agency said biodiversity is a building block for the natural system on which much of
the world’s wealth depends directly or indirectly, yet too few in business realize the extent
of the risks and potential rewards of managing their impact on this key nature-based asset.
The publication, previewed at the summit in Seoul – entitled ‘Are you a green leader?
Business and biodiversity: making the case for a lasting solution’ – examines a broad
spectrum of business, including mining, energy, agrifoods, fisheries and aquaculture,
construction, forestry, tourism, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, fashion and finance.
“Many sectors rely on raw materials such as timber, fish, cotton, crops and clean water, or
work with supplies and suppliers throughout the life-cycle of production processes,” UNEP
said in a statement. “But many do not realize how threatened those supplies are, and fail
to include this in their calculations and business plans.”
CHAMPIONS OF THE EARTH
At a gala event in Seoul to mark International Mother Earth’s Day in conjunction with the
B4E summit, United Nations Champions of the Earth prize was awarded April 22 to
President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana, who is a passionate forestry and ecosystem
infrastructure proponent, and Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, an international
climate change campaigner.
They were among six winners from government, science, business and entertainment to
be awarded this year’s prize for leadership in environmental conservation. Others winners
include: Afghanistan’s Director General of the National Environmental Protection Agency
and sustainability advocate, Prince Mostapha Zaher, and Japanese earth scientist and
pioneer of research into how the oceans cycle carbon, Taro Takahashi.
Chinese actress Zhou Xun received the award for her reputation as a green lifestyle guru.
Through her “tips for green living” initiative, Ms. Xun encourages people to reduce their
carbon print through simple changes in lifestyle, Steiner said.
Also the U.S. venture capitalist and Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla was
recognized for his efforts as a green energy entrepreneur. In September 2009, Khosla’s
venture capital firm announced it had raised 1.1 billion dollars for a 'green fund' that would
be used to spur development of renewable energy and other clean technologies.
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“The six winners represent some of the key pillars upon which society can build green
growth and a development path to unite rather than divide six billion people,” said Achim
Steiner, Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director.
The Champions of the Earth, an international environment award established in 2004,
recognizes achievements in areas of entrepreneurial vision, policy and leadership, science
and innovation, inspiration and action. The year’s awards had a special category for
biodiversity and ecosystems management. To date, the award has recognized 34
outstanding environmental leaders.
In tune with the growing enthusiasm for green economy, experts from 75 countries
gathered in Geneva on April 8 for a UN-backed meeting to discuss the social and
environmental impact of transitioning to a more environmentally-friendly economy.
More than 600 delegates to 30th Annual Conference of the International Association for
Impact Assessment (IAIA), hosted by UNEP looked at the five sectors that have been
identified as key green investment opportunities – agriculture, industry, tourism, cities and
transportation.
“When they met in Bali (Indonesia) two months ago, the world’s environment ministers
emphasized that the full impacts of green economy policies should be assessed, including
environmental, social and economic aspects,” said Steiner.
“Professionals involved in impact assessments thus have an important role to play in
delivering more intelligent and sustainable choices to their customers and clients including
governments, business, local authorities and civil society: choices that can direct
investments to fit local, national and regional needs while addressing the broad agenda of
low carbon, resource efficient development, poverty eradication and higher levels of
decent employment,” he added.
One of the key goals of the conference – hosted for the first time by a UN agency – was to
present the tools and methods that will help countries to assess and identify which green
investments to make.
Nick Taylor, President of the IAIA, said: “A growing field of expertise, impact assessment
can evaluate the linkages between investments and the environment, health, job creation,
economic diversification and poverty reduction.
This forum comes at a time when there’s heightened interest in the potential of impact
assessments, so it’s vital experts exchange information and contribute to a growing body
of knowledge.”
UNEP’s flagship Green Economy Report, to be released later in the year, will present indepth assessments of ten sectors based on economic analysis and modelling. Three of
the report's chapter authors will be present to share some of the report's preliminary
analysis.
World-renowned experts and institutions from both developed and developing countries
are working with a UNEP team led by Pavan Sukhdev, a former senior banker from
Deutsche Bank, to develop the report. An “open architecture” framework has been
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adopted in preparing the report to allow the gathering of a wide-range of analyses and
examples.
IAIA is a global network for best practice in the use of impact assessment for informed
decision-making regarding policies, programmes, plans and projects.
It brings together researchers, practitioners, and users of various types of impact
assessment from around the world.
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Temoignages (France):Le PNUE honore des acteurs de la transition vers l’économie
verte
26 April 2010
Le Programme des Nations Unies pour l’Environnement (PNUE) a remis la semaine
dernière à Séoul les trophées des Champions de la Terre. Cette distinction valorise les
initiatives prises au plus haut niveau en matière environnementale.
Les gagnants sont originaires de l’Afghanistan, de la Chine, de Guyane, d’Inde, du Japon
et des Maldives, et sont tous reconnus comme étant des piliers de la transition vers une
économie verte pour le 21ème siècle, précise le PNUE.
Les vainqueurs de l’édition 2010 des Champions de la Terre, la plus haute récompense
des Nations Unies en matière de leadership environnemental, ont été annoncés la
semaine dernière.
Les six gagnants, issus du monde des affaires, du gouvernement, de la science ou encore
du secteur du divertissement, illustrent de quelle manière l’action, l’inspiration,
l’engagement personnel et la créativité peuvent déterminer la transition vers une
économie verte au 21ème siècle, à faible taux d’émission de carbone et économe en
ressources.
Achim Steiner, Sous-secrétaire général des Nations Unies et Directeur exécutif du
Programme des Nations Unies pour l’Environnement (PNUE), a annoncé le nom des
lauréats des Champions de la Terre de cette année :
Le Président de la Guyane, passionné de sylviculture et promoteur d’infrastructures
protégeant les écosystèmes, M. Bharrat Jagdeo
Le Président des Maldives, militant lors des campagnes internationales sur le
changement climatique, Son Excellence Mohamed Nasheed
Le Directeur général de l’Agence nationale afghane de protection de l’environnement,
fervent défenseur du développement durable, le Prince Mostapha Zaher
Le scientifique de la terre japonais, pionnier de la recherche sur le cycle du carbone dans
les océans, le Dr. Taro Takahashi
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L’actrice chinoise, célébrité et gourou populaire du style de vie vert, Mme
Zhou Xun
L’investisseur en capital-risque indo-américain, entrepreneur dans le secteur de l’énergie
verte et co-fondateur de Sun Microsystems, Vinod Khosla.
Lutter contre le changement climatique
Les trophées ont été présentés lors d’un gala à Séoul, en Corée, au cours de la Journée
de la Terre, et en parallèle avec le Sommet mondial des entreprises pour l’environnement
(B4E), auquel plus de 1.000 représentants d’entreprises, de gouvernements et de la
société civile participent.
Achim Steiner, directeur exécutif du PNUE, a notamment déclaré : « Les six lauréats
symbolisent quelques-uns des principaux piliers sur lesquels la société peut construire
une croissance verte et un développement qui unit six milliards de personnes, au lieu de
les diviser.
L’entrepreneur Vinod Khosla s’est donné pour mission personnelle de soutenir le
développement à faible taux d’émission de carbone en investissant dans des start-up du
secteur des énergies propres et renouvelables ».
« Le Président Nasheed est non seulement une voix forte pour les personnes vulnérables
et les pauvres face aux défis du réchauffement de la planète, mais aussi un homme
politique qui montre au reste du monde comment une transition vers une neutralité
climatique peut être atteinte et comment toutes les nations, quelle que soit leur taille,
peuvent y contribuer ».
« Le Dr Takahasi a été un pionnier de la science du changement climatique en ce qui
concerne les mers et les océans. Son travail souligne non seulement les menaces, mais
aussi les choix politiques que les gouvernements et les investisseurs doivent prendre pour
s’assurer que l’univers marin reste en bonne santé, productif et nous aide contre le
changement climatique ».
PRÉSERVER LA FORÊT TROPICALE
« Le Prince Zaher a transformé la politique environnementale de son pays et a jeté les
bases du développement durable dans l’une des régions les plus difficiles de la planète en
ce moment.
Il a su équilibrer les devoirs et les réalités de l’Afghanistan, au jour le jour, avec la volonté
que son pays ait un air propre et de l’eau saine — et que cette situation soit officialisée par
des lois —, éléments sur lesquels une société durable et pacifique peut être construite ».
« Zhou Xun est une des actrices les plus populaires et acclamées en Chine. Ses
déclarations médiatisées, ses conseils et ses choix de style de vie influencent des millions
de fans à devenir des citoyens et des consommateurs plus soucieux de l’environnement.
« Le dernier et non le moindre, le président Jagdeo, est un ardent défenseur de la
conservation et de la gestion durable des ressources naturelles de la planète.
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Il a défendu, plus que n’importe qui, les nombreux avantages d’une gestion durable des
forêts en matière de lutte contre le changement climatique, mais aussi en termes de
développement, d’emploi, d’approvisionnement en eau et en termes de conservation de la
biodiversité », a déclaré Achim Steiner.
UN PRIX ENVIRONNEMENTAL INTERNATIONAL
La cérémonie des Prix des Champions de la Terre a été créée en 2004 par le Programme
des Nations Unies pour l’Environnement (PNUE). Le Prix reconnaît les individus qui
incarnent l’engagement et la vision vers le leadership environnemental grâce à leur action
et leur influence.
À ce jour, le Prix a été décerné à 34 chefs de file environnementaux hors du commun dont
Al Gore ; l’ancien ministre brésilien de l’Environnement, Marina Silva ; le Dr Balgis OsmanElasha, chercheur soudanais ; et le Président du Comité Olympique, Jacques Rogge, etc.
Les différentes catégories de Prix de l’édition 2010 sont : la vision entrepreneuriale, la
politique et le leadership, la science et l’innovation, l’inspiration et l’action, et une catégorie
spéciale, la biodiversité et la gestion des écosystèmes.
Cette année, les membres du public ont eu l’occasion de nommer des individus en ligne
pour le Prix. Plus de 100 candidatures ont été soumises dans le monde entier. Les
candidats ont ensuite été sélectionnés et les finalistes ont été choisis lors d’un examen
interne.
Grâce au nouveau partenariat avec LG Electronics Inc, le Prix des Champions de la Terre
de cette année sera accompagné pour la première fois d’un Prix en espèces de 40.000
dollars pour chacun des gagnants des différentes catégories.
A côté du trophée spécialement commandée et créée par le célèbre artiste chinois Yuan
Xikun, on retrouve donc un Prix en argent qui sert d’incitation et de ressources pour la
croissance et la reconduction des travaux des lauréats et leur impact sur les
communautés qu’ils desservent.
VISION ENTREPRENEURIALE
Khosla Ventures/Khosla Vinod
Investisseur en capital-risque et co-fondateur de Sun Microsystems, Vinod Khosla a été
surnommé « M. Vert » de la Silicon Valley. En septembre 2009, l’entreprise
d’investissement en capital-risque “Khosla Ventures” a annoncé qu’elle avait réuni 1,1
milliard de dollars dans un fonds de financement vert qui serait utilisé pour stimuler le
développement des énergies renouvelables et autres technologies propres.
Ce fonds est intervenu à un moment où les investissements en capital-risque dans les
technologies vertes commençaient tout juste à se remettre d’une chute précipitée
consécutive à l’effondrement de l’économie mondiale en 2008.
Sur les 1,1 milliard de dollars du fonds, 800 millions de dollars seront placés dans des
technologies qui ont déjà fait leurs preuves, 275 millions de dollars seront utilisés pour
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faire de plus petits investissements dans des entreprises de technologies moins
développées.
Au moment de son annonce, ce fonds était le plus grand mis en place depuis 2007 et l’un
des plus ambitieux jamais lancés en faveur des technologies propres.
M. Khosla a lancé plusieurs start-up environnementales pour tenter de réduire la
dépendance mondiale au pétrole. Il affirme que la révolution, en plein essor, des solutions
de remplacement au pétrole sera plus grande — et de loin — que la révolution de
l’Internet des années 90.
POLITIQUE ET LEADERSHIP
Mohamed Nasheed, président des Maldives
Son Excellence Mohamed Nasheed a été élu président des Maldives en 2008. Il a reçu, à
maintes reprises, la reconnaissance mondiale pour ses efforts de lutte contre le
changement climatique et pour ses campagnes de sensibilisation aux questions
environnementales, plus particulièrement celles liées aux situations des îles-nations.
Il a occupé une grande place dans les médias internationaux avant et pendant la
conférence des Nations Unies sur le changement climatique de Copenhague, en
décembre 2009.
Au même moment, il a organisé une réunion de son cabinet ministériel sous l’eau, au
niveau du plancher océanique, pour mettre en évidence les menaces graves liées aux
changements climatiques auxquelles les Maldives doivent faire face.
Le président Nasheed s’est engagé, d’ici 2020, à faire des Maldives le premier pays
neutre en carbone. En raison de la menace que pose l’élévation du niveau de la mer, le
président Nasheed a lancé une campagne d’achat de territoires, sur lesquels il va
construire un nouvel État des Maldives, pour remplacer la position actuelle de son pays
quand celui-ci disparaîtra sous la mer.
En outre, il fait également campagne pour la protection des récifs coralliens qui ont aidé à
sauver son pays du tsunami dévastateur de 2005, en absorbant le choc de la puissante
vague déclenchée par le tremblement de terre de Sumatra.
SCIENCE ET INNOVATION
Dr. Taro Takahashi, scientifique de la Terre
Après avoir obtenu un diplôme d’ingénieur, un Doctorat en sciences de la Terre, un poste
de professeur au Queens College et à l’Université de Columbia, Taro Takahashi est
maintenant chercheur principal à l’Observatoire terrestre Lamont-Doherty de l’Université
de Columbia, à New York.
Taro Takahashi a consacré cinq années de sa vie à découvrir le fonctionnement des
cycles du carbone dans les océans, sur la Terre et dans l’atmosphère. Son travail
constitue la fondation sur laquelle toutes les recherches sur le cycle du carbone sont
maintenant construites.
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Il a constaté que la majorité des émissions mondiales de CO2 résidaient dans l’océan. Il a
également fait de nombreuses observations importantes sur l’absorption océanique et ses
variations en fonction de la température de l’eau ou des saisons.
Taro Takahashi explique que sa recherche principale « vise à comprendre le sort du CO2
industriel libéré dans l’air » et espère que son étude « conduira à une meilleure
compréhension et donc à une prévision fiable de la capacité des océans à absorber le
CO2 industriel ». L’idée est d’estimer l’ampleur de la capacité des océans à réguler le
climat.
INSPIRATION ET ACTION
Prince Mostapha Zaher
Le directeur général de l’Agence nationale afghane de protection de l’environnement
(NEPA), le Prince Mostapha Zaher, âgé de 46 ans, a jeté les bases d’un avenir durable et
pacifique en Afghanistan. Au cours des cinq dernières années, il a travaillé sans relâche
pour l’environnement, dans un pays ravagé par 25 ans de guerre.
Il continue de trouver des solutions propres, efficaces et rentables pour les citoyens de
l’une des nations les plus pauvres du monde.
En 2004, après la chute du régime taliban, Zaher et sa famille sont retournés dans leur
pays natal, où il a abandonné son poste d’ambassadeur italien pour prendre celui de
Directeur général de la nouvelle Agence nationale pour la protection de l’environnement.
Depuis qu’il a pris ce poste, il a réécrit les lois environnementales du pays, notamment un
acte dans la Constitution déclarant qu’il est de la responsabilité de chaque citoyen afghan
de « protéger et préserver l’environnement, et de le léguer à la prochaine génération dans
un état le plus intact possible ».
En 2008, il a assisté à la Conférence internationale sur les énergies renouvelables
(WIREC), lors de laquelle il s’est engagé à améliorer la qualité de l’air à Kaboul de 10 à
12% d’ici l’an 2012.
Zhou Xun
Zhou Xun, l’une des actrices les plus populaires de Chine, passe une grande partie de son
temps à promouvoir les “Conseils pour vivre vert” à travers l’initiative “Our Part”, une
campagne qu’elle mène conjointement avec le Programme des Nations Unies pour le
Développement (PNUD).
L’actrice encourage les gens à réduire leur empreinte carbone grâce à de simples
changements dans leur mode de vie, quelques petites choses qui peuvent faire une
énorme différence dans un pays de la taille de la Chine.
Zhou Xun fait notamment remarquer que si chaque famille possédant voiture en Chine
conduisait seulement 200 km de moins par an, les émissions de dioxyde de carbone
annuelles seraient réduites de 460.000 tonnes.
13
Elle indique également que des petits efforts comme celui de débrancher les appareils
électriques peuvent avoir un impact énorme en Chine, un pays qui compte plus de 300
millions de téléviseurs et 500 millions de téléphones mobiles.
Elle travaille sur la réduction de sa propre empreinte carbone et suit les conseils qu’elle
prodigue tous les jours.
Elle plante trois arbres pour chaque voyage en voiture de 200 km qu’elle effectue, et
beaucoup plus pour compenser ses vols depuis 2008. Quand c’est possible, elle roule à
vélo ou marche pour rejoindre ses destinations.
CATÉGORIE SPÉCIALE (BIODIVERSITÉ & GESTION DES ECOSYSTÈMES)
Le président de la Guyane, Bharrat Jagdeo
Le Président de Guyane, Bharrat Jagdeo, âgé de 45 ans, a acquis une reconnaissance
internationale pour sa position sur les questions environnementales au sein de son pays,
et à l’échelle mondiale.
En tant que président d’un pays possédant 40 millions d’acres de forêt tropicale intactes,
Bharrat Jagdeo invite des bailleurs de fonds et des investisseurs à payer pour la
protection des forêts grâce à la vente de crédits de carbone, ou grâce à des
investissements dans l’éco-tourisme et les découvertes pharmaceutiques.
Avec les bénéfices que ces projets devraient générer, le président Jagdeo planifie
d’améliorer les infrastructures côtières du pays pour le protéger de la hausse potentielle
du niveau des mers.
Il a proposé que le Programme des Nations Unies pour la réduction des émissions
résultant du déboisement et de la dégradation des forêts (REDD) adopte le modèle de la
Guyane en ce qui concerne la gestion forestière. Il a également encouragé le reste du
monde à vivre d’une manière durable car « il est économiquement plus prudent de
protéger les forêts que de les abattre ».
Avant d’être élu présent en 2001 puis 2006, M. Jagdeo avait occupé successivement le
poste de Premier ministre et de ministre des Finances.
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Ecoticias (Spain):Deja de hablar, ponte a sembrar!
24 April 2010
Así lo han decidido los niños. “Stop talking. Start planting” (Deja de hablar. Ponte a
sembrar) es una campaña global protagonizada por niños que pretenden llamar la
atención sobre la importancia de pasar a la acción para proteger nuestro medioambiente.
Félix Finkbeiner es un niño alemán comprometido con el futuro. Cuando en enero de
2007, a la edad de 9 años, terminó su presentación en clase con las palabras “plantemos
millones de árboles en el mundo entero, un millón en cada país”, no era consciente de
que estaba sentando las bases de la iniciativa estudiantil que ha culminado con el
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lanzamiento de la campaña Stop talking. Start planting. En esta campaña, que se traduce
como “Deja de hablar.
Ponte a sembrar”, los protagonistas son los niños: “ya que los adultos no están dispuestos
a trabajar por nuestro futuro, nosotros vamos a pasar a la acción”. Y lo hacen tapándoles
la boca a personajes públicos del mundo entero, en un significativo gesto.
“Teníamos que hacer un proyecto para la escuela que tratara sobre el cambio climático”,
explica Félix sobre los comienzos de la iniciativa. "En casa, mi abuelo estaba leyendo el
libro de “Una verdad incómoda”, y yo tomé datos de la película de AlGore y extraje
información sobre Wangari Maathai de Internet.".
"A los niños nos afecta enormemente lo que hacen y dejan de hacer los adultos. Nos va a
tocar vivir 80 ó 90 años en la Tierra y de pronto nos damos cuenta de que se han
provocado una serie de crisis con las que vamos a tener que convivir: la crisis económica,
la crisis medioambiental, la extrema pobreza.
Los seres humanos emitimos grandes cantidades de CO2 a la atmósfera que calientan la
Tierra, derriten los glaciares, aumentan el nivel del mar y hacen avanzar las sequías.
Algún día, los niños pagaremos las consecuencias de todo esto".
Entusiasmada con el mensaje de su alumno, la profesora propuso a Félix que repitiera su
exposición ante sus compañeros. Después, se sucedieron las conferencias en varios
centros escolares de toda Alemania.
En el año 2008, Félix presentó su idea como apoyo a la campaña “mil millones de
Árboles” en la Conferencia Tunza de las Naciones Unidas y fue nombrado representante
de Europa en la asamblea juvenil del Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el
Medioambiente (PNUMA).
En 2009, en la conferencia Tunza de la PNUMA, que tuvo lugar en Corea del Sur, los
niños crearon una red internacional por la justicia climática.
La red incluye academias de formación de “mensajeros del clima”, donde los niños
aprenden a hablar en público sobre la teoría del movimiento para transmitir su mensaje.
Ellos mismos colaboran activamente en la creación de estas academias, piden ayuda a
sus profesores y deciden dónde y cuándo tendrá lugar la próxima acción para plantar
árboles. Félix, el principal representante del movimiento, no deja de dar conferencias
internacionales predicando su mensaje.
La campaña “Stop talking. Start planting” se basa asimismo en la filosofía de la acción.
“Los niños sabemos más sobre el cambio climático que los mayores.
Ellos están ocupados ganando dinero y no tienen tiempo para dedicarse a las cosas
realmente importantes, así que esta es nuestra misión”.
Que todos los niños del mundo pasen a la acción. Hay que plantar un millón de árboles
en cada país del mundo. ¡Juntos podemos luchar por un futuro mejor!
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Goal (Blog):Einigkeit: Die Botschaft Afrikas für die WM 2010
23 April 2010
Dem Fußball wird oft nachgesagt, dass er nur nimmt und nicht gibt. Eine Initiative von
PUMA will diesen Ruf am Beispiel Afrikas ändern.
Der Sportartikelgigant bekam von der FIFA grünes Licht zur Präsentation seines Africa
Unity Kits als offizielles drittes Outfit für die zwölf afrikanischen Mannschaften. Die WMTeilnehmer Ghana, Elfenbeinküste, Kamerun und Algerien werden die neuen Trikots zur
Eröffnung der WM am 11. Juni tragen.
Die FIFA hat die Aktion abgesegnet. Das Trikot wird wir einen Africa Unity Aufnäher
haben, der zwei Hände bei einem solidarischen Handschlag zeigt. Damit ist das neue
Trikot das erste kontinentale Fußballoutfit der Welt. PUMAs Kreativteam hat das Braun
des Trikots aus einer Erdmischung erstellt, die in Mosambik, Ghana, der Elfenbeinküste
und Kamerun gewonnen wurde.
PUMA hat bereits eine langjährige Beziehung zum afrikanischen Fußball und wird einen
Teil der Einnahmen aus dem Verkauf der neuen Trikots in den Kontinent zurückfließen
lassen, um wichtige Umweltprojekte zu unterstützen.
Das Sportartikelunternehmen beteiligt sich damit am Jahr der Biodiversität des United
Nations Environment Programmes (UNEP), das auf die gefährdeten Tier- und
Pflanzenarten des Kontinents aufmerksam macht.
Kameruns Superstar Eto'o sagte dazu: „Das neue Africa Unity Kit hat mich und meine
Teamkameraden inspiriert. Wir sind stolz darauf, dieses Trikot zu tragen, das dazu
beiträgt, den afrikanischen Kontinent zusammenrücken zu lassen. Es ist eine weitere
einzigartige Idee einer einzigartigen Marke für einen einzigartigen Kontinent.
Das Outfit erfreut sich jetzt schon großer Beliebtheit bei den Spielern. Doch hinter den
brandneuen Farben steckt auch eine wichtige Kampagne, die die Begeisterung der Welt
für den Fußball mit einer grünen Message verbindet: Neun der 35 Hotspots der
Biodiversität - der artenreichsten, aber auch gefährdetsten Regionen des Planeten befinden sich nämlich in Afrika.
„So, wie die ganze Welt für die WM 2010 zusammenkommt, wird in diesem Jahr die Welt
auch zusammenstehen, um um die unbezahlbaren natürlichen Ressourcen der Erde zu
bewahren. Das ist Biodiversität‟, sagte Angela Cropper, die stellvertretende
Exekutivdirektorin von UNEP.
Eto'o fügte hinzu: „Fußball hilft uns jetzt schon dabei, uns einander zu nähern und
Unterschiede und Politik zu vergessen. Der Sport sendet eine wichtige Botschaft nach
Afrika: Wir stehen als Kontinent zusammen und helfen dabei, das Leben und den
Planeten zu bewahren.‟
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Other Environment News
Reuters: Climate debate gets ugly as world moves to curb CO2
25 April 2010
TRUTH AND TRUST
Skeptics also accused the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of
supporting flawed science after several errors in a major 2007 report surfaced.
The errors, including a reference to a non-peer reviewed study that Himalayan glaciers
would melt by 2035, represent a fraction of the conclusions in the report, the main climate
policy guide for governments, which is based on the work of thousands of scientists.
The IPCC has defended its work and has ordered a review. Many governments, including
the United States, Britain and Australia have also reiterated their faith in the IPCC.
For climate scientists, truth and trust are at stake.
"In general, the battle for public opinion is being lost," said Kevin Trenberth, head of
climate analysis at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder,
Colorado. His emails were also hacked in the CRU incident.
"There is so much mis-information and so many polarized attitudes that one can not even
hold a rational discussion or debate. The facts are certainly lost or glossed over in many
cases. The media have been a bust."
Schneider said the mainstream media had failed to do "its job of sorting out credible from
non-credible and not giving all claimants of truth equal status at the bargaining table."
Across the Internet, the climate science debate is being played out in a myriad of climate
skeptic sites and blogs as well as sites defending the science of human-induced climate
change.
One high-profile site is climatedepot.com, run by Marc Morano, a former aide to
Republican Senator James Inhofe, who is an outspoken critic of climate change policies.
Morano, who told Reuters he had also been the target of abusive emails, has been quoted
as saying that climate scientists should be publicly flogged.
"The global warming scientists need to feel and hear the public's outrage at their
shenanigans like "climategate" ... There is no advocacy of violence or hint that people
should threaten them," Morano said, adding: "Public outrage is healthy."
"THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES"
Another prominent climate change denialist, Christopher Monckton, who's associated with
the U.S.-based Science and Public Policy Institute, told Reuters he doesn't condone the
coordinated attack on climate scientists, saying that he, too, was a victim.
17
He said his main aim was to expose what he calls the "non-problem of global warming"
and in an email interview with Reuters accused climate change scientists of being
"increasingly desperate to discredit anyone who dares to point out that the Emperor has
no clothes."
Media commentators have added their voices, polarizing public opinion further. In the
United States, conservative radio talkshow host Rush Limbaugh said on the air last
November that climate change was a massive hoax and that all climate scientists involved
should be "named and fired, drawn and quartered, or whatever it is."
In Australia, just as in the United States, the level of abuse also coincides with media
appearances or the release of peer-reviewed scientific work on climate change.
"Each time I have a media profile in terms of media reports on scientific papers, major
presentations, there is a flurry. So if I am on TV, or radio there ends up being a substantial
increase," said David Karoly of the University of Melbourne.
"One of the purposes for the attacks is either an intention to waste my time or to distract
my attention essentially from communication about climate change science or even
undertaking research, and it's also perhaps intended to make me concerned about my
visibility."
ABSOLUTE PROOF
"We get emails to say we're destroying the Australian economy, we get emails to say it will
be our fault when no one in Australia can get a job.
We get emails just basically accusing us of direct fraud and lying on the science," said
Andy Pitman, co-director of the Climate Change Research Center at the University of New
South Wales in Sydney.
"My personal reaction to them is personal recognition that this means we are a threat to
the sorts of people who would be trying to prevent the finding of solutions to global
warming."
Pitman said a major problem was trying to satisfy demands for absolute proof of humaninduced global warming.
"There is no proof in the context that they want it, that the earth goes around the sun. They
are demanding a level of proof that doesn't exist in science.
"And then they say when you can't prove it to the extent that they want, then clearly that
means there isn't any evidence, which of course is a logical fallacy."
Better communication about the science is key, scientists say, even if they complain that
many Skeptics are reluctant to debate the science on a level playing field.
"One of the ways I describe it (the debate) is it's very asymmetric," said Roger Wakimoto,
director of NCAR in Colorado.
18
"It's very difficult to counter someone who just says 'you're wrong. I think this is a scam'.
How do you respond to that? ... They haven't done any research, they haven't spent years
looking into the problem. This is why it's asymmetric," he said.
"We like to go into a scientific debate, show us you're evidence and we'll tell why we agree
or disagree with you. But that's not what the naysayers are doing," Wakimoto added.
"We've never experienced this sort of thing before," he said of the intense challenges to
climate science and the level of email and Internet traffic.
All the climate change scientists with whom Reuters spoke said they were determined to
continue their research despite the barrage of nasty emails and threats. Some expressed
concern the argument could turn violent.
"My wife has made it very clear, if the threats become personalized, I cease to interact
with the media. We have kids," said one scientist who did not want to be identified.
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AFP: Developing nations want global climate accord by 2011
25 April 2010
Four major developing countries meeting in South Africa on Sunday called for a global,
legally binding agreement on climate change to be finalised by next year at the latest.
Environment ministers from Brazil, South Africa, India and China met in Cape Town to
discuss on how to speed up a process of finalising a global agreement that would require
rich nations to cut carbon emissions and reduce global warming.
"Ministers felt that a legally binding outcome should be concluded at Cancun, Mexico in
2010, or at the latest in South Africa by 2011," ministers from the developing world's
powerhouses said in a joint statement, referring to United Nations climate talks.
The Copenhagen meeting, held last year and aimed at thrashing out a new climate treaty
to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, was widely criticized for failing to produce a new treaty
to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
"Developing countries strongly support international legally binding agreements, as the
lack of such agreements hurts developing countries more than developed countries," the
statement said.
The ministers also called for developed nations to fast track the release of a 10-billiondollar fund to help poor countries "to develop, test and demonstrate practical
implementation approaches to both adaptation and mitigation."
Meanwhile, the environmental lobby group Greenpeace urged the ministers to seize
climate leadership in the run-up to the next UN Climate summit in Cancun, Mexico, at the
end of the year and help break the current deadlock in the climate negotiations.
19
"Greenpeace urges the governments gathered in Cape Town to take the opportunity to
make a clear and unanimous call for a fair, ambitious and legally binding deal to avert
catastrophic climate change," said Greenpeace Africa political advisor Themba Linden in a
statement.
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AP: Developing nations: Climate change treaty in 2010
25 April 2010
Four influential developing nations say the world must work for a strong climate change
agreement this year.
Summing up strategy talks in South Africa on Sunday, South African Environment Minister
Buyelwa Sonjica and her counterparts from Brazil, China and India said they want yearend talks in Mexico to produce a binding international agreement to reduce greenhouse
gases and help poor countries cope with climate change. But they add success could still
come from a 2011 round in South Africa.
Hopes for success in Mexico have been fading since acrimonious talks in Copenhagen
last year failed to produce a binding agreement.
The 1997 Kyoto Protocol, with provisions capping industrial countries' greenhouse gas
emissions, expires in 2012.
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Guardian (UK): On the frontline of climate change
24 April 2010
This week's massive climate conference in Bolivia played host to a geographically diverse
group of diplomats from the US, well-versed in advancing tough negotiating postures, and
working within a framework of international treaties often not worth the paper they're
printed on.
The US delegation didn't come from the state department, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) or the department of energy. Yet one delegate was given central billing in
the inaugural event that kicked off the conference earlier in the week.
"We remain firm in our inalienable, sovereign rights," Faith Gemmill told a crowd of
thousands that filled up Tiquipaya Coliseum on a sun-scorched morning, to a loud round of
applause. "We the indigenous people of the north have survived colonial policies intended
to terminate us, assimilate us, and displace us from our land. Despite this, we are still
here! Indigenous people of Alaska and North America have given me voice to transmit this
message to you."
20
Faith Gemmill is executive director of Redoil (Resisting Environmental Destruction on
Indigenous Lands), an Alaska Native grassroots alliance formed in 2002 that organises
around the impacts of oil and gas development on or near native land in Alaska.
She was one of more than 20 indigenous representatives from North America who
travelled to the Cochabamba, Bolivia this week for the World People's Conference on
Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth, which ended on Thursday with a host of
concrete proposals heavily informed by indigenous thinking on "living well" versus "living
better", and influenced by the long and fraught histories of the impact of resource
extraction on their traditional lands.
The US government politely declined to send as much as a low-level observer to the
historic summit, which drew more than 31,000 people from all over the world, and
representatives from almost 50 governments.
"People have to make a choice, whether they want the Earth to continue to be here, or if
life will disappear. It's a hard choice, and we're all involved in it," Carrie Dann tells me, a
75-year-old woman who travelled to Cochabamba from the Great Basin ("What nonindigenous people call Nevada," Carrie tells me), representing the Western Shoshone
Defence Project. Carrie came to meet with other indigenous activists whose advocacy and
activism against climate change is rooted in very local struggles.
For Carrie, it's the Barrick Gold Corporation, a Canadian mining giant that is looking to
mine a rich store of gold in Mt Tenabo – a sacred site for the Shoshone. The tribe has
sued the US Bureau of Land Management, which approved the lease to Barrick, in an
attempt to block the project.
"They were given the right to mine, but nobody knows what it's going to look like. It's a
horrible destruction, it looks like a cancer on the earth. They keep extracting more and
more for their people, eventually there won't be anything left."
One consistent premise that seemed to unite many indigenous activists from North
America who travelled here was a desire to debunk many of the much-touted technocratic
solutions to combat climate change – such as carbon offsetting.
"Including forests in the carbon market, it's a terrible idea. They want to offset emissions
by planting or protecting trees," Jihan Gearon told me, an organiser with the Indigenous
Environment Network, from Navajo country in the Southwest.
"So corporations say, 'Great! we'll expand our emissions, but offset it by planting trees in
the Amazon'. But in our network, which encompasses North and South America, we are
seeing indigenous people displaced from their homes to 'protect' the land."
Another theme that came out of my many conversations with these North American
diplomats was a deep historical analysis about who bears the brunt of extraction and
energy development – including the resurgence of a nuclear industry that has successfully
branded itself as form of "clean energy" that will be a key component in mitigating climate
change.
"My homeland has one of the largest deposits of uranium in the world," Navajo activist and
scholar Michelle Cook tells me.
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Although the Navajo nation, and the smaller Havasupai tribe whose ancestral lands run
through the Grand Canyon, have long banned uranium mining, there is a encroaching on
tribal lands.
"People often don't realise how destructive nuclear energy is and how it impacts
indigenous communities specifically. There is nothing clean about an energy source that
gives people cancer, and causes irreparable harm to the land, water, and future
generations."
If the raison d'être of the meetings here in Cochabamba was to advance the kind of
genuinely ambitious solutions to combating climate change that many world governments
failed to deliver on in the UN sponsored talks last winter, it also appears to have been a
place for a diplomatic corps on the frontlines of the struggle against climate change to
meet each other, compare notes, and fortify each other for what will likely be a long slog
ahead.
"Our indigenous people are the third world of the north," said Tom Goldtooth, director of
the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), sitting with me outside on the last day of the
conference during one of the closing plenaries, echoes of Venezuelan president Hugo
Chávez's long-winded oratory in the background. "We're working hard to break down the
borders placed between our communities."
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Reuters: Whale feces could help oceans absorb CO2
23 April 2010
Whale droppings have emerged as a natural ocean fertilizer which could help combat
global warming by allowing the Southern Ocean to absorb more carbon dioxide, Australian
scientists have found.
New research from the Australian Antarctic Division suggests whales naturally fertilize
surface waters with iron-rich whale excrement, allowing the whole eco-system to send
more carbon down into deep waters.
"The plants love it and it actually becomes a way of taking carbon out of the atmosphere,"
Antarctic scientist Steve Nicol told Reuters, adding the droppings appear as a plume of
solids and liquids.
A larger population of baleen whales and krill would boost the productivity of the whole
Southern Ocean ecosystem and could improve the absorption of carbon dioxide, blamed
for global warming.
Iron is a limited micronutrient in the Southern Ocean, but recent experiments have found
that adding soluble iron to surface waters helps promote much-needed phytoplankton
algal blooms.
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Iron is contained in algae in the surface waters where plants grow, but there is a constant
rain of iron-rich particles falling into deep waters.
When krill eat the algae, and whales eat the krill, the iron ends up in whale poo, and the
iron levels are kept up in surface waters where it is most needed.
"We reckon whale poo is probably 10 million times more concentrated with iron than sea
water," Nicol said.
"The system operates at a high level when you have this interaction between the krill, the
whales and the algae and they maintain the system at a very high level of production. So
it's a self sustaining system."
Nicol said the idea to research whale droppings came from a casual pub chat among
Antarctic scientists in Australia's island state of Tasmania.
He said it was not yet known how much poo it would take have a significant impact on the
Southern Ocean.
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AFP:New whaling plan draws fire from all sides
23 April 2010
A "peace plan" by the International Whaling Commission to legitimise but reduce whaling
drew fire Friday as Japan demanded higher quotas and environmentalists warned of
serious harm to the ocean giants.
The chairman of the 88-nation commission, seeking to end decades of bitter conflict
between its pro- and anti-whaling members, unveiled Thursday the compromise proposal
to be voted on at a June meeting in Morocco.
Under the draft proposal, Japan, Iceland and Norway would reduce their whale kills over
the next decade, subject to tight monitoring, with Japan eventually cutting its Antarctic
whale culls by three quarters.
The IWC said in a statement that the "10-year peace plan" would save thousands of
whales and present "a great step forward in terms of the conservation of whales and the
management of whaling."
But it was roundly criticised by anti-whaling nations and environmental groups, which
charged that it would end the moratorium in all but name and risked reviving a dwindling
industry in whale meat.
Japan now hunts whales under a loophole to a 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling
that allows lethal "scientific research" on the sea mammals, while Norway and Iceland defy
the moratorium altogether.
23
"It will be a major achievement if, despite some fundamental differences ... countries can
put these differences aside for a period to focus on ensuring the world has healthy whale
stocks," IWC chair Cristian Maquieira said.
Japan reacted by saying it would push for higher cull quotas than those outlined in the
proposal.
Japan, which now targets more than 900 whales in its annual Antarctic hunts, would have
to reduce that number to around 400 whales in the next season and to just over 200 a
year from the 2015-16 season onwards.
It would also be allowed to catch 120 whales a year in its coastal waters.
Fisheries Minister Hirotaka Akamatsu, while welcoming the endorsement of coastal
whaling, said: "Regarding the total catch allowed, it is different from Japan's position. We
want to continue negotiating with patience."
But environmental groups voiced deep concern.
"This is probably the biggest threat to the ban on commercial whaling that we've faced
since it came into force," said Nicolas Entrup of the Munich-based Whale and Dolphin
Conservation Society.
Greenpeace said the proposal would reward whaling nations.
"It's a bit like a bank robber who keeps robbing the bank. You can't actually catch him, so
you decide to just give him a big pile of money," said its oceans campaigner Phil Kline.
The World Wide Fund for Nature's species programme manager Wendy Elliott charged
that the proposed quotas were "a result of political bargaining which has little if anything to
do with the whales themselves."
Australia's Environment Minister Peter Garrett said Canberra could not accept the
proposal and stressed that "the government remains resolutely opposed to commercial
and so-called 'scientific' whaling."
In Wellington, Foreign Minister Murray McCully called the catch limits unrealistic and said
"New Zealanders will not accept this".
"The proposal to include fin whales in the Southern Ocean is inflammatory," he said,
pointing at a plan to allow Japan to catch 10 of the animals annually for three years, and
five per year after that.
The United States, which has helped spearhead the compromise, withheld a final
judgment, anticipating further negotiations.
"The important thing here is that the IWC isn't working right now," said Monica Medina, the
US commissioner to the IWC.
24
"Even with the moratorium in place, the number of whales being killed is increasing and if
we can turn that around and decrease the number of whales being killed, that would be a
good thing."
The compromise would also allow the killing of 870 minke whales a year in the Atlantic,
slightly down from the current total catch quotas by Norway and Iceland, along with
Japan's continued hunt in the Pacific Ocean.
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Telegraph (UK):Endangered whales could be killed legally
24 April 2010
The body, set up to protect the species in international waters, banned the commerical
hunting of whales outright in 1986.
But whaling nations like Japan, Norway and Iceland continued to hunt the mammals using
a series of loopholes, such as whaling for "scientific research".
The IWC, which is due to meet next month to update the law around the protection of
whales, has suggested the only way forward is to set up a series of quotas.
It is argued that this will limit the slaughter because the killing of whales is controlled under
international law.
However the details of the proposals reveal that the quotas will be in the thousands and
include endangered species. Papers issued by the IWC suggest thousands of minke
whales could be killed in the Southern Ocean over the next ten years. Even fin whales and
sei whales, that are officially in danger of dying out, are included.
Environmentalists were outraged, arguing that the killing of whales should never be
sanctioned under international law while the species is still under threat of extinction.
Heather Sohl, species policy officer for WWF-UK, said it was "ridiculous" to allow hunting
of whales in the Southern Ocean, which is a critical feeding ground for species including
blue whales.
"Some whales feed exclusively in the Southern Ocean - not eating at all during the winter
months when they travel up to tropical waters," she said.
"Allowing commercial whaling in an area where whales are so vulnerable goes against all
logic."
She also criticised the decision to include fin and sei whales in the quota.
"Both fin and sei whale species were depleted to severely low levels by previous whaling
that spun out of control, and they remain endangered as a result.
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"Allowing new commercial whaling on these species when they have yet to recover from
previous whaling is management madness."
Whaling nations like Japan back the IWC proposals and are arguing for even higher
quotas.
But critics, including the UK, US and Australia, are against any deal that could cause an
increase in whale hunting.
The IWC will meet in in Agadair, Morocco at the end of this month. Nations will decide on
whether to set quotas and the catch that will be allowed. There are also proposals to
promote whale watching as an alternative source of income for whaling communities and
to protect whales from climate change and over fishing.
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Guardian (UK): Water pollution expert derides UN sanitation claims
25 April 2010
Hundreds of millions of people that the UN declares have gained access to safe water and
sanitation are still struggling with polluted supplies and raw sewage, a leading expert has
told the Guardian.
In its latest report on the progress of the UN Millennium Development Goal to halve the
proportion of people lacking access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, the World
Health Organisation said that since 1990 1.3 billion people had gained access to improved
drinking water and 500 million better sanitation.
The world was on course to "meet or exceed" the water target, it said, but was likely to
miss the sanitation goal by nearly 1 billion people.
However, Prof Asit Biswas, who has advised national governments, six UN agencies and
Nato, said official figures showing that many cities and countries had met their targets
were "baloney", and predicted that by the UN deadline of 2015 more people in the world
would suffer from these problems than when the goals were first adopted.
Biswas, president of the Third World Centre for Water Management, spoke to the
Guardian ahead of a speech tomorrow in which he will tell water industry leaders that
inadequate improvements to drinking water and sewage are hiding the true scale of the
problem and storing up environmental problems for future generations.
"If somebody has a well in a town or village in the developing world and we put concrete
around the well – nothing else – it becomes an 'improved source of water'; the quality is
the same but you have 'improved' the physical structure, which has no impact," said
Biswas.
"They are not only underestimating the problem, they are giving the impression the
problem is being solved. What I'm trying to say is that's a bunch of baloney."
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The problem would not have been halved by 2015, he added. "I would say more people
will not have access to drinking water in the sense they will have water they can drink
straight from the source, and sanitation is even worse."
Biswas will also tell the Global Water Intelligence conference in Paris that water problems
are caused not by physical scarcity of supplies but by poor management, including
corruption, interference by politicians and inexperience.
Such comments will be controversial in an industry dominated by companies providing
technological solutions to "water stress" or "scarcity" – a lack of reliable supplies for
average daily needs – which experts estimate affect more than 1 billion people around the
world.
"These are real-life problems, but are we talking about them in the water profession? No.
We talk about water scarcity," the professor said. "With the water we have, and the money
we have, we can manage it better."
Biswas, whose awards include the prestigious Stockholm water prize for "his outstanding
and multi-faceted contributions to global water resource issues", has travelled to cities and
countries that have officially met the UN goals, such as India, Egypt and Mexico, visited
the new facilities and carried out tests on the water supplied.
"I'm asking them which planet they are on," he said. "I advise the government of India, I
have been advising Egypt since 1974: you'd be hard-pressed to find anybody lower-middle
class or up [in those countries] who drinks that water."
Instead, most homes in these countries pay high prices for extra filters, expensive
membranes so they can create mini sewage plants to treat their own water, and bottled
water, said Biswas. He is calling for politicians to be removed from water management,
well-paid experts to be appointed to run water authorities and more public outcry when
supplies are too bad to drink.
His comments follow another report last week from the WHO and Unicef, which claimed
aid for water and sanitation improvements was falling and that only 42% of money
donated to the issue went to where it was needed most.
Furthermore, a report from the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund on
Friday said the global financial crisis would cut progress towards the provision of clean
water, meaning that in 2015 more than 100 million people would be enduring dirty water.
Responding to Biswas's criticism, a WHO spokesman told the Guardian the organisation
shared his concerns about water quality and the spread of improvements in water and
sanitation.
The latest WHO update on progress, published in March, also warned that even if the
Millennium Development Goals were reached in full, billions of people would still live with
very poor water and sanitation.
Barbara Frost, chief executive of the UK-based global charity WaterAid, said: "Here is a
global catastrophe which kills more children than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis
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combined and which is holding back all development efforts including health and
education."
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_________________________________________________________________
BBC News:Oil rig spill off Louisiana could threaten coastline
26 April 2010
There are fears of an environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, as efforts to clear up an
oil spill have been suspended because of bad weather.
A drilling rig leased by the oil company BP exploded and sank off Louisiana coast last
Thursday.
Some 1,000 barrels of oil a day are now leaking into the sea from the damaged well,
officials say.
They say the oil leak has the potential to damage beaches, barrier islands and wetlands
across the coastline.
Eleven workers are still missing and presumed to have been killed in the accident. The
search for them has been called off.
More than 100 other workers were rescued.
The Deepwater Horizon had been burning for 36 hours when it sank on Thursday in 5,000
ft (1,500m) of water, despite efforts to control the flames.
It was carrying out exploratory drilling 84km (52 miles) south-east of Venice, Louisiana
when the blast occurred.
'HIGHLY COMPLEX TASK'
Bad weather caused cleanup efforts to be suspended over the weekend, allowing the slick
to grow to about 580 sq miles (1,500 sq km), officials say.
BP has been using a robot submarine to try to activate a blowout preventer - a series of
pipes and valves that could stop the leak.
However, this was a "highly complex task" and "it may not be successful", chief operating
officer of BP's exploration and production unit Doug Suttles was quoted as saying by
Reuters.
The company has also brought in more than 30 cleanup vessels and several aircraft to
spray dispersant on the floating oil.
At the moment, the weather conditions are keeping the oil away from the coastline and it is
hoped the waves will break up the heavy crude oil, allowing it to harden and sink back to
the ocean floor.
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RONA MEDIA UPDATE
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE NEWS
Friday, April 23, 2010
UNEP or UN in the News
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: International officials gather in Pittsburgh as city kicks off series
of environmental events
Pittsburgh Magazine: The New Emerald City
Channel 4 Action News This Morning/WTAE-PIT (ABC) - Pittsburgh, PA: Today Marks
Start of Events for World Environment Day
International officials gather in Pittsburgh as city kicks off series of environmental
events
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 22, 2010, By Joyce Gannon
Since 1972, the United Nations' World Environment Day has been marked in
communities around the world but there was little notice paid to the event in North
America.
That's probably because the global event was largely overshadowed by the much better
known Earth Day - a grass-roots effort started in 1970 in the United States to raise
awareness of environmental problems.
So in recent years, the U.N. has tried to integrate the two environmental celebrations by
organizing a six-week series of events that launches in April before Earth Day and
culminates on World Environment Day, which this year will be held June 5.
"[World Environment Day] has a huge following around the world but we have to admit
that in North America, it's been challenging," said Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox, deputy
director of the U.N. Environment Programme's regional office in Washington, D.C.
Ms. Guilbaud-Cox is in Pittsburgh this week to help kickoff the events as the city plays
North American host for World Environment Day 2010.
"Earth Day is really well known, but we don't want to challenge it," she said. "So we
came up with the 'bridging the gap' concept." More than 100 events are scheduled in
and around Pittsburgh during the World Environment Day time frame, ranging from
scientific symposiums to interactive arts displays at the Three Rivers Arts Festival.
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Pittsburgh follows Omaha, Neb., and Chicago as North American host cities. "We were
trying to do outreach to the heartland of the United States and share with them the
accomplishments of the U.N. Environment Programme and the work that we do," said
Ms. Guilbaud-Cox.
The U.N. Environment Programme was created in 1972, the same year as World
Environment Day, to coordinate scientific information and act as the U.N.'s "leading
authority on the environment" and to help countries "set their environmental agenda,"
she said.
Among its accomplishments, she said, has been establishing the Montreal Protocol,
which banned the manufacture of harmful compounds known as chlorofluorocarbons
used in refrigeration units; and working to save some endangered species including
elephants.
Bayer Corp., the German-based chemicals and drug company with U.S. headquarters in
Robinson, was instrumental in making connections for Pittsburgh to host this year's
World Environment Day, Ms. Guilbaud-Cox said.
While all the activities scheduled locally should expose the community to environmental
issues, she believes the most significant event is the Water Matters conference,
scheduled for June 3 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
Water as a resource is the theme of the Pittsburgh events and the June 3 conference,
expected to attract participants from outside the region, will feature business owners,
community leaders and others providing expertise on how best to use and conserve
water.
Another important event, she said, is a May 27 symposium at the Carnegie Museum of
Natural History that is being organized by the Rachel Carson Homestead and will feature
E.O. Wilson, a scientist and professor emeritus at Harvard University who provided Ms.
Carson, a Springdale native, with research for her book, "Silent Spring."
A number of events converged in the city this week to mark the launch of World
Environment Day activities.
As part of the kickoff, Global Pittsburgh is hosting representatives from 11 countries who
are being encouraged to consider the city for potential business partnerships and
economic development opportunities.
Among the delegation were officials from Vietnam, Canada, Ireland, Belgium, Czech
Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Oman, South Africa, Switzerland and the United
Kingdom.
The group dined Wednesday night at the International Bridge Awards at Heinz Field and
had lunch earlier in the day at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.
Tours and symposiums on the group's agenda focused on local initiatives in energy, life
sciences and education, and were designed to showcase why the city was selected for
last year's G-20 Summit and as a host city for World Environment Day.
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On Wednesday the delegates visited the energy center at the University of Pittsburgh in
Oakland, and today the group was scheduled to attend panel discussions featuring
experts in carbon capture, Marcellus Shale, nuclear, wind and solar energy sources
before touring UPMC Children's Hospital in Lawrenceville.
Also Wednesday, the city hosted the Women's Health and the Environment Conference,
a free event at the convention center where a capacity audience heard Teresa Heinz
and other speakers discuss links between the environment and health.
And tonight, winners will be announced at the CAUSE (Creating Awareness and
Understanding of Our Surrounding Environment) Challenge High School Film Festival at
the Carnegie Science Center. Students from throughout the region were invited to
produce and submit films of five minutes maximum length featuring this year's theme,
"Mutual Impact: The Environment and You."
Joyce Gannon: jgannon@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1580.
The New Emerald City
Pittsburgh has been earning oohs and aahs for our wizardry in the green revolution. This
year, we roll out the green carpet as the North American host for World Environment
Day.
Pittsburgh Magazine, By Lissa Rosenthal, April 2010
Why Pittsburgh as the North American host for World Environment Day (WED)?
Perhaps it’s our transformation from smokestack industry to green economy or for our
leadership and commitment to sustainability. Not to mention that we have bragging
rights as the birthplace of Rachel Carson, founder of the contemporary environmental
movement.
If Carson were still with us (other than in memory and as the namesake of a bridge
downtown), she might find it surprising but probably would be ecstatic that we’ll be rolling
out the green carpet starting on Earth Day, April 22, for a six-week, regionwide eco
celebration. The event will culminate on June 5 when Pittsburgh will be the North
American host for this year’s World Environment Day, a global event established in 1972
to raise environmental awareness and action.
Pittsburgh is one of six regional sites worldwide selected by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) to host this year’s activities, which will focus on the
theme “Biodiversity: Ecosystems Management and the Green Economy.”
But World Environment Day 2010 Pittsburgh is envisioned to be more than just a
celebration; it’s also intended to be transformative and catalytic. “It is a very real
opportunity for our region to create an economic strategy that will embrace the business
of water,” says Court Gould, executive director of Sustainable Pittsburgh, a public-policy
advocacy group that helps integrate economic prosperity, social equity and
environmental quality for regional businesses and communities through sustainable
solutions.
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In the long run, the six-week span of events is designed to foster the development of
water projects of lasting significance for the people of our planet.
Water Matters
Pittsburgh has the unusual distinction of being a city with three rivers—or more. The socalled “Fourth River,” one of the most reliable aquifers on the planet, runs beneath the
Golden Triangle. These water sources are part of the reason WED organizers deemed
“Water Matters!” as the specific focus of Pittsburgh’s WED activities, which include
numerous activities on or near the rivers and the first global water conference at the
David L. Lawrence Convention Center on June 3.
Pittsburgh WED supporting partners are Bayer Corp., the Bayer USA Foundation, the
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, the Hillman Foundation and the Richard King
Mellon Foundation. A leadership group comprised of UNEP, Allegheny County, the City
of Pittsburgh and Sustainable Pittsburgh oversees the event’s organizational efforts. But
the entire partnership envisions WED as a way to catapult the region to the forefront of
the world’s water stage and forge innovative solutions to water management, not only in
our rivers, but also around the globe.
Unlike many parts of the United States and across the world, our region does not have a
problem with water scarcity, but water quality is an issue.
“In terms of sustainability, Pittsburgh has come so far, whether it’s in innovation and
research, environmental education, sustainable business practices or our efforts to
improve the viability of our water supply,” says Greg Babe, president and CEO of Bayer
Corp., which has its U.S. headquarters here. “As the North American host city for World
Environment Day, the Pittsburgh region and the companies that call it home have a
unique opportunity to focus on the water and its sources that surround our city. That is
why we have chosen ‘Water Matters!’ as a focal point for the six-week period from Earth
Day to World Environment Day.”
Green County
There are numerous new, exiting and ongoing green efforts in the private and public
sectors of our region. And Allegheny County, aka “Green County,” is leading the way.
Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato says he is eager to show the world that the
county is not only a leader in green technology but that it is leading by example.
“Through our Allegheny Green initiative, the county is working to reduce our ecological
footprint and is creating countywide policies and programs to further promote
sustainable practices. We’re building green roofs and gardens, installing solar arrays
and geo-thermal systems and expanding our parks and trails. We're also reclaiming and
redeveloping brownfields, which sets future green development guidelines through our
County Comprehensive Plan. In addition, we’re giving our residents the skills they need
to compete for 21st-century jobs.”
Jeaneen Zappa, Allegheny County’s sustainability manager, is pursuing Onorato’s eco
charge with her green gusto. One example is the installation of a green roof on the
Allegheny County Office Building, located downtown. Half of the building’s roof, an area
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of 8,400 square feet, will be covered with a waterproof partition that contains native
plants. These plants will provide an urban habitat for birds and butterflies, save energy,
reduce storm-water runoff and cut down on the amount of pollution reaching our rivers.
The roof also will serve as a model for residents and businesses to prove that green
infrastructure works.
Many organizations are already actively participating in ecosystem management through
the Pittsburgh Climate Initiative (PCI), a collaborative effort sponsored by the Roy A.
Hunt Foundation, The Heinz Endowments and the Surdna Foundation. PCI’s goal is to
lead residents, businesses, government and institutions of higher learning to increase
awareness of actions that reduce pollution from global warming and its impact on health
and the economy. PCI will adapt a water-conservation theme in recognition of WED by
offering practical steps that Pittsburghers can make in support of water and ecosystem
sustainability. (Info: pittsburghclimate.org)
Eco-Friendly Events for the New Emerald City
Pittsburgh-area government officials, businesses, organizations and individuals are
planning an array of events and activities to complement World Environment Day
(WED). Water and eco-related programming starts in the region in early April with the
concentration of activities and events that “bridge the gap” during the six-week period
from Earth Day on April 22 to WED on June 5. Most events are open to the public. Some
“bridging the gap” events include the following:
April 22: EARTH DAY
C.A.U.S.E. Challenge High School Film Festival, hosted by partners Bayer Corp.,
Carnegie Science Center's Sci Tech Initiative and Pittsburgh Filmmakers. Pittsburgharea high school students will present videos they created on the theme “Mutual Impact:
The Environment and You” at the Carnegie Science Center’s Works Theatre.
Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium will present special interactive and learning
stations at the zoo to celebrate Wild Earth Day, hosted by the Conservation Education
Department. This year’s Wild Earth Day will be filled with exciting, fun activities for
students.
Pittsburgh Glass Center, one of only two green glass-art facilities in the United States,
unveils its local juried exhibit, “From the Earth to the Fire and Back,” which continues
through June 13. The exhibit showcases glass artwork addressing environmental
concerns.
April 23-24:
Spring Earth Day Redd Up, hosted by Citizens Against Litter.
April 24:
Globalization Film Festival at Carnegie Mellon University.
Earth Day Cleanup in Panther Hollow, hosted by Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy,
Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest and Pennsylvania Resources Council.
Nine Mile Run Stream Sweep, hosted by Nine Mile Run Watershed Association.
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Party for the Planet and GreenMarket Place, hosted by PPG Industries, Pennsylvania
Resources Council and Conservation Consultants.
April 30: ARBOR DAY
Tree Planting, hosted by Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest.
May 3-4:
Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale Policy Conference, hosted by Pennsylvania
Environmental Council and Duquesne University.
May 7-8:
Eco Home & Garden Festival, a sustainability-focused garden festival merging
gardeners and the eco-conscious, hosted by Phipps Conservatory and Botanical
Gardens.
May 21:
National Bike to Work Day.
Tireless Friday, hosted by Tireless Project and Allegheny CleanWays.
May 27:
Annual Rachel Carson Legacy Event, which honors the environmentalist at her
Springdale homestead.
June 3:
First Global Water Conference at David L. Lawrence Convention Center, organized by
the Pittsburgh World Environment Day Partnership. Conference organizers expect
outcomes that will foster greater opportunities for the region’s burgeoning water-focused
businesses to join forces with local universities and researchers in solving global water
problems.
June 4:
Kick-off of the Three Rivers Arts Festival, which has embraced the green movement
throughout the past few years.
June 5: WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
River Opus “Choreographed” Gathering
Opening of Earth House, Pittsburgh’s first zero-energy dwelling.
Millvale CleanSweep II, hosted by Millvale Borough, Millvale Development Corp. and
Millvale Focus Group.
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For a complete list of activities and events, visit the official World Environment Day 2010
Pittsburgh Web site at pittsburghwed.com.
Women Help Mother Earth
The 13th annual Women’s Health & The Environment Conference will take place in
Pittsburgh on April 21. The theme is “Healthy Places—Healthy Lives.” As a salute to the
role women have played and continue to fulfill in protecting Mother Earth, here are
profiles of three of the many remarkable eco-conscious women in this region, past and
present.
Teresa Heinz: A philanthropic innovator and an environmental visionary, Teresa Heinz
continues to sponsor the annual Women’s Health & The Environment Conference, which
she founded in 1995. This conference, which is open to the public, brings women
together with health, policy and environmental experts.
Heinz believes that the conventional concept of the environment—involving only the
traditional green issues such as air and water quality—is no longer adequate to the lives
that people (and especially women) live today. “The more questions we ask, the more
we can make informed choices and live healthier lives,” says Heinz, who is the wife of
Sen. John Kerry, of Massachusetts, and the widow of the late Sen. John Heinz, formerly
of Pittsburgh. “Here’s why,” she continues: “Ignorance kills, and knowledge saves lives
and helps us live healthier ones. What I have taken away from conference after
conference is that there is no one single way through which to look at health care, and
that is the position we start from at the Women's Health & Environment events.”
Attendance is free and lunch is provided, but registration for previous years’ events has
closed quickly. (Info: womenshealthpittsburgh.org)
Rachel Carson: With the 1962 publication of Silent Spring, writer, scientist and ecologist
Rachel Carson gave rise to the modern environmental movement. She developed her
love of nature growing up along the banks of the Allegheny River just upstream from
Pittsburgh in Springdale, where her homestead is preserved as homage to one of the
most important environmental voices of the 20th century.
Trained as a marine biologist at what is now Chatham University, Carson obtained a
master’s degree in zoology from Johns Hopkins University and worked for many years
for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition to Silent Spring, she penned three
volumes on marine life, all of which became bestsellers. (Info:
rachelcarsonhomestead.org)
Cordelia S. May: Through the years, Pittsburgh native and philanthropist Cordelia S.
May was known for her sensitivity to humanity’s ecological footprint. This found
expression in her charitable donations to land conservation, watershed protection,
environmental education and population causes.
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In 1996, May established the Colcom Foundation, whose mission continues since her
death in 2005. The foundation fosters a sustainable environment by addressing causes
and consequences of overpopulation and its adverse effects on natural resources.
Regionally, the foundation supports conservation, environmental projects and cultural
assets. (Info: colcomfdn.org)
Check Out Some Cool, New Green Things:
1. Try an All-Organic Cupcake from Dozen bake shop: It’s a vanilla cupcake infused
with local, organic basil and topped with organic lemon buttercream. This treat uses
organic flour and sugar and hormone-free milk from Turner Dairy Farms. It is the first allorganic, all-local cupcake on Dozen’s seasonal menu. Dozen sources its ingredients
locally through Penn’s Corner Farm Alliance, Mildred’s Daughter’s Farm, Grow
Pittsburgh and Turner Dairy Farms. What’s more is that Dozen will embark on some cool
green initiatives this year, including composting all of its organic kitchen waste, planting
a small vegetable garden at a farm in Butler County and acquiring nearly a dozen
chickens to supply eggs exclusively for its shops. (Info: dozenbakeshop.com)
2. Consider a Green Treat for Your Hands and Feet: When you get “The Pittsburgh
Organicure,” Tina-Lisa Agresta, of Jeffrey Smith Salon, will pamper you with her allorganic hand and nail treatments. She has been whipping up her all-natural products for
decades, using ingredients that are as local as possible. From mint sugar scrubs to
custom-blended essential oil lotions, your hands and feet will thank you—and so will the
environment. (Info: 412/683-8153)
3. Save Money by Spending Your Dollars Locally: It’s easier for us to choose ecofriendly alternatives to products and services that we use every day. EcoCents: Your
Local Guide to Green Living is a brand-new guide that offers hundreds of dollars in
coupons. Developed by Megan Cook and other like-minded entrepreneurs, it’s a onestop guide to cafés serving locally farmed, organic grub as well as alternative-health
clinics, yoga studios and socially responsible nonprofits and businesses. (Info:
ecocentspgh.com)
4. What do Diana Krall, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra and the Allegheny County
Courthouse Have in Common? The old song “Just a Garden in the Rain.” Visitors will
find a teaching rain garden in the Allegheny County Courthouse courtyard on Grant
Street. The Three Rivers Rain Garden Alliance, 3 Rivers Wet Weather and Penn State
Center-Pittsburgh are working with the county to educate residents and businesses on
how to develop rain gardens.
These gardens can be planted in yards and other green spaces to help offset storm
water rushing into our region’s poorly combined sewer systems. Developing a rain
garden is an affordable way to provide increased value to homes and businesses. Now
that’s something to really sing about.
5. Who Knew Retro Mod Furniture Is So Green: Retro Mod Décor surely knows. Not
only is retro furniture a current craze in décor in today’s interior-design market, it also is
a great way to green your home. Owners Roger Levine and Jeff Gordon are hip, mod,
green advocates who encourage folks to consider vintage pieces when furnishing their
residences.
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When you choose retro, you eliminate the need to cut down more trees and reduce
pollution associated with manufacturing new products. Retro furnishings are economical.
Often, the cost is less than buying newer items, and the quality can be much better.
(Info: who-new.com)
6. Here’s a Real “Green” Giant Idea: Bryan Ward, founder of Giant Ideas, a full-service
creative agency, approached his new downtown office building from a sustainable,
renewable and energy-efficient standpoint.
The company took full advantage of natural daylight, low-flow water management and
other technologies to work together with eco-friendly materials, including recycled
aluminum kitchen tiles and wall panels made from sunflower seeds. A cool green
environment is a very cool giant idea. (Info: giantideas.com)
7. Local Water With a Kick: Kick back, relax and raise a glass to Earth Day and
Pittsburgh’s global green excellence with local favorites, such as The Blushing Blair
Martini or the Black & Gold Martini. Boyd & Blair vodka is a local, sustainable and foodiefriendly libation made from Pennsylvania potatoes. In just two years, this hometown
vodka is well on its way to world domination. It is already available statewide and in New
York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington, D.C., and Illinois. (Info: boydandblair.com)
8. Trusts in the Land—Save Our Environment: In land conservation, timing is critical.
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s new Colcom Revolving Fund for Local Land
Trusts offers access to funds for purchasing projects that involve the conservation of
land.
This $1 million initiative is the latest program from WPC, which has been enriching our
relationship with the natural world since 1932 by conserving water, protecting the
region’s natural places and founding six state parks. The fund has even helped to
preserve Fallingwater, the Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece. (Info: paconserve.org)
9. Exclusive Green Plate Special: Not many people know that one of the largest highend chinaware companies is not only green but also local. Steelite International, based
in New Castle, takes fine dining and the environment very seriously. It is the only
chinaware company in the world to be ISO-certified green since the certificate’s
introduction in 1996.
As a result, clay is recycled, and fewer chemicals are required to separate
manufacturing waste, resulting in cleaner water discharge. So, the next time you dine at
Lidia’s Pittsburgh or El Bulli in Catalonia, Spain, know that your gastronomic delights are
being served with eco-friendly tableware. (Info: steelite.com)
10. Enjoy a Massage That’s Healthy for You and the Environment: We all know
massage therapy is about health and healing. Now you can relax and enjoy ecoconscious massage therapy without leaving the comfort of your home.
Environmentally conscious American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) practitioner
Erica Wessell provides Swedish, deep-tissue and sports-massage therapy sessions to
her dedicated followers. By going to clients’ homes, her services save energy that would
have been used to keep an office in operation. Wessell uses certified organic oils,
creams and botanical extracts, and she will blend organic aromatherapy oils of your
choice into your treatment. She brings her own luxurious organic-cotton linens, which
are pure eco-bliss; they’re laundered with biodegradable, vegetable-based detergent.
(Info: 412/448-7688)
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11. Hang out on the Porch of OUR First Urban Eco-Village: The Hamnett Homestead
Sustainable Living Center is a turn-of-the-century Victorian house that will resurrect
“front porch culture” in Wilkinsburg. When complete, it will serve as a community
gathering and education place. The project is an important example of eco-villages, a
sustainable-living practice already found in the Pacific Northwest, and it also
demonstrates the viability of reusing the region’s valuable housing stock.
John Folan, Carnegie Mellon University’s T. David Fitz-Gibbon visiting professor of
architecture, linked two fifth-year CMU urban-design courses to create this soon-to-be
completed sustainable and forward-thinking community. (Info: cmu.edu/architecture)
12. Flower Power Made from Recycled Art: Pittsburgh-based design company Art
Energy Design uses sustainable-energy technology in its artistic designs. Power
Flower’s sculptures are just one example of its integration of socially responsible
technologies into designs. The sculptures integrate wind, solar and recycling
technologies into the urban landscape by creating installations for the public to enjoy and
showcasing them around the region. (Info: artenergydesign.com)
Meet Some Cool Green People:
John Fetterman: How could we ignore the Mayor of Cool, His Honor John Fetterman,
the mayor of Braddock? Sure, he’s been on the cover of the Atlantic, but never mind
that: He’s the greenest tattooed dude this side of the Mississippi. Fetterman helped to
start an organic urban farm on vacant lots adjacent to a local steel mill and saved tens of
thousands of feral honeybees infesting a vacant building from the exterminator and sent
them to form apiary colonies all around the region.
Thinking beyond his borough, Fetterman has supported a project to make inexpensive
water filters from clay and sawdust to provide safe drinking water for people in
developing countries and victims of natural disasters. He has played a national role in
the quest to curb climate change by advocating the Cap and Trade Bill as spokesman
for several environmental organizations and by testifying in Washington, D.C. Thanks to
funding from the Heinz Endowments, Braddock begins constructing the first and only
“green roof” building in the Mon Valley this spring. (Info: 15104.cc)
Greg Boulos: Eco-Renaissance man Greg Boulos is actively involved in a number of
sustainable local economic-development initiatives—from food and fuel to energy
efficiency. He is the Mid-Atlantic regional governor for Slow Food USA, CEO of
Homesteaders Consulting LLC, co-owner of Blackberry Meadows Farm and an organic
farmer.
With a master’s degree in sustainable systems from Slippery Rock University, he’s
bringing together like-minded leaders to find sustainable solutions to correct our region’s
water- and sewage-system problems. Boulos is developing a more holistic approach that
reduces investment in new pipes by making a major investment in cisterns and rain
barrels. When he’s not bringing together water-management experts and engineers to
develop the idea, he’s the on-the-farm handyman. (Info: blackberrymeadows.com)
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Janice Donatelli: Born and raised on a farm in Kentucky, Janice Donatelli has always
been interested in nature. Combining that with her passion for design, she co-founded
Artemis Environmental Building Materials in Lawrenceville five years ago.
As the first business in the tri-state area catering to sustainable design and building,
Donatelli provides services that are in high demand. “At our first national convention [of
green building suppliers], there were 11 of us around the table. Now there are 111,” she
says of the bourgeoning interest in the field. She adds that the people most affected in
the building arts are chemically sensitive people, self-described “canaries in the coal
mine” because they experience various health problems related to untested chemicals
found in many common building products.
Green products are the solution, she says. Young people and people with families are
quickly learning about the health benefits of green building and design techniques as
developers and contractors learn about the cost benefits. (Info:
artemisenvironmental.com)
Court Gould: One of the region’s go-to leaders in sustainable development is Court
Gould. He is executive director of Sustainable Pittsburgh and serves on local, state and
national advisory committees dealing with sustainability and public policy.
Gould was a German Marshall Fund delegate in the study of regional economies in
Europe and a featured speaker at an international conference on sustainable
development in Hiroshima, Japan. He is active in community organizations, including the
Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership and the Local Government Academy. (Info:
sustainablepittsburgh.org)
Bill Peduto: Pittsburgh City Councilman Bill Peduto has sponsored a number of bills
and initiatives aimed at saving the environment and also saving taxpayers’ money. Most
recently, Peduto is leading an effort to begin the transition from old-style street lighting to
new LED technology, which will save millions of dollars by reducing electricity use and
cutting carbon dioxide emissions released into the atmosphere.
Other recent green legislation introduced by Peduto includes the following: replacing
gas-guzzlers with hybrids in the city’s motor pool; encouraging residences and
businesses to build living green roofs of plants; tightening the rules on recycling (no, it’s
not optional—you can be fined if you don’t put out those blue plastic bags or bins biweekly); and mandating green policies and procedures in the mayor’s office. (Info:
city.pittsburgh.pa.us/district8)
Jamie Moore: It’s no surprise that Jamie Moore is director of sourcing and sustainability
for Eat’n Park Hospitality Group. Through his passionate commitment to eco-conscious
eating, he has helped the group establish one of the most aggressive greening programs
of any restaurant company in the country. Moore promotes EcoSteps, an education plan
that communicates Eat’n Park’s actions on protecting the environment, supporting local
communities and expanding its role as a socially responsible organization.
In 2010, Eat’n Park restaurants will increase their recycling and composting programs,
and the group will open an LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) restaurant in May at the Waterworks Mall in Fox Chapel. When he’s not
implementing sustainability initiatives that he develops for Eat’n Park, Moore volunteers
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his time developing funding strategies for the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable
Agriculture and can be found where he is most comfortable—cooking in his home
kitchen. (Follow the Eat’n Park blog for Moore’s sustainability and “EcoSteps” updates.
(Info: blog.eatnpark.com)
Lissa Rosenthal returns to Pittsburgh Magazine this month to share her interest in all
things green. Last April, she tackled the “Best of Green” feature for the magazine. Her
home, featured in the January issue of the magazine, is one of the first and largest green
renovations in the Pittsburgh region.(Info: greystonedrive.info) Lissa is the fundraising
and PR muscle behind many of the area’s cultural, food and beverage campaigns.
Today Marks Start of Events for World Environment Day
Channel 4 Action News This Morning: WTAE-PIT (ABC) - Pittsburgh, PA
See:
http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=1815&DateTime=4%2F22%2F2010+5
%3A17%3A03+AM&Term=%22United+Nations%22+%2BEnvironment&PlayClip=TRUE
General Environment News
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Heritage Foundation/The Foundry: Climategate Investigation Only Fuels Controversy
ABC News: Many Television Weather Forecasters Doubt Global Warming
Reuters: Derivatives Bill Calls For U.S. Carbon Market Study
Reuters: Jackson Riles Business, Lawmakers With Carbon Rules
Reuters: World Bank Chief Urges Action To Save Wild Tigers
Reuters: Orcas Are More Than One Species, Gene Study Shows
Reuters: Film Fetes Small Steps To Address Climate Change
Reuters: Ocean Chemistry Changing At 'Unprecedented Rate'
Reuters: Senators Struggling Over Climate Compromise
Reuters: Green Auction nets $2 million for environment
Reuters: Like Sept.11, volcano plane ban may hold climate clue
Reuters: Obama unchanged on offshore drilling despite spill
Reuters: Energy sector poised for innovation -- with the right spark
Climategate Investigation Only Fuels Controversy
Heritage Foundation, Energy and Environment, April 22, 2010, Posted By Audrey Jones
If the University of East Anglia report set up to investigate the University of East Anglia’s
Climate Research Unit (CRU) was meant to put the Climategate controversy to rest in
time for Earth Day, it failed [2] spectacularly.
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The panel was led by Ernest Oxburg [2], who happens to be the honorary president of
the Carbon Capture and Storage Association. Carbon capture and storage is an
industry that definitely wouldn’t suffer should CO2 limits be imposed. Also, Oxburg’s
involvement with the wind-energy industry raises further conflict of interest
questions. With this in mind, the lack of depth into which the investigation went and the
complete acquittal the panel gave the CRU, is not at all surprising.
The supposed investigation lasted a mere three weeks and was only five pages in
length. Steve McIntyre, a leading critic of the IPCC report and editor of the Climate Audit
blog, pointed out [3] that the panel thought it only regrettable—and in no way
acknowledged any sort of cover-up– that key facts and figures were tucked away in
obscure scientific journals and omitted from the IPCC report. This is significant because,
as he put it, IPCC presentations—and not the journals– “are how the climate science
community speaks to the world.” Apparently, these scientists did not want the world to
understand that their data did not support their theory. At least according to the wellknown “climate-gate” emails which show that the scientists involved saw that these facts
would “dilute the message.”
McIntyre isn’t the only one who is not sold by this so-called investigation. The Director of
Energy and Global Warming Policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Myron Ebel,
said [2], “They don’t even make a minimal effort to rebut the obvious appearance of
widespread data manipulation, suppression of dissenting research through improper
means and intentional avoidance of complying with Freedom of Information requests.”
In the scientific community, where transparency and the ability to replicate results are
everything, these charges are severe. And unfortunately, the Obama administration is
calling for harmful regulations based upon this faulty science.
The same week the panel gave the CRU a free pass, President Obama made the claim
[4] to his Economic Recovery Advisory Board that pending climate legislation from the
left is good for business. The board would have been good to tell him otherwise. Spain
[5] and other European countries that have tried regulating CO2 emissions have suffered
drastic economic results. Heritage experts have done the number-crunching [6] and
their results show Obama’s statement to be blatantly false. While the figures for the final
bill would be slightly different than those calculated by Heritage experts for the BoxerKerry legislation, if CO2 emissions or renewable fuel standards legislation was enacted,
you could count on trillions of dollars of losses in U.S. GDP, job losses in excess of a
million, and trillions of dollars worth of higher energy costs.
If the American people are going to have to bear the consequences of this bill in a time
of economic hardship, we should continue to demand a true investigation into the—
shoddy at best, deceptive at worst—findings of the CRU. Allowing those that stand to
profit from CO2 regulation to be the ones to investigate the science is like having a polar
bear guard the seals.
Many Television Weather Forecasters Doubt Global Warming
Climatologists and Meteorologists Divided on Science of Climate Change and Man's
Role
ABC News, April 22, 2010, By DAVID WRIGHT and MAX CULHANE
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When it comes to the weather forecast, climate change may be the biggest of them all -and the stakes are much higher than whether to bring an umbrella.
While most climatologists agree that humans are driving global warming -- literally, in
some respects, because of our reliance on fossil fuels -- some of the most trusted
names in the weather business don't buy it.
John Coleman, the founder of "The Weather Channel" and the original weatherman on
"Good Morning America," has spoken out with his belief that climate change is a myth.
"I love the Earth and I want to come up with alternative energy sources. I want to protect
the water and air," Coleman said in a presentation posted on YouTube. "But I know that
the Earth is going to be just fine with burning fossil fuels for as long as they last."
"There isn't any climate crisis," he said. "It's totally manufactured."
Other television weathermen tend to doubt that man has anything to do with it. "To think
that we could affect weather all that much is pretty arrogant," said CNN weather anchor
Chad Myers on a broadcast. "Mother Nature is so big. I think we're going to die from a
lack of fresh water or ocean acidification before we die of global warming."
The view is surprisingly common among television meteorologists -- the folks trusted
every day to bring you the five-day forecast.
One of three weather forecasters believe climate change is "caused mostly by human
activities," according to a recent study from George Mason University and the University
of Texas at Austin. Out of those surveyed, one in four agreed with the statement, "Global
warming is a scam."
All told, barely half the forecasters surveyed actually believe in the science of climate
change.
To find out why, "Nightline" turned to one of the most prominent doubters,
AccuWeather's Joe Bastardi, who has been a frequent guest on "The O'Reilly Factor,"
weighing in on the highly-politicized climate change debate.
"Here's what I'm telling people," he said. "Let's see what happens over the next 20 to 30
years. To me, it's a big forecast and the forecast is based on the idea that there are
things turning around now, we have the way now to actually measure it. The Earth is
going to cool back to where it was in the late '70s by 2030. That's my forecast ..."
Climate Change as a 'Big Forecast'?
Many climatologists, who study weather conditions averaged over time, take issue with
Bastardi's analogy of climate change as a "big forecast."
"I think you've got to be careful separating weather with climate," said Heidi Cullen, a
research scientist and climatologist at Climate Central, a non-profit in Princeton, N.J.,
that tries to explain the science of climate change to the public.
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Cullen concedes Bastardi is correct that today's instruments are more accurate for
measuring nuances in temperature data, but she says the data merely confirm what
scientists have long been predicting.
"If you ask a climate scientist, they would say, we can't afford to wait 30 years to do
anything," Cullen said.
Also, she notes, there's a fundamental difference between predicting the weather and
understanding climate change.
"This is a forecast that we can ultimately change. Your standard five-day forecast is take
an umbrella," she said. "With climate change, it's literally to say, if we continue to do the
things we're doing this is the forecast we will inherit."
Still, a large section of the public remains skeptical. According to a March Gallup poll, 48
percent of Americans believe global warming is "exaggerated" -- up from 41 percent in
2009.
And a recent study by Yale and George Mason Universities found that 56 percent of
Americans trust their weather forecaster to tell them about climate change more than
public figures like Al Gore and Sarah Palin on the issue.
Climatologists Fall Short as Public Educators
As for climate change scientists, they freely admit they haven't always been effective
spokespeople for their cause.
"I plead guilty. I don't think we've done as good a job as we could have done," said
Michael Mann, a climatologist and professor at Penn State University.
Mann is one of the scientists whose private e-mails were hacked and quoted worldwide
by climate change skeptics as proof that they were cooking the books and exaggerating
the effects of climate change.
The November 2009 scandal, nicknamed "Climategate," threatened to derail the global
summit in Copenhagen.
"I think the idea was to clog the works, to sort of engage in a last-minute smear
campaign to distract policy makers," Mann said. "It's a smear campaign. Every inquiry
that has been done that's looked at it said that these statements are being taken out of
context and being used to misrepresent what scientists are actually saying."
A report by the British Parliament's Science and Technology Committee ultimately
determined that the science was sound. "There's no serious debate in the scientific
community about the reality of human caused climate change," Mann said.
The panel called on climate scientists to be more open in their work. Mann says it's not
part of his job to convince Americans that climate change exists.
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"I don't see my job as convincing anyone of anything," Mann said. "My job as a scientist
is making sure that the public discourse is informed by an accurate understanding of the
science."
That may be one reason doubting meteorologists have had such a huge opening to
convince the public otherwise.
"When you offer a forecast day in and day out and you're right 95 percent of the time
people are going to trust you and that is a beautiful thing," Cullen said.
Gallup Poll Finds Most Americans Supporting Enviro Movement
Greenwire, April 22, 2010, By NOELLE STRAUB
As Earth Day marks its 40th birthday, three-fifths of Americans consider themselves
either active in or sympathetic to the environmental movement, a new Gallup poll shows.
Although the percentage of those favoring the green movement has declined about 10
percent since Gallup first measured it in 2000, it "remains high" at 61 percent, Gallup
said.
Nineteen percent of Americans say they are active participants in the environmental
movement, while 42 percent are sympathetic but not active. Another 28 percent are
neutral, and 10 percent are unsympathetic.
The poll showed similar levels of support for the environmental movement's impact.
Sixty-two percent of Americans say the movement has definitely or probably done more
good than harm, down from 75 percent in 2000. Roughly a third of the public said the
movement has done more harm than good.
Those most supportive of the environmental movement or its impact are the young,
college graduates, Democrats and self-described liberals. While men and women are
equally likely to believe the movement has done more good than harm, women are more
likely to personally associate themselves with it.
Gallup's annual environmental survey has shown increased political polarization over
environmental issues, particularly global warming. Republicans and conservatives are
now significantly less likely than Democrats, moderates and liberals to be sympathetic to
the environmental movement or to say it is doing more good than harm.
Among self-identified Democrats there was a 3-point decline in positive orientation
toward the movement over the past decade, from 77 percent to 74 percent. By contrast,
there was a 13-point decline among Republicans, from 64 percent to 51 percent, and an
11-point drop among independents, from 70 percent to 59 percent.
The poll also showed that 90 percent of Americans have voluntarily recycled, 85 percent
have reduced their household energy use and 76 percent have bought products
specifically because they thought they were better for the environment over the past
year. These numbers have remained steady since 2000.
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Gallup asked two new questions this year, finding that 81 percent have replaced
standard light bulbs in their homes with compact fluorescent light bulbs and 70 percent
have used reusable shopping bags at grocery stores.
Global warming, energy
The poll also found that over the past two years Americans have become less worried
about the threat of global warming, less convinced that its effects are already happening
and more likely to believe that scientists themselves are uncertain about its occurrence.
A majority of Americans still agree that global warming is real, with 53 percent saying the
effects of the problem have already begun or will do so in a few years, but that
percentage is dwindling. And 48 percent of Americans now believe that the seriousness
of global warming is generally exaggerated, up from 31 percent in 1997, when Gallup
first asked the question.
Americans are more likely to say the United States should prioritize development of
energy supplies than to say it should prioritize protecting the environment, the first time
more have favored energy production in the question's 10-year history. Fifty percent said
development of U.S. energy supplies like coal, oil and gas should be given priority even
if the environment suffers to some extent, while 43 percent said environmental protection
should be given priority even at the risk of limiting energy supplies.
But at the same time, Americans continue to advocate greater energy conservation by
consumers -- at 52 percent -- over greater production of oil, gas and coal supplies -- at
36 percent -- as a means of solving the nation's energy problems.
The poll was conducted a few weeks before President Obama came out in favor of oil
exploration off some sections of the U.S. coast and shortly after he advocated the
expanded use of nuclear power in the United States.
Americans are less worried about each of eight specific environmental problems than
they were a year ago, such as pollution and tropic forests. On all but global warming and
maintenance of the nation's fresh water supply, concern is the lowest Gallup has
measured. For example, in 1989, 72 percent of Americans said they worried a great deal
about pollution of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, but that has dropped to 46 percent today.
But one major reason Americans may be less worried about environmental problems is
that they perceive environmental conditions in the United States to be improving. Overall
quality of the environment in the United States was rated "excellent" or "good" by 46
percent of those now surveyed, up from 39 percent in March 2009. Despite these shifts,
the majority of 53 percent continue to rate current environmental conditions as only fair
or poor.
In a commentary, Gallup scholar for the environment Riley Dunlap said many factors,
particularly the state of the economy, contributed to the overall lower levels of public
concern about environmental problems as well as the less positive views of the
environmental movement in this year's survey. "The growing political polarization over
environmental issues is likely another key factor," he added.
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The telephone poll with 1,014 adults was conducted from March 4-7, with an error
margin of 4 percent.
Derivatives Bill Calls For U.S. Carbon Market Study
Reuters, 23-Apr-10, By Timothy Gardner and Roberta Rampton
A tough new proposal to regulate U.S. markets calls for top regulators and government
officials to conduct a study on transparency in emerging U.S. carbon markets as part of
the financial reform package.
The heads of the Treasury Department, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission
and other U.S. agencies would be required to study oversight of existing and prospective
carbon markets, according to the proposal, part of a bill passed by the Senate
Agriculture Committee this week.
The goal of the study is "to ensure an efficient, secure, and transparent carbon market,
including oversight of spot markets and derivative markets," the bill said.
Senator Blanche Lincoln's Agriculture Committee voted to advance the bill this week. It
will be merged with the Senate Banking Committee's financial reform package, expected
to be debated next week, which will likely include a crackdown on the unregulated $450
trillion derivatives market.
Emerging carbon markets are either voluntary or regional because the U.S. government
does not limit emissions of gases blamed for warming the planet, considered a
requirement before the launch of a national market.
Ten states in the U.S. Northeast operate a carbon market on power plants. In addition,
the Chicago Climate Exchange also runs voluntary carbon markets.
Some critics of carbon markets say that not all of the credits that are traded in them
represent true emissions reductions.
Senators John Kerry, a Democrat, Lindsey Graham, a Republican and Joe Lieberman,
an independent, hope to unveil a climate bill on Monday that is expected to include a
carbon market on power plants beginning in 2012, which could be expanded to the
manufacturers years later.
Other agency officials required to participate in the study would be the heads of the
Agriculture Department, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Environmental
Protection Agency, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Federal Trade
Commission, and the Energy Information Administration, the independent statistics arm
of the Department of Energy.
The interagency group would be required to submit a report to Congress on their study
within six months after the report becomes law.
46
Jackson Riles Business, Lawmakers With Carbon Rules
Reuters, 23-Apr-10, By Ayesha Rascoe
From Texas lawmakers to top coal mining executives, a wide array of business and
political interests would like to stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
ambitious and solo plan to tackle climate change.
But standing in the way is an energetic former chemical engineer who has vowed to
press ahead with a raft of changes that only Congress or the courts can block.
The first African-American to head EPA, Lisa Jackson is now the poster woman for 21st
century environmentalism and standing firm against critics who say her agenda is too
radical for an economy emerging from a steep recession.
"I'm sick of the same old tired arguments," Jackson said in an interview with Reuters at
her Washington office. "I don't buy into this idea that we can't have economic
progress...and we can't have a strong environment. I believe it's a false choice."
Although the Obama administration has said it would prefer that Congress address
global warming through legislation, Jackson's agency could play a sweeping role in
transitioning the United States to a low carbon economy if Congress is unable to get its
act together.
Just a few months into the new administration, EPA issued a historic finding that
greenhouse gases endanger public health, which compels the agency to regulate carbon
under the Clean Air Act.
But this doesn't sit well with groups such as the National Mining Association, who argue
that the EPA is ill-equipped to handle the enormous task of limiting greenhouse gases.
The agency said it will "tailor" its carbon reduction rules to affect only the largest
polluters, but many industry groups believe this narrow rule would not survive court
challenges and the damage will be felt more widely.
"Once you start the truck down the hill, it's hard to stop it," said Carol Raulston, a mining
association spokeswoman.
Critics warn that if the so-called tailoring rule is struck down by the courts, the EPA will
be forced to impose cumbersome and costly rules on virtually every source of
greenhouse gases -- from churches to schools and coal plants to farms.
And there is growing concern that Congress will not be able to pass a climate bill,
because of the haggling between Republicans and Democrats.
NIGHTMARE SCENARIO?
Jackson, a self-described pragmatist with a master's degree in chemical engineering
from Princeton University, disputes these claims. She said the point of the tailoring rule
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is to avoid the "nightmare scenario" envisioned by opponents where the agency
regulates everything in sight.
"When it comes out you'll see that we're making good on our word," Jackson said of the
rule to be released by May.
Born in Pennsylvania in 1962, Jackson was adopted and raised in the impoverished
lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana. She is no stranger to the energy industry,
working summers at a big oil company in her youth.
"I'm an environmentalist who worked three summers in a row for Shell Oil Company in
gas plants and oil field work. I don't see those in any way as mutually exclusive," she
added.
As an engineer, Jackson said she strongly believes technological innovations can play a
major role in helping to solve the clean energy problem.
Jackson worked at the EPA for 16 years before eventually becoming the Commissioner
of New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection.
JACKSON'S CHEERING FANS
After years of feeling like outcasts at the EPA, environmentalists say they have found a
true champion with Jackson now at the helm of the EPA.
"It's so invigorating to see the Environmental Protection Agency back on its feet and
doing it's job again," said David Doniger, a policy director at the Natural Resources
Defense Council's climate center.
Since coming to office, Jackson has impressed environmentalists by tightening
standards for mountaintop mining, proposing new air quality rules, and approving
California's request to crack down on vehicle emissions.
Doniger noted Jackson received a standing ovation last year when she spoke to
environmentalists at the Copenhagen climate meeting shortly after finalizing the
agency's greenhouse gas decision .
"I hadn't experienced anything quite like that," Doniger said. "She was a rock star at
Copenhagen."
Green groups also herald the administration's effectiveness in pushing the nation's ailing
auto industry to begin producing more fuel efficient vehicles, striking a deal with
automakers last year to impose the first U.S. greenhouse gas emissions rules on
vehicles.
EPA administrators have the challenge of following science and the law and keeping
politicians happy, said Sierra Club chairman Carl Pope. "It is not easy and nobody has
ever done it as well as she is doing it," he added.
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World Bank Chief Urges Action To Save Wild Tigers
Reuters, 23-Apr-10, By Lesley Wroughton
World Bank President Robert Zoellick called on Wednesday for joint action among
countries and organizations to save the dwindling numbers of wild tigers from extinction.
There are barely 3,500 tigers left in the wild. Their declining numbers are blamed largely
on poaching and the slow destruction of their natural habitat by deforestation.
"2010, the Year of the Tiger, must be the year in which we take joint action to save this
majestic species," Zoellick said at a photo exhibition by the National Geographic
Museum, which focuses on the plight of endangered tigers and other big cats.
Zoellick has a personal passion for the conservation of wild tigers. Visitors to his office at
the World Bank headquarters in Washington are directed to a table map showing the
decline of wild tigers in the world, with troubled areas shaded in red and orange.
The World Bank, whose mission is to reduce global poverty, sees its role as trying to
improve conditions in developing countries, which in turn would help to preserve the
tigers' habitat.
Through the "Global Tiger Initiative," an alliance of governments and more than 30
international agencies, the World Bank has been working with countries such as India
and Nepal to set aside more land for tiger habitat.
In South-East Asia the bank is working with groups to address the black market for body
parts from tigers, common in countries like as China.
"Part of what this is about is getting people not to see development and conservation as
opposing poles but how you can try to connect them together," Zoellick told Reuters
Insider Television.
"By working with the countries in the developing world, that's the best chance to save
this species, which after all is in the developing world."
A World Bank report in 2008 warned that "if current trends persist, tigers are likely to be
the first species of large predator to vanish in historic times."
A summit in September in Vladivostok, Russia, will try to push for conservation
commitments for the world's remaining tigers.
Orcas Are More Than One Species, Gene Study Shows
Reuters, 23-Apr-10, By Maggie Fox
They may all look similar, but killer whales, also known as orcas, include several distinct
species, according to genetic evidence published on Thursday.
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Tissue samples from 139 killer whales from around the world point to at least three
distinct species, the researchers report in the journal Genome Research.
Researchers had suspected this may be the case -- the distinctive black-and-white or
gray-and-white mammals have subtle differences in their markings and also in feeding
behavior.
Orcas as a group are not considered an endangered species, but some designated
populations of the predators are. A new species designation could change this and affect
conservation efforts.
One of the newly designated species preys on seals in the Antarctic while another eats
fish, said Phillip Morin of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California, who led the research.
His team sequenced the DNA from the whales' mitochondria, a part of the cell that holds
just a portion of the DNA. Mitochondrial DNA is passed down with very few changes
from mother to offspring.
New sequencing methods finally made it possible to do so, Morin said in a statement.
"The genetic makeup of mitochondria in killer whales, like other cetaceans, changes very
little over time, which makes it difficult to detect any differentiation in recently evolved
species without looking at the entire genome," he said.
"But by using a relatively new method called highly parallel sequencing to map the entire
genome of the cell's mitochondria from a worldwide sample of killer whales, we were
able to see clear differences among the species."
The 139 whales whose DNA was sequenced came from the North Pacific, the North
Atlantic and Antarctica.
The genetic evidence suggests two different species in Antarctica and also separates
out mammal-eating "transient" killer whales in the North Pacific.
Other types of orca may also be separate species or subspecies, but it will take
additional analysis to be sure, the researchers said.
NOAA has designated a population of killer whales that lives in the Pacific off the coast
of Washington state as endangered.
Film Fetes Small Steps To Address Climate Change
Reuters, 23-Apr-10, By Edith Honan
If "An Inconvenient Truth," Al Gore's Oscar-winning 2006 film on global warming, left
audiences depressed about the planet's future, a new film from the same executive
producers is designed to lift spirits.
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"Climate of Change" premieres at New York's Tribeca Film Festival Thursday -- Earth
Day -- and focuses on the efforts by individuals from around the world to reduce their
personal carbon footprint while fighting business interests they say threaten the
environment.
"I wouldn't exactly call it a feel-good film about climate change, but the idea was not to
make a film that was scary," film director Brian Hill told Reuters. "We've got people doing
something, people reacting to the kind of messages in films like 'An Inconvenient Truth.'"
The film, produced in part by Participant Media, which produced the Al Gore film,
features a group of schoolchildren in Patna, India, explaining how they intend to change
the world by protesting the use of plastic.
It also shows a community in Papua, New Guinea, that has banned commercial logging,
a group in the U.S. state of West Virginia that is fighting to end mountaintop removal by
coal companies, and an organization in Togo that is teaching women to use ovens
powered by the sun.
"Climate of Change," narrated by actress Tilda Swinton, argues that average people
must work to reduce their own carbon emissions since some industrialized nations and
large companies refuse to take significant steps.
"It would be great, and probably more useful in the long run, if governments would get
involved," Hill said. "I don't think any government has really decided to tackle it in any
forthright and bold manner, which is what you really need."
World leaders are due to meet in Mexico in November for the latest round of climate
change talks, but observers say they are skeptical about how far the biggest carbon
emitters will agree to go.
The U.S. Congress is also considering legislation to reduce emissions of so-called
greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. But the likelihood of passage this year is
slim.
Hill said the experience of making the film has changed his behavior: "I'm forever going
around the house, turning lights out."
Ocean Chemistry Changing At 'Unprecedented Rate'
Reuters, 23-Apr-10, By Deborah Zabarenko
Carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming are also turning the oceans
more acidic at the fastest pace in hundreds of thousands of years, the National
Research Council reported Thursday.
"The chemistry of the ocean is changing at an unprecedented rate and magnitude due to
anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions," the council said. "The rate of change exceeds
any known to have occurred for at least the past hundreds of thousands of years."
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Ocean acidification eats away at coral reefs, interferes with some fish species' ability to
find their homes and can hurt commercial shellfish like mussels and oysters and keep
them from forming their protective shells.
Corrosion happens when carbon dioxide is stored in the oceans and reacts with sea
water to form carbonic acid. Unless carbon dioxide emissions are curbed, oceans will
grow more acidic, the report said.
Oceans absorb about one-third of all human-generated carbon dioxide emissions,
including those from burning fossil fuels, cement production and deforestation, the report
said.
The increase in acidity is 0.1 points on the 14-point pH scale, which means this indicator
has changed more since the start of the Industrial Revolution than at any time in the last
800,000 years, according to the report.
The council's report recommended setting up an observing network to monitor the
oceans over the long term.
"A global network of robust and sustained chemical and biological observations will be
necessary to establish a baseline and to detect and predict changes attributable to
acidification," the report said.
ACID OCEANS AND 'AVATAR'
Scientists have been studying this growing phenomenon for years, but ocean
acidification is generally a low priority at international and U.S. discussions of climate
change.
A new compromise U.S. Senate bill targeting carbon dioxide emissions is expected to be
unveiled on April 26.
Ocean acidification was center stage at a congressional hearing Thursday, the 40th
anniversary of Earth Day in the United States.
"This increase in (ocean) acidity threatens to decimate entire species, including those
that are at the foundation of the marine food chain," Democratic Senator Frank
Lautenberg of New Jersey told a Commerce Committee panel. "If that occurs, the
consequences are devastating."
Lautenberg said that in New Jersey, Atlantic coast businesses generate $50 billion a
year and account for one of every six jobs in the state.
Sigourney Weaver, a star of the environmental-themed film "Avatar" and narrator of the
documentary "Acid Test" about ocean acidification, testified about its dangers. She said
people seem more aware of the problem now than they did six months ago.
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"I think that the science is so indisputable and easy to understand and ... we've already
run out of time to discuss this," Weaver said by telephone after her testimony. "Now we
have to take action."
Senators Struggling Over Climate Compromise
Reuters, 23-Apr-10, By Richard Cowan
U.S. senators writing a massive climate-change bill struggled on Thursday over how to
reduce carbon dioxide pollution in the transportation sector, Senator Lindsey Graham
said, adding that he did not yet know whether a measure would be ready by Monday.
"The transportation sector is a problem," Graham told reporters. "We're just dealing with
that."
Graham, a Republican, has been collaborating with Democratic Senator John Kerry and
independent Senator Joseph Lieberman on a bill they hope to sketch out on Monday,
but which will face an uphill fight this year.
Asked whether the trio will be able to meet that deadline, Graham responded, "I don't
know yet."
The fight over how Congress should reduce pollution that scientists blame for global
warming was unfolding as environmentalists celebrated the 40th anniversary of Earth
Day.
"Earth Day 2010 must be a reflection point that helps make this the year the Senate
passes comprehensive climate and energy legislation," Kerry said in a statement.
He called it "our last and best shot" at finding 60 votes needed in the Senate for
controversial bills such as this one to clear procedural hurdles.
Kerry, Graham and Lieberman had been looking at a "linked fee" on motor fuels, applied
after oil is refined, as a way of handling the transportation part of the climate bill.
That fee would have been linked to the price of carbon pollution permits for electric
power utilities that would be traded on a regulated market.
But according to sources, there was strong backlash from other senators to the idea of a
"fee," which opponents would label a tax on consumers that they would pay at the
gasoline pump.
Some environmental sources have told Reuters that the three senators have been
looking at a substitute idea -- one that would have oil refiners buying pollution
"allowances" that are based on the carbon content of their fuels.
'LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS'
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Senators would not confirm that and Graham refused to discuss any new details.
But he said, "we're looking at other ways," instead of the linked fee.
"It's one thing for oil and gas companies to be OK" with a transportation sector pollutionreduction scheme, "but what if you're actually driving a truck and that's the way you
make a living. How does it effect you," he said.
Lawmakers are always gun-shy about any legislation that is perceived to be raising
taxes, especially as they face elections in November for one-third of the Senate and the
entire House of Representatives.
Carol Browner, President Barack Obama's top energy and climate adviser, said in a
discussion on the White House website that Kerry, Graham and Lieberman will "present"
their bill on Monday. "We are working with them and are very encouraged by this
bipartisan group and the progress they are making," she said.
Whenever the compromise bill is unveiled, it is expected to spark a spirited discussion
among senators, corporate lobbyists and environmentalists.
Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer of California, who helped write a climate change bill
last year that Kerry, Graham and Lieberman are building upon, was asked whether she
could support the new proposal if it does not protect climate-control initiatives already in
place in her state.
"We're very optimistic about how the bill will look vis-a-vis my state," Boxer said, but
adding she had not yet seen the text of the Kerry-Graham-Lieberman bill.
Sources have told Reuters that the bill will preempt some of the climate-control efforts of
states and regions, while giving them latitude to continue their own energy-efficiency
efforts.
But Democratic Senator Carl Levin, who represents the automobile manufacturing state
of Michigan, told reporters that his support for a compromise climate bill would vanish
unless there is a strong federal standard for controlling carbon pollution emissions.
If California gets an exemption, Levin told reporters, "That's the end of it for me ... that's
not a national standard" if California wins a waiver, he said.
Green Auction nets $2 million for environment
Reuters, April 23, 2010; By Christopher Michaud
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Art collectors, environmentalists and celebrities packed the
salesroom at Christie's on Thursday, the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, and spent
nearly $2 million at the Green Auction benefiting the environment.
A round of golf with former President Bill Clinton, a painting by Damien Hirst, a GirardPerregaux white gold and diamond watch and 18 other lots drew spirited bidding from
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anonymous buyers as well as stars such as Salma Hayek and Chevy Chase, who
served as emcee.
Edward Dolman, chief executive of Christie's International, called the event "a
wonderfully appropriate way to celebrate Earth Day," adding that the response had been
breathtaking.
"I like to think that we are one of the first to get seriously into recycling," he quipped in
reference to the 244-year-old auction house's history of selling and reselling art and
other fine collectibles.
Proceeds from the live auction, a companion silent online sale and related fund-raising
events collectively known as "A Bid to Save the Earth" will be divided among the nonprofit environmental groups Natural Resources Defense Council, the Central Park
Conservancy, Oceana and Conservation International.
Other stars on hand included Sam Waterston and Ted Danson, along with newsmen
Brian Williams and Matt Lauer, and Candice Bergen, who donated a tour of Central Park
with the actress followed by lunch.
A few items, including a trip to Botswana for six guided by National Geographic's editor
in chief, went as high as $150,000, while spirited bidding drove the price for golfing with
Clinton to $80,000. Bids totaled just over $1.5 million.
The silent auction (www.abidtosavetheearth.org) has drawn bids well in excess of
$500,000 and could top $1 million or more by May 6, when it finishes.
Up for grabs are tennis lessons with John McEnroe, dinner and theater with actress
Sigourney Weaver and a day on the set with Australian actor Hugh Jackman. A behindthe-scenes tour with Simon Doonen of Manhattan department store Barneys' legendary
holiday window displays, along with lunch and a $5,000 gift card, has soared to $37,500.
With participation from quarters as far-reaching as Deutsche Bank, NBC Universal and
retailers Target and Barneys, officials said the Green Auction reflected increasing
understanding that business concerns are closely tied to environmental issues, and that
the two need not be opposing forces.
Christie's waived all fees and commissions for the sale, and in a green nod did not print
a catalog. And the event's "red carpet" was not red -- it was green.
"The Green Auction is a call to action," Dolman said before the auction.
Paddle raises, in which bidders made donations ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 to one
of the environmental groups, took in another half million dollars, while cellphone users
were encouraged to text GOGREEN to phone number 20222 to make a $10 donation.
Like Sept.11, volcano plane ban may hold climate clue
Reuters, April 23, 2010; By Alister Doyle
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OSLO (Reuters) - Plane-free skies over Europe during Iceland's volcanic eruption may
yield rare clues about how flights stoke climate change, adding to evidence from a
closure of U.S. airspace after September 11, 2001, experts say.
The climate effects of jet fuel burned at high altitude are poorly understood, partly
because scientists cannot often compare plane-free skies with days when many regions
are criss-crossed by white vapor trails.
Scientists will pore over European temperature records, satellite images and other data
from days when flights were grounded by ash -- trying to isolate any effect of a lack of
planes from the sun-dimming effect of Iceland's volcanic cloud.
"The presence of volcanic ash makes this event much more challenging to analyze,"
said David Travis, of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, who found that an absence
of vapor trails influenced U.S. temperatures after the September 11 attacks.
One possibility was to study areas of Europe where ash was minimal and flights were
canceled mainly as a precaution. "But this becomes very challenging to measure," he
told Reuters.
Progress in figuring out the impact of planes might make it easier to include aviation in
any U.N. climate deal -- international flights are exempt from emissions curbs under the
U.N.'s Kyoto Protocol for combating climate change until 2012.
CARBON
That might in turn push up ticket prices if flights include a penalty for emissions. Flights
in Europe emitted 186 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2007, the European
Environment Agency said, more than the total emissions of Belgium.
Many studies estimate that aviation, the fastest growing transport sector, accounts for 23 percent of global warming from human activities that could bring more heat waves,
species extinctions, mudslides and rising sea levels.
No one wants disasters that close airspace but scientists will seize on European data
from days of clear skies, said Gunnar Myhre of the Center for International Climate and
Environmental Research in Oslo.
"There will be initiatives," he said, adding that it was hard to separate ash from industrial
pollution.
Travis's 2002 study found that an absence of condensation trails during the September
11-14 closure of U.S. airspace to commercial flights after the suicide hijacker attacks led
to bigger swings in daily temperatures.
That was evidence that jets affect temperatures, but did not say if contrails were
boosting climate change or not.
56
The U.N. panel of climate experts reckons that aviation is damaging the climate and that
non-carbon factors -- such as nitrogen oxides, soot or contrails -- may have an effect 2
to 4 times as great as carbon dioxide alone.
The current European Union emissions trading scheme only covers carbon dioxide, and
wants more studies. "All the impacts of aviation should be addressed to the extent
possible," European Commission spokeswoman Maria Kokkonen said.
High clouds -- such as contrails or cirrus clouds -- tend to trap heat, preventing it
escaping from the thin atmosphere. By contrast, lower clouds usually dampen climate
change since their white tops are better at reflecting sunlight.
Obama unchanged on offshore drilling despite spill
Reuters, April 23, 2010; 12:45 PM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama has no plans to reconsider his
proposal for new offshore oil drilling in the aftermath of an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico,
the White House said on Friday.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the administration had taken swift action to
ensure the safety of workers and the environment after the spill, which on Thursday
measured one mile by five miles.
Asked whether Obama had second thoughts on offshore drilling, Gibbs said, "No."
Obama still believes that "we have to have a comprehensive solution to our energy
problems," and the spill did not open up new questions about his drilling plan, he said.
"We've taken swift action to ensure the safety of those that are there and to ensure the
safety to the environment by capping the exploratory well," Gibbs said.
"We need the increased production. The president still continues to believe the great
majority of that can be done safely, securely and without any harm to the environment,"
he said.
Oil appears not to be flowing from the sunken drilling rig and damaged well in the Gulf of
Mexico, but hope was dimming as search continued for 11 workers missing in the
disaster, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Friday.
The Transocean Ltd Deepwater Horizon sank Thursday after burning since Tuesday
following an explosion while trying to temporarily cap a new well drilled for BP Plc 42
miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana.
Energy sector poised for innovation -- with the right spark
The Washington Post, April 23, 2010; By Bill Gates and Chad Holliday
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This country runs on innovation. The American success story -- from Ben Franklin's
bifocals to Thomas Edison's light bulb to Henry Ford's assembly line to today's advanced
microprocessors -- is all about inventing our future. The companies we ran, Microsoft
and DuPont, were successful because they invested deeply in new technologies and
new ideas.
But our country is neglecting a field central to our national prospect and security: energy.
Although the information technology and pharmaceutical industries spend 5 to 15
percent of their revenue on research and development each year, U.S. companies'
spending on energy R&D has averaged only about one-quarter of 1 percent of revenue
over the past 15 years.
And despite talk about the need for "21st-century" energy sources, federal spending on
clean energy research -- less than $3 billion -- is also relatively small. Compare that with
roughly $30 billion that the U.S. government annually spends on health research and
$80 billion on defense research and development.
As many have noted, an energy future built on yesterday's technology threatens to leave
people exposed to price shocks (hurting Americans and devastating the world's poor)
and would exacerbate our national security problems and increase our trade deficit,
given our dependence on costly foreign oil. The science is also clear that without
significant efforts to tackle the climate issue, the effects of warming will grow,
undermining agriculture, making droughts and floods more common and more severe,
and eventually destroying ecosystems.
We need a vigorous strategy to invent our future and ensure its safety and prosperity. In
the realm of energy, as with medicine and national defense, that requires a public
commitment.
Why can't the private sector do this? What makes energy different from, say,
electronics? Three things.
First, there are profound public interests in having more energy options. Our national
security, economic health and environment are at issue. These are not primary
motivations for private-sector investments, but they merit a public commitment.
Second, the nature of the energy business requires a public commitment. A new
generation of television technology might cost $10 million to develop. Because those
TVs can be built on existing assembly lines, that risk-reward calculus makes business
sense. But a new electric power source can cost several billion dollars to develop and
still carry the risk of failure. That investment does not compute for most companies.
Third, the turnover in our power system is very slow. Power plants last 50 years or more,
and they are very cheap to run once built, meaning there is little market for new models.
It is understandable, then, why private-sector investments in clean energy technology
are so small. Yet, while it may make sense for individual companies to make these
choices, accepting the status quo would condemn our country to very bad options.
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This is why we have joined other concerned business leaders -- including Norm
Augustine, former chairman of Lockheed Martin; Ursula Burns, chief executive of Xerox;
John Doerr, partner at Kleiner Perkins; Jeff Immelt, chief executive of GE; and Tim
Solso, chairman of Cummins -- to create the American Energy Innovation Council.
There is vast opportunity in energy. Prices are declining in solar energy and wind, and
they could fall further with new technology. There is a critical need for better electricity
storage technologies to enable electric vehicles and very-large-scale renewable energy.
Advanced nuclear power could burn non-enriched uranium -- which the world has in vast
quantities. New efficiency technologies can cut energy demand by half or more in
dozens of applications -- in cars, buildings and some industrial processes.
And this list just scratches the surface. Vigorous federal commitments to new energy
technology would bring these options to commercial viability.
Our country has great assets to bring to the challenge. Our research universities are
among the best in the world, and our federal energy laboratories have brilliant scientists
capable of delivering breakthroughs.
But we need to rethink the scale and urgency of the energy endeavor. The federal
government must invest more and be smarter about the innovation process.
In a few months our group will offer detailed recommendations to strengthen and reform
American energy innovation. As we develop recommendations, we are reaching out to
leaders in business, government and academia, as well as experts in science and
technology. Eventually we plan to advocate to Congress, the White House and others.
We are pleased that energy innovation has never become politicized because
Republicans, Democrats and independents share a common interest in scientific
breakthroughs that improve people's lives. We are confident that this spirit will be
reflected in these discussions.
The core force of innovation -- vision, experimentation and wise investments -- has led to
thousands of breakthroughs that benefit us all. A serious commitment to innovation can
be transformative, as we saw with the effort to replace chlorofluorocarbons two decades
ago. We need the same serious commitment in the energy sector to developing the
original American energy supply: innovation.
Bill Gates is chairman of Microsoft Corp. Chad Holliday was chairman and chief
executive of DuPont from 1998 to 2009.
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ROWA MEDIA UPDATE
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE NEWS
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Oman
Earth, Regional Environment Day observed
SALALAH — The Directorate General of Environment and Climate Affairs in Dhofar
Governorate yesterday marked Earth and Regional Environment Day. The programme
of the event included a number of lectures addressing school children in the wilayats of
Salalah by specialists at the Directorate General of Environment and Climate Affairs in
Dhofar.
The lectures dealt with the current environmental challenges facing the world and their
implications to human communities in terms of water shortage, desertification, spread of
diseases and epidemics, high temperatures, the increase of storms and natural disasters
and marine pollution.
The lecturers also highlighted the Omani laws and legislations on environment
conservation. The programme, which runs through April 26, also includes cleanliness
campaigns mapping coral reefs and work camps. Earth Day activities started in 1970
and it aims at protecting ecosystems and emphasise awareness about the current
challenges facing the earth since the beginning of the 3rd millennium. — ONA
http://main.omanobserver.om/node/7343
Jordan
AZRAQ WETLAND - Environmentalists are calling on concerned parties to designate the
Aphanius Sirhani fish Jordan’s national fish, saying it is unique to the Azraq Wetland
Reserve.
Named after Wadi Al Sirhan in Azraq, the six-centimetre fish is the only vertebrate
species native to Jordan, according to the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
(RSCN), and was previously thought to be extinct.
During the 1960s and 1970s, studies indicated that the Sirhani fish was present in
“endless” numbers.
However by 1989, following indiscriminate water pumping from the Azraq Oasis, the fish
was categorised as “in danger of extinction”, the RSCN said.
“Pumping water in huge amounts caused the oasis to dry out, and the Sirhani fish lost its
natural habitat,” Director of Azraq Wetland Reserve Omar Shoshan said on Thursday.
He indicated that by the mid-1990s, the species was believed extinct, but in 2000 it was
rediscovered in very low numbers.
The Sirhani fish was then added to the International Union for the Conservation of
Nature’s Red List with a status of critically endangered.
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In a bid to reintroduce the Sirhani fish into the wetland, the RSCN started a conservation
project in 2000, which succeeded in raising the numbers from a few scores to hundreds
of thousands at present, Shoshan noted.
“Now, we aim to turn it into the Kingdom’s national fish,” he said.
The head of the nature reservation at the Ministry of Environment, Hussein Shahin, said
that the ministry is considering the proposal, adding that the uniqueness of the fish is
worth the designation as Jordan’s national fish.
“The black iris is our national flower, the pink bird is our national bird and the malloul oak
is our national tree… we want the Sirhani to be our national fish,” Shahin said.
http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=25990
UAE
Turtle Rescue
A 100kg giant green sea turtle recieves assistance after being found in distress in Abu
Dhabi
http://gulfnews.com/gntv/news/turtle-rescue-1.616076‫مواضيع ذات صلة‬
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ROAP MEDIA UPDATE
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE NEWS
Thursday, April 15, 2010
UNEP or UN in the News
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Two national presidents among this year’s winners of top UN environment award – UN
News Centre
Chinese actress wins UN environment award - Sin Chew Jit Poh
Maldives leader wins highest UN environment award - Press Trust of India
OANA, UNEP Sign MoU On Media, Training Cooperation - BERNAMA
4th Annual B4E Summit Kicks-off – Arirang
Global climate deal best option, but road rough: U.N. – Reuters India
B4E Summit kicks off with S. Korean President's green growth highlight - People's Daily
Online
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Two national presidents among this year’s winners of top UN environment award
– UN News Centre
22 April 2010 – The Presidents of Guyana and Maldives are among six winners from
government, science, business and entertainment to be awarded this year’s United
Nations Champions of the Earth prize today for their leadership in environmental
conservation.
The winners, announced by Achim Steiner, Under-Secretary-General and UN
Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director, include President Bharrat Jagdeo
of Guyana, who is a passionate forestry and ecosystem infrastructure proponent, and
Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, an international climate change campaigner.
Afghanistan’s Director General of the National Environmental Protection Agency and
sustainability advocate, Prince Mostapha Zaher, and Japanese earth scientist and
pioneer of research into how the oceans cycle carbon, Taro Takahashi, are also on the
winners’ list.
Chinese actress Zhou Xun received the award for her reputation as a green lifestyle
guru. Through her “tips for green living” initiative, Ms. Xun encourages people to reduce
their carbon print through simple changes in lifestyle.
United States venture capitalist and Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla was
recognized for his efforts as a green energy entrepreneur. In September 2009, Mr.
Khosla’s venture capital firm announced it had raised $1.1 billion for a “green fund” that
would be used to spur development of renewable energy and other clean technologies.
The trophies were presented at a gala event in Seoul to mark International Mother Earth
Day, in conjunction with the Business for the Environment Global Summit in the capital
of the Republic of Korea, which is being attended by more than 1,000 representatives
from business, government, and civil society.
“The six winners represent some of the key pillars upon which society can build green
growth and a development path to unite rather than divide six billion people,” said Mr.
Steiner.
The Champions of the Earth, an international environment award established in 2004,
recognizes achievements in areas of entrepreneurial vision, policy and leadership,
science and innovation, inspiration and action. The year’s awards had a special category
for biodiversity and ecosystems management. To date, the award has recognized 34
outstanding environmental leaders.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34446&Cr=environment&Cr1=
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Chinese actress wins UN environment award - Sin Chew Jit Poh
2010-04-22 - Zhou Xun, a popular Chinese actress, speaks during a press conference
at the UNEP's 2010 Champions of the Earth Awards in Seoul on April 22, 2010. (Photo
courtesy: AFP)
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SEOUL, April 22 (AFP) - A popular Chinese actress was named one of the United
Nations' "Champions of the Earth" on Thursday for her efforts to encourage people to
live a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle.
Zhou Xun was one of six "champions" honoured by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) at an event in Seoul marking Earth Day.
"I am honoured ... I am receiving this award on behalf of all in China who care about our
planet," she told journalists after the announcement of the awards.
"I hope that by serving as an example, I can encourage others to follow suit and to live a
lifestyle that does not take our planet for granted," she said.
Zhou takes her own chopsticks, mugs and shopping bags wherever she goes, UNEP
said, and encourages others to use reusable products.
UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said Zhou's "well publicised statements, advice
and lifestyle choices are influencing millions of fans to become more environmentallyconscious citizens and consumers."
UNEP names six Champions of the Earth every year to recognise leadership on
environmental issues.
The other winners this year included President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, who
is an active campaigner on climate change, and President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana.
Also among the winners were Japanese earth scientist Taro Takahashi, a pioneer of
research into how the oceans cycle carbon; Prince Mostapha Zaher, who is director
general of Afghanistan's National Environmental Protection Agency, and American
venture capitalist and green energy entrepreneur Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun
Microsystems.
http://www.mysinchew.com/node/38067
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Maldives leader wins highest UN environment award - Press Trust of India
STAFF WRITER - Seoul, Apr 22 (AP) The United Nations has honoured President
Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives with its highest award for environmental leadership.
Nasheed was among six people to receive the 2010 Champions of the Earth award
today at the Business 4 Environment conference in Seoul.
He has tried to attract international attention to threat of rising sea levels to his island
nation, including holding an underwater cabinet meeting.
One of his boldest proposals is that his country go "carbon neutral," and he has urged
others to follow suit.
The 46-year-old leader says he is delighted that "a small country can make a big impact
on the world stage."
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Past winners include former US Vice President Al Gore and former Soviet leader Mikhail
Gorbachev.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/621821_Maldives-leader-wins-highest-UN-environmentaward
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OANA, UNEP Sign MoU On Media, Training Cooperation - BERNAMA
SEOUL, April 22 (Bernama) -- The Organisation of Asia- Pacific News Agencies (OANA)
and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) signed a memorandum of
understanding for comprehensive media cooperation here Wednesday in the Asia
Pacific region, Indonesia's Antara news agency reported.
The MoU was signed by OANA President Dr Ahmad Mukhlis Yusuf, who is also Antara
News Agency Chief Executive Officer, and the UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the
Pacific head Dr Park Young Woo.
The MoU's signing was done on the sidelines of a three-day OANA Summit Congress
held in conjunction with South Korean news agency Yonhap`s 30th anniversary.
Mukhlis Yusuf, who is also Antara chief executive officer, said cooperation with the UN
environmental body was a mandate given by the OANA General Assembly in Jakarta in
December 2007. It had strengthened the commitment on environmental issues and ever
since that the agenda had been an OANA priority.
Besides emphasizing the importance of OANA`s role in disseminating environmental
issues through its news mechanism, news was not only the work of reporters, Mukhlis
said. More than that, news could also carry a certain agenda as news was basically not
value-free.
Therefore, he urged UNEP to provide an agenda linked to environmental issues in
cooperation with OANA in order to make people understand the importance of avoiding
global warming as a whole, not only on some segmented issues like depletion of the
ozone layer.
He also asked UNEP to cooperate in training programmes and workshops on
environmental issues for OANA journalists.
Dr Park welcomed the initiatives of OANA`s president on those issues because they
were efforts to tackle environmental problems of the global community as a whole.
He said that the challenge was how to change the mindset of the people and here the
media could play a critical role.
In this respect the UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific head appreciated the
efforts by OANA saying that such efforts would greatly benefit the people environmentwise.
The purpose of the MoU is to provide a framework of cooperation and understanding
and to facilitate collaboration between the parties to further their shared goals and
objectives in regard to conservation, protection, enhancement and support of nature and
natural resources, including biological diversity worldwide.
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These objectives will be achieved through regular dialogue meetings between UNEP
and OANA and execution of a separate legal instrument between the parties to define
and implement joint activities, with areas of cooperation to include OANA promoting and
disseminating environment/UNEP news to its members, OANA members undertaking to
reduce their carbon emissions in their operations and join UNEP`s Climate Neutral
Network as a group.
OANA will also allocate funds or provide support to their media for training in
environmental reporting, and its members pool funds to support training of their reporters
on the environment and the participation of their reporters in key environmental events
organised worldwide.
Meanwhild, UNEP will regularly provide information on the environment to OANA for
dissemination to its members, help facilitate media training and experts for training of
OANA member reporters and provide a calendar of key environment meetings and
events to OANA members.
OANA was established in 1961 on the initiative of UNESCO to secure direct and free
exchange of news between the news agencies of a region inhabited by more than one
half of the world`s population and to facilitate the free flow of information.
Asia-Pacific countries account for 56 percent of the world`s gross product, some 50
percent of its trade turnover, over 60 percent of its maritime and nearly 25 percent of air
transport volume.
OANA at present comprises 40 news agencies from 33 countries and the members are
responsible for two-thirds of information circulated throughout the world.
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsworld.php?id=492534
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4th Annual B4E Summit Kicks-off – Arirang
VOD SERVICE
The 4th annual B4E or Business for the Environment Global Summit kicked-off in Seoul
on Thursday.
Government and business leaders from around the world gathered to discuss
environmental issues such as resource and energy efficiency and green growth
strategies.
In his keynote address, President Lee Myung-bak labeled the four river s restoration
project a 'Green New Deal' and emphasized that the project will bring both
environmental protection and economic growth.
[Interview : President Lee Myung-bak ] "The four rivers project is a representative Green
New Deal Project to simultaneously pursue environmental protection and economic
growth."
President Lee pointed to research that shows water shortages expected in 2030 can be
completely resolved simply by expanding water supply and the more efficient use of
water.
He explained that the four rivers project will increase the nation's water supply by some
1.3 billion tons upon completion.
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Meanwhile, Achim Steiner who heads up the United Nation's Environment Program says
Korea's transition towards a green economy has become an important part of the
development directions of the Korean economy which could lead to the issue being
brought up in the upcoming Group of 20 summits.
[Interview : Achim Steiner, Executive Director
UNEP] "The transition towards a green economy as UNEP is calling for in the context of
global development discussions is one that has begun to shape Korean policy thinking.
And that is something that is very encouraging and very important also, I think, for
discussion in the context of the G20 summits."
So how in the context of the beginning economic recovery can businesses maintain the
vision that they must transform their strategies to produce more efficiently and to pollute
less[Interview : Chris Deri, Executive Vice President
Edelman] "Consumers are letting the brands that they trust be a source of inspiration
and information about the consumers' own social activism and participation in their
community."
He says it's a big challenge, but it's necessary for brands to act more like advocacy
organizations that influence the behavior of consumers because at the end of the day
that's what will have a real multiplier effect in terms of environmental impact on the
planet.
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=102378&code=Ne4&category=3
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Global climate deal best option, but road rough: U.N. – Reuters India
Thu Apr 22, 2010, By Jon Herskovitz
SEOUL (Reuters) - The head of the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) maintained a
global climate treaty was better than a range of small-scale agreements, but said it was
unlikely a deal to combat global warming would be reached this year.
The prospect of a global climate treaty is fading as the world's top two carbon emitters,
China and the United States, avoid legally binding action. Experts say a shift to a less
ambitious goal might help.
"The argument or suggestion that the world would be better off if we somehow found lots
of little packages and agreed to them and found out how they fit together is not to me a
viable scenario," Achim Steiner, UNEP executive director, said on Thursday in an
interview with Reuters.
Annual U.N. climate meetings have failed to achieve any major breakthrough since
signing the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. The present round of that pact expires in 2012.
The next annual meeting of environment ministers will be in Cancun, Mexico in
November and December.
"We might not be able to conclude the one big deal in the next conference but what we
must produce is some concrete results that clearly take us toward a global framework for
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action," Steiner said on the sidelines of the Business for the Environment meeting in
Seoul.
Experts note a less formal deal, outside a legal framework, may now emerge, building
on the actions of individual nations.
More than 100 countries have backed a non-binding Copenhagen Accord to mobilize
$30 billion in climate aid from 2010-2012 to help poor nations face the impacts of climate
change, underscoring what could be agreed outside a legal framework.
"What will be critical for Cancun is that the financial pledges that are part of the accord
begin to be realized and that people see real money going to real projects," Steiner said.
"Do not write Cancun off."
Steiner also threw his support behind the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, which has been attacked by skeptics after it published a report with errors in
global warming forecasts.
The U.N. launched a review of the panel last month after the IPCC acknowledged in
January its report had exaggerated the pace of Himalayan glacier melting and
overstated how much of the Netherlands is below sea level.
"The premise that the integrity of the IPCC has been compromised is something that I
reject," he said.
The IPCC shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore,
and produces the main scientific document driving global efforts to agree to a more
ambitious climate treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol.
"It will remain the world's best resource on trying to appreciate the complex and
continuously evolving state of our knowledge of global warming," he said.
http://in.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idINTRE63L2C720100422?pageNumber=
2&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true
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B4E Summit kicks off with S. Korean President's green growth highlight - People's
Daily Online
April 22, 2010 - South Korean President Lee Myung- bak on Thursday urged global
partnership for sustainable green growth, celebrating Seoul's hosting of a global event
on environmental protection.
Giving a keynote speech to the Business for the Environment ( B4E) Global Summit held
here which began with a screened opening address of Ban Ki-moon, secretary-general
of United Nations, President Lee noted climate change the greatest challenge human
race has ever faced.
Lee, however, said he believed that economic growth and environmental protection are
compatible, which can be achieved by the new paradigm of "low-carbon green growth."
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"To attain the goal of sustainable green growth, we are in need of global partnership,"
President Lee said.
"And it is also a must-do for all of us to find a solution," Lee added.
He also pointed out that business sector must take part in tackling the issue, calling on
business leaders to turn the crisis into a new opportunity.
According to President Lee, as "green market" is no longer a niche market but has
grown into a new main stream, business sector should embrace change and adaptation.
Following President Lee's remarks, Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN
Environment Program (UNEP), and Georg Kell, Executive Director of UN Global
Compact (UNGC), gave opening statements.
The speeches are scheduled to be followed by multiple discussion panels, a video-link
keynote presentation by Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States, and an
announcement of UNEP Champions of the Earth.
The B4E Global Summit 2010, co-hosted by Seoul's environment ministry, UNEP,
UNGC, and WWF, marks the fourth of a kind which bring together leaders from
governments, NGOs, and businesses around the globe.
As one of the leading international conferences for dialogue and business-driven action
for the environment, the event will deal with multiple issues, such as biodiversity, climate
change, resource and energy efficiency, renewable, and green business models, the
organizers said.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90778/90858/90863/6959965.html
……………………………………………..
General Environment News

PUMA Aims to Be Carbon Neutral – The Korea Times
PUMA Aims to Be Carbon Neutral – The Korea Times
PUMA Chairman Jochen Zeitz, By Kim Tae-gyu, Staff Reporter
The public enemy No. 1 at PUMA, one of the world's foremost producers of athletic
shoes and other sportswear, seems to be carbon footprints as inferred by the remarks of
its chief executive officer.
In an hour-long press meeting held on the sidelines of the Business for the Environment
Summit in Seoul, Thursday, PUMA Chairman Jochen Zeitz had the importance of
reducing carbon footprints on his lips many times.
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His solution? The German-based multinational giant will become a carbon neutral firm
this year. In other words, PUMA will offset its carbon emissions through reducing that
amount in other fields.
``We can reduce our carbon by 25 percent. Still, the remaining parts need to be dealt
with. … We will eliminate as much carbon as we generate (via offsetting programs),''
Zeitz said.
PUMA plans to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent by 2015 under its
long-term sustainability scheme, which is geared toward not only carbon but other
resources such as water and energy.
The remaining carbon emissions, of which the proportion would decrease to 75 percent
by 2015, will be compensated by the company's efforts to diminish as much of carbon
footprints in Africa. The portfolio of the project is being verified by an internationally
recognized auditing company.
``To be the first carbon neutral sport life-style company is the next logical step in our
mission to become the most desirable and sustainable sport life-style company in the
world,'' Zeitz said.
``We also took United Nations Environment Program's (UNEP) challenge to offset our
football teams' international travels to South Africa very seriously. Our commitment to
the environment partnered with our long-standing collaboration with African football
made it a foregone conclusion to support their initiative, and we hope in doing so that we
inspire other stakeholders in the World Cup 2010 to follow suit.''
The UNEP asked that all football federations participating in the forthcoming World Cup,
which will be hosted by South Africa, make up for carbon footprints generated by their
teams' international travels.
A total of 336 players and officials will make it to South Africa under the sponsorship of
PUMA, and leave carbon footprints behind. PUMA looks to offset them in the similar way
to its carbon neutral company initiative.
In addition, PUMA opened its new company headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany
midway through last year, which is the first carbon neutrally operated company head
office in the sneakers and sportswear business.
PUMA also eyes to support the offsetting of its employees' carbon footprints by
subsidizing the emissions generated on the way to and from work by 50 percent, a
similar structure to matching funds.
Meanwhile, Zietz promised that he will compensate for his personal carbon footprints,
including direct and indirect emissions, from his own account without regard to whether
or not they are related to his work at PUMA.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2010/04/123_64687.html
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