This Saturday, Americans all across the country will look to the skies to witness fireworks exploding into ooh-inducing bursts of color, shapes, and sounds. But what goes up must come down, and some researchers think that what drifts back to earth after the spectacle subsides could negatively affect both our bodies and our ecosystem.
There is little argument that the chemicals used in fireworks can be hazardous to humans and the environment in large amounts. But is the once-annual dose distributed by Fourth of July fireworks enough to cause serious health problems? And are the ecofriendly fireworks created as a safer alternative really necessary?
The main ingredient in fireworks is fuel (usually made up of metal alloys or organic materials) and an oxidizer, most commonly a perchlorate salt, both of which create the combustion reaction needed for the explosion. When exposed to the high heat created by the combustion, heavy metals in the fireworks produce color. The entire concoction is fired into the sky using a propellant, generally gunpowder
According to Dr. David E. Chavez, a chemist in the High Explosives Science and Technology division of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, both the perchlorate oxidizer and some of the colorizing heavy metals are toxic compounds. Setting off fireworks (and other pyrotechnic devices, such as military rockets and flares) can release these toxins into the environment.
Although much of the perchlorate present in pyrotechnic devices is transformed into harmless compounds during combustion, any remnants of the chemical that fall back to earth can enter into the soil and water. When ingested, perchlorate is absorbed by the thyroid gland in place of iodine, which can interfere with the production of thyroid hormone, an essential part of metabolism and mental development. As a result, perchlorate exposure may be particularly harmful to fetuses.
A recent study of lake water in Ada, Okla., before and after annual fireworks displays found that the perchlorate concentration in the water increased by up to a factor of 1,000 in the hours after the show, exceeding several states' maximum allowable levels for drinking water. The levels took between 20 and 80 days to return to normal.
The heavy metals that colorize fireworks can also be dangerous, and unlike perchlorate, they're not used up during the combustion reaction. "What you start with is also what you end up with," Chavez explains. "They can get aerosolized and breathed in, or they go into the soil and water." Particularly harmful is barium, used to produce green; studies suggest it may cause respiratory problems, among other maladies. One study found that barium levels in the air increased 1,000 times after a fireworks-heavy Diwali festival in India.
So what does all this mean for the average American picnicgoer? Despite the grim-sounding evidence, experts say that a single Fourth of July event probably does not have a significant polluting effect on individuals. However, the health impact of fireworks becomes problematic when repeated often, or in enclosed spaces. Those most at risk from pyrotechnic-generated pollution are people who are exposed to them regularly, such as theme-park workers.
Based on demand primarily from theme parks and the military--which wants safer flares for its personnel, according to Dr. Thomas M. Klapötke, an inorganic chemist at the University of Munich—scientists have endeavored in recent years to develop more environmentally friendly pyrotechnics.
DMD Systems, a company cofounded by former Los Alamos explosives chemist Mike Hiskey, currently produces a line of fireworks that are perchlorate-free and contain about one-tenth the amount of barium used by traditional fireworks. Hiskey's formulation uses nitrocellulose as fuel and nitrates as oxidizer, thus avoiding perchlorates altogether. This reaction produces only stable gases like carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen, cutting down considerably on the small particles (mostly metal oxides and potassium chloride) that are released from more traditional fireworks as smoke, he explains.
And just because they're safer, these fireworks aren't necessarily less fun. According to Chavez, ecofriendly fireworks produce less smoke, making colors more visible to the audience. As a result, the amount of potentially toxic heavy metals can be reduced substantially while still producing the same visual effect as more traditional fireworks. Furthermore, these new formulations can create colors, such as deeper blues and reds, that are not possible to generate using old-school pyrotechnics.
While "green" fireworks are cleaner and safer overall, it may be some time before they come to a sky near you, especially while the standards for the chemicals released are still lax and the real health hazards are poorly documented. So far, ecofriendly versions are used in many enclosed venues and in some theme parks that have daily shows, but they're significantly more expensive than their traditional counterparts. And at a time when most fireworks producers are trying to cut costs, Hiskey says cheap and dirty fireworks from China are still typically the pyrotechnic of choice.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Sheep getting smaller in Scotland due to climate change, study says
Along with polar icecaps and sandy beaches, sheep on a remote Scottish island are gradually shrinking as a result of global warming, according to a study published today in the journal Science. The finding offers unusual proof that large animals are already evolving to adapt to changes wrought by climate change, experts said.The average weight of sheep in the feral flock has been falling nearly 3 ounces per year since 1985, the researchers reported. The cumulative effect has been a 5% reduction in total body size.
That trend had puzzled scientists because they knew that evolution clearly favored larger sheep that are better equipped to survive the harsh winters of Hirta, a rocky outpost more than 100 miles west of mainland Scotland.Now, using a sophisticated mathematical model, British and American researchers have concluded that warming temperatures have made it easier for scrawnier sheep to survive, thus reducing the average size of animals in the herd."Environmental change is having a substantial influence on the population," said Arpat Ozgul, a postdoctoral research associate at Imperial College London and lead author of the report.
That influence appears to have played out in a surprisingly intricate and counterintuitive manner, said UC San Diego biologist Kaustuv Roy, who wasn't involved in the study. For example, milder winters have helped the overall herd grow larger even as the average size of animals got smaller."Most of the thinking about how climate is going to affect species is fairly simplistic," Roy said. "These dynamics are fairly complex. We're going to have to sort out some of these details if we're ever going to make predictions about how individual species are going to respond to warming."Scientists have long been interested in the relationship between climate and body size.German biologist Christian Bergmann observed in 1847 that as members of a species migrate to higher latitudes with colder temperatures, their body size tends to increase. He speculated that larger bodies helped animals conserve heat by reducing their surface area relative to their volume.More recently, Roy and others have proposed that the same mechanism could prompt body sizes to shrink when animals stay put but the climate around them gets warmer.The Soay sheep of Hirta presented an opportunity to test that theory.The brown sheep, named for their home island of Soay, were transported to the nearby isle of Hirta in 1932, two years after the last of its human inhabitants abandoned it. In the 1980s, scientists returned to study the flock's descendants. They visit at least once a year to conduct a census and take measurements."It's like an outside laboratory," Ozgul said.For the new study, Ozgul and his colleagues analyzed a plethora of data, including the number of lambs born each year since 1985, the age of ewes giving birth and the survival rates of sheep at different ages. The team included body-weight measurements and the length of the hind leg to see whether the sheep were just thinner or actually smaller overall.To measure the effect of climate, the researchers also incorporated the North Atlantic Oscillation index, which affects the strength of westerly winds in Europe and determines whether winters will be wet and mild or cold and dry. All of these terms were plugged into a mathematical formula that allowed them to measure the individual components that contributed to the change in sheep body size.As expected, the researchers found that evolutionary pressure pushed the sheep to grow bigger. But that was offset by another, unexpected factor: Lambs born to yearling ewes instead of fully grown sheep weighed less at birth than their mothers did and remained smaller throughout their lifetimes.Still, the "young mum effect" wasn't enough to account for the decrease in sheep size.When the researchers added in the effect of changing environmental conditions, "you get just about the exact rate of decline that we've seen," said study coauthor Shripad Tuljapurkar, a biology professor at Stanford.The researchers found that, on average, 1-year-old sheep now weigh 3.3 ounces less than they did in 1985. They attributed the decline to shorter, milder winters that allowed grass to grow later into the year. As a result, sheep can make it through the coldest months with fewer fat reserves, so more lambs born to young mothers survive in spite of their small size.
That trend had puzzled scientists because they knew that evolution clearly favored larger sheep that are better equipped to survive the harsh winters of Hirta, a rocky outpost more than 100 miles west of mainland Scotland.Now, using a sophisticated mathematical model, British and American researchers have concluded that warming temperatures have made it easier for scrawnier sheep to survive, thus reducing the average size of animals in the herd."Environmental change is having a substantial influence on the population," said Arpat Ozgul, a postdoctoral research associate at Imperial College London and lead author of the report.
That influence appears to have played out in a surprisingly intricate and counterintuitive manner, said UC San Diego biologist Kaustuv Roy, who wasn't involved in the study. For example, milder winters have helped the overall herd grow larger even as the average size of animals got smaller."Most of the thinking about how climate is going to affect species is fairly simplistic," Roy said. "These dynamics are fairly complex. We're going to have to sort out some of these details if we're ever going to make predictions about how individual species are going to respond to warming."Scientists have long been interested in the relationship between climate and body size.German biologist Christian Bergmann observed in 1847 that as members of a species migrate to higher latitudes with colder temperatures, their body size tends to increase. He speculated that larger bodies helped animals conserve heat by reducing their surface area relative to their volume.More recently, Roy and others have proposed that the same mechanism could prompt body sizes to shrink when animals stay put but the climate around them gets warmer.The Soay sheep of Hirta presented an opportunity to test that theory.The brown sheep, named for their home island of Soay, were transported to the nearby isle of Hirta in 1932, two years after the last of its human inhabitants abandoned it. In the 1980s, scientists returned to study the flock's descendants. They visit at least once a year to conduct a census and take measurements."It's like an outside laboratory," Ozgul said.For the new study, Ozgul and his colleagues analyzed a plethora of data, including the number of lambs born each year since 1985, the age of ewes giving birth and the survival rates of sheep at different ages. The team included body-weight measurements and the length of the hind leg to see whether the sheep were just thinner or actually smaller overall.To measure the effect of climate, the researchers also incorporated the North Atlantic Oscillation index, which affects the strength of westerly winds in Europe and determines whether winters will be wet and mild or cold and dry. All of these terms were plugged into a mathematical formula that allowed them to measure the individual components that contributed to the change in sheep body size.As expected, the researchers found that evolutionary pressure pushed the sheep to grow bigger. But that was offset by another, unexpected factor: Lambs born to yearling ewes instead of fully grown sheep weighed less at birth than their mothers did and remained smaller throughout their lifetimes.Still, the "young mum effect" wasn't enough to account for the decrease in sheep size.When the researchers added in the effect of changing environmental conditions, "you get just about the exact rate of decline that we've seen," said study coauthor Shripad Tuljapurkar, a biology professor at Stanford.The researchers found that, on average, 1-year-old sheep now weigh 3.3 ounces less than they did in 1985. They attributed the decline to shorter, milder winters that allowed grass to grow later into the year. As a result, sheep can make it through the coldest months with fewer fat reserves, so more lambs born to young mothers survive in spite of their small size.
Zenawi wants Africa compensated for climate change
ETHIOPIAN Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has demanded that the rich world compensate Africa for global warming and said pollution in the northern hemisphere may have caused his country's ruinous 1980s famines.
A United Nations (UN) summit scheduled for December in Copenhagen will try to reach global agreement on how to tackle climate change and come up with a post-Kyoto protocol to curb emissions.
"Africa should demand compensation at the upcoming Copenhagen negotiations," Reuters quoted Zenawi, one of Africa's most outspoken leaders on global issues, as saying.
"(There are) certain theories that the droughts of the 1980s in much of the Sahel, including in Ethiopia, were to some extent due to pollution in the northern countries," added the former rebel, who represented Africa at this year's G20 summit.
A study commissioned by the Geneva-based Global Humanitarian Forum last month said poor countries bear more than nine-tenths of the human and economic burden of climate change. Yet the 50 poorest countries contribute less than one per cent of carbon emissions heating "Africa is going to be very significantly affected," said Zenawi. "Some parts of the continent may become uninhabitable. Therefore, those that did the damage have to pay."
"Any agreement in Copenhagen which does not include substantial compensation for Africa would be illegitimate," Zenawi added. "I hope that it won't come to lawsuits."
The Ethiopian leader recently warned that the global crisis would ruin African economies over the next decade unless rich countries stopped attaching conditions for aid and allowed the world's poorest continent to formulate its own economic policies.
Zenawi, who represented Africa at April's G-20 meeting of rich nations, spoke at a UN meeting to discuss how Africa could continue to develop during the crisis.
The Ethiopian premier said reduced growth, low commodity prices and high oil prices were likely to affect Africa for about 10 years and the west needed to give African nations the ability to devise their own policies to lessen the impact of these issues.
"I do not know whether I need to explain why sovereign African nations should plead to be given policy space," said Zenawi. "The simple answer is that they are not so sovereign when it comes to economic policy making."
The Ethiopian leader asked rich countries to stop attaching economic policy conditions to foreign aid, which he said the hungry continent was dependent on.
"(African) countries are faced with a very well-coordinated and solid policy orthodoxy (from donors)," he said. "They either adhere to it and get the money, or chart their own course and face the risk of the drying up of external assistance."
The continent was thought to be largely insulated against the worst effects of the global downturn but has recently seen healthy growth projections slashed as exports have fallen and foreign aid, investment and remittances have dried up.
Africa's largely agricultural exports have been hit hard by the crisis and Zenawi said the sector needs reform to maximize profits.
"We are too dependent on commodity exports," he said, calling for more industrialisation and agricultural processing plants for the continent.
"Agriculture, which is the source of livelihood for the vast majority of Africa, has not been transformed and is still the weakest link in our economic chain."
The Ethiopian leader blamed the developed world for global warming, which he also said would have a devastating impact on Africa, and said rich nations should financially compensate Africa for the effects of global warming.
"I think the international community could and should provide adequate policy space, live up to its commitments of development assistance, limit global warming and pay compensation for the unavoidable damage caused by it," he said.
"If no such assistance is forthcoming, then I am afraid the prospects for many countries in Africa are likely to be very dire indeed," said Zenawi.
A United Nations (UN) summit scheduled for December in Copenhagen will try to reach global agreement on how to tackle climate change and come up with a post-Kyoto protocol to curb emissions.
"Africa should demand compensation at the upcoming Copenhagen negotiations," Reuters quoted Zenawi, one of Africa's most outspoken leaders on global issues, as saying.
"(There are) certain theories that the droughts of the 1980s in much of the Sahel, including in Ethiopia, were to some extent due to pollution in the northern countries," added the former rebel, who represented Africa at this year's G20 summit.
A study commissioned by the Geneva-based Global Humanitarian Forum last month said poor countries bear more than nine-tenths of the human and economic burden of climate change. Yet the 50 poorest countries contribute less than one per cent of carbon emissions heating "Africa is going to be very significantly affected," said Zenawi. "Some parts of the continent may become uninhabitable. Therefore, those that did the damage have to pay."
"Any agreement in Copenhagen which does not include substantial compensation for Africa would be illegitimate," Zenawi added. "I hope that it won't come to lawsuits."
The Ethiopian leader recently warned that the global crisis would ruin African economies over the next decade unless rich countries stopped attaching conditions for aid and allowed the world's poorest continent to formulate its own economic policies.
Zenawi, who represented Africa at April's G-20 meeting of rich nations, spoke at a UN meeting to discuss how Africa could continue to develop during the crisis.
The Ethiopian premier said reduced growth, low commodity prices and high oil prices were likely to affect Africa for about 10 years and the west needed to give African nations the ability to devise their own policies to lessen the impact of these issues.
"I do not know whether I need to explain why sovereign African nations should plead to be given policy space," said Zenawi. "The simple answer is that they are not so sovereign when it comes to economic policy making."
The Ethiopian leader asked rich countries to stop attaching economic policy conditions to foreign aid, which he said the hungry continent was dependent on.
"(African) countries are faced with a very well-coordinated and solid policy orthodoxy (from donors)," he said. "They either adhere to it and get the money, or chart their own course and face the risk of the drying up of external assistance."
The continent was thought to be largely insulated against the worst effects of the global downturn but has recently seen healthy growth projections slashed as exports have fallen and foreign aid, investment and remittances have dried up.
Africa's largely agricultural exports have been hit hard by the crisis and Zenawi said the sector needs reform to maximize profits.
"We are too dependent on commodity exports," he said, calling for more industrialisation and agricultural processing plants for the continent.
"Agriculture, which is the source of livelihood for the vast majority of Africa, has not been transformed and is still the weakest link in our economic chain."
The Ethiopian leader blamed the developed world for global warming, which he also said would have a devastating impact on Africa, and said rich nations should financially compensate Africa for the effects of global warming.
"I think the international community could and should provide adequate policy space, live up to its commitments of development assistance, limit global warming and pay compensation for the unavoidable damage caused by it," he said.
"If no such assistance is forthcoming, then I am afraid the prospects for many countries in Africa are likely to be very dire indeed," said Zenawi.
Facing extinction
Imagine an alpine meadow without flowers or a mountain lake without fish, but that is the dire prediction being made.
Some environmentalists are warning that half the species may be extinct by 2050 due to mankind’s industrialisation, urbanisation and pollution. More than 220 species have vanished in Switzerland alone over the past 150 years.
A mountain lake without fish? Just under a half of animal life is on the list of endangered species and over one third of ferns, flowering plants, moss and lichens, are thought to be "at risk".The introduction of invasive alien species, that then spread at the expense of indigenous ones, has apparently made it worse."These organisms adapt easily and manage to undermine indigenous species without too much difficulty. Moreover, they can cause diseases unknown at our latitudes, as well as considerable damage to agriculture," Nicolas Wüthrich, a spokesman for the environmental non-governmental organisation Pro Natura, has told swissinfo.com.
"The rainbow trout, for example, is a fish of American origin whose presence in our rivers endangers the survival of our local trout."
Moss is under threatHere on PlanetSKI we recently reported on the dangers bees are facing.
Species becoming extinct is of course a natural phenomena and has been going on for millions of years. Now though it appears to be speeding up and blame is being laid on mankind.
Some environmentalists are warning that half the species may be extinct by 2050 due to mankind’s industrialisation, urbanisation and pollution. More than 220 species have vanished in Switzerland alone over the past 150 years.
A mountain lake without fish? Just under a half of animal life is on the list of endangered species and over one third of ferns, flowering plants, moss and lichens, are thought to be "at risk".The introduction of invasive alien species, that then spread at the expense of indigenous ones, has apparently made it worse."These organisms adapt easily and manage to undermine indigenous species without too much difficulty. Moreover, they can cause diseases unknown at our latitudes, as well as considerable damage to agriculture," Nicolas Wüthrich, a spokesman for the environmental non-governmental organisation Pro Natura, has told swissinfo.com.
"The rainbow trout, for example, is a fish of American origin whose presence in our rivers endangers the survival of our local trout."
Moss is under threatHere on PlanetSKI we recently reported on the dangers bees are facing.
Species becoming extinct is of course a natural phenomena and has been going on for millions of years. Now though it appears to be speeding up and blame is being laid on mankind.
Tk 700 crore for climate change fund
The Government has allocated Tk 700 crore in the Climate Change Fund constituted with the Government's own resources for the fiscal 2009-2010 to counter the impending disaster.Minister for Finance AMA Muhit announced the allocation in the proposed budget placed in Parliament yesterday.The allocation, which is more than double than the allocation given for the current fiscal, was approved earlier by the Cabinet in principle. The immediate past Caretaker Government had allocated Tk 300 crore in the Climate Change Fund for the current fiscal.The Finance Minister in his budget speech said the creation of a Multi-Donor Trust Fund with support from donors is in progress.The proposed Fund received a commitment of US$ 97.9 million from the Governments of UK and Denmark," he said.The Minister said Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has proposed to provide Tk 490 crore as budgetary support during the next three years, to cope with the environment related disasters. At the same time, he said Japan has proposed to contribute Tk 700 crore from their Japan Debt Cancellation Fund (JDCF) facility in managing the risk due to climate change.The Finance Minister referred that the super cyclone Sidr and the two consecutive floods of 2007 severely affected lives of the people. The cyclone Aila which ravaged many parts of Southwestern Bangladesh last month once again reminded us how riskprone we are to natural calamities. "The rise of sea water level due to the melting of ice from the Himalayas and North Pole is causing saline water intrusion through our estuaries in the coastal areas. The adverse effect of climate change is directly affecting our agriculture, fisheries and bio-diversity," he observed.The Minister said the disaster and calamity due to climate change cannot be reversed. "Therefore, we should aim to mitigate dislocation and sufferings, and to build the capacity to adapt lives and livelihoods in the coastal areas. As part of this aim, we shall complete soon the review of medium and long term strategies that have been prepared to prevent the disasters relating to climate change," he added. The rehabilitation of the displaced people of the affected areas is of prime importance because nearly 2 crore people will be displaced by 2050 due to climate change. Hence, as a basic strategy, we may put forward the demand to establish our rights in obtaining the status of global citizen for our affected people, he said. He said the government is committed to prepare a detailed action plan designed to face the disasters due to climate change. The main focus of our activities would be to carry out regular dredging of rivers and canals, strengthening the embankments along coastal areas and establishing adequate number of cyclone shelters, reduce air pollution caused by diesel-run vehicles, control environment pollution due to industrialisation, extend and preserve forestry and develop sufficient environmental experts, he said.
Polluting unit plan scrapped
This is probably a first in the history of Giridih.
Giving into public protests, the local administration today stalled the construction of a sponge iron unit by Shivam Group in Udnabad on pollution grounds. It also promised the villagers that no clearance would be given to any such plant in the future without a public hearing.
The decision was taken by Giridih deputy commissioner Vandana Dadel today after a meeting with the villagers and representatives of Shivam Group. Dadel accepted that there was distrust among the villagers because of the existing sponge iron units that cause pollution.
Soon after the announcement, villagers under the banner of Purwanchan Prayawaran Sangharsh Samiti lifted their indefinite dharna that began on June 5. At the meeting, Dadel first heard the 11-member group of Purwanchan Prayawaran Sangharsh Samiti, led by villagers Dilip Upadhyay and Kedar Yadav. Upadhyay said they were not against industrialisation, but the opening of another sponge iron plant in Mohanpur region would only add to the already high level of pollution.
Their other demands were installation of an electro-static precipitator (ESP) machine that would function round the clock, return of land acquired from villagers without registry, restructure of district environment committee (DEC) to include the people from the industrial belt and arrest of industrialists who threaten the villagers.
Pramod Agrawal, one of the owners of Shivam Group, argued that they had followed all pollution norms. But the villagers refused to buy his theory. After listening to both the sides, Dadel said that the ongoing work on the sponge iron plant would be stopped. She added that she would soon form a committee of specialists, who would visit factories to ensure functioning of ESP.
Efforts will be taken to restructure DEC while the circle officer will conduct an inquiry to find out whose land had been forcefully acquired.
On the controversial issue of threat, superintendent of police A.V. Minz asked Upadhyay to file a complaint so that he could order a probe.
Giving into public protests, the local administration today stalled the construction of a sponge iron unit by Shivam Group in Udnabad on pollution grounds. It also promised the villagers that no clearance would be given to any such plant in the future without a public hearing.
The decision was taken by Giridih deputy commissioner Vandana Dadel today after a meeting with the villagers and representatives of Shivam Group. Dadel accepted that there was distrust among the villagers because of the existing sponge iron units that cause pollution.
Soon after the announcement, villagers under the banner of Purwanchan Prayawaran Sangharsh Samiti lifted their indefinite dharna that began on June 5. At the meeting, Dadel first heard the 11-member group of Purwanchan Prayawaran Sangharsh Samiti, led by villagers Dilip Upadhyay and Kedar Yadav. Upadhyay said they were not against industrialisation, but the opening of another sponge iron plant in Mohanpur region would only add to the already high level of pollution.
Their other demands were installation of an electro-static precipitator (ESP) machine that would function round the clock, return of land acquired from villagers without registry, restructure of district environment committee (DEC) to include the people from the industrial belt and arrest of industrialists who threaten the villagers.
Pramod Agrawal, one of the owners of Shivam Group, argued that they had followed all pollution norms. But the villagers refused to buy his theory. After listening to both the sides, Dadel said that the ongoing work on the sponge iron plant would be stopped. She added that she would soon form a committee of specialists, who would visit factories to ensure functioning of ESP.
Efforts will be taken to restructure DEC while the circle officer will conduct an inquiry to find out whose land had been forcefully acquired.
On the controversial issue of threat, superintendent of police A.V. Minz asked Upadhyay to file a complaint so that he could order a probe.
Green beckoning
The government plans big to improve the country's overall environment emphasising retrieving the degraded river system, checking pollution, promoting renewable energy and proper use of water along with taking up massive afforestation programmes.
In the proposed budget for 2009-10 fiscal year, Finance Minister AMA Muhith spells out different environment-friendly initiatives to be implemented by different ministries.
A special initiative will shortly be taken to save the Buriganga river from pollution, the minister said.
Expressing firm stance against river pollution, the minister said the government will provide soft loans to the polluters, if necessary, for taking measures to properly dispose of toxic industrial and clinical waste.
"But they have to complete the tasks within the stipulated time. No new industries will be allowed to be set without putting in place an appropriate waste disposal system," he said.
However, the main focus of the government's activities would be to carry out regular dredging of the rivers and canals, strengthening the embankments along the coastal areas and establishing adequate number of cyclone shelters.
Reducing air pollution caused by diesel-run vehicles, controlling environment pollution due to industrialisation, extending and preserving forestry and developing sufficient environmental experts are also on the agenda of the government.
The minister said the government is also framing the 'water use act' and bringing necessary amendments to the Water Resource Planning Act, 1992 to ensure the optimum and sustainable use of water resources.
The government is also planning to bring 20 percent of total land under afforestation programmes by 2015 to attain self-sufficiency in forest resources.
Primarily, the government has set a target to bring 4,314 hectares of land under the afforestation programme, create strip gardens over an area of 2,355 kilometres and plant 23 lakh saplings.
The minister also said about a development programme for maintaining ecological balance and biodiversity in the Sudarbans at a cost of Tk 650 crore.
In his budget speech, Muhith also committed to prepare a detailed action plan designed to face the disasters due to climate change.
The government has also allocated Tk 400 crore from its own resources to add to an existing Tk 300 fund. Disbursement of money from this fund will start next fiscal year to take different programmes for battling the impacts of climate change as the cabinet approved it in principle.
"Disasters and calamities due to climate change cannot be reversed.
Therefore, we should aim to mitigate dislocation and sufferings and build the capacity to adapt lives and livelihoods," the minister said.
He also talked about formation of a "multi-donor trust fund" with support from donors. The proposed fund has received a commitment of $97.9 million from the UK and Denmark.
Besides, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has proposed to
provide Tk 490 crore as budgetary support during the next three years to cope with environment related disasters. The JICA will also cancel a debt of Tk 700 crore from its Debt Cancellation Fund (JDCF).
"We are encouraging production of renewable energy by providing various financial incentives through both public and private channels. Besides, we have also taken initiatives to conduct a feasibility study for setting up small hydro-electricity projects.
"The use of solar and biogas as sources of energy has so far been tried mainly in the rural areas. We are taking initiatives to use this technology in population concentration areas in the cities as well."
He said the government is encouraging production of renewable energy including solar power, biogas and small hydro power.
"We are actively considering the issue of importing environment friendly energy technology in the context of current level of environmental degradation.
"We would like to take an integrated approach to tackle the problems arising from increasing traffic jam, deteriorating water supply and drainage system and environmental pollution."
However, the minister was found positive towards the use of pesticide as he withdrew VAT from the product's raw materials.
"I propose to withdraw VAT on the import of raw materials to produce pesticides to keep pesticides easily available for farmers."
In the proposed budget for 2009-10 fiscal year, Finance Minister AMA Muhith spells out different environment-friendly initiatives to be implemented by different ministries.
A special initiative will shortly be taken to save the Buriganga river from pollution, the minister said.
Expressing firm stance against river pollution, the minister said the government will provide soft loans to the polluters, if necessary, for taking measures to properly dispose of toxic industrial and clinical waste.
"But they have to complete the tasks within the stipulated time. No new industries will be allowed to be set without putting in place an appropriate waste disposal system," he said.
However, the main focus of the government's activities would be to carry out regular dredging of the rivers and canals, strengthening the embankments along the coastal areas and establishing adequate number of cyclone shelters.
Reducing air pollution caused by diesel-run vehicles, controlling environment pollution due to industrialisation, extending and preserving forestry and developing sufficient environmental experts are also on the agenda of the government.
The minister said the government is also framing the 'water use act' and bringing necessary amendments to the Water Resource Planning Act, 1992 to ensure the optimum and sustainable use of water resources.
The government is also planning to bring 20 percent of total land under afforestation programmes by 2015 to attain self-sufficiency in forest resources.
Primarily, the government has set a target to bring 4,314 hectares of land under the afforestation programme, create strip gardens over an area of 2,355 kilometres and plant 23 lakh saplings.
The minister also said about a development programme for maintaining ecological balance and biodiversity in the Sudarbans at a cost of Tk 650 crore.
In his budget speech, Muhith also committed to prepare a detailed action plan designed to face the disasters due to climate change.
The government has also allocated Tk 400 crore from its own resources to add to an existing Tk 300 fund. Disbursement of money from this fund will start next fiscal year to take different programmes for battling the impacts of climate change as the cabinet approved it in principle.
"Disasters and calamities due to climate change cannot be reversed.
Therefore, we should aim to mitigate dislocation and sufferings and build the capacity to adapt lives and livelihoods," the minister said.
He also talked about formation of a "multi-donor trust fund" with support from donors. The proposed fund has received a commitment of $97.9 million from the UK and Denmark.
Besides, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has proposed to
provide Tk 490 crore as budgetary support during the next three years to cope with environment related disasters. The JICA will also cancel a debt of Tk 700 crore from its Debt Cancellation Fund (JDCF).
"We are encouraging production of renewable energy by providing various financial incentives through both public and private channels. Besides, we have also taken initiatives to conduct a feasibility study for setting up small hydro-electricity projects.
"The use of solar and biogas as sources of energy has so far been tried mainly in the rural areas. We are taking initiatives to use this technology in population concentration areas in the cities as well."
He said the government is encouraging production of renewable energy including solar power, biogas and small hydro power.
"We are actively considering the issue of importing environment friendly energy technology in the context of current level of environmental degradation.
"We would like to take an integrated approach to tackle the problems arising from increasing traffic jam, deteriorating water supply and drainage system and environmental pollution."
However, the minister was found positive towards the use of pesticide as he withdrew VAT from the product's raw materials.
"I propose to withdraw VAT on the import of raw materials to produce pesticides to keep pesticides easily available for farmers."
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