Best of our wild blogs: 7 Nov 08

Our marine biodiversity and sustainable development: feedback session on the wild shores of singapore blog

Volunteers needed for RE-Live 2009 "RE-thinking the way you Live"
on the Eco-Singapore facebook group

Common Kingfisher bashing fish on the perch
on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

Mistletoebird of Australia
on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

The future of water quality monitoring in Singapore: bugs, macroinvertebrates and biotic indices on the Water Quality in Singapore blog

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Six countries to launch Coral Triangle in Manado

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post 7 Nov 08

Six countries plan to officially launch the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) at a summit to be held in Manado, North Sulawesi, in May next year.

The initiative is aimed to retard degradation of coral colonies and safeguard vulnerable species from the impact of global warming.

CTI summit committee secretary Indroyono Soesilo said heads of state from countries bordering the triangle -- Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste -- would attend the first-ever coral summit.

"Ministers from the six coral-rich countries are expected to first adopt the CTI action plan in Papua New Guinea in January, paving the way for coral initiative launch," Indroyono told reporters Thursday.

The CTI summit will take place on the sidelines of the World Ocean Conference in Manado from May 11 to 15.

Delegations from 121 countries plan to attend the larger conference to discuss efforts to protect marine environments and species from the severe impact of climate change.

"Since Indonesia has more offshore coral reef than any other country, it will play an important rule in the CTI. Indonesian is to be the second largest financial source for climate-change mitigation," he said.

Indonesia is currently pushing the world to adopt the reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) scheme as an alternative to directly cutting emissions.

The 5.7-million-square-kilometer triangle is the global center of marine biodiversity with more than 600 coral species and 3,000 fish species, many of which are endemic.

The triangle is home to 76 percent of the world's coral species and 50 percent of the world's reef fish species.

In Indonesia, 33,150 square km of the total 51,000 square km of coral reef are in critical condition.

Indroyono said some donor countries, including the United States and Australia, and the Global Environment Facility, have pledged US$250 million to finance the implementation of the CTI action plan.

The CTI was first proposed at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Australia in 2007 before being endorsed at the UN climate change conference in Bali last December.

The six countries have agreed to set up a mechanism to combat coral bleaching and establish a Coral Bleaching Alert Network.

Its implementation would be supported by satellite surveillance by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Experts have warned the world's coral reefs may become completely depleted by 2050 if no immediate action is taken to protect them.

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Don't feed monkeys, it's better than culling them

AVA reply on the Straits Times Forum 7 Nov 08;

I REFER to the letter by Madam Tan Gek Kim, 'Brazen monkeys : The AVA should start culling the population' (Oct 23).

Monkeys are usually drawn from their natural forest habitat when food is made available to them by people.

These monkeys eventually become dependent on people for food. They will not rely on their natural instinct to forage for food in the forest, but will venture out into public areas to search for food.

Residents living near wooded areas should avoid feeding monkeys and minimise the availability of food by keeping their dustbins covered. Residents can also deter monkeys from frequenting their premises, for example by shooing them away with water from a garden hose.

Generally, management bodies of properties are required to deal with monkeys on their properties. Residents can also seek the assistance of pest control companies if they are troubled by monkeys or other wild animals.

Alternatively, residents can contact Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority's Centre for Animal Welfare and Control on 1800-476-1600 to borrow traps. AVA loans these traps and collects the monkeys trapped by management bodies or residents as a free service to the public.

Culling is a last resort if the monkeys become aggressive and pose a danger to the public. It will not be needed if people act responsibly and refrain from feeding monkeys.

We thank Madam Tan for her feedback.

Goh Shih Yong
Assistant Director, Corporate Communications
for Chief Executive Officer
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority

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Public forum held to discuss sustainable development

Ca-Mie De Souza, Channel NewsAsia 6 Nov 08;

SINGAPORE: National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said investing in the sustainable development of Singapore is a long-term issue that needs to be tackled, even during these times of economic uncertainty.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday after a public forum on achieving a sustainable Singapore, he said he is confident that the Inter-Ministerial Committee looking into this issue will be able to convince the Finance Ministry to provide the funding to support this long-term effort.

Set up in February this year, the Inter-Ministerial Committee is co-chaired by Mr Mah and Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim.

The committee includes members such as Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Transport Minister Raymond Lim, and Minister of State for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran.

More than 200 people turned up for the public forum which discussed topics like boosting energy efficiency and tapping on solar electricity. The spirited discussion had participants calling for more greenery in housing areas and new building designs that let in light.

Panellists said the current green building technology can offer potential savings of 30 to 50 per cent. While Singapore will invest in research and in the test-bedding of alternative renewable energy, the key is still energy efficiency.

Mr Mah said just based on lifestyle changes, Singapore can achieve 30 to 40 per cent savings in its energy usage.

Public forums, together with discussions among ministries and the private sector, will help form the blueprint for sustainable development in Singapore for the next ten to 15 years.

The public had posted their suggestions and comments between July and October at www.sustainablesingapore.gov.sg.

The road map is expected to be out by February and will be tabled during the Budget debate next year.


- CNA/so

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Three foreign groups in the running for PowerSeraya

Sembcorp and Keppel not among the shortlisted
Ronnie Lim, Business Times 7 Nov 08;

THREE foreign groups - a Hong Kong CLP-led consortium, Bahrain's Arcapita and Malaysia's YTL - have apparently been shortlisted by Temasek Holdings to buy PowerSeraya, BT understands, as the second round of the two-stage sales process kicked off on Wednesday with the first of the due diligence 'roadshows'.

While the sale of this third and final generation company (genco) being divested by Temasek appears to be progressing on schedule, one question being raised in some quarters is that, given the global financial crisis, can the final bid meet Temasek's reserve price.

Meanwhile, the latest PowerSeraya shortlist has again left in the cold the two local corporates, Sembcorp Industries and Keppel Corporation, which had also submitted bids.

While both have from the outset been keen in all three gencos, they have also always maintained that they would only bid 'at the right price'.

PowerSeraya, which is expanding its cogeneration capacity to supply steam and power to petrochemical plants on Jurong Island, was especially attractive for a company like Sembcorp, as it would have boosted its power business there.

One of the trio shortlisted, Hong Kong's CLP (the former China Light and Power), has reportedly tied up with Japanese trading house Itochu and Thailand Electricity Generating Public Company for its PowerSeraya bid.

'CLP has for some time been looking to expand outside Hong Kong and would also be looking to get more experience in power pooling,' Simon Powell, head of power research at CLSA Asia-Pacific told the South China Morning Post this week.

Bahrain's Arcapita is a name that has popped up in all the genco sales, and it was apparently one of the closest bidders for the 2,670MW Tuas Power - the first to go for $4.235 billion to China Huaneng Group.

Malaysia's YTL surfaced during the sale of the 3,300MW Senoko Power, as it was one of five shortlisted for this second and biggest genco which eventually went for about $4 billion to the Japanese/ French Lion Power consortium led by Marubeni/GDF Suez.

Last week's shortlist of the three bidders was followed by the first of the 'roadshows' at PowerSeraya on Wednesday.

Neil McGregor, the genco's managing director, was conspicuously absent from the Singapore Electricity Roundtable featuring all the big gencos here that day, with observers saying he was apparently hosting the first of the shortlisted bidders at a roadshow.

This second-stage due diligence process includes a comprehensive inside look at the genco, including its books, and meetings with genco management.

Bidders then make their final binding offers to Temasek after that, with the PowerSeraya sale expected to close early December.

Reports suggest that PowerSeraya could fetch up to US$2.5 billion or $3.75 billion, although given the unfolding credit crunch, there is always a possibility that the final bids may come in lower.

Temasek itself has indicated that 'as with the sale of the two other gencos, the sale of PowerSeraya will be subject to acceptable price and commercial terms'.

So whether or not PowerSeraya's sale will eventually close in December remains an open question.

The Singapore investment company - which kicked off the genco divestment with Tuas Power in October 2007 - has given itself until mid-2009 to complete the exercise.

But this was 'barring no macro-shocks', its managing director of investments, Wong Kim Yin, indicated then.

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Demand for green buildings should be market-driven, say experts

Blame it on public apathy
Esther Ng, Today Online 7 Nov 08;

IT DOES not cost much more to build green buildings — just 2 to 6 per cent extra — but developers in South-east Asia are not inclined to construct them unless consumer demand catches on, said energy experts at a forum on environmental sustainability yesterday.

Said Mr Tan Tian Chong, director of technology at the Building and Construction Authority: “The benefits of a green building don’t go to the developer, but to the occupants of the building. So why should he pay for the additional cost unless consumers demand it?”

Mr Tan was illustrating a developer’s point of view at the Green Buildings Asia forum. He said that educating people would take five to 10 years, which is far too long. What is needed is a mix of government incentives, legislation, a green-mark scheme, and education.

Malaysians, on the other hand, were coming around to the green movement, said another speaker, Mr Hadri Haris, national project leader of Pusat Tenaga Malaysia. “Green consumerism is slowly growing on Malaysians thanks to the documentary, ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, but clients tend to think that green buildings cost substantially more, which need not be the case. Depending on the design and materials used, it could be cheaper,” he said.

Experts agreed that it does not cost architects more to design a green building, and that the cost of constructing one could be reduced further if more thought is put in at the designing stage.

Said Indonesian architect Ridwan Kamil of Urbane Indonesia: “Singapore architects design really nice buildings in Singapore, (but) when they come to Indonesia — they don’t replicate the same high standards. They build buildings that don’t relate to the social surroundings. There’s no pedestrian environment at ground level, just an ugly sprawl of car parks or concrete.”

While Mr Hadri and Mr Ridwan felt that fiscal incentives would motivate developers, Mr Parasu Raman, vice-chair of the World Green Building Council, was of the view that the demand for eco-friendly buildings should be market-driven. “It’s more effective if it’s market-driven by multiple stakeholders — tenants, businesses, consumers,” he said.

“The role of government should be to set minimum energy benchmarks that will compel developers to build green.”

Rising energy cost should be one motivation for developers to go green. “It pays to install more efficient cooling and lighting systems because the developer very often bears the cost of central air-conditioning and lighting in common spaces, and cost recovery is just within one to two years,” said energy consultant Lal Jayamaha of LJ Energy Pte Ltd.

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Government sets up S$22m grant to help companies go green

Channel NewsAsia 6 Nov 08;

SINGAPORE: Going green saves costs for companies, but making that first move is not always easy.

To nudge companies along the green path, the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) announced a S$22 million grant on Thursday.

Implementing energy-saving measures could be as simple as switching to energy-efficient bulbs or as complicated as changing industry processes that could save a company tens of thousands of dollars.

The new Grant for Energy Efficient Technologies (GREET) scheme will co-fund up to 50 per cent of the costs incurred – capped at S$2 million per project – when companies buy energy-efficient equipment and technologies.

Many companies have given the feedback that energy efficiency is not necessarily their highest priority, especially in these troubled times. Instead, their focus – especially for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – is on improving product yield and getting quick paybacks.

Recognising these issues, MEWR's Senior Parliamentary Secretary Amy Khor said at least part of the grant will be earmarked for SMEs.

She said: "We think that for SMEs, there may be a lot more obstacles such as lack of information and other concerns. Capital constraint is another concern."

As for the current economic slowdown, Dr Khor said there is also a flipside to the situation.

"Due to the economic slowdown, many of these industries may have (more) shutdown time. It's a good time to review operations and decide where they can cut costs. Energy efficiency is one area that is often overlooked," she said.

The grant comes on the back of another scheme that was launched some three years ago to help companies conduct energy audits.

Unfortunately, only about 12 per cent of the firms went on to implement green cost-saving measures, primarily due to initial capital costs. The new GREET scheme hopes to plug that gap now.- CNA/so

New fund for green projects
Main concern for companies is long payback time
Lin Yanqin, Today Online 7 Nov 08;

THE funding is already available to get companies to find out where they stand in energy efficiency. But, not enough companies are taking the next step of doing something to make better use of energy to save costs.

To give companies a push in the right direction, the National Environment Agency (NEA) has earmarked $22 million to co-fund up to half the cost of implementing energy efficiency projects, capped at $2 million per project.

A portion of this fund will be set aside for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), who face capital constraints when it comes to investing in energy efficiency.

“There’s a clear case of under-investment in energy efficiency in Singapore,” saidDr Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry for the Environment and Water Resources, launching the scheme yesterday at the Energy Efficiency Investment Forum.

Consultations with firms had shown that they were more concerned with investing to improve productivity and getting returns quickly. SMEs in particular found the payback period of an energy efficiency project — usually around three years — too long, said Dr Khor.

With the economy now in a crisis, some industry sectors — like the semi-conductor industry — have even put off their energy efficiency investments totally.

Hence, the new fund - called the Grant for Energy Efficiency Technologies (GREET) — is intended to shorten the payback period. NEA would ask for more funding if response is good, said Dr Khor.

Lawrence Leow, president of the Association of SMEs welcomed the new fund, which he said energy-intensive SMEs would find useful. “Some SMEs have been alarmed by the rising energy prices, so they should consider making use of this grant,” he said.

These projects can be anything from switching to a more efficient air-conditioning system to retrofitting equipment like chillers.

Energy service companies (Escos) also highlighted other issues to address at the forum yesterday.

Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore chairman Edwin Khew pointed out that local banks were less open to lending for energy efficiency investments compared to international banks, even though such schemes have low risks and quick returns.

Energy solutions company Johnson Controls’ regional manager (South-east Asia and India) Sarah Montgomery added that while there were incentives schemes targetting various phases of an energy efficiency process, more could be done to promote continuity from one stage to another. “For example, there’s incentives for the design stage, but something could be done to somehow get them to make use of grants for carrying projects out,” she said.

Indeed, while there have been 119 successful applications for NEA’s energy audit assistance scheme, only 16 went on to actually implement recommendations from the audit. These 16 firms, according to NEA, are enjoying annual savings of$4.83 million as a result.

The Escos were also optimistic about business prospects in spite of the gloomy economic climate. “Yes, demand might be affected somewhat, but no matter what, energy costs can be about 30 per cent of a company’s overheads, and we’re in the business of helping them lower costs,” said CPGreen vice president (energy and environmental) Derrick Hong.

More about GREET on the the E2 Singapore website.

$22m carrot for firms to step up energy efficiency
NEA to subsidise up to half a firm's spending on green technology and equipment
Tania Tan & Amresh Gunasingham, Straits Times 7 Nov 08;

THE Government is dangling a new carrot to get companies to bite into energy efficiency.

Yesterday, the National Environment Agency (NEA) announced a $22 million fund to help firms defray the cost of buying green technology and equipment.

As initial investments in energy efficiency can reach millions of dollars, only a handful of firms have embraced the practice. The new fund is designed to change that, said Dr Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.

Up to half a company's spending can be subsidised, to a maximum of $2 million. Firms need to submit a proposal to get the money.

An unspecified portion will be set aside for small- and medium-sized enterprises, which make up the bulk of companies here, said the NEA.

'If take-up is good and the fund runs out, we'll be more than happy to expand the project,' Dr Khor said at an investors' forum yesterday.

Energy efficiency has been 'largely overlooked' by companies, she said. 'Understandably, they're more concerned about overheads.'

While the initial investment can be substantial, firms stand to save in the long run by conserving power, said experts. That is especially true due to the 20 per cent electricity price hike.

Instead of tightening their belts, companies should take advantage of the economic downturn and invest in energy efficiency, said Mr Edwin Khew, chairman of the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore. 'Payback is guaranteed,' he said.

Sixteen companies under a separate programme by the NEA have already saved $4.8 million in annual power bills by doing things like improving air-conditioning systems, said the agency.

Subsidies will also mean that companies will likely see payback on their initial investments within three years or less.

But some are still not sold on energy efficiency. 'Given the grim economic outlook, why not provide tax breaks instead of co-funding,' said Alstern Technologies executive director Sam Cheok Whai.

Mr Lai Wan Fong, who heads a steel manufacturer, said: 'I believe my company is too small to invest in such technology.'

NEA puts up $22m grant for energy-saving projects
Jamie Lee, Business Times 7 Nov 08;

COMPANIES wanting to go green can now tap a $22 million fund to offset costs amid the tighter credit market.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) launched a grant yesterday that would co-fund up to half of the cost of energy-saving equipment or technology, or $2 million per project, which ever is lower.

Part of the grant will be set aside for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which are likely to be more constrained by financing, said Amy Khor, senior parliamentary secretary for the environment and water resources.

'What we're hoping to do is to shorten the payback period,' she told reporters.

Some SMEs have put green plans on hold because of capital constraints brought about by the financial turmoil, while others are side-stepping energy efficiency projects because they are not part of their core businesses, Dr Khor said.

'We thought that implementing (the grant) would be very timely,' she said.

Edwin Khew, chairman of the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore, urged local banks to support green projects despite the tight credit situation.

'In most countries, banks readily support schemes like these because it's environmentally friendly, the risks are very low, (and) they get very good returns,' he said. 'Hopefully, the banks will come around, especially the local banks.'

The association is looking to partner the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank in providing risk guarantees for energy- efficient projects.

While some companies have taken the first step of conducting energy audits, few have followed through with green projects.

NEA has received 119 applications to co-fund energy appraisals that would save 339.2GWh or $29.8 million of energy per year when projects are implemented.

But just 16 companies have implemented projects, for a total energy savings of 80.2GWh or $4.83 million annually.

The new grant has been set up for energy-saving projects over the next five years. Dr Khor said that NEA was open to expanding and extending the fund if the take-up rate is good.

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Measuring extinction, species by species

Alister Doyle, Reuters 6 Nov 08;

OSLO (Reuters) - The Yangtze River dolphin, the Christmas Island shrew and the Venezuelan skunk frog are all victims in an alarming flood of extinctions, but how do scientists decide when such "possibly extinct" creatures no longer exist?

The United Nations says the world faces the worst spate of extinctions since the dinosaurs vanished 65 million years ago, with man-made threats such as rising populations, felling of forests, hunting, pollution and climate change.

Yet proving that any individual species has gone the way of the dodo necessarily demands long, fruitless searching.

"If there's one thing in my career I'd like to be proved wrong about, it's the baiji," said Sam Turvey of the Zoological Society of London, using another name for the Yangtze River dolphin.

Turvey spent almost 3 months this year interviewing Chinese fishermen in vain for sightings of the long-snouted dolphin, which has not been seen since 2002. Some colleagues in China are still looking.

The baiji was almost declared extinct in 2006 after an acoustic and visual survey of the river turned up nothing. Then, a blurry video gave experts pause, and it was rated "possibly extinct."

About 300 plant and animal species, including the Christmas Island shrew and the Venezuelan skunk frog are also "possibly extinct," the worst category short of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List.

If Turvey's study turns up no firm evidence, it will likely push the Yangtze River dolphin into the "extinct" column, said Mike Hoffmann, who manages a global project to assess species for the IUCN and Conservation International.

It would be the first "megafauna" mammal -- one weighing more than 100 kg (220 lb) -- to die out since the Caribbean monk seal in the 1950s.

"To say something is extinct requires quite a lot of proof, of negative evidence, and may take many years to collect," said Craig Hilton-Taylor, who manages Red List.

Scientists working on the "possibly extinct" list rummage in the undergrowth for rare plants, frogs or rats, set up night-time traps for bats or moths, or scour the seabed for corals.

Some experts liken the difficulties to "proving" that the mythical Loch Ness Monster does not exist.

The Christmas Island shrew has not been seen on its Australian island since 1985. The Venezuelan skunk frog, known from a cloud forest habitat of 10 sq km (3.9 sq mile), has not been spotted despite repeated searches.

Despite the difficulties of proof, scientists say species are disappearing at an ever faster rate.

Some 76 mammals have gone extinct since 1500, a much faster rate than in previous centuries, and 29 are "possibly extinct" on the 2008 Red List.

BACK FROM THE DEAD

Extinct species have often unknown economic value, such as the Australian gastric brooding frog, which incubated its young in its stomach and might have pointed to ways to treat ulcers. Or South Africa's bluebuck antelope, which could have boosted tourism.

While most news is bleak, a few "Lazarus" species give cause for celebration -- last year, a lizard presumed extinct turned up on La Palma in Spain's Canary Islands after no sightings in 500 years.

Australian scientists were even delighted to find two dead night parrots in 2006 and 1990, taken as signs the reclusive species survives.

A few years ago the fabulous green sphinx moth, known from one Hawaiian island, was written off as extinct but then experts on another island were flabbergasted to catch one in a net.

Nevertheless, Hoffmann said Red List's demands for evidence meant that it probably underestimated the pace of extinctions. Searches have to be rigorous, at the right seasons, and in nearby habitats, with the correct equipment.

"Scientists want to be cautious" because of the finality of extinction, Hoffman said.

"Possibly extinct" is a category so bleak that it does not even include the critically endangered ivory-billed woodpecker -- subject of speculation about a U.S. comeback after reported sightings in Arkansas in 2004.

"It has never been listed as 'possibly extinct' because there were sightings 20 to 30 years ago in Cuba," Hilton-Taylor said. "There is still good habitat there."

One result of declaring a species extinct is that it inevitably ends cash for conservation -- lending agencies such as the Global Environment Facility use Red List data.

And, when one species goes extinct, new ones become endangered, as is happening on the Yangtze River, where the finless porpoise and the Chinese paddlefish, reported to grow up to 7 meters (23 feet), are also in danger.

"The problem with the Yangtze is that the threats are still there and they are escalating," Turvey said.

And there are wider threats. The U.N. Climate Panel said in 2007 that up to 30 percent of species will face increasing risks of extinction if temperatures rise by another 1 degree Celsius (1.8 Fahrenheit).

The panel, which says temperatures rose 0.7 C in the 20th century, also forecasts more droughts, heatwaves and rising seas linked to human emissions of greenhouse gases spurred mainly by burning fossil fuels.

In a 2006 report, Birdlife expert Stuart Butchart wrote that 150 bird species had gone extinct since 1500, or 0.3 a year. That was 30-300 times the background rate of extinctions -- a natural process deduced from fossil records.

And no one knows the number of species on earth -- one U.N.-backed study estimated 5-30 million against about 2 million documented so far. The U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity estimates they may be vanishing faster than they are found, at a rate of three per hour, the fastest in millions of years.

(Reporting by Alister Doyle; Editing by Eddie Evans)

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Asking ‘Why Do Species Go Extinct?’

A Conversation With Stuart L. Pimm
Claudia Dreifus, The New York Times 4 Nov 08;

For a man whose scholarly specialty is one of the grimmest topics on earth — extinction — Stuart L. Pimm is remarkably chipper. On a recent morning, while visiting New York City, Dr. Pimm, a 59-year-old zoologist, was full of warm stories about the many places he travels: South Africa, Madagascar and even South Florida, which he visits as part of an effort to save the endangered Florida panther. Fewer than 100 survive in the wild. In 2006, Dr. Pimm, who holds the Doris Duke professorship of Conservation Ecology at Duke University, won the Heineken Prize for Environmental Sciences, the Nobel of the ecology world.

Q. HOW DOES A PERSON MAKE EXTINCTION THE CENTERPIECE OF A PROFESSIONAL LIFE?

A. In 1978, I went to Hawaii, supposedly a tropical paradise. I am an enthusiastic birder, and I looked forward to getting into the lush forest to view the abundant flora and fauna the islands were famous for. Here you had this rich island chain, out in the midst of the Pacific, full of wondrous birds and plants — a place supposedly richer in natural diversity than even the Galápagos.

I had brought with me field guides to the fauna and flora, all published in the early 1970s. Yet once in the Hawaiian forest, I had a shock: my books were listing species that were extinct — or about to become so. I was in the forest six days a week and I kept thinking, “If I give it enough time, I’ll certainly see most of the species still left.” But I saw very little. In fact, in Hawaii today, I’d say there are only about 10 remaining native land bird species, with another 10 clinging to survival.

So suddenly this extinction business seemed very real. Whenever you’d meet biologists over coffee, there’d be the same conversation: “Do you ever wonder what Hawaii was like before, with 150 species of birds and 1,500 species of plants?” That changed my life.

Q. HOW DID IT DO THAT?

A. Well, I realized that extinction was something that as a scientist, I could study. I could ask, “Why do species go extinct?” and “How fast does it happen?” Once armed with that information, one might do something about it.

I now spend a fair amount of time in Washington, working for laws to protect species. I train young people to do the same. I often tell my students that if they want to become environmental biologists, they have to be prepared to go out into the field at dawn to collect their data and then dress up in a suit in the afternoon to meet the visiting politician.

Q. WHICH WOULD YOU SAY ARE, AT THIS MOMENT, THE MOST ENDANGERED OF THE WORLD’S CREATURES?

A. There are too many to name. Something like 12 percent of all birds, a third of all amphibians and, likely, similarly large numbers of plants are in serious danger, I’d say. What’s more, about 1 percent of all species on the planet are in such trouble that if we don’t do the right things immediately they will be gone in a decade.

The river dolphin in China was declared extinct just last year. Another small dolphin in the Sea of Cortez is in immediate danger.

Q. WHAT CAN ONE PERSON DO TO STOP EXTINCTIONS?

A. One of the things I’ve done is start an NGO — a nongovernmental organization — called SavingSpecies.org. And it does what its title suggests. We’ve been working with local conservation groups and governments in Brazil and Madagascar doing a variety of projects that we hope will halt the potential extinctions there.

One of the things we know is that many endangered animals live over large areas. But their populations become fragmented because of farming and development. The remaining creatures can’t find a date on a Saturday night. So we’ve been trying to buy up degraded land around their broken environments and try to create land corridors for the wildlife.

Q. HAVE YOU HAD ANY SUCCESSES YET?

A. Yes. On the Atlantic Coast of Brazil, we’ve been trying to help save the golden lion tamarin, an endangered primate about the size of a house cat. Last year, with the involvement of local conservationist groups, we helped purchase about 270 acres of cattle pasture that separated two patches of their habitat. This former pasture is now being replanted with trees. The two areas will soon be bridged, and it will be possible for lonely hearts to meet members of the opposite sex and go forth and multiply.

In another South American region I won’t name here, there have been a lot of illegal logs taken. Why? Because a local godfather there was getting kickbacks from loggers. My friends and I decided we’d give him a bit more money and we stopped the illegal logging. I may burn in hell forever for paying protection, but it did help the animals and the indigenous people, who were not subjected to a lot of bad things. In terms of what we got for the money, it was a very good deal.

Q. YOUR GROUP HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK WITH INDIGENOUS TRIBES. WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?

A: Because when you set aside indigenous reserves, it reduces deforestation.

There’s another project in Northern Amazonia that my group has been involved in. This particular area is inhabited by indigenous peoples who have clear title to the land in their village. Recently, settlers came into the area, wanting to turn the forests outside of the village — the very places where these people hunt and fish — into rice fields. Their claim was that no one owned the forests. So my Brazilian students and a local Catholic mission have been teaching the tribe’s teenagers the use of modern global positioning technologies — G.P.S. The idea is that G.P.S. can help them can record where they hunt and fish and that will help them define the forest land as theirs. So here’s an example of when we help the local people maintain their traditional ways, we’re helping the flora and the fauna survive.

Q. HOW DO YOU FINANCE SAVINGSPECIES.ORG?

A. We raise money in the traditional way, but we’re also selling symbolic carbon offsets to sympathetic donors.

As you know, when you restore forests, you soak up CO2 from the atmosphere. There are people who’d like to be carbon neutral — they’d like not to burn any more carbon than they are soaking up. So if someone buys an airline ticket and feels badly about all the carbon they’re putting into the atmosphere during that flight, we sell them very beautiful, very cheap offsets from the forest restoration we have done.

We hope that this kind of swap will eventually become a financial obligation in a lot of the world.

Q. ARE YOU RELIGIOUS?

A. I’m a believing Christian. “God so loved the cosmos that he gave his only son.” That’s an injunction from St. John. To me, this says that Christians have an obligation to look after the world — stewardship. We cannot pointlessly drive species to extinction and destroy forests and oceans. When we do that, we are destroying God’s creation.

That said, I’m not a vegetarian. I like a good steak now and then. Do I go out and slaughter cattle? Yep.

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Rare Western Australia gecko discovered

Narelle Towie, Perth Now 20 Oct 08;

TWO new species of gecko have been discovered in the arid landscape of WA's Northwest Cape and the deserts of South Australia.

The rare new WA species looks strikingly similar to its neighbour, the stone gecko, but DNA evidence shows it evolved from its relatives millions of years ago.

The Cape Range Gecko only occurs on the Northwest Cape near Exmouth.

“What is fascinating about this species is its evolution in isolation on the northwest Cape, far from its nearest relatives more than 600 kms away," a WA museum zoologist, who discovered the species, Dr Paul Doughty said.

Geckos are famous for their ability to stick to vertical surfaces thanks to microscopic hairs on the pads of their feet.

The newly discovered Cape Range Gecko has been named Diplodactylus capensis meaning two finger pads because it has two pads on each toe instead of one.

“The Cape Range is made up of an ancient block of limestone which has created a unique habitat to which the species has adapted”, said Dr Doughty.

It is characterised by its distinctive broken stripe on its back, larger head and reddish colouration which matches the colour of the rocks on the Cape Range.

“Little is known of this new species and we are still in the process of describing other new species of reptiles from this special area of Western Australia.

“This region is better known for the Ningaloo Reef and its Whale Sharks, but we are finding unique and fascinating new species of lizards on this ancient land,” said Dr Doughty.

The second species, the Southern Sandplain Gecko (scientific name: Lucasium bungabinna), occurs in the southern deserts in Western Australia and South Australia, north of the Nullarbor Plain.

This species belongs to a group of ground-dwelling desert geckos that have mostly lost the sticky toe pads used by climbing geckos.

The new species is distinctive in that it still has small toe pads and still spends some of its time climbing low shrubs.

The scientific name ‘bungabinna’ is derived from the Bungalbin Sandplain in the west and the Yellabinna Sandplain in South Australia where it occurs.

Continuing work involving studies of both the physical appearance and the genetic diversity of Australia’s geckos is revealing that there are yet more new species to be described.

The research on both species was carried out at the Western Australian Museum and South Australian Museum, and was funded by a grant from the Australia and Pacific Science Foundation.

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Critically Endangered Fruit Bat Make Dramatic Return From Brink Of Extinction

ScienceDaily 3 Nov 08;

A once critically endangered bat species, the ‘Pemba flying fox’, has made a dramatic return from the brink of extinction, according to new research. As recently as 1989, only a scant few individual fruit bats could be observed on the tropical island of Pemba, off Tanzania. Its numbers have since soared to an astounding 22,000 bats in less than 20 years, the new research finds.


The species was facing imminent extinction in the 1990’s when Fauna & Flora International (FFI) first took action to save it. Once considered a delicacy, these charismatic bats were hunted and eaten widely throughout the island. By the 1990s the bats looked doomed, with 95% of its forest habitat destroyed and an extremely slow reproductive rate (just one young per adult female each year).

The FFI-initiated survey, carried out by Janine Robinson for the University of East Anglia, indicates that the Pemba flying fox population has fully recovered to at least 22,000 but possibly up to 35,600 individuals – proving that conservation can work, even in the most dire-seeming situations.

Over the past 13 years, FFI has helped to reduce the threat from hunting, set up two new forest reserves to safeguard the bat’s habitat and raised awareness of the need for conservation throughout Pemba’s communities. The species has now been downgraded to ‘Vulnerable’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List for threatened species.

Today, Pemba flying foxes are much loved by islanders, with local people helping to protect the bat through community-led “Pemba flying fox clubs”.

FFI East Africa Programme Assistant, Joy Juma, has played a crucial role in FFI’s efforts to save the bat.

“Less than twenty years ago this bat looked set to disappear off the face of the planet forever. Thanks to the enthusiasm of local people, FFI’s ongoing conservation efforts have managed to claw this species back from the brink of extinction,” said Joy. “At one time roast bat was a very common dish on Pemba. Now people value the bats for different reasons.”

This recovery is testament to successful emergency intervention efforts by FFI, working closely with a local partner, the Department of Commercial Crops, Fruits and Forestry (DCCFF).

Flying Fox Facts:

• The Pemba flying fox is a type of ‘old world fruit bat’, endemic to the island of Pemba, Tanzania, meaning it cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
• The bat’s wingspan is estimated at over 5.5 feet.
• The bat has an average body weight of between 400-650g, which is about half the weight of the average guinea pig.
• Fruit bats are ecologically and economically important - particularly so on oceanic islands - playing a vital role as seed dispersers and pollinators and facilitating ‘gene flow’ between isolated populations of plants.
• Flying foxes belong to the sub-order Megachiroptera, of which there are 167 species worldwide, and are the largest bats in the world.
• Island endemic species are thought to be particularly vulnerable to extinction, primarily due to their small geographic range. The fact that they have evolved in isolation from predators and competitors (particularly humans), makes them vulnerable to the effects of overexploitation and introduced species.
• Islands have been highlighted as one of the priority areas for the global conservation of bats, as they contain a large proportion of the world’s most threatened bats.

Five-Foot Bat, African Delicacy, Is Out in Force for Halloween
Alex Morales, Bloomberg 31 Oct 08;

Oct. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Halloween is getting spookier on Pemba, an island off Tanzania. A giant bat species on the edge of extinction more than a decade ago has quadrupled in number to at least 22,000.

The increase is due to efforts to protect the forest habitat of the creature, known as the Pemba flying fox, and to stop locals from eating the mammal, Fauna and Flora International, a conservation group that's worked for 13 years to preserve the species, said today in an e-mailed statement.

"It's considered a delicacy, and they used to roast it like a chicken, but they don't do that anymore," Joy Juma, who works on the group's East Africa program, said in a telephone interview from Nairobi, Kenya, where she is based. Locals now "benefit from preservation of the bat because tourists come to the island and pay to visit the roost sites."

The bat, whose wingspan can reach 5 1/2 feet (1.7 meters), is a rare conservation success. Half of all mammal species are declining, with only 5 percent on the rise, the International Union for Conservation of Nature said on Oct. 6 when it published its Red List of endangered species.

The Pemba flying fox now numbers at least 22,000, according to a Fauna and Flora survey carried out from March to June. That's up from as few as 4,600 in 1997 and just a few hundred individuals in the early 1990s, according to the Red List, which categorizes the species as "vulnerable." That's the third highest degree of threat for animals still found in the wild.

The bat, whose Latin name is Pteropus voeltzkowi, has black wings and a tawny body and as an adult weighs between 400 and 650 grams (14 to 23 ounces), less than a typical guinea pig.

Tourists, Mosques

Tour guides have been trained and a visitor center has been built to help local residents benefit from ecotourism and the preservation of indigenous wildlife, Cambridge, England-based Fauna and Flora International said. The group has also helped set up two forest reserves to protect the Pemba flying fox.

Money from guided tours to the areas where the bats roost is plowed back into community funds to pay for communal water pipes and the electricity in mosques, Juma said. "This is a very good example of how you can work with the community to ensure that a species can be conserved."

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Poachers of Asiatic lions jailed

Poachers kill Gir lions for petty money
Gujarat Global News Network 24 Oct 08;

A Junagadh court has sentenced 20 persons including eight women to three year imprisonment for killing six lions in the Gir sanctuary home of Asiatic lions. The verdict first of its kind under the Wildlife Act is the result of immaculate police investigation well supported by the evidence documented by the Forensic Science Laboratory.

The Court also imposed a penalty of Rs 10,000 each, failing which they will serve additional three months in prison. One convict, Berbai (70), had died during the 18 month long trial. All convicts belong to Madhya Pradesh and are associated with the Parghi gang, known for poaching.

Giving details of the investigations, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Pradeep Khanna and IGP Keshavkumar said that a match box bearing label of Madhya Pradesh had led to the Parghi gang. Later FSL investigations confirmed the involvement of people who were rounded up by police on suspicion.

FSL Director J M Vyas who was also present at the media interaction said that this was first case of wildlife in which FSL was used. After establishing the scene of crime, FSL confirmed that two nails in the possession of one of the suspects belonged to lions and blood stains on the shirts of two persons and in the nails of one further gave details of who did what. Presence of Methyl Parathion in the abdomen of one lion gave clue of the poision used to kill the lions.

Methyl parathion, organophosphate, was originally developed by the German pesticide company Bayer. It is a non-systemic pesticide that kills pests by acting as a stomach poison.

It did not end with the investigation. In the court room the gang folded another drama. It sought bail on the ground that the members would report whenever summoned. However, Gujarat police established that the addresses submitted to the court through video recorded statements of people of the villages where the gang members claimed to live. As a result none got bail.

Keshavkumar said that these persons used to sell skins and organs of lions international gangs. These gangs used to fetch millions of rupees from the skin of one lion. However, the poachers got around Rs 50,000 per lion. What is interesting is the fact that lion does not have big market. It is tiger that is still in demand. However, tigers are almost extinct in many forests and so international gangs faked lion organs as that of tiger and sold them at a premium.

He had all praise for the cooperation and support extended by the Madhya Pradesh police in rounding up the poachers.

In the incident that hit headlines in the national media six lions were killed in one month in the in the Babaria range falling under the Gir West forest division in Junagadh. Three lions were killed on March 3, 2007 and the rest were slaughtered on March 29. They were arrested on April 18, 2007 and sent to the Junagadh jail on April 25.

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Chinese Kingdoms Rose, Fell with Monsoons?

Ker Than, National Geographic News 6 Nov 08;

Throughout centuries, the fortunes of China's ancient kingdoms rose and fell with monsoon cycles, a new study suggests.

The discovery is based on a nearly 2,000-year-old record of monsoon activity recently discovered in a cave.

Monsoon winds carry rain-laden clouds through China every summer, providing nearly 80 percent of the annual precipitation in some parts of the country.

When the winds are weak, little to no rain reaches large expanses of China, often plunging those areas into drought.

The new study "is a brilliant analysis of the problematic coincidence of abrupt climate changes and changes in political organization," said Harvey Weiss, an archaeologist at Yale University who was not involved in the study.

"Really Surprised"

In the Wanxiang cave in north-central China, researchers discovered a record of monsoon activity preserved in a stalagmite—a rock formed by mineral-rich waters dripping onto the cave floor year after year.

The rock had been growing continuously for 1,800 years, from A.D. 190 to 2003.

Like trees, stalagmites have annual growth rings that can provide clues about local environmental conditions for a particular year.

The team measured the amount of oxygen-18—a rare form of "heavy" oxygen—in the stalagmite growth rings. Growth rings with large amounts of oxygen-18 indicate years of weak summer monsoons and less rains.

Comparing the stalagmite record with Chinese history, the researchers found that a period of strong monsoons was associated with the "golden age" of the Northern Song dynasty.

During that time, improved rice yields allowed the population to increase from 60 million to as many as 120 million.

"I was really surprised," said study co-author Hai Cheng, a geologist at the University of Minnesota.

Furthermore, weak monsoon seasons coincided with droughts and the declines of the Tang, Yuan, and Ming dynasties.

Weak monsoons may have helped trigger one of the most tumultuous eras in Chinese history, called the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, according to the study, detailed tomorrow in the journal Science.

During this time, five dynasties rose and fell within only a few decades, and China fractured into several independent nation-states.

"Compelling"

Peter deMenocal is a paleoclimatologist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in New York.

"The synchrony between these cultural events and climate change events is really compelling," deMenocal said.

DeMenocal's research has examined the role of climate change in the declines of ancient civilizations, including those of the Maya and Mesopotamians.

Throughout history, climate change has likely exacerbated already tense situations within empires caused by political upheavals or societal unrest, he said.

"Climate in many cases acts like the straw that broke the camel's back," deMenocal said.

Continuous Effect

The monsoon effect on China continues today, the study authors added.

Scientists have linked droughts plaguing large swaths of modern China to weakening monsoon winds during the past half century.

"The local government has sometimes had to move people out of some regions because they don't have enough water," said study co-author Cheng.

Monsoon variability in the past was driven by natural influences—such as changes in solar cycles and global temperatures. But today's waning monsoons are the results of human-driven greenhouse gas emissions, the new study suggests.

"I do think it's useful to look at this [study] as a lesson for our future," Columbia's deMenocal said.

"In their time, these ancient cultures were in many ways just as impressive as modern societies."

Monsoon link to fall of dynasties
BBC News 6 Nov 08;

The demise of some of China's ruling dynasties may have been linked to changes in the strength of monsoon rains, a new study suggests.

The findings come from 1,800-year record of the Asian monsoon preserved in a stalagmite from a Chinese cave.

Weak - and therefore dry - monsoon periods coincided with the demise of the Tang, Yuan and Ming imperial dynasties, the scientists said.

A US-Chinese team report their work in the journal Science.

Stalagmites are largely made up of calcium carbonate, which precipitates from groundwater dripping from the ceiling of a cave.

Chemical analysis of a 118mm-long stalagmite from Wangxiang Cave, in Gansu province, north-west China, told the history of strong and weak cycles in the monsoon - the rains that water crops to feed millions of people in Asia.

It also shows that, over the last 50 years, greenhouse gases and aerosols have taken over from natural variability to become the dominant influence on the monsoon.

Death of dynasties

Small variations in the forms, or isotopes, of the stalagmite's oxygen composition reflected variations in rainfall near the cave.

Proportions of the radioactive elements uranium and thorium in the deposit allowed the researchers to date the stalagmite layers to within an average of two-and-a-half years.

By comparing the rain record with Chinese historical records, Pingzhong Zhang of Lanzhou University in China, and colleagues, found three out of five "multi-century" dynasties - the Tang, the Yuan and the Ming - ended after several decades of weaker summer monsoons with drier conditions.

"Summer monsoon winds originate in the Indian Ocean and sweep into China," said Hai Cheng, co-author from the University of Minnesota, US.

"When the summer monsoon is stronger, it pushes farther north-west into China."

These moisture-laden winds bring rain necessary for cultivating rice. But when the monsoon is weak, the rains stall farther south and east, depriving northern and western parts of China of summer rains.

This could have led to poor rice harvests and civil unrest, the researchers speculate.

"Whereas other factors would certainly have affected these chapters of Chinese cultural history, our correlations suggest that climate played a key role," the researchers write in Science.

But a weak monsoon could also be linked to changes further afield. The researchers say a dry period between 850AD and 940AD coincides not only with the decline of the Chinese Tang dynasty but also with the fall of the Mayan civilization in America.

Human influence

Subsequent strengthening of the monsoon may have contributed to the rapid increase in rice cultivation, a dramatic increase in population and general stability at the beginning of China's Northern Song Dynasty.

The monsoon record also matched up nicely with the advance and retreat of Swiss glaciers.

Scientists say the natural archive shows that climate change can have devastating effects on local populations - even when this change is mild when averaged across the globe.

In the cave record, the monsoon followed trends in solar activity over many centuries, suggesting the Sun played an important role in the variability of this weather system.

To a lesser extent, it also followed northern hemisphere temperatures on a millennial and centennial scale. As temperatures went up, the monsoon became stronger and, as they dropped, it weakened.

However, over the last 50 years, this relationship has switched. The researchers attribute this to the influence of greenhouse gas emissions and sulphate aerosols released by human activities.

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Hollywood spotlights environment

Sue Zeidler, Yahoo News 6 Nov 08;

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood is turning the silver screen "green," but cutting waste, energy and costs in an industry known for big budgets and over-the-top productions is not easy, even in the trend setting movie business.

Hollywood has long used its star power to help the environment. A-list stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert Redford are well-known environmentalists and Al Gore's 2006 Oscar-winning "An Inconvenient Truth," about global warming, is widely credited for making the issue more mainstream.

Now the industry is trying to reduce the environmental harm caused by its big, but largely temporary, film and TV shoots.

"While celebrities have long been environmental activists, studios and production companies have been cautious about adopting the green philosophy as it applies to their business operations," says Zahava Stroud, of iHollywood Forum, which will host a "Hollywood Goes Green" conference next month.

Sustainable solutions should also help studios improve profitability during the economic downturn, analysts said.

To "green up" their businesses, many studios now have departments dedicated to reducing their carbon footprints and some have even offered staff incentives to buy hybrid cars.

But the biggest challenge is cutting down on the excesses of large-scale productions.

"While there's been a lot of greening of studio lots, what still needs to be focused on is the actual production process, in terms of fuel consumption, energy efficiency, waste generation and food sourcing," said Lauren Selman, chief executive of Reel Green Media, a consultant that helps movie sets incorporate environmental practices.

FUELING PRODUCTIONS

Some cite the industry's massive use of fuel and diesel engines on location as its biggest problem.

"Consider how much fuel we use. Generators, night shoots, 'distant locations,' trucks per shoot, idling trucks, moving cranes, moving everything, people, wardrobe, grip equipment, out to the set and back, move locations, fly crews and helicopters," film and TV producer Judith James wrote in Traction, an online publication for women in Hollywood.

Studio executives agreed.

"The infrastructure within the studio is much more conducive to green guidelines, but once production goes on location it gets more difficult," said Shelley Billik, vice president of environmental initiatives for Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros, but added that studios were increasingly shooting in areas around New Mexico and in Vancouver due to their environmental advocacy.

"There's no question that shooting on location uses a lot of energy, and we're looking at ways to reduce our impact... running tests with biodiesel fuel and solar energy to power our production equipment, and exploring new technologies such as more efficient LED lighting and using digital cameras," said Jim Kennedy, a spokesman at Sony Pictures, a unit of Sony Corp. He added that more needs to be done industry-wide.

Rachel Webber, director of Energy Initiatives for News Corp, said her company works hard to find vendors who offer low-carbon products and services and to encourage behavioral change among crews when shooting on location.

"One of our current priorities is measuring the supply chain carbon impact of our film and TV productions," she said.

The studios have made some big green strides.

In 2007, News Corp's 20th Century Fox, General Electric Co's NBC Universal, Viacom Inc's Paramount, Sony Pictures, Walt Disney Co, Warner Bros. and the West Coast broadcast and production arms of Disney's ABC and CBS Corp collectively diverted 20,862 tons of studio sets and other solid waste from landfills to reuse and recycle, according to Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

As a result, the studios prevented the emission of 65,497 metric tons of greenhouse gasses -- the annual equivalent of removing 14,176 cars from the road, the MPAA said.

The MPAA in April also released a Best Practices Guide for Green Production, but Melissa Patack, vice president of state government affairs of the MPAA, said setting industry standards is tough because the business is so fragmented.

"There are a lot of components to production and a lot of different parts moving simultaneously, which poses a challenge for standardization of environmental practices," she said. "There isn't one template that fits everyone."

As it addresses these challenges, Hollywood and its stars can always at least be counted on getting the message out.

Later this month, former TV host Sonny Fox will bring together producers and writers in Los Angeles to discuss how to integrate climate change into story lines of prime time shows.

(Editing by Andre Grenon, Bernard Orr)

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Germany urges Obama to give world new "green" deal

Reuters 6 Nov 08;

BERLIN (Reuters) - The United States after Barack Obama becomes president must work closely with Europe to fight climate change, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Thursday.

"The world needs a 'new green deal'," Germany's Vice Chancellor said in a speech opening a two-day conference "Climate Change as a Security Threat." Steinmeier has warned climate change is a cause of friction and a threat to peace. Germany long has been a leading critic of U.S. President George W. Bush's resistance to cuts in greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.

President-elect Obama said in his acceptance speech on Tuesday that climate change was a top priority, alongside wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- marking a sharp shift with Bush.

In his speech, Steinmeier said he was confident Obama was serious about tackling climate change. Steinmeier, who met Obama in July, said he had made his views on fighting climate change clear during the U.S. election.

"Obama is fully aware of America's global responsibility," Steinmeier said at the conference in Freiburg, a hotbed of photovoltaic energy production in Germany's southwest corner also known as the country's "solar city."

"It's hard to imagine a better time for this conference -- 24 hours after the U.S. election," he said in the speech, extracts of which were released by the Foreign Ministry.

"Climate change is a challenge that we'll either rise to meet collectively or we will fail collectively," Steinmeier said, adding close European-American cooperation in the fight against global warming is vital to finding solutions.

Germany is a world leader of renewable energy and produces more than half of the world's photovoltaic energy. The European Union plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.

Obama aims to cut U.S. emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050 even though U.S. emissions were 14 percent above 1990 levels in 2006.

Obama's targets are nevertheless a welcome shift from Bush, who kept the United States isolated from 37 other industrial nations by rejecting the U.N.'s carbon-capping Kyoto Protocol.

(Writing by Erik Kirschbaum; editing by Michael Roddy)

Could Obama appoint a "climate czar"?
Deborah Zabarenko Reuters 6 Nov 08;

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. environmental groups see Barack Obama's presidential victory as a chance to undo the Bush legacy on global warming, and one idea they are discussing is the possibility of a White House "climate czar".

Members of the environmental community in and around Washington say such a post could oversee various government agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Interior Department, to focus on tackling global warming and fostering clean energy to jump-start the flagging economy.

"For the first time, candidates and voters are really connecting the dots between energy, the environment and the economy," said Cathy Duvall, Sierra Club's political director. She said at a news briefing that Obama had made it clear that investing in cleaner energy would be a top priority in his plan for economic recovery.

One way to coordinate these interrelated issues would be to have one person in charge, based at the White House, according to sources in the environmental community familiar with the idea.

They said this could be part of a White House special council on energy and environment, analogous to the National Security Council. This kind of organization could be more effective than the Environmental Protection Agency has been under President George W. Bush, one source said.

Obama made clear in his acceptance speech on Tuesday that he sees climate change as a critical problem, along with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the wilting economy.

"For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century," the Illinois Democratic senator said in Chicago.

Obama also has articulated that the economy, energy and climate change are inter-related problems.

The Bush administration has been accused by environmental groups of politicizing decision-making and failing to act on U.S. government scientists' recommendations to curb greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.

Bush accepts that human activities spur climate change, but has rejected mandatory across-the-board limits on global warming emissions, maintaining that this would hurt the U.S. economy. The United States is alone among major industrialized nations in staying out of the carbon-curbing Kyoto Protocol.

SOMEONE WITH THE PRESIDENT'S TRUST

There is now a White House Council on Environmental Quality that is the Bush administration's policy voice on climate change, but its staff is small and it might not have the resources to do the wide-ranging job some environmental experts see as necessary.

"What Obama understands is that dealing with the transition to a new energy economy is the centerpiece for getting the economy moving again," said Alden Meyer, director of strategy and policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Meyer said this needs to be approached in a strategic and integrated way.

"I think they need to make clear who's running the show on these issues," Meyer said by telephone. "It's got to be someone who has the trust and ear of the president, someone who's positioned in the White House and someone who has the authority to get the agencies to cooperate on running the agenda. That's a heavy lift."

With such a wide-ranging position still in the discussion stage, speculation has centered on likely candidates for Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

These include Democratic Governors Janet Napolitano of Arizona and Kathleen Sibelius of Kansas, both of whom have pushed to limit greenhouse emissions.

Carol Browner, who is part of the Obama transition team, is a former EPA chief and could conceivably be offered an environment post in the new administration.

Mary Nichols, now head of California's Air Resources Board, has been active in opposing a state ballot proposition that she maintains would increase greenhouse emissions. As a member of Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration, she is seen as having the ability to work across party lines.

Kathleen McGinty, Pennsylvania's former Environment Secretary, has also been mentioned as a possible EPA chief.

Jonathan Lash, president of the World Resources Institute, which does policy research on environment and sustainability, is also considered a potential candidate.

(Editing by Anthony Boadle)

Obama's positions on energy issues
Reuters 6 Nov 08;

(Reuters) - Energy was a major issue in the U.S. presidential campaign after high gasoline prices added to consumer woes this year and candidates pledged to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil.

Here is a look at the energy plan of President-elect Barack Obama.

ENERGY RESEARCH

Obama wants to invest $150 billion over 10 years on low-carbon energy sources that will help create 5 million jobs, double research and development spending on biomass, solar and wind resources; accelerate commercialization of plug-in hybrid cars, invest in low-emission coal plants.

WINDFALL PROFITS TAX

Obama supports a five-year windfall tax on excessive profits of large oil companies. The proceeds from the tax would pay for a $1,000 tax rebate for low- and middle-income families to help them cope with rising energy prices.

OIL USE

Obama would reduce overall U.S. oil consumption within 10 years to offset the millions of barrels of crude imported from OPEC members in the Middle East and Venezuela.

VEHICLE FUEL ECONOMY

Obama would raise vehicle fuel economy standards by 4 percent a year and give automakers $4 billion in assistance to retool plants for making new fuel-efficient cars. Provide a $7,000 tax credit for purchasing "advanced technology" vehicles and put 1 million plug-in hybrid cars that get 150 miles per gallon on the road by 2015.

EXISTING DRILLING LEASES

Require energy companies to develop the 68 million acres leased from the government for oil and natural gas drilling or lose those leases.

OFFSHORE DRILLING

Obama opposed lifting the congressional moratorium on drilling in federal lands off U.S. coasts, but now says he would support limited expanded offshore drilling as part of broader legislation to help solve America's energy problems.

ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE DRILLING

Obama opposes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE

Earlier in the campaign, Obama opposed releasing oil from the reserve unless there was a severe supply disruption, but he now supports releasing 70 million barrels of light sweet crude, which would be replaced later with heavier crude.

BIOFUELS

Require the U.S. to produce at least 60 billion gallons of advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol a year by 2030; build ethanol distribution infrastructure, mandate that all new vehicles be "flex fuel" by end of his first term, produce 2 billion gallons of "cellulosic" ethanol from non-corn sources like switchgrass and wood chips by 2013.

NUCLEAR POWER

Obama supports nuclear power, but says how to dispose of nuclear waste from U.S. plants and prevent nuclear proliferation must be solved before more reactors are built. He opposes storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Obama would cut carbon dioxide emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050; reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2020; require fuel suppliers to cut carbon content of their fuel by 10 percent by 2020.

ELECTRICITY

Obama wants to require U.S. utilities to generate 10 percent of their electricity from renewable sources like wind, solar and geothermal by 2012 and 25 percent by 2025; extend for 5 years the federal production tax credit for electricity generated by renewable sources; modernize the electric grid.

WEATHERIZE HOMES

Obama wants to weatherize 1 million low-income homes a year by installing fuel-efficient furnaces, replacing windows and adding insulation.

(Compiled by Tom Doggett and Ayesha Rascoe; Editing by Walter Bagley)

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