Best of our wild blogs: 8 Sep 09

Project Mending Sky: YOU
from AsiaIsGreen

21-23 Oct (Wed-Fri): ASEAN Conference on Biodiversity 2009
Registration closes 18 Sep; only 30 places allocated for Singapore participants, from wild shores of singapore

The Perfect St Andrew's Cross Web
from Life's Indulgences

What a hairy-looking caterpillar!
from The Lazy Lizard's Tales

Death in small doses
from The annotated budak and Pray don't and What's the point? and Beelittled

A sparrowhawk’s kill
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Monitor Lizard
from Manta Blog

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Cukup Rudiyanto: Of mangroves and monkeys

Toto Dartoyo, The Jakarta Post 8 Aug 09;

Back in the 1980s, thousands of monkeys were living in the mangrove forests in Pabean Ilir village in the West Java town of Indramayu, where Cukup Rudiyanto lives.

Now the monkeys have disappeared, and no one knows where they’ve gone. There’s not even one left. The thousands of hectares of mangrove forest where they lived were turned into fishponds.

But for Cukup, as his neighbors call him, it wasn’t just his longing to see the monkeys that inspired him to replant hundreds of hectares of mangrove trees at the edge of the beach in the Pasekan and Cantigi subdistricts in the north of Java.

Rather, it was a message from his father that inspired him: His father once said that Indonesia would never be independent if the nation didn’t have forests. All the guerrilla fighters in the past who opposed the colonizers used the forests to move about unseen.

“So guard the forests”: That was the father’s advice to the young Cukup.

Now a couple of weeks shy of his 33rd birthday and a father himself, Cukup still remembers that message — a message that led to him winning a Kalpataru award as an Environment Pioneer. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono presented him with the award on National Environment Day in 2008.

The care required, and the awareness needed, to repair the damaged mangrove forests and the eroded beach that stretches for 60 kilometers along the two subdistricts grew more demanding as he grew older.

“After I became an adult I found the courage to remind the community not to cut down the mangrove forests along the edge of the beach,” Cukup told The Jakarta

Post recently. “Because erosion can’t be prevented when there are no mangroves.”

But Cukup’s attitude only had the effect of angering the community in the village, who did not care about Cukup’s warning.

They argued that, by felling the mangrove forests and turning the area into fishponds to grow shrimp, their actions would reduce unemployment and poverty.

The community went ahead with felling the mangroves; Cukup could do nothing to stop them. He even received death threats, which he admitted was frightening.

Consequently, before long, the community owned fishponds, which did indeed, as they had expected, have financial benefits.

But that didn’t last long.

Cukup’s fears became reality. Slowly but surely, erosion swept away their fishponds. As far as the eye could see, all that remained were the beach and pools of seawater.

Cukup got to work. With the help of his relatives, he raised seedlings and replanted the area. Slowly, the area that had once held fishponds turned green. The twitter of the beach birds began to be heard again.

“Only the monkeys haven’t been seen,” said Cukup.

As members of the community came to realize what had happened, they finally began to respect his views. Once the mangrove forests had regrown, Cukup allowed the community to reopen the remaining fishponds.

“Once they became aware of the situation it was easy for me to approach the community,” he said.

“Now we’re busy replanting new mangrove forests, apart from the 600 hectares which was already there.”

The efforts to reclaim the beach area and repair the damage finally attracted the concern of a Japanese NGO called OISCA (Organization for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement). This is non-profit organization aims to build industry, encourage the work ethic and reflect the culture of the community in the nation.

“I felt that we were being helped by this NGO,” he said. “OISCA appointed me as the mangrove coordinator for the West Java region.”

The success of Cukup, who studied law at Wiralodra University, in being awarded a Kalpataru award, and his involvement with an international organization, drew positive interest from neighboring countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.

“They used to come here to do comparison studies,” said Cukup with pride.

But any pride he might feel has been eclipsed by worry, because of an industrial incident where raw oil leaked in the area of Balongan Indramayu, killing 200 hectares of year-old mangrove trees. This event has largely passed unnoticed by the local government and the management of state oil company Pertamina.

“If no serious attention is paid to this leak, I fear that the aid we have been getting from OISCA will be stopped,” Cukup said.

Despite these concerns, Cukup plans to keep working to green his area.

“I am so determined to do it and I hope that I can help a little to reduce global warming,” he said.

Now, apart from planting mangroves to preserve the environment, Cukup is trying to increase the local economy by inviting his supporters to plant trees that have the potential to be productive.

Read more!

Changi motorsports hub bidders reveal proposals

938LIVE Channel NewsAsia 7 Sep 09;

SINGAPORE: The three groups bidding to design, build and manage the Changi Motorsports Hub made their presentations to the media on Monday.

Singapore Agro Agricultural or SAA, a consortium led by Turf City Management, was the first to unveil its proposal. Among its unique selling points is the fact that it has secured the exclusive rights to stage the annual MotoGP series, which is motorcycling's equivalent to Formula One racing.

Calling the facility the Changi International Speedway or CIS, it will comprise a 4.4-kilometre race track that includes 16 turns. There will also be an 8,000-seater covered grandstand overlooking the ocean, plus a full view of the entire race track.

Adjacent to it is the Motorsports Centre of Excellence, which can also accommodate another 4,000 on a temporary basis. Together with a third temporary grandstand and walkabout tickets, the CIS can accommodate up to 60,000 people.

The SAA bid also includes entertainment, shopping, dining and auto workshop facilities which will be made available to the public.

The second consortium is Sports Services, which is owned by the Haw Par Group. Its S$200m proposal includes a 4.2-kilometre track that is designed by world renowned Herman Tilke. He had designed world-class race tracks in Sepang, Shanghai and Abu Dhabi.

Going with the policy of "Motorsports for the Masses", this tender bid also sees the Motorsports Hub being used for carnivals, marathons and corporate events.

The Sports Services Group is confident of bringing Japan's Super GT series and Australia's Super V8 series to thrill fans. Several new local championships will be organised to nurture and groom Singapore drivers.

A prominent feature of the bid sees the establishment of a motorsports country club, which will cater to 3,000 members.

Among the three bidders, SG Changi is the only one that is proposing a track below 4 kilometres long. But Mr Thia Yoke Fan, one of four shareholders of the consortium, said it would result in a faster track.

The 3.7-kilometre long circuit will have a seating capacity of 30,000, including a permanent solar-roof grandstand to accommodate 8,000 seats. Costing about S$280m, it will include a motorsports museum.

The consortium said it has been given "Letters of Interests" from the popular Japan Super GT Series, Australia's V8 Supercars and FIA GT to race on the track should they win the bid.

Apart form Mr Thia, the other shareholders of the company are Singaporean Eddie Koh and former Japan GT driver Genji Hashimoto and Fuminori Murhashi.

- 938LIVE/ir

Motorsports hub: 3 groups unveil plans
The winner which will develop Changi site to be known early next year
Leonard Lim, Straits Times 8 Sep 09;

SLEEPY Changi could soon stage motorcycling's equivalent of Formula One, have a race driving academy whose graduates include top F1 drivers, or be transformed into a family-friendly shopping and entertainment destination.

These tantalising features and more were dangled by the three groups bidding to develop the Changi Motorsports Hub, a facility crucial for Singapore to be an international motorsports destination, in separate presentations to the media yesterday.

The hub will be located on a 41ha site near Changi Airport and is expected to cost between $200 million and $300 million. It will be completed in late 2011.

Based on tender specifications, it will have a track that can host any race except F1, grandstands for at least 8,000 spectators, and car industry-related amenities.

Singapore Agro Agriculture's (SAA) trump card is that it has clinched a deal to stage MotoGP at night - a coup which would see Singapore hosting the top tiers of both motorcycling and motor-racing under the stars.

'That's the jewel in our crown,' said chief operating officer Jason Wong of SAA Holdings, the company behind food-and-retail hub Turf City.

Sports Services, backed by public-listed leisure and health-care products company Haw Par Corporation, emphasised its strong financial position.

This is a possible edge given the trouble in securing loans which is preventing another mega project, the $1.87billion Kallang Sports Hub, from getting started.

Haw Par executive director Chng Hwee Hong said: 'We have a strong balance sheet and a reputation to uphold. Financing is not a main concern, what matters is the project's long-term sustainability.'

Subscription fees from a 3,000-member MotorSports Country Club will help defray the hub's capital and operating costs. Members will have free use of the 4.2km track - good enough to be an F1-test venue - and the right to rent bonded garage space.

The internationally-renowned and United States-based Jim Russell driving academy - graduates include current F1 championship leader Jenson Button - will be another draw.

Track designer Hermann Tilke, who drew up the Marina Bay F1 circuit, also told the Sports Services consortium recently that MotoGP promoters were keen for a tie-up if it won the bid.

SG Changi, fronted by Jurong Kart World, is banking on facilities that will provide entertainment for a wider crowd than just racing enthusiasts.

'Most race tracks are a men-only venue but we want to sell ourselves as a family and tourist destination,' said Mr Norman Simon, managing director of norman2, the firm which is marketing the bid.

Video arcades, a 120-room three-star hotel, a museum and beach activities are part of its proposal.

Five criteria will be used in evaluating bids: Ability to position the hub as the preferred venue for international motorsports events (40 per cent); contribution towards developing a centre of excellence for motorsports training and education (20 per cent); financial and business sustainability (20 per cent); contribution towards developing the local motorsports ecosystem (10 per cent), and attractiveness of commercial mix and events (10 per cent).

The winner will be announced in the first quarter of next year.

Changi Motorsports Hub proposals roll in
All three bidders have clearly different visions, despite putting in similar elements
Nisha Ramchandani, Business Times 8 Sep 09;

(SINGAPORE) Three visions of one dream were on display yesterday when parties vying to build and operate Changi Motorsports Hub (CMH) unveiled their proposals.

Guidelines issued by the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) for the 41 hectare site include a track of at least 3.5 km to be certified Grade 2 by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and Grade 1 by the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM).

All three bidders have incorporated elements such as retail, F&B, training academy, Go-Kart track and capacity for at least 30,000 spectators in their bids - but their visions clearly differ.

Singapore Agro Agricultural (SAA)'s 4.37km track will not only meet the FIA-2 and FIM-1 standards but has been designed so it could be extended for Formula One racing should the opportunity arise, SAA said.

The company, whose shareholder Tan Chee Beng is a director of Turf City Management, has also landed an agreement to bring in the hugely popular MotoGP, Formula Ford, Clio Cup and Asia GT races.

SAA reckons that cost of developing its Changi International Speedway at CMH will be around $250-$300 million, to be financed by a mix of debt and investment. It expects to recoup the investment over five years.

Haw Par Corp's wholly owned subsidiary Sports Services proposes to develop a 3,000-member motorsports country club to offset the hefty project cost of CMH - 'in excess of $200 million' - and operating costs. Details of club fees and subscription charges are still to be ironed out.

Sports Services also plans for a Customs-bonded zone with a 563-car garage, where enthusiasts can keep supercars without having to pay massive duty.

For instance, a duty free Ferrari 430F1 Spider has an OMV of $210,000 - plus roughly $255,000 in duty. However, the duty-free car would have to remain within the zone.

Sports Services' plan for a 4.2km track is expected to fulfil FIM-1 certification as well as FIA-1T, which means F1 cars could be tested.

So far, it has signed letters of intent with Australia's V8Supercars and Super GT out of Japan to bring those races here. Other potential events include Asian Superbike, Formula Drift and Race Masters Championship.

Meanwhile, SG Changi, a consortium that includes Kart World owner Thia Yoke Kian, has plans for a 3.7km track in line with FIA-2 requirements. But citing safety issues, it says that its track would not meet the FIM-1 grade at present.

Other SG Changi directors include former Japan GT driver Genji Hashimoto and Singaporean Eddie Koh.

SG Changi has secured letters of interest for international events such as FIA-GT, Super GT, Formula Nippon and Nippon Formula 3, as well as regional series such as Motorsports Asia.

Its $280 million vision for the CMH will be bankrolled largely by foreign investor Auto Trading Luft Japan. The plan includes an R&D facility, motorsports museum and a 120-room 3-4 star hotel.

The winning bidder, which will operate the track for 30 years, will be selected by the first quarter of next year.

Read more!

More investments in rice research needed to avoid panic over rice shortage

Gladys Ow, Channel NewsAsia 7 Sep 09;

SINGAPORE: More investments in rice research is needed to ensure adequate rice supply in the long term and avoid last year's panic over rice shortages.

Experts said Singapore is well-positioned to facilitate research and development on rice production.

Early last year, a global rice shortage sent consumers scrambling to stock up on the grain. That sent prices soaring to record highs which affected rice-consuming Asian economies like Singapore.

Prices peaked at around US$1,000 per ton in April 2008, twice the price seven months earlier. To make matters worse, major rice-growing countries like Vietnam and India imposed export restrictions to protect their domestic consumers.

That is a situation governments and consumers all over the world want to prevent.

Rice accounts for more than 40 per cent of the calorie consumption of most Asians. So keeping the price of rice affordable, especially for the poor, is crucial.

In addition, food security in the region is a growing challenge. There will be one billion more mouths to feeds in Asia by 2030.

The Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said scientific research is key to ensure food security. It is collaborating with a biotech company, Syngenta, to help farmers increase their rice yield using technology.

Both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Singapore on Monday. They said Singapore, with its strong research and educational capabilities, can contribute to rice research efforts.

Peter Pickering, region head, Seeds, Syngenta Asia Pacific, said: "Creating more crop with less input is really what we are about. The challenges are to grow higher yields on less land, less water, less fertilisation. Those are the kinds of challenges that everyday rice farmers in the region face.

The Scientific Know-how Exchange Programme (SKEP) is also established to study the genetic composition of rice plants, validate genetic markers of rice plants, remove constraints to production, promote better agricultural practices like water-saving irrigation techniques and build scientific capability by funding learning of young researchers joining the industry.

Dr Robert Zeigler, director general, International Rice Research Institute, said: "Unfortunately, because of urbanisation and competing uses of land, we are going to have less land, less water, less labour that can go into rice production.

"So our technology for rice production has got to be more sophisticated and that's going to require long-term efforts by governments and the private sector. Productivity is simply not keeping up with demand.

"The drop-away from the peaks of last year is a subsiding of the panic, but the structural problems that have been pushing rice prices up are still there. And so we've got to make investments, to make sure that we don't find ourselves in the situation again."

Experts said climate change will also continue to affect rice production as severe tropical storms and droughts can destroy crops and further tighten rice supplies. But they believe the long-term prospect of Asia achieving self-sufficiency in rice is reasonably good. - CNA/vm

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Singapore getting more energy efficient

Less electricity used last year to generate each dollar of GDP
Amresh Gunasingham, Straits Times 8 Sep 09;

THE Singapore economy became more energy efficient last year, squeezing more value from every dollar spent on electricity, even as it cost more.

In other words, it took less electricity to generate every dollar of the gross domestic product (GDP) last year - 13 percentage points less than in 1999.

It is significant that the country's energy efficiency went up in a year of spiralling fuel prices. Fuel costs, which make up half the cost of generating electricity here, have risen by 418 per cent since 1999, noted Mr Benjamin Tang, a senior economic analyst at the Energy Studies Institute in the National University of Singapore (NUS).

With oil prices hitting almost US$150 per barrel last year, electricity tariffs were raised by 21 per cent last October - the highest one-time hike in eight years.

More than $8.2 billion was spent on electricity last year, double the amount from a decade ago, going by figures from the Energy Market Authority (EMA), which regulates the electricity and gas industry here.

Bigger energy bills notwithstanding, the country's increased electricity efficiency comes partly out of the economy's move away from the machinery-intensive, energy-guzzling manufacturing activities towards service-oriented industries such as finance and health care. These knowledge- and skills-based sectors require less inputs of energy to generate income, said Professor Ang Beng Wah of the department of industrial and systems engineering at NUS.

Strides made in the technology of power generation and the more productive use of energy in other sectors are also factors, he added.

With rising affluence and economic growth, household electricity consumption peaked at 6,652 gigawatt-hours last year, an increase of 18 per cent from 1995, noted Mr Joseph Hui, director-general of the environmental protection division of the National Environment Agency (NEA). However, domestic consumption as a proportion of overall consumption has fallen - from 19.7 per cent in 2000 to 17.8 per cent of the 37,940.3 kilowatt-hours consumed last year.

Mr Tang said the double-barrelled effect of the downturn and increased electricity tariffs last year made people tighten their belts. The NEA's drive to persuade households to buy energy-efficient appliances and its challenge to them in April last year to practise energy-saving measures could also have had an effect.

An NEA spokesman said household electricity consumption fell 2 per cent between 2007 and last year. The EMA expects electricity demand to grow by between 3 and 4.5 per cent every year in the coming decade as the economy grows.

But Citigroup economist Kit Wei Zheng said if less power is consumed to generate each dollar of GDP, overall costs will be kept in check.

The global demand for energy is expected to jump 45 per cent between now and 2030, fuelled by economies such as China, India and Brazil, said Dr Bindu Lohani, a vice-president at the Asian Development Bank.

'Green' fridges, air-cons easier on the pocket
They may be pricier, but will offer more savings in the long term
Amresh Gunasingham, Straits Times 8 Aug 09;

PAY a few hundred dollars more for an environmentally friendly refrigerator now and reap the savings in the future.

A survey of 11 major electrical retailers here has shown that going green by opting for more energy-efficient air-conditioning and refrigerator systems could shave as much as $4,000 off household utilities bills.

Energy labelling for these home appliances, whose use can make up as much as 50 per cent of an average household's monthly utilities bill, was made mandatory in January last year.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) conducted a 14-month study of 11 local retailers to assess the life-cycle costs of such appliances by adding the purchase price to the expected usage bill incurred over their lifespan.

Mr Ong Seng Eng, director of resource conservation at NEA, said the study was significant in establishing the impact of mandatory labelling on suppliers as well as the benefit derived from energy savings to consumers.

In the case of an air-conditioning unit, the survey found that although the purchase price of a less energy-efficient model could be a few hundred dollars lower, its life-cycle cost could reach $12,000 - in contrast to around $8,000 for the most energy-efficient model.

This calculation is based on the assumption that a home owner's air-con is used up to eight hours a day annually.

Mr Darren Lim, a sales executive at appliance manufacturer Sanyo, said cost is by far the biggest challenge in convincing consumers of the merits of buying energy-efficient products.

'At the initial stage, the consumer pays slightly more, but over the product's lifespan of about eight years, he saves more,' said Mr Lim. The price of Sanyo's most energy-efficient air-con model was $2,999, he said.

Gain City marketing manager Evonne Lee said the company had observed a 22 per cent jump last year in the purchase of more energy-efficient air-cons compared with three years ago.

'The key reason...is the heightened awareness of energy conservation and the cost savings that come with it,' she said.

Mr Joseph Hui, director-general of the environmental protection division at NEA, said there has to be a change in mindset. 'It is really for their own good to save money because in the end, it goes back to them. If electricity prices were to go up in future, even more savings could be reaped,' he said.

Ms Kang Chai Yen, who is in her 30s, switched to a more efficient air-con system last year. The housewife said the change has shaved $30 off her monthly $120 utilities bill.

More cost savings with green household appliances
Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia 7 Sep 09;

SINGAPORE: Investing in green household appliances will result in more cost savings in the long run, according to results of a study conducted by the National Environment Agency (NEA) on energy efficiency.

More Singaporeans are taking steps to make their households energy efficient. According to NEA, 9 per cent more Singaporeans adopted good energy habits last year, compared to 2007.

Household energy consumption accounts for almost 17 per cent of total electricity consumed in Singapore.

But results from NEA's ongoing "10% Energy Challenge" have revealed a 2 per cent drop in the country's total household energy consumption last year, compared to the year before.

Under the Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme, the more ticks an appliance has, the more energy efficient it is. Currently, the scheme applies to only air-conditioners, clothes dryers and refrigerators because they consume the most electricity.

But NEA said on Monday there are plans to expand it to other appliances like lighting fixtures. Its survey also showed that energy-efficient appliances are cheaper to run.

The average cost of purchasing and operating an energy-efficient air-conditioner for eight hours a day over seven years is around S$7,000. A less energy-efficient model, with the same usage pattern, will cost slightly over S$12,000.

Likewise, the cost of an energy-efficient fridge will amount to less than S$2,500 for 10 years, while a less energy-efficient model will cost more than S$3,000 on the same usage pattern.

Some 11 electrical appliance retailers were polled during the 14-month energy label study.

Joseph Hui, director-general of environmental protection, NEA, said: "We need to be aware of all the technologies available in other parts of the world and also be aware of the kinds of incentive schemes and various other schemes that are in place, so that what we subsequently implement in Singapore will be practical."

NEA hopes to spread the message through its Energy Challenge Week, which has started last Saturday.

A fair featuring the latest energy-efficient technology and innovation in household appliances will be held at the Marina Square Central Atrium from September 11 to 13.

Various community events will also be held islandwide until September 13. For more information on NEA's energy efficiency programmes, visit www.e2singapore.gov.sg.

Tick here to pay less
Four-tick models let you save 50 per cent more in bills than single-tick ones
Ong Dai Lin, Today Online 8 Sep 09;

IT DOES not cost more to be green.

Consumers who buy an electrical appliance with four ticks for energy efficiency can save almost 50 per cent in its lifecycle costs as compared to what they would have to fork out if they had opted for a one-tick model. Besides, the higher-rated model may not cost more, a survey by the National Environment Agency (NEA) has shown.

Lifecycle costs refer to the price of the appliance and the electricity cost of running it during its lifespan. For instance, a four-tick air-conditioner which uses 6 kilowatts has a lifecycle cost of around $7,500 if it is on for eight hours a day.

In contrast, a one tick model has a lifecycle cost of $12,000.

The survey, carried out from January last year to February this year, involved 11 retailers. It also showed that a big number of consumers are choosing air-conditioners and refrigerators with two ticks.

These accounted for 34 per cent of the sales for air-conditioners and 49 per cent of sales for refrigerators in the survey period.

Four-tick air-conditioners constituted 37 per cent of sales respectively. The sales of four-tick refrigerators was, however, only 8 per cent; three-tick models were more popular at 42 per cent.

Explaining the trend, NEA's director-general of environmental protection Joseph Hui said the low sales of highest-rated refrigerators could be due to the limited range of such models available.

At the same time, only 10 per cent of air-conditioners and 1 per cent of refrigerators sold do not receive any rating from NEA because they are not energy efficient.

NEA's chief executive officer Andrew Tan said he is "delighted" that retailers have increased their range of the more energy efficient appliances. "This can be attributed to higher consumer demand due to increased sophistication of consumers who are now more aware of the energy savings they can reap by adopting energy-efficient models."

To raise more awareness about energy efficiency, NEA has launched its inaugural Energy Challenge Week last Saturday.

The initiative, which includes a fair at Marina Square Central Atrium and activities in the heartlands to promote energy efficiency, will be held until this Sunday.

For information, visit www.e2singapore.gov.sg/

Read more!

Rare Malaysian yellow spider named after David Bowie

A newly-discovered spider has been named after rock star David Bowie, in an effort to raise awareness about the number of arachnid species threatened with extinction.

The Telegraph 7 Sep 09;

The Heteropoda davidbowie is distinguished by its large size and yellow hair, and is only found in parts of Malaysia.
Bowie was apparently selected for the honour because of his musical contribution to arachnid world – the 1972 concept album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

Peter Jäger, the German spider expert who discovered the Heteropoda davidbowie, said that naming spiders after celebrities helped draw attention to the marginal status of many species as human activity destroys their habitats.

Environmental authorities have traditionally proved reluctant to include spiders on lists of endangered animals, but campaigners like Mr Jäger argue that their decline undermines nature's genetic diversity.

“It is working against time,” he told The Observer. “We are also quickly losing genetic resources that have evolved over more than 300 million years.”

Last year the Rameshwaram Parachute Spider was among thousands of creatures included on a "red list" of endangered species complied by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Less than 500 of the spiders are though to remain, as their woodland habitats on the Indian island of Rameshwaram, close to Sri Lanka, are cleared to make room for hotels and tourist resorts.

Read more!

Tourist hordes told to stay away from world heritage sites by the locals

From Easter Island to Venice, communities are up in arms at the environmental damage being caused by mass tourism

Tracy McVeigh, The Observer 6 Sep 09;

In the brochure or guidebook they look idyllic and fascinating. Unspoilt beaches, ancient monuments and historic cities dripping with charm. But the Wish You Were Here postcard scenes of the world's tourist sites do not show you an increasingly common sight: the band of placard-waving locals who wish you weren't.

Last week the Chilean under-secretary of the interior, Patricio Rosende, travelled more than 2,000 miles to a volcanic speck in the ocean to spend two days in heated talks with the people of Easter Island. Those who live on the island, which is part of Chile and famed for its massive ancient stone statues, believe they are facing ecological disaster because of hordes of tourists. But their complaints have fallen on deaf ears and lack support from those on the island who survive on visitor dollars.

Last month, protesters resorted to blocking the airport, moving tents and trucks on to the runway and demanding that the 65,000 visitors who fly in each year, some of whom choose to stay on and work, be capped. As about 600 angry US tourists expressed their irritation after they faced the resultant flight cancellations at the airport in the Chilean capital, Santiago, the government agreed to discuss the islanders' concerns about overcrowding, the environment and controls on commerce.

"The only thing we are looking for is an answer from the government regarding the need for greater control on who comes to Easter Island," said the island's mayor, Luz Zasso. "We ask, for example, that those who arrive have a card which describes the activity they will be doing here, just like in the Galápagos Islands."

With a population of 4,900 that has grown by 29% since 2002, the island is forced to deal with more than it can handle. A similar problem led to the Pitcairn Islands, also in the Pacific, establishing immigration controls, with categories for "short-period" tourists with a maximum stay of 14 days and "long-period" tourists with a maximum stay of six months.

The Galápagos Islands already have a limit on visitors but still suffer from what some call backpacker fatigue. Only a few weeks ago British and Ecuadorian scientists discovered that a mosquito carrying avian malaria that threatens the unique ecosystem of the islands was being brought in by tourists. The discovery may help local environmental activists, who are hugely concerned about the future of the islands, which two years ago were added to the list of 31 endangered world heritage sites by Unesco.

The Galápagos – an archipelago in the Pacific famed for its huge number of endemic species – saw an increase in the number of visitors from 40,000 in 1990 to more than 170,000 last year, making tourism a major source of income for the islands and mainland Ecuador. In 2007 there were 2,194 flights to the islands and an estimated 363,000 passenger days on boats.

"Few tourists realise the irony that their trip to the Galápagos is putting strain on the very unspoilt beauty they are there to see," said Tom Hall, of the travel guide Lonely Planet. "Tourism round the world is facing some really pressing issues. We are seeing these few demonstrations by locals, but really if you are in a developing country and are worried about these issues you are also going to be worried about your income and about rocking the boat with your government," he said.

"Easter Island is a little different to the Galápagos and a little more complicated. It's a key stopover for flights between Chile and Tahiti, and gets a lot of visitors stopping over for a few days. It's part of many popular round-the-world itineraries for independent travellers and flights here are usually full.

"Owing to this, it doesn't have the option of restricting numbers by aiming at top-end tourists as some countries do – Botswana, for instance. The flip side of that is there are only so many of those tourists to go around. Then places such as Australia market themselves as independent traveller destinations and accordingly have to deal with the problems that brings. The remoteness of Easter Island means it'll never be another Machu Picchu [the Inca mountain city in Peru] in terms of the numbers who visit, but it is almost entirely reliant on tourism so locals are understandably keen to draw attention to and limit any damage.

"High-volume tourism changes places, but you look at what Venice is planning – and is that fair? Should one of the most expensive cities in the world have the right to keep people out?"

What Venice is planning is still very much at the discussion level, but pressure is growing on Italian authorities to take drastic action against the daily influx of visitors who crowd the city's narrow streets and Renaissance square.

Enrico Mingardi, in charge of public transport in the city, has just proposed that tourists should have to pre-book their visits to the city and only so many would be admitted on any one day.

"There's a need to study a project where there is a cap on the number of visitors," he said. "If you have a booking, you can come in; if not, you can't. There is a physical threshold above which we cannot go."

Others in the city have called the plans "undemocratic". Alessandra Smith, a spokeswoman for the Italian State Tourist Board, said an alternative was to encourage people away from the traditional sights. "Venice is not just St Mark's Square, there are areas off the beaten track you can find fewer people… Areas such as what used to be the old Jewish ghetto and quarters, or the island opposite St Mark's Square, are very pleasant. You can explore the old churches and the old docklands; all those areas off the square are much quieter."

But the truth is that there are a decreasing number of quiet spots around the world not being reached by the 903 million pairs of feet that criss-crossed the planet on their holidays in 2007 alone.

Ever since the guidebook to foreign lands became fashionable in Victorian times, tourism has risen steadily. With China and India coming on to the world stage, too, as many more of their citizens catch the travel bug, numbers of tourists have risen steeply year on year for the past five years.

Brazil, Middle East, France, the United States, and even Armenia reported bumper figures for tourism last year. Many blame guidebooks and travel writing for encouraging the boom, but the truth is that when Ernest Hemingway wrote The Snows of Kilimanjaro, he had no idea he would encourage more than 10,000 people to tackle the eroding sides of the Tanzanian peak. Likewise the conquering of Everest has seen a small but devout stream of climbers leave so much litter there that the base camp was described as "the world's highest garbage dump" by mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington.

Clear-up efforts were finally put in place after pressure from local sherpas and the Nepal Mountaineering Association encouraged the Nepalese government to impose a deposit on climbers, refundable only if they take disposable equipment back home with them.

Even the UK has not been immune to the problems, with the standing stones at Stonehenge having to be fenced off from the hands of an over-eager public to prevent damage. Ancient monuments are often particularly vulnerable. When the builders of the tombs of the pharaohs closed the burial places in the Valley of the Kings, they did everything they could to seal them for all eternity.

Ventilation was not a big priority, which is why Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, announced in August that the impact of thousands of tourists every day breathing inside the tombs was causing damage to wall carvings and paint. The grave sites of the boy king Tutankhamun and of Queen Nefertiti and Seti I have so much humidity that fungus is growing on the walls. The Egyptian authorities are now expected to announce plans to close at least those three tombs down to the public completely, replacing them with replicas.

Otherwise, Hawass warned, they would be gone: "The tombs which are open to visitors face severe damage to both colours and the engravings. The levels of humidity and fungus are increasing because of the breath of visitors, and this means that the tombs could disappear in between 150 and 500 years."

The mummy of Tutankhamun, who was made pharaoh at the age of nine, was found in an ornate sarcophagus, his face covered by a solid gold burial mask encrusted with semi-precious stones. It was his image, and the story of his mysterious death in 1324BC at the age of 19 that helped Egypt to sell itself as a tourist destination across the world.

Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities has taken a series of measures to protect the tombs, including restrictions on visitors. The country has come a long way in tackling environmental damage since 1995, when it had to be dissuaded from building a motorway alongside the pyramid of Khufu at Giza, the last of the ancient seven wonders of the world still standing – although earthquakes rather than tourism saw to most of the rest.

Tourism can be seen as either a source of funds to save such sights or the curse that erases them, but at the moment, said Xavier Font of Leeds Metropolitan University's Centre for Responsible Tourism, the right balance is far from being struck. "Around the world, most governments can point to one project where the environment has been considered and the locals are happy, but for every one like that there will be another 10 some 20 miles down the road where the turtle habitat has been destroyed or forests ripped up.

"The problem is in the actual development itself, which has the major impact, and with construction companies building resorts and second homes they are going to sell straight on to operators. There is little impetus to build them with any environmental conscience, when actually it is quite simple to put in measures that will reduce a building's water and energy use. There is a cycle of damage that tourism brings; that's true whether it's Brazil or Benidorm. Places like the Red Sea are using so much water they need a desalination plant. So they put one in, but in the process they over-salinate that area and kill the coral.

"Much of the so-called income generated by tourism goes outside the country to big companies and operators. The people who are crushed by tourism will be the very ones tourists think are getting the money. The reality is the farmer may sell his land to the developer, but then the tourists move in and the price of living becomes so high the farmer can't afford to be there any more."

Not only are we doing damage by thoughtless travelling, he said, we also use more energy and resources on holiday than we do at home.

A rise in eco-holidays and sustainable travel operators may go a little way to addressing the balance but, as more and more tourism sites round the world face backpacker fatigue, some of the world's most famous wonders could increasingly be closed off to the public, accessible only through an image on a postcard.

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Australian marine reserves safe from spill: Garrett

ABC News 8 Sep 09;

The Federal Government says any possible impact from an oil leak in the Timor Sea, off Western Australia's north-west coast, will be addressed.

Crude oil and gas have been flowing into the sea from the West Atlas rig for more than a fortnight. A rig, which has been sent from Singapore to drill a relief well to stop the flow of oil, is expected to arrive on Thursday. The Government expects it will take about a month to stop the leak.

The Federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, says nearby marine reserves are not under immediate threat, but possible impacts on wildlife and the environment are being addressed.

"My department continues to work closely with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and relevant commonwealth and state agencies to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to respond to any impact on wildlife and the broader environment," he said.

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Seed variety loss seen hampering climate response

Reuters 6 Sep 09;

LONDON (Reuters) - Farmers in developing countries are losing traditional varieties because of growing corporate control of the seeds they plant, hampering their ability to cope with climate change, a London-based think tank said on Monday.

The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) said in a report that the diversity of traditional seed varieties is falling fast and this means valuable traits such as drought and pest resistance could be lost forever.

The report was issued ahead of the World Seed Conference which opens on Tuesday at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome.

"Where farming communities have been able to maintain their traditional varieties, they are already using them to cope with the impacts of climate change," said project leader Krystyna Swiderska of IIED.

"But more commonly, these varieties are being replaced by a smaller range of 'modern' seeds that are heavily promoted by corporations and subsidized by governments."

IIED partner organizations in China, India, Kenya and Peru participated in the research behind the report.

The report said an international treaty on the protection of new varieties of plants -- known as UPOV -- protects the profits of private corporations but fails to recognize and protect the rights and knowledge of poor farmers.

"Western governments and the seed industry want to upgrade the UPOV Convention to provide stricter exclusive rights to commercial plant breeders," Swiderska said.

"This will further undermine the rights of farmers and promote the loss of seed diversity that poor communities depend on for their resilience to changing climatic conditions.

(Reporting by Nigel Hunt; Editing by Anthony Barker)

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Food treasures of the wild in peril

FAO 7 Sep 09;

But try the bush-tailed porcupine

7 September 2009, Rome - With food, poorer is often richer. Onion soup wasn't created by any celebrity chef. Nor was apple pie.

But now comes the news that remote tribes in dense tropical forests or frozen polar wastes are keepers of a vast treasurehouse of healthful, nutritious foods — many with extraordinary properties — that more affluent societies can only envy.

This is among the main findings of a recent book, Indigenous People's Food Systems, co-published by FAO and McGill University's Centre for Indigenous People's Nutrition and Environment (CINE). Says Barbara Burlingame, FAO Senior Nutrition Officer, Nutrition Assessment and Nutrient Requirements, "This book shows the wealth of knowledge in indigenous communities, in diverse ecosystems, and the richness of their food resources."

Receding habitats

The bad news is that as wild habitats recede under economic pressures and globalization increasingly standardizes lifestyles, these native foodstuffs are vanishing fast — together with the diets that once kept tribespeople healthy and trim.

Nonetheless, in the Karen community of Sanephong, close to the Myanmar border in Thailand, 661 inhabitants still get to choose from 387 food species including Wax gourd, Jack fruit and Tree Ear, the book's researchers found. Local cuisine featured many mouth-watering specialities not readily found at one's favourite local restaurant, such as painted bullfrog and bush-tailed porcupine.

Nature has clearly been generous to the Karens, who enjoy 208 species of vegetables and 62 different kinds of fruit. But even in an arid, drought-prone zone such as the territory inhabited by Kenya's Maasai tribespeople, 35 different species of herbs, leafy vegetables and wild fruits are documented, while in Canada's frozen north, the Inuits of Baffin Bay boast 79 different wildlife foods including caribou meat and ringed seal.

Four crops

By comparison, diets in industrialized western countries are far more restricted, depending heavily on just four commercial crops — wheat, rice, corn, and soy — often consumed as processed foods or, via animal feed, as meat. Even more alarming are FAO estimates that about three-quarters of the genetic diversity once found in agricultural crops has been lost over the last century.

Traditional foods not only generally taste good but also frequently contain very high levels of micronutrients. In Mand, a hamlet on the Micronesian island of Pohnpei, Utin Llap, one of the 26 local varieties of bananas contains huge amounts of Beta-Carotene — more effective in combating Vitamin A deficiency than any pharmaceutical preparation.

Of the 12 indigenous groups studied in the book, the percentage of adult dietary energy obtained from traditional food varied between 93 percent for the Awajun of Peru, among whom obesity is almost non-existent, and 27 percent for Mand's 500 villagers who now face a series of diet-induced health problems.

Diet disorders

Says Burlingame, "The shift away from traditional food resources to commercial, convenience foods is often accompanied by an increase in diet-related disorders like obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure."

It is therefore important to preserve such resources, not only for the indigenous groups concerned, but also as an important store of biodiversity for all nations. A first step, says Burlingame, is to conduct more research to better understand the importance of these foods nutritionally. Indigenous peoples take pride in their local foods when they know how unique and beneficial they can be. A second step is to help them find wider markets, locally and farther afield, not only for their food produce, but for the medicinal plants they often have in abundance.

But some of this could already be happening. Among the Inuit, who have developed an appetite for frozen pizza, spaghetti and carbonated soft drinks, 31 percent of total energy came from traditional food sources a decade ago, whereas in 2006 the figure had risen to 41 percent. This indicates a return to tradition.

And it could be that in the not too distant future the choice for dining out will no longer be between national cuisine and ethnic but feature a new entry: "How about indigenous tonight".

Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems is on sale through the FAO Online Publications Catalogue

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Half Of Fish Consumed Globally Is Now Raised On Farms, Study Finds

ScienceDaily 7 Sep 09;

Aquaculture, once a fledgling industry, now accounts for 50 percent of the fish consumed globally, according to a new report by an international team of researchers. And while the industry is more efficient than ever, it is also putting a significant strain on marine resources by consuming large amounts of feed made from wild fish harvested from the sea, the authors conclude. Their findings are published in the Sept. 7 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

"Aquaculture is set to reach a landmark in 2009, supplying half of the total fish and shellfish for human consumption," the authors wrote. Between 1995 and 2007, global production of farmed fish nearly tripled in volume, in part because of rising consumer demand for long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Oily fish, such as salmon, are a major source of these omega-3s, which are effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the National Institutes of Health.

"The huge expansion is being driven by demand," said lead author Rosamond L. Naylor, a professor of environmental Earth system science at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Program on Food Security and the Environment. "As long as we are a health-conscious population trying to get our most healthy oils from fish, we are going to be demanding more of aquaculture and putting a lot of pressure on marine fisheries to meet that need."

Fishmeal and fish oil

To maximize growth and enhance flavor, aquaculture farms use large quantities of fishmeal and fish oil made from less valuable wild-caught species, including anchoveta and sardine. "With the production of farmed fish eclipsing that of wild fish, another major transition is also underway: Aquaculture's share of global fishmeal and fish oil consumption more than doubled over the past decade to 68 percent and 88 percent, respectively," the authors wrote.

In 2006, aquaculture production was 51.7 million metric tons, and about 20 million metric tons of wild fish were harvested for the production of fishmeal. "It can take up to 5 pounds of wild fish to produce 1 pound of salmon, and we eat a lot of salmon," said Naylor, the William Wrigley Senior Fellow at Stanford's Woods Institute for the Environment and Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.

One way to make salmon farming more environmentally sustainable is to simply lower the amount of fish oil in the salmon's diet. According to the authors, a mere 4 percent reduction in fish oil would significantly reduce the amount of wild fish needed to produce 1 pound of salmon from 5 pounds to just 3.9 pounds. In contrast, reducing fishmeal use by 4 percent would have very little environmental impact, they said.

"Reducing the amount of fish oil in the salmon's diet definitely gets you a lot more bang for the buck than reducing the amount of fishmeal," Naylor said. "Our thirst for long-chain omega-3 oils will continue to put a lot of strain on marine ecosystems, unless we develop commercially viable alternatives soon."

Naylor and her co-authors pointed to several fish-feed substitutes currently being investigated, including protein made from grain and livestock byproducts, and long-chain omega-3 oils extracted from single-cell microorganisms and genetically modified land plants. "With appropriate economic and regulatory incentives, the transition toward alternative feedstuffs could accelerate, paving the way for a consensus that aquaculture is aiding the ocean, not depleting it," the authors wrote.

Vegetarian fish

Fishmeal and fish oil are important staples at farms that produce carnivorous fish, including salmon, trout and tuna. But vegetarian species, such as Chinese carp and tilapia, can be raised on feed made from plants instead of wild-caught fish. That's one reason why farm-raised vegetarian fish have long been considered environmentally friendly.

In the early 1990s, vegetarian fish farms began adding small amounts of fishmeal in their feed to increase yields. However, between 1995 and 2007, farmers actually reduced the share of fishmeal in carp diets by 50 percent and in tilapia diets by nearly two-thirds, according to the PNAS report. Nevertheless, in 2007, tilapia and carp farms together consumed more than 12 million metric tons of fishmeal—more than 1.5 times the amount used by shrimp and salmon farms combined.

"Our assumption about farmed tilapia and carp being environmentally friendly turns out to be wrong in aggregate, because the sheer volume is driving up the demand," Naylor said. "Even the small amounts of fishmeal used to raise vegetarian fish add up to a lot on a global scale." Removing fishmeal from the diet of tilapia and carp would have a very positive impact on the marine environment, she added.

Regulating fisheries

On the policy front, Naylor pointed to California's Sustainable Oceans Act and the proposed National Offshore Aquaculture Act, which call for reductions in the use of fishmeal and fish oil in feeds. She also applauded plans by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration to develop a comprehensive national policy that addresses fisheries management issues posed by aquaculture. "No matter how much is done from the demand side, it is essential that there be regulation on the supply side as well," Naylor said. "You won't prevent the collapse of anchoveta, sardine and other wild fisheries unless those fisheries are carefully regulated."

Other co-authors of the PNAS study are Ronald W. Hardy, University of Idaho; Dominique P. Bureau and Katheline Hua, University of Guelph (Canada); Alice Chiu, Stanford; Matthew Elliott, Sea Change Management; Anthony P. Farrell, and Ian Forster, Centre for Aquaculture and Environmental Research (Canada); Delbert M. Gatlin, Texas A&M University and the Norwegian Center of Excellence; Rebecca J. Goldburg, Pew Charitable Trusts; and Peter D. Nichols, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (Australia).

The PNAS report was supported by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
Adapted from materials provided by Stanford University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Milestone: 50 Percent of Fish Are Now Farmed
LiveScience, Yahoo News 8 Sep 09;

More and more fish are being raised on farms before they end up on dinner plates around the world. Aquaculture, or the culturing of fish in a controlled environment, now accounts for 50 percent of the fish consumed globally, a fact that's putting tremendous strain on wild fish.

The big downside to fish farming: It requires large amounts of feed made from wild fish harvested from the sea.

"It can take up to five pounds of wild fish to produce one pound of salmon, and we eat a lot of salmon," said lead author Rosamond L. Naylor, a professor of environmental Earth system science at Stanford University.

There are also concerns about spreading disease from farmed to wild fish.

Nonetheless, fish farming has grown rapidly in recent years, nearly tripling in volume between 1995 and 2007. Part of the reason for the rise is increased demand for omega-3 fatty acids, a type of fatty acid found in oily fish that is thought to be effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the National Institutes of Health.

"The huge expansion is being driven by demand," Naylor said. "As long as we are a health-conscious population trying to get our most healthy oils from fish, we are going to be demanding more of aquaculture and putting a lot of pressure on marine fisheries to meet that need."

The study was published Sept. 7 in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and was funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

Fish become fish food

In order to maximize growth and enhance flavor, aquaculture farms use large quantities of fishmeal and fish oil made from less valuable wild-caught species, including anchoveta (cousins to anchovies) and sardine. In fact, 88 percent of global fish oil consumption goes to aquacultures, the study says.

This adds up to quite a lot of fish being used for fish food. In 2006, about 22 million short tons (20 million metric tons) of wild fish were needed to produce 57 million short tons (51.7 million metric tons) of farmed fish.

One way to make salmon farming more environmentally sustainable is to simply lower the amount of fish oil in the salmon's diet. A 4 percent reduction in fish oil would reduce the amount of wild fish needed to produce 1 pound of salmon, from 5 pounds to 3.9 pounds (2.3 kg to 1.8 kg), according to the authors. In contrast, reducing fishmeal use by 4 percent would have very little environmental impact, they said.

Several fish-feed substitutes are also currently being investigated, such as protein made from grain and livestock byproducts and omega-3 oils extracted from genetically modified plants and single-cell microorganisms. The proper economic and regulatory incentives could accelerate the transition toward alternative feedstuffs, the authors say.

Vegetarian fish not so environmentally friendly

Fishmeal and fish oil are especially important for raising carnivorous fish, including salmon, trout and tuna. "Vegetarian" fish, on the other hand, can be raised on feed made from plants.

But it turns out that non-carnivorous fish, such as Chinese carp and tilapia, actually do consume quite a bit of fishmeal. In the early 1990's, vegetarian fish farms started adding fishmeal to their feeds to increase their yields. In 2007, tilapia and carp farms together consumed more than 13 million short tons (12 million metric tons) of fishmeal - more than 1.5 times the amount used by shrimp and salmon farms combined.

"Our assumption about farmed tilapia and carp being environmentally friendly turns out to be wrong in aggregate, because the sheer volume is driving up the demand," Naylor said. "Even the small amounts of fishmeal used to raise vegetarian fish add up to a lot on a global scale." Removing fishmeal from the diet of tilapia and carp would have a very positive impact on the marine environment, she added.

Changing policy

Several legislative acts call for the reduction of fishmeal and fish oil in feeds, including California's Sustainable Oceans Act and the proposed National Offshore Aquaculture Act.

There are also plans by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration to develop a comprehensive national policy that addresses fisheries management issues posed by aquaculture.

"No matter how much is done from the demand side, it is essential that there be regulation on the supply side as well," Naylor said. "You won't prevent the collapse of anchoveta, sardine and other wild fisheries unless those fisheries are carefully regulated."

Read more!

Seaweed suspected in French death

BBC News 7 Sep 09;

French investigators are examining whether a lorry driver has become the first victim of a toxic seaweed that is clogging parts of the Brittany coast.

The driver died in July after carrying three truckloads of sea lettuce away from the beaches where it has been decaying, releasing poisonous gas.

His death was originally recorded as a heart attack but prosecutors want to know if it was linked to the seaweed.

France's PM warned of the health risk while visiting the beaches last month.

Francois Fillon announced that the government would pay for cleaning up the beaches polluted by the sea lettuce, ulva lactuca .

Locals had raised the alarm after a horse, being ridden over the sands, collapsed and died. Its rider fell unconscious and had to be dragged off the algae-coated beach.

By then, the lorry driver had already died.

The 48-year-old driver had been working without a mask or gloves and died at the wheel of his vehicle when it crashed into a wall, reports Tim Finan in Brittany for the BBC.

The man had been part of the annual operation to remove 2,000 tonnes of rotting sea lettuce from the beaches at Binic.

His family have so far refused to allow an autopsy to establish the exact cause of his death, but on Monday the local prosecutor ordered a preliminary investigation.

Farming blamed

Christian Urvoy, the mayor of Binic, said: "'We want to know if in future we should take precautions to safeguard workers who collect or transport seaweed."

A spokesman for the local authorities has strongly denied they were aware of the death when Mr Fillon visited St-Michel-en-Greve in August.

Researchers from France's National Institute for Environmental Technology and Hazards (Ineris) have visited the same beach and found hydrogen sulphide in such concentration that it could be "deadly in few minutes".

Sea lettuce is harmless in the sea, but as it decomposes on the beach it releases the deadly gas.

Environmentalists say decades of misuse of Brittany's agricultural land is to blame for the explosion of algae, due to the high levels of nitrates used in fertilisers and excreted by the region's high concentration of livestock.

They have called for tighter controls on farming.

Read more!

Climate change: no Eden, no apocalypse

Mike Hulme, New Scientist 7 Aug 09;

CLIMATE change is everywhere. Not only is the physical climate changing, but the idea of climate change is now active across the full range of human endeavours. Climate change has moved from being a predominantly physical phenomenon to being a social one, in the process reshaping the way we think about ourselves, our societies and humanity's place on Earth.

I am primarily a climate scientist who has worked with climate data, models and scenarios. But I am now more interested in how we think and talk about climate change, how we use the idea to support various projects, and how - paradoxically - we could use it to make the world a better place. I argue that just as we need to understand the physical changes that are sweeping the planet, we also need to understand climate change as a cultural and psychological phenomenon.

And it is a phenomenon. Just as the transformation of the physical climate is inescapable, so the idea of climate change is now unavoidable. It is circulating anxiously in the worlds of domestic politics and international diplomacy, and with mobilising force in business, law, academia, development, welfare, religion, ethics, art and celebrity.

Yet in each of these spheres the idea of climate change carries quite different meanings and seems to imply different courses of action. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has constructed a powerful scientific consensus about the physical transformation of the world's climate. This is a reality that I believe in. But there is no comparable consensus about what the idea of climate change actually means. If we are to use the idea constructively, we first need new ways of looking at the phenomenon and making sense of it.

One way I do this is to rethink our discourses about climate change in terms of four enduring myths. I use "myths" not to imply falsehoods but in the anthropological sense - stories we tell that embody deeper assumptions about the world around us.

First is the Edenic myth, which talks about climate change using the language of lament and nostalgia, revealing our desire to return to some simpler, more innocent era. In this myth, climate is cast as part of a fragile natural world that needs to be protected. It shows that we are uneasy with the unsought powers we now have to change the global climate.

Next, the Apocalyptic myth talks about climate in the language of fear and disaster. This myth reveals our endemic worry about the future, but also acts as a call to action.

Then there is the Promethean myth, named after the Greek deity who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to the mortals. This talks about climate as something we must control, revealing our desire for dominance and mastery over nature but also that we lack the wisdom and humility to exercise it.

Finally, the Themisian myth, named after the Greek goddess of natural law and order, talks about climate change using the language of justice and equity. Climate change becomes an idea around which calls for environmental justice are announced, revealing the human urge to right wrongs.

The value in identifying these mythical stories in our discourses about climate change is that they allow us to see climate change not as simply an environmental problem to be solved, but as an idea that is being mobilised in various ways around the world. If we continue to naively understand the climate system as something to be mastered and controlled, then we will have missed the main opportunities offered us by climate change.

From a practical perspective, that means rethinking our responses to climate change. Rather than placing ourselves in a "fight against climate change" we should use the idea of climate change to rethink and renegotiate our wider social and political goals.

How so? For one thing, climate change allows us to examine our projects more closely and more honestly than we have been used to, whether they be projects of trade, community-building, poverty reduction, demographic management, social and psychological health, personal well-being or self-determination. Climate change demands that we focus on the long-term implications of our short-term choices and recognise the global reach of our actions. This means asking both "what is the impact of this project on the climate?" and also "how does the reality of climate change alter how we can achieve this goal?"

Climate change also teaches us to rethink what we really want for ourselves and humanity. The four mythical ways of thinking about climate change reflect back to us truths about the human condition that are both comforting and disturbing. They suggest that even were we to know precisely what we wanted - wealth, communal harmony, social justice or mere survival - we are limited in our abilities to acquire or deliver those goals.

Having established that climate change is as much an idea as a physical phenomenon, we can deploy it in positive and creative ways. It can stimulate new thinking about technology. It can inspire new artistic creations. It can provoke new ethical and theological thinking. It can arouse new interest in how science and culture interrelate. It can galvanise new social movements to explore new ways of living in urban and rural settings. It can touch each one of us as we reflect on the goals and values that matter to us. And, of course, the idea of climate change can invigorate efforts to protect ourselves from the hazards of climate change.

It is important to note that these creative uses of the idea of climate change do not demand consensus over its meaning. Indeed, they may be hindered by the search for agreement. They thrive in conditions of pluralism.

Nor are they uses that will necessarily lead to stabilising climate - they will not "solve" climate change. This does not imply passivity in the face of change, however. Nor does it allow us to deny that our actions on this planet are changing the climate. But it does suggest that making climate control our number one political priority might not be the most fruitful way of using the idea of climate change.

The world's climates will keep on changing, with human influences now inextricably entangled with those of nature. So too will the idea of climate change keep changing as we find new ways of using it to meet our needs. We will continue to create and tell new stories about climate change and mobilise these stories in support of our projects. Whereas a modernist reading of climate may once have regarded it as merely a physical condition for human action, we must now come to terms with climate change operating simultaneously as an overlying, but more fluid, imaginative condition of human existence.

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Climate change and solar variations – fact or fiction?

Fiona MacDonald, ScienceAlert 8 Sep 09;

For as long as humans have looked up at the Sun, we’ve been wondering how solar variations affect the weather here on Earth. There has been a lot of research to suggest that events like sun spots and solar flares can cause the planet’s surface temperature to rise and fall, yet none of it has proved without doubt that there is a statistically significant or useful link. Thousands of years down the track, after many attempts to confirm the solar-weather relationship, a climate expert suggests it may be time to accept that any climatic effect of the small observed solar variations will be too minor to be of practical importance.

Barrie Pittock, one of Australia’s leading atmospheric scientists, has been sceptical about the link between solar variation and the Earth’s weather for a long time. He critically reviewed the research in 1978, 19831,2 and most recently, in Climatic Change on 28 August 2009.

Solar variations are events where the Sun’s energy changes. Sunspots are a common example, where due to intensified magnetic energy one patch of the Sun’s surface becomes cooler than its surroundings, causing a relatively dark spot. These occur in cycles of about 22 years – the amount of sunspots reaches a maximum and then declines for 11 years before reaching a minimum. When there are a large number of sunspots on the Sun it is suspected that Earth’s climate becomes slightly cooler. The important practical question is not whether there is a real effect but whether it would be large enough to be important for weather forecasting or in relation to observed climatic trends.

Far from completely writing off the solar-climate link, Pittock has in the past offered ground rules for improved testing that could validate future results. He said that the data was mostly unconvincing, of poor quality and often badly analysed. Some researchers even went as far as elaborating their hypotheses or selecting the data after looking at the results in order to explain or remove discrepancies, according to Pittock.

It’s not just Pittock who has his doubts; the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), filled with international atmospheric experts, could not find convincing proof that solar variations are a major cause of climate change on Earth.

Pittock concluded in the 1980s that “the evidence to hand suggests that if in the future more data and better analysis enable the detection of statistically significant relationships, these will account for so little of the variance [or variability] in the climatic record as to be of little practical value”.

Alvin M. Weinberg who wrote Science and Trans-science in 19723 said, “Science is at the one time both a purely intellectual quest for truth and understanding, and also the necessary prerequisite for practical applications and decision-making. Many questions can be asked of scientists, often with very practical applications, but which cannot be answered with the degree of certainty with which they would state a ‘scientific fact’ or regard a theory as in some real sense ‘proven’.”

Pittock believes this is the case with the solar-climate link, and that all we can do is use our judgement as to whether any claimed link is of practical importance. Another instance where this is the case is human-induced climate change. After all of the research, the many signs and An Incovenient Truth, Government’s and the public are starting to accept that we may be altering the Earth’s weather. Yet, this theory still has plenty of sceptics. Pittock says “Scientists cannot possibly predict accurately what will happen in the next 50 or 100 years, the best we can do is look at the limited data, theory and models and try to assess the probability of certain things occurring, such as rising sea levels, and the associated risks,” said Pittock.

But despite both human-induced climate change and the solar-climate link being ‘trans-science’ questions, there is a significant difference between the two problems, according to Pittock. He believes it’s time to step back and ask what we’re really trying to achieve by proving a link between solar variation and the Earth’s climate.

“If we assume this theory is true, we need to assess the benefit or risk that it presents. The changes in climate that supposedly result from solar variation aren’t large enough to cause global catastrophe, or even to provide useful climate predictions given other much larger variations. On the other hand, human-induced climate change is large enough to have possible consequences of an enormous magnitude.” Regardless of what we can prove as scientific fact, we need to act on the assumption that humans are rapidly causing climate change, because if we don’t we may face serious consequences, he says.

So what does the solar-weather connection sceptic think about human-induced climate change? “Quite early in my career I was wary of the idea. However, the growing body of evidence convinced me that my scepticism was unjustified and that I needed to get into the details regarding possible climate change in order to make this knowledge useful.”

Pittock admits that there probably are minor solar-weather connections, but he is convinced that if they were large enough to be useful for weather or climate forecasting, or to compete with the enhanced greenhouse effects as a cause of the presently observed climate changes, they would have been obvious and well-established by now.

In a paper recently published in the journal Climatic Change, Barrie Pittock sets out the main reasons why some researchers are still so interested in a possible link between solar variations and variations surface climate.

1. If the Earth’s climate is essentially driven by the Sun’s energy output, if it varies musn’t the Earth’s climate vary accordingly?

The trouble with this argument is that the Sun’s energy output varies very little. On the other hand the Earth’s surface climate has varied a lot over geological time. Natural climatic variability is due to all sorts of other “drivers” (causes) such as variations in the Earth’s orbit around the Sun, volcanic eruptions that put clouds of particles into the upper atmosphere, continental drift, and internal fluctuations such as natural quasi-cyclic events like El Nino, and processes that amplify small variations (termed “positive feedbacks”). It is therefore the relative magnitude of these various climate drivers and feedbacks that is critical as to whether solar fluctuations are important at the Earth’s surface.

Well established mechanisms are observable on short time-scales in the upper atmosphere where solar variations demonstrably drive changes in the ionosphere and even in the stratosphere, but these rapidly diminish with magnitude as we descend to the surface. In order to credibly claim that solar variations have noticeable effects at the surface, relevant positive feedback effects (which might magnify solar energy driven variations) must be postulated and proven via observations of intermediate effects and quantified energetics. Many have been suggested, but few if any have been reliably established.

2. What if solar variations can provide explanations for climate changes we don’t understand?

This is a tempting way to round off an otherwise quite valid set of observations with an interesting hypothesis. But is it justified or is it pure speculation? Here again, to be convincing a linking physical explanation or mechanism is needed, with quantification of the eventual effect. Otherwise, if it is published, it becomes a precedent in the literature which can be cited to justify another similar hypothesis grabbed out of the air. One unjustified hypothesis can easily lead to another being built on the first. This is common in the solar–weather relations literature.

3. It is easier to justify one’s disciplinary interest or specialty, e.g., solar or ionospheric physics, by suggesting that this research has practical application for weather forecasting. It may help get funding, and it might indeed prove to be valuable.

Such a reason is tempting but it is not rigorous science until mechanisms are established. But it can be better justified if others before you have made the same claim. What if there is something in it? Maybe it is worth pursuing just in case, but until there is convincing evidence one really ought to emphasise the speculative nature of the link. Several people making the same speculation does not make it correct.

William Burroughs, in his book Weather Cycles Real of Imaginary?4, discusses the question of the value of cycles in the weather as an aid in weather or climate forecasting. He states that these goals “more than justify the growing efforts to identify semblances of order in our climate.” However, he goes on to say “But this progress will be scant consolation to those enthusiasts who over the years confidently predicted that reliable patterns had been found and would enable forecasts to be made years or even decades in advance. In truth, almost everything they have studied so closely over the last few centuries is little more than the random noise of an immensely complicated physical system—full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

4. What if the Sun is causing global warming and not us?

This is one reason why the IPCC has had to devote a lot of effort to discussing solar variability. Maybe the advocates of solar causation might be right, so it must be taken seriously, as the IPCC has. The real problem here is that some self-styled sceptics use such suggested solar variability explanations, which are poorly established, as reason to dismiss, and to not act on the much better-established alternative.

Scepticism needs to be even-handed. If it is only applied to one side of an argument it is not objective and can be downright misleading. This is where rigour can help. Methodology and the quality of the data must be critically assessed, and statistics taken seriously. Could an eye-balled correlation be explained by chance? In order to deny that possibility we need to be sure of the dating and quality of the data, and understand any relationships between the data or effects of data smoothing that might affect the statistical significance of the result. Do we have a hypothesis that links the solar variations to the hypothesised climatic effect? And if so, can we document that it is operating? Any cyclic behaviour is unlikely to be established as statistically reliable, say at the 95 per cent probability level (i.e., less than a 1 in 20 chance of being accidental), unless there are at least four or five complete cycles of well-dated data. That is especially difficult to come by with proxy data such as pollen numbers or tree ring widths for cycles having periods of hundreds of years5.

It behoves authors, referees, editors and readers to bear these considerations in mind when dealing with claims in an area of science that has been hotly debated for decades. How much influence do solar variations have on surface weather and climate? And does the present claim, whatever it may be, bear close examination?

In summary, Pittock suggests that:

* any relationship between variations in solar output and the Earth’s surface climate is not yet shown conclusively to be other than by chance, and,

even if such a relationship were shown to occur it would be so small as to be of little practical use. If it were large enough to be useful It would have been well established by now. People have spent many decades looking for it.

Barrie Pittock is one of Australia’s top atmospheric researchers and authors. He is an honorary fellow of the CSIRO and author of “Climate Change: The Science, Impacts and Solutions” (CSIRO Pub., 2009).

References

1 Pittock AB (1978) A critical look at long-term sun–weather relationships. Rev Geophys Space Phys
16(3):400–420
2 Pittock AB (1983) Solar variability, weather and climate: an update. Q J R Meteorol Soc 109:23–55
3 Weinberg AM (1972) Science and trans-science. Minerva 10:209–222
4 Burroughs WJ (1992) Weather cycles real or imaginary? Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,
p 201
5 Wu J (2009) Possible solar forcing of 400-year wet-dry climate cycles in northwestern China. Climatic Change 96(4). doi:10.1007/s10584-009-9604-4

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Seas 'threaten 20m in Bangladesh'

David Shukman, BBC News 7 Sep 09;

Up to 20 million people in low-lying Bangladesh are at risk from rising sea levels in the coming decades, according to new research.

Scientists predict that salty water could reach far inland, making it hard to cultivate staple foods like rice. The research comes as the government appeals for $5bn (£3bn) over five years to combat climate change. In May, Cyclone Aila left thousands homeless, killed many and caused widespread flooding and damage.

The predictions come from the Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (Cegis) in Bangladesh.

It suggests a surprisingly small area of land will be permanently lost to the waters, but notes that vast tracts in the south-west could be inundated every monsoon season.

Food threats

Ahmadul Hassan, a senior scientist at Cegis, told the BBC that the intrusion of salt water would disrupt rice production in one of Bangladesh's poorest regions.

"These are very poor people, and vulnerable. For four months they'll have nowhere to work," he said.

"So people will migrate to the cities for jobs, because of the uncomfortable situation with sea level rise.

"We are talking about 20 million people," he adds.

According to the researchers, data from 11 Bangladeshi monitoring stations shows an average sea-level rise of 5mm per year over the last 30 years, with climate models forecasting further rises.

Of Bangladesh's total rice production, nearly half is so-called "monsoon" rice and much of that is grown in the areas most vulnerable to flooding.

In an interview with BBC News, Bangladesh's Minister of Disaster Management, Dr Muhammed Abdur Razzaque, said he wanted sea defences similar to those in Holland.

"We have to have new designs for embankments and we have to raise their height," he said.

"We are expecting $5bn over the next five years in support from the international community.

"This must be a grant, not a loan with interest," he stipulated.

Bangladesh is among a number of developing countries campaigning for finance to help adapt to the effects of climate change.

There are hopes that the richest nations will agree to massive funding at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December.

Staff from the charity Oxfam point to the damage caused by Cyclone Aila last May to highlight why Bangladesh needs help preparing for future sea-level rise.

Abdul Khaleque is managing Oxfam's emergency response in Satkhira region, where more than 20,000 people lost their homes on Gabura Island.

He said: "This place is very near to the sea and we know climate change is causing sea levels to rise.

"If the situation gets worse then these people cannot go back to their villages, so permanent arrangements to improve these embankments need to be made."

Defences breached

Four months after the cyclone, the sea defences are still breached and the island floods with every high tide.

The chairman of the Gabura Island "union" or council, Shofiul Ajam Lenin, is calling for the embankments to be far higher.

"If the current design is not changed then not only my union, but the other unions as well will not exist."

The flooding has ruined the island's freshwater supplies and hygiene in the camp is poor.

Among those living in tents on a narrow strip of high ground is Asma Khatun, a 25-year-old widow, who is now eager to leave.

"I think it is not possible to live in this country any longer. We have to move to other countries.

"We can't live here just by drinking this water. It is not possible to live here."

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Maldives to introduce green tax on tourists

Ranga Sirilal, Reuters 7 Sep 09;

MALE (Reuters) - The Maldives archipelago, threatened by rising sea levels blamed on climate change, said on Monday it would introduce a new environment tax on all tourists who use its resorts and provide its economic lifeline.

Famed mostly for high-end luxury resorts and white-sand atolls, the Maldives has made a name for itself as an advocate for mitigating climate change because rising sea levels are forecast to submerge most of its islands by 2100.

The Maldives' $850 million economy gets more than a quarter of its gross domestic product from tourists, but has not yet taxed them to help it fight climate change.

President Mohammed Nasheed, who in March outlined plans to make the Maldives the world's first carbon-neutral nation within a decade, said an environment tax was soon to be levied on all tourists.

"We have introduced a green tax. It's in the pipeline. It's a matter of parliament approving it and I hope parliament will approve it -- $3 per each tourist a day," Nasheed told reporters in Male, the capital of the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Based on an annual average of 700,000 tourists who spend an average of three days on the islands, that translates to about $6.3 million annually.

In March, Nasheed launched a $1.1 billion initiative to convert the islands solely to renewable energy from fossil fuels, and buy and destroy EU carbon credits to offset emissions from tourists flying to visit its resorts.

The government has acknowledged it needs outside investment to fund those plans, and Nasheed's trip to U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen in December.

Last month, his office said he would not attend the talks because of a budget crisis that forced the country to seek a $60 million International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan.

Nasheed said he still had no plans to attend "unless someone very generously helps us. I hope someone will assist us."

He said the Maldives had little leverage in the outcome of the Copenhagen talks, which are to create a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, but a huge stake.

"There is no point in Maldives entering the agreement. It is a small country. It is India, China, Brazil, the United States that have to join in," he said. "No one is going to come out as a winner without an agreement."

(Writing by Bryson Hull; Editing by Diana Abdallah)

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Maldives to miss climate summit

BBC News 7 Sep 09;

President Nasheed said climate change summits were at times "childish" because countries tended to blame each other over past misdeeds rather than think practically.

The president of the Maldives has said that, even though his country is under threat from climate change, he cannot afford to go to a summit on the issue.

President Mohamed Nasheed said his nation would only go to the December talks in Copenhagen if someone offered to pay for the trip.

He said the Maldives needed to be defended from the effects of global warming and rising sea levels.

But he added that the country would have to do much of the work itself.

"We can't go to Copenhagen because we don't have the money," President Nasheed told journalists.

World leaders at the summit are aiming to create a new agreement to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocal, which expires in 2012.

Security issue

No part of the island state's territory lies more than 2.5m above sea level, and 50 of its islands are already severely eroding.

The president said this showed that climate change was not just an environment issue, but a security issue as well.

"I keep saying this: if the Europeans thought it was important to defend Poland in the '30s and '40s - in any threat you really have to look after your frontline states.

"Now, the Maldives is a frontline state."

The country is planning a major clean-up of its technology and the president said parliament will shortly consider a "green tax" of three dollars per tourist per day.

President Nasheed, a former human rights activist who came to power 10 months ago, said climate change summits were at times "childish" because countries tended to blame each other over past misdeeds rather than think practically.

He hoped the Copenhagen summit would come out with positive plans, like renewable energy promotion, rather than stressing what he called negative ones like capping carbon emissions.

Maldives too broke to attend climate summit: president
Amal Jayasinghe (AFP) Google News 7 Sep 09;

MALE — The Maldives, whose fight against rising sea levels has become a cause celebre for environmentalists, said Monday it would have to skip UN climate change talks in Copenhagen this year to save money.

"We can't go to Copenhagen because we don't have the money," President Mohamed Nasheed told reporters, adding that he was staying away to set an example of cost-saving to the rest of the government.

In 2007, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that a rise in sea levels of 18 to 59 centimetres (7.2 to 23.2 inches) by 2100 would be enough to make the Maldives virtually uninhabitable.

Over 80 percent of the country's land, composed of 1,192 coral islands scattered off southern India, is less than one metre above mean sea level.

Nasheed, the first democratically elected president of the archipelago, said the economy was in serious trouble because of a fall in tourism revenues that has sent the budget deficit to a record 34 percent of gross domestic product.

In the past, in a move that drew attention to the plight of the nation's 330,000-strong population, Nasheed has said the government would begin saving to buy a new homeland for its people to flee to in the future.

Sri Lanka, India or Australia have been mooted as destinations.

The Copenhagen meeting of world powers aims to set curbs on emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases beyond 2012, with intermediate targets for 2020 that would be ratcheted up all the way to 2050.

Some campaigners said the negotiations would be weakened if the Maldives were missing, given their vocal campaigning for greenhouse gas caps and their vital interest in a deal being reached.

"They are the most vulnerable and if they don't participate and get heard then obviously it's bad for the whole negotiation process," said Kushal Yadav from the Centre for Science and Environment think-tank in New Delhi.

"There should be a fund ... which will sponsor their visit," he added.

Nasheed said he was hoping that the world's leading countries would agree to take steps at the conference that would help low-lying nations escape submersion.

"My message to the Copenhagen summit is that there is hope. We can reverse the effects of warming," he said at his seafront office in highly congested Male, the densely populated one-square-mile (2.6 square kilometres) capital island.

He said he hoped that the summit would focus on renewable energy and transferring cleaner technology to developing nations.

Maldives is part of an alliance of 43 tropical island states that has set down proposals for capping global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.4 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial times.

The conference is still a long way from endorsing an even more modest target of two degrees Celsius (3.6 F) championed by the European Union and most green groups.

Nasheed has also laid out a plan for the nation of Sunni Muslims to be the first to go carbon neutral by 2020 by moving away from fossil fuels and tapping wind and solar energy.

The island's economic woes stem from its dependency on revenues from tourism which have declined due to the global financial crisis.

The government wants to cut 15,000 jobs in the 39,000-strong civil service and increase revenues by levying a three-dollar tax per day on holiday makers in the exotic tourist destination.

The country's land area is only about 300 square kilometres (115 square miles), while its sea area is nearly 100,000 square kilometres (38,610 square miles).

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