Pollination worth $216 billion a year for food production

mongabay.com 16 Sep 08;

Pollination services provided by insects are worth $216 billion (€153 billion) a year reports a new study published in Ecological Economics. The figure represents about 9.5 percent of the total value of world agricultural food production.

The fruit and vegetable sectors see the largest benefit ($71 / €50 billion each) from pollination services, followed by oilseed crops ($55 / €39 billion. Bees play the most significant role in the pollination of food crops.

The research did not account for the production of crops for livestock consumption, biofuels, or ornamental flowers. It also omitted the value of pollination of wild plants. As such, the researchers say the overall value of pollination services are significantly higher than the $216 / €153 billion estimate.

A study published in the April 2006 issue of BioScience calculated that insects are worth $57 billion to the U.S. economy, of which only $3 billion was from pollination. But at the time, the authors warned their assessment was conservative.

Nicola Gallai, Jean-Michel Salles, Josef Settele, Bernard E. Vaissière: Economic valuation of the vulnerability of world agriculture confronted with pollinator decline. Ecological Economics (2008), doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2008.06.014.

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Federal study says grizzlies thriving in Montana

Dina Cappiello, Associated Press Yahoo News 17 Sep 08;

The majestic grizzly bear, once king of the Western wilderness but threatened with extinction for a third of a century, has roared back in Montana.

The finding, from a $4.8 million, five-year study of grizzly bear DNA mocked by Republican presidential candidate John McCain as pork barrel spending, could help ease restrictions on oil and gas drilling, logging and other development.

Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey announced Tuesday that there are approximately 765 bears in northwestern Montana. That's the largest population of grizzly bears documented there in more than 30 years, and a sign that the species could be at long last recovering.

The first-ever scientific census shattered earlier estimates that said there were at least 250-350 bears roaming an eight-million-acre area stretching from north of Missoula to the Canadian border. More recent data placed the minimum population at around 563 bears.

"This is two and a half times the number of bears previously estimated," said Katherine Kendall, the lead researcher, who said the results speak for themselves. "There is no evidence that the population size was ever severely reduced..."

In a February 2003 floor speech, McCain poked fun at the project, describing a scenario where the DNA would be used to help a bear cub find its father, or pin down which bear stole hikers' food.

"I don't know if it was a paternity issue or criminal, but it was a waste of money," McCain said in a stump speech earlier this year, erroneously putting the cost of the study at $3 million. In a campaign ad, he called the expenditure "unbelievable."

Supporters of the research included Montana ranchers, farmers and Republican leaders. They pushed for the study as a step toward taking the grizzly bear off the endangered species list. Since 1975, the bear has been threatened in the lower 48 states, a status that bars hunting and restricts development that can diminish its population.

Last year, after more than 30 years of research, the grizzly bear population around Yellowstone National Park was deemed recovered.

"Let's make this an Endangered Species Act success ... get them off the list so we can manage them here in Montana," said John Youngberg, vice president of government affairs for the Montana Farm Bureau, who said that farmers who mistakenly shoot grizzly bears or do so to protect their land face $25,000 fines under current regulations. His explanation for McCain's comments was that it was "silly season."

The McCain campaign did not return requests for comment.

Former Montana Gov. Judy Martz, a Republican and a McCain supporter, said the bear had been used to block the use of the state's abundant natural resources, when all along the animal was plentiful. She asked former Republican Sen. Conrad Burns to help secure the funding, which was paid for in part by add-ons and a $1.1 million earmark for the Forest Service in 2004.

Burns is the McCain campaign's chairman in Montana.

"If it is going to remove it from the list, it is money well spent," said Martz. When asked about McCain's stance, Martz said "unless you live among these issues it is pretty hard to understand what is going on."

The study employed more than 200 field workers. Over 14 weeks in 2004 they collected hair samples from 2,500 barbed-wire hair traps and 4,800 trees that bears naturally rub against to scratch themselves. A mixture of pureed fish guts and cattle blood that was aged in 100 55-gallon steel drums in a rented barn for more than a year before the study began lured bears to the sampling stations. Altogether 34,000 hair samples were analyzed — a number that so overwhelmed the company conducting the DNA tests that it had to buy an additional building and double its staff to handle the project.

The result was the most accurate and precise census of a bear population to date, bear experts said. Researchers also found evidence that the population has been growing in size and expanding its range. Its diversity resembled that of grizzly bear populations in pristine habitats.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is in charge of regulating endangered species, is currently reviewing the bears' status in Montana as part of a five-year review required by the Endangered Species Act. The study's results will be a key piece of evidence used by biologists to determine whether the bear still needs federal protection, a conclusion due out early next year.

But bear experts — and environmentalists — cautioned it will take more than a population count to fully recover the species. Further research into population trends and the bear's habitat will also be needed.

"All the things people have been doing are making a difference," said Chris Servheen, the service's Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator. "This gives us some feedback that the bears are doing really well. This was an investment in the recovery of an icon of the American West, which is the grizzly bear."

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Aquarium Releases Sharks Off Sydney Beach for Study

Yahoo News 17 Sep 08;

SYDNEY - A Sydney aquarium released seven sharks bred in captivity and tagged with acoustic tracking devices into the waters off a city beach on Tuesday to study if it is feasible to breed sharks to restock dwindling wild numbers.

The two-year-old wobbegong, or carpet sharks, measuring up to 80 cms in length, are bottom-dwelling sharks and regarded as harmless but can grow to three metres (10 feet) in length.

The study will provide an insight into the feasibility of releasing aquarium-bred sharks to restock populations in local areas, as well as the role marine parks can play in protecting species, said Sydney Aquarium Conservation Fund Coordinator Claudette Rechtorik.

By monitoring the sharks, marine scientists will learn more about their growth patterns and behaviour and how long they spend in protected waters.

"Shark populations are being depleted because of practices such as over-fishing, shark-finning and the use of shark nets at beaches, so we're keen to raise awareness about the need to protect sharks, particularly those which are found mainly in Australian waters like wobbegongs," Rechtorik said. (Reporting by Michael Perry; Editing by Paul Tait)

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Clampdown urged on shark finning

Richard Black, BBC News 17 Sep 08;

Major changes to rules on shark finning are needed to preserve the health of the world's shark populations, conservationists say.

Campaign group Oceana says confusing regulations and poor enforcement mean rule-breaking is common.

Actor and activist Ted Danson told BBC News that proper management could rescue species in decline.

More than a half of ocean-going sharks, and about a third of European species, are threatened with extinction.

"The basic problem is it's a fishery that's not even considered a fishery in most areas," said Mr Danson.

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"You go out and you fish for swordfish and you catch 20 sharks, [and you say] 'it's a shark, who cares, we don't count them - doesn't matter'.

"So you have a fishery that's not managed and not controlled."

Of the estimated 100 million sharks caught each year, about half are taken accidentally by fishermen looking for such species as tuna, marlin or swordfish.

The remainder are targeted principally for their fins, which are used in shark fin soup, a delicacy in parts of East Asia.

Fin cuts

The EU and US both have rules governing this catch. But Oceana believes - as do other environmental groups - that the differences between Brussels and Washington are a boon to would-be rule breakers.

"What they do is allow fishermen to cut fins off sharks and then land sharks and fins in specified ratios," said Mike Hirschfield, the organisation's chief scientist.

"And you can imagine all of the opportunities for mischief that result."

The EU dictates that the weight of fins landed must amount to no more than 5% of the weight of shark carcasses landed.

US scientists believe that figure is too high, allowing fishermen to land two or even three fins for every carcass, with the remains of the rest of the sharks dumped overboard.

US rules for the Pacific limit fin landings to 5% of dressed weight - the weight after all the inedible parts such as bones and gut have been removed.

In the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, regulations have recently been tightened to say that sharks must be landed with fins attached. This may extend to the Pacific soon, and Oceana would like to see as a global standard.

"Requiring that sharks be landed with their fins attached is by far the most reliable means of enforcing a ban on shark finning," commented Sonja Fordham, policy director of the Shark Alliance.

"It also improves the ability to collect species-specific catch information that is important for population assessment."

Had its chips

The UK is the fourth largest shark-fishing nation in Europe.

Britons partaking of fish and chips will sometimes be eating shark - though you might not always know it.

Properly called the spiny dogfish or spurdog (Squalus acanthias), the chippy's favoured shark is more usually labelled as rock salmon.

Populations in the northeast Atlantic are categorised as Critically Endangered by IUCN, the global conservation organisation that compiles the annual Red List of Threatened Species.



But in a global sense, UK fish and chip shops are a minor player in the decline of sharks.

Seafood industry body Seafish says sales of spiny dogfish are so marginal as not to feature on retail datasheets.

"The UK has historically been a voice for sustainable fishing," said Dr Hirschfield.

"But many policies governing sharks are set in Brussels, and it's ministers of the different countries that ultimately have the final say in Brussels - so the UK needs to continue to be a voice for sustainable fishing."

But Ms Fordham argued the UK could tighten up its own act.

"The UK is one of only five EU member states that issue special permits to allow the removal of fins at sea under the EU finning ban," she said.

"The UK could lead the way toward a solid EU finning ban by discontinuing these problematic permits, thereby ensuring that shark fins remain attached through to the point of landing."

Difficult climate

Much of the time and attention of environment officials in Brussels and London - and in other capitals - is now taken up with climate change.

Some conservationists fear other important issues are being sidelined - a position which Ted Danson regrets.

"Let's say - cross our fingers - that we solve the problem with global warming; by the time we do that, it's quite conceivable that we've fished out our oceans," he said.

"I don't think you can compartmentalise any more, you need to handle all these problems simultaneously."

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Norway donates up to one billion dollars to save Brazil rain forest

Yahoo News 16 Sep 08;

Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg announced Tuesday that Oslo will donate up to a billion dollars to a government fund here devoted to rescuing the Amazon rain forest.

"The government of Norway has decided to contribute as much as a billion dollars to the Amazon Fund," Stoltenberg said, adding that the first tranche of funds would be disbursed to Brasilia before the end of the year.

"To win the battle against global warming, we have to win the fight against global deforestation," the Norwegian leader.

Amazon Fund was created by Brazil earlier this year, in response to international criticism that the government has not been doing enough to protect the rain forest.

National Space Research Institute figures show that 11,200 square kilometers of Amazon forest were destroyed last year -- an area nearly equivalent to nearly half the size of Sicily -- mainly by ranchers and soybean farmers.

Experts estimate 2008's total will be close to 20,000 square kilometers.

Brazil is considered the fourth biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, 75 percent of which come from deforestation.

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In defence of plastic

BBC News 17 Sep 08;

Plastic has attracted a lot of bad press recently about its potentially damaging environmental implications. After the BBC's Chris Jeavans spent a month living without plastic, Susan Mossman explores the many inventions that rely on it.

By the time Neil Armstrong stepped on the Moon in 1969 wearing a space suit largely made of plastics, the space race had spawned a generation of designers using plastics in innovative new ways - in furniture, interiors and in fashion.

These days plastic is so much a part of our everyday lives that it has become almost invisible. And when it is thrust into the spotlight, it's often for negative reasons.

'Devil incarnate'

Recently you could have been forgiven for thinking the humble plastic bag is the devil incarnate. But before they were invented in the early 1950s all we had was impractical paper bags that dissolved in the rain.

The word "Bakelite" - invented in 1907 and the first truly synthetic plastic - has become a synonym for all early collectable plastics. They range from the semi-synthetics such as Celluloid, developed in the 19th Century, to the colourful thiourea and urea formaldehydes of the 1920s and 1930s, with names such as Bandalasta and Beetleware.

Early Bakelite radios, designed for the British Ekco Radio Company by significant designers such as Wells Coates and Misha Black, are now highly collectable and expensive.

Without plastics, we would return to the days of wearing entirely natural fabrics, which are good in so many ways but not suited for all applications.

The days of the knitted swimming suit - familiar to those who grew up in the 1940s and 1950s - are well and truly gone. Swimwear before the advent of synthetic, stretchy fibres such as Spandex was subject to sagging, bagging and becoming misshapen.

Laminated surfaces

Now synthetic fibres are engineered to extreme levels to suit higher performance specifications for use in top-of-the range sports wear.

Laminated plastic surfaces were a boon to the housewife of the 40s and 50s. Easy to clean and colourful, they transformed kitchens into light, attractive and hygienic areas.

They added glamour to 1930s Hollywood films starring Ginger Rogers who danced in light, bright interiors. The impact of this approach was epitomised in 1941, when nine-year-old British actress Diana Dors commented: "I am going to be a film star, with a swimming pool and a cream telephone."

After World War II, a glut of polythene produced to insulate radar cables was transformed into consumer items such as washing-up bowls. Then Tupperware arrived - the ultimate re-useable, re-sealable polythene container.

In the late 1940s the public became familiar with a new range of thermoplastic materials: polythene, nylon, PVC and polystyrene. These melted at high temperatures, unlike the earlier Bakelite and urea formaldehydes that, once moulded, were set into shape.

Consumers had to learn to understand how to use these new plastics, and early reported mishaps included the tale of a plastic colander which was placed over a hot saucepan and melted, unlike the metal colander it replaced.

Design icons

By the 1960s, designers were using plastics in adventurous new ways to create design icons such as Eero Saarinen's Tulip chair - still in production and still desirable. Modern designers such as Ron Arad use plastics to produce surprising, highly functional and/or amusing furniture.

The post-modern French designer Philippe Starck has commented that "the more you use plastic in an intelligent and ethical way, the less often you kill animals to have the leather, the less often you kill trees to have wood".



Plastics play a significant role in medical applications - including artificial polyester veins, silicone implants, and as containers for timed drug delivery into the body and PVC blood bags. These replaced the breakable glass vessels previously used for blood transfusions.

Plastic packaging frequently receives a bad press but is often designed to extend the shelf life of food and may reduce food wastage. New forms of more sustainable and increasingly biodegradable packaging are under development.

The artist Christo has taken the use of plastics as packaging to extreme levels by wrapping buildings - notably the Reichstag in Berlin and the Pont Neuf in Paris -and even landscapes in plastic sheeting.

The advent of plastics opened the door to mass production of cheap, attractive goods which democratised the ownership of consumer goods. The Bic biro was designed in 1950 to be a mass-produced cheap consumer item to be used and thrown away, as were disposable razors.

Expensive gadgets

Nowadays expensive gadgets such as state-of-the-art laptops, mobile phones and iPods have plastic casings but no-one considers them cheap, although they are produced in bulk and their environmentally-friendly disposal or reuse requires attention.

Electronic plastics are a rapidly developing new field, with products being developed such as OLEDs (organic light emitting diodes), bendy readable computer screens, plastic solar cells and plastic computer chips.

Hi-tech engineering plastics are increasingly used in aerospace applications. Plastics composites are an important area of development. Smart plastics which alter in shape are being used in shape-changing aeroplanes, others can change colour with changes in temperature.

New plastics that change from liquid to solid on impact are finding applications in protective clothing and plastic products are being developed using the principles of nature - an area of research called biomimetics.

So plastic can be valuable and can be used for functions where it needs to last for a considerable length of time. Concepts of green design should now be applied to all new plastics products so that disposable items, such as plastic packaging and throwaway consumer items, biodegrade and do not fill landfill sites or litter the landscape or seas.

Dr Susan Mossman is curator of a special exhibition at The Science Museum entitled "Plasticity - 100 years of making plastics". It runs until January 1.

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All-Electric Vehicles No Magic Bullet - US Scientist

Andrew Stern, PlanetArk 17 Sep 08;

ARGONNE, Ill. - A future of all-electric cars coasting along streets and highways may be illusory, given that their range may be cut in half by aggressive drivers speeding along with the air conditioning blasting, US scientists said on Monday.

That may not be a bad thing, as it will persuade consumers to choose the best blend of electric- and gas-powered hybrid vehicle to suit the type of driving they do.

"Ideally, everybody wants an electric vehicle. Realistically, from a cost point of view, what is the solution that allows you to go mass market? How can the customers save money?" said Aymeric Rousseau, who analyses such problems at Argonne National Laboratory, a government-funded research center hosting a conference on lithium battery technology.

Rousseau is working with the US Environmental Protection Agency to offer realistic appraisals of the likely range of the next generation of plug-in electric vehicles like General Motors' Volt.

Rousseau previously helped the agency lop 10 percent or more off of promised miles-per-gallon estimates on existing gas-powered vehicles, which were posted on 2008 models.

The goal is to promise drivers of a lithium-ion battery equipped electric hybrid vehicle a 40-mile range on one charge, but that may be a gross exaggeration, he said.

Aggressive driving -- faster acceleration and driving at faster speeds -- may cut that range to between 28 and 32 miles. Using the air conditioning may reduce the vehicle's range to around 15 to 20 miles, he said.

In response, the vehicle's gas-powered engine will kick in two or three times during an excursion, which actually is a cost-effective response and will help extend the life of the battery, Rousseau explained.

People who drive on city streets and need travel only a few miles can use battery-only power. Those who have a longer commute at high speeds -- or who drive aggressively with the air conditioning on -- may want a smaller battery to improve the vehicle's overall efficiency, Rousseau said.

For different types of trips, renting a different type of hybrid vehicle may be most efficient, he said.

Another Argonne researcher told the conference a highly efficient diesel engine was much more cost-effective for highway driving than a hybrid vehicle with a lithium battery, based on the current cost of fuel and electricity. But the hybrid would beat the diesel vehicle in city driving.

Another variable to consider is the cost of making batteries.

With nickel hydride batteries now in vogue in such hybrids as Toyota's Prius, nickel prices have risen sharply. That has made lithium-ion batteries, which are a more promising technology because they can hold more power in a more compact space and have other advantages, more enticing as an alternative. Of course, lithium is likely to rise in price if it is used for vehicle batteries as well as laptop batteries, Rousseau said.

"There is no single silver bullet," he said on the sidelines of the conference. "There is not one technology that will be best for everybody. Our goal is to understand how people drive, and depending on how they drive, what is the impact of one technology or another, from a fuel efficiency point of view, and a cost point of view." (Editing by Carol Bishopric)

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Nokia most ecofriendly electronics maker: Greenpeace

Yahoo News 16 Sep 08;

The world's leading mobile phone maker Nokia earned the top spot in Greenpeace's ranking of big electronics manufacturers' eco-friendliness, the environmental organisation said Tuesday.

Nokia scored seven points out of 10 in a report ranking companies on their policies regarding chemicals, waste and energy. Japanese game maker Nintendo came in last with a score of 0.8.

Greenpeace praised among other things Nokia's improved return programme in India, where it has 354 collection points enabling customers to return their old mobile phones to the maker for free.

"Nokia scores very well on toxic chemical issues, launching new models free of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) since the end of 2005 and aiming to have all new models free of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and antimony trioxide (a chemical flame retardant) by the end of 2009," Greenpeace said in its report.

It also noted that 25 percent of the energy used by the Finnish handset maker in 2007 came from renewable sources and that it aims to increase use of renewables to 50 percent by 2010.

"We want manufacturers to eliminate harmful chemicals in their product design. We want to see an end to the stories of unprotected child labourers scavenging mountains of cast-off gadgets," the group said in a statement.

Korea's Samsung came in second position with 5.7 points. It scored well on chemicals and waste criteria and for making energy-efficient products.

Fujitsu Siemens Computers took the third spot with 5.5 points, having set late 2010 as its deadline for eliminating toxic PVC plastic and all BFRs from its products.

Greenpeace slammed Nintendo and US software maker Microsoft for their use of toxic chemicals and poor handling of discarded electronic products. The companies received scores of 0.8 and 2.2 points respectively.

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China to become world's largest investor in green energy

Malcolm Moore, The Telegraph 16 Sep 08;

China is on the verge of becoming the world's largest investor in green energy as it struggles to reverse the catastrophic effect its industry has wreaked on the environment.

Last year, China spent £6 billion on renewable energy projects, just slightly short of Germany, the world leader. This year, the Communist Party has vowed to redouble its efforts.

Li Junfeng, an energy expert at the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said that in terms of the "overall scale of renewable energy development", China already leads the way.

Greenpeace believes China can shortly produce half of its energy from renewable sources.

"The task is tough and our time is limited," said Hu Jintao, the Chinese president, earlier this year.

"Government at all levels must give priority to emission reduction and bring the idea deep into people's hearts," he added.

Wu Changhua, an expert at the Climate Group, a pro-business environmental NGO, said there had been a sudden realisation in Beijing that China needed a "new path" to prevent environmental disaster.

"When I started environmental lobbying 18 months ago, people asked me what I was doing. Now there is intense mainstream attention," she said.

"The awareness about the environment is very high. There are daily articles in the state media. Although I hate to put it this way, many Chinese are now rich enough to put the environment ahead of development."

China's economic miracle has blackened its huge cities, poisoned its water resources and ravaged its countryside. Last year, China overtook the US in carbon dioxide emissions. Sixteen of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in China.

Tens of thousands of pollution-inspired riots every year have helped drill home the message. The Ministry of Public Security has listed pollution among the top five threats to China's peace and stability. Two years ago, the government publicly admitted that the Chinese landscape was "chu mu jing xin" or "whatever meets the eye is shocking".

Its solution is a combination of stringent environmental laws, severe punishments for provincial governors who fail to clean up the mess and a reliance on a thriving market for renewable technology.

The Urumqi-based Goldwind, the world's largest wind turbine maker, has seen 100 per cent growth in each of the past eight years. China is also the world's largest manufacturer of solar panels and has pioneered a new solar hot-water heating system that is now seen everywhere from Beijing airport to the refugee camps of Sichuan.

"It is widely believed that wind power will be able to compete with coal generation as early as 2015," said Mr Li. Presently, coal accounts for 70 per cent of China's power generation.

The target for installed wind power has been raised to 10 gigawatts by 2010 after the previous five gigawatt target was met three years early.

Critics point out, however, that China is unlikely to produce more than three per cent of its power by wind in the next few years.

Nevertheless, the government has pledged that 15 per cent of its energy will come from renewable sources by 2020, and has threatened dire punishments for insufficiently-motivated bureaucrats.

Sixty per cent of the performance evaluation of officials and the heads of the country's giant state-owned corporations will be based on environmental achievements, said Xie Zhanhua, vice-minister of the NDRC. Previously, the only criteria that counted towards a promotion was the ability to deliver economic growth.

Zhou Shengxian, the minister for environmental protection, warned 21 provincial governors that they would be held personally accountable if they failed to clean up China's major lakes and rivers.

Ms Wu said the Climate Group was briefing both senior politburo members on strategy and local governors on how to tow the Party line. "The cities want practical advice from us on what to do," she said.

In the countryside, thousands of surveyors are measuring the precise amount of fertiliser and pesticides being used by farmers. China uses more than three times as much fertiliser per hectare as the US. Livestock excrement and sewage is also being recorded to produce a comprehensive rural map.

Zhang Fentong, at the Ministry of Agriculture, said more than 1,000 "clean" model villages are being developed which can dispose of 90 per cent of their waste in a sustainable way.

Critics point out, however, that China's green revolution is failing to keep pace with its booming industry, which needs more and more power to keep it going.

Dr Erica Downs, China energy fellow at the Brookings Institution, said that while there was a strong message about the environment coming from Beijing, the poor management of the energy sector was derailing the country's efforts.

A new energy management body has recently been set up but Dr Downs said it was "unlikely to substantially improve energy governance. The changes are tantamount to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic."

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Biggest Melt Comes From Smallest Glaciers

Andrea Thompson, LiveScience.com Yahoo News 16 Sep 08;

The big glaciers of Greenland get most of the attention in terms of global warming's impact on melting and rising sea levels, but it's actually the little glaciers that count the most, a new study finds.

Satellite observations of the Greenland Ice Sheet indicate that nearly 75 percent of the ice lost there actually comes from the island's small coastal glaciers.

The study's authors say that this finding means small glaciers should be better-observed than they currently are in order to get a better handle on potential contributions to sea level rise.

The team's measurements of melt agree more with the lower end of the range of predictions, on the order of 100 Gigatons of ice melting, versus 200 Gigatons. Study team member Ian Howat of Ohio State University's Byrd Polar Research Center said the higher estimates were made with methods that are still not completely reliable.

Large vs. small

Outside of Antarctica, Greenland has more ice than anywhere else on Earth. Its ice cap covers four-fifths of the island's surface and is 1,491 miles (2,400 kilometers) long, 683 miles (1,100 km) wide, and can reach almost 2 miles (3 km) in thickness at its thickest point.

As global temperatures rise, coastal glaciers flow more quickly out from the ice sheet and into the sea, with massive chunks breaking off and forming icebergs in the ocean. While some of the largest of these glaciers, such as Jakobshavn and Petermann (which just experienced a large breakup) are closely monitored, smaller glaciers are not.

"The coastline is just dotted with [small] glaciers," Howat said.

Howat and his colleagues used observations of the southeastern region of Greenland from two ground-observing satellites to estimate the contribution to total ice loss from both big and small glaciers. While the two largest glaciers in that area, Kangerdlugssuaq and Helheim, contribute more to the total ice loss than any other single glaciers, the 30 or so smaller glaciers in the area accounted for about 72 percent of the total ice lost.

"What we found is the entire strip of ice over the southeast margin, all of these glaciers, accelerated, and they are just pulling the entire ice sheet with it," Howat said.

Better observations needed

Howat says that these findings on the current state of ice melt, funded by NASA and detailed in the Sept. 9 issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters, suggest that scientists can't just concentrate on monitoring the big glaciers.

"We need to be observing the whole ice sheet," he told LiveScience.

Scientists also need to take more frequent observations of melt Howat said; now, they rely more on satellite pictures of large glacier breakups.

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Arctic sea ice melt comes close, but misses record

Yahoo News 16 Sep 08;

Crucial Arctic sea ice this summer shrank to its second lowest level on record, continuing an alarming trend, scientists said Tuesday.

The ice covered 1.74 million square miles on Friday, marking a low point for this summer, according to NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo. Last summer, the sea ice covered only 1.59 million square miles, the lowest since record-keeping began in 1979.

Arctic sea ice, which floats on the ocean, expands in winter and retreats in summer. In recent years it hasn't been as thick in winter.

Sea ice is crucial to worldwide weather patterns, both serving as a kind of refrigerator and reflecting the sun's heat. Given recent trends, triggered by man-made global warming, scientists warn that within five to 10 years the Arctic could be free of sea ice in the summer.

Even though the sea ice didn't retreat this year as much as last summer, "there was no real sign of recovery," said Walt Meier of the snow and ice data center. This year was cooler and other weather conditions weren't as bad, he said.

"We're kind of in a new state of the Arctic basically, and it's not a good one," Meier said. "We're definitely sliding towards a point where the summer sea ice will be gone."

Arctic Sea Ice Shrinks to Second Lowest on Record
Andrea Thompson, LiveScience.com Yahoo News 16 Sep 08;

Sea ice coverage over the Arctic has reached its lowest point for the year, coming in second only to 2007 for the lowest ice extent recorded since 1979, scientists announced Tuesday.

The latest low was recorded on Sept. 12, when the region's sea ice extent dropped to 1.74 million square miles (4.52 million square kilometers). This appears to be the low point for the year, as ice has started to reform in response to autumn cooling in the Arctic, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), which monitors sea ice extent.

The 2008 minimum is the second-lowest recorded since 1979, when satellite coverage began, and is 0.86 million square miles (2.24 million square kilometers) below the 1979 to 2000 average minimum.

The record minimum came on Sept. 16, 2007, when sea ice extent was reduced to an estimated 1.65 million square miles (4.28 million square kilometers) - 9.4 percent lower than this year's estimated minimum.

Though the ice did not melt this year to a record low, it is further evidence of the overall downward trend in sea ice extent in recent decades, the NSIDC said in a statement. Arctic sea ice has also been thinning, as older, thicker ice melts away and the ice that reforms each winter is thinner perennial sea ice that melts away again in the summer. Scientists attribute this trend to the rise of global temperatures caused by the increase of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere.

The pattern of ice melt this year was different than in 2007. This year did not have the substantial ice loss in the central Arctic, north of the Chukchi and East Siberian Seas. However, 2008 did see greater loss in the Beaufort, Laptev and Greenland Seas.

Both years saw the opening of the shallow Amundsen's Northwest Passage, but the deeper Parry's Channel of the Northwest Passage did not quite open in 2008.

This year saw another opening though: the Northern Sea Route, the passage through the Arctic Ocean along the coast of Siberia.

While the Sept. 12 minimum appears to be the minimum for the entire year, further melting could occur later. In 2005, for example, the ice extent appeared to reach a minimum in early September, but the ice contracted later in the season, creating a new minimum.

No 2008 record for Arctic sea ice
Richard Black, BBC News 16 Sep 08;

Sea ice in the Arctic appears to have passed its minimum extent for 2008 without breaking last year's record.

The US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) says the ice covered 4.5 million sq km (1.7 million sq miles) at its lowest point on 12 September.

Last year's minimum was 4.1 million sq km (1.6 million sq miles).

This summer's ice cover was the second lowest since satellite records began 30 years ago, which NSIDC says emphasises the "strong negative trend".

Temperatures have been lower in the Arctic this year than in 2007, largely because of La Nina conditions, which create a colder climate globally from their source in the Pacific.

"I think this summer has been more remarkable than last year, in fact, because last year we had really optimal conditions to melt a lot of ice," said Walt Meier, a research scientist at NSIDC in Boulder, Colorado.

"We had clear skies with the Sun blazing down, we had warm temperatures, and winds that pushed the ice edge northwards," he told BBC News.

"We didn't have any of this this year, and yet we still came within 10% of the record; so people might be tempted to call it a recovery, but I don't think that's a good term, we're still on a downwards trend towards ice-free Arctic summers."

No laughing matter

Even with cooler conditions anticipated, scientists had predicted at the beginning of the Arctic summer that last year's record might be broken, because much of the ice was thinner than usual, having formed during only a single winter.

Instead, the 2008 graph now appears to be indicating the beginning of an expansion from the 12 September minimum, as the Arctic autumn sets in.

The NSIDC team will continue to monitor the ice area and will release a full analysis towards the end of this month.

The end of this summer will probably find the ice in a marginally healthier state than at this time last year. Some of the thin floes remaining will presumably thicken during the winter, leaving the ice a little more robust.

With governments around the Arctic now seeking economic opportunities from a navigable ocean and a sea bed open to exploration, an important question is when the region will become ice-free in summers.

A few years ago, most computer models of climate were projecting dates about 80 years hence. Then, as the melt rate accelerated around the turn of the millennium, the projected date advanced to about 2040.

Now, some climate modellers expect to see nothing but open water within five years.

"To my mind that's a bit aggressive, but certainly not impossible," said Dr Meier.

"Five years ago that would have got someone laughed out of the room; but no-one's laughing now."

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Antarctic Ozone Hole Already Larger Than in 2007 - WMO

PlanetArk 17 Sep 08;

GENEVA - The hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica has already surpassed its 2007 size this year, and is set to keep growing for another few weeks, the UN weather agency said on Tuesday.

The Antarctic ozone hole appears every year and normally stretches to about the size of North America, reaching its maximum size in late September or early October.

But in 2008, the World Meteorological Organisation said the protective layer, which shields the Earth from ultra-violet rays that can cause skin cancer, began to thin relatively late.

"During the last couple of weeks it has grown rapidly and has now passed the maximum size attained in 2007. Since the ozone hole is still growing, it is too early to determine how large this year's ozone hole will be," it said in a statement.

The ozone hole covered 27 million square km as of last Saturday (Sept. 13), against 25 million square km at its peak last year, according to the WMO whose statement was issued on International Day for the Preservation of Ozone Layer.

Ozone hole 'larger in 2008 than previous year'
Yahoo News 16 Sep 08;

The ozone hole is larger in 2008 than the previous year but is not expected to reach the size seen two years ago, the World Meteorological Organisation said Tuesday.

"In 2008, the ozone hole appeared relatively late. However, during the last couple of weeks it has grown rapidly and has now passed the maximum size attained in 2007," the WMO said in a statement.

The hole in the layer over the Antarctic was discovered in the 1980s. It regularly tends to form in August, reaching its maximum size late September or early October before it fills again in mid-December.

The size it reaches is dependent on weather conditions.

Experts warned that such is the damage to the ozone layer, which shields the Earth from harmful ultra-violet rays, it will only attain full recovery in 2075.

"It would take decades for the hole to disappear and for it to return to the situation before 1980. We are looking at 2075," Geir Braathen, who is the World Meteorological Organisation's expert on the subject told AFP.

On September 13, the hole covered an area of 27 million square kilometers, while in 2007, the maximum reached was 25 million square kilometers, said the WMO.

"Since the ozone hole is still growing, it is too early to determine how large this year's ozone hole will be," it added.

Ozone provides a natural protective filter against harmful ultra-violet rays from the sun, which can cause sunburn, cataracts and skin cancer and damage vegetation.

Its depletion is caused by extreme cold temperatures at high altitude and a particular type of pollution, from chemicals often used in refrigeration, some plastic foams, or aerosol sprays, which have accumulated in the atmosphere.

Most of these chemicals, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), are being phased out under the 1987 Montreal Protocol, but they linger in the atmosphere for many years.

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