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Australia seeks backing for deforestation fund
“Australia, which refuses to sign the Kyoto Protocol on climate change,
will ask other nations to contribute to a new fund to combat deforestation
and global warming, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said on
Thursday.
Howard said his government would give A$200 million ($161 million) over
five years to the World Bank-backed fund to help stop forest destruction.
… Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Germany and New Zealand had
indicated strong interest in Canberra's plan, while Britain and the US
were also positive. …” [Reuters/Factiva]
AFP reports that “… The prime minister said the new initiative would
address climate change by slowing the rate of trees being cut down in
countries in the region such as Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. … The
fund is designed to help developing countries stop the illegal destruction
of rainforests, plant new forests and invest in sustainable forestry. …
‘We will also work with international organizations including the World
Bank, and businesses, to reduce emissions from deforestation and to
sustainably manage the world's forests.’ …” [Agence France Presse/Factiva]
The Sydney Morning Herald adds that “… The global fund, to which all
countries and other participants would be expected to contribute, would
help fund developing nations to properly monitor and manage their forests
and set up effective law enforcement against illegal logging. Local
communities would also be educated about the need to retain trees and
taught how to diversify their economic base. There would also be research
into what drives deforestation. …” [The Sydney Morning Herald/Factiva]
AP writes that “… Howard said destruction of forests - which absorb carbon
dioxide while standing but release it into the atmosphere when burned -
accounts for 20 percent of the world's greenhouse gas levels, and ranks
second to electricity production as a cause of carbon dioxide pollution.
‘What this initiative will do, in a shorter period of time, is make a
greater contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions than, in fact,
the Kyoto Protocol,’ Howard told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. ….”
[The Associated Press/Factiva]
Kyodo News adds that “… The announcement of the plan comes a day after
Howard met with British economist and climate change expert Nicolas Stern.
Stern called on Howard to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and commit to reducing
Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2020 and 60 percent
by 2050. The opposition Australian Labor Party has promised do both, while
Howard refuses to do either, saying meeting such targets would hurt
Australia's economy, global competitiveness and cost jobs in the coal
industry. …” [Kyodo News (Japan)/Factiva]
Australian Broadcasting Corporation notes that “… Indonesia will be the
first target, with the money used to help start up sustainable forestry,
stop illegal logging and monitor all forest activities, both on the ground
and through satellites. …
Criticism of the government's announcement has flown thick and fast around
parliament, though most aren't taking issue with the aim, more at the
government's motives. … [While] the greens would also prefer that more was
done to protect forests closer to home. …” [Australian Broadcasting
Corporation/Factiva]
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New consortium created to develop standard framework for company reporting of climate risks
The World Economic Forum has launched an international partnership of seven organizations to establish a generally accepted framework for companies to report their climate change-related information. This includes the disclosure of the following key climate issues in companies’ annual reports:
- Total emissions
- Assessment of the physical risks of climate change
- Assessment of the regulatory risks of climate change
- Strategic analysis of climate risk and emissions management
The new Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) members have agreed to align their core requests for information from companies to ensure that they report climate change-related information in a standardized way that facilitates comparative analysis by investors, managers and the public. Although in recent years awareness of the importance of climate-related disclosure has risen sharply among corporations and their boards and shareholders, reporting of comparable information in annual reports remains the exception rather than the rule.
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City moves closer to Green Lane Landfill acquisition
TORONTO - At a special meeting today, Toronto City Council brought Toronto a step closer to its Green Lane Landfill site acquisition. The $220.3 million purchase will secure the City's long term disposal requirements for future decades.
Council authorized City staff to enter into agreements with First Nations
in the vicinity of the Green Lane Landfill that establish an ongoing
relationship. If the agreements are approved by the First Nations, this
settlement brings closure to a pending judicial review of the purchase
initiated by the Oneida Nation of the Thames. These agreements fulfill the
City's permit requirements at Green Lane to establish a First Nations Liaison
Committee. A First Nations Community Benefits Agreement is also being
established similar to the existing agreement with Southwold Township, Central
Elgin and the City of St. Thomas.
Additional public information about the landfill purchase transaction
will be made available following completion of the transaction.
Through the due diligence conducted on the landfill site, the City of
Toronto estimates that it will be able to use the site until 2034, if the City
meets its 70 per cent diversion target.
Toronto is Canada's largest city and sixth largest government, and home
to a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. It is the economic engine
of Canada and one of the greenest and most creative cities in North America.
In the past three years Toronto has won more than 50 awards for quality and
innovation in delivering public services. Toronto's government is dedicated to
prosperity, opportunity and liveability for all its residents.
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Chinese biofuels expansion threatens ecological balance
By Yingling Liu
The recent agreement between China's top forestry authority and one of the nation's biggest energy giants to develop biofuels plantations in the southwest reflects rising Chinese attention to non-fossil energy sources. But the excitement may come at great environmental loss to the region's forests and biological diversity, suggesting significant trade offs associated with the renewable fuels.
According to the agreement, signed by China's State Forestry Administration (SFA) and the oil company PetroChina in January, the parties will join efforts in developing two Jatropha curcas plantation bases in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, with biofuel production capacities of 10,000-30,000 tons each and a combined area of more than 40,000 hectares, according to China Green Times.
Jatropha, a hardy oilseed bush with seeds containing over 30 percent oil, is regarded as an ideal raw material for biodiesel production.
The Chinese government has since embraced additional biofuels expansion. On February 7, an SFA spokesman told the press that the country was ready to devote more than 13 million hectares of forestlands to biofuels production, Xinhua News Agency reported. And several local governments have embarked on or are planning ambitious long-term oilseed plantation projects.
According to blueprints from the Yunnan Provincial Forestry Department, the province will construct 1.27 million hectares of biofuels plantations and aims to become China's biggest biofuels base by 2015, achieving an annual production capacity of 4 million tons of ethanol and 600,000 tons of biodiesel. Forty counties in the province have begun to develop biofuels plantations.
Ever-rising demand to fuel the country's motor vehicle fleet is driving these developments. A recent study by the National Bureau of Statistics reports that private vehicle ownership in China reached 29.25 million by the end of 2006, a 23.7 percent increase over 2005.
While it took nearly two decades for Chinese car ownership to exceed 10 million (in 2003), an additional 10 million cars were added in only three years. China currently shows a ratio of 60 people per motor vehicle, compared with a world average of 11.5, indicating huge growth potential for the Chinese market.
Development of the new biofuels plantations will be funded by PetroChina and carried out by forestry authorities at various levels. Both parties have stated that the efforts will be undertaken in the interest of national sustainability, though there is strong suspicion that these actors are placing greater priority on fast and lucrative returns.
An all-out development in ecologically sensitive southwestern China will almost certainly wreak havoc on the environment. The region is home to the country's largest remaining intact natural forests, which are vital for maintaining the local and regional climatic balance.
These areas have already shrunk rapidly due to rampant logging in recent years, while the new biofuels craze will likely pull the last string of ecological collapse in the region.
The biofuels plantations will allegedly be built on marginal lands, including degraded forestlands and croplands, of which Yunnan province alone has more than 4 million, according to a local official. Yet it is not rare in China for local governments to sell off lush hills to logging companies as "waste forestlands." With the new incentives created by biofuels, such "black-box" deeds will likely continue and possibly worsen.
Equally daunting is the looming damage to the region's biodiversity from massive monoculture plantations of biofuels crops. Blessed with a favorable geographic location and unique landscapes, natural forests in southwestern China have long been a paradise for flora and fauna, home to more than 6,000 plant species and over 1,000 animal species.
Nibbled away by plantations of jatropha and other biofuels plantations, the future of those species appears startling bleak.
Copyright © 1999-2007 Renewable Energy Access
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Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Gives "Green" Light to Expanded Eco-Meet Program
-Pioneers of the environmentally friendly conferencing program-
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - March 28, 2007) - Businesses are embracing Fairmont Hotel and Resorts' respect for the environment and promotion of sustainable tourism by rallying behind its Eco-Meet program now available at all of its properties.
A staunch advocate of environmental stewardship within the travel and tourism industry, Fairmont was the first major hotel company in North America to include green business practices as an intrinsic part of its operations. Another major milestone as the pioneer of going green is the brand-wide launch of the Eco-Meet program - an environmentally friendly conferencing program, intended to minimize harm to the environment during meetings, conferences and similar events.
Eco-Meet was developed as a "green meeting" and conference planning option. In this way, meeting planners can organize conferences and events that consider the environment, result in reduced waste, and also conserve valuable resources.
Michelle White, Director, Environmental Affairs, states, "We recognize that many corporations, including Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, have adopted a mandate of environmental responsibility." She continues, "When selecting a venue for a green event, meeting planners will consider all aspects of the hotel or resort's accommodation, operations, programs and policies as part of our Eco-Meet initiative."
Meeting planners wanting to "green" their events can work with Fairmont's knowledgeable staff to tailor aspects of this unique program, which consists of four key components, to suit their needs:
- Eco-service provides "disposable-free" food and beverage services and recycling stations in the meeting rooms. This service is an important element to a greener meeting and, for example, includes china and cutlery used instead of disposal items, linen napkins instead of paper, and centerpieces that are edible/organic or made from reusable items such as silk flowers. White boards are used rather than paper flip charts.
- Eco-accommodation offers in-room information, recycling bins, optional sheet and towel replacement at select properties, energy-efficient lighting, and water-conserving showerheads, toilets and tap aerators.
- Eco-cuisine menus incorporate local, seasonal and organically grown foods wherever possible. Special menus for Eco-Meet can also include a 50-percent reduction in animal proteins, supplemented by vegetable proteins at meal functions. Fairmont properties having their own herb gardens or the availability of the seasonings locally feature dishes with those ingredients. The emphasis is on healthy, environmentally friendly and delicious food.
- Eco-programming provides activities and guest-speakers to complement the Eco-Meet experience. Whether it's a keynote address, a full-day team building eco-experience or something in-between, Fairmont's eco-programming educates and informs meeting delegates, while providing innovative and exceptional meeting services. There are also paperless services available for events including a dedicated TV channel to provide information and updates to delegates, electronic paperless check-in/checkout and e-mailed contracts and information used where possible. Fairmont will also assist meeting planners to offset their event's greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing green tags/energy certificates.
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Niagara Farmers are Leaders in Environmental Stewardship
Over 50% of Greenbelt Foundation's $1.4 million grant to help farmers
make environmental improvements goes to farms in the Niagara Peninsula
TORONTO - Farmers in Niagara lead all regions across the Greenbelt in undertaking environmental improvement projects which qualify for cost-sharing grants from the $1.4 million Greenbelt Farm Stewardship Program the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation announced March 27, 2007. The program has received 400 applications since it was introduced eight months ago; of those, 223 are from farmers in the Niagara region or some 56%. As the farmers complete their environmental projects they will receive over $750,000 in grants from the program.
The program is so popular with farmers across the Greenbelt that the
$1.4 million has been allocated in just eight months, rather than over two
years as was anticipated. The Foundation is now considering adding more money
to the program.
"The Niagara region is known around the world for its bountiful vineyards
and orchards and natural beauty," said Burkhard Mausberg, President of the
Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation. "Niagara wines are known internationally
for excellence. Now, looking at the enthusiasm to invest in environmental
protection expressed by Niagara farmers, there's no doubt the region is also
gaining a reputation for caring responsibly for the land."
Environmental farm practices eligible for cost share through the
Canada-Ontario Farm Stewardship Program, are also eligible for additional
cost-share funding under the Greenbelt Farm Stewardship Program. With the
additional Greenbelt Foundation funding, hundreds of farmers across the
Niagara Peninsula are ensuring that thousands of acres of land benefit from
environmental improvements such as reduced pesticide use, improved waste
management, decreased pollution, and new habitat for wildlife.
"The Greenbelt Foundation is contributing to a well-respected program
that is administered through farm organizations," said Andy Graham of the
Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, who delivers the programs on
behalf of the Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition. "Funding dollars increase
the total cost-share rate available to Greenbelt-area farmers to as much as
75 per cent of eligible costs which can greatly ease concerns over the
investments required by producers to adopt these environmental practices."
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Landmark report reveals a decade of rapid change in Ontario's Boreal
Satellite data documents impact of industrial activities in Ontario's
northern forests
EDMONTON - The results of a survey of logging, road building and other human disturbances in Ontario's northern forests reveals that the region is being rapidly impacted by logging and associated roads. The study, Recent Anthropogenic Changes within the Boreal Forests of Ontario and Their Potential Impacts on Woodland Caribou, was undertaken using satellite imagery and analysis and was conducted by Global Forest Watch Canada (GFWC).
The study also looked at the potential impact of these changes on the
intact forest habitat required by threatened woodland caribou. "We found that
over two-thirds of the study area, which is half of Ontario, was likely no
longer suitable for caribou habitation. This has serious implications for the
survival of this species within much of Ontario," says Peter Lee, executive
director of GFWC.
Dr. James Schaefer, a woodland caribou expert from Trent University warns
of the impact of logging cutovers on woodland caribou, "There is mounting
evidence of deleterious effects of timber harvesting on caribou. Recent
scientific studies show forest cutovers were the best predictor of caribou
occupancy, with a tolerance threshold of 13 km to nearest cutover and a time
lag of 2 decades between disturbance by cutting and caribou extirpation.
Reconciliation of forest exploitation with the conservation of forest-dwelling
caribou will be a major challenge for the 21st century."
Knowing the location and, more importantly, the rate of development in
our forests can help to improve forest management. In this study, GFWC
identified all disturbances to the forests of northern Ontario that were
caused by industry in the 1990s and 2000s in a study area that covered almost
half of Ontario.
"This is part of one of the largest national projects ever conducted to
describe the location and rate of the development of our forests," said Lee,
adding that GFWC hopes to expand the project to all of Canada.
Other significant findings of the GFWC study (which can be downloaded
from their website, www.globalforestwatch.ca) include:
1. Major cause of change: The major recent changes consist primarily of clearcut and salvage logging and associated roads.
2. Area and rate of change: Major area of change: Changes are
concentrated in the area allocated for logging (which comprises
approximately 70% of the project area and contains 99.5% of the total
changes) in the southern portion of the study area. When ecological
buffers that take into account potential impacts on Woodland Caribou
were applied, over 90% of the logging exploitation zone was
considered to have been impacted by industrial activities.
3. Forest Management Units (FMUs): The Dog River-Matewan (managed by
Bowater Pulp and Paper Canada Inc.) FMU and Black Sturgeon (managed
by Abitibi-Consolidated Inc.) FMU experienced the most dramatic
changes over the 1990-2001 period in the project area.
4. Potential Impact on Woodland Caribou range:
- Short-term impact on Woodland Caribou: Over one-quarter of the
project area may experience woodland caribou avoidance due to
changes caused by the logging industry in the 1989-2001 period.
- Long-term impact on Woodland Caribou: Over two-thirds may
experience woodland caribou extirpation due to changes caused by
the logging industry in the 1989-2001 period.
This study raises serious questions about:
- The impact of the rate, scale and distribution of anthropogenic
changes on the sustainability of Ontario's forests, especially
when an ecological footprint is considered in addition to the
physical footprint;
- The sustainability of high conservation value forests within the
logging exploitation zone in Ontario's forests; and
- The survivability of Woodland Caribou in and adjacent to the logging exploitation zone.
"Ontario's remaining intact forests - forests that have not been impacted
by industrial disturbances - are important for offsetting damaging climate
change. Further similar studies on industrial disturbances and studies on
remaining intact forests should be conducted in broader geographic areas in
Canada's forests to monitor and quantify the amount, rate and impacts of
industrial activities and to determine the value of what's left," concludes
Peter Lee.
The report follows an urgent call from a long list of celebrities,
artists and conservation groups to protect Ontario's remaining large intact
boreal forests as part of a provincial climate action plan and to prevent the
extinction of threatened species.
For more information: The Global Forest Watch Canada report, Recent Anthropogenic Changes within the Boreal Forests of Ontario and Their Potential Impacts on Woodland Caribou, and associated forest change spatial datasets, maps, data, and photos are available for download on the GFWC website: www.globalforestwatch.ca.
Report reveals ecological crisis in Ontario's Boreal Forest
Decades of logging and road building taking toll on intact forest and
iconic caribou
TORONTO, March 27 /CNW/ - Conservation groups are responding to an
alarming report released today that highlights a growing ecological crisis in
Ontario's Boreal Forest. The report, released by Global Forest Watch Canada,
documents disturbing changes in Ontario's forests from years of destructive
industrial activities which are pushing threatened species including the
woodland caribou closer to extinction and setting Ontario on a precariously
unsustainable path. The groups urge Premier McGuinty to heed these warnings
and bolster his government's much anticipated climate change plan with
protection of Ontario's intact Boreal Forest.
"This report is a clarion call," says Anna Baggio, Director Conservation
Land Use Planning of CPAWS Wildlands League. "Here is our opportunity to
protect the remaining intact Boreal Forest for caribou and for our
grandchildren."
The report follows an urgent call from a long list of celebrities and
conservation groups to protect Ontario's Boreal Forest to save species and
mitigate global warming.
"Protecting the carbon stored in intact Boreal ecosystems must be an
important part of any government's response to global warming," says Wendy
Francis, Director of Conservation and Science for Ontario Nature. "This report
warns us that our remaining intact forests - one of our best hopes for
fighting global warming - are clearly under threat."
It is estimated that more than 200,000 hectares of Ontario's public
forests are logged each year - an area more than three times the size of the
entire City of Toronto. By removing the vast amounts of carbon stored in these
trees, scientific estimates suggest that these logging activities release the
equivalent of 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
"Today's report underlines the urgent need for an innovative plan for
Ontario's Boreal Forest," said Sierra Legal Lawyer & Economist, Dr. Anastasia
Lintner. "Create sustainable northern economies. Capture carbon. Protect
caribou habitat. Require state-of-the-art forest certification. These are the
cornerstones to economically sound global warming solutions."
"Protecting our Boreal Forests must be a key component of any government
climate plan," said ForestEthics' Boreal Campaigner, Leah Henderson. "Through
strong environmental leadership we can capture growing green markets for
forest products and protect the earth's basic ecosystem services - the air we
breathe and the water that we drink."
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New report cautions against garbage incineration in Ontario
Toronto - With renewed calls for garbage incineration in communities such as Hamilton, Durham Region (Clarington) and Ottawa, Ontario needs a comprehensive waste management strategy, according to a new report released by the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy (CIELAP).
Titled Ontario's Waste Management Challenge - Is Incineration an Option? the report emphasizes waste reduction and diversion, while calling on the provincial government to fund an independent assessment of incineration technologies to better understand the true costs and benefits of incineration before their implementation.
"We're at an important crossroad in the energy-from-waste debate in Ontario," says Anne Mitchell, Executive Director of CIELAP. "This research makes an important contribution by exploring where incineration might fit into an environmentally sustainable waste management strategy."
In the report (available at www.cielap.org), CIELAP makes the following key recommendations to the Ontario government:
Develop and implement strict packaging regulations to prevent and reduce unnecessary packaging;
Introduce strong policies and regulations on extended producer responsibility requiring industry to manage its waste itself, and strengthen the powers of Waste Diversion Ontario through amendments to the Waste Diversion Act to increase the role of industry stewardship in reducing and recycling waste; and
Fund an independent, fair and impartial scientific assessment of the risks and benefits of incineration technologies and provide this information to the public.
Maureen Carter-Whitney, CIELAP's Research Director and author of the report, states that, "Without an adequate diversion policy, we are merely turning to a quick fix. Communities have a range of options to reduce and divert waste which ought to be explored and improved before investing in a technology that is controversial and may not even be necessary."
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Proposed Ontario Diamond Royalty - no industry consultation from Ontario Government says investor De Beers.
TORONTO - The future growth and sustainability of the mining industry in Ontario will be best served by a tax regime which is applied equally across the mining sector, is predictable, stable and non-discriminatory.
The diamond royalty - as proposed in the March 22nd Ontario provincial budget has not previously been covered in any dialogue between the industry and the Ontario Government.
We look forward to the opportunity to work with the Government on its proposed diamond royalty to ensure that the economic development implications for future exploration and mine development are clearly understood.
We are concerned about these apparently arbitrary changes to the tax structure so close to the start of production at Victor diamond mine.
Once we have more information regarding how its proposed diamond royalty will be implemented, we will be in a position to assess the impact on the economics of the Victor diamond mine.
De Beers is currently investing one billion dollars in the construction of Ontario's first diamond mine.
This investment will add approximately $7 billion dollars to the growth of the Ontario economy.
The mine is scheduled to start production in the first half of 2008.
There are currently 600 people employed on site in construction and when the mine is in operations it will create approximately 400 new jobs in northern Ontario.
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Ontario Budget falls short on climate action
TORONTO - According to WWF-Canada, spending to address climate change got only a small boost in today's Ontario budget leaving the province far short of meeting its share of Canada's Kyoto commitment. This means there is still much to be addressed in next month's anticipated climate change plan announcement.
The Ontario government dedicated no additional funding beyond the
$586 million provided by the federal government. This is not appropriately
ambitious to address climate change. Nor is it a good sign that spending on
highway expansions dwarfed transit funding.
In addition to the government budget, Ontario has other tools available
to fight climate change. For example, funding for climate change initiatives
can come directly from fees generated from utilities. Furthermore, huge
greenhouse gas reductions can be achieved through strict regulations rather
than spending.
These tools must be addressed in next month's anticipated climate change
plan.
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'Green' Corn Project Receives $2.8 Million
Helping to feed more people around the world in more efficient and environmentally friendly ways is the goal of a University of Guelph project that has just received $2.8 million from the provincial government.
The “Genes to Fields: Corn Biotechnology Capacity for Ontario” initiative involves finding new ways to increase the yield of Ontario's corn crop, an industry worth almost $1 billion a year. It will also help strengthen Ontario agriculture and make Guelph an international biotechnology hub, said lead researcher Steven Rothstein, a professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology.
Corn is one of the world's most important food crops and the foundation of a new "green" economy based on renewable corn-based ethanol and industrial polymers, Rothstein said. The Guelph team hopes to learn more about genes to enhance breeding, and then use biotechnology to improve crop yields and help farmers grow corn in more efficient and sustainable ways.
“We plan to combine experts in molecular genetics with experts in plant breeding and whole-plant physiology to develop a unique research program,” he said.
“We believe no other publicly funded institution has the same capability. This funding will allow us to bring that expertise together and bring things to fruition that wouldn't otherwise happen.”
The researchers will test how various genes affect plant development and determine which genes are responsible for desired traits. For example, Rothstein studies genes that help crop plants use nitrogen more efficiently. That may help reduce fertilizer pollution of ground and surface water and lower emissions of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas.
"Nitrogen fertilizers are the No. 1 cost for farmers and the No. 1 source of pollution from crop agriculture,” he said. At the same time, farmers need to double yields over the next 30 to 40 years to meet expected demand for crops used for food, animal feed and ethanol-based fuels.
The researchers expect their work will yield candidate genes for other scientists and the private sector to use in developing enhanced plant lines.
"This project will allow us to explore innovative ways of altering corn to take better advantage of soil nutrients," added Manish Raizada, a plant agriculture professor who studies genes involved in plant regeneration. "We must save water and fertilizer and reduce grower costs while buffering agricultural systems from changes in climate.”
Provincial support for the project came from the research excellence program of the Ontario Research Fund, intended to undertake major research projects, hire research teams and cover other operational costs. When added to funding from Syngenta, a leading agricultural biotech company, and from the University, the four-year project will receive more than $9 million.
Other Guelph scientists involved in the project are Prof. Joseph Colasanti and Yong-Mei Bi, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Profs. Elizabeth Lee and Matthijs Tollenaar of the Department of Plant Agriculture.
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Canada West Foundation survey: Environmental anxiety related to size of urban population
CALGARY - The Canada West Foundation today released public opinion data on how residents of Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg view environmental issues.
“The data show that urbanites care deeply about the urban environment,” says Robert Roach, the Director of Research at the Canada West Foundation. “For the residents of Canada’s big cities, addressing environmental issues is not just about things like protecting natural habitat, clean coal technology, or better forest management practices; it is about dealing with quality of life in large urban centres. It is about the land, air and water in cities,” adds Roach.
The Looking West 2007 Survey was administered by Probe Research between January 2 and February 3, 2007 from their Winnipeg call centre. A total of 3,500 urban residents were interviewed, with 500 from each of the following urban centres: Greater Vancouver Region; Calgary; Edmonton; Regina; Saskatoon; Winnipeg; and Greater Toronto Area. With 95 percent certainty, the results are within +/- 1.66 percentage points of what they would have been if the entire adult population of these cities had been interviewed; for individual cities, results are within +/-4.38 percentage points.
The Looking West 2007 Survey illustrates that many environmental concerns are related to the size of the urban population. The larger the population of a city, the more concerned its residents are about the urban environment. This correlation likely reflects perceptions of lower environmental quality in larger cities.
The report’s author, Dr. Loleen Berdahl, writes: “As cities grow larger, air quality drops and the surrounding countryside is consumed, and what becomes rare, becomes more precious. The survey findings suggest that Canada may become increasingly environmentally conscious—especially in terms of the urban environment—as the country’s cities continue to grow.”
“The fact that urban environmental concerns vary with urban population size presents a political challenge for a national urban environment strategy. To resonate in smaller centres, clean air initiatives will likely need to be complemented by land and water initiatives,” says Roach.
Key findings:
Regina and Saskatoon residents are the most satisfied with environmental protection in their cities; Toronto residents are the least satisfied.
Air quality is a high priority issue in Toronto and Vancouver, but less of an issue in the smaller prairie cities.
Protecting the city’s environment is a high priority in all cities, particularly Toronto and Vancouver.
Calgarians and Vancouverites are the most frequent users of urban green space.
Over 9 in 10 urbanites state city parks and green spaces are “essential to quality of life.”
The majority in all cities—and two-thirds in Toronto—state maintaining urban green spaces is a high priority.
Calgarians see urban sprawl as a problem; sprawl is also a concern for the majority of Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg residents.
The majority in all seven cities feels that protecting farmland and natural areas adjacent to cities from development is a good idea.
Additional Looking West 2007 Survey topics include urban policy priorities; public safety; street level social problems; transportation; quality of life; urban growth and diversity; and assessing municipal, provincial and federal governments. The survey results will be released in segments over the course of 2007.
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Rising sea levels threaten Indian islands
By Bappa Majumdar
MOUSHUNI ISLAND, India - Sheikh Alauddin, like hundreds of other residents living on West Bengal's Moushuni island, has never heard the term "global warming". But he is living with its consequences.
"At night we just pray to God, and hope the sea does not drown us," the 60-year-old told Reuters in Poilagheri village on the sparsely-populated island, part of the Sunderbans national park and the world's largest mangrove forest.
When the tide comes in, sea water laps at the top of a mud embankment that towers 6 metres (20 feet) above Alauddin's adjacent house and is all that keeps it from being washed away.
After a 10-year study in and around the Bay of Bengal, oceanographers say the sea is rising at 3.14 millimetres a year in the Sunderbans against a global average of 2 mm, threatening low-lying areas of India and Bangladesh.
"At least 15 islands have been affected but erosion is widespread in other islands as well," said Sugato Hazra, an oceanographer at Jadavpur University in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal.
A United Nations climate panel, which grouped 2,500 scientists from 130 countries, concluded last month that human activity was causing global warming and predicted more droughts, heatwaves and rising seas.
But for the Sunderbans, made up of hundreds of islands and criss-crossed by narrow water channels and home to many of India's dwindling tiger population, the threat is more immediate.
"The crops have failed due to scanty rainfall but where do we go?" says Alauddin as his family of twelve stares at their parched farmland.
A combination of drought and then heavy rainfall this year and increasing soil salinity have made it impossible to grow enough food to survive on traditional agriculture alone.
"We now depend on fishing in the high seas and sometimes even eat leaves from different plants to survive," a frail-looking Jameel Mullick said.
At least 4 million people live in the islands spread across 9,630 sq. km (3,700 sq. miles) of mangrove swamps.
TIGERS THREATENED
Top climate experts on the UN panel predicted that temperatures would increase by between 1.8 and 4 Celsius (3.2 and 7.8 Fahrenheit), and sea levels would rise by between 7 and 23 inches (18 and 59 centimetres) to submerge islands in the 21st century.
The impact could be even greater if ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland thaw.
The 400 or so families living on tiny Moushuni know what is coming.
Two nearby islands disappeared beneath the sea after residents were forced to leave, and the sea has swallowed about 100 sq. km of mangrove forest in three decades in the Sunderbans.
"Global warming and rising sea levels are already having a telling effect on the tiger's habitat," said Pronobes Sanyal of the National Coastal Zone Management Authority.
Rapid erosion over the last five years has destroyed mangrove cover up to 15 metres inland on several islands, environment experts say.
SALT AND SORROW
For centuries, the mangroves fed on both saline and fresh water -- tides brought sea water upstream and mixed it with water from the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers.
But now rising sea levels are pushing salt water inland.
Sixty year old Ayesha Khatoon stood on top of a mud embankment in Moushuni that has been breached at least seven times in the past 10 years.
"There was a lovely mud road surrounded by trees beyond this embankment and we had 3 acres (1.2 hectares) of farmland which the sea swallowed in the last few years," recalled Ayesha.
"No one visits us now and they have left us all to die," she said, tears welling in her eyes as she hugs her young grandson.
Rapid felling of trees on the islands -- in part to fuel two small power plants -- is adding to erosion woes.
Dilip Maity, a farmer, lamented how he had erred in hacking down several rows of trees, an act which weakened and led to sea water flooding his small farm.
Alarmed, West Bengal's minister for the Sunderbans, Kanti Ganguly, said the islands had to be protected.
"We have realised it now and have taken a decision to raise heights of the mud embankments and increase mangrove cover in Sunderbans," he said.
Oceanographer Hazra says it might be too late.
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EIB, World Bank Launch Carbon Fund
“The World Bank and the European Investment Bank joined forces on Tuesday
to launch a carbon fund to help countries meet commitments under the Kyoto
Protocol to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The Carbon Fund for Europe (CFE) will be worth EUR50 million ($66.42
million) with contributions from Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Belgium's
Flemish region and Norway's Statkraft Carbon Invest AS. The fund will buy
carbon credits from projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions under
Kyoto's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI)
schemes…” [Reuters/Factiva]
Xinhua reports that “…The CDM and JI are flexible mechanisms… , that,
under strict conditions, allow industrialized countries to fulfill some of
their greenhouse gas emission-reduction commitments through projects in
the developing world and in countries with economies in transition…”
[Xinhua (China)/Factiva]
AFP writes that “…In exchange for spending on emissions-reducing projects
in emerging economies, the investors will receive so-called carbon credits
as foreseen by the Kyoto Protocol. These credits can then either be sold
on the European emissions trading market for a financial gain or be used
against the investing countries' targets under the Kyoto Protocol for
reducing their greenhouse gas emissions…” [Agence France Presse/Factiva]
Agencia EFE notes that one of the Vice President’s of the EIB, Simon
Brooks noted that ‘There is no magical solution for the problems of
climate change, [therefore] in its place we need an ample series of
initiatives.’ [Agencia EFE/Factiva]
Europolitics adds that “… The CFE is the tenth fund of this type created
by the World Bank since 2000, which together total $2 billion. It is
intended, on the one hand, to help EU member states to respect their
commitments under the Kyoto Protocol and the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme
(ETS), and on the other to help developing countries by supporting
sustainable development projects and the transfer of clean technologies…”
[Europolitics (Belgium)/Factiva]
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Growing global attention to water issues creating major business opportunities
World Water Day highlights growing public and political "will to spend"
on water infrastructure
TORONTO - Growing attention to global water challenges has created a significant opportunity for water-focused businesses according to Toronto-based Criterion Investments Limited ("Criterion").
March 22, 2007 is World Water Day - a United Nations General Assembly
initiative to draw attention to a critical lack of safe drinking water
worldwide. This year's World Water Day is themed "Coping with Water Scarcity"
and activities including conferences, ceremonies, walks and films are planned
across Canada and worldwide.
"The delivery of safe water is a global concern and people are beginning
to acknowledge the severity of the problem," said Ian McPherson, President of
Criterion Investments. "Much of the current infrastructure is ancient, leaky
and needs replacing, and then there's the fact that 1.1 billion people don't
have any access to safe drinking water. It's a problem that global and local
leaders are facing up to and it is creating a will to spend."
It is estimated that capital expenditure of $1 trillion is required over
the next five years just to meet basic requirements for the delivery of water
to developed nations and emerging markets worldwide.
Criterion last month launched Canada's first actively-managed water fund,
a mutual fund that enables Canadian investors to tap into businesses at the
centre of the growing global water industry.
"Criterion Water Infrastructure Fund will invest in businesses that are
focused on the delivery of safe water worldwide. That includes companies that
make pipes and valves, as well as those involved in water quality management,
desalination and new water technologies," explains Mr. McPherson. "These are
areas that municipalities need to spend on, but they will not be manufacturing
the pipes, valves and filtration systems themselves."
The Fund's investing is managed by Pictet Asset Management SA ("Pictet"),
a leading Swiss investment firm with a history that dates back 200 years.
Pictet's global water fund, launched in 2000, is now the world's largest
water-focused fund with over $4 billion in assets.
"Whenever capital expenditure of that magnitude is required,
well-positioned businesses will do well," said Dr. Philippe Rohner, Senior
Fund Manager at Pictet. "Urbanization and industrialization in markets like
China and India will continue to drive massive spending. There is also a need
for innovative alternatives for the distribution of water services. In Europe
alone, new water and wastewater directives imply a funding requirement of
EUR330 billion."
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Rome burns biodiesel for buses
Rome has announced plans to run its public bus fleet on a fuel mix of 20 per cent biodiesel. The city council has signed an accord that would see its 2800 buses switch to the blended fuel in order to cut greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution.
A trial of 200 buses, if successful, would see the entire fleet running on the biofuel mix by the end of 2008. Estimates put the annual emission savings at 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Importantly, the accord covers not just the purchasing of the biodesel end-product but other stages of the supply chain including the growing of oilseed crops from which biodeisel is produced.
Farmers close to Rome have agreed to lift crop area devoted to rapeseed, soy and sunflowers from a few hundred hectares to 10,000 hectares, and to 20,000 if needed, to meet demand.
Biofuels have the potential to cut greenhouse emissions from transport but the size of the savings depend on supply chain factors such as what energy is used in the production process, and how feedstock and the resulting fuel supplies are shipped to market.
© Carbon Positive 2006
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Federal Budget 'Gutless': Friends of the Earth-Canada
Ottawa- "The Conservative federal budget is a gutless response to the leadership on climate protection that Canadians expect from their governments," said Beatrice Olivastri CEO of Friends of the Earth-Canada. "Despite their advertised family-friendly budgetary approach, Prime Minister Harper has avoided putting a price on carbon and ensuring a healthy planet for our children. The only place they applied a carbon tax is on the very worst gas guzzling cars."
Olivastri went on to say, "Despite the cuts the Harper Government has made to existing environmental programs over the past year, I was genuinely surprised by the lack of attention to emission cutting programmes. This budget is evidence that Prime Minister Harper has no intention of honouring Canada's Kyoto promise-they're still playing shell games with the base line on emission numbers."
Just three weeks ago, Friends of the Earth and Corporate Knights magazine provided all political parties with advice on climate protection measures to fulfill Kyoto within its allotted time frame.
"This budget misses an important opportunity to fuel a green industrial revolution using the Carbon Innovation Fund we proposed (see www.foecanada.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=295&Itemid=130)," said Toby Heaps, Editor of Corporate Knights and Board member of Friends of the Earth. "It is truly bizarre that gas guzzling cars are targeted while the several hundred industrial facilities waiting for a clear plan for a de-carbonized future were missing in action."
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Greenpeace puts Harper under house arrest for climate crimes
OTTAWA - Before the federal budget was presented to Parliament, Greenpeace activists today put Prime Minister Stephen Harper under house arrest for climate crimes. Early this morning, Greenpeace activists padlocked themselves to the gates of 24 Sussex Drive, preventing the Prime Minister from going to work to undermine the Kyoto Protocol. Banners branded Harper a "climate criminal".
"The refusal of the Harper government to honour Kyoto violates Canada's
commitment to the world, and is a crime against the planet," charged Dave
Martin, Greenpeace Canada Energy Coordinator. "By abandoning Kyoto, the Harper
government is undermining international efforts to curtail emissions, and
exposing millions of people to the dangerous impacts of climate change."
Prime Minister Harper has falsely called Kyoto unachievable, claiming we
don't have the technology to meet Kyoto targets. However, a recent report by
Greenpeace and the European Renewable Energy Council entitled Energy
(R)evolution: A Sustainable World Energy Outlook, shows that global greenhouse
gas emissions can be cut in half by 2050, while providing a secure energy
supply and maintaining economic development.
"Canada already has the green energy technology to build a carbon-free
future - we are only lacking political will," said Martin. "Prime Minister
Harper is representing the interests of the tar sands, not the Canadian
people."
The government's claim that meeting our Kyoto target will cause economic
hardship is also false. Former World Bank chief economist Sir Nicholas Stern
has said the climate change can be mitigated by spending only one per cent of
global Gross Domestic Product per year. Failure to act will cost 20 times
more.
"A green economy is a prosperous economy. Acting on global warming will
put people to work. Delay will have huge economic and environmental costs,"
Martin added.
To prevent dangerous climate change, Greenpeace has called on the Harper
government to start by meeting it Kyoto commitment - a 6 per cent reduction
from 1990 levels by 2012. Canada and other industrial nations must then
achieve even deeper emissions reductions from 1990 levels -- 30 per cent by
2020 and 80 per cent by 2050.
Environmental groups set the bar for Ontario political parties - Groups outline action priorities for the province
TORONTO - A group of leading Ontario environmental organizations released detailed policy agendas for the Ontario's up and coming political contestants, offering in seven key areas to focus:
boreal forest protection,
toxics,
energy,
Great Lakes protection,
waste and recycling,
urban sprawl
and the Greenbelt
The priorities are described on the newly launched Priorities for Ontario website at www.PrioritiesforOntario.ca. "We've developed these easily understood priorities to help both voters and political leaders understand what needs to be done to ensure a healthy, prosperous future for Ontario," explains Dr. Rick Smith, Executive Director of Environmental Defence, one of the 13 groups that combined efforts on the project.
"We believe that these priorities should be at the centre of any political platform meant to address the very real threats to the health and prosperity of Ontario residents posed by climate change, loss of wild habitat, pollution and urban sprawl," says Dr. Mark Winfield, Director of Environmental Governance, Pembina Institute. Representatives from the 13 organizations have met with the leaders of the four major Ontario parties to deliver the message that the environment should be a central focus for all parties.
"We've had a positive reception," says Bruce Cox, Executive Director of Greenpeace, "but we are still waiting to see how the parties intend to actually follow through on our recommendations. And we are not going to be satisfied with feel-good statements and vague promises - the time for action is now." In fact, the organizations are already working on mobilizing their combined memberships to push for action on the six priorities.
"Our members, like most of the public, are ahead of many political leaders in understanding that cleaning up our environmental act can have big economic, health and societal benefits," points out Caroline Schultz, Executive Director of Ontario Nature.
"These priorities are central to the future of this province. They can form the backbone of an effective and workable plan to create a healthy and sustainable society or they can be ignored at our collective loss," concludes Janet Sumner, Executive Director of CPAWS Wildlands League.
The 13 groups who are collaborating on the Priorities for Ontario
(www.PrioritiesforOntario.ca) project are:
Environmental Defence - www.environmentaldefence.ca
Pembina Institute - www.pembina.org
Greenpeace - www.greenpeace.ca
Ontario Nature - www.ontarionature.org
Pollution Probe - www.pollutionprobe.org
Forest Ethics - www.forestethics.ca
CPAWS Wildlands League - www.wildlandsleague.org
Sierra Club of Canada - Ontario Chapter - www.ontario.sierraclub.org
Canadian Environmental Law Association - www.cela.ca
Ontario Clean Air Alliance - www.cleanairalliance.org
Sierra Legal Defence Fund - www.sierralegal.ca
Great Lakes United - www.glu.org
Conservation Council of Ontario - www.greenontario.org
Biofuels can be environmental boon, but gas guzzling must first end: Experts
TORONTO - In an era of soaring gas prices and surprise shortages at the pump, biofuels paint a rosy picture of the future: they're renewable, made from waste products and can significantly reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
However, if renewable fuels are ever going to save the day in a world of tightening oil supply and growing concern over the environment, Canadians first must mend their gas-guzzling ways, experts say.
Alternative fuels have been attracting a lot of federal attention - as well as money. Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently announced funding for several green initiatives, including research on hydrogen, fuel cells and "carbon capture" technology that can strip emissions of carbon dioxide.
But before industry and governments start putting too much stock in emerging biofuel technologies, Canadians have to make some fundamental changes, analysts say.
"Conventional crude is in a delicate balance between supply and demand right now; we're not finding more," said industry analyst Robb Moss.
"We all have to pull up our socks and try and figure out ways of consuming less."
Only in recent days have the ramifications of a serious gas shortage in Ontario, largely the result of a fire that shut down a key part of Imperial Oil's refinery in Nanticoke, Ont., stopped reverberating. Stations that were closed for nearly a month are open again, and Imperial says the plant is again operating at full capacity.
But the shortage gave Ontario motorists just a taste of what a gasoline shortage might mean - and just how vulnerable the existing supply might be.
"We've got to stop the addiction from growing," said Peter Tertzakian, an analyst and author of the book "A Thousand Barrels."
"Then, once you get over that, then you have to start thinking about substitution."
That substitution could come in many forms, but the two renewable fuels that get the most attention from advocates are biodiesel and ethanol.
Biodiesel is made from vegetable oils, waste cooking oil or animal fats. Over its life cycle it produces 64 to 92 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum diesel. Biodiesel is not yet commercially available in Canada.
Ethanol is made mainly from corn and wheat and is a liquid alcohol blended with gasoline in different concentrations. E-10 blend, with 10 per cent ethanol, is currently sold at Sunoco stations across Ontario. Natural Resources Canada says ethanol production reduces greenhouse gas emissions because the crops used to make the ethanol absorb carbon dioxide.
"We see renewables as playing an up and coming role . . . (but) they're not a panacea," said Carmen Dybwad, president of the Energy Council of Canada.
"If we had a silver bullet right now we'd all be glomming on to it. The reality is that we're going to need some sort of an appropriate mix as we move forward."
Biofuels are not a miracle solution to tight fuel supply issues, Tertzakian said.
"Are they going to completely replace or even make a meaningful dent in the overall consumption of gasoline? I would say not any time soon, that's for sure."
The real impact will come from the rising price of gas, Tertzakian said.
Research suggests gas would likely have to cost more than two dollars per litre before commuters and motorists get serious about measures like carpooling and public transit.
Dave Martin of Greenpeace Canada, which supports the principle of developing biofuels, also cautioned against seeing biofuels as a catch-all solution.
"At this point, I think that we tend to be heading in a bad direction because most of the ethanol that's being produced is using corn as a feedstock," said Martin, who wants Ottawa to push for the use of cellulosic ethanol, which is derived from wheat straw and corn stalks.
Cellulosic ethanol is often touted as the answer to those concerned using corn and wheat for fuel would comprimise the food supply or drive up agricultural prices.
Still, the day when all cars are powered by such environmentally friendly energy is still far off, experts agree.
"It's very nice to talk about these sorts of biofuels, but the issue of scale is a big one," Tertzakian said. "It's not easy to replicate the very efficient supply chain that's already in place to serve the current pattern of consumption."
© Copyright 2006 Brandon Sun
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G8 Plus Big Five Developing Countries Wrangle Over Climate Crisis
“Ministers from 13 nations responsible for most of the world's greenhouse
gas pollution were meeting near Berlin on Friday to explore common ground
on tackling the crisis of global warming. The meeting at Cecilienhof, the
chateau where the historic 1945 Potsdam conference took place, gathers
environment ministers from the Group of Eight (G8) countries and five
major developing nations: Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa.
Together, their economies account for more than two-thirds of the world's
carbon emissions… . Germany, hosts of the G8, hopes the talks, ending on
Saturday, can break the gridlock on a global deal for reducing the
pollution to safer levels. The goal here is to pave the way for a
breakthrough at the G8 summit in June in the Baltic resort of
Heiligendamm. …” [Agence France Presse/Factiva]
Xinhua reports that Germany’s Environment Minister and host of the
conference, Sigmar Gabriel said “… ‘The year 2007 is a decisive one for
international climate control,’ adding that this gathering would seek to
identify obstacles on the way to a post-Kyoto deal. The G8 bloc and
emerging economies would also discuss the best way to remove these
obstacles, Gabriel said. In addition to climate change, biodiversity [was
also expected to] be on the agenda of the meeting when the talks start on
Friday morning [following Thursday evening] informal discussions over
dinner.” [Xinhua (China)/Factiva]
AP adds that Gabriel “… said Thursday that making progress in talks on
climate change with developing countries is key to winning over the US for
international action. … [Gabriel told a news conference that:] ‘The real
challenge for the climate consists in getting the developing countries on
board. Even if the United States were participating today, we would not
yet have a solution.’ Gabriel said this weekend's meeting would not
produce ‘long papers and big decisions’ but was aimed at comparing
countries' interests so that they can begin to work toward eventual
agreements. …” [The Associated Press/Factiva]
The BBC writes that “… [Gabriel] said that the meeting would not bring a
new deal, but was more of a chance to discuss the issues. … Head of the
United Nations Environment Programme Achim Steiner echoed his comments.
The Potsdam talks, he said, were ‘not about pre-negotiating an outcome,’
but about preparing for ‘a quantum leap forward’ later in the year. …”
[BBC News Online]
Deutsche Welle notes that Gabriel “… however, did admit that finding a
compromise would be difficult, as many developing countries regarded
protecting the environment as a hurdle to their economic growth. ‘The
positions of the industrial states and developing nations are still far
apart from each other,’ Gabriel said. ‘The interests of developing and
emerging nations are the starting points for the debate.’ …” [Deutsche
Welle (Germany)/Factiva]
Reuters reports Gabriel further told reporters on Thursday that “the
European Central Bank (ECB) could take over the trading of carbon dioxide
emissions certificates in Europe. ‘It's nothing other than a financial
market and needs to be operated as such,’ Gabriel told reporters. ‘Even
monopolies are more transparent than European emissions trading.’ ‘It
could be an idea to hand it over to ... the ECB or to a private financial
institution. There should be one institution that guarantees transparency
and from which market participants can get the necessary information,’ he
said. …” [Reuters/Factiva]
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Safety-Kleen Captures 'Best Overall Value Award' From AutoNation
PLANO, Texas - Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc. was recently awarded the "Best Overall Value Award" from AutoNation, America's largest automotive retailer.
"Safety-Kleen handles our hazardous waste removal, parts washers and
solvents, and hauls our waste oil," said Laura Payne, AutoNation's director of
strategic sourcing. "We're particularly pleased with Elizabeth Semrau, manager
of the AutoNation account, who has done a phenomenal job of working across all
levels of our company to provide competitive pricing, highly responsive
service and lower overall management costs."
"Because of their service levels and commitment to our partnership,
Safety-Kleen has earned this year's award for Best Overall Value," Payne said.
Mike Fraser, Safety-Kleen senior vice president of sales, noted that the
award is the result of an ongoing, collaborative effort between Safety-Kleen
and AutoNation.
"We began working with AutoNation in 2002 and have continued to work
diligently since then to add value and contain costs," he said.
"Since being named our 'Most Improved Supplier' in 2003, Safety-Kleen has
truly become a strategic ally, always looking for ways to improve their
services and our business," Payne said. "It's a pleasure to acknowledge their
efforts with this award."
"We're very proud to have won this award," said Safety-Kleen
CEO/President Frederick J. Florjancic, Jr. "I am especially proud of the
Safety-Kleen team for their ongoing commitment to AutoNation, as well as our
other customers, as we continue to drive world-class performance throughout
the organization."
Other AutoNation award winners were DME, DuPont, Federal Express, G&K
Services, MOC Products and Reynolds and Reynolds.
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Warming may cause food, water shortages-UN report
By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent, Reuters
OSLO - Global warming could cause severe food and water shortages for millions of people by 2100 and trigger a melt of polar ice that could keep ocean levels rising for centuries, a draft U.N. report shows.
It said the poor were most at risk, for instance in sub-Saharan Africa and around deltas of major rivers in Asia.
The survey by the world's top climate scientists, due for release in Brussels on April 6, said climate change widely blamed on human activities was already under way with impacts ranging from melting glaciers to earlier than normal plant growth in spring.
"Many natural systems, on all continents and in some oceans, are being affected by regional climate changes, particularly temperature increases," according to a copy seen by Reuters. The draft will have a final review by governments and experts.
"Impacts are very likely to increase due to increased frequencies and intensities of extreme weather impacts," the draft said. It said there were still chances to prevent the most damaging impacts if governments acted.
It pointed to threats such as a melting of Greenland and west Antarctic ice sheets that could cause sea levels to rise, extinctions of species from the Amazon to the Arctic or more severe heat waves in U.S. cities.
"Climate change increases the number of people at risk of hunger marginally," it said, compared to projected declines caused by economic growth. But a large rise in temperatures could put up to 120 million people at risk of hunger.
MELTING GLACIERS
A melting of glaciers, such as in the Himalayas, could cut summer and autumn flows in regions where more than a billion people live.
Farmers near the equator were likely to suffer falling crop yields even with small temperature rises, while farmers living nearer the poles might see some immediate benefits.
"Global agricultural production potential is likely to increase with increases in global average temperature up to about 3 Celsius (5.4 F), but above this is very likely to decrease," the draft said.
Hundreds of millions of people would suffer from water scarcity even with a small rise in temperatures. Between 1.1 to 3.2 billion might suffer if temperatures jumped by more than 4 Celsius (7.2F), at the higher end of forecasts.
Water scarcity could damage semi-arid regions such as the Mediterranean basin, the western United States, southern Africa, northeastern Brazil, southern and eastern Australia.
The draft, detailing likely impacts and ways to adapt to climate change, is the second of four studies this year based on the work of 2,500 climate experts in the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The first report concluded there was at least 90 percent certainty that human activities, led by burning fossil fuels, were stoking warming. The reports will guide governments trying to combat climate change.
The draft report said hundreds of millions of people would be vulnerable to rising sea levels that could swamp Pacific islands, coasts and cities from New York to Shanghai.
It said there was "medium confidence" that a rise in temperatures of more than 1 to 2 Celsius (1.8-3.6F) might melt parts of Greenland and west Antarctica, "causing sea level rise of 4 to 6 metres (13-20 ft) over centuries to millennia."
And it said that about 20-30 percent of species could be at risk of extinction with a moderate temperature rise.
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Destruction of Forests In Developing World ‘Out Of Control’
“Progress in forest management in the industrial world is being
overwhelmed by accelerating deforestation in the developing world, a
global report from the United Nations has revealed.
Many countries in Europe and North America have been able to reverse
centuries of deforestation and even, in some cases, increase their forest
cover, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) [in
its State of the World's Forests 2007 report]. But the global picture is
blighted by uncontrolled felling in poorer countries - home to the
majority of the world’s forests.
‘Many countries have shown the political will to improve forest management
by revising policies and legislation and strengthening forestry
institutions,’ said David Harcharik, FAO’s Assistant Director General. …
But researchers from the FAO, which releases an annual survey of the
world’s forests, found that enormous tracts are still disappearing from
the developing world. …” [The Independent (UK)/Factiva]
Indo-Asian News Service reports that “… According to the report, the world
lost three percent of its total forest area between 1990 and 2005, an
average decrease of 0.2 percent per year. The net rate of loss has
declined slightly since 2000 thanks to forest planting and natural
expansion of forests, but deforestation continues ‘at an alarming rate’ of
about 13 million hectares a year, the report found. The world now has just
less than 4 billion hectares of forest, covering about 30 percent of its
land area. While illegal logging, conflict and poverty pose some of the
biggest hazards, ‘evidence is mounting that forests will be profoundly
affected by climate change.’ ….” [Indo-Asian News Service (India)/Factiva]
Reuters adds that “… Deforestation accounts for 18 percent of the carbon
dioxide produced each year, a significant proportion of the emissions
scientists say are causing global warming which also poses risks to
forests via increased fires and the spread of pests. Demand for
agricultural land is one of the main reasons that forests continue to be
erased… . … Although economic growth often contributes to illegal logging,
the FAO concluded that development was, on the whole, beneficial to
forests as wealthier countries were more likely to establish conservation
policies. …” [Reuters/Factiva]
AFP writes that “… Ten countries account for 80 percent of the world's
primary forests, of which Indonesia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea and Brazil
saw the highest losses in primary forest in the five years from 2000 to
2005. Europe and North America showed net increases in forest area over
the same period, while Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean are the
two regions with the highest losses. …” [Agence France Presse/Factiva]
AP notes that “…Africa, which accounts for about 16 percent of the global
forests, lost over 9 percent of its trees between 1990 and 2005, the
agency said. In Latin America and the Caribbean, home to nearly half of
the world's forests, 0.5 percent was lost every year between 2000 and 2005
- up from an annual net rate of 0.46 percent in the 1990s.
On the positive side, wooded area increased in Asia between 2000 and 2005.
The increase was limited to East Asia, where investment in tree
plantations in China offset high rates of clear-cutting in other regions,
the report said. Forested area in most European countries is also
increasing, while it is stable in Canada and the US. …” [The Associated
Press/Factiva]
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Canada's oil and gas sector is slow to take action on their climate change responsibilities
Ethical Funds report evaluates how oil and gas companies are responding
to climate change
VANCOUVER - Canada's oil and gas companies have failed to take action to mitigate their greenhouse gas emissions, with only two Canadian companies responding appropriately to the risks presented by climate change, according to The Ethical Funds Company.
Despite the existence of global leaders in Canada's oil patch, only Shell
Canada and Suncor are well positioned to function in a more carbon-neutral
environment reads the latest Sustainability Perspectives research paper from
The Ethical Funds Company: "Head in the Oil Sands? Climate Change Risks in
Canada's Oil and Gas Sector." The full paper can be viewed at
www.ethicalfunds.com.
"We believe that all facets of society - government, corporations, and
citizens - can and should play a role in tackling climate change, but the
response of the oil and gas sector is crucial," said Bob Walker, Vice
President, Sustainability at The Ethical Funds Company. "With effective action
and the right market incentives, this sector can be viewed, not as the enemy,
but as a key ally in tackling climate change."
The Head in the Oil Sands research paper analyzed 48 Canadian oil and gas
companies and included two global leaders on climate change, BP plc and Royal
Dutch Shell, to establish an international best practices benchmark. Companies
were assessed on their management systems, action plans, performance, and
transparency to determine the extent which they are preparing for the future.
Only four of the 50 companies assessed, including two of the 48 Canadian
companies, were found to be responding appropriately to the risks presented by
climate change.
The Ethical Funds Company report concludes by offering practical guidance
to both companies at risk and investors seeking to integrate climate change
performance metrics into their investment decision-making: 'Companies need to
take immediate action steps to reduce their risk exposure, while investors
need to support companies taking these steps and provide appropriate
incentives to those which have yet to take action'.
"We hope the Canadian oil and gas sector will use this report to unite in
a process to stabilize emissions, achieve carbon neutrality and, in the decade
to come, make the transition to a carbon-free energy system," said Walker.
"Climate change is without a doubt the most significant environmental
challenge facing our society today."
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Despite buzz on bees, experts disagree on seriousness of problem
By Jim Downing
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Bees are dying by the billions. Nobody knows why. And the crops they pollinate - California almonds especially - are at risk.
Or at least that's been the buzz.
In the past month, the new and mysterious honeybee ailment known as "colony collapse disorder," which seems to cause entire hives of bees to leave home and never return, has made the front page of newspapers from Sacramento to New York. Fox News and National Public Radio aired reports. A "CBS Evening News" crew spent weeks following a bee-disease investigator around the nation. Even Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert took up the issue, urging investors to hoard bees.
"The fewer there are, the more they're worth," Colbert said.
Yet despite all the attention, there's little solid data on the severity of the problem.
"I'm not convinced that it's so much worse than what we saw in 2004 and 2005," said Eric Mussen, a bee specialist with the University of California, Davis.
While bees are undoubtedly in trouble this year, Mussen said, there's little evidence so far that it's anything other than the continuation of their long struggle with disease, environmental stress and the hardship of being hauled cross-country in midwinter to pollinate crops in California.
"This time the media just became much more involved in it," he said.
News accounts have cited dramatic losses of 70 percent or more reported by some commercial beekeepers from coast to coast. But because no comprehensive survey of the industry exists, it's hard to say just how many hives have been hit.
"About all we've got is anecdotes," said Troy Fore, executive director of the American Beekeeping Federation.
A clearer picture should emerge in June. That's when the U.S. Department of Agriculture surveys the developing almond crop. If the billions of bees now laboring in the almond orchards in California's Central Valley are sufficiently strong and numerous to do their work - and the weather is favorable - the trees will be laden with nuts this summer.
Bees have become big business in recent years. Each hive rents for $140 or so, and California's almond growers alone will spend roughly $200 million hiring beekeepers to let their bees loose in the orchards this year. A good chunk of the bees also are essential to the production of about $12 billion in other crops nationwide, according to a Cornell University study.
But while bees have been growing in importance as pollinators, no state or federal agency monitors them. The agencies do track honey production, but that's tied only loosely to the size of the bee labor pool, since many beehives are now managed mainly as pollinators rather than honey-makers.
What information there is on bee vigor comes mostly word-of-mouth and, lately, through the media. With the spotlight on both beekeepers and almond growers - and millions of dollars at stake - rumors have been flying.
Some beekeepers accuse others of playing down the crisis out of pride, or in hopes that their clients, the almond farmers, won't start to question the health or the value of their rented bees. Other beekeepers trumpet the die-off, calling for government relief and higher rental fees from almond growers.
The California Almond Board, on the other hand, surveyed almond farmers and issued a statement last month. While bee supplies may be fairly tight, the board said, there are enough to go around.
Years ago, Mussen said, many Central Valley counties employed a bee inspector to check the health of rented hives. That person helped resolve disputes between beekeepers and farmers and served as an informal census-taker.
Today, those inspectors are scarce. One of the few remaining is Clifton Piper, who has checked hives for the Merced County (Calif.) Department of Agriculture since 1973. He isn't sure about the big picture, either.
"It's difficult to see just how short the shortage is," he said. Beekeepers often bolster weak hives with imported packages of bees from Australia, he said. And in cold and rainy weather, it's hard to tell whether sluggish bees in a hive are sick or simply chilly.
Dennis vanEngelsdorp, a Pennsylvania bee expert participating in a nationwide research effort that hopes to better characterize colony collapse disorder, said the investigation has been somewhat hampered by beekeepers unwilling to admit that their bees are dying.
"Sometimes beekeepers are ashamed that they have a problem, so they may not be as transparent as they might be," he said.
That's not the case for Placerville, Calif., beekeeper Rich Starets. He's lost 225 of his 300 hives since November. But he places the blame squarely on his own beekeeping missteps, such as poor timing of feeding and medication. And, based on conversations with fellow beekeepers, he's convinced that the much-discussed colony collapse disorder is chiefly the result of imperfect beekeeping.
"There's plenty of guys that didn't lose two-thirds of their hives this year," he said.
While the price that a hive commands in an almond orchard has nearly tripled in just the past four years, beekeepers' costs have risen, as well. Much of the money goes to treat bees against an ever-growing variety of pests and pathogens, to feed them corn syrup and protein supplements and to pay breeders for replacement bees when hives die off.
That's a lot to keep track of, especially for a part-time beekeeper like Starets, 40, who makes most of his living fixing cell-phone towers for AT&T.
But, he said, "It's up to me ... to learn how to keep bees in a changing world."
Dozens of his now-barren hive boxes are stacked in a meadow along Green Valley Road near Shingle Springs. On a recent morning, Starets cracked one lid open, revealing a cluster of a few dozen dead bees huddled together as if for comfort. They had started to mold. A healthy hive would have 20,000 or more bees at this time of year.
Online bee discussions on sites like beesource.com and honeybeeworld.com have been brimming with speculation on the cause and extent of the die-off. There are rumors of desperate almond growers offering $300 a hive for healthy bees, and theories blaming the die-off on everything from cell-phone signals to genetically modified crops.
Researchers like vanEngelsdorp are hoping to put the speculation to rest by finding a cause or a collection of causes - aside from beekeeper error - for the reported die-off. They're currently analyzing samples from healthy and sick colonies around the country.
For his role in the race to solve the mystery of colony collapse, vanEngelsdorp has become a minor media star. He's lately been spending 70 percent of his time talking to reporters and giving radio and television interviews, he said.
"You realize that this is an opportunity to help explain how important bees are," he said.
He knew the story had reached critical mass, he said, after what he overheard during lunch at an International House of Pancakes in Florida last week.
"Across the way there were these two old ladies," he said. "And one was saying, `Did you hear all the bees are dying?'
"And I'm thinking, Wow. It made IHOP conversation."
Copyright 2007 The Monterey County Herald
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Draft British Climate Bill To Set 2050 Target
“Britain will publish a climate change bill on Tuesday which will set
targets for carbon dioxide emissions cuts and could make the country the
first to limit greenhouse gases by law.
The draft bill, which is part of Britain's bid to tackle global warming,
is expected to make a 60 percent cut in carbon emissions by 2050 a legal
requirement but rule out annual goals. The bill comes after EU leaders
agreed to reduce carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels for transport
and power by 20 percent by 2020. … ‘We need to ensure that the UK's
emissions ... are placed on a sustained downward path,’ finance minister
Gordon Brown said in a major speech on the environment on Monday [in
London], months before he is expected to take over from Prime Minister
Tony Blair. Environment Minister David Miliband, who has pledged to
include the 60 percent target in the draft bill, will present it to
parliament on Tuesday, triggering a review process. …” [Reuters/Factiva]
The BBC adds that “… Under the bill, carbon ‘budgets’ will be set every
five years following independent advice. The government will also have to
report annually to Parliament on its progress in controlling emissions. …
Brown said the bill would mean governments would ‘manage our carbon
budgets with the same prudence and discipline’ as economic budgets. But
BBC environment correspondent Sarah Mukherjee said opposition MPs were
planning to table amendments which would force the government to accept
annual targets. …
Christian Aid's senior climate policy officer, Andrew Pendleton, said: ‘Mr
Miliband is to be congratulated for publishing the bill and he is right to
be proud of it - he and the government are an example to the rest of the
G8. ‘But if the final legislation is not significantly stronger, the
process would represent a massive lost opportunity. It is the first step
on a long journey rather than the destination itself.’ …” [The BBC (UK)]
The Guardian adds that “… Under the proposals, if the government fails to
make the necessary progress in the first period, ministers would have to
take urgent remedial action. A new independent body monitoring emissions
will also be set up as part of the bill. If this decrees the government is
not going to stay within its ‘budget,’ it will have powers to inform
parliament and recommend action. The bill will also give ministers wide
enabling powers allowing them to introduce measures to meet the targets.
Blair is likely to highlight plans for a UK carbon emissions trading
scheme covering supermarkets, local authorities, and other organizations
not covered by the existing EU emissions trading scheme. …” [The Guardian
(UK)/Factiva]
Dow Jones notes that on Monday, Brown further said “… action to combat
climate change should be part of the core mandate of the United Nations.
Brown said the UN, as well as the International Monetary Fund and the
World Bank should have environmental issues as one of their core
‘institutional pillars,’ during [his] speech in London. …” [Dow
Jones/Factiva]
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Canada's New Government invests in carbon capture research - Delivering real results on greenhouse gas reductions
CALGARY - The Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources, along with partners from Innoventures Canada (I-CAN), today announced funding for a project related to the initial development of the I-CAN Centre for the Conversion of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), at the Economic Club in Calgary.
Under the leadership of the Alberta Research Council, the Saskatchewan
Research Council, Manitoba's Industrial Technology Centre and a Quebec
industrial research centre (Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec), the
I-CAN Centre for the Conversion of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) will help develop
microalgae systems that could capture up to 100 million tonnes of CO2 from
industrial sources, such as coal-fired plants and oil sands projects. The
microalgae, a valuable source of biomass, would then be converted into a range
of industrial products and by-products such as renewable natural gas, hydrogen
and biofuels.
"This project is a great example of our Government's commitment to
finding new and promising projects that will help take Canada to the next
level of understanding carbon capture, storage and use," said Minister Lunn.
"It builds on our ecoENERGY Initiatives, including the Task Force announced
last week by the Prime Minister. We are serious about delivering real results
to Canadians and reducing greenhouse gas emissions."
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is contributing $100,000 to the first
phase of the project. NRCan funding will support key research and development
activities, and conceptual engineering. These will contribute to a detailed
business case for an integrated pilot facility.
"By bringing together a critical mass of expertise from across Canada,
I-CAN is the right vehicle to tackle large, complex projects to help Canada's
economy innovate, grow and prosper," said John McDougall, President and CEO of
the Alberta Research Council and Chairman of I-CAN. "We are extremely pleased
to have the Government of Canada join us for this important project, which
will be a step forward in finding innovative ways to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions."
I-CAN acts as a mechanism to combine resources from industry, government
and research organizations to conduct large research and development projects
in Canada. I-CAN's funding partners on this project include Shell Canada
Limited, EPCOR Utilities Inc., Graymont, NRCan and the Government of Alberta.
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The pursuit of sustainability - accounting's crucial role in environmental sustainability the focus of March 2007 issue of CMA Management
TORONTO - The broad effects of climate change hit Canadians hard this winter, and industry has started to sit up and take serious notice of the issue. Some industries and individual companies are beginning to adapt to the challenges created by less predictable seasons, and a more environmentally aware populace. It's a good time to reconsider the role that management accountants have in managing organizations competing in these times of changing priorities.
The International Federation of Accountants' (IFAC) Professional
Accountants in Business Committee, on which CMA Canada is represented,
prepared two papers on this very topic last year. This month's feature,
"Accountants in business - at the heart of sustainability?" is an excerpt from
one of those reports, and includes interviews with accounting professionals
worldwide, who explain how their organizations are changing with the times.
Although the issue is only hitting the spotlight in a substantial manner
now, the way accountants balance the pursuit of profit and corporate social
responsibility has been a complex problem for many years. As companies try to
gain market share with a greener image, getting the equation right - and
understanding what shareholders really want to see - is becoming more
important. Vanessa Magness, CMA, explains how best to approach the issue in
her article "Lean or green?" on page 28.
The need for sustainable energy sources is driving many countries to
reconsider their energy mix. Nuclear power generation, for instance, is
attracting more positive attention worldwide than it has for many years. But
like any product, it still has to be managed and marketed effectively. Atomic
Energy of Canada has successfully sold its CANDU reactors overseas for years.
Now, its management is hoping that a streamlined and branded approach to its
product and development will attract new business here at home. Read more
about it on page 32.
Also in this issue:
Packing the perfect HR punch - Robert Meggy, FCMA, and his unique, award-
winning approach to employee engagement
Mergers and acquisitions - Three ways to dodge the pitfalls
The changing face of vendor-customer relationships - Opportunities and
challenges for Canadian organizations
Transfer pricing 101 - Understanding these sometimes complex pricing
rules
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Water Available Per Person In Arab World Will Be Cut In Half By 2050
“The amount of available water per person in the countries of the Arab
world and Iran will diminish progressively until falling by 2050 to 50
percent of present levels, according to a report presented Sunday by the
World Bank in Cairo.
Those presenting the report entitled, ‘Making the Most of Scarcity: Water
Management in the Middle East and North Africa,’ based the forecast on the
increase of population and the reduction of 20 percent of rainfall due to
climatic change in the region which, in this case is particularly barren.
The analysis emphasizes that water scarcity is one of the problems the
region must face in the future, but also warns of the inefficiencies in
the management of water resources and the urgency of policy reforms. …”
[Agencia EFE (03/11)/Factiva]
Reuters notes that “… The World Bank advised the countries to make a
series of technical and policy changes to their water sectors. Some of the
changes include reducing water subsidies and reforming sanitation and
irrigation policies. Water providers should become financially autonomous
and environmental regulations should be enforced. Reform should equally be
extended to the 'non-water' sector, the report said. ‘Increased trade in
agricultural products ... reforms of banking and insurance, and
development of telecommunications and information technology, could all
have important effects on water outcomes,’ the report said. It also said
there should be also greater accountability for government agencies and
water service providers. ‘Transparency is essential so that the public
knows why decisions are made ... and what is actually achieved,’ it said.”
[Reuters (03/11)/Factiva]
Dow Jones and AP write that “… Julia Bucknall, a leading natural resources
specialist for the World Bank, said Wednesday that governments in the
region actually spend a considerable amount of money on the water sector,
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