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Brazil vote sparks fears for future of rainforest

Posted by Flora Sawita Labels: Brazil, Deforestation, Endangered Species, Environmental Issues, Forests, Indonesia

Brazil stands at a crossroads in its efforts to preserve the Amazon rainforest, as the government considers controversial legislation governing land use.

For most of the last decade it has made a dramatic reduction in the rate of deforestation -- providing a model of how it could be tackled in other rainforest areas such as Indonesia and Congo.

The Amazon rainforest covers a huge area, roughly half as large as the United States, with around 60% of it in Brazil.

It is estimated that nearly a fifth of the Brazilian forest has been lost since 1970 -- figures from Brazil's space research institute (INPE) show that 4.1 million square kilometers (1.58 million square miles) of Brazilian forest were still standing in 1970 compared to 3.35 million square kilometers (1.29 million square miles) today.

Like many developing nations, there is pressure on the natural environment from commercial and agriculture interests.

According to INPE, in 1995 nearly 30,000 square kilometers (about 11,550 square miles) were cleared -- that is an area about the size of Belgium or the U.S. state of Maryland -- but in 2011 the rate of loss had been reduced to just over 6,000 square kilometers (about 2,400 square miles).

Last year saw the lowest annual clearance since yearly INPE surveys began in 1988 and Brazil is aiming to reduce deforestation even further to 3,500 square kilometres annually by 2020.

Brazil's environment ministry credits its success on a combination of support for sustainable activities and near real-time satellite monitoring of forest regions that allows it to target illegal operations with extra agents.

But environmentalists worry that these results -- brought about by efficient use of technology allied with a political will to slow clearing -- could now be put at risk by an overhaul of Brazil's Forest Code. Protesters say the new code, which could come into effect after a crucial vote on March 6, reduces protection and weakens enforcement laws.

"The changes in the new Forest Code will reduce this protection. Combined with the strong presence of 'ruralists' in the Congress -- congressmen linked to the agri-business sector -- there is good reason to be very concerned for the future of forests in Brazil," said Jessica Miller of Greenpeace Brazil.

"Deforestation in the Amazon has many drivers. Loggers come first to take the most precious timber and finance the building of rough, illegal roads. Then come cattle ranchers, burning what is left and planting grass. Cattle ranching is often used to guarantee the ownership of the area by land grabbers," she said.

At present, Brazilian government statistics show that about 30% of the country's land is given over to agriculture.

The power of the rural lobby is acknowledged by those close to the Brazilian government but the environmental fears are also rejected.

Luis Antonio Carvalho, special advisor to the Brazilian Environment Minister, Izabella Teixeira, said: "It is true that the rural caucus representatives have much power, everybody knows that. Much of the GDP comes from the Brazilian agriculture and livestock. It is a sector of great importance for the country.

"The new proposal includes all the government's requirements. It sets out regulations to restore the land. It includes components such as social interest, public utilities and low environmental impact.

There is good reason to be very concerned for the future of forests in Brazil.
Jessica Miller, Greenpeace Brazil

"But I think this is the best proposal that can come out for both sides. Environmental groups are concerned, but the rural caucus, on the other hand, are worried too. So it is clear that neither side will be satisfied with any code that the government approves."

Carvalho said farmers must keep 80% of their forested land -- they will only be able to clear 20% -- and may have to use some of their land for reforestation.

But farmers are worried about the future of their businesses and keen to modernize the existing code, which dates to 1965.

No-one from the Brazilian farmers' body, the CNA, which represents 2,300 rural trade unions, was available for comment but the group's website calls for a balanced approach that safeguards conservation and food production "because this production depends on the welfare and progress of the Brazilians."

Protecting the rainforest has attracted celebrity backing for more than two decades. The pop singer, Sting, and his wife Trudie Styler, set up the Rainforest Foundation in 1989 after seeing the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and its impact on indigenous peoples.

Much of the GDP comes from the Brazilian agriculture and livestock. It is a sector of great importance for the country.
Luis Antonio Carvalho, Brazil government advisor

Both the Rainforest Foundation and Greenpeace have previously urged Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to use her veto to block the law change.

They are concerned about the threat to the huge range of animals and plants found in the world's rainforests -- scientists from the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity estimate that at least two thirds of all Earth's terrestrial species are found in tropical forests.

Spring 2012 also marks a significant junction half a world away in Indonesia which has significant forest areas. In May 2010 Norway signed a letter of intent, pledging around $1 billion to help Indonesia reduce deforestation. But there have been delays in implementing the plan and Greenpeace says it is not working.

The agreement was designed to help Indonesia with its commitment to the U.N.'s global REDD+ program (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). It called for the establishment of an "independent institution for a national monitoring, reporting and verification system," a two-year moratorium on all new concessions for forest clearance and enforcement of laws on illegal logging.

Central Kalimantan was chosen as a pilot project -- an area of Indonesia that has seen widespread forest destruction. Studies by South Dakota State University and the environmental think tank, World Resources Institute (WRI), show that the lowlands of Kalimantan and Sumatra have lost more than 40% of the rainforest cover since 1990. In the same period, more than 17% of Indonesia's total forest area has disappeared.

The studies also show there has been a resurgence in clearing since 2000, but has not so far reached the levels of the 1990s.

Attempts to halt deforestation in Indonesia are much less advanced than Brazil which started its drive in the 1980s.

What the world really needs is consistent, real-time deforestation data for all forested countries.
Fred Stolle, World Resources Institute

Greenpeace says there are major loopholes in the Indonesian moratorium, saying the safeguards are inadequate with no review of existing concessions, and criticizes the lack of a good monitoring system.

"In short, in our opinion and analysis, the moratorium has not been working well in halting deforestation in Indonesia," said Yuyun Indradi, Greenpeace forest campaigner in Indonesia.

"The land rights issues are also a major problem in forest governance... creating more and more conflict and human rights violations. It means the existence of indigenous peoples and local peoples are at risk as, currently, the government tends to give more priority to the large scale industries of forestry, plantation and mining," he said.

The Indonesia government insists it is committed to REDD+ and introducing a host of measures to slow deforestation and reduce emissions. In a keynote environment speech in September 2011, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono dedicated his remaining three years in office to enhance the forests of Indonesia.

"We must attain both development and the management of our forest -- simultaneously," he said. "This is because forest management is tightly intertwined with the livelihood of our people, with our food security, with the availability of wood and fuel.

"Apart from the moratorium, we have built indicative maps that are important to the implementation of REDD+. These maps will also facilitate the resolution of decades-long problems of land use and land tenure."

A spokesman for the Indonesian government adds that they are working on the maps and new concessions permits, and to determine the extent of forest damage and how to control it.

But can Indonesia match the progress made by Brazil? Greenpeace's Indradi says Brazil's strong point has been to implement better forest governance, backed up with good monitoring and serious law enforcement.

It is the monitoring issue that is also acknowledged as key by the WRI. "Reliable monitoring and information are essential for protecting forests," said the institute's Fred Stolle. "Indonesia recognizes the value of good data and is working to develop such a system.

"What the world really needs is consistent, real-time deforestation data for all forested countries."

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India's Supreme Court orders river links project to proceed

Posted by Flora Sawita Labels: Environmental Issues, India, River and Ocean, Urdu

India's Supreme Court has ordered the government to implement an ambitious project to link major rivers in the region "in a time-bound manner".

The court also appointed a committee to plan and implement the project.

The judges said the project had been long delayed, resulting in an increase in its cost.

In 2002, the government announced plans to link major rivers in the region to reduce persistent water shortages in parts of India after a court order.

The project was announced by then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who said the scheme will "free India from the curse of floods and droughts".

He also set up a task force to get the project going.

But the project has remained on paper for the last 10 years.

Project opposed

On Monday, the three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice SH Kapadia, said the central and the state governments should participate for the "effective" implementation of the river-linking project "in a time-bound manner".

It is not clear what timeframe the court envisions.

"We direct the Union of India to forthwith constitute a committee for interlinking of rivers," the bench said, adding that "we direct the committee to implement the project".

The project aims to link 30 major rivers and will involve diverting the Ganges and the Brahmaputra - two of India's biggest rivers.

It requires the construction of large dams within India, Nepal and Bhutan, requiring international agreements with these countries.

The project was opposed by India's neighbours and environmentalists.

Bangladesh said diversion of water from these rivers would harm its interests - while environmentalists said the project would cause an ecological disaster.

But India says it must enhance its irrigation potential to meet its demand for grain to feed an estimated population of 1.5 billion by 2050.

The river-linking project was first devised in India in 1980 and has been under discussion ever since.

بھارتی سپریم کورٹ نے مرکزی حکومت کو ہدایت دی ہے کہ وہ ملک کے دریاؤں کو جوڑنے سے متعلق منصوبے پر کام جلد شروع کرے۔

عدالت نے اس پر عمل درآمد کے لیے ایک اعلیٰ سطحی کمیٹی تشکیل دیے جانے کی بھی ہدایات دی ہیں تاکہ اس پر باقاعدگی سے کام ہو سکے۔

ملک کے دریاؤں کو آپس میں جوڑنے کا منصوبہ کئی برس پرانا ہے اور اس میں تاخیر کے سبب ضرورت سے زیادہ پیسہ خرچ ہونے کی وجہ سے عدالت نے یہ ہدایات جاری کی ہیں۔

سپریم کورٹ نے کہا:’ ہم دریاؤں کو جوڑنے کے لیے مرکزی حکومت کو ایک کمیٹی تشکیل دینے کا حکم دیتے ہیں۔ ہم کمیٹی کو ہدایت کرتے ہیں کہ وہ اس پروجیکٹ کو عملی جامہ پہنائے۔‘

عدالت نے اپنے ریمارکس میں کہا کہ اس منصوبے میں پہلے ہی کافی تاخیر ہوچکی ہے جس سے خرچ بہت زیادہ بڑھ گيا ہے۔

عدالت کے حکم کے مطابق کمیٹی میں آبی وسائل کے وزیر، اس محکمہ کے سیکریٹریز اور وزارت ماحولیات کے سینیئر حکام سمیت دوسری وزارتوں کے ماہرین کو بھی شامل کیا جائیگا۔

اس میں ریاستی حکومتوں کے خصوصی نمائندے، دو سرکردہ سماجی کارکن اور اس معاملے میں سپریم کورٹ کے معاون وکیل رنجت کمار کو بھی شامل کرنے کی ہدایات دی گئی ہیں۔

"ہم دریاؤں کو جوڑنے کے لیے مرکزی حکومت کو ایک کمیٹی تشکیل دینے کا حکم دیتے ہیں۔ ہم کمیٹی کو ہدایت کرتے ہیں کہ وہ اس پروجیکٹ کو عملی جامہ پہنائے۔"

ملک کے دریاؤں کو آپس میں جوڑنے کا منصوبہ دو ہزار دو میں اس وقت کی اٹل بہاری واجپئی کی حکومت نے پیش کیا تھا اور اس کے لیے ایک ٹاسک فورس بھی تشکیل دیا گيا تھا۔

اس کا مقصد ایک ہی موسم میں بعض علاقوں میں زبردست سیلاب اور دوسرے علاقوں میں سوکھے کی صورت حال سے نمٹنا تھا اور آبپاشی کے نظام کو مزید بہتر بنانا ہے۔

اگر ملک کے بڑے دریا آپس میں ایک دوسرے سے جوڑ دیں جائیں تو طغیانی والے دریاؤں کا پانی ان علاقوں کی طرف موڑا جا سکے گا جہاں پانی کی قلت ہوگي۔

اس سے سیلاب کی صورت حال سے بچنے میں مدد ملے گی اور قحط زدہ علاقوں میں بھی وافر مقدار میں پانی پہنچایا جا سکے گا۔

لیکن ماحولیات کے لیے کام کرنے والی کئی تنظیموں نے اس منصوبے پر یہ کہہ کر اعتراض کیا تھا کہ یہ منصوبہ قدرتی عمل کے ساتھ چھیڑ چھاڑ سے کم نہیں اور اس سے ماحولیات کو بھی نقصان پہنچے گا۔

ایک تخمینے کے مطابق اس منصوبہ پر تقریبا پانچ لاکھ کروڑ روپے کی لاگت آئیگی اور اسے دو ہزار سولہ تک مکمل کرنا تھا۔

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Drought summit as rivers in England dry up

Posted by Flora Sawita Labels: Drought, Environmental Issues, River and Ocean, United Kingdom, Water Issues

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman has hosted a drought summit as parts of England struggle with groundwater levels lower than in 1976.

She invited water companies, farmers and wildlife groups to discuss the situation in south-east England, East Anglia and the East Midlands.

Ms Spelman said beforehand the meeting was to work out "preventative measures" that could be taken now.

Anglian Water said some reservoir levels are 20% lower then normal.

Anglian spokesman Kieran Nelson said: "This year the recharge period started later, it's taking longer and it's going much more slowly. And that is a concern not just for reservoirs like this one but for the boreholes that we rely on as well.

"But we need months of torrential rain, to be quite honest. It might not be a popular thing to say but lots and lots of drizzle persistently over weeks is what we're going to need to get things back to normal."

Mrs Spelman told BBC Radio 4's Today programme many parts of the country had suffered their second dry winter and the likelihood of a hosepipe ban was greater this time around.

She said water companies had managed to reduce leakage by 36% since the 1990s, but there was still a danger of a water shortage.

One visible sign of an impending drought is the River Kennet in Wiltshire, which has dried up completely west of Marlborough.

Angling Trust chief executive Mark Lloyd said: "It's a pile of stones you can walk across in ordinary shoes."

Many rivers in south-east England have also dried up.

The regional chairman of the National Farmers' Union, Andrew Brown, said: "We've had a bit of snow but it takes 12 inches of snow to make an inch of rain.

"People are already starting to alter their cropping procedure. I was talking to a farmer at the end of last week who said he was going to plant 20% fewer root and vegetable crops. Now that means for him a £50,000 hit. So it's a big big concern."

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) called the summit to discuss what measures are being implemented to tackle drought and to decide what actions need to be taken to mitigate against its impact in the future.

Last year the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, suggested in his column in the Daily Telegraph that canals and aqueducts be built to carry water from the north of England, which tends to be wetter.

He was the latest in a series of politicians and policy-makers who have suggested similar schemes.

Scotland has had its wettest winter for a century but Mrs Spelman told Today: "People often say 'well why don't you just build a pipeline from the North West to the South East?'. But it isn't that simple because water is heavy and costly to transport."

"But one of the things we will talk about at the summit today is improved connectivity between water companies as part of improving our resilience in the face of these conditions."

The wildlife charity WWF has accused the government of dragging its heels.

WWF's freshwater spokesperson, Rose Timlett, said: "This is a drought we've seen coming. Rivers ...have been dry since September 2011.

"Back then everyone agreed we would be in a serious drought situation if we had another dry winter, but not much has been done about it."

She said the government's White Paper, which was published in December, had some good ideas, such as licences to remove water, but these proposals might not be implemented for years.

The WWF supports water metering and other measures to cut water wastage.

But Mrs Spelman told Today: "Water meters can be helpful, particularly for households with a small number of occupants or a reduced income.

"But the most important is to save water. Everybody knows how to save water."

Water company figures show that London and the Thames Valley have received below-average rainfall for 18 of the last 23 months.

The amount of water in the River Lee, which runs through Hertfordshire and north east London, is only 24% of its usual level while the Kennet is only 31% of its average level.

Southern Water has applied for a drought permit to enable it to restock Bewl Water reservoir in Kent, which is only 41% full.

If the Environment Agency grants the permit it would also allow the company to take more water from the River Medway.

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US biofuel policy excludes Indonesian and Malaysian palm oil amid industry protests

Posted by Flora Sawita Labels: biofuel, Environmental Issues, Indonesia, Malaysia, palm oil

(Forests Blog) Palm oil industry experts in Indonesia and Malaysia — two of the world’s largest producers — have criticised a recent analysis by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that biodiesel produced by palm oil does not qualify as a renewable fuel under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program.

The EPA’s Notice of Data Availability (NODA) concluded that biodiesel and renewable diesel produced from palm oil do not meet the minimum 20 percent lifecycle greenhouse gas reduction threshold needed to qualify as renewable fuel under the scheme.

However, the policy is not banning crude palm oil imports to the United States, assured Dennis Voboril from the Counselor Office of Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta.

In order to calculate lifecycle GHG emissions, the EPA utilised models which took into account energy and emissions inputs for fuel and feedstock production, distribution and use, as well as economic models that predict changes in agricultural market.

Speaking at the International Conference on Oil Palm and Environment (ICOPE) in Bali last week, Rosediana Suharto of the Indonesian Palm Oil Commission and Tan Yew Al of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board questioned the EPA’s decision that the greenhouse gas emission saving from palm oil produced in Indonesia and Malaysia is only 17 percent.

“The model (of study) used is not correct. [It] does not match that used by the European Union and creates uncertainty,” Suharto said.

Their main criticism was that the data used for analysis was out-of-date and projected high deforestation rates in Malaysia and Indonesia- a point that Yew Al strongly refuted.

“As far as the Rio 1992 summit goes, Malaysia committed to preserving 50 percent of land cover as forest. After 20 years we are still at 55 percent forest cover, that means we haven’t actually expanded oil palm based on opening up the forests,” she said.

“An increase in palm oil production need not necessarily come from land expansion.”

Suharto said Indonesia must strongly protest against NODA before it is legislated.

“As a major palm oil producer, Indonesia is concerned about this policy as the potential [for the US] biofuel market is huge,” she said.

While the US is not a major crude palm oil export market for Indonesia – exports currently amount to about 62,000 tons — it is a lucrative market, with the projected US biofuel demand from various kinds of vegetable oil tipped to reach 400 billion gallons by 2022.

Indonesia and Malaysia are the largest oil palm producing countries, supplying 90 percent of the world’s demand for palm oil. In both countries, there are huge economic benefits from oil palm, with seven million hectares under plantation in Indonesia producing 16 million tons of palm oil per annum. Oil palm companies are bringing in big profits, receiving USD$910 per ton in 2010, and the industry is said to employ 6 million people globally.

However, rampant deforestation and the conversion of carbon rich peat forests into oil palm plantations which accounts for 80 percent of all carbon emissions in Indonesia has raised alarm over efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A recent study by the Center for International Forestry Research quantified the atmospheric effects on changes in land use from biofuel production and found that for palm oil grown on peatlands, the carbon emissions generated from land conversion would take hundreds of years to reverse.

For commercial palm oil producers, obtaining certification under the International Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is of utmost importance. RSPO certification is crucial for meeting the stringent sustainability regulations on palm oil being sold to large markets like the European Union.

In keeping with its promise to ensure that at least 10 percent of fuel consumed in the transport sector is derived from renewable sources (including biofuels) by 2020, the European Commission recently introduced voluntary certification schemes to verify compliance with the sustainability requirements of the EU’s renewable energy policy. However this may have deleterious impacts on rural livelihoods in producer countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia according to a recent CIFOR study.

The EPA has extended the deadline for public comments over its policy to March 28 to give more time for the palm oil producers and other stakeholders of the industry to provide inputs and suggestions.

Hugo Yon, Deputy Consul for economic affairs at the US Embassy in Indonesia said that the policy would be finalised after the public consultation period has been completed, but could not confirm when it would be enacted.

He urged the palm oil industry in Indonesia as well as other stakeholders to submit their comments to the EPA.

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Designed to kill: Trees versus development

Posted by Flora Sawita Labels: Environmental Issues, India, Tree Plantation

For sustainability and natural balance of the eco-system, forest cover of one-third of land area is considered desirable.

In pre-independent India, green cover was in the vicinity of about 40%. Today, we have depleted it to nearly 23%, most of it under the pretext of development and mainly to cater to ever increasing consumerism. As per quick estimate, human habitation over the globe account for only 6% of surface. The scary part is that even with only 6% space occupied for habitation, we feel the pinch of resource scarcity. It implies that we have perhaps consumed the resources of remaining 94% for sustenance of the six.

In the recent Forest Survey of India, Gujarat's green cover has declined by 554 sq km (22,456 sq km against 23,010 sq km in 2009). Ironically and alarmingly, most of it is outside forest reserves and sanctuaries. The forest cover within sanctuaries and protected area recorded a nominal decline of just one sq km while trees outside the forest area recorded a decrease of 553 sq km. This partly has been attributed to the voluntary cutting of Gando baval (prosopis juliflora) in several parts of the state, but largely also has to do with felling of trees for development projects.

For road-widening project on Ahmedabad-Nalsarovar Road, the forest department had given permission to cut over 2,500 trees. Ahmedabad city, which is rapidly turning into a concrete jungle, needs around 24 lakh trees to get 15% green cover. A nearly five-year-old survey indicates that city has about 3.5 lakh trees. Vatva takes the lead with 21.7% green cover in the city, while Khadia was at the bottom with only 0.13% green cover.

AMC in last five years has planted nearly 11.50 lakh trees covering 142 species. Neem, of course, remains the most dominating species. It is not that urban areas, population densities and development means tree cover must be sacrificed.

Over 22% of Delhi's land area is today covered by forests. In fact in last ten years, forest cover of the national capital has expanded by more than 1,500%, leading to expansion of environment's capacity to safely absorb greenhouse gases and assure minimal damage to air quality. New Delhi's Greening programme is considered to be one of the largest city greening exercises undertaken anywhere in the world.

In Mumbai, there is just one tree breathing out oxygen for every six persons in the city. New York, on the contrary, has an average five trees per person and manages to maintain its green lungs despite having more high-rises than Mumbai.

Development and mass construction cannot be denied in growing centres and its resulting pressure is on the environment. Sympathetic understanding about the issue can evolve solutions to balance both pans. However, some of the current development attitudes indicate the opposite. In fact, it almost indicates, perhaps, towards the planned strategy to smartly (dumbly) remove nature as impediment to perceived development.

For example, road-widening takes one of the largest tolls on urban green in a public domain. Road alignments get driven geometrically rather than ground realities and site situation. It lacks the flexibility to meander and realign in order to save the existing large trees along the pre-determined path.

As laws and often public sentiments do not permit blatant cutting of full grown trees within widened strips of roads, there are mean tactics being applied for so called retention of trees for immediate impressions, but strategically ensuring that it dies naturally in a very short time.

Large full grown trees, if not felled, are trapped in the middle of road, curb or footpath with concrete and tar surfacing edging entire trunk perimeter. Trees suffocate as if mummified in the concrete/asphalt mass.

Unable to breathe, deprived of water and earth-patch, trees succumb to neglect and man-made traps. This validates the reason to remove dead trees and resurface the road with widened unobstructed flange.

Thus, it appears to be the design to kill an existing tree on an unwanted location without feeling the guilt or appearing to be a murderer.

pandyatin@hotmail.com

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Fisheries to cut greenhouse emissions

Posted by Flora Sawita Labels: Aquaculture, Environmental Issues, Fisheries, Greenhouse Gases, Vietnam

HCM CITY — The domestic fisheries sector has set itself the target of reducing gas emissions, particularly in aquaculture activities, by 20 per cent over the next 10 years.

Officials with the Viet Nam Research Institute for Aquaculture (RIA) said the fisheries sector in general and aquaculture in particular have made important contributions to the national economy, but they were also guilty of polluting the environment with greenhouse emissions.

In 2010, the aquaculture sector recorded an output of 2.8 million tonnes but they also produced about 4.33 million tonnes of Carbon dioxide (C02), experts estimated.

They also estimated that the sector's gas emissions would reach 6.66 million tonnes by 2015 and 8.33 million tonnes by 2020 if farming conditions are unchanged.

In Viet Nam, the use of fossil fuel energy in aquaculture is common. Petroleum products including petrol, diesel oil and kerosene are used for several purposes including feeding, pumping water, aeration of ponds and harvesting.

These activities accounted for 80 to 90 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions by the sector, RIA experts said.

Apart from aquaculture, the fishing industry also emits a significant volume of greenhouse gases.

In recent years, the fishing industry has developed rapidly, but small, low-capacity fishing still accounts for up to 84 per cent of its fleet. Eighty eight per cent of these vehicles operate near the shore and 88.58 per cent use old engines.

The country now has 700 shipbuilding establishments with a combined capacity of making 4,000 boats and repairing 8,000 boats per year. But they cannot build fishing vessels with new technology that reduces gas emissions.

To reduce gas emissions by the sector reduction target, RIA has prepared a seven-pronged plan that will be applied to aquaculture farms.

Suggested measures

The proposed measures include reducing the use of fossil energy fuels and increasing that of renewable energy sources; improving production efficiency and farm management; and effectively transforming available sources including residues to create biomass that will be used for fishing and aquaculture activities.

They suggest close co-operation between fishing enterprises, logistics firms and seafood processors operating in an area to increase operational efficiency and use less energy.

RIA deputy director Phan Thi Van said greenhouse gas emissions was a problem not only in Viet Nam but also other countries in the world.

The Government should facilitate co-operation with other countries, particularly experts at universities and research institutes, to share experiences and exchange information in order to introduce more effective measures to minimise greenhouse gas emissions, she said. — VNS

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Fisheries to cut greenhouse emissions

Posted by Flora Sawita Labels: Aquaculture, Environmental Issues, Fisheries, Greenhouse Gases, Vietnam

HCM CITY — The domestic fisheries sector has set itself the target of reducing gas emissions, particularly in aquaculture activities, by 20 per cent over the next 10 years.

In 2010, the aquaculture sector recorded an output of 2.8 million tonnes but they also produced about 4.33 million tonnes of Carbon dioxide (C02), experts estimated.

They also estimated that the sector's gas emissions would reach 6.66 million tonnes by 2015 and 8.33 million tonnes by 2020 if farming conditions are unchanged.

These activities accounted for 80 to 90 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions by the sector, RIA experts said.

Apart from aquaculture, the fishing industry also emits a significant volume of greenhouse gases.

To reduce gas emissions by the sector reduction target, RIA has prepared a seven-pronged plan that will be applied to aquaculture farms.

Suggested measures

They suggest close co-operation between fishing enterprises, logistics firms and seafood processors operating in an area to increase operational efficiency and use less energy.

RIA deputy director Phan Thi Van said greenhouse gas emissions was a problem not only in Viet Nam but also other countries in the world.

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New Mexico regulators approve dairy settlement

Posted by Flora Sawita Labels: Dairy, Environmental Issues, USA, Waste Management

CBS NEWS (AP) New Mexico water regulators on Wednesday adopted a settlement that puts to rest a dispute over the regulation of millions of tons of waste produced each year by the state's $2.6 billion dairy industry.

The Water Quality Control Commission voted unanimously during a hearing in Santa Fe in favor of the settlement brokered by state attorneys, dairy farmers and environmentalists.

The dairy rule was first approved by the commission last year in the final month of former Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson's administration. It was meant to protect New Mexico's groundwater from dairy discharges, but the industry appealed and months of negotiations ensued.

Dairy owners complained that the costs of implementing the rule would force some dairies out of business. Environmentalists, meanwhile, tried to hold on to the gains made during the year leading up to the rule's approval. The settlement was finally reached in July.

"To be honest, everybody got a piece of what they wanted," said Dan Lorimier of the Sierra Club's Rio Grande chapter. "Now, it's just a matter of getting it implemented because we have been in limbo for way too long now."

Environmentalists had feared the dairy rule would be one of many Richardson-era environmental initiatives that would face a rollback under Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, who has vowed to make New Mexico more business friendly.

The Environment Department and its legal staff touted the amendments spelled out in the settlement as a way to protect water while allowing dairies flexibility with day-to-day operations.

The amended rule still requires dairies to install monitoring wells. It also requires new dairies and those that have had leaking impoundments to install synthetic liners.

Existing dairies where waste reservoirs haven't contaminated groundwater are allowed to operate without installing new impoundments.

There are also increased public notice requirements for new dairies.

Gone from the rule are requirements for certain documentation, such as grading and drainage plans for existing dairies. Changes were also made to allow for more flexibility when it comes to using flow meters to measure the wastewater discharged from milking parlors and wash areas.

The key requirements are the monitoring wells and synthetic liners, said Michael Jensen of Amigos Bravos, a clean water advocacy group.

"Wells and liners get to the heart of the problem, which is that, according to New Mexico Environment Department data, at least two-thirds of dairies in New Mexico have already contaminated groundwater with nitrates, chloride and dissolved solids," he said.

The Environment Department testified during last year's hearing that contamination at some dairies was extensive, with plumes stretching over a mile.

Supporters of the rule had testified that New Mexico's 340,000 dairy cows generate about 8.7 million tons of waste per year.

The industry disputed claims of widespread contamination and argued that the rule as initially approved would have curbed the economic impact of the state's dairies.

With more than 7 billion pounds of milk produced each year, New Mexico falls among the nation's top 10 states for milk and cheese production. More than 4,000 jobs stem directly from the industry.

It was the dairy farmers who first sought more prescriptive standards in 2009. Previously, discharge permits were based on site-specific conditions that addressed different types of operations as well as geology and aquifer characteristics.

"One of the things the dairy industry hoped to accomplish through these regulations was to get some level of stability. I think, by and large, these kinds of specific regulations do result in some stability as opposed to a system that can result in frequent changes to the requirements," said Dal Moellenberg, an attorney who represents the dairies.