Central Asia fails in water talks

BBC News, April 28, 2009

The leaders of the five Central Asian states have failed to agree on the best way to share their water. They signed a compromise statement that did not mention water sharing, concentrating instead on the decline in the level of the Aral Sea. Correspondents say that a deal on water usage is key to regional stability. Read more...

Plastic Bag Makers Aim for 40 Percent Recycled Content in 2015

ENN, April 27, 2009

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Plastic bag manufacturers working with the American Chemistry Council have set a goal to increase the recycled content of plastic bags to 40 percent by 2015.
The Full Circle Recycling Initiative, developed by the Progressive Bag Affiliates of the American Chemistry Council, would require a $50 million investment from industry members to increase the collection of bags and update manufacturing processes. Read more...

Eco-Islam: Malaysia's Imams to preach against poaching

ENN, April 14, 2009

Malaysia's Muslim preachers have been enlisted in the fight for wildlife conservation, using passages from the Koran to raise awareness and help protect some of the world's most endangered species.
After a successful campaign last year, when more than 400 mosques in the state of Terengganu held sermons focusing on turtle conservation issues, WWF decided to extend the project to support efforts to tackle poaching. Read more...

Is Local Food Better?

by Sarah DeWeerdt

WolldWatch Institute, May/June issue, 2009

In 1993, a Swedish researcher calculated that the ingredients of a typical Swedish breakfast-apple, bread, butter, cheese, coffee, cream, orange juice, sugar-traveled a distance equal to the circumference of the Earth before reaching the Scandinavian table. In 2005, a researcher in Iowa found that the milk, sugar, and strawberries that go into a carton of strawberry yogurt collectively journeyed 2,211 miles (3,558 kilometers) just to get to the processing plant. As the local-food movement has come of age, this concept of "food miles" (or "-kilometers")-roughly, the distance food travels from farm to plate-has come to dominate the discussion, particularly in the United States, the United Kingdom, and parts of Western Europe. Read more...

Plastic Found in One-Third of Leatherback Turtles

Discovery Channel, 09 April, 2009

A new study looked at necropsy reports of more than 400 leatherbacks that have died since 1885 and found plastic in the digestive systems of more than a third of the animals. Besides plastic bags, the turtles had swallowed fishing lines, balloon fragments, spoons, candy wrappers and more. Plastic was probably not the cause of death in most cases. Read more...

UN's State Of The World's Forests Reveals Deforestation Is Speeding Up

ENN, April 07, 2009

Despite the alarming conclusions of the UN's latest State of the World's Forests, the mainstream media has devoted surprisingly little attention to the report. Snowed under by other news developments as it may have been, global deforestation is by no means insignificant. It's taking place at shocking rates, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)'s bi-annual report reveals. Read more...

Sports Arenas Go Green

Environmental Leader, April 08, 2009

Office and government buildings aren’t the only structures going green; two sports arenas — the Philips Arena and the American Airlines Arena — have met the requirements of the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
Philips Arena, home to the Atlanta Thrashers, is the first NBA or NHL arena to achieve LEED certification for an existing facility, reported NHL.com. The facility meets LEED for Existing Building: Operations and Maintenance (LEED-EB: O&M) certification. Read more...

A first glimpse at 2008 emissions trading data

EEA, April 03, 2009

The European Environment Agency (EEA) is launching a revamped version of its EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) data viewer, allowing users to retrieve easily the latest greenhouse gas emissions covered by the EU ETS up to 2008. Data available as of 1st April 2009 covers more than 80 % of the emissions encompassed within the EU ETS. Read more...

Shampoo in the water supply triggers growth of deadly drug-resistant bugs

ENN, March 29, 2009

The warning has been made by Birmingham and Warwick university scientists, who say disinfectants and other products washed into sewers and rivers are triggering the growth of drug-resistant microbes. Soil samples from many areas have been found to contain high levels of bacteria with antibiotic-resistant genes, the scientists have discovered - raising fears that these may have already been picked up by humans. Read more...

EU pesticide ban 'will harm malaria control'

ENN, March 26, 2009

Hopes of overturning a European Union (EU) pesticides ban that scientists believe could hamper malaria control in developing countries have been dashed.
The United Kingdom said last week that it had failed to get support from other EU countries for an assessment of the impact of removing a range of pesticides from use.
More than 160 leading public health scientists signed a petition against the ban before the European Parliament voted in favour of restrictions on the pesticides in January, by 557 votes to 61.

Should the 27 governments of the EU states ratify the decision at an agriculture ministers' meeting expected to take place in May or June this year, the ban would come into effect from 2014. Read more...

Nearly a third of U.S. bird species in trouble

ENN, March 20, 2009

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nearly one-third of all U.S. bird species are endangered, threatened or in significant decline, with birds in Hawaii facing a "borderline ecological disaster," scientists reported on Thursday.
The State of the Birds report, issued by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar along with conservation groups and university ornithologists, also noted some successes, including the recovery of the bald eagle, the peregrine falcon and other species after the banning of the chemical DDT. Read more...

Παγίδα για τα άγρια ζώα η Εγνατία

ΤΑ ΝΕΑ, 24 Μαρτίου 2009

Παγίδα θανάτου για τα άγρια ζώα αποδεικνύεται η Εγνατία. Μετά τις αρκούδες που πέφτουν θύματα τροχαίων, ένας λύκος χτυπήθηκε επίσης από διερχόμενο αυτοκίνητο στην περιοχή Γρεβενών. Ένας αρσενικός λύκος παρασύρθηκε στην Εγνατία αφού είχε μπει στον αυτοκινητόδρομο υπερπηδώντας τον προστατευτικό φράχτη, ο οποίος σύμφωνα με τις περιβαλλοντικές οργανώσεις δεν έχει το κατάλληλο ύψος και ταυτόχρονα δεν είναι καλά στερεωμένος, με αποτέλεσμα τα άγρια ζώα να τον διαπερνούν και ο πληθυσμός τους να αποδεκατίζεται. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Chernobyl 'shows insect decline'

BBC, March 18, 2009

Two decades after the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, radiation is still causing a reduction in the numbers of insects and spiders. According to researchers working in the exclusion zone surrounding Chernobyl, there is a "strong signal of decline associated with the contamination".
The team found that bumblebees, butterflies, grasshoppers, dragonflies and spiders were affected. They report their findings in the journal Biology Letters. Read more...

Pink elephant is caught on camera

BBC, March 20, 2009

A wildlife cameraman took pictures of the calf when he spotted it among a herd of about 80 elephants in the Okavango Delta.
Experts believe it is probably an albino, which is an extremely rare phenomenon in African elephants. They are unsure of its chances of long-term survival - the blazing African sunlight may cause blindness and skin problems for the calf. Read more...

China launches vast water clean-up

ENN, March 19, 2009

A project to improve water quality in China has been launched by the government, which says it is the largest expenditure on environmental protection since the founding of the People's Republic in 1949.
The project, which has an estimated budget of more than 30 billion Chinese yuan (around 4.4 billion US dollars) over 12 years, aims to counter the deteriorating water quality affecting millions of Chinese people and their livelihoods. Read more...

Sweden sets climate goals example for EU

ENN, March 12, 2009

The new climate and clean energy package proposed by Sweden should serve as an example for all EU countries ahead of crucial global warming negotiations, WWF says. If followed by other industrialised nations the deal could lead towards a low carbon future and help combat climate change.

Sweden is just preparing to take over the EU’s rotating presidency. The country's Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren said that his country now aims by 2020 for renewable energy to comprise 50 percent of all energy produced, for the Swedish car fleet to be independent of fossil fuels 10 years later and for the country to be carbon neutral by 2050. Read more...

New renewables to power 40 per cent of global electricity demand by 2050

ENN, March 11, 2009

With global cooperation and investment, renewables’ share will exceed all previous estimates
With adequate financial and political support, renewable energy technologies like wind and photovoltaics could supply 40 percent of the world's electricity by 2050, according to findings from the International Scientific Congress "Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges & Decisions." However, if such technologies are marginalized, its share is likely to hover below 15 percent. Read more...

Ώρα της Γης - Πρώτη στον κόσμο η Ελλάδα!

WWF, 18 Μαρτίου 2009

Η Ελλάδα κατακτά μια παγκόσμια πρωτιά στον αγώνα ενάντια στην κλιματική αλλαγή, με την εντυπωσιακή συμμετοχή της στην Ώρα της Γης. Το δυναμικό «παρών» περισσότερων από 270 Δήμων και κοινοτήτων μας δίνει την πρώτη θέση παγκοσμίως μεταξύ των χωρών με την εντονότερη συμμετοχή στη μεγαλύτερη συμβολική δράση κατά της υπερθέρμανσης του πλανήτη που διοργανώθηκε ποτέ. Με αυτόν τον τρόπο, η Ελλάδα καταφέρνει να ξεπεράσει ακόμη και τους Αυστραλούς, τους εμπνευστές της πρωτοβουλίας της Ώρας της Γης, οι οποίοι «βρέθηκαν» στην τρίτη θέση πίσω από τον δεύτερο Καναδά. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

ΣΗΜΕΙΩΣΗ ΔΙΑΧΕΙΡΙΣΤΗ:

Μαζεύθηκαν οι Αλεξανδρινοί

να δουν της Κλεοπάτρας τα παιδιά,τον Καισαρίωνα,

και τα μικρά του αδέρφια,Αλέξανδρο και Πτολεμαίο,

που πρώτη φορά τα βγάζαν έξω στο Γυμνάσιο,

εκεί να τα κηρύξουν βασιλείς,

μες στη λαμπρή παράταξη των στρατιωτών.

Ο Αλέξανδρος -- τον είπαν βασιλέα

της Αρμενίας, της Μηδίας, και των Πάρθων.

Ο Πτολεμαίος -- τον είπαν βασιλέα

της Κιλικίας, της Συρίας, και της Φοινίκης.

Ο Καισαρίων στέκονταν πιο εμπροστά,

ντυμένος σε μετάξι τριανταφυλλί,

στο στήθος του ανθοδέσμη από υακίνθους,

η ζώνη του διπλή σειρά σαπφείρων κι αμεθύστων,

δεμένα τα ποδήματά του μ' άσπρες

κορδέλλες κεντημένες με ροδόχροα μαργαριτάρια.

Αυτόν τον είπαν πιότερο από τους μικρούς,

αυτόν τον είπαν Βασιλέα των Βασιλέων.

Οι Αλεξανδρινοί έννοιωθαν βέβαια

που ήσαν λόγια αυτά και θεατρικά.

Αλλά η μέρα ήταν ζεστή και ποιητική,

ο ουρανός ένα γαλάζιο ανοιχτό,

το Αλεξανδρινό Γυμνάσιον ένα

θριαμβικό κατόρθωμα της τέχνης,

των αυλικών η πολυτέλεια έκτακτη,

ο Καισαρίων όλο χάρις κ' εμορφιά

(της Κλεοπάτρας υιός, αίμα των Λαγιδών)·

κ' οι Αλεξανδρινοί έτρεχαν πια στην εορτή,

κ' ενθουσιάζονταν, κ' επευφημούσαν

ελληνικά, κ' αιγυπτιακά, και ποιοί εβραίικα,

γοητευμένοι με τ' ωραίο θέαμα

--μ' όλο που βέβαια ήξευραν τι άξιζαν αυτά,

τι κούφια λόγια ήσανε αυτές οι βασιλείες.

Κωνσταντίνος Π. Καβάφης (1912)

Conservationists deciding which species to survive

New Scietist, March 08, 2009

WOULD the animal have made it into the ark? That's the kind of question conservationists have been asking when it comes to the thorny issue of picking which threatened species to save.
Kerstin Zander of the Charles Darwin University in Darwin, Australia, and her colleagues looked at conserving cattle - the species with the most number of breeds to have gone extinct. They turned to an approach first outlined by economist Martin Weitzman at Harvard University. In the 1990s, Weitzman devised a formula for prioritising species for conservation. This considers the cost of saving a species, how useful or genetically diverse it is, and the increase in its chance of survival if chosen. Read more...

Parks that can move when the animals do

ENN, March 05, 2009

When scientist Dee Boersma first arrived to Punta Tombo, Argentina, in the early 1980s, the colony of Magellanic penguins there was 300,000 breeding pairs strong. Since then, they’ve declined by more than 20 percent. Dr. Boersma faults competition from fishermen, pollution in the form of oil dumped at sea, and climate change for the decline.
But while the Punta Tombo colony is shrinking, others farther north are growing. The penguins’ shifting range underscores how climate change isn’t always a drop-dead-from-the-heat affair. And it raises questions about how to protect threatened — and mobile — marine species as they adjust. Read more...