The environment in the news thursday, 30 August 2012
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- Back to Menu _________________________________________________________________ Tanzania daily news (Tanzania): Environmental Awareness for Zanzibar Students
- Back to Menu _________________________________________________________________ Pakistani observer (Pakistan): Greener environment vital for a healthy nation: PM
- Back to Menu _________________________________________________________________ Herald (Zimbabwe): Council Defies Govt On Water Treatment Chemicals
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- Back to Menu _________________________________________________________________ Naples news (US): One fish, two fish, how much and of what type to eat
- Back to Menu ============================================================= Environmental News from the UNEP Regions ROAP MEDIA UPDATE
_________________________________________________________________ Star (Kenya): Ivory Trade Worries KWS 29 August 2012 The Kenya Wildlife Services yesterday blamed the legalisation of ivory trade in some countries to the increased poaching in the country. Poachers have have found a lucrative market for elephant and rhino trophies in China. "Elephants and rhino species in Africa are facing under pressure from poachers," KWS director Julius Kipng'etich told a meeting in a Mwatate hotel last week. His sentiments come at a time when Zimbambwe is seeking permission from the international body regulating ivory trade to auction its stocks to fund conservation of the animals. The move has since been vehemently opposed by wildlife conservationist who say it will add more pressure to wildlife and also jeopardise conservation efforts. Kipng'etich, who was accompanied by the chairman of the KWS board of directors David Mwiraria, however said KWS is working hard to protect wildlife. Mwiraria said more than nine poachers have since been killed in the ongoing crackdown. "More than 900 suspected poachers have since been arrested in the country this year. We have also lost five rangers in their line of duty," he said. More than ten elephants and one rhino have since been killed by poachers in the Tsavo region this year. Back to Menu _________________________________________________________________ Tanzania daily news (Tanzania): Environmental Awareness for Zanzibar Students 29 August 2012 AS part of new initiatives to improve biodiversity in the Indian Ocean islands, plans are underway to extend environmental awareness to children in Zanzibar schools. Two officers from the "Indian Ocean Commission (IOC)," said in a statement after a five-day visit to Zanzibar that each country in the region should address the environment issue. "Our mission was to see, within Zanzibar context, how we can implement our communication and awareness activities, and we have decided to reach children by way of essay competitions," the statement reads. Mr Andry Rasoanindrainy and Ms Virginie Torrens from IOC said in the statement that the topic for Zanzibar school children will be "Deforestation". The best story from each country in the contest will be compiled and published in a book and then distributed. "Short cartoons addressing sustainable development issues of targeted islands will be also broadcast on national Television with the help of the ministry responsible for environment, and NGOS," it says. According to the officials, a regional meeting of the coral reef facility platform and the 2nd IOC steering committee meeting will be held in November this year followed by the planned sustainable development activities. They advised governments to adopt environmental education programmes that teach children that human life must be subordinated to the preservation of nature. Back to Menu _________________________________________________________________ Pakistani observer (Pakistan): Greener environment vital for a healthy nation: PM 30 August 2012 Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf inaugurated the monsoon tree plantation campaign by planting a sapling at Prime Minister’s House on Wednesday morning. He prayed for the security and solidarity of the country and welfare of the people of Pakistan, after planting the sapling. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that a greener environment is vital for a healthy nation. He maintained that indigenous, fast growing and environment friendly varities must be preferred for plantation to ensure a pollution free environment. The Prime Minister directed CDA to devise an effective strategy to involve general public apart from NGOs and civil society in this campaign. He further said that an awareness campaign should also be launched to motivate the people in this regard. The Prime Minister said that Ministry of Environment, Ministry of food and Agriculture and CDA should work in unison for the improvement of environment in the country and plantation of trees can play a very important role to achieve this objective. Pakistan is blessed with plenty of rains and fertile soil, and therefore we should plant trees which are fast growing, said the Prime Minister. The Chairman CDA, Eng. Farkhund Iqbal briefed the Prime Minister that CDA plans to plant one million plants this year out of which 500,000 saplings will be planted during this campaign. It had already planted 250,000 saplings so far, he added. The Chairman CDA informed the Prime Minister that saplings are produced indigenously in CDA nurseries and provided to the people. The plantation of saplings of local species, pines, amaltas and jamun would be completed by 30th of September, he added. Minister for Environment Change Rana Farooq, Minister for Food and Agriculture Mir Israr Ullah Zehri and Advisor to Prime Minister on Human Rights Mr. Mustafa Nawaz khokhar were also present on the occasion. Back to Menu _________________________________________________________________ Herald (Zimbabwe): Council Defies Govt On Water Treatment Chemicals 30 August 2012 Harare City Council has defied Government's directive to buy water treatment chemicals from Zimphos, a subsidiary of Chemplex Corporation, Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda has said. This comes at a time when council has approved trials of a new chemical coagulant, poly aluminum chlorohydrate. If the trials are successful, the chemical would replace up to four water treatment chemicals. Council uses eight chemicals for water treatment. At least 80 tonnes of the chemical have been procured at a cost of US$212 000. The city's water treatment bill has increased to US$3 million per month. City officials recently met Government ministers and officials from a number of ministries where the order to procure aluminum sulphate from Zimphos was made. Mr Masunda confirmed that council met Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo and other ministers to discuss the promotion of local industries. "We are expected to abide by Government policy. The policy requires us to support local industry. Chemplex is one of the local industries," he said. But Mr Masunda said council needed to consider the interests of residents whose money is used to procure the chemicals. "What we are not about to do is to procure from them (Chemplex) if the price is out of the market. We cannot be asked to promote local industry when their price is three times higher. It does not make economic sense." He said Chemplex Corporation faced viability problems resulting from a huge Government debt of US$25 million over unpaid for fertilisers. Mr Masunda said Chemplex had to improve the quality of its water treatment chemicals and had to charge competitive prices. The city owes the company US$1,5 million. Recently Chemplex Corporation chief executive officer Mr Misheck Kachere accused the city of failing to exploit "readily available capacity at Zimphos". Mr Masunda suggested that Zimphos should look for a strategic partner to help it improve on the quality of its chemicals. Zimphos alleges it has capacity to supply Harare with its requirements of liquid aluminum sulphate and in its granular form. "The Zimphos alum manufacturing plant in Harare was built specifically for the City of Harare water works and has capacity to produce over 60 000 tonnes per year of liquid aluminum sulphate plus another 12 000 tonnes per year of solid granular aluminum for other municipalities," said Mr Kachere. He said for over 50 years the plant was dedicated to produce for Harare. Mr Kachere said there were more risks with imported products because they were not subjected to the same quality testing locally. "It is difficult not to conclude that the city authorities prefer to order imported products from traders for cash whenever the city 's cashflow permits but then resort to ordering from Zimphos limited quantities on credit when the council's cash flow is poor. "This effectively means Harare City Council is taking unfair advantage of the Zimphos reasonable terms, competitiveness and willingness to help keep the water works going," he said. Mr Masunda said the new chemical that would replace the aluminum sulphate would reduce the cost of water treatment. Town clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi said the chemical was used extensively in Europe and in East Asia. The chemical is manufactured by Hardman Chemicals of Sydney, Australia. Back to Menu _________________________________________________________________ China post (China): Cook Islands declares world's largest marine park at forum's opening 30 August 2012 The Cook Islands announced the creation of the world's largest marine park at the opening of the Pacific Islands Forum Tuesday, a vast swathe of ocean almost twice the size of France. Prime Minister Henry Puna said the 1.065-million-square-kilometer (411,000-square-mile) reserve is “the largest area in history by a single country for integrated ocean conservation and management.” Puna said protecting the Pacific, one of the last pristine marine eco-systems, was the Cooks' major contribution “to the wellbeing of not only our peoples, but also of humanity.” “The marine park will provide the necessary framework to promote sustainable development by balancing economic growth interests such as tourism, fishing and deep sea mining with conserving core biodiversity in the ocean,” he said. Australia announced in June that it was creating a network of marine parks covering 3.1 million square kilometers, more than a third of its territorial waters. However, they are dotted around its huge coastline. The new Cook Islands protected zone will be the largest single marine park in the world, taking in the entire southern half of the nation's waters. The nation's 15 islands have a combined landmass barely larger than Washington, D.C. but its waters include environmentally valuable coral reefs, seagrass beds and fisheries. Puna called on other Pacific island nations to follow the Cooks' lead and create an enormous protected zone in the ocean. Kiribati and Tokelau have already created large reserves, while the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia this week announced plans to set up a 1.4-million-square-kilometer park in the next two to three years. Marea Hatziolos, the World Bank's senior coastal and marine specialist, said the Cook Islands' initiative was a win for both the environment and the country's economy. “There's definitely an economic dimension to this, apart from protecting biodiversity,” she told AFP. “It allows small Pacific nations to generate revenue.” She said the park would include a core area where all fishing was banned, as well as special zones where tourism and carefully monitored fishing were permitted, allowing commercially valuable species such as tuna to regenerate. Hatziolos said the push to conserve large areas of the Pacific Ocean was gaining momentum, with small island nations leading the way. “They understand the value of the Pacific Ocean to their future economic well-being,” she said. “This is part of a strategy to capture the benefits of good stewardship — conservation and sustainability must go hand in hand.” Back to Menu _________________________________________________________________ Naples news (US): One fish, two fish, how much and of what type to eat? 29 August 2012 September marks the 50th anniversary of "Silent Spring." In this groundbreaking work, Rachel Carson called upon the public to take action to save the environment. Today it remains critically important that we get involved in order to protect our Florida way of life. One threat to our way of life – and to our health – is the high concentration of mercury found in much of the fish we eat. In September, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) will finalize plans to remedy the long-standing mercury problem in Florida. Hopefully, the FDEP will have the courage to protect Floridians, despite the efforts to the contrary by some special interest groups.Mercury is a naturally occurring metal that is mobilized through various processes both natural and from human activities. High mercury levels were first found in Florida in the 1980s, prompting the first fish consumption advisories. Today, more than 60 species of fish found in Florida waters should be eaten only in limited amounts or not at all. Fish containing high levels of mercury have poisoned large numbers of people and wildlife during two well-known pollution events; first in Minamata, Japan in the 1950s and '60s and again, in Grassy Narrows, Ontario, during the 1970s. While mercury levels in Florida are well below those dangerous levels, they are higher than in most other regions. The average Floridian probably has little to worry about. But, if you eat a lot of fish because you want lean protein and Omega 3s, or if you are a recreational angler good at putting large game fish on the table, there is reason to be concerned. Personal horror stories about mercury poisoning can be found in Dr. Jane Hightower's book "Diagnosis Mercury'' and on YouTube ("Medical Masquerade: One Man's Experience with Methylmercury Poisoning"). Of course, people aren't the only victims of mercury poisoning. Sharks, panthers and other top predators also suffer from high mercury levels. Emissions from coal-fired electric utilities are a major source of the mercury that finds its way into the fish on our dinner tables, leading the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to issue new emission standards at the national level. Recognizing this as a global problem, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is working toward an international treaty. While the state, federal and international efforts all sound very promising, as is usually the case these days, there are detractors. Immediately upon the release of the new emission standards, organizations such as the Electric Reliability Coordination Council began a campaign to overturn them. Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) introduced a bill to prevent implementation of the rule, which he characterized as "one of the most expensive Environmental Protection Agency rules in history." Shortly after FDEP released its draft plan, an op-ed appeared in the Washington Times that offered half-truths in an argument against taking any corrective action. As Yogi Berra said, "It's déjà vu all over again." These same tactics have been used throughout the 50 years following the publication of "Silent Spring'' to challenge regulations on the use of pesticides, use of chlorofluorocarbons and the use of lead in house paints and as a fuel additive. Yet the regulations directed to those threats have largely been successful and did not result in the economic doomsday(s) that the special interest groups predicted. Unfortunately, those lessons can be forgotten when well-organized, well-funded attacks on science – and appeals to focus only on the here and now – are designed to sway the public and, in some cases, sway resource managers. The FDEP initially undertook an ambitious study to support its mercury plan. However, it has suddenly altered the scope of the study and is substituting shortcuts for good science. For one thing, the FDEP has chosen to ignore modern nutritional recommendations, going back to "average" fish consumption rates from 1994, rather than the 12 ounces of cooked fish per week now recommended by many health agencies. The result is a flawed plan that could leave Floridians at risk. The plan also leaves our wildlife at risk. FDEP admits that advisories will continue for certain species even after its plan takes effect. Consequently, if you eat a lot of fish for health reasons or because you are an avid angler, you will need to continue to monitor your consumption of certain species. Because mercury is released by natural process, there will always be some mercury in fish, but we can do more to reduce emissions from human activities to reduce the risk. If you feel it is important for you and your family to take advantage of the health benefits of eating the nutritionally recommended amount of your favorite fish (regardless of the species), consider dropping a line to the FDEP to tell them you want your "two fish," so they need to work with U.S. EPA and UNEP to get it done. Back to Menu _________________________________________________________________ EU neighborhood info center (Belgium): UfM presents Gaza Desalination Project at 2012 World Water Week in Stockholm 29 August 2012 The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) organised a side event during the World Water Week in Stockholm this week to present the UfM labelled project for a Desalination Facility for the Gaza Strip. The aim of the project is to build a major desalination plant and distribution system in Gaza that is capable of producing 100 million cubic meters of drinking water a year and that will help to address the major water deficit there for a population of 1.6 million inhabitants. During the panel debate, the speakers underlined that the importance of this project lies not only in the concrete benefits that it will bring to a population of 1.65 million people but the fact that it gathers a consortium of Arab, European and non-European donors to cooperate together in achieving such a crucial project. “The deteriorating situation of the aquifer has a clear health impact, noting especially Blue Baby Syndrome due to nitrate poisoning. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recommends that all young children should be provided only bottled water,” says a UfM press release issued today. The side-event was held just a day after a report was released by the United Nations offices working in Palestine, entitled ‘Gaza, A liveable place by 2020?’, which highlights the longer-term effects and implications of current developmental and social trends and challenges affecting the Gaza Strip. Water remains one of the most alarming aspects in this synthesis report. The reports points out that the aquifer will be unusable by 2016 and irreversibly damaged by 2020. It also stresses the urgent need to advance the project, one of the unique infrastructure solutions identified to bring safe drinking water to the growing 1.65 million population and save the restoration of the damaged aquifer, notwithstanding other vital interventions such as wastewater treatment. The Palestinian Water Authority and the UfM are working together to raise the €310 million of investment needed. Arab countries, coordinated by the Islamic Development Bank, have committed to provide half of the necessary funds to match the European financial commitment. A further €10 million was pledged by France during the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille. Back to Menu ============================================================= Environmental News from the UNEP Regions ROAP MEDIA UPDATE THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE NEWS Thursday, August 30, 2012 Reuters: Finance key as U.N. talks on climate deal resume The U.S., Japan and the EU will come under pressure this week to pledge billions of dollars a year from 2013 to help the world's poorest nations fight climate change, as negotiators from more than 190 countries meet to advance talks on a new global climate pact. Delegates will gather for a week-long U.N. meeting in Thailand on Thursday to agree a work plan towards signing in 2015 a new pact that would force all nations to cut emissions of heat-trapping gases starting in 2020. The talks are expected to put pressure on traditional richer nations to ensure pledges to provide $10 billion per year in climate finance do not expire in December without new aid emerging, and come as the world's largest economies struggle to rein in their debt and budget deficits. "In Bangkok, governments will be forced to focus on the fact that at this stage no new money has been pledged for climate finance in 2013 and that up to 90 percent of the finance provided in 2010-2012 has simply been pre-existing foreign aid repackaged," said WWF in a media statement. The issue could test a nine-month old negotiating alliance between the EU and poorer nations that was formed in Durban at last year's climate talks and was seen as crucial in putting pressure on big emitting nations to promise to sign up to a new deal. "There will be pressure from small island states and least developed countries on the EU to make those pledges. I am sure that finance will get some airplay in Bangkok," said Wendel Trio, director of environmental group CAN Europe. PROGRESS The meeting is a pre-cursor to end-of-year ministerial talks to be held in Qatar, where the EU said it would adopt a second legal goal to cut emissions under the Kyoto Protocol starting in 2013, providing all nations have shown commitment to sign a new climate deal that will take effect after Kyoto 2 ends. But progress on a global deal has been slow after negotiators at climate talks in Germany in June took a longer-than-expected five days just to agree who should steer the talks over the next three years. Seasoned observers say unless things advance more quickly, the EU could stall on signing Kyoto, meaning no country would be legally bound by international agreement to cut emissions after this year. "(Negotiators in Bangkok) will have to make decisions that give a little more flesh to the bones on the one-and-a half-page agreement in Durban," said Alden Meyer with the Union of Concerned Scientists, a long-term observer of U.N. climate meetings. "Everyone knows if there is no progress on the Durban work plan then the (Kyoto) deal is off," he said, adding it was unlikely the EU would walk away from the treaty, but said heel-dragging could put off other countries from joining the bloc under Kyoto. Last week, Australia's main opposition party, which is favored to win next year's general election, said it would not object to signing a second round of targets under the treaty, putting pressure on the current Labor government to act. "I don't think Australia will come forward on the Kyoto Protocol in Bangkok," said Erwin Jackson, deputy CEO of Australia-based Climate Institute, adding that he expected the Australian government to hold out until Qatar before making its mind up. EQUITY Key to progress at the Bangkok talks will be if nations can resolve the highly-charged issue of whether advanced developing economies should be allowed to adopt softer emission targets than more traditional industrialized nations under any new deal. India and China want richer countries to have more ambitious goals due to their historic emission levels. Meanwhile the U.S. wants all nations to have the same type of targets backed by legal force - a move that would shatter a 20-year old principle in environmental politics that all nations share common but different responsibilities to tackle climate change. "I think if they can get some agreement on the equity and differentiation front that would help. But that is going to be hard for countries like the U.S., who say the Durban Platform represented the death of the firewall between developing and developed countries," said Meyer. Another thorny issue will be how to get countries to deepen voluntary pledges to cut emissions before a new treaty comes into effect in 2020 to ensure the planet does not warm to catastrophic levels. Rich nations have pledged to cut emissions on aggregate up to 18 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, far below the 25-40 percent cut that scientists say is necessary to keep warming below dangerous levels. "In Bangkok there are a number of workshops on how (those pledges) can be increased. Unfortunately given that not a single country appears to be moving, I am not optimistic," said Trio. http://planetark.org/wen/66378 Back to Menu Directory: cpi -> briefs briefs -> The environment in the news briefs -> The environment in the news briefs -> The environment in the news briefs -> The environment in the news briefs -> The environment in the news briefs -> The environment in the news briefs -> The environment in the news briefs -> The environment in the news briefs -> The environment in the news Download 427.18 Kb. Share with your friends:
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