BIODIVERSITY is the source of all ecological goods and services that constitute the source of living of all. India is not only gifted with geographical, climatic, cultural and social diversity but is also endowed enormously with biological diversity. The country is among the 12 mega gene centres of the world, and two of the 31 global hot spots of biodiversity (the North-eastern Himalayas and the Western Ghats) occur in this region. About 8 per cent of all the estimated species on the earth exist in India though it occupies only 2.4 per cent of the world’s land area. Among the existing biota, nearly 91,000 species of animals, 45,500 species of plants and 5,650 microbial species have already been documented in India’s 10 biogeographic regions. It is estimated that nearly 40 per cent of these are aliens, and 25 per cent of them have become invasive.
The diverse agricultural systems, employing both traditional and modern systems of cultivation, utilise thousands of locally adapted as well as bred crop varieties and nearly 140 native breeds of livestock. The country is recognised as one of the eight “Vavilovian Centres” of origin and diversity of crop plants, having more than 300 wild ancestors and close relatives of cultivated plants still growing and evolving under natural conditions. About 168 domesticated species of crops (including 25 major and minor crop species) have originated and/or developed diversity in this part of the world. Indigenous medical systems utilise nearly 6,500 native plants for both human and animal health care. India’s diverse preponderance of native tribal and ethnic groups has contributed significantly to the conservation and diversification of biodiversity.
In December 2000, the United Nations General Assembly adopted May 22 as the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB), to commemorate the adoption of the text of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on that day in 1992, in Nairobi. Since 2001, the day is celebrated with a central theme. The theme for the IDB in 2009 was Biodiversity and Invasive Alien Species (IAS).
In India, the National Biodiversity Authority, established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, conducted programmes that emphasised the importance of biological biodiversity, organised outreach activities for schoolchildren, held seminars, published posters and pamphlets and staged exhibits and events designed to attract and educate the media.
Invasive alien species are species whose introduction and/or spread outside their natural habitats threatens biological diversity. They occur in all groups, including animals, plants, fungi, bacteria and viruses, and can affect all types of ecosystems. While a small percentage of organisms transported to new environments become invasive, the negative impact they have can be extensive and over time these additions become substantial. ARRIVE, SURVIVE, THRIVE
A species introduction is usually vectored by human transportation and trade. If a species’ new habitat is similar enough to its native range, it may survive and reproduce. However, it must first subsist at low population densities, when it may be difficult for it to find mates to reproduce. For a species to become invasive, it must successfully out-compete native organisms, spread through its new environment, increase in population and harm ecosystems in its introduced range. To summarise, for an alien species to become invasive, it must arrive, survive and thrive.
On April 27, 2009, news about the outbreak of swine flu in Mexico caught the attention of people all over the world. In spite of unprecedented measures to check its spread, the swine flu virus managed to sneak into more than 30 countries, including India, and within weeks it had infected nearly 5,000 people all over the world. Mikania (here, overrunning a banana plantation) was introduced in India during the Second World War to help soldiers camouflage themselves.
The swine flu has, once again, reminded us about our vulnerability to invasive aliens, which do not respect geographical boundaries. Sometimes they manifest themselves as bird flu and at other times as foot-and-mouth disease and mad cow disease and lead to massive destruction of livestock populations all over the world. But human beings, birds and cattle are not the only targets of invasive alien species. Over the years, the biggest casualty of such species has been our rich biodiversity, and they have emerged as one of the greatest threats to food security. Be it mountains, plains, deserts, rivers or seas, there is no ecosystem in the country that does not reel under the impact of invasive aliens.
The common characteristics of IAS include rapid reproduction and growth, high dispersal ability, phenotypic plasticity (ability to adapt physiologically to new conditions), and the ability to survive on various food types and in a wide range of environmental conditions. A good predictor of invasiveness is whether a species has successfully invaded elsewhere.
Increasing travel, trade and tourism, associated with globalisation and expansion of the human population, have facilitated both intentional and unintentional movement of species beyond natural biogeographical barriers, and many of these alien species have become invasive. IAS is considered to be one of the main direct drivers of biodiversity loss at the global level. These species can be expected to cause substantial environmental and economic damage, and their negative effects are exacerbated by climate change, pollution, habitat loss and human-induced disturbance. Increasing domination by a few invasive species increases global homogenisation of biodiversity, reducing local diversity and distinctiveness. MIKANIA (HERE, FULLY spread out on a banyan tree in Tamil Nadu) is now a major threat in many parts of the country. It grows 8 to 9 cm a day and muzzles small plants and chokes larger trees.
Invasive alien species can directly affect human health. Infectious diseases are often traced to IAS imported by travellers or vectored by exotic species of birds, rodents and insects. IAS also have indirect health effects on humans as a result of the use of pesticides and herbicides, which pollute water and soil.
They may look harmless but are dangerous, mainly causing flu, allergies, respiratory disorders and even infertility among humans and animals. In economic terms, the cost of IAS is significant. The total annual cost, including losses to crops, pastures and forests, and in terms of environmental damage and control costs, has been conservatively estimated to be hundreds of billions of dollars, possibly more than one trillion dollars. STEM RUST ATTACK
Manifesting themselves as microorganisms, plants, animals and fungi, these invasive alien species are notorious for their rapid reproduction and high dispersal ability. Recently, a new strain of the stem rust virus, called Ug99, has been invading wheat, leading to the loss of almost the entire crop, in many African countries including Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania. It has been spotted in Iran and is believed to be heading towards countries in South Asia. It may spell doom for the food security of the region because all wheat varieties cultivated in Asia are susceptible to Ug99. As one of the megadiversity countries in the world, India is particularly vulnerable to invasions by alien species.
The invasive alien often proves difficult to control. Through their uncontrolled and rapid growth, they out-compete more useful native species and leave them on the brink of extinction. Lantana is now considered one of the 10 notorious weeds in the world. A native of Central and South America, lantana came to India as an ornamental plant in 1807, when the British introduced it into the Calcutta Botanical Garden. Since then it has occupied over one lakh hectares of land in the country and proved to be a bane of0 cash crops such as coffee, cotton, oil palm and coconut. However, it is the hilly regions of the country that have largely borne the brunt of the attack. THE WATER HYACINTH, which is believed to have originated in the Amazon basin, has become a big nuisance in ponds, lakes and lagoons in the country. Here, in the Hebbal lake in Bangalore.
The parthenium may not be as attractive as the lantana, but there is hardly any invasive alien species in the world that can match its dispersal ability and devastation capacity. Believed to have entered the country in the 1950s along with the supply of P.L. 480 (Public Law 480 food aid programme) wheat from the United States, parthenium now occupies 50 lakh hectares in the country and has become a major health hazard for people and animals. Other than occupying wasteland, roadsides, and railway tracks, it has colonised public parks, residential colonies and orchards.
Other prominent ones include mikania (mile a minute), which was introduced in India during the Second World War to help soldiers camouflage themselves. Now a major threat in many parts of the country, it grows 8 to 9 cm a day and muzzles small plants and chokes larger trees such as coconut and oil palm.
Eupatorium was introduced as an ornamental plant in the Calcutta Botanical Garden in the 1840s. Since then it has spread throughout South-East Asia. Its capacity for regeneration and prolific seed production enables it to form dense tangled bushes, which depress the growth and yield of crops such as rubber, cardamom, coffee, tea and mango.NILE TILAPIA OR Oreochromis niloticus. Tilapia, a freshwater fish, was introduced into the pond ecosystem of India in 1952, and it has now been declared as invasive in 90 countries.
India suffers an annual loss of Rs.20,000 crore in terms of agriculture produce owing to weed infestation. The most prominent among the weeds is Phalaris minor. It affects the wheat crop in particular and has curtailed yield by five million tonnes a year.
Prosopis juliflora was introduced in India in the last century and was thought to be a very promising species for the afforestation of dry and degraded land. But over the years, it has emerged as a noxious invader that can grow in diverse ecosystems, right from coastal areas to desert regions. Its rapid growth and dense formation enable it to wipe out other plant species in its surroundings.
Except for mikania, so far the control and eradication measures, through manual extraction, chemical spraying and biological means, have had very little impact on the growth of these invasive aliens. The release of Mexican beetles against parthenium has shown promising results, but given the fact that it occupies nearly five million hectares the use of beetles does not seem to be a feasible optionALONG THE ROAD, a mikania invasion on palms.
Our fresh and marine water resources, including the corals, also face a grave threat from invasive alien species. The water hyacinth is believed to have originated in the Amazon basin, but it has become a big nuisance in India’s ponds, lakes and lagoons.
Tilapia, a freshwater fish, was first introduced into the pond ecosystem of India in 1952, and it has now been declared as invasive in 90 countries around the world. It multiplies at an extremely rapid pace, survives in all kinds of waters and eats everything, to the extent that native species are starved to death.
The challenge now is to find ways to manage the invasive aliens that are firmly entrenched in the country and, at the same time, take every possible step to prevent the entry of new aliens that may become invasive. The future of India hinges on the protection of its biodiversity. This task cannot be the responsibility of the government alone. We have to be partners in protecting this common heritage. THERE IS HARDLY an invasive alien species in the world that can match the parthenium weed's dispersal ability and capacity to destroy. Believed to have entered the country in the 1950s along with the supply of P.L. 480 wheat from the United States, parthenium now occupies 50 lakh hectares in the country and has become a major health hazard for people and animals.
Invasive alien species are a global issue and dealing with this requires international cooperation and action. Preventing the international movement of IAS and their rapid detection on the borders are less costly than their control and eradication. Preventing the entry of IAS is carried out through inspections of international shipments, customs checks and quarantine regulations.
This requires collaboration among governments, economic sectors and non-governmental and international organisations. There are many international and regional binding agreements and voluntary guidelines that include regulations on IAS. PROSOPIS JULIFLORA WAS introduced in India in the last century and was thought to be a very promising species for the afforestation of dry and degraded land. But over the years, it has emerged as a noxious invader that can grow in diverse ecosystems, right from coastal areas to desert regions. Its rapid growth and dense formation enable it to wipe out other plant species in its surroundings.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the CBD has recognised that there is an urgent need to address the impact of IAS, and at its fourth meeting it established IAS as a cross-cutting issue. The decision of the COP 6 meeting included the adoption of the Guiding Principles for the Prevention, Introduction and Mitigation of Impacts of Alien Species that Threaten Ecosystems, Habitats or Species. This target was subsequently endorsed by the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the U.N. General Assembly and was incorporated as a new target under the Millennium Development Goals.•
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Climate change to displace millions: UN report
Climate change could uproot millions in the future causing displacement and migration, warns a new UN-supported report.The report said that displacement will get worse 'unless vulnerable populations, especially the poorest, are assisted in building climate-resilient livelihoods.'
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Researchers interviewed more than 2,000 migrants in various parts of the world and mapped climate change in the Ganges, Nile and Mekong deltas, Tuvalu and the Maldives, among other areas.The publication supported by the UN University (UNU), UNHCR, the World Bank, Columbia University and the NGO CARE was launched at the UN climate change conference under way in Bonn, Germany.'In coming decades, climate change will motivate or force millions of people to leave their homes in search of viable livelihoods and safety,' it said.'Unless aggressive measures are taken to halt global warming, the consequences for human migration and displacement could reach a scope and scale that vastly exceed anything that has occurred before,' it warned.Koko Warner of UNU's Institute for Environment and Human Security told UN Radio that the majority of the migrants polled said that the environment has affected their decision on where and how to live.
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Researchers interviewed more than 2,000 migrants in various parts of the world and mapped climate change in the Ganges, Nile and Mekong deltas, Tuvalu and the Maldives, among other areas.The publication supported by the UN University (UNU), UNHCR, the World Bank, Columbia University and the NGO CARE was launched at the UN climate change conference under way in Bonn, Germany.'In coming decades, climate change will motivate or force millions of people to leave their homes in search of viable livelihoods and safety,' it said.'Unless aggressive measures are taken to halt global warming, the consequences for human migration and displacement could reach a scope and scale that vastly exceed anything that has occurred before,' it warned.Koko Warner of UNU's Institute for Environment and Human Security told UN Radio that the majority of the migrants polled said that the environment has affected their decision on where and how to live.
Gartner: Five cost-effective CRM strategies
Companies that fail to invest in CRM strategies because of the tough economic climate will delay perceived benefits by at least 12 months once the economy recovers, giving rivals an advantage in the market, according to Gartner Inc.
Gartner analysts said that lesson learned from previous downturns indicate that 40% of companies will use the current economic slump as an opportunity to generate post-recovery growth via effective use of CRM strategies.
“Just because times are tough and budgets are being cut, companies should not think that means no CRM investment,” said Scott Nelson, Managing Vice President at Gartner. “Companies need to think in terms of spending smarter, not spending less. There are zero, or low-cost strategies that can be implemented now that can make all the difference, generate competitive differentiation and not draw the attention of the CFO.”
Nelson said in reality there is no such thing as true “zero cost strategy”—as money has often already been spent on CRM systems and there are ongoing care and maintenance expenses—CRM success can be secured without spending more money on technology. Many organizations have large investments in call centers, websites, marketing systems and sales force automation. With these pieces in place, companies can wrap effective strategies around these tools and generate real success from a customer standpoint.
“CRM is a journey, not just a one-time and done strategy,” said Nelson. “If the right strategies are employed now, then companies will get a ‘sling shot’ effect going into the eventual recovery, putting them well ahead of the rivals who chose to wait and who equate CRM success with spending more money on technology.”
Gartner has identified five strategies that companies can undertake now that cost very little or nothing, but which will generate positive results from a CRM strategy point of view.
Customer communities: Gartner predicts that CRM of the future will be about creating online communities of customers via emerging social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and similar websites. The economic downturn provides a great opportunity to begin experimenting in this area, and Gartner advises companies to set up accounts on the various websites and learn what they do and don’t do, and how users interact.
Analytics: Once bought and installed, analytic tools can be put to good use during economic downturns. Many companies have more information than they know what to do with, and now they have the opportunity to put this to good use studying attrition models, looking at the next most likely to buy models, and figuring out channel usage patterns. While doing so, companies should bear in mind that customer behavior may change when the economy improves.
Segmentation: Many segmentation schemes are based on psycho-demographics, profitability or account attributes. However, a down economy provides companies with the opportunity to review their segmentation strategy and see if it really is the very best one that they could have.
Process redesign: Process is often an overlooked part of CRM and in many cases all that CRM technologies have done is taken out old, broken processes and made them run more efficiently. Now is an excellent time to study customer processes with a view to redesigning them and creating a win/win situation for both the company—which gets greater efficiency—and the customer—who gets a “partner” that interacts with them in a meaningful way.
Organizational redesign: Organizational change is one of the most difficult areas of CRM strategy, but many companies need to make the move from product-centric to customer-centric. In a down economy, with fewer distractions, many companies will find that this is the perfect time to start to address some of the organizational issues that get in the way of serving the customer.
“At the end of the day, CRM is all about change. Changing from product to customers, changing age-old processes, changing enterprise mindsets, and changing how companies relate to customers,” said Nelson. “All of this can be done without new systems, and the challenging economic environment may give companies just the chance they have been waiting for.”
Nelson will discuss the key issues facing the CRM industry during the Gartner Customer Relationship Management Summit in September this year in Scottsdale, Arizona.
This Summit delivers leading-edge insights on how technology enables the marketing, sales and customer service functions, adding value to the customer experience and delivering higher levels of customer satisfaction while increasing sales and saving money
Gartner analysts said that lesson learned from previous downturns indicate that 40% of companies will use the current economic slump as an opportunity to generate post-recovery growth via effective use of CRM strategies.
“Just because times are tough and budgets are being cut, companies should not think that means no CRM investment,” said Scott Nelson, Managing Vice President at Gartner. “Companies need to think in terms of spending smarter, not spending less. There are zero, or low-cost strategies that can be implemented now that can make all the difference, generate competitive differentiation and not draw the attention of the CFO.”
Nelson said in reality there is no such thing as true “zero cost strategy”—as money has often already been spent on CRM systems and there are ongoing care and maintenance expenses—CRM success can be secured without spending more money on technology. Many organizations have large investments in call centers, websites, marketing systems and sales force automation. With these pieces in place, companies can wrap effective strategies around these tools and generate real success from a customer standpoint.
“CRM is a journey, not just a one-time and done strategy,” said Nelson. “If the right strategies are employed now, then companies will get a ‘sling shot’ effect going into the eventual recovery, putting them well ahead of the rivals who chose to wait and who equate CRM success with spending more money on technology.”
Gartner has identified five strategies that companies can undertake now that cost very little or nothing, but which will generate positive results from a CRM strategy point of view.
Customer communities: Gartner predicts that CRM of the future will be about creating online communities of customers via emerging social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and similar websites. The economic downturn provides a great opportunity to begin experimenting in this area, and Gartner advises companies to set up accounts on the various websites and learn what they do and don’t do, and how users interact.
Analytics: Once bought and installed, analytic tools can be put to good use during economic downturns. Many companies have more information than they know what to do with, and now they have the opportunity to put this to good use studying attrition models, looking at the next most likely to buy models, and figuring out channel usage patterns. While doing so, companies should bear in mind that customer behavior may change when the economy improves.
Segmentation: Many segmentation schemes are based on psycho-demographics, profitability or account attributes. However, a down economy provides companies with the opportunity to review their segmentation strategy and see if it really is the very best one that they could have.
Process redesign: Process is often an overlooked part of CRM and in many cases all that CRM technologies have done is taken out old, broken processes and made them run more efficiently. Now is an excellent time to study customer processes with a view to redesigning them and creating a win/win situation for both the company—which gets greater efficiency—and the customer—who gets a “partner” that interacts with them in a meaningful way.
Organizational redesign: Organizational change is one of the most difficult areas of CRM strategy, but many companies need to make the move from product-centric to customer-centric. In a down economy, with fewer distractions, many companies will find that this is the perfect time to start to address some of the organizational issues that get in the way of serving the customer.
“At the end of the day, CRM is all about change. Changing from product to customers, changing age-old processes, changing enterprise mindsets, and changing how companies relate to customers,” said Nelson. “All of this can be done without new systems, and the challenging economic environment may give companies just the chance they have been waiting for.”
Nelson will discuss the key issues facing the CRM industry during the Gartner Customer Relationship Management Summit in September this year in Scottsdale, Arizona.
This Summit delivers leading-edge insights on how technology enables the marketing, sales and customer service functions, adding value to the customer experience and delivering higher levels of customer satisfaction while increasing sales and saving money
WVa to require coal companies to monitor slurry
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection will require coal companies that use underground injection to dispose of coal wastes to start monitoring for potential pollution problems, the agency's director told lawmakers Wednesday.
The DEP currently permits 13 coal slurry injection wells but doesn't require permit holders to monitor if the contaminants are moving off site through the groundwater.
Orders will be issued next month requiring the companies to modify those permits, DEP Secretary Randy Huffman told a water resources committee. The companies will have 90 days to submit plans to install the monitoring wells.
Huffman said monitoring is necessary because a DEP study on the possible harmful environmental effects of coal slurry injections was inconclusive. The agency doesn't "know if the potential contaminates in the mine pool is migrating through the coal seam and ending up off site," he said.
The action follows DEP's decision in May to place a moratorium on underground injection at new mine sites. The moratorium was issued after the agency issued the first phase of a two-phase report on coal slurry injection. The report was issued two years after its December 2007 due date.
Coal slurry is a byproduct of cleaning coal after it is mined.
For decades, coal companies in Appalachia have injected slurry into mined out deep mines as a cheap alternative to building massive dams or to filtration and drying systems. In theory, solids settle to the bottom of pools inside sealed mine voids, and all the waste stays put, with little risk to groundwater below.
Critics of the practice say the earth continues to shift and crack long after mining has ended, whether through natural settling or human activity such as nearby blasting. They say that lets slurry migrate.
Huffman told lawmakers he couldn't say if injecting slurry was safe, but acknowledged the agency plans to modify its enforcement and permitting processes this year to "bring the regulatory program for slurry injection up to a standard it should have been all alongThe second phase of slurry study falls to the Bureau for Public Health. Walt Ivey, with the bureau's environmental health section, said the agency has contracted with West Virginia University to look for potential human health issues. WVU will be paid $221,519 to determine by Dec. 31 whether the practice is potentially harmful to people.
The contract sets a timeline for researchers, who have until June 30 to review the DEP's report and supporting data, gather any public health information they can find elsewhere and form an expert panel with three to six members who will review WVU's draft reports.
The contract requires WVU to seek information from a diverse array of sources.
A draft of the report must be submitted to the Department of Health and Human Resources in October, with comments from the DHHR and the expert panel to follow.
The final report should go to DHHR by Dec. 31, and the researchers may have to appear before lawmakers when they convene during the 2010 regular legislative session.
___
The DEP currently permits 13 coal slurry injection wells but doesn't require permit holders to monitor if the contaminants are moving off site through the groundwater.
Orders will be issued next month requiring the companies to modify those permits, DEP Secretary Randy Huffman told a water resources committee. The companies will have 90 days to submit plans to install the monitoring wells.
Huffman said monitoring is necessary because a DEP study on the possible harmful environmental effects of coal slurry injections was inconclusive. The agency doesn't "know if the potential contaminates in the mine pool is migrating through the coal seam and ending up off site," he said.
The action follows DEP's decision in May to place a moratorium on underground injection at new mine sites. The moratorium was issued after the agency issued the first phase of a two-phase report on coal slurry injection. The report was issued two years after its December 2007 due date.
Coal slurry is a byproduct of cleaning coal after it is mined.
For decades, coal companies in Appalachia have injected slurry into mined out deep mines as a cheap alternative to building massive dams or to filtration and drying systems. In theory, solids settle to the bottom of pools inside sealed mine voids, and all the waste stays put, with little risk to groundwater below.
Critics of the practice say the earth continues to shift and crack long after mining has ended, whether through natural settling or human activity such as nearby blasting. They say that lets slurry migrate.
Huffman told lawmakers he couldn't say if injecting slurry was safe, but acknowledged the agency plans to modify its enforcement and permitting processes this year to "bring the regulatory program for slurry injection up to a standard it should have been all alongThe second phase of slurry study falls to the Bureau for Public Health. Walt Ivey, with the bureau's environmental health section, said the agency has contracted with West Virginia University to look for potential human health issues. WVU will be paid $221,519 to determine by Dec. 31 whether the practice is potentially harmful to people.
The contract sets a timeline for researchers, who have until June 30 to review the DEP's report and supporting data, gather any public health information they can find elsewhere and form an expert panel with three to six members who will review WVU's draft reports.
The contract requires WVU to seek information from a diverse array of sources.
A draft of the report must be submitted to the Department of Health and Human Resources in October, with comments from the DHHR and the expert panel to follow.
The final report should go to DHHR by Dec. 31, and the researchers may have to appear before lawmakers when they convene during the 2010 regular legislative session.
___
Outsourcing is DJB's plan for plugging water leakage
to minimise loss of water.
Speaking at the Water Summit 2009, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Negi also emphasised the need for investment by the private sector, especially with lesser funds being made available by the government due to recession. Said Negi: "DJB spends Rs 1,500 crore annually on improving Delhi's water supply, this has to be augmented with private sector participation. The investment opportunities in the sector are going up manifolds and a public-private partnership models need to be worked out by which the government will provide land and the private counterpart will carry out water recycling.''
According to Negi, since more than 45% of the city is unplanned growth, the consumers often face water shortage. "As DJB does not have sufficient water inventory, the present norm of 450/350 litre per head per day for hospitals and hotels respectively will soon go down to 200 litres. Hotel and hospitals share the concerns and will recycle the remaining as per their needs," he said.
Talking of saline water supply in Delhi due to higher levels of ammonia and chloride, Negi said while the problem was more or less under control now, DJB had written to Haryana government and central pollution control board also, to control the problem of pollutants being released into Yamuna from industries of Panipat. "When the first rain happens the pollutants that are usually accumulated around the industries enter the Wazirabad pond causing problems,'' said Negi.
Meanwhile, an education kit for children was also released during the summit which was aimed at educating them about water conservation and capturing it as a positive influence on parents.
Francios E Binder, country director and counsellor, Swiss agency for development and cooperation, suggested that the water sector in India should adhere to appropriate regulatory framework which incorporates consumer protection, environmental standards, pricing mechanism and enhancing sustainability. He added that the sector has to introduce accountability amongst stakeholders.
Speaking at the Water Summit 2009, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Negi also emphasised the need for investment by the private sector, especially with lesser funds being made available by the government due to recession. Said Negi: "DJB spends Rs 1,500 crore annually on improving Delhi's water supply, this has to be augmented with private sector participation. The investment opportunities in the sector are going up manifolds and a public-private partnership models need to be worked out by which the government will provide land and the private counterpart will carry out water recycling.''
According to Negi, since more than 45% of the city is unplanned growth, the consumers often face water shortage. "As DJB does not have sufficient water inventory, the present norm of 450/350 litre per head per day for hospitals and hotels respectively will soon go down to 200 litres. Hotel and hospitals share the concerns and will recycle the remaining as per their needs," he said.
Talking of saline water supply in Delhi due to higher levels of ammonia and chloride, Negi said while the problem was more or less under control now, DJB had written to Haryana government and central pollution control board also, to control the problem of pollutants being released into Yamuna from industries of Panipat. "When the first rain happens the pollutants that are usually accumulated around the industries enter the Wazirabad pond causing problems,'' said Negi.
Meanwhile, an education kit for children was also released during the summit which was aimed at educating them about water conservation and capturing it as a positive influence on parents.
Francios E Binder, country director and counsellor, Swiss agency for development and cooperation, suggested that the water sector in India should adhere to appropriate regulatory framework which incorporates consumer protection, environmental standards, pricing mechanism and enhancing sustainability. He added that the sector has to introduce accountability amongst stakeholders.
Asbestos emergency issued — for entire town
The Environmental Protection Agency for the first time has declared a public health emergency in a contaminated community, targeting a Montana town Wednesday for immediate federal attention and up to $130 million more for cleanup and medical care costs.
The declaration by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson involving Libby, Mont., will not result in an evacuation of its 2,600 residents, but will require an extensive cleanup and better health protections for residents with asbestos-related illnesses.
Jackson called Libby a "tragic public health situation" that has not received the recognition it deserves from the federal government for far too long.
Asbestos contamination from a now-closed vermiculite operations near Libby has been cited in the deaths of more than 200 people and illnesses of thousands more. Vermiculite is used to make insulation material but the ore found in Libby was eventually found to be contaminated with a toxic form of naturally-occurring asbestos.
Miners carried vermiculate dust home on their clothes, vermiculite once covered school running tracks in Libby and some residents used vermiculite as mulch in their home gardens.
Gayla Benefield of Libby, who suffers health effects from asbestos exposure and lost both parents to asbestos-related lung diseases, called the declaration a "a giant step forward" for improved medical care and clean up of the town.
"Right now the amount of money is relatively minimal, but overall the biggest thing is that it opens the door for future money to be available for medical care, research," she said.
Superfund and court cases
The operations produced 70 percent of all vermiculite sold in the U.S. before they were closed in 1990 by owner W.R. Grace. Federal cleanup began in 2000 and the area was declared a Superfund priority site in 2002.
W.R. Grace last year settled a lawsuit over the cleanup, agreeing to pay the U.S. government $250 million. The EPA has estimated the total cleanup and medical care cost could reach $350 million
Last month, a jury acquitted three former W.R. Grace executives of knowingly allowing residents to be exposed to asbestos-related disease.
Jackson said the public health emergency declaration was the first time the EPA has made such a determination under authority of the 1980 Superfund law that requires the clean up of contaminated sites.
Investigations performed by the federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry have found that occurrences of asbestosis, a lung condition, near Libby are staggeringly higher than the national average for the period from 1979 to 1998, the EPA said in a press release.
"While EPA’s cleanup efforts have greatly reduced exposure, actual and potential releases of amphibole asbestos remain a significant threat to public health in that area," it added.
$6 million medical grant
The EPA is working with the Department of Health and Human Services, which is making available a $6 million grant to provide asbestos-related medical care to Libby and residents of Troy, another Montana town.
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"Based on a rigorous re-evaluation of the situation on the ground, we will continue to move aggressively on the cleanup efforts and protect the health of the people," Jackson said. "We're here to help create a long and prosperous future for this town."
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., called the emergency declaration a great day for Libby, which he said "had to wait year after year as the last administration failed to determine that a public health emergency exists."
"Today is the day that after years of work we were able to succeed in getting this done," Baucus said. "We will continue to push until Libby has a clean bill of health."
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., called the declaration long-overdue. "We still have a long way to do right by the folks in Libby. Working together with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency, we're making very good progress," Tester said.
The declaration by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson involving Libby, Mont., will not result in an evacuation of its 2,600 residents, but will require an extensive cleanup and better health protections for residents with asbestos-related illnesses.
Jackson called Libby a "tragic public health situation" that has not received the recognition it deserves from the federal government for far too long.
Asbestos contamination from a now-closed vermiculite operations near Libby has been cited in the deaths of more than 200 people and illnesses of thousands more. Vermiculite is used to make insulation material but the ore found in Libby was eventually found to be contaminated with a toxic form of naturally-occurring asbestos.
Miners carried vermiculate dust home on their clothes, vermiculite once covered school running tracks in Libby and some residents used vermiculite as mulch in their home gardens.
Gayla Benefield of Libby, who suffers health effects from asbestos exposure and lost both parents to asbestos-related lung diseases, called the declaration a "a giant step forward" for improved medical care and clean up of the town.
"Right now the amount of money is relatively minimal, but overall the biggest thing is that it opens the door for future money to be available for medical care, research," she said.
Superfund and court cases
The operations produced 70 percent of all vermiculite sold in the U.S. before they were closed in 1990 by owner W.R. Grace. Federal cleanup began in 2000 and the area was declared a Superfund priority site in 2002.
W.R. Grace last year settled a lawsuit over the cleanup, agreeing to pay the U.S. government $250 million. The EPA has estimated the total cleanup and medical care cost could reach $350 million
Last month, a jury acquitted three former W.R. Grace executives of knowingly allowing residents to be exposed to asbestos-related disease.
Jackson said the public health emergency declaration was the first time the EPA has made such a determination under authority of the 1980 Superfund law that requires the clean up of contaminated sites.
Investigations performed by the federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry have found that occurrences of asbestosis, a lung condition, near Libby are staggeringly higher than the national average for the period from 1979 to 1998, the EPA said in a press release.
"While EPA’s cleanup efforts have greatly reduced exposure, actual and potential releases of amphibole asbestos remain a significant threat to public health in that area," it added.
$6 million medical grant
The EPA is working with the Department of Health and Human Services, which is making available a $6 million grant to provide asbestos-related medical care to Libby and residents of Troy, another Montana town.
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Read more news from across the U.S.
"Based on a rigorous re-evaluation of the situation on the ground, we will continue to move aggressively on the cleanup efforts and protect the health of the people," Jackson said. "We're here to help create a long and prosperous future for this town."
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., called the emergency declaration a great day for Libby, which he said "had to wait year after year as the last administration failed to determine that a public health emergency exists."
"Today is the day that after years of work we were able to succeed in getting this done," Baucus said. "We will continue to push until Libby has a clean bill of health."
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., called the declaration long-overdue. "We still have a long way to do right by the folks in Libby. Working together with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency, we're making very good progress," Tester said.
Your Gateway to Health & Environment Resources
Bring Your Own Bag Day
In order to encourage shoppers to bring their own shopping bags so as to help reduce wastage of plastic bags and promote resource conservation, the “Why waste plastic bags? Choose reusable bags!” campaign was launched on 11 February 2006.
This campaign was taken a step further on 18 April 2007 with the launch of the monthly Bring Your Own Bag Day (BYOBD) every first Wednesday of the month.
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ABC Waters Programme
ABC Waters Programme is a long term initiative to bring people closer to water so that they can better appreciate and cherish this precious resource.
By integrating the streams, rivers and lakes with the parks and gardens, new community spaces, bursting with life and activities, can be created. This helps transforms Singapore into a City of Gardens and Water, a vision outlined by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. more...
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Nursing Home Charges for private patients
Looking for a place in a nursing home? Check out the latest update on nursing home charges, and try the AIC step-by-step guide to choosing a nursing home.
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Dental Fees: What private patients pay at public institutions
Seeking dental treatment? Check out the average dental fees paid by private patients at the National Dental Centre (and other dentistry departments in public institutions) for dental procedures such as braces, crowns, implants, full dentures, root canal treatments and impacted wisdom tooth surgery.
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Polyclinics: Webcams Queue Watch
Visiting the polyclinic? Get the latest queue and waiting time information at various polyclinics and avoid the crowds.
See real-time webcam images of waiting areas at polyclinics, the number in queues, and indicative peak/non-peak hours here. Find out about the latest month's waiting times at various polyclinics here.
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Chronic Disease Management
Medical problems like diabetes, hypertension, high blood cholesterol or stroke are lifelong conditions. Take charge of your health and manage these conditions to lead a fulfilling life.
From 1 Oct 2006, the Ministry of Health will allow the use of Medisave to help pay part of the outpatient cost, and reduce out of pocket payment for patients with Diabetes. The programme will be extended to the other chronic diseases - hypertension, lipid disorders and stroke - from 1 January 2007. more...
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Community Hospitals, Chronic Sick Hospitals and Nursing Homes
Make a more informed decision on where to seek care. Find out more about the different types of intermediate and long-term care (ILTC) residential facilities in Singapore and details on the bed situation and charges in these facilities. more...
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Medisave/Medishield Calculator
Find out how much you can expect to claim from Medisave and/or MediShield if you are hospitalised. The online Medisave/MediShield Calculator helps you estimate what a typical patient can expect to claim. more...
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In order to encourage shoppers to bring their own shopping bags so as to help reduce wastage of plastic bags and promote resource conservation, the “Why waste plastic bags? Choose reusable bags!” campaign was launched on 11 February 2006.
This campaign was taken a step further on 18 April 2007 with the launch of the monthly Bring Your Own Bag Day (BYOBD) every first Wednesday of the month.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABC Waters Programme
ABC Waters Programme is a long term initiative to bring people closer to water so that they can better appreciate and cherish this precious resource.
By integrating the streams, rivers and lakes with the parks and gardens, new community spaces, bursting with life and activities, can be created. This helps transforms Singapore into a City of Gardens and Water, a vision outlined by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. more...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nursing Home Charges for private patients
Looking for a place in a nursing home? Check out the latest update on nursing home charges, and try the AIC step-by-step guide to choosing a nursing home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dental Fees: What private patients pay at public institutions
Seeking dental treatment? Check out the average dental fees paid by private patients at the National Dental Centre (and other dentistry departments in public institutions) for dental procedures such as braces, crowns, implants, full dentures, root canal treatments and impacted wisdom tooth surgery.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Polyclinics: Webcams Queue Watch
Visiting the polyclinic? Get the latest queue and waiting time information at various polyclinics and avoid the crowds.
See real-time webcam images of waiting areas at polyclinics, the number in queues, and indicative peak/non-peak hours here. Find out about the latest month's waiting times at various polyclinics here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chronic Disease Management
Medical problems like diabetes, hypertension, high blood cholesterol or stroke are lifelong conditions. Take charge of your health and manage these conditions to lead a fulfilling life.
From 1 Oct 2006, the Ministry of Health will allow the use of Medisave to help pay part of the outpatient cost, and reduce out of pocket payment for patients with Diabetes. The programme will be extended to the other chronic diseases - hypertension, lipid disorders and stroke - from 1 January 2007. more...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Community Hospitals, Chronic Sick Hospitals and Nursing Homes
Make a more informed decision on where to seek care. Find out more about the different types of intermediate and long-term care (ILTC) residential facilities in Singapore and details on the bed situation and charges in these facilities. more...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Medisave/Medishield Calculator
Find out how much you can expect to claim from Medisave and/or MediShield if you are hospitalised. The online Medisave/MediShield Calculator helps you estimate what a typical patient can expect to claim. more...
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POVERTY & ENVIRONMENT
Saint Ramakrishna had once said that pangs of hunger could be so acute that even youthful love becomes futile. Poverty vitiates the body and soul. A mother, who is a symbol of love and affection, is at times driven to sell her child because of poverty, and a young girl to sell her body. A country that can not provide the basic needs - food, clothing and shelter to its people cannot expect to improve its environment. If the main string of the Sitar is not properly tuned, the other strings can hardly create any music. Similarly, the state of the environment will automatically improve in developing countries if we succeed in eliminating poverty. Economic growth is closely related to education and education leads to a better environmental condition. So to improve our economy, we need better education. But who will bring about this change? Just as for Goddess Durga's worship even the soil from prostitute's house is needed and she uses her all ten hands to kills 'Asura', the evil sprit, millions of people from every walk of life, should come together to destroy the evil hands of poverty. Even after 50 years of independence, India's over all socioeconomic condition and the level of education in villages, where the majority of people live, have not improved to the extent it should have. India's poor and poverty stricken villagers remain neglected. Poverty makes a country sick just as malnutrition becomes the principal causative factor to many diseases. As cancer cells destroy healthy cells, poverty acts as neoplasm to the country. Still, there is a solution to the poverty-induced environmental crisis in India and many developing countries. The solution lies in treating the whole country as a single undivided family where all members work together for development and share responsibilities for the family's prosperity. Labor - no matter in what form - must be respected and this will ensure the country's prosperity by encouraging people's participation at every level.
CALCUTTA CITY IN POLLUTION PERSPECTIVE INCLUDING HEAVY METALS
Air pollution becomes acute in Calcutta during winter. Pollutants cannot disperse easily, mainly due to inversion, low wind speed and high congestion. Although Calcutta is known to be one of the world's most polluted cities; available data on pollutant pollution are scanty. So far, data on suspended particulate matter (SPM), SO2, NOx in Calcutta for a couple of years are available. Relatively small amounts of data are available on other parameters like CO, benzene soluble organic matter (BSOM), heavy metals, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). Almost no data are available on benzene-toluene-xylene (BTX), organolead, heavy metals in inhalable particulate matter (IPM) and acidity of moisture.
Samples were collected from five important street crossings in the core city. The average SPM (Suspended Particulate Mater) concentrations during the winter in 1992, 1993 and 1994 were 982 µg/m3, 1007 µg/m3 and 1181 µg/m3 respectively. High SPM in the city air also showed high BSOM (Benzene Soluble Organic Mater). High BSOM was associated with high value of PAH (Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons). Twelve PAH compounds were identified and quantified in the city air and some of them are suspected carcinogen. Among the ten heavy metals determined, lead concentration in SPM during winter for Calcutta was high in comparison to other cities of the world. The total organolead concentrations in ambient air were measured and indicated high value of organolead in the city air. The average organolead concentration for 1992, 1993 and 1994 were 303 ng/m3, 299 µg/m3 and 296 µg/m3 respectively. Concentrations of benzene, toluene and xylene were found to be much higher than in other studies elsewhere in the world. The average benzene concentration during winter in 1992, 1994 and 1996 were 1000 µg/m3, 708 µg/m3 and 491 µg/m3 respectively. Various factors like use of kerosene, coal as cooking fuel, coal in use by power plants surrounding the city, large number of cars, poor quality of fuel, bad condition of the city streets, small road area compared to the total city area, high population density, miserable slum conditions of habitation and overall poor socio-economic status of city dwellers are together responsible for the serious air pollution in the city [Chakraborti et al,Current Science, 75(2),123138, 1998].
WHO (World Health Organization) has estimated that the majority of five million children that die from diarrheal diseases in developing world are poor urban families [World Resource Institute (1996
Samples were collected from five important street crossings in the core city. The average SPM (Suspended Particulate Mater) concentrations during the winter in 1992, 1993 and 1994 were 982 µg/m3, 1007 µg/m3 and 1181 µg/m3 respectively. High SPM in the city air also showed high BSOM (Benzene Soluble Organic Mater). High BSOM was associated with high value of PAH (Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons). Twelve PAH compounds were identified and quantified in the city air and some of them are suspected carcinogen. Among the ten heavy metals determined, lead concentration in SPM during winter for Calcutta was high in comparison to other cities of the world. The total organolead concentrations in ambient air were measured and indicated high value of organolead in the city air. The average organolead concentration for 1992, 1993 and 1994 were 303 ng/m3, 299 µg/m3 and 296 µg/m3 respectively. Concentrations of benzene, toluene and xylene were found to be much higher than in other studies elsewhere in the world. The average benzene concentration during winter in 1992, 1994 and 1996 were 1000 µg/m3, 708 µg/m3 and 491 µg/m3 respectively. Various factors like use of kerosene, coal as cooking fuel, coal in use by power plants surrounding the city, large number of cars, poor quality of fuel, bad condition of the city streets, small road area compared to the total city area, high population density, miserable slum conditions of habitation and overall poor socio-economic status of city dwellers are together responsible for the serious air pollution in the city [Chakraborti et al,Current Science, 75(2),123138, 1998].
WHO (World Health Organization) has estimated that the majority of five million children that die from diarrheal diseases in developing world are poor urban families [World Resource Institute (1996
Status of groundwater arsenic contamination in the state of West Bengal, India: A 20-year study report
The 20-year study report on status of groundwater arsenic contamination in West Bengal by Jadavpur University, based on the analysis of water samples from tube wells in all 19 districts of West Bengal. Groundwater in nine highly affected districts had arsenic at concentrations of 300 lg/L and above.
Since 1988 we have analyzed 140 150 water samples from tube wells in all 19 districts of West Bengal for arsenic; 48.1% had arsenic above 10 g/L (WHO guideline value), 23.8% above 50 g/L (Indian Standard) and 3.3% above 300 g/L (concentration predicting overt arsenical skin lesions). Based on arsenic concentrations we have classified West Bengal into three zones: highly affected (9 districts mainly in eastern side of Bhagirathi River), mildly affected (5 districts in northern part) and unaffected (5 districts in western part). The estimated number of tube wells in 8 of the highly affected districts is 1.3 million, and estimated population drinking arsenic contaminated water above 10 and 50 g/L were 9.5 and 4.2 million, respectively. In West Bengal alone, 26 million people are potentially at risk from drinking arsenic-contaminated water (above 10 g/L). Studying information for water from different depths from 107 253 tube wells, we noted that arsenic concentration decreased with increasing depth. Measured arsenic concentration in two tube wells in Kolkata for 325 and 51 days during 2002-2005, showed 15% oscillatory movement without any long-term trend. Regional variability is dependent on sub-surface geology. In the arsenic-affected flood plain of the river Ganga, the crisis is not having too little water to satisfy our needs, it is the crisis of managing the water.
Since 1988 we have analyzed 140 150 water samples from tube wells in all 19 districts of West Bengal for arsenic; 48.1% had arsenic above 10 g/L (WHO guideline value), 23.8% above 50 g/L (Indian Standard) and 3.3% above 300 g/L (concentration predicting overt arsenical skin lesions). Based on arsenic concentrations we have classified West Bengal into three zones: highly affected (9 districts mainly in eastern side of Bhagirathi River), mildly affected (5 districts in northern part) and unaffected (5 districts in western part). The estimated number of tube wells in 8 of the highly affected districts is 1.3 million, and estimated population drinking arsenic contaminated water above 10 and 50 g/L were 9.5 and 4.2 million, respectively. In West Bengal alone, 26 million people are potentially at risk from drinking arsenic-contaminated water (above 10 g/L). Studying information for water from different depths from 107 253 tube wells, we noted that arsenic concentration decreased with increasing depth. Measured arsenic concentration in two tube wells in Kolkata for 325 and 51 days during 2002-2005, showed 15% oscillatory movement without any long-term trend. Regional variability is dependent on sub-surface geology. In the arsenic-affected flood plain of the river Ganga, the crisis is not having too little water to satisfy our needs, it is the crisis of managing the water.
Bangladesh and China top U.N. disaster risk index
Asian countries led by Bangladesh and China dominated an index produced on Monday by the United Nations that estimates which populations are most at risk from earthquakes, floods, cyclones and lanThe Mortality Risk Index was issued by the U.N. International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) before a four-day meeting of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction opening on Tuesday at which 1,800 officials and experts will examine natural catastrophes.
"There literally are no countries in the world that are not potentially affected by hazards," UNISDR chief Margareta Wahlstrom told a news conference. Wahlstrom said countries that were not major risks now could be in the future as climate change affects weather and sea levels.
The index, measuring where people are most likely to die in a disaster, looks at hazard -- the risk that the disaster will occur, but also exposure and vulnerability, which reflect how countries cope.
For instance vulnerability to earthquakes takes into account the rapidity of urban growth. Other factors would include hospitals and other infrastructure.
IMPACT OF DISASTERS
Wahlstrom said the index showed that countries could reduce the impact of disasters. For instance Japan has the highest exposure to cyclones but ranks as only a medium risk for the category because of civil defense and other mitigation measures.
"Our message is: you don't have to be defeated, because you have a choice," she said.
Four countries with big populations -- Bangladesh, China, India and Indonesia -- are in the extreme category for average number of people at risk in absolute terms.
But when the index is weighted for population the list is headed by Colombia, with a number of small nations such as Comoros, Dominica, Vanuatu and Fiji also high up.
A "multi" index averages these two to reflect both perspectives.
The index throws up some strange neighbors, with the United States, Haiti and Ethiopia all categorized as "medium high" risks overall. The United States is exposed to both earthquakes and cyclones, and as Hurricane Katrina showed, large groups of poor people in the United States are vulnerable to disasters
UNISDR Scientific Adviser Pascal Peduzzi said the one weakness of the index was that it excluded droughts, because their impact was often linked more to civil unrest or conflict than weather or other natural factors.
If drought were included, many African countries would be much higher in the index, he said.
The index draws on data from 1977 to 2007 for earthquakes and cyclones, and scientific modeling for other categories.
dslides
"There literally are no countries in the world that are not potentially affected by hazards," UNISDR chief Margareta Wahlstrom told a news conference. Wahlstrom said countries that were not major risks now could be in the future as climate change affects weather and sea levels.
The index, measuring where people are most likely to die in a disaster, looks at hazard -- the risk that the disaster will occur, but also exposure and vulnerability, which reflect how countries cope.
For instance vulnerability to earthquakes takes into account the rapidity of urban growth. Other factors would include hospitals and other infrastructure.
IMPACT OF DISASTERS
Wahlstrom said the index showed that countries could reduce the impact of disasters. For instance Japan has the highest exposure to cyclones but ranks as only a medium risk for the category because of civil defense and other mitigation measures.
"Our message is: you don't have to be defeated, because you have a choice," she said.
Four countries with big populations -- Bangladesh, China, India and Indonesia -- are in the extreme category for average number of people at risk in absolute terms.
But when the index is weighted for population the list is headed by Colombia, with a number of small nations such as Comoros, Dominica, Vanuatu and Fiji also high up.
A "multi" index averages these two to reflect both perspectives.
The index throws up some strange neighbors, with the United States, Haiti and Ethiopia all categorized as "medium high" risks overall. The United States is exposed to both earthquakes and cyclones, and as Hurricane Katrina showed, large groups of poor people in the United States are vulnerable to disasters
UNISDR Scientific Adviser Pascal Peduzzi said the one weakness of the index was that it excluded droughts, because their impact was often linked more to civil unrest or conflict than weather or other natural factors.
If drought were included, many African countries would be much higher in the index, he said.
The index draws on data from 1977 to 2007 for earthquakes and cyclones, and scientific modeling for other categories.
dslides
U.S. faces security threat from climate change: Kerry
Global warming threatens U.S. security by leaving important military hubs vulnerable to rising seas and possibly fomenting anti-American sentiment, U.S. Sen. John Kerry said on Monday. Skip related content
There is "scarcely an instrument of U.S. foreign policy" that was not vulnerable to climate change, which scientists say will raise sea levels by melting glaciers and ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica, Kerry, a Democrat, said at a Council on Foreign Relations meeting.
U.S. military hubs that could be harmed by rising seas include the island Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, a center for military operations across the Middle East, and Norfolk, Virginia, home to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet.
Kerry said the piers at Norfolk may have to be completely rebuilt if seas rise significantly since they are cemented to the sea floor. The problem was surmountable, but could be "expensive, complicated and perhaps (would even have an impact on) readiness," he said.
The senator's comments came as the U.S. Congress mulls a climate bill that aims to cut emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. The legislation would cut emissions by less than many developing countries want.
Many poor countries want industrialized countries to take deep action on reducing emissions because they enjoyed nearly two centuries of freely doing so during the rise to modernization.
Kerry, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said it was "not hard to see" that U.S. inaction on climate change could crystallize anti-American resentment. That was most likely in poor countries across South Asia and Africa that are most vulnerable to climate change's expected floods, heat waves, and droughts, that are also the nations least able to do anything about climate change.
Droughts and desertification from climate change could hit hardest in South Asia, home to what Kerry called "the center of our terrorist threat."
The climate bill is expected to go to a vote in the House this summer. Its future in the Senate is uncertain.
There is "scarcely an instrument of U.S. foreign policy" that was not vulnerable to climate change, which scientists say will raise sea levels by melting glaciers and ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica, Kerry, a Democrat, said at a Council on Foreign Relations meeting.
U.S. military hubs that could be harmed by rising seas include the island Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, a center for military operations across the Middle East, and Norfolk, Virginia, home to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet.
Kerry said the piers at Norfolk may have to be completely rebuilt if seas rise significantly since they are cemented to the sea floor. The problem was surmountable, but could be "expensive, complicated and perhaps (would even have an impact on) readiness," he said.
The senator's comments came as the U.S. Congress mulls a climate bill that aims to cut emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. The legislation would cut emissions by less than many developing countries want.
Many poor countries want industrialized countries to take deep action on reducing emissions because they enjoyed nearly two centuries of freely doing so during the rise to modernization.
Kerry, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said it was "not hard to see" that U.S. inaction on climate change could crystallize anti-American resentment. That was most likely in poor countries across South Asia and Africa that are most vulnerable to climate change's expected floods, heat waves, and droughts, that are also the nations least able to do anything about climate change.
Droughts and desertification from climate change could hit hardest in South Asia, home to what Kerry called "the center of our terrorist threat."
The climate bill is expected to go to a vote in the House this summer. Its future in the Senate is uncertain.
Flashing night sky was 'meteor shower'
Ominous green lights that flashed across the skies of the English Channel have been put down to a meteor shower, according tCalls flooded in to authorities on Monday night from Hampshire to Devon and across to Jersey and France, with people saying they were seeing white and green flares in the sky.
A Solent Coastguard spokesman said: "There were reports of flares all down the coast which went on for about half an hour but there was a forecast for a meteor shower."
Meteor showers are caused by debris from a comet burning up in the Earth's atmosphere.
This can produce shooting stars across the night sky, particularly visible on clear nights, which was the case over southern England on that night.
Solent Coastguard said it could have been one of three showers forecast - the June Lyrids, the Ophruchids or the Zeta Pearseids.
o coastguards
A Solent Coastguard spokesman said: "There were reports of flares all down the coast which went on for about half an hour but there was a forecast for a meteor shower."
Meteor showers are caused by debris from a comet burning up in the Earth's atmosphere.
This can produce shooting stars across the night sky, particularly visible on clear nights, which was the case over southern England on that night.
Solent Coastguard said it could have been one of three showers forecast - the June Lyrids, the Ophruchids or the Zeta Pearseids.
o coastguards
Scientist Denounces TV Ads for Deliberately Misleading Public on Global Warming
A senior scientist whose research is being cited in television ads that challenge the reality of global warming has denounced the ads as a “deliberate effort to confuse and mislead the public” and says the group that produced the ads is misrepresenting his work to support its false claims.
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit public policy that is partially funded by large oil companies, is running a series of national television advertisements claiming that warnings about global warming are “alarmist.” The ads were timed to coincide with theatrical release of An Inconvenient Truth, a documentary film starring former U.S. Vice President Al Gore that provides scientific evidence of global warming and urges people to take action to help reduce it.
Ads Misrepresent Research Results
To bolster its claims, CEI references scientific research that supposedly refutes the large body of science that supports global warming. Among the scientific work cited by CEI is research conducted in the Antarctic by Curt Davis, director of the Center for Geospatial Intelligence at the University of Missouri-Columbia. (View the ads.)
According to the ads, Davis’ work shows that global warming is not causing ice sheets to shrink, but Davis has issued a statement saying that CEI is misrepresenting his research for its own purposes, and a senior editor at the journal Science (which published Davis’ research) backs him up.
"These television ads are a deliberate effort to confuse and mislead the public about the global warming debate," Davis said. "They are selectively using only parts of my previous research to support their claims. They are not telling the entire story to the public."
"The text of the CEI ad misrepresents the conclusions of the two cited Science papers and our current state of knowledge by selective referencing," said Dr. Brooks Hanson, deputy editor, physical sciences, Science.
Scientific Consensus on Global Warming
Prior to Davis' 2005 study, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that if global warming were occurring, increased precipitation in Antarctica's interior would likely result. In his study, Davis reported growth in the interior East Antarctica ice mass. He said this growth was probably caused by an increase in precipitation, and made it clear in his study that growth of the interior ice sheet is “a predicted consequence of global warming.” Davis said his study did not include the coastal areas of Antarctica, which are known to be losing mass at a rate that could easily offset or outweigh increases in the interior areas.
"On one of those ads, they [CEI] chose to use the result I published last year to basically say the ice sheets are growing and not shrinking," Davis said in an interview with the Columbia Daily Tribune. "It’s a blatant misuse of our result to create confusion where confusion does not exist."
"Our result is specific to one part of the ice sheet," Davis said. "You can’t use that to say the whole continent is growing. It’s undisputed in the scientific community that global warming is occurring.”
In an interview with The Independent, a British news publication, Davis was asked if he doubted the evidence of global warming. He replied: "Personally, I have no doubts whatsoever."
Oil Industry-Backed Group Known for Misleading Information
Environmentalists have repeatedly accused the CEI of producing misleading information about global warming and the degree to which human activity, including the increased use of fossil fuels, contributes to climate change. In reality, there is a broad scientific consensus that the planet is warming rapidly and that human activity plays a significant role in causing global warming.
David Doniger, the climate policy director with the Natural Resources Defense Council, told The Independent that climate change skeptics do not even represent "the minority...they're the fringe.”
"It's the same as with tobacco,” Doniger said. “To claim that fossil fuel emissions don't cause global warming is like saying cigarettes don't cause cancer."
Ads Claim to Counter “Lopsided Press Coverage”
The Competitive Enterprise Institute defended the ads and dismissed scientist Curt Davis' claim that the ads misrepresented his research.
Myron Ebell, CEI's director of global warming policy, agrees the public is being misled, but he blames it on “global warming alarmism” and “lopsided press coverage of glacial melting as a worldwide catastrophe.” Ebell says the media chooses to report only the research that supports the evidence of climate change and ignores scientific studies that question it.
"There is no consensus about the extent of the warming or the consequences," Ebell said.
But Ebell’s comments read like just one more CEI attempt to spin fact out of fiction. In reality, any “lopsided press coverage” that occurs on global warming is largely driven by groups such as CEI, which deliberately seek to confuse the issue with misleading and inaccurate information.
Public Confused by Misleading Information
A survey by Science magazine (December 2004) of peer-reviewed scientific studies on climate change showed that 928 peer-reviewed papers supported global warming and none denied it.
In a similar sampling of stories from the mass media, 53 percent suggested that global warming is unproven, a perception driven largely by reporters including in their coverage misleading claims by groups such as CEI.
Clearly, the message people are getting doesn’t match the facts—but not in the way CEI suggests.
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit public policy that is partially funded by large oil companies, is running a series of national television advertisements claiming that warnings about global warming are “alarmist.” The ads were timed to coincide with theatrical release of An Inconvenient Truth, a documentary film starring former U.S. Vice President Al Gore that provides scientific evidence of global warming and urges people to take action to help reduce it.
Ads Misrepresent Research Results
To bolster its claims, CEI references scientific research that supposedly refutes the large body of science that supports global warming. Among the scientific work cited by CEI is research conducted in the Antarctic by Curt Davis, director of the Center for Geospatial Intelligence at the University of Missouri-Columbia. (View the ads.)
According to the ads, Davis’ work shows that global warming is not causing ice sheets to shrink, but Davis has issued a statement saying that CEI is misrepresenting his research for its own purposes, and a senior editor at the journal Science (which published Davis’ research) backs him up.
"These television ads are a deliberate effort to confuse and mislead the public about the global warming debate," Davis said. "They are selectively using only parts of my previous research to support their claims. They are not telling the entire story to the public."
"The text of the CEI ad misrepresents the conclusions of the two cited Science papers and our current state of knowledge by selective referencing," said Dr. Brooks Hanson, deputy editor, physical sciences, Science.
Scientific Consensus on Global Warming
Prior to Davis' 2005 study, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that if global warming were occurring, increased precipitation in Antarctica's interior would likely result. In his study, Davis reported growth in the interior East Antarctica ice mass. He said this growth was probably caused by an increase in precipitation, and made it clear in his study that growth of the interior ice sheet is “a predicted consequence of global warming.” Davis said his study did not include the coastal areas of Antarctica, which are known to be losing mass at a rate that could easily offset or outweigh increases in the interior areas.
"On one of those ads, they [CEI] chose to use the result I published last year to basically say the ice sheets are growing and not shrinking," Davis said in an interview with the Columbia Daily Tribune. "It’s a blatant misuse of our result to create confusion where confusion does not exist."
"Our result is specific to one part of the ice sheet," Davis said. "You can’t use that to say the whole continent is growing. It’s undisputed in the scientific community that global warming is occurring.”
In an interview with The Independent, a British news publication, Davis was asked if he doubted the evidence of global warming. He replied: "Personally, I have no doubts whatsoever."
Oil Industry-Backed Group Known for Misleading Information
Environmentalists have repeatedly accused the CEI of producing misleading information about global warming and the degree to which human activity, including the increased use of fossil fuels, contributes to climate change. In reality, there is a broad scientific consensus that the planet is warming rapidly and that human activity plays a significant role in causing global warming.
David Doniger, the climate policy director with the Natural Resources Defense Council, told The Independent that climate change skeptics do not even represent "the minority...they're the fringe.”
"It's the same as with tobacco,” Doniger said. “To claim that fossil fuel emissions don't cause global warming is like saying cigarettes don't cause cancer."
Ads Claim to Counter “Lopsided Press Coverage”
The Competitive Enterprise Institute defended the ads and dismissed scientist Curt Davis' claim that the ads misrepresented his research.
Myron Ebell, CEI's director of global warming policy, agrees the public is being misled, but he blames it on “global warming alarmism” and “lopsided press coverage of glacial melting as a worldwide catastrophe.” Ebell says the media chooses to report only the research that supports the evidence of climate change and ignores scientific studies that question it.
"There is no consensus about the extent of the warming or the consequences," Ebell said.
But Ebell’s comments read like just one more CEI attempt to spin fact out of fiction. In reality, any “lopsided press coverage” that occurs on global warming is largely driven by groups such as CEI, which deliberately seek to confuse the issue with misleading and inaccurate information.
Public Confused by Misleading Information
A survey by Science magazine (December 2004) of peer-reviewed scientific studies on climate change showed that 928 peer-reviewed papers supported global warming and none denied it.
In a similar sampling of stories from the mass media, 53 percent suggested that global warming is unproven, a perception driven largely by reporters including in their coverage misleading claims by groups such as CEI.
Clearly, the message people are getting doesn’t match the facts—but not in the way CEI suggests.
Climate Change:Impacts and Solutions
Climate change is considered by many scientists to be the most serious threat facing the world today. The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. Solutions include phasing out coal plants, expanding renewable energy sources and public transit, and creating new efficiency standards for vehicles and buildings. Find out what you can do to help make a difference!
What's new
The deadline for completing negotiations and agreeing upon a framework to fight climate change is a conference in Copenhagen this December. Bridging the Divide lays out the reasons why Canada is a barrier to a strong Copenhagen agreement—much more so than China or other developing countries—and what our government can do to change that.
A recent Science Matters article discusses B.C.'s renewable energy future including run-of-river hydro projects.
How will climate change impact the future of winter sports? Download On Thin Ice, a report examining how the decisions we make now will ultimately affect the future of winter sports and the role they play in Canada's identity, natural heritage, and economy.
Find out how your business can save the climate - and improve its bottom line. Download Doing Business in a New Climate, a how-to guide to help businesses and other organizations measure, reduce, and offset their greenhouse gas emissions.
For the David Suzuki Foundation's recommendations on holding a carbon neutral winter games in 2010, check out Meeting the Challenge.
Our take on Carbon Pricing (PDF 51 KB)
Find out what NHL players are doing about Global Warming
Go Carbon Neutral. Learn how you can take responsibility for your impact on the climate.
Leading athletes 'Play It Cool' to stop global warming. Find out more...
Projects: Some of the climate change initiatives the Foundation is involved in.
Science: The scientific consensus is clear: human-caused climate change is happening.
Impacts: Wildlife, human health and economies worldwide are threatened by climate change.
Kyoto Protocol: A crucial first step toward addressing climate change.
Energy: Learn about the advantages of renewable energy, conservation & efficiency over fossil fuels and nuclear power.
Solutions: Practical and cost-effective solutions to climate change are already available in many industrial sectors
What You Can Do: Simple changes in our everyday lives can make a big difference.
Publications: Download and read our latest reports on climate change, the Kyoto Protocol, and more.
Links: Additional resources on climate change and energy
What's new
The deadline for completing negotiations and agreeing upon a framework to fight climate change is a conference in Copenhagen this December. Bridging the Divide lays out the reasons why Canada is a barrier to a strong Copenhagen agreement—much more so than China or other developing countries—and what our government can do to change that.
A recent Science Matters article discusses B.C.'s renewable energy future including run-of-river hydro projects.
How will climate change impact the future of winter sports? Download On Thin Ice, a report examining how the decisions we make now will ultimately affect the future of winter sports and the role they play in Canada's identity, natural heritage, and economy.
Find out how your business can save the climate - and improve its bottom line. Download Doing Business in a New Climate, a how-to guide to help businesses and other organizations measure, reduce, and offset their greenhouse gas emissions.
For the David Suzuki Foundation's recommendations on holding a carbon neutral winter games in 2010, check out Meeting the Challenge.
Our take on Carbon Pricing (PDF 51 KB)
Find out what NHL players are doing about Global Warming
Go Carbon Neutral. Learn how you can take responsibility for your impact on the climate.
Leading athletes 'Play It Cool' to stop global warming. Find out more...
Projects: Some of the climate change initiatives the Foundation is involved in.
Science: The scientific consensus is clear: human-caused climate change is happening.
Impacts: Wildlife, human health and economies worldwide are threatened by climate change.
Kyoto Protocol: A crucial first step toward addressing climate change.
Energy: Learn about the advantages of renewable energy, conservation & efficiency over fossil fuels and nuclear power.
Solutions: Practical and cost-effective solutions to climate change are already available in many industrial sectors
What You Can Do: Simple changes in our everyday lives can make a big difference.
Publications: Download and read our latest reports on climate change, the Kyoto Protocol, and more.
Links: Additional resources on climate change and energy
Climate change
Climate change is the greatest crisis facing humanity. Whilst rich countries are responsible for most of the emissions pumped into the atmosphere it is the poorest, most marginalised communities in the world that will be hit the hardest by climate change. Millions are at threat from famine, disease, drought, flooding and ultimately death.
But this disaster can be avoided and we can all play an important part.
WDM is calling on the UK government to take action to reduce the UK’s emissions and show the rest of the world that it can be done.
It is time to stop climate injustice.
Take action on climate change.
Campaign Success
Climate Change Bill Becomes Law – The Verdict
After months of committed campaigning by WDM supporters, the UK’s historic climate change bill has completed its journey through parliament and will now become law.
WDM is delighted at the inclusion of three of WDMs main demands: a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050; annual reduction targets; and inclusion of international aviation and shipping emissions.
The bill has now become an Act, setting the targets into law. The strength of the bill is testament to role of all those who took action, so congratulations to all those who sent postcards, emails and letters to the government over the past year.
Unfortunately, the Act contains one loophole; targets can be met by buying carbon credits from overseas rather than reducing emissions in the UK, particularly in sectors such as electricity and aviation. WDM will continue to campaign against new coal power stations and airport runways to ensure that the UK is not able to use this loop hole, and instead fulfil its commitment to cut emissions within the UK.
Corporate Lobbying Causes U-turn on Aviation Tax
In his pre-budget report in November, Chancellor Alistair Darling announced a u-turn on his decision to introduce a new tax on flights. The tax was due to replace air passenger duty. By taxing planes rather than passengers, the scrapped change would have made taxes on flying more closely related to carbon emissions, and so have a greater effect at limiting the climate impact of aviation.
The Chancellor’s decision was taken after fierce lobbying from specific elements of the aviation industry, such as air-freight, who will now continue to pay no aviation taxes at all. The aviation industry will continue to pay no tax on fuel or VAT; an effective subsidy from British taxpayers of £10 billion a year. WDM have expressed disappointment at this u-turn, which has been picked up in the Guardian, Independent and The Telegraph
But this disaster can be avoided and we can all play an important part.
WDM is calling on the UK government to take action to reduce the UK’s emissions and show the rest of the world that it can be done.
It is time to stop climate injustice.
Take action on climate change.
Campaign Success
Climate Change Bill Becomes Law – The Verdict
After months of committed campaigning by WDM supporters, the UK’s historic climate change bill has completed its journey through parliament and will now become law.
WDM is delighted at the inclusion of three of WDMs main demands: a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050; annual reduction targets; and inclusion of international aviation and shipping emissions.
The bill has now become an Act, setting the targets into law. The strength of the bill is testament to role of all those who took action, so congratulations to all those who sent postcards, emails and letters to the government over the past year.
Unfortunately, the Act contains one loophole; targets can be met by buying carbon credits from overseas rather than reducing emissions in the UK, particularly in sectors such as electricity and aviation. WDM will continue to campaign against new coal power stations and airport runways to ensure that the UK is not able to use this loop hole, and instead fulfil its commitment to cut emissions within the UK.
Corporate Lobbying Causes U-turn on Aviation Tax
In his pre-budget report in November, Chancellor Alistair Darling announced a u-turn on his decision to introduce a new tax on flights. The tax was due to replace air passenger duty. By taxing planes rather than passengers, the scrapped change would have made taxes on flying more closely related to carbon emissions, and so have a greater effect at limiting the climate impact of aviation.
The Chancellor’s decision was taken after fierce lobbying from specific elements of the aviation industry, such as air-freight, who will now continue to pay no aviation taxes at all. The aviation industry will continue to pay no tax on fuel or VAT; an effective subsidy from British taxpayers of £10 billion a year. WDM have expressed disappointment at this u-turn, which has been picked up in the Guardian, Independent and The Telegraph
NGO’s write benchmark Copenhagen climate treaty
Climate change experts from leading non-governmental organisations today unveiled their blueprint for a legally binding Copenhagen agreement. This will serve as the benchmark for governments negotiating a new climate deal this year and shows how major differences between rich and poor nations can be overcome.
Download
NGO climate treaty 1.38 MB pdf NGO Copenhagen treaty: full legal text 623 KB pdf WWF Copenhagen Expectations Summary 196 KB pdf NGO climate treaty (.doc version) 6.45 MB doc NGO treaty Legal Text (.doc version) 358 KB doc WWF Copenhagen Expectations Summary (.doc version) 74 KB doc The 160-page “Copenhagen Climate Treaty”, which will be distributed to negotiators from 192 states, took some of the world’s most experienced climate NGO’s almost a year to write and contains a full legal text covering all the main elements needed to provide the world with a fair and ambitious agreement that keeps climate change impacts below the unacceptable risk levels identified by most scientists.
“This is the first time in history that a coalition of civil society groups has taken such a step. Together we have produced the most coherent legal document to date showing balanced and credible climate solutions based on equity and science” said Kim Carstensen of WWF International.
The document describes the path the world must be on to avoid catastrophic climate change, recognising that global temperature increase must be kept well below 2 degrees Celsius. It sets a global cap on emissions – a carbon budget – and explains in detail how both industrialised and developing countries can contribute to the safety of the planet and its people, according to their means and responsibilities and shows how the poorest and most vulnerable on the planet can be protected and compensated.
“We have put protection of the climate and therefore the planet and its people at the heart of this Treaty and we should expect and demand no less of our governments” said Martin Kaiser of Greenpeace International. “All that is needed now is political will and the ‘cut and paste’ feature to produce the agreement the world is waiting for,” he added.
Adaptation is another key component of the Treaty outlining an Adaptation Action Framework which includes grants, insurance and compensation for the most vulnerable countries.
“Help for the poor and vulnerable to deal with the climate impacts that are unavoidable is crucial. Without a strong, effective deal in Copenhagen we could also be looking at more resource wars, disruption, refugees and natural catastrophes in the very near future,” said Wael Hmaidan, IndyACT.
The Treaty calls for a legally binding agreement consisting of three parts; the Kyoto Protocol updated to strengthen industrialised country obligations; a new Copenhagen Protocol that has legally binding commitments for the USA and sets out low carbon pathways for developing countries, supported by the industrialised world; a set of decisions that lays the groundwork for the next three years.
The ‘Copenhagen Climate Treaty’, was drafted by Greenpeace, WWF, IndyACT – the League of Independent Activists, Germanwatch, David Suzuki Foundation, National Ecological Centre of Ukraine and expert individuals from around the world.
Notes to Editors:
The Copenhagen Climate Treaty includes:
The annual global carbon budget in 2020 from all sources of greenhouse gases (not counting those controlled by the Montréal Protocol) would be no higher than 36.1 Gt CO2e, bringing emissions down to roughly1990 levels and would need to be reduced to 7.2 Gt CO2e in 2050, in other words by 80 % below 1990 levels. A design proposal for a new institution – the Copenhagen Climate Facility - to manage the processes for emissions cuts, adaptation and forest protection under the new global treaty. A recipe for long-term action plans for both developed countries (Zero Carbon Action Plans, ZCAPs) and developing countries (Low Carbon Action Plans, LCAPs). Binding targets for Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs) like Singapore, South Korea and Saudi Arabia in line with the Convention principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities
Download
NGO climate treaty 1.38 MB pdf NGO Copenhagen treaty: full legal text 623 KB pdf WWF Copenhagen Expectations Summary 196 KB pdf NGO climate treaty (.doc version) 6.45 MB doc NGO treaty Legal Text (.doc version) 358 KB doc WWF Copenhagen Expectations Summary (.doc version) 74 KB doc The 160-page “Copenhagen Climate Treaty”, which will be distributed to negotiators from 192 states, took some of the world’s most experienced climate NGO’s almost a year to write and contains a full legal text covering all the main elements needed to provide the world with a fair and ambitious agreement that keeps climate change impacts below the unacceptable risk levels identified by most scientists.
“This is the first time in history that a coalition of civil society groups has taken such a step. Together we have produced the most coherent legal document to date showing balanced and credible climate solutions based on equity and science” said Kim Carstensen of WWF International.
The document describes the path the world must be on to avoid catastrophic climate change, recognising that global temperature increase must be kept well below 2 degrees Celsius. It sets a global cap on emissions – a carbon budget – and explains in detail how both industrialised and developing countries can contribute to the safety of the planet and its people, according to their means and responsibilities and shows how the poorest and most vulnerable on the planet can be protected and compensated.
“We have put protection of the climate and therefore the planet and its people at the heart of this Treaty and we should expect and demand no less of our governments” said Martin Kaiser of Greenpeace International. “All that is needed now is political will and the ‘cut and paste’ feature to produce the agreement the world is waiting for,” he added.
Adaptation is another key component of the Treaty outlining an Adaptation Action Framework which includes grants, insurance and compensation for the most vulnerable countries.
“Help for the poor and vulnerable to deal with the climate impacts that are unavoidable is crucial. Without a strong, effective deal in Copenhagen we could also be looking at more resource wars, disruption, refugees and natural catastrophes in the very near future,” said Wael Hmaidan, IndyACT.
The Treaty calls for a legally binding agreement consisting of three parts; the Kyoto Protocol updated to strengthen industrialised country obligations; a new Copenhagen Protocol that has legally binding commitments for the USA and sets out low carbon pathways for developing countries, supported by the industrialised world; a set of decisions that lays the groundwork for the next three years.
The ‘Copenhagen Climate Treaty’, was drafted by Greenpeace, WWF, IndyACT – the League of Independent Activists, Germanwatch, David Suzuki Foundation, National Ecological Centre of Ukraine and expert individuals from around the world.
Notes to Editors:
The Copenhagen Climate Treaty includes:
The annual global carbon budget in 2020 from all sources of greenhouse gases (not counting those controlled by the Montréal Protocol) would be no higher than 36.1 Gt CO2e, bringing emissions down to roughly1990 levels and would need to be reduced to 7.2 Gt CO2e in 2050, in other words by 80 % below 1990 levels. A design proposal for a new institution – the Copenhagen Climate Facility - to manage the processes for emissions cuts, adaptation and forest protection under the new global treaty. A recipe for long-term action plans for both developed countries (Zero Carbon Action Plans, ZCAPs) and developing countries (Low Carbon Action Plans, LCAPs). Binding targets for Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs) like Singapore, South Korea and Saudi Arabia in line with the Convention principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities
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