Ocean Fertilization 'Fix' For Global Warming Discredited By New Research

Science Daily 30 Nov 07;

If, during natural plankton blooms, less carbon actually sinks to deep water than during the rest of the year, then it suggests that the Biological Pump leaks.

ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2007) — Scientists have revealed an important discovery that raises doubts concerning the viability of plans to fertilize the ocean to solve global warming, a projected $100 billion venture.

Research performed at Stanford and Oregon State Universities suggests that ocean fertilization may not be an effective method of reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a major contributor to global warming.

Ocean fertilization, the process of adding iron or other nutrients to the ocean to cause large algal blooms, has been proposed as a possible solution to global warming because the growing algae absorb carbon dioxide as they grow.

However, this process, which is analogous to adding fertilizer to a lawn to help the grass grow, only reduces carbon dioxide in the atmosphere if the carbon incorporated into the algae sinks to deeper waters.

This process, which scientists call the "Biological Pump", has been thought to be dependent on the abundance of algae in the top layers of the ocean. The more algae in a bloom, the more carbon is transported, or "pumped", from the atmosphere to the deep ocean.

To test this theory, researchers compared the abundance of algae in the surface waters of the world's oceans with the amount of carbon actually sinking to deep water. They found clear seasonal patterns in both algal abundance and carbon sinking rates. However, the relationship between the two was surprising: less carbon was transported to deep water during a summertime bloom than during the rest of the year. This analysis has never been done before and required designing specialized mathematical algorithms.

"By jumping a mathematical hurdle we found a new globally synchronous signal," said Dr. Lutz.

"This discovery is very surprising", said lead author Dr. Michael Lutz, now at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. "If, during natural plankton blooms, less carbon actually sinks to deep water than during the rest of the year, then it suggests that the Biological Pump leaks.

More material is recycled in shallow water and less sinks to depth, which makes sense if you consider how this ecosystem has evolved in a way to minimize loss", said Lutz. "Ocean fertilization schemes, which resemble an artificial summer, may not remove as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as has been suggested because they ignore the natural processes revealed by this research."

This study closely follows a September Ocean Iron Fertilization symposium at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) attended by leading scientists, international lawyers, policy makers, and concerned representatives from government, business, academia and environmental organizations.

Topics discussed included potential environmental dangers, economic implications, and the uncertain effectiveness of ocean fertilization. To date none of the major ocean fertilization experiments have verified that a significant amount of deep ocean carbon sequestration occurs. Some scientists have suggested that verification may require more massive and more permanent experiments. Together with commercial operators they plan to go ahead with large-scale and more permanent ocean fertilization experiments and note that potential negative environmental consequences must be balanced against the harm expected due to ignoring climate change.

During the Ocean Iron Fertilization meeting Dr. Hauke Kite-Powell, of the Marine Policy Center at WHOI, estimated the possible future value of ocean fertilization at $100 billion of the emerging international carbon trading market, which has the goal of mitigating global warming. However, according to Professor Rosemary Rayfuse, an expert in International Law and the Law of the Sea at the University of New South Wales, Australia, who also attended the Woods Hole meeting, ocean fertilization projects are not currently approved under any carbon credit regulatory scheme and the sale of offsets or credits from ocean fertilization on the unregulated voluntary markets is basically nothing short of fraudulent.

'There are too many scientific uncertainties relating both to the efficacy of ocean fertilization and its possible environmental side effects that need to be resolved before even larger experiments should be considered, let alone the process commercialized,' Rayfuse says. 'All States have an obligation to protect and preserve the marine environment and to ensure that all activities carried out under their jurisdiction and control, including marine scientific research and commercial ocean fertilization activities do not cause pollution.

Ocean fertilization is 'dumping' which is essentially prohibited under the law of the sea. There is no point trying to ameliorate the effects of climate change by destroying the oceans -- the very cradle of life on earth. Simply doing more and bigger of that which has already been demonstrated to be ineffective and potentially more harmful than good is counter-intuitive at best.'

Indeed, the global study of Dr. Lutz and colleagues suggests that greatly enhanced carbon sequestration should not be expected no matter the location or duration of proposed large-scale ocean fertilization experiments.

According to Dr Lutz "The limited duration of previous ocean fertilization experiments may not be why carbon sequestration wasn't found during those artificial blooms. This apparent puzzle could actually reflect how marine ecosystems naturally handle blooms and agrees with our findings. A bloom is like ringing the marine ecosystem dinner bell. The microbial and food web dinner guests appear and consume most of the fresh algal food."

"Our study highlights the need to understand natural ecosystem processes, especially in a world where change is occurring so rapidly," concluded Dr. Lutz.

The findings of Dr. Lutz and colleagues coincide with and affirm this month's decision of the London Convention (the International Maritime Organization body that oversees the dumping of wastes and other matter at sea) to regulate controversial commercial ocean fertilization schemes. This gathering of international maritime parties advised that such schemes are currently not scientifically justified.

Strategies to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide, including the enhancement of biological sinks through processes such as ocean fertilization, will be considered by international governmental representatives during the thirteenth United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference in Bali next month.

This research was recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.

Adapted from materials provided by University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science.

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Animal health seen crucial in bird flu battle

Maggie Fox, Yahoo News 29 Nov 07;

"Livestock and farm animals are a kind of time bomb in our midst. We must rear our animals in a healthy way."

Most governments are working quickly to attack avian flu when it pops up among birds but the virus is now entrenched in at least three countries, the United Nations and World Bank reported on Thursday.

And domestic animals can act as a "time bomb," providing a place for the virus to hide and change, potentially into a pandemic strain, the U.N.'s top bird flu official said.

The H5N1 avian influenza virus has now been reported in 60 countries since 2003, according to the report. It has killed 206 out of 335 people infected and could mutate into a form at any time that would easily spread from person to person, killing tens of millions.

But the report says most countries had taken the threat seriously and were building up the infrastructure needed to fight outbreaks.

"The efforts of thousands of good men and women are starting to pay off," U.N. bird flu coordinator Dr. David Nabarro told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Nabarro said much more needs to be done.

"Highly pathogenic avian influenza is currently entrenched in Indonesia, Egypt and Nigeria, and possibly in some locations in China and Bangladesh," the report reads.

"Once the virus is entrenched, control and elimination become a major challenge, and the risk of human infection with H5N1 increases."

One big problem is veterinary services in poor countries, some of which lack the facilities to even test for bird flu.

"Controlling disease in animals lies at the root of preventing human infections and reducing the probability of a pandemic," the report reads.

"Livestock and farm animals are a kind of time bomb in our midst," Nabarro said. "We must rear our animals in a healthy way."

"SUB-STANDARD" ANIMAL HEALTH SERVICES

In countries where bird flu has spread to people, poultry are often raised in backyard flocks and people come into close physical contact with infected birds.

The report is based on surveys of 146 countries, 95 percent of which said they had a bird flu plan.

"The results presented in the report indicate that substantial progress has been made in the initial 'emergency' phase of the global response to highly pathogenic avian influenza and threats to public health," the report reads.

"Outbreaks are being detected more rapidly and the response is more effective. However, animal health services are still sub-standard in most countries -- they lack necessary regulatory frameworks, budgets, laboratory capacity and implementation of bio-security measures," it adds.

And countries, especially in Africa, lack the capacity to diagnose bird flu in people.

Those countries that have taken immediate action now need to move to longer-term strategies "with an increased focus on bio-security in both family and commercial poultry production systems," the report recommends.

And countries must share virus samples, it said. The United Nations and Indonesia have been arguing over how to share viruses taken from birds and people with researchers trying to formulate vaccines against the disease.

(Editing by Will Dunham and Xavier Briand)

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'Unethical' luxury brands criticised by WWF

Graham Tibbetts, Telegraph 29 Nov 07

"The world of celebrity leads by example and generates an aspirational desire for branded products. These stars have the responsibility to make sure that the brands they are endorsing are not damaging the planet."

Celebrities such as Sienna Miller are being urged to sever their ties with luxury brands whose allegedly poor environmental practices are highlighted in a damning report today.

Some of the most exclusive companies in the world of fashion and jewellery are heavily criticised in a study for WWF which ranks them based on the sustainability and ethics of their business.

Bottom of the list was the Italian leather company Tod's, endorsed by Miss Miller, which scored 35 out of 100 and was awarded a grade F. L'Oreal, associated with Claudia Schiffer and Penelope Cruz, came top with 70 and earned a grade C+, just ahead of Hermes.

The report, Deeper Luxury, says "the power of these celebrities to build brand value is enormous".

It adds: "Tod's first celebrity ambassador, actress Sienna Miller, campaigns against climate change through her association with Global Cool. She also endorses Tod's, which came bottom of our index of environmental, social and governance perfomance."

The study looks at the top ten holding companies for luxury brands including Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, IWC, Garnier and Louis Vuitton. The ranking system is derived from their own sustainability reporting, as well as the way they have been judged in the media and by non-governmental organisations.

Researchers found that in some cases the luxury goods industry, worth £77 billion worldwide, is depleting natural resources, exploiting labour and hiding its supply chain from outside scrutiny.

Conflict diamonds - mined and sold in warzones to fund military campaigns - are being used in some luxury items, while gold mining is displacing communities, contaminating drinking water and destroying pristine environments.

In July the luxury cosmetics firm Garnier, a subsidiary of L'Oréal, was found guilty of racial discrimination after it sought to exclude non-white women from promoting its shampoo in French stores.

The report noted that LVMH, owners of Louis Vuitton and TAG Heuer, was de-listed from the FTSE4Good index earlier this year as a result of poor compliance with supply chain requirements.

The US firms Coach and Tiffany scored badly on environmental factors, due to a lack of reported environmental monitoring or performance. An unwillingness to respond to questionnaires resulted in Tod's coming last, just behind Bulgari and Richemont - owner of Cartier and IWC.

Anthony Kleanthous, WWF's senior policy adviser, said: "This report is a call to action for the world's top brands to improve the way they do business. Luxury companies must do more to justify their value in an increasingly resource-constrained and unequal world.

He said that many celebrities now shunned conflict diamonds as a result of the film Blood Diamonds and called for them to take the same attitude with other luxury goods. The wildlife charity is urging famous names to adopt their "star charter" - a commitment to consider the environmental and social performance of the brands that they endorse.

"The world of celebrity leads by example and generates an aspirational desire for branded products. These stars have the responsibility to make sure that the brands they are endorsing are not damaging the planet. Let's face it, who wants to pay extra for a dirty brand?" said Mr Kleanthous.

A spokesman for Tod's said: "Tod's is committed to the process of developing long term strategies to address the very serious issues of global warming, ethical production and the potential environmental crisis.

"Tod's products are made in Italy, skins sourced from Europe and the USA only and from the late 1980's Tod's has been using natural vegetal treatments on skins over the chemical equivalent, where possible, and is actively endeavouring to increase all aspects of sustainable brand development.

"We understand that the contents of this report are based on lack of information in the public domain or EIRIS as opposed to fact."

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U.S. lifestyle won't have to change in CO2 cut: report

Timothy Gardner, Reuters 29 Nov 07;

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. citizens will not have to drive less or read in the dark to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, but they will have to buy more efficient cars and appliances, a report from two business groups said on Thursday.

"You may have different lightbulbs, and your car may be made of different materials, but basically we've assumed that consumer lifestyles stay constant," Jack Stephenson, a director at McKinsey & Company, a business consultant group told reporters on a teleconference call from Washington.

McKinsey published the report called "Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Emissions: How Much at What Cost?" with The Conference Board, a research group.

The United States could reduce projected 2030 emissions of greenhouse gases by between one-third to one-half at manageable costs to the economy, the report found. Its mid-range case found that cutting 3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from the United States by 2030 would cost an average about $50 billion annually, or a total of $1.1 trillion.

That would represent 1.5 percent of the $77 trillion in real investment the U.S. economy is expected to make over the period, it said.

The effect on the economy of cutting greenhouse gas emissions is being mulled in the U.S. Congress where a Senate committee is considering the top bill that would regulate the gases blamed for global warming.

About 80 percent of the reductions could be made using technologies already proven in the United States or elsewhere in the world, the report said.

POWER SECTOR TO BEAR BRUNT OF COSTS

The cheapest way to cut emissions would be making appliances and buildings more energy efficient, through methods like better heating and air-conditioning and more insulation, which could save 710 to 870 million metric tons of the gases.

The next cheapest way could come from more efficient cars and from biofuels, the report said, which could cut emissions by 340 to 660 million metric tons.

The priciest sector to change would be power plants through technologies such as capturing and entombing carbon dioxide from coal-fired power stations, which could save 800 million to 1.57 billon metric tons of emissions.

"We recognize that the costs will be distributed unevenly," Ken Ostrowski, a McKinsey director, said in the teleconference.

He said the power sector may need to make investments representing about 90 percent of its current market capitalization. The costs, however, could eventually be offset by harnessing fuels that are low-cost or free after initial investments, such as wind and solar power.

The report did not consider how any increased power rates resulting from the changes could be balanced so they would not hit poor consumers unfairly.

Policy support and private sector innovation would be necessary to jump-start the changes, it warned.

"The winners will be the folks that don't resist change, but look at ways to apply innovation and ingenuity to capitalize on the migration toward a lower carbon economy," Ostrowski said.

(Editing by Marguerita Choy)

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Green Incentives "Would Cut Household Fuel Bills"

Jennifer Hill, PlanetArk 30 Nov 07

LONDON - Household fuel bills could be cut by up to 500 pounds per year if consumers were given financial incentives to become more environmentally friendly, according to a report.

The average household could cut energy bills by at least two-thirds -- equivalent to a 475 pound annual saving at today's prices -- research by Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute says.

By 2050, UK-wide savings could hit 12.3 billion pounds per year.

The "Home Truths" report, commissioned by Friends of the Earth and the Co-operative Bank, said a range of incentives to becoming greener would lead to the savings.

They would also cut carbon emissions from UK homes by 80 percent by 2050.

The range would include grants, low interest loans, green mortgages, stamp duty rebates and a reduction in VAT on energy efficiency measures.

The report also called for homeowners with low or zero carbon technology who sell electricity back to the grid to receive a guaranteed premium price.

Report author Brenda Boardman said it was a "win-win scenario".

"It shows that we can make huge cuts in emissions from UK housing and that we can do this in a way which cuts household bills, wipes out fuel poverty and ensures everyone has a warm, comfortable, low-carbon home."

(Editing by Steve Addison)

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New Singapore nature publication: A Passion for Birds

The story of the first lady of bird photography in South-east Asia and her subjects: Ong Kiem Sian

available at Nature's Niche from 15 December at S$48.15

The most beautiful bird book ever to come out of South-east Asia. 262 species from 50 families are featured in stunning habitat photographs by the best bird photographer in the region. Photos are arranged in taxonomic order and presented by veteran bird book author Morten Strange. A bonus 36 minutes DVD showing 74 mainly nesting bird species are included. Proceeds will be generously donated by the author to two nature charities. 19 x 25 cm.

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A fiscal fight with global warming; CO2 taxes

Abhijit Ghosh and Killian Pattwell, Business Times 30 Nov 07;

Governments are taking up cudgels and imposing a raft of swingeing taxes on carbon dioxide emissions

Singapore as a small island nation with little natural energy resources is vulnerable to the impact of a volatile energy market. Rather than adding to the cost of the traditional energy sources, our focus should instead be on improving energy efficiency islandwide and encouraging investment in clean energy.

To do so, Singapore may consider offering fiscal incentives and not penalties, for reducing CO2 emissions. It can also consider channelling investment into research and development of energy-efficient products and processes.

IN EARLY February 2007, a United Nations-sponsored panel, consisting of hundreds of scientists from all over the world, declared that average global temperatures would probably rise 4°C over the next century. If so, catastrophic flooding, famine and water shortages could follow, along with the extinction of up to half of existing animal species.

Malaria and other tropical diseases may spread. Some of the leading coastal cities may be threatened by the higher ocean levels caused by melting ice caps. These extrapolations in climate change and the disastrous impact they may have on the environment are a growing cause for serious concern.

Despite being a small city state, the Singapore government has been proactive in promoting energy efficiency. Last year, Singapore acceded to the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Under the Kyoto Protocol, Singapore can participate in Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects. Apart from this milestone, the Singapore government also introduced a plethora of non-fiscal initiatives this month to encourage heavier investment in energy efficiency.

More recently, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's announcement of a $38.5 million investment in the Republic's inaugural R&D capabilities for clean energy solutions - Sinergy (Singapore Initiatives in New Energy Technologies) - is further testament that the environment is gaining due attention at both national and corporate levels.

Notably, environmental problems were also featured prominently at the 13th Asean summit this month and one expects this subject to be high on the agenda in the 2008 Budget Speech.

The threat of global warming is now compelling governments of some developed economies such as Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom to take up cudgels and impose a raft of swingeing taxes on carbon dioxide emissions. These are commonly known as carbon taxes. Carbon tax is payable whenever a molecule of carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels.

For example, power plants will pay it based on their smokestack emissions and pass the cost to consumers in their monthly electricity bill. Individuals will pay it when they buy petrol, based on the content of fossil carbon in the fuel.

While a carbon tax system may discourage the use of energy-guzzling gadgets and spur R&D projects that encourage the efficient use of fossil fuel in all sectors of society, it is likely to lead to an increase in our cost of living.

Recognising this effect, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, when announcing what he termed France's 'green revolution', indicated a desire to avoid an increase in the tax burden in France. Although the French have not completely ruled out carbon tax as yet, they seem to be favouring direct funding of R&D in alternative energy sources and investment in energy efficiency.

With today's world dependent on carbon emitting fuels, carbon tax has the potential to become a massive source of revenue for governments. However, there is a danger that over the course of time, this revenue source will be relied upon for general public expenditure like any other tax, and not ring-fenced for environmentally friendly projects.

Furthermore, in view of the current inflationary trend and soaring oil prices, countries such as Singapore can ill-afford to introduce such a tax system to fight global warming. The challenge is, therefore, to introduce fiscal and non-fiscal policies to directly promote and support long-term environmentally friendly initiatives to combat global warming.

Playing our part - what it means to go green

Singapore as a small island nation with little natural energy resources is vulnerable to the impact of a volatile energy market. Rather than adding to the cost of the traditional energy sources, our focus should instead be on improving energy efficiency islandwide and encouraging investment in clean energy.

To do so, Singapore may consider offering fiscal incentives and not penalties, for reducing CO2 emissions. It can also consider channelling investment into research and development of energy-efficient products and processes.

Singapore may therefore consider and introduce innovative fiscal incentives to tackle climate change issues. Such incentive schemes may comprise features such as:

# a National Fund to promote and finance 'green' initiatives;

# single or double tax deduction for taxpayers' donation to the National Fund;

# aid or incentives for R&D/manufacturing/service companies involved in energy efficiency;

# government grants and/or National Fund money to support R&D of energy-efficient products and processes, and test bedding of alternative clean energy sources, as well as tax rebates to consumers with lower carbon consumption;

# partial or full tax holiday for taxpayers involved in manufacturing and/or distribution of energy-efficient products;

# funding or incentives for entities engaged in environmentally friendly waste management initiatives;

# exempting rebates/grants received for energy conservation measures;

# encouraging businesses to adopt energy-efficient practices;

# capital allowance claims for taxpayers acquiring energy-efficient equipment for their business;

# accelerated capital allowances for certified energy-efficient vehicles;

# incentives to encourage companies to adopt ISO 14000 environment management standards;

# zero rating of GST on installation of energy-saving devices;

# encouraging individuals to adopt energy-efficient practices;

# reduced tariffs for the importation of fuel-efficient vehicles, in order to make a clear price distinction from traditionally powered vehicles;

# extension of the Green Vehicle Rebate scheme (this allows for a rebate of up to 40 per cent of the Additional Registration Fee for hybrid, electric and compressed natural gas vehicles) beyond Dec 31, 2009);

# tax deduction for donations to approved carbon offsetting programmes (increasingly becoming available to jet-setting individuals);

# tax credits for home improvements designed to make homes more energy-efficient (such as new windows, more efficient heating/ cooling systems, or for the installation of solar power/fuel cell systems, etc) and allowing any excess tax credits to be carried forward and offset against future year's tax liabilities.

Admittedly, these suggested measures need to be carefully evaluated from an economic standpoint before introducing them as part of long-term fiscal measures to combat global warming issues.

However, it is evident that to tackle a borderless issue such as global warming, the national policies need to be geared towards encouraging international cooperation with other governments by collaborating with non-profit organisations and government agencies from around the world.

Interestingly, while any announcement of possible tax policies to combat global warming can only be expected as part of the 2008 Budget Speech early next year, the Singapore government has already pushed ahead with its non-fiscal initiatives.

At the launch of the National Energy Policy on Nov 12, the government unveiled six key non-fiscal strategies to deal with the efficient use of energy, increased consumer choice in the energy market and more investment in energy efficiency.

It is evident that Singapore is getting ready to fight climate change issues. With proper planning and innovative policies, it will play its part to contribute to the global cause. However, individual taxpayers should not shy away from accepting certain responsibilities and must do whatever they can to help reduce carbon emission by at least 20 per cent.

As individuals, we can adopt relatively simple and moderate changes to our lifestyle which does not require us to sell our SUVs or turn off our air conditioners. For example, we as taxpayers should make a habit of using less hot water, recycling more aluminium and paper, and turning down (or up depending on the season) our thermostat.

The next time we shop around for a new car, we could consider buying a more fuel-efficient one. In a more competitive domestic energy market, taxpayers can enjoy the flexibility of choosing an electricity company that generates energy from renewable (CO2-reduced) sources. Alternatively, one may even consider installing solar panels. The financial initiatives will merely serve as a catalyst to promote positive, permanent changes in our daily lives.

In the spirit of the 'whole-of-government' approach embedded in the National Energy Policy Framework, the minister of finance may be planning to put the issue of global warming high on his agenda come Budget Day 2008. Encouraging and implementing 'green' strategies need not be regressive nor put economic growth in jeopardy.

In fact, Singapore could seize the opportunity to position itself as the leader in the development of alternative energy solutions and the provision of world-class R&D in this sector.

Abhijit Ghosh is a tax partner and Killian Pattwell is a tax manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers Singapore.

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Malaysia's emissions up 221% since 1990

Straits Times 30 Nov 07;

CARBON emissions in Malaysia have increased by 221 per cent since 1990, the highest growth rate among the world's top polluters, the United Nations said yesterday, as it urged the government to control climate-changing gases more vigorously.

Malaysia, which has transformed from an agricultural economy into an industrialised one in the past four decades, is now ranked the 26th largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, said Mr Richard Leete, the regional representative for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

'Clearly, there is a case for the government to consider a new policy on climate change issues,' Mr Leete said at the Malaysian launch of the UNDP's annual report on the state of the world.

The report was first released in Brazil earlier this week.

'Malaysia has made a positive start in reducing its carbon footprint...but Malaysia must do more,' he said.

The United Nations development report said carbon dioxide emissions increased by 221 per cent from 1990 to 2004 in Malaysia, the highest growth rate among the world's top 30 carbon dioxide emitters. with 0.4 per cent of the world's population, Malaysia's 27 million people accounted for 0.6 per cent of global emissions.

Associated Press

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Indonesia's vanishing islands

Today Online 30 Nov 07;

Indonesia has lost 24 of its more than 17,500 islands due to natural disasters and environmental damage, a minister yesterday said, according to Antara news agency.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi said four islands disappeared when the massive tsunami devastated Aceh on Dec 26, 2004, while 20 other islands in Sumatra's Riau province and the Seribu island group in Jakarta Bay have also vanished due to environmental damage and exploitation.

"Scientists have even predicted that Indonesia could lose at least 2,000 islands by 2030 if the government fails to take preventive measures," he said. — AFP

Minister says 24 Indonesian islands disappeared: report
Yahoo News 24 Nov 07;

Indonesia has lost 24 of its more than 17,500 islands due to natural disasters and environmental damage, a minister said Thursday according to the Antara news agency.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi said four islands disappeared when the massive tsunami devastated Aceh on December 26, 2004, the state-run agency reported.

Twenty other islands in Sumatra's Riau province and in the Seribu island group in Jakarta Bay had also vanished due to exploitation and environmental damage, Numberi said.

Consequently, Indonesia's total tally of islands has fallen from 17,504 to 17,480 and the new figure reported to the United Nations, he said.

"Scientists have even predicted that Indonesia could lose at least 2,000 islands by 2030 if the government fails to anticipate it and take preventive measures," the minister was quoted as saying.

The new figures come as Indonesia is set to host a major UN climate change conference on the resort island of Bali next week.

The meeting will see nations attempt to lay the groundwork for an agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions after the current phase of the Kyoto protocol expires in 2012.

A report from WWF released this week warned that Indonesia would be one of the nations hardest hit by climate change.

Read more!

Asia cool on climate change fight

Wealth concerns main factor at Bali meet: Economists
Today Online 30 Nov 07;

BEIJING — Climate change has become one of the hottest topics across the Asia-Pacific, but national and personal wealth remain the overwhelmingly dominant concerns, economists and environmentalists say.

"In Asia, people are becoming more aware about global warming, but economic development is still by far the top priority," said Mr Andy Xie, a Shanghai-based economist and former head of Morgan Stanley's Asia Pacific division.

On a macro level, the roaring economies of the world's two most populous nations, China and India, are using increasing amounts of coal and other fossil fuels that emit the greenhouse gases blamed for climate change.

Smaller nations such as Vietnam, which is particularly vulnerable to climate change due to its long swathe of low-lying coastline and sensitive wetlands, is similarly developing a ferocious appetite for fossil fuels.

"If countries like China and India keep going like this, the consequences will be enormous," said Greenpeace's China climate and energy campaign manager Yang Ailun.

Meanwhile, Indonesia — host of the United Nations conference that starts on Monday with the aim of launching a global roadmap for action on climate change — remains the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world.

Its emissions largely stem from a different source: The massive destruction of its carbon-storing rainforests and peatlands to make way for farm plantations and quench the global thirst for timber.

Rainforests elsewhere in South-east Asia, such as Malaysia and Myanmar, are similarly being destroyed.

Even in Japan — Asia's richest country that has taken a global lead in curbing greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol that expires in 2012 — there are concerns that not enough is being done.

Ms Kimiko Hirata, director of Japanese environmental group Kiko Network, said: "The government has discussed a lot but it has not taken effective measures to cut actual greenhouse gas emissions."

Ms Hirata praised a law under which companies are required to produce more energy-efficient home appliances. "But it is pointless if you use two or three efficient air-conditioners at the same time," she qualified.

At the UN climate change conference in Bali next week, developing countries will continue to push the onus onto rich nations for the fight against global warming — quite rightly, according to Mr Xie and many green campaigners.

Countries in Asia are being urged to find a development model that does not mimic the West, with some looking to China as a potential role model as it seeks to build up its renewable energy industries.

"If China can develop in a sustainable way, it will be a great example for developing countries," said Mr Yang. — AFP

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Best of our wild blogs: 30 Nov 07

Killer driftnets removed from Berlayar Creek, Labrador
on the wildfilms blog

Singapore Government Green Report card:
"Has shown improvement but can do better" on the AsiaIsGreen blog

Wildlife Trade in Singapore
A charity guiding event at the Raffles Museum on the leafmonkey blog

Global Warming Guy video
"We hope that online viewership of this video will lead people to explore the information and links on the website" on hugg

Flock on Longtails
on the bird ecology blog

Daily Green Actions: 28 Nov
succumbing to driving? on the leafmonkey blog

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Punggol plans capitalise on site characteristics

Reply from URA,
Straits Times Forum 30 Nov 07;

I REFER to the letter, 'Preserve natural features of areas to be developed' (ST, Nov 23), by Mr Tan Jiaqi. Mr Tan was responding to the recent announcement of plans for Punggol Point and asked that the unique natural features of the area be preserved.

Punggol Point has been identified as one of the coastal areas with rustic charm in the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Parks & Waterbodies and Identity Plans. Indeed, in designing the Punggol waterfront promenade, we have taken into consideration the rustic beauty of the site while aiming to provide more convenient access and recreational amenities to allow visitors to enjoy the delightful coastline.

Proposals were drawn up to capitalise on the site characteristics and enhance its natural features. For instance, the beautiful rock boulders along the shoreline will be retained. A boardwalk will be constructed to allow visitors to get closer to the water edge.

Along the coastline between the beachfront at Punggol Point and Sungei Serangoon, existing trees and vegetation will be kept. Other more coastal-loving and commonly-found plant species of the area will also be added to create a nature haven which visitors can enjoy.

Another highlight of the proposal is an elevated viewing deck which will offer visitors panoramic views towards the sea. The beachfronts will be made more accessible with pedestrian ramps, making barrier-free walking onto the beach possible.

We thank Mr Tan for his interest and feedback.

Ler Seng Ann
Director (Conservation & Development Services)
Urban Redevelopment Authority

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Punggol's 'vibrant' coast: Green groups concerned about impact
$13m waterfront plan to jazz up its rustic charms
Zul Othman, Today Online 19 Nov 07;

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Channel NewsAsia 18 Nov 07

Read more!

Green and bare it: interviews with NEA and SEC leads

Straits Times 30 Nov 07;

With the launch of the new Clean and Green Singapore campaign this month and the United Nations-sponsored meeting on climate change in Bali next week, it is turning out to be a very busy time for Singapore's environment champions. Two of them speak to Jeremy Au Yong about how environmental awareness has grown beyond just a week-long campaign.

Two 'green' champions have witnessed this transformation personally and up close. They are: Mr Tan Wee Hock, director at the National Environment Agency (NEA), and Mr Howard Shaw, executive director of the Singapore Environment Council (SEC). Both are encouraged by what they see.


WHEN Mr Goh Chok Tong launched the first Clean and Green Week, he urged Singaporeans to keep the country clean - but not because they feared getting fined.

That call by Senior Minister Goh, who was then deputy prime minister, was made in 1990, a time when protecting the environment largely meant keeping it litter-free.

Today, although the $150 fine for first-time litterbugs still stands, the campaign has undergone a complete transformation - its success notwithstanding.

For one, it is much longer now.

No more is it the 'Clean and Green Week'. From this year, it is 'Clean and Green Singapore', an event that is a year-round effort.

Also gone is the focus on a single but different theme each year. Likewise, domestic issues like littering.

The approach now aims for a broad goal in promoting an environmentally friendly lifestyle, spotlighting such issues as energy efficiency and resource conservation.

Two 'green' champions have witnessed this transformation personally and up close. They are: Mr Tan Wee Hock, director at the National Environment Agency (NEA), and Mr Howard Shaw, executive director of the Singapore Environment Council (SEC).

Both are encouraged by what they see.

One of the biggest differences the duo noticed is how ordinary Singaporeans have enthusiastically embraced the initiative, turning what was once a government-run campaign into an active movement on the ground.

'In the beginning, the whole thing was very top down. The Government organised all the activities,' says Mr Tan, who joined the Environment and Water Resources Ministry 22 years ago and now chairs the Clean and Green Singapore committee.

'Now, you see a lot of others such as the grassroots and the private sector getting involved.'

He points to programmes like Bring Your Own Bag Day, which was organised by NEA and SEC , in partnership with retailers, and the Clean and Green Ribbon project - an online pledge to go green - set up with a group of youth.

Adds Mr Shaw: 'If you look at non-school green groups, there were just a handful of them when I joined SEC in 1996. Today, there are 50 to 60.'

There is more.

Participation in the National Recycling Programme has quadrupled in five years from 15 per cent in 2001 to 59 per cent last year.

Singapore's energy intensity - a measure of the energy efficiency of a nation's economy - has also improved 15 per cent between 1990 and 2005.

In the first 10 months of this year, Singapore more than doubled the number of hybrid cars on the road. Around 516 have so far been sold this year, far exceeding the entire population of 379 hybrids found here at the end of last year.

Proof can be found even in something as simple as attendance at Clean and Green events. The Nov 3 and 4 launch event of the new Clean and Green Singapore drew around 20,000 people to Bishan Park - the biggest crowd in the campaign's 17-year history.

Though he acknowledges a groundswell of green culture, Mr Shaw is careful to separate the current wave from the 'fad' of the 1970s.

'Then, it was very fashionable being green. In the early 1980s, it petered out,' he says.

'Then we started to get very good data on climate change and on resources. We have also actually started seeing real changes in our environment. Those two together have created a new movement that I feel is not a fad.'

Mr Tan believes this growing sentiment will, however slightly, put Singapore in good stead at the United Nations-sponsored conference in Bali next week.

Two meetings there will set the agenda on combating global warming for years to come.

One is of countries that have signed the Kyoto Protocol, which requires its signatories to reduce their carbon emission by a stipulated target and by a specified deadline. The other is of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is the parent treaty to the Kyoto Protocol.

He says: 'Bali will be a negotiating platform and when you negotiate, you will have to state your position and defend it.

'When you have an environmentally aware community, it strengthens your position.'

For a long time, the Kyoto Protocol, which gives only developed countries targets for carbon emissions, had been a contentious issue for Singapore. The Republic signed the document only last year.

Mr Tan defends the position: 'A lot of people ask, 'Why didn't you sign earlier?' But it doesn't matter when you sign, it's just a signal of your commitment.

'The bigger question is as a people and as a country, what are you prepared to do?'

Both Mr Shaw and Mr Tan say Singapore and its people are prepared to do a lot.

They point to policies like the early adoption of the tougher Euro IV emission standards, energy labelling on appliances, rebates for hybrid cars and also being among the first in the world to have an Environment Ministry.

And as more ordinary people catch the eco-friendly bug, both men are determined to lead by example.

Mr Shaw says he boils only as much water as he needs.

'If I'm going to make only one cup of tea, then I won't fill the kettle the whole way. If I fill it only one-quarter of the way, then I'm saving energy on the other three-quarters.'

He recycles regularly and even brings his own containers to pick up take-away food. The family now has two fuel-efficient hybrid cars.

His green-thinking has rubbed off on his two children, to the point that his younger daughter, Amber, seven, is known to scold people for leaving the door ajar when the air-conditioner is on, 'making the world hotter'.

Mr Tan has one car. He refuses to buy a second one. 'My wife will drop me off at work or sometimes, I take public transport.'

Despite the strides made in the green movement here, both admit there is still much to do.

When asked pointedly if Singaporeans are an eco-conscious people, both pause, before Mr Tan says with a laugh: 'That's the $64-million question'.

One problem is their scant exposure to real environmental issues. 'Other than when the haze comes, our air quality is very good,' says Mr Tan.

Another is that environmental problems tend to be seen in the long term, which makes it difficult to convince people of its urgency.

Says Mr Shaw: 'If I put X dollars into a charity, I know it will benefit a certain number of people. With environmental issues, it's not so clear.'

The two men agree that the drive forward will have to come both from the top and the bottom.

'When everything is top down, you get results quickly, but it's not sustainable,' said Mr Tan. 'When you are top down, you can get an environmentally conscious country, but you don't get an environmentally conscious people. The difference is, if you are environmentally conscious, you will be environmentally conscious everywhere, not just in Singapore.'

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Good response to cash offer for used electronic stuff at Sitex

It's recycling time at Sitex
Good response to cash offer for used electronic stuff
Hedirman Supian, Today Online 30 Nov 07;

YOU can save the earth while shopping for the latest gadgets at the Singapore Expo until Sunday.

At the Sitex 2007 consumer and electronics fair, organisers Singapore infocomm Technology Federation and Singex Exhibitions have partnered first-time exhibitors Cash Converters and Clean Solutions to encourage consumers to adopt green habits when it comes to disposing of electronic waste.

Consumers can trade in unwanted electronic wares at the Cash Converters booth for cash or dispose of them using recycling bins situated at the entrances to the event.

Revenue from the extraction of precious metals from the electronic refuse collected from the bins will be donated to the Society of the Physically Disabled.

Ms Rosalynn Chua, deputy general manager of Singex Exhibitions, said: "Today's technology is advancing at breakneck speed and IT models become obsolete very quickly

"We hope this exercise will inculcate the habit of going green, and promote the spirit of giving during this holiday season."

Response from visitors has been encouraging. According to Mr Richard Loi, an operations manager from Cash Converters, up to 80 items had been traded by lunchtime yesterday.

Items ranged from computer monitors and printers to laptops and game consoles. According to Mr Loi, the highest amount of cash given to a consumer so far was $400 for a used Intel Core 2 Duo Hewlett-Packard laptop.

A check at the recycling bins revealed computer accessories, desktop computers and old laptops like a Compaq Armada 4110 and an IBM Thinkpad.

"It's better than chucking it at the void deck," said polytechnic student Reika Ng, who was shopping for a wireless router at the fair.

"And you can get cash this way. I'd rather trade my stuff or recycle it."

Last year's event drew 680,000 visitors in four days and over $18 million in sales. The organisers are hoping to exceed the sales figures this year and attract more than 700,000 visitors.

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Expanding EU forests may aid climate goals

Alister Doyle, Reuters 29 Nov 07;

OSLO (Reuters) - Forests in the European Union are expanding surprisingly fast and could be enlisted to help the EU achieve goals for fighting climate change, researchers said on Thursday.

Forests grew by a net 10 percent in western EU countries and by 15 percent in the east from 1990 to 2005, they said. The reasons included better conservation, migration to the cities, and increased productivity on farms that need less land.

"Forests in Europe have captured and stored very much carbon in the past 15 years -- we were surprised by the numbers," said Pekka Kauppi, who led the University of Helsinki study, published in the British journal Energy Policy.

Trees soak up carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, as they grow, and release it when they rot or are burnt.

The scientists estimated that the net expansion of forests in the 27 EU nations absorbed 126 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from 1990 to 2005 -- equivalent to 11 percent of EU emissions from human activities, led by burning fossil fuels.

Forests in Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Finland had the highest net absorption. At the other end of the scale were lightly forested countries such as Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Cyprus and Denmark.

The scientists urged the EU to award credits for forests, now outside the main accounting system for greenhouse gases under the U.N.'s Kyoto Protocol, the main pact for fighting climate change until 2012.

Beyond Kyoto, the EU has set a goal of cutting emissions to 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 as part of a drive to mitigate the consequences of climate change, which could mean more heatwaves, more disease, rising seas and droughts.

"Time is running short to reach such an ambitious goal," the researchers wrote.

"Therefore, in addition to addressing the fossil emissions, we encourage the national governments of Europe to focus on agricultural and forest policy and waste management."

The study adds a twist to calls by many developing nations for a system of credits to help them slow the rate of deforestation, such as in the Amazon basin.

Tropical nations are set to press that argument at a U.N. climate meeting in Bali next month.

Since 1990, EU forest growth has done twice as much to absorb greenhouse gases as EU measures to promote renewable energies such as wind or hydro power, the scientists said.

The study builds on a 2006 report saying that many of the world's forests seemed to be making a comeback. Some countries are more densely forested now than 200 years ago.

(Editing by Kevin Liffey)

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A fifth of U.N. carbon credits may be bogus

Reuters 29 Nov 07;

LONDON (Reuters) - One in five carbon credits issued by the United Nations are going to support clean energy projects that may in fact have helped to increase greenhouse gas emissions, environmental group WWF said on Thursday.

The United Nations runs a scheme under the Kyoto Protocol that allows rich nations to invest in clean energy projects in developing countries and in return receive certified emissions reduction credits (CERs) to offset their own emissions.

But WWF said in a report that the credits are being delivered to projects that would have gone ahead anyway, even without the extra incentive provided by U.N. approval under the scheme, called the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

The report, prepared by Germany's Oeko Institute for Applied Ecology, said projects lacking this so-called 'additionality' help increase gases blamed for global warming by giving firms a spurious justification for continuing to pollute.

"One out of five emissions reductions credits sold under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) lack environmental integrity," WWF said in a statement.

It said the problem damages the global carbon market, which is expected to more than double in value to around $70 billion this year.

"The CDM is a new and very important tool and needs to be fine-tuned to reach its purpose," Stephan Singer, head of WWF's European Climate Policy Unit, said in a statement.

The report recommends improvements in the CDM, a market worth some $5 billion in 2006 according to the World Bank.

Strengthening procedures and increasing controls of the bodies that verify the projects are among changes that WWF hopes governments will discuss next week at a U.N. climate conference in Bali, Indonesia.

"Promoting sustainable development... seems to have been largely forgotten by project developers, verifiers, and the CDM Executive Board," the report said.

"The same is true for stakeholder consultation, considered by project developers as a burden rather than an opportunity to gain public acceptance."

The U.N.'s CDM scheme also works with the European Union's emissions trading scheme, the 27-nation bloc's flagship program to help meet commitments under Kyoto.

In phase 2 of the European Union scheme, lasting from 2008-12, countries are able to import around 10 percent of their required credits from UN-approved projects, amounting to an expected market demand of up to 280 million CERs per year.

WWF proposes that the EU should limit the importing of the U.N. scheme's CERs to those certified by the Gold Standard, a quality label developed with help from WWF and endorsed by some 45 non-governmental organizations worldwide.

Gold Standard-certified CERs can fetch between 26 and 28 euros, well above EU credits and ordinary secondary CERs, which trade around 23 euro and 18 euro respectively.

But of the near 94 million CERs issued by the U.N.'s climate change secretariat to date, only around 72,000 are Gold Standard-certified, with a further 3.5 million per year expected to 2012.

This compares with more than 500 million CERs expected annually from some 2,600 projects already in the U.N.'s pipeline.

To read the WWF report or for additional analysis on the carbon markets, click on http://www.reutersinteractive.com

(Reporting by Michael Szabo; Editing by Anthony Barker)

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Asia faces "unprecedented" water crisis

Reuters 29 Nov 07

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Developing countries in Asia could face an "unprecedented" water crisis within a decade due to mismanagement of water resources, the Asian Development Bank said in a report on Thursday.

The effects of climate change, rapid industrialization and population growth on water resources could lead to health and social issues that could cost billions of dollars annually, it said.

"If the present unsatisfactory trends continue, in one or two decades, Asian developing countries are likely to face and cope with a crisis on water quality management that is unprecedented in human history," Ajit Biswas wrote in the report.

The report, entitled "Asian Water Development Outlook," was submitted to the Asia-Pacific Water Forum in Singapore, which will discuss the issue at a summit in Japan next week.

The report also comes before a U.N. meeting in Indonesia next week to discuss a successor to the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.

"Water quality management has mostly been a neglected issue in Asian developing member countries. The annual economic cost is likely to be billions of dollars," Biswas wrote.

The report said massive urbanization will present new types of water-related challenges.

In contrast to cities in developed countries such as Tokyo, developing countries have fallen behind in the collection, treatment, and safe disposal of wastewater, it said.

Climate change is likely to increase the frequency of extreme events like droughts and floods and introduce high levels of risks and uncertainties that the water industry may not be able to handle with confidence, Biswas said.

The report, written by a team of water specialists, covers 12 Asian countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, the Philippines, Samoa, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

The ADB report recommends major changes in water governance practices in most Asian developing countries, and to look to successful models such as in Singapore and Cambodia which had improved monitoring of water consumption.

The report also called for countries to improve the accessibility of data on water quality.

(Reporting by Daryl Loo, editing by Neil Chatterjee and Sanjeev Miglani)

Mismanagement threatens Asian water crises: ADB study
Yahoo News 29 Nov 07;

The mismanagement of resources, not scarcity, will lead to water crises in developing Asian nations, said a study commissioned by the Asian Development Bank and released on Thursday.

Urbanisation, industrialisation, population growth and climate change were likely to put a strain on the region's water resources, it said.

But Asia had also developed the expertise and the technology to ensure there was enough water for its people, the study published in Singapore said.

The key was putting in place the right practices and policies to manage the precious resource, said the report entitled "Asian Water Development Outlook."

"It is likely that if there will be a water crisis in the future, it will not come because of actual physical scarcity of water, as many predict at present," said expert Asit Biswas, one of the report's authors.

Any future water crises would likely be sparked by "continuing neglect of proper wastewater management practices," he wrote.

"Continuation of the present trend will make available water sources increasingly more contaminated and will make provision of clean water more and more expensive, as well as more complex and difficult to manage."

But the report said that "there is now enough knowledge, technology and expertise available in Asia to solve all its existing and future water problems."

Although major changes in water governance practices were required, Asia can boast of some success stories, it said, such as Singapore's water management system, described as one of the world's best.

The Manila-based Asian Development Bank said it hoped the report would focus high-level attention on the need to invest in the water sector.

The report was submitted to the Asia-Pacific Water Forum, which is organising the first Asia-Pacific Water Summit in Beppu, Japan next week.

One issue was the use of water in Asia's energy sector, the study said, since electricity generation typically needs it.

Asian electricity consumption is rising between five percent and eight percent annually, so there is a need to include the water needs of the energy sector in national policies, it added.

The study said "not one Asian developing country has seriously assessed the current and future water requirements of its energy sector."

The rising popularity of biofuels as an alternative energy source also had implications for water resources, the report said.

"Asian biofuel production will require more and more water if this subsector expands as expected," it said.

More use of pesticides and fertilizers to improve biofuel crop yields could lead to the pollution of surrounding water, the report added.

But "as of now, virtually no country has carefully analysed the water, land and social implications of increasing biofuel production and then made appropriate policy decisions," it said.

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Retailers keep "green" behind the scenes

Nicole Maestri, Reuters 29 Nov 07;

COLUMBIA, Maryland (Reuters) - Retailers may be touting their environmental-friendliness this year, but just about the only "green" in evidence for the holidays is in the usual Christmas decorations.

Thick catalogs continue to clog mailboxes, store personnel keep handing out free gift boxes, and plastic bags are everywhere.

There is little to no signage in stores emphasizing eco-friendly products, beyond those at select chains known for their environmental thrust.

"There are a lot of stories in the media about 'green,'" said Laurie Brooks, a spokeswoman for L.L. Bean, which sells clothing and outdoor gear. "I think it really hasn't trickled down to the consumer level yet."

And amid fears that shoppers may clamp down on holiday spending in the wake of higher food and fuel prices, the slowing U.S housing market and the credit crunch, retailers are loath to do anything to turn off their clientele.

"The consumer is consumed with other things, and very rarely have they ever endorsed and embraced the green endeavors," said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at research firm NPD Group.

GREEN BEHIND THE SCENES

As fears over global warming have dominated headlines this year, numerous retailers have announced new and expanded plans to cut down on waste and run stores more efficiently.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research), which has a goal of one day being supplied 100 percent by renewable energy and creating zero waste, is pushing its vendors to reduce the amount of packaging they use and make products that consume less power.

Department store operator Kohl's Corp (KSS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) is working on implementing rooftop solar energy systems, while consumer electronics chain Best Buy Co Inc (BBY.N: Quote, Profile, Research) is giving grants to organizations that hold electronics recycling events.

But this holiday season, there is a divide between the environmental tactics retailers are implementing behind the scenes -- like building stores with recycled materials or using hybrid vehicles -- and the shopping experience they provide.

During the Thanksgiving holiday shopping weekend, a Wal-Mart store in Columbia, Maryland, had no displays of the efforts the world's largest retailer is making to go green.

And at a nearby L.L. Bean store, shoppers could scoop up as many boxes as they wanted.

Brooks said L.L. Bean did not actively promote its environmental efforts to its customers, but she said the gift boxes the retailer handed out were recyclable and made from recycled content.

While the company has not cut down on the catalogs it mails, they contain a higher percentage of recycled content, she said.

L.L. Bean has also retrofitted stores with energy-efficient lighting and converted its trucks to biodiesel fuel.

"These are things that aren't really visible to customers," she said. "We're doing it behind the scenes."

MISSED OPPORTUNITY?

Stacy Janiak, U.S. retail leader at Deloitte, said retailers were missing a valuable opportunity by not promoting green products or eco-friendly business practices.

According to a survey commissioned by Deloitte, 18 percent of respondents said they would purchase more eco-friendly products this holiday season than in the past, and 17 percent said they will shop at more green retailers.

"Another key fact from the survey was that 17 percent said they're willing to pay more for green gifts," Janiak said. "That's a big marketing opportunity for retailers. If they're not taking advantage of it this holiday season, you can bet they're going to through the upcoming year."

One retailer making a big push is upscale department store operator Barneys, which sent out a catalog emblazoned with the words, "Have a Green Holiday."

Not worried about its higher-end customers pulling back on spending, it is advertising organic cotton products like a $595 dress and a $68 T-shirt.

But many retailers are debating how far they should push the green concept and whether customers even want these items.

Brooks said L.L. Bean had not seen an overwhelming demand for more organic cotton or bamboo products.

A spokeswoman for Target Corp (TGT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said that while the discounter sells items like organic cotton sheets and energy-efficient lighting, it was not incorporating a green message into its holiday marketing. Wal-Mart also said it did not have a green marketing plan in place for Christmas.

Although J.C. Penney Co Inc (JCP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) opened a new department store to test eco-friendly building methods, a spokesman said it was too soon to make a big push to sell and promote green merchandise.

"It's something that is growing in importance with the customer," he said, but added: "It's early days."

But NPD's Cohen said the green trend was already over.

"It's basically a card that a lot of people played while it was hot and trendy," he said. "And it got overplayed."

(Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

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Climate change: "Carbon footprint" enters everyday vocabulary

Emmanuel Angleys, Yahoo News 30 Nov 07;

Buying locally-produced fruit and veg, riding bikes or taking the train instead of using private cars, buying carbon offsets and staging carbon-neutral weddings: all are part of the climate-change awareness taking root in many countries.

Individuals keen on reducing their "carbon footprint" -- the dangerous greenhouse gas that each of us emit through our purchases and activities -- can now turn to a multiplying panoply of tools to calculate their pollution, reduce it or compensate for it.

"Our daily habits are responsible for 50 percent of greenhouse gas emissions," says France's Agency for the Environment and Control of Energy (ADEME).

Transport alone causes a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, and even though automakers are making efforts to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) in new vehicles, the "clean car" still does not exist outside the research lab.

On journeys of around 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) in France, an express train emits roughly a quarter less CO2 than an aircraft per passenger, according to ADEME.

A bus emits between 10 and 20 times less CO2 than a car, and both are of course beaten for greenness by walking and cycling if distances permit.

If you have to use a car, keeping your speed down can also help to reduce emissions. Very fast driving can increase a car's CO2 emissions by 40 percent.

Another simple energy-saving method is to climb stairs rather than use electricity-lapping lifts and escalators, a practice actively encouraged in Japan and Belgium for example.

Climate Action Network (CAN), an international collective of environmental groups, including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, lists "50 Top Tips" by which an individual can make a dent on global warming (http://www.climnet.org/publicawareness/toptips.htm).

They include adjusting the thermostat so that your home is at a steady 19-20 degrees Celsius (66-68 Fahrenheit), turning off TVs and computers instead of leaving them on standby and, rather than leave the coffee machine on, transferring the hot brew to a Thermos flask.

Individuals and businesses which feel truly bad about their carbon damage -- or are keen on advertising their greenness -- can buy carbon offsets to compensate for their emissions.

Offsets are investments in a carbon-alleviating scheme, such as planting trees or encouraging renewable energy in a developing country.

One popular offset website says you can compensate for the carbon pollution from a medium-sized family car, driven for 20,000 kilometres (12,000 miles) a year, for less than 20 dollars (13.5 euros).

Low cost airline Easyjet offers customers the possibility of offsetting the CO2 they emit when they take one of its flights, and some of its competitors are also looking closely at this.

A British firm, The Carbon Neutral Company (http://www.carbonneutral.com/) also offers a "carbon-neutral" wedding gift.

For 30 pounds (61.8 dollars, 41 euros), the bride and groom get two trees planted in their name in "MarryMe Wood," a location in Devon, western England.

Offsets and other forms of trading are slammed by some as amounting to buying the right to pollute and discouraging people from trying to change their ways.

Climate change is even present on the dinner plate. Independent French environmental consultant Jean-Marc Jancovici says anyone serious about tackling greenhouse gas emissions should cut back on red meat.

Producing a kilo (2.2 pounds) of beef causes the equivalent of 36.4 kilos (80.08 pounds) in CO2 -- the same as if you drove around three hours while leaving all the lights on back home.

Environmental campaigners also point the finger at globalisation, as products criss-cross the planet before being sold. Each trip, in fossil-fuel-powered planes, ships and trucks, adds to the greenhouse effect.

Raw cotton grown in the United States is often sent to China to be woven, then re-exported to be printed in the US before returning to China to be turned into a garment that will be re-exported to its final destination, says economist Pietra Rivoli.

A pair of jeans made from Uzbek cotton can travel 23,240 kilometres (14,525 miles) before being worn while a Moroccan tomato is likely to have done 3,238 kilometres (2,023 miles) before landing on a European plate, said ADEME.

Such calculations make developing countries wince.

They point out that locally-produced produce, such as tomatoes grown in Dutch hothouses, often carries a high but hidden carbon cost.

And they argue it is unfair to target products from poor countries which are least to blame for global warming -- and which will suffer most from it.

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Wild birds not ruled out as UK bird flu source

Yahoo News 29 Nov 07;

Wild birds cannot be ruled out as the source of an outbreak of deadly H5N1 bird flu in England, although no evidence they are infected has been found, Britain's acting Chief Veterinary Officer said on Thursday.

Fred Landeg told reporters on Thursday that the first farm infected in the outbreak had been located in an area where wild birds were common and near an ornamental lake which supports 1,000 waterfowl.

He also said the virus also genetically matched most closely a strain isolated from wild birds in the Czech Republic in the middle of 2007.

"We have no other evidence of any other route of infection to this premises to date (other than wild birds)," acting CVO Fred Landeg told a media teleconference following the publication of a preliminary report into the outbreak.

Landeg added, however, that tests taken on fresh droppings from wild birds in the area had so far found no evidence of infection although tests were continuing.

"I think we have to keep an open mind still," he said.

Britain confirmed on November 13 an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu at an organic poultry farm near Diss, Norfolk in eastern England.

The virus subsequently spread to a second farm operated by the same company and which shared the same workforce.

"The poor biosecurity measures employed by the stockmen who care for more than one unit of poultry..resulted in the transmission of infection, certainly to one premises," Landeg said.

The virulent H5N1 strain has killed more than 200 people worldwide since 2003 and millions of birds had either died from it or been killed to prevent its spread.

(Reporting by Nigel Hunt; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Bird flu cause probe inconclusive
BBC News 29 Nov 07;

The preliminary report into the latest outbreak of bird flu in Suffolk concludes that wild birds "may have been" the main source of infection.

But no evidence has yet been found to support this theory.

The report also found that poor biosecurity was practised by some of the staff on the farm where the outbreak occurred on 11 November.

This is thought to be the probable reason for the disease spreading to another farm.

The virulent H5N1 strain of the virus, a variant capable of being transmitted to humans, was first discovered at Redgrave Park Farm near Diss, where all 6,500 birds were slaughtered.

The disease was later also confirmed to have reached the nearby Hill Meadow Farm at Knettishall - 9,000 turkeys were culled there.

Two theories

The report concludes that the disease has a very close genetic match with an outbreak of H5N1 in the Czech Republic in the summer.

It says that there are two main theories about how the disease was introduced to the UK - either via contamination from people from a country with an undisclosed infection in their domestic flocks, or infected wild birds.

There is currently no evidence to support either theory.

"As there are no epidemiological links with domestic poultry in central Europe, the molecular genetic results suggest that wild birds may have introduced the virus into Suffolk from Europe," the report said.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says the disease was discovered in an area where wild birds were relatively common and was notably near to an ornamental lake which supports some 1,000 waterfowl.

The affected poultry were free-range - meaning they had access to the outdoors and may have been at greater risk of catching the disease.

H5N1 infection has not been detected in wild birds nor have any incidents of high mortality been observed in the area, according to the report.

But it added that wild birds, most likely migratory species from central Europe, cannot be ruled out as the source of infection.

Poor biosecurity

The report also said poor biosecurity was employed by stockmen who worked at Redgrave Park Farm and on other farms in the area.

Simple measures to prevent the transmission of infection between premises were not followed, it said.

Such measures include changing clothing between premises, disinfection of Wellington boots, the disinfection between premises of buckets for the distribution of feed, and the carriage and handling of dead birds.

Gressingham Foods' subsidiary Redgrave Poultry, which runs both Redgrave Park Farm and Hill Meadow said it had identified several changes that were needed when it purchased the farms at the start of the year.

It said: "Due to our commitments to our customers and the lack of available organic land, it was simply not practical to make all of the planned changes for this season.

"We believe in the highest standards of organic and free range farming for these production systems, so we have looked for lessons from the recent outbreak and have identified a number of improvements that we are implementing."

Dr Mark Avery, conservation director for the RSPB, said imported poultry could have been the cause of the Suffolk outbreak.

"A migrating bird could have carried the disease here without showing symptoms but imported poultry could have done exactly the same.

"Defra and the poultry industry should be doing more to protect wild birds from coming into contact with infected farmed birds."

Suffolk previously had an H5N1 outbreak at a turkey farm in February, but the report found there was no connection that incident.

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Housing versus Habitat Conservation

New Approach Suggested in Housing vs. Habitat Battles
Sara Goudarzi, LiveScience.com Yahoo News 28 Nov 07;

The well known real estate rule of thumb—location, location, location—applies to conserving wildlife and plant habitats near homes, too.

Housing developments create a smaller footprint on the environment if they're located away from ecologically sensitive areas such as lakeshores, according to new research.

In recent years, environmental proponents have touted cluster developments—houses on smaller lots with a shared open space—over the typical sprawl that spread in the United States after World War II when more people started to migrate to the suburbs.

But a new study, detailed in the journal Ecological Applications last month, shows that while cluster developments are easier on the environment than dispersed developments, location is just as important.

"We were very much surprised by our findings," said study co-author Volker Radeloff of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "We knew before how many houses had been built over the last 60 years in our study area (Northern Wisconsin). We thus expected to see a strong increase in habitat fragmentation due to houses. Relatively speaking, this was not the case. Yes, fragmentation due to houses increased, but at a much lower rate than expected."

That was good news to the researchers. And the reason for this finding was that houses were highly clustered.

"The bad news is that houses were highly clustered along lakeshores, and these represent very sensitive and important habitats," Radeloff told LiveScience. "Our main conclusion is thus, that clustering is good, but it is equally important to decide where to place the clusters and to avoid critical habitats."

Radeloff and colleagues looked at housing patterns in Northern Wisconsin from 1937 to 1999. They determined the environmental impact of cluster developments by mapping more than 27,000 houses based on aerial photographs.

"The percentage growth of disturbed land area was much lower than for housing growth; in the most extreme case, a 1,658 percent increase in the number of houses resulted in only a 204 percent increase in the disturbed land area," Radeloff said.

Developments begin to impact the environment when construction starts and continues for years after. During the building phase, natural vegetation is disturbed, often causing soil erosion, and habitat is lost and frequently fragmented. Wildlife is also displaced and restricted by the new man-made features.

Researchers found that in their study area habitat loss was up to 60 percent in deciduous forests and lowest in wetlands, and that houses were strongly clustered alongside lakeshores.

"People and wildlife are often drawn to the same places and that exacerbates the environmental effects of houses," Radeloff said. "Some areas are going to be more important to avoid than others because of their conservation value. High-density development in areas such as lakeshores means degrading habitat we prize for its scenic and recreational value."

As far as environmental impact is concerned, infill development—building in vacant areas of urban settings—would be best, Radeloff said.

"If natural areas are developed, then it would be best to place clusters in habitats that are fairly abundant," he said. "And it would be best to place it at the edge of large habitat patches to avoid fragmentation."

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Asian governments should rethink policies to secure water supplies: report

Channel NewsAsia 29 Nov 07;

"One example is Singapore. One way to look at Singapore is as a megacity. The other way to look at it is (that) there are different townships. How are the townships administered, what is the government's practice, there is a lot one can learn."

SINGAPORE: Governments in Asia need to rethink their policies on water and energy in order to secure their water supplies in the face of increasing water pollution and unstoppable urbanisation.

This was among the key messages in a report, entitled 'Asian Water Development Outlook 2007', published in Singapore on Thursday.

More natural disasters have rattled Asia in recent years, with the latest being a cyclone which hit Bangladesh earlier this month, killing thousands of people. And experts expect extreme weather to increase due to climate change.

Because of such events, the report said water management and facilities have to be more robust and flexible.

It may take a while, however, despite measures being taken to secure clean water and sanitation for small towns and urban areas.

"It is important we learn," said Professor Bhanoji Rao, a team-member of the Asian Water Development Outlook 2007. "One example is Singapore. One way to look at Singapore is as a megacity. The other way to look at it is (that) there are different townships.

"How are the townships administered, what is the government's practice, there is a lot one can learn." But apart from learning best practices, the report also put forward ideas to fix the problems.

The lead expert in the study, Professor Asit Biswas, said the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which commissioned the report, predicts that Asian member countries have enough knowledge, technology and expertise to solve existing and future water problems.

If some Asian members face a water crisis in the future, he said, it will not be because of the scarcity of water, but because of inadequate or inappropriate water governance.

The bank is providing about US$2 billion a year until 2010 - or a total of about US$10 billion - for reforms and capacity development programmes at rural communities and cities.

However, it said that more money is needed to achieve targets set-out in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals for water and sanitation in Asia.

Therefore, the bank hopes to double its US$10 billion with money from governments, private sectors and investors.

However, countries need to carry out reforms and implement appropriate policies to run the infrastructure and services in order to help bring in investment, according to the ADB.

It also said that if countries embrace the reforms and policies, investments will come in because of profitable projects investors can pour their money in.

"What we are hoping is that US$10 billion investment programme is a catalyst for the private sectors, the investors, the co-financiers, the government agencies, to add another US$10 billion," said K E Seetharam, a principal Water and Urban Development Specialist at ADB.

The ADB runs a programme that directs funds, reforms and capacity development programmes at rural communities, cities and river basins.- CNA/yb


Asia needs $29b a year to tackle water woes
Sum needed over 10 years, says ADB ahead of first water summit
Tania Tan, Straits Times 30 Nov 07

THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates that Asia will require over US$20 billion (S$29 billion) annually for at least a decade to develop proper infrastructure and management capabilities to tackle the region's water woes.

In an attempt to kick-start action on the issue, it launched its inaugural water report, the Asian Water Development Outlook (ADWO), yesterday.

To be presented before the first Asia-Pacific Water Summit in Japan next week, the report will be tabled in a bid to get world leaders attending the summit to sit up and take notice.

Discussion of the report has been scheduled during the two-day summit.

'This will not be another report that will be shelved and ignored,' said Dr K.E. Seetharam, the ADB's principal water and urban development specialist.

'We hope that this will inspire leaders to take action now.'

For its part, the Manila-based bank is channelling some US$2 billion a year into regional water operations. But the rest of the effort must come from the countries themselves, noted Dr Seetharam.

Over 700 million Asians still lack access to safe drinking water, with another two billion going without modern sanitation, said Singapore's Ambassador-at-large Professor Tommy Koh.

Prof Koh, who is also chair of the Asia Pacific Water Forum, which is organising the summit, said: 'This situation is deployable and unacceptable.'

'It must be our collective ambition to ensure that water is high on the minds of our region's leaders.'

Compiled by the region's water experts, the report flags nine key areas of concern including the need for policy changes, the rising incidents of water pollution and the impact of urbanisation on water resources.

Also included are regional success stories - Singapore's for instance - which the ADB hopes will be emulated around the region.

'Singapore plays a crucial role in inspiring countries to overcome their water problems through innovation and perserverance,' said Dr Bhanoji Rao, a noted economist and ADWO expert.

The Republic's expertise in water management is also invaluable, he said, adding that mismanagement of water resources will be a major stumbling block for countries around the region.

Dr Rao said: 'It is my humble hope that one day, maybe a decade from now, every Asian will be able to have what Singaporeans have - fresh water at the turn of a tap.'

A price for solving water problems
Subsidised drinking water rates will have to go to invest money on water infrastructure
Tania Tan, Straits Times 1 Dec 07;

WATER prices must go up if the region's water woes are to be addressed.

This politically sticky issue will be among the concerns that Asia-Pacific leaders will grapple with when they convene in Japan on Monday for the inaugural Asia-Pacific Water Summit.

Some 300 representatives from 49 countries will be at the two-day dialogue.

'We hope to seek commitment from the region's leaders to move water higher up on their national development agendas,' said Singapore's Ambassador- at-large Tommy Koh, who is also chairman of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum, the event's organiser. The summit is expected to be held every two to three years.

Key on the agenda: increasing public and private investment in water and sanitation projects.

The Philippine-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates that some US$20 billion (S$29 billion) will be needed annually to help build the region's water and sanitation infrastructure over the next decade.

ADB, which is also a sponsor of the Japanese water summit, already invests some US$2 billion annually in water operations.

Another of its efforts to improve water infrastructure is

the launch of the Asian Water and Development Outlook report, penned by noted water experts, including Stockholm Water Prize laureate Professor Asit Biswas.

One message is that, with the increasing need to improve water services, it is 'impossible to continue with the traditional idea of providing drinking water free of cost or at highly subsidised rates'.

A United Nations report pegged the price of water in India at just US$0.01 per cubic m, while Cambodians pay just US$0.09. These countries also suffer some of the most severe water shortages and sanitation problems in the region.

Households in Singapore pay $1.17 per cubic m.

'By diluting the definition of access to clean water and considering sanitation only in a very restricted sense, developing countries, including many in Asia, are mortgaging their future in terms of water security,' said Prof Biswas.

The Stockholm Water Prize is the highest honour in the water industry.

The summit outcomes will be presented at future political events, including the G8 summit in Japan next year.

Live updates from each day's sessions will be available online at www.ips.org

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Solving Asia's water problem
To reach the targets for water and sanitation in Asia, the money needed is about US$8b a year in investments, Ke Seetharam, Business Times 29 Nov 07;

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Global, regional warming to blame for Jakarta floods

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Jakarta Post 29 Nov 07;

Jakarta's regular floods can be partially blamed on global and regional warming, a scientist has said.

"This will get worse in the years to come. It has been estimated that by 2050, 25 percent of Jakarta will be inundated," said Armi Susandi, a climate change expert at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) on Wednesday.

He added that poor city planning, bad zoning systems and a lack of infrastructure were contributing to the problem.

Armi has studied flooding in Jakarta since 2005. He received his Ph.D on climate change in 2004 from the University of Hamburg, Germany.

He said regional climate change such as has take place in Jakarta has the potential to increase local temperatures, "inviting" more rain.

"The city's severe pollution has created regional warming. This warming has moved the rain from Bogor in the south to Jakarta in the north," he said.

"We have managed to record and identify the pattern of the shifting rain -- how the rain keeps moving to Jakarta. The increase in the city's rainfall rate could reach up to 5 percent per year," he said.

Global warming has also increased the sea level north of Jakarta by 0.57 centimeters per year. The increasing sea level and the lack of a buffer zone due to the decreasing size of the mangrove forest that once covered the area would certainly aggravate the erosion of the beach and floods in the coastal areas of the city, he said.

He added that the fact that the city's land has sunk by 0.85 centimeters per year due to the pressure imposed by concrete buildings and skyscrappers as well as the massive exploitation of underground water springs hasn't helped the city in dealing with the worsening floods.

Armi said that currently 40 percent of the city already lies below sea level.

The government, he said, should construct a buffer zone in the coastal areas to prevent the sea's waves from entering the city. The buffer could be made of mangroves or a six-meter-tall concrete wall.

"When dealing with climate change-related problems, our country has a very low adaptation capacity. In fact, all we have to do is decide whether we will plant mangroves or construct a wall. Otherwise, we need to relocate the residents who live along the coastal areas," he said.

"In January 2008, the floods, I believe, will be worse than the ones we had in 2007 provided that the rainfall rate doesn't change," he said.

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