Exotic Pets Turn Invasive, Threatening Florida

Wynne Parry LiveScience.com Yahoo News 24 Sep 11;

Florida is now officially the world capital for invasive and potentially invasive reptiles and amphibians, according to a 20-year study verifying that 56 non-native species of these animals have become established in the sunshine state.

The accommodating climate — which can suit not only tropical and subtropical specie, but those adapted to colder climes —is an element in the problem, according to Kenneth Krysko, the lead researcher and a senior biological scientist at the Florida Museum of Natural History, the University of Florida.

But he and the other researchers put the bulk of the blame on the pet trade, which they say is responsible for the vast majority of introductions, and impotent laws meant to prevent the release of non-natives. [Image Gallery: Invasive Species]

It's impossible to have this many non-native species establishing themselves without consequences, Krysko said.

"To think we are not going to have any problem, it doesn't make any sense — we already know we have a problem with some of the few species we have studied, and sometimes it takes decades to even determine we have a problem with a certain species," he said.

One of the most prominent of these new residents is the Burmese python, which appears to be a refugee of the pet trade. Officials worry they pose a threat to humans, as well as to native, endangered species, which turn up in the pythons' stomachs.

According to the researchers' list, the Burmese is one of six python species that have been introduced to Florida, all by the pet trade, and one of two that has become established, meaning it has survived and reproduced in its new habitat.

The introductions began in 1863 with the greenhouse frog, a native of the Caribbean, which appears to have hitched a ride with shipping cargo. Since then, 136 more non-natives have been introduced and three intercepted before they reached the wild,Krysko and his colleagues find. In the decades that followed, cargo stowaways were the dominant introductions. But in the 1970s and 1980s, the demand for exotic pets increased. The pet trade is now accountable for 84 percent of introductions, they calculate. [America's 10 Favorite Pets]

The researchers confirmed the introductions of all known nonnative reptiles and amphibians through their own fieldwork and by looking at specimens in museum collections, photographs and results from previous research. For each, they included the time of its introduction, the pathway by which the species was introduced and its status.

Releasing a nonnative species without a permit is illegal in Florida, but the law requires an officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to observe someone releasing the animal in order to cite them, according to Krysko. Not surprisingly, no one has been prosecuted, he said.

In a study published in the journal Zootaxa on Sept. 15, the researchers encourage the creation of an early detection and rapid response program to quickly identify newly found introduced species so they can be eradicated.

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Not Just Oceans: Acid Levels Rising in Air, Soil, Freshwater

Environment News Service 23 Sep 11;

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia, September 23, 2011 (ENS) - Human use of Earth's natural resources is making the air, freshwaters and soils more acidic, finds new research by the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Virginia.

The researchers found that the mining and burning of coal, the mining and smelting of metal ores, and the use of nitrogen fertilizer are the major causes of chemical oxidation processes that generate acid in the Earth's surface environment.

Many earlier studies have shown that the absorption of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide is making the oceans more acid.

This study, the first to examine acidity of air, freshwaters and soils, as well as oceans, is published in the current issue of the journal "Applied Geochemistry."

"We believe that this study is the first attempt to assess all of the major human activities that are making Earth more acidic," said USGS scientist Karen Rice, who led the study.

She said, "We hope others will use this as a starting point for making scientific and management progress to preserve the atmosphere, waters, and soils that support human life."

Burning coal has produced acid rain that has increased the acidity of freshwater bodies and soils. Drainage from mines has increased the acidity of freshwater streams and groundwater. The fertilizer nitrogen added to crop lands has increased the acidity of soils, the scientists found.

Previous studies have linked increased ocean acidity to damaged ocean food webs, while increased acidity in soils has the potential to affect their ability to sustain crop growth.

To examine the global impact of acidification, the researchers developed a series of world maps to show current coal use, nutrient consumption, and copper production and smelting by country.

By combining this information with the anticipated population growth through 2050 and the impact of changing technology, regulations and other factors, the researchers address shifting trends in acidification.

To look at the impact of the acid producing activities, the researchers characterized the scale of environmental damage as local, regional, global, or some combination of the three.

Generating power by burning coal, for instance, can have local, regional and global impacts. Locally, it can cause acid mine drainage where the coal is mined; regionally, burning it can cause acid rain; globally, the increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases the acidity of the ocean.

The scientists note some progress in reducing the effects of some of these activities through increased regulations and changes in how the minerals are mined and used in some parts of the world.

"The low pH levels of streams in coal regions of the eastern United States were a major environmental concern 50 years ago," said University of Virginia geochemistry professor Janet Herman. "Changes in mining practices as well as shifting location of production brought about improvements in water quality in Appalachia."

But, they observe, other regions are expanding their use of these resources and increasing the effects of acidification.

"Exploitation of coal has grown in China where the same environmental protections are not in place," Herman said.

"Looking at these maps can help identify where the current hotspots are for producing acidity," said Rice. "The population increase map can help guide policymakers on possible future trends and areas to watch for the development of new hotspots."

For example, the populations of some countries in Africa are projected to increase in the near future. To support the growing populations, these countries likely will be forced to apply more nitrogen fertilizer to their crops than they currently use, increasing the acidification of soils and freshwater resources in a region that had not previously been affected.

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Best of our wild blogs: 24 Sep 11

Of Things Little and Large
from Raffles Museum News

Siti's seagrass poster at the Biodiversity Symposium
from teamseagrass

Mandai mangrove meanders with Rick
from wild shores of singapore

Ready for the Weekend
from The Lazy Lizard's Tales

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Asean pressures Indonesia over rise in haze pollution

Bangkok Post 24 Sep 11;

Asean nations are pressuring Indonesia to control transboundary haze which has caused widespread health and environmental impacts in the region.

According to the information presented at the ministerial meeting on transboundary haze pollution in Bangkok yesterday, most of the hotspots, caused by forest fires and farmland burning, are in Indonesia.

The meeting was attended by environment ministers from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

Thailand's southern provinces have also been affected by transboundary haze comprised of tiny dust particles from forest fires and burning in open areas.

"When the haze started to affect the South, we wrote to Indonesia to ask for an explanation about the situation," said Pollution Control Department chief Supat Wangwongwattana. "However, Jakarta did not respond." Malaysia and Singapore are also affected, he added.

"We'd like Indonesia to better inform other countries about the transboundary haze situation," Mr Supat said.

Asean countries have made a commitment to reduce the number of haze hotspots by 20% from the baseline year in 2006. This number had reduced from 29,900 in the sub-region of five countries in 2006 to only 8,000 last year. However, the number of hotspots jumped back up to 17,600 this year.

Indonesia is the main hotspot source as large swathes of peatland have been transformed into mono-crop plantations, including rubber and oil plam plantations. Mr Supat said the sub-region countries would like Indonesia to ratify the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution. Indonesia is the only country that has not ratified the pact, which is a legally-binding tool for controlling haze pollution.

The agreement also covers the Asean haze fund, which each member donates to on a voluntary basis.

Indonesia cited a change of parliament as a reason for the delay of the ratification procedure, Mr Supat added.

Singapore's environment minister Vivian Balarkrishnan, who chaired the meeting yesterday, said the Bangkok talks were fruitful, but more work needed to be done on reducing the number of peatland fires, and to push for the enforcement of laws limiting the trans-boundary haze.

The minister suggested the use of satellite maps to identify the haze hotspots so that the countries in which they are situated can take responsibility and step up their control measures.

Arief Yuwono, Indonesia's deputy of degradation control and climate change from the Ministry of Environment, insisted Jakarta has done its best to prevent the haze.

The country had spent more than US$2 million (61.8 million baht) on haze pollution control projects.

"We have our own plan to revise the national framework for suppression and mitigation of transboundary haze pollution, including law enforcement measures," he said.

Indonesia steps up fight against haze
Newley Purnell Channel NewsAsia 23 Sep 11;

BANGKOK: Indonesia said it is stepping up enforcement to ensure plantation owners do not use fire to clear land.

The fires often lead to smoke haze in neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia.

At an ASEAN gathering in Bangkok to discuss ways of combating the problem, Singapore officials said the issue has not been resolved.

Smoke haze is an annual problem in countries like Singapore and Malaysia, and regional environmental authorities met in Bangkok on Friday to discuss the issue.

Land and forest fires on Indonesia's island of Sumatra frequently create a thick, grey haze during the dry season.

Winds carry the particulate matter north to Singapore and Malaysia. And this clouds the skies, reduces visibility, and creates health concerns.

At the annual meeting of the ASEAN's steering committee on trans-boundary haze pollution, officials from Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia said they are all working together to tackle the problem.

Officials said Indonesia is taking steps to reduce fires and haze, but they said much work remains to be done.

The vastness of Indonesia's land makes it difficult to police.

In addition, setting fire to peat lands to create palm oil plantations is a lucrative practice.

"First we had a... meeting which I would describe as an intense and frank exchange of views between all countries represented. Because it was a frank meeting, I would say it was a very useful annd productive meeting," said Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore's Minister for the Environment and Water Resources.

Indonesia's Deputy of Degradation Control and Climate Change at the Environment Ministry said his country is stepping up law enforcement efforts and taking steps to fight fires.

"Having said that, it's still cause for concern. And as events in the last few weeks have shown, depending on the weather conditions, Singapore and Malaysia and southern Thailand can still be significantly affected by haze. So this is not a resolved issue," said Dr Balakrishnan.

Just earlier this month, the skies over Singapore and Malaysia were covered in smoke haze from the burning in Indonesia.

- CNA /ls

Haze remains a cause for concern: Dr Balakrishnan
Newley Purnell Today Online 24 Sep 11;

BANGKOK - While progress has been made in tackling the haze issue, it remains a cause for concern, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan.

The number of hot spots in Indonesia has reached 17,000, up from 9,880 last year, although improved from five years ago.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) steering committee on trans-boundary haze pollution in Bangkok, Dr Balakrishnan said: "We also appealed to the Indonesian delegation to expedite the process of ratification of the ASEAN agreement because that would signify political commitment to this process."

He noted it was a "good meeting" where the ministers were "very frank with each other". "We've reviewed the progress and if you look at the situation from 2006 to now, five years later, there's actually been significant progress in the number of hots pots - at about 29,000 before, it's now down to about 17,000."

Mr Arief Yuwono, Indonesia's Deputy Minister for Environmental Degradation Control and Climate Change, said his country is stepping up law enforcement efforts and taking steps to fight fires.

However, the vastness of Indonesia's land makes it difficult to police, while setting fire to peat lands to create palm oil plantations is a lucrative practice.

At the meeting, the ministers also noted the enhanced and new efforts by Indonesia in implementing its plan of action in dealing with transboundary haze pollution.

These include developing a standard operating procedure for national prevention and control of forest and land fires, strengthened law enforcement measures, cloud seeding operations, and a "zero-burning" campaign and socialisation of laws on plantation, environment and forestry to relevant stakeholders.

Dr Balakrishnan said: "We've noted the progress there and we've also offered our support. We will be more open and transparent and we'll be sharing all the data, including satellite data not only between governments but also to make it available to non-governmental organisations and to members of the public."

"The key point here is to make the culprits and the companies responsible for haze more accountable and to subject them to economic as well as public pressure to do the right thing," he added. NEWLEY PURNELL

Hot spots in Indonesia double
Asean to identify haze culprits using satellite images
Nirmal Ghosh, Straits Times 24 Sep 11;

BANGKOK: With several weeks still left to go in Indonesia's dry season, the number of hot spots in Sumatra and Kalimantan so far this year has hit 17,000 - more than double the total last year.

Revealing the figure on the sidelines of an Asean meeting in Bangkok on the haze situation, Singapore Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said the number of hot spots indicates the size of the problem facing countries in the neighbourhood.

He said there were about 29,000 hot spots in Sumatra and Kalimantan in 2006. That, however, was an abnormally hot and dry 'El Nino' year.

Last year, there were 8,000 hot spots.

In a bid to put pressure on companies involved in what they termed 'environmental vandalism', ministers from five nations in the regional grouping agreed to make public satellite images of the burning forests to help identify and shame the culprits.

The fires which give rise to the haze are usually started by large oil palm plantation companies and by farmers clearing land for their fields.

'We decided we would be more open and transparent,' Dr Balakrishnan said.

'The key point here is to make the culprits and the companies responsible for haze more accountable, and to subject them to economic as well as public pressure to do the right thing and not to engage in what is ultimately environmental vandalism, for short-term profits at the expense of the health and economy of the wider region,' he said.

Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei sent their environment ministers to the Transboundary Haze Pollution meeting. But Indonesia - where the haze originates - sent only its deputy minister, Mr Arif Yuwono. Thailand was the other participant.

After the meeting, the ministers said there had been some progress in fighting the fires in Indonesia.

They pointed to successful cooperation in curbing fires and sustainable management of peat forest land, which is vulnerable to long-burning fires.

They also noted that Indonesia had set up standard operating procedures for national fire prevention and control.

But more could be done, they said.

Dr Balakrishnan, who chaired the meeting, said: 'There is some progress. But there remains... serious concern because of the implications on health, travel and the economy on a wider scale.'

'Transboundary haze is one example in which, unfortunately, the economic interests of the culprits responsible for starting these fires are not aligned with the interests of larger society,' he added.

The ministers also pointed out that the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, which calls for cooperation in preventing and controlling the haze, has not been ratified by Indonesia.

They said ratification has been in the works for some time, and appealed for it to do so soon.

Ratification would 'signal political commitment at the highest level', Dr Balakrishnan said.

He added that Asean was also waiting for Indonesia to enforce and prosecute those who started forest fires, saying that 'until this is done, you will not send the message of accountability'.

In Indonesia's defence, Mr Arif said: 'We just set up a task force on law enforcement, and now they are trying to identify all the companies that are breaking the law.'

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Wanted: Someone To Classify Indonesia's Seas

Ismira Lutfia Jakarta Globe 23 Sep 11;

Indonesia’s vast wealth of marine life is not being exploited to its full potential because of a lack of taxonomists in the country’s scientific community, experts contend.

Zainal Arifin, head of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences’ (LIPI) Oceanographic Research Center, said there were far too few local scientists specializing in the discovery and naming of new marine species, and those already working in the field were not as highly qualified as one might hope.

He attributed the shortage to the fact that taxonomy was often not seen as a desirable specialization for budding scientists.

However, he said the profession was a much-needed one because new discoveries of marine life were still being made here and unless there were scientists to document these discoveries, the country would be unable to benefit from them — commercially, for food or for other purposes.

“The first step is to nurture human resources in the scientific community who are suitably skilled in marine taxonomy to allow the country to benefit from its marine resources,” Zainal said in a seminar this week.

Dwi Listyo Rahayu, a marine taxonomist and fellow seminar speaker, said the shortage was not limited to Indonesia.

“Despite the fact that climate change raises the very real concern that a lot of living species could die out before we get the chance to study them, the truth remains that the desire among scientists to specialize in taxonomy is very low,” she said.

One reason for the field’s lack of appeal in Indonesia, Dwi suggested, is its reputation as a less than lucrative discipline.

“Much of the research that is done in the country is of an applied nature, such as research into how to make crops more resistant,” she said. “So it’s very rare for funding to be given to proposals for research into biodiversity or a species inventory.”

Suharsono, a senior scientist at the Oceanographic Research Center, said the issue should be a shared concern for the nation’s scientific community, given the wealth of marine life here.

He said Indonesia and the Caribbean were the two maritime regions with the richest biodiversity in the world. Because of this, he said, the country should strive to have at least one taxonomist covering each of the taxons, or categories, of marine species, such as crustaceans, mollusks and algae.

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Best of our wild blogs: 23 Sep 11

WWF Movie Preview: Dolphin Tale
from Green Drinks Singapore

Green Corridor via Sunset Way
from Macro Photography in Singapore

Eco warriors Unfazed by Gloomy Weather at Pandan Mangrove!
from News from the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore and Reflections on a Saturday Morning

Animal picture of the day: world's tiniest rhino for World Rhino Day
from Mongabay.com news by Jeremy Hance

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Our CBD is losing its green edge

As parks disappear, Singapore's downtown loses part of what makes it so attractive
Richard Hartung Today Online 23 Sep 11;

"Great cities are defined as much by their parks and open spaces as they are by their architecture," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said when plans for the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation were announced in 2003. The city spent more than US$100 million (S$129 million) on 20 parks in that downtown area.

In Seoul, the government spent about US$280 million on the Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project and created a new park in the middle of the city.

In contrast, patches of green here in Singapore seem to keep disappearing. One of the latest is Robinson Green, in the heart of the Central Business District.

At the end of June, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announced that it had launched the commercial site at Robinson Road/Cecil Street for sale. A sign invites companies to submit a bid to the URA so they can turn the park into an office building.

While Robinson Green is tiny, it's an oasis of trees and flowers that brings a brief respite to workers pausing for a break or rushing past. And despite plans for small "pocket parks" in the urban centre, Robinson Green's demise seems emblematic of a continuing loss of greenery in the CBD.

Singapore used to seem more focused on greenery. Indeed, the National Parks Board states that "Singapore's development into a Garden City started four decades ago with the establishment of the greening programme. The driving force behind this was the former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew who identified a green Singapore as a key competitive factor in attracting foreign investments to the country".

New plans, however, have brought change. The end of Robinson Green is part of Master Plan 2008, which the URA says will guide Singapore's development "over the next 10 to 15 years".

The Master Plan is in turn part of the Concept Plan, a "strategic land use and transportation plan to guide development in the next 40 to 50 years".

When the URA released the Master Plan in 2008, few other than developers may have looked seriously at what would change in the coming decade. The Plan shows that Robinson Green, along with nearby Telok Ayer Park, are among the "interim green" areas slated for redevelopment. The lawns above Tanjong Pagar MRT station, in contrast, are "park/open space" areas. Even some of that greenery seems to be disappearing, though, following the sale of land at Peck Seah Street earlier this year.

It is easy to sell off green spots and build buildings. It's far harder to retain the greenery that differentiates Singapore's downtown from the many drab valleys of skyscrapers elsewhere in Asia.

By eliminating these pocket parks, Singapore seems out of sync with trends in other cities and risks losing the greenery that makes it so attractive. The Sustainable Cities database says that Copenhagen and Chicago, for example, are among a number of cities actually acquiring more land to create small parks.

An increasing body of research also shows the importance of urban parks. Georgia Institute of Technology professor Joe Hughes, for example, found that "parks play a role in market restoration, value creation, job creation, green space development and neighbourhood stabilisation". Other research shows that urban parks are part of what attracts everyone from Fortune 500 companies to knowledge workers.

Admittedly, it can be hard to prove the value of these green spots. As former mayor of Bogota Colombia Enrique Peñalosa said, "we cannot prove mathematically that wider sidewalks, pedestrian streets, more or better parks make people happier, much less measure how much happier. However if we reflect, most things that are important in life cannot be measured either: Friendship, beauty, love, loyalty are examples. Parks and other pedestrian places are essential to a city's happiness".

Studies by Rotman Research Institute researcher Marc Berman do, however, help demonstrate that parks benefit people. The Wall Street Journal reports that Mr Berman found "performance on memory and attention tests improved by 20 per cent after study subjects paused for a walk through an arboretum" whereas "no cognitive boost was detected" when they strolled down a busy street. Even "a quieter city street with interesting natural elements to look at" can help, Mr Berman found. A stop in a place like Robinson Green might actually improve performance.

Rather than losing the tiny parks and open spaces in the CBD that help make Singapore green and bring so many benefits, perhaps it's time to re-examine the headlong rush into building and consider how to preserve or expand what makes Singapore so attractive.



Richard Hartung is a consultant who has lived in Singapore since 1992.

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Yao Ming urges Chinese to give up shark fin soup

(AFP) Google News 22 Sep 11;

SHANGHAI — Basketball star Yao Ming and British entrepreneur Richard Branson on Thursday launched a campaign urging Chinese to stop eating shark fin soup to help save the predators.

Shark fins are used in a thick soup that is viewed as a delicacy by Chinese people and served at luxury restaurants in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The method of shark-finning -- slicing off the fins of live animals and then throwing them back in the water to die -- is condemned by animal rights campaigners and blamed by scientists for a worldwide collapse in populations.

The campaign, launched in Shanghai, includes advertisements featuring the two celebrities and a website for people to make an online pledge to stop eating the soup, said the organiser, international conservation group WildAid.

Yao, who retired from the sport in July but remains one of China's biggest sporting names, made a pledge to stop eating shark fin soup five years ago and has since served as an ambassador for WildAid, the group said in a statement.

Branson is backing the campaign through his non-profit foundation Virgin Unite.

"I simply cannot imagine a world without sharks -- we must not let this happen," he said in the statement.

WildAid, which seeks to halt the trade in wildlife, estimates up to 73 million sharks are harvested annually, mainly for shark fin soup.

"The ongoing and increasing demand for shark fin is holding many species on the brink of extinction, further threatening marine ecosystems the world over," it said.

Earlier this year, a member of China's parliament proposed a ban on the trade in shark fins.

Ding Liguo, a businessman delegate to the National People's Congress, said China should lead the world in banning the trade since 95 percent of shark fin is consumed in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

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Philippines eats, sells biodiversity riches

Cecil Morella (AFP) Google News 23 Sep 11

MANILA — A Philippine brown deer hobbles on three legs in a tiny mud pit of a pen at a government-run wildlife rescue centre, a grim symbol of the country's rapidly vanishing flora and fauna.

The deer was a victim of a snare set by villagers hunting it for food that claimed its front right foot six years ago, forcing the old male to live out the rest of its days a long way from home at the animal shelter in Manila.

The deer is just one of hundreds of local species that are being hunted close to extinction mainly by the rural poor who want them for food or to sell to dealers as part of an increasingly lucrative global pet trade.

"It is in our culture to catch, kill, and or cook anything that moves," said Mike Lu, treasurer of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, who has observed a dramatic decline in bird species over many years.

Massive habitat loss compounds the problem, according to Theresa Mundita Lim, head of the government's protected areas and wildlife bureau.

"One-fifth of our major fauna species will disappear within 20 years' time if we don't do something," Lim said.

With more than 53,000 species, environment group Conservation International lists the tropical Southeast Asian nation among 17 "megadiverse" countries that harbour two-thirds of Earth's species.

But it also says the Philippines is one of the world's most threatened hotspots, with just seven percent of its original forests left and one of the world's fastest-growing populations that needs ever-greater amounts of land.

But, with roughly a third of the 95 million Filipinos living on a dollar a day or less, the immediate value of the country's biodiversity is one of its greatest threats, according to Lim.

As an example, Lim said the poor rural villagers had nearly wiped out the country's indigenous orchid species by collecting and selling them.

"It is the main livelihood for some communities," she said.

The Philippines' biodiversity riches makes it a major force in the global illegal wildlife trade, which is worth up to $20 billion annually, according to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Wildlife Enforcement Network.

The network says wildlife is the world's third-largest black market trade, surpassed only by arms and drugs.

Among the higher-profile animal species to have all but vanished in recent years due to hunting are the brown deer and the national bird, a monkey-eating eagle.

And only about 200 tamaraw, a wild buffalo, remain at a protected mountain range.

Some of the prices are astounding.

Several species of geckos, colourful nocturnal lizards, are collected for the alternative medicine trade, with those believed to cure AIDS selling for up to $1,200 dollars, while some of the rarest Philippine birds of prey are rumoured to fetch upwards of 20,000 dollars, according to Lim.

She said trappers -- typically poor farmers -- got as little as 500 pesos ($12) for a coveted Philippine parrot, but middlemen then sold the critically endangered bird for five times that.

President Benigno Aquino's government, which came to power last year, has stepped up efforts to combat the rampant wildlife trade.

High-profile police raids of pet-shop and trophy suppliers this year have uncovered a wide range of rare or critically endangered species, including sea turtles, snakes and corals.

Protected wildlife used to be openly hawked at big pet markets such as Arranque in Manila's Chinatown and Cartimar near the financial district.

A recent AFP visit to Arranque found no prohibited species, and market administrator Rene Sese said the shopkeepers now observed a wildlife ban.

"Before that was a practice here. Now they only sell those bred in captivity," Sese told AFP.

But the government acknowledges that, despite the higher-profile markets appearing to be better behaved, the illicit trade in protected species continues to flourish under the table.

"Traders are aware that they can be monitored so what they do is offer it for sale clandestinely... you can get it if you want. You can order," Lim said, adding the Internet also fuelled the trade.

Ashley Fruno, senior Asia campaigner for the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, also said penalties remained far too light to dissuade people from participating in the lucrative trade.

A wildlife protection law was passed in the Philippines in 2001, but fewer than 20 people have been convicted and judges often fine them instead of sending them to jail, said Josefina de Leon, wildlife section head of the environment ministry.

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Fears for koalas as study reveals 'marked decline'

(AFP) Google News 22 Sep 11;

SYDNEY — Australia's much-loved koala is under increasing threat and should be considered a vulnerable species, an official report found Thursday, with habitat loss seeing their numbers plunge.

The furry native marsupial has experienced a "marked decline" as the species faced down threats on a range of fronts including dog attacks and car accidents, according to a government inquiry into koala protection.

Thought to number in excess of 10 million before British settlers arrived in 1788, there are now believed to be as few as 43,515 left in the wild, though their existence high in the treetops makes them difficult to count

Drought, land-clearing, urban development, wildfires and disease were among other serious dangers to the tree-dwellers.

"The koala is an instantly recognisable symbol of Australia as well as being an integral part of Australian cultural heritage," the inquiry said.

Habitat loss was the single greatest threat facing the koala population, leaving them more susceptible to diseases including chlamydia and the koala retrovirus, and fragmenting breeding populations.

Groups in Australia's north were more endangered than those in the south, where they were so abundant in some areas food was running scarce, and the dangers varied from region to region, meaning there were "no easy solutions".

The report urged the government to consider the koala for classing as a vulnerable species, warning that urgent action was required to keep it from drifting "ever closer to the threatened species list."

"The committee is deeply concerned about the sustainability of Australia's koala population," it said.

Mapping and monitoring populations across Australia and genetic research were also among the inquiry's 19 recommendations, which called for the establishment of protected habitat areas, especially on government land.

Disease studies were also vital, including possible vaccination against chlamydia and retrovirus and the impact of changing leaf chemistry.

Wild dog management in priority areas was key, as was lowering speed limits, fencing off danger zones and, if required, building overpasses or underpasses to protect the native creatures, the report said.

Female koalas typically live for 15 years, males for 12, subsisting on a diet of native eucalyptus leaves.

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Welcome baby seven billion: we've room on earth for you

The modern Malthusians' lament at overpopulation is a mask for misanthropy. It's sustainable if the rich world consumes less
Lynsey Hanley guardian.co.uk 22 Sep 11;

On one day – one minute – in the next month, the world's 7 billionth human resident will be born. The United Nations is marking the occasion on the last day of October with what it describes it as an "opportunity" to promote "7 billion actions" for environmental sustainability and women's education, estimating that the world's population will top out at 9 or 10 billion mid-century before declining as economic development matures in countries with higher birth rates.

They appear to be right. Worldwide, fertility rates in countries such as Mexico and Bangladesh have fallen vastly in a single generation – thanks, in large part, to what the economist Amartya Sen terms "development as freedom". Yet Thomas Malthus, who at the turn of the 19th century predicted that population growth would inevitably lead to famine, still has his fans among those inclined to believe that humans mean little but bad news.

In Britain Population Matters, the Green party and the naturalist David Attenborough are united in agreeing that the UK population is too big and needs to be "encouraged" to bring about the conditions for its managed decline. Rather than place their focus on the waste and overconsumption endemic to rich nations such as ours, their solution to environmental pressure is to make sure there are fewer of us around in the future to mess things up.

The Greens have had a discrete population policy for more than 20 years and encourage the promotion of "informed debate on a sustainable population for the UK", coyly refraining from suggesting its own preferred figure. That's not to say the party's leaders haven't in the past: two years ago its former leader, Jonathon Porritt, described our over-fecundity as "the ghost at the table".

For its part, Population Matters reveals the moral crusade beneath its rational concern in a summary of its UK policy. First, it advocates reducing the rate of immigration so that it matches the rate of emigration – leaving us with a reduced population of ageing people. Second, it plans to "reduce the number of teenage pregnancies": an interesting target for attention, considering the age of the average first-time mother is now very close to 30. Third, it proposes that families "stop at two" children, which is what the overwhelming majority of households do already.

At 62.3 million, Britain's population in 2010 was about 10 million short of mid-1960s estimates for the year 2000. Back in 1965, the Central Statistical Office projected that 1,527,000 live births would take place in the first year of the new millennium, based entirely on trends at the time. The actual figure, when that year came around, was 604,441, suggesting that greater equality and opportunities for women had led them to "stop at two" without having to be told to.

Around the world, policies to promote family planning only work when people of child-bearing age are able to factor in the prospect of stability and choice in other areas of their lives. We have found ways of making it possible to sustain ourselves at a time when the world population has increased exponentially. What prevents the world being fed equitably and healthily is the fact that rich-world governments can't bear the thought of doing two unpopular things.

First, they won't encourage individuals to reduce their own consumption; and second, they won't facilitate moving that consumption away from petrol, meat, imported fruit and other adoptive "necessities" of the world middle class. Stuffed and Starved, the incisive 2008 book by Raj Patel, shows the symbiosis between obesity in rich nations and undernourishment in poor ones, caused by the hogging of food markets by those best placed to profit from them.

Even Population Matters admits that "managing population decline is like trying to hit a moving target". The question is, then, why even try? Nevertheless, let's assume that the world's population could be engineered to decline significantly from seven billion. For there to be any significant impact on the environment, that decline would have to take place in countries that already consume a far more than sustainable share of the world's resources.

Looked at from any angle, advocates of population control put across subjective moral arguments that masquerade as practical concerns. We now have the grotesque spectacle of the government of Australia, a continent-sized country with a minuscule population, simultaneously inviting people from other rich countries to live and work there while producing YouTube videos intended to deter people from poor countries from trying to enter.

To paint humans in their struggle for healthier, more prosperous, lives as somehow grabbing and greedy is as miserly and unimaginative as it gets. So let's see this apparent rationalism about population for what it is: fear and misanthropy wearing a mask of concern.

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Carbon capture progress has lost momentum, says climate change agency

Meeting of senior ministers in Beijing hears that CCS is being left behind due to financial crisis and weakening political will
Jonathan Watts guardian.co.uk 22 Sep 11;

The financial crisis and fading government support for climate action have seriously eroded global plans to capture and store carbon, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned on Thursday.

Sequestration – the depositing of greenhouse gases underground rather than into the atmosphere – was supposed to account for a fifth of the world's emissions reductions under the agency's roadmap for keeping global temperature rise within 2C (4F) by the end of the century.

But delegates including the US energy secretary, Steven Chu, heard at a meeting, held in Beijing, that the global temperature is on course to rise by 3.5C, due to poor progress both on carbon capture and storage, and on acceptance of a carbon price and other carbon-cutting efforts.

IEA deputy executive director, Richard Jones, told the meeting, hosted by the Washington-based Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum, that this would wreak havoc on human wellbeing. He added that time was running out to avoid this scenario because of slow progress on carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).

"Every year that passes makes it more difficult," Jones said. "With current policies, CCS will have a hard time [being] deployed ... There is less of a global push for climate action, and tighter government finances."

According to the IEA, global energy demand has more than doubled in the past 40 years and even with the most favourable assumptions will grow another 35% by 2035, which will take carbon dioxide emissions above 35 gigatonnes per year.

Projects to capture and bury a major chunk of that are behind schedule and finding it harder to secure funds.

To reach the 2C goal, the IEA estimates there will have to be 1,500 large-scale CCS projects around the world by 2035. However, only 74 have been announced, and the trend is in the wrong direction.

"We're seeing a decline in new projects due to a softening global economy and an uncertain carbon price," said Brad Page, head of the Australia-based Global CCS Institute.

Outside Europe, few countries have set a price for carbon. Australia's government is now trying to do just that, and is expected to set a level of about $23 per tonne of carbon.

This alone will not be enough. US energy secretary Steven Chu told the meeting the price of carbon would have to be $80 a tonne for CCS to be economically viable with current technology.

But, he continued, the US has yet to even set a price, which makes it difficult for companies to invest and financial institutions to make loans to CCS projects.

"The US needs a price on carbon sooner rather than later," said Chu. "This is something where we are losing time. It is very important that we get moving."

The US has 24 CCS projects – more than any other country – but they are mostly for enhanced oil extraction, which is more economical but has a relatively limited capacity for carbon sequestration.

Delegates said other forms of CCS need more state aid to get going but cash-strapped governments are backing away from financial commitments. Industry representatives said the sector was plagued by delays, doubts and weak policy support.

China has soared through the global economic crisis with double-digit economic growth but it is cautious about taking the lead with expensive CCS technology. Adoption by the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter is crucial as China is expected to account for a third of the global growth in emissions over the next 25 years. According to the International Energy Agency's plan to keep carbon dioxide in the atmosphere under 445 parts per million, China should have 270 major CCS projects by 2035. So far it has six at the planning stage. Xie Zhenhua, vice-chairman of the powerful National Development and Reform Commission, said carbon capture and storage was a "last resort" for China.

With little political and financial capital behind CCS, however, its prospects are diminishing. Delegates said commodities firms – who are profiting from the rise in energy prices – should step in.

"Time has been lost as a result of the financial crisis. No one can deny that," said Martin Ferguson, who called on mining companies to make a greater financial contribution to the development of CCS technology. "Coal companies must look at themselves as beneficiaries of the rise in the price of coal."

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