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AUTHOR: Richard Matthews
URL: http://thegreenmarket.blogspot.com/
E-MAIL: smallbusinessconsultants [at] gmail.com

An earlier version of this article was published by Upside Down World Magazine on February 9th.

In a recently published news release1, the Correa government reaffirmed its intention of opening up the country to large-scale mining and to significantly expand petroleum extraction.

While creating the commonly known social, environmental and economic problems associated with primary commodity export economies (such as displacing other sectors of the economy, concentrating the wealth in few hands and causing enormous environmental and social problems), oil has been the main contributor to the country’s economic growth. More than three decades after the first barrel of oil was extracted by Texaco in the country’s biologically and culturally diverse Amazon region, the country still relies on oil exports heavily to fund its national budget.

Large-scale mining,however, would be a completely new experience for this Andean country.

The government’s plans to continue to rely on non-renewable resources as a major source of government revenue has generated widespread opposition from a diverse sector of society. The intention of expanding the reliance to include large-scale mining, exacerbated the opposition. This, and the authoritarian manner in which the government has tried to impose mining projects on communities and local government, galvanized and mobilized the resistance.

Given the grim experience with the oil extraction in the Amazon (Chevron/Texaco case), it has been anything but easy for the government to convince the country of the need adopt the mining model of development. This has been especially the case for the indigenous people, who’ve suffered the most from petroleum’s dreadful legacy.

Many communities have looked at the social and environmental costs of mining development, and have, wisely, decided to reject it. Indigenous people are especially adamant about rejecting economic activities that destroy the sources of their livelihood and degrade their culture. Of course, it hasn’t helped the government that many of the leaders facing criminal charges for protesting against mining projects are indigenous.

To coat the bitter pill that mining development brings to developing countries such as Ecuador, the government has been working hard to create a unreal image of that reality. In fact, during the past 12 months, President Correa has made it a point to include pointed pro-mining messages in many of his weekly television and radio programs. For example, the country is being portrayed as exceptionally rich in mineral wealth, even though less than 10% of its deposits has been sufficiently explored to affirm it with any amount of certainty. However, that hasn’t prevented the government from saying that the country many hold well over 200 billion dollars worth in mineral wealth. Expanding on the myth, the government also claims that a Chinese-owned mining site, in the biodiverse Condor Range, may contain the world’s second biggest copper deposit, a clearly untrue assertion, even if the amount of copper they say the site may contain is miraculously confirmed3.

Along with the creation of a unrealistic idea of the country’s mineral wealth-which carefully avoids mention of the social and environmental impacts to extract it- the government has fully embraced- and is an active promoter of- one of the industry’s most powerful public relations weapon: Responsible Mining. Anyone the least bit familiar with large-scale mining in very wet tropical and biodiverse environments knows that this is a contradiction in terms.

Less destructive large-scale mining may be able to take place in arid or semi-arid regions of the world, like Chile’s Atacama desert- where most of the world’s copper is mined- or the dry western region of the US. It is impossible in tropical regions with annual rainfall of more than 3 meters, areas rich in biodiverse primary forests that protect pristine rivers and endangered animals and plants, and that is also exceedingly rich in underground water resources. In these kinds of places, large-scale metal mining always, without exception, quickly become catastrophic environmental nightmares, which can endure for centuries.

All the above conditions, plus mineral ores heavily contaminated with toxic heavy metals, are found on most of Ecuador’s mining sites. The contaminated ore poses a great and enduring danger to water resources anywhere in the world, but specially so in the described areas.

Responsible mining, if one day it ever exists, would leave these biological jewels as they are. It would also recognize a community’s right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent, which includes the right to choose the kind of development best suited to a community’s cultural, social and environmental circumstances. This also applies to the rights of local governments. A democratic government, respectful of the rule of law, would zealously protect these rights, and recognize they are indispensable instruments that guarantee fundamental human rights, including the right to Sumak Kawsay, or  well-being. 

Understanding the differences in visions between government and communities and indigenous peoples is essential to understanding the conflicts generated by the impositiion of the extractive model by the Correa government. Sumak Kawsay, an indigenous concept, means well-being, or a good life; not only in terms of economic or material terms, but also environmental, cultural, social, and spiritual terms4.

 Mining may address the quick economic fix associated with extractive models, and may created a few jobs (very few), plus bring new roads and a few much-needed social services, but it tends to destroy the fundamentals of a “rich” life associated with Sumak Kawsay.  The social havoc that mining created in Intag is a good example of the unacceptably high costs of this type of develpment.  The increase in cancer associated with the petroleum extraction in the Amazon is another.  So is the rapid decomposition of community social structures and values,  as well as the well-documented tragic cultural devastation to the indigenous tribes in oil-extraction regions.

If your eyes are opened, you can’t really expect anyone to love a toxic sugar-coated toxic pill, no matter how many layers of sugar. Thus, it should be easy to see why so many communities and local governments, once they realized mining’s true impacts, have chosen to reject it. In most of these cases, mining doesn’t fit their vision of well-being. Mining development clashed with many people’s vision of what development should be like; who it should benefit, and consequently, it made many think about what wealth is and is not. Difficult questions started being asked. Questions like: if mining creates a few jobs and generates lots of money, but contaminates our water with lead and arsenic for centuries, is it the kind of wealth and well-being that development should bring? If it also contaminates our culture and tears apart our community and, in addition, generates more social conflicts, is it worth it?

These impacts are not, in any way, exaggerations. In fact, in Latin America, no economic activity has created more social conflicts and violation of human rights than mining. Environmentally, it is the most toxic of all industries. In 2010, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Release Inventory5, metal mining was responsible for over 90% of the country’s total arsenic, mercury and lead pollution. This, in spite of the fact that only 71 mining establishments reported their toxic emissions (out of a total of 20,000 businesses), and that the industry only contributes a little over one quarter of one percent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product6.

Needless to say, it was inevitable that the combination of known social, economic and environmental impacts, coupled with the human and collective rights violations associated with the resistance to mining, aggravated by the arrogance and authoritarianism used by the government to push it’s extractive policy, would provoke the conflicts over copper, gold and other minerals that Ecuador is now experiencing.

In order to try to neutralize the opposition, and create support for the mining plan, the Ecuadorian government has gone to exceptional lengths. Correa himself has gone out of his way to aggressively discredit anyone opposed to his government’s mining plans; even going as far as accusing opponents of being funded by mining companies to keep the price of commodities high. As for those who chose street protests and other means of civil resistance- which is a Constitutionally guaranteed right- the answer has been a brutal crackdown of the protest.

When Social Protest is Crininalized

Since Correa took office, for example, over 200 indigenous and campesino leaders have been criminally charged with terrorism and sabotage for doing things like obstructing public roadways in protests over mining and water issues. This includes some of the most influential indigenous leaders in then country. On December of 2011, the Ombudsman’s Office published a scathing report7, concluding that the Ecuador’s criminalization of the social protest was targeting the defenders of human and environmental rights, and had become state policy. Many of those charged are community leaders opposing mining development.

On another level, the clashes in Ecuador over mining reflects a duality in the nation’s psyche and dreams that is perfectly reflected in the nation’s Constitution. Nowhere is this better seen that in the parts that deal with natural resources. There are undoubtedly many very progressive social and environmental inclusions in the country’s Magna Carta that reflect the evolved vision of development, and which includes giving nature rights, making Sumak Kawsay a fundamental right, and giving the people the right to resist policies and measures that affect their rights. Within the same Constitution, however, there is no shortage of inclusions that reflect the mind set of those represent the dominant vision of development. Thus, one is not surprised to see that, while one section of the Constitution clearly prohibits extractive activities in protected areas, a little bit further down and in the same section, it leaves open a loophole to make it legal if the President deems it necessary, and the Assembly goes along. And in fact, during the drafting of the new Constitution, the mining lobby was very active.

Correa, who is an economist, is pursuing a traditional approach to development that places much more emphasis on the monetary and material aspect of development, than its social and environmental. He sees rents drying up along with the petroleum wells, and seeks to, at all costs, to replace them.

The costs, however, are increasingly becoming too high to pay, not only in social and environmental terms, but also politically. Forgive me if I do not go into detail on the Yasuni initiative here, but for now, let me just say that it makes no sense at all to pretend the government is interested in not exploiting millions of barrels of oil from under a protected area in exchange of billions of dollars, and yet open up millions of new hectares to oil and large-scale mining development. The hypocrisy is too much to stomach.  Especially when these new areas are in pristine habitats, protecting watersheds and dozens of endangered species, and much more threatened than Yausuni’s habitats- which is a legally protected national park and a Man and the Biosphere Reserve.

In a country that stands out for its cultural and biological diversity, it becomes a herculean task to understand the reasons that would drive a government to put these jewels at risk in order to pursue a economic model of development that has proved so devastating to developing countries.

It is much easier, and heartening, to understand the reasons why it has generated so much opposition.

SOURCES

1. Mining and petroleum expansion http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCcQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxbusiness.com%2Fnews%2F2012%2F01%2F20%2Fecuador-sees-75-billion-investments-for-oil-and-mining-in-5-years%2F&ei=maQgT9KSFZHPgAeWsNiACQ&usg=AFQjCNED9-I_FkNbDPKo3j4NGohj7bKAPQ 

2. Texaco case http://www.texacotoxico.org/eng/node/143 

3. Copper Wealth:   There are mining sites in Peru, Chile, the USA (Alaska), Panama, and Afghanistan with larger copper deposits than the 7million tons of copper proclaimed by the Correa government for the Cordillera Condor site.

4.  Reflections on Sumak Kawsay     http://alainet.org/active/33609&lang=es

5. http://www.epa.gov/tri/

6. http://www.nwma.org/pdf/economic_contributions.pdf  

7. http://www.cedhu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=116&Itemid=10

AUTHOR: Carlos Zorrilla
URL: http://decoin.org
E-MAIL: toisan06 [at] gmail.com

Authorities in Bangladesh assume if air pollution in its overcrowded capital could be reduced by only 20 to 80 percent, an estimated 1,200 to 3,500 lives annually could be saved. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) claims that another 80 to 230 million cases of respiratory diseases could be averted each year.

The recently completed Country Environment Assessment, conducted jointly by the government and the World Bank identified air pollution as the leading cause of mortality and morbidity related environmental issues.

Clean Air and Sustainable Environment (CASE), a project of the government with the support of the Bank to reduce the capital Dhaka’s smog (smoke and fog) squarely blames scores of brick industries at the fringe of the city and clogging of limited road by large number of vehicles for 16 hours during weekdays.

The study says if the air pollution is reduced, it would also save $170 to 500 million in healthcare costs and simultaneously increase the productivity of city dwellers.

Traffic congestion in the capital and smoke from brick kilns are the main reasons for air pollution in Dhaka city, according to the World Bank and the Bangladesh government.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests says that vehicles in Dhaka move 14kmph on an average, which is very slow and causes them to burn more fuel and contribute to air pollution. They say the average speed could come down to 4kmph by 2025 if things do not improve.

The urban environment experts recommends for immediate introduction of energy efficient technology for a pro-green brick industry and rapid mass transit in Dhaka metropolis to ease traffic gridlocks through out the day.

An independent newspaper Daily Star on Friday quoting an official of the Department of Environment (DoE) said the density of airborne particulate matter is around 250 micrograms per cubic metre in Dhaka, which is five times the acceptable level.

The air consists of common pollutants, sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ground-level ozone (O3), volatile organic compounds, hydrogen sulphide (H2S), sulphates and nitrates, the DoE official said.

Additional air pollutants of concern include toxic metals (lead, mercury, manganese, arsenic and nickel), benzene, formaldehyde, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), dioxins, and other persistent organic compounds, he add.

In another study Environmental Performance Index 2012, undertaken by the U.S. universities of Yale and Columbia, found Dhaka to be the 31st most polluted city out of 132 cities across the world.

AUTHOR: Saleem Samad
URL: http://bangladeshwatchdog.blogspot.com
E-MAIL: saleemsamad [at] hotmail.com

While it sounded like a quiz to some, I intended to impress my readers about the scary aspect of exponential growth in any finite system. Such growth is certainly runaway and anything designed to grow in that manner is easily unsustainable. I cannot take Kenneth Boulding lightly. Meanwhile I found a more impressive audio visual way to carry the message home.

But then I still come across people who believe earth’s resources are infinite. Some, who may feel that within the limits of economics infinity is a rather silly idea, take it out to a point where it is claimed that human ingenuity is limitless and capable of devising technologies that can extract utility out of finite resources, practically infinitely. Such infinite progression of growth is popularly attached to energy appropriation and some convenient refuge for many infinity optimists are Nikoloai Kardashev Civilization models, where human civilization is still within Type I. We see appeals from scientists as famous as Stephen Hawking for extraterrestrial proliferation, as is seen in Youtube’s spacelab channel’s introductory video. Reaching out to space in pursuit of knowledge is alright but I do not feel we humans are yet ready to evolve into homo spatium, not with such limited idea of growth in terrestrial scale.

Anyone who believes exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist.
Kenneth Boulding, economist

In 1972, when Donella H. Meadows, Dennis L. Meadows, Jørgen Randers, and William W. Behrens III authored the book ‘The Limits to Growth’ commissioned by the Club of Rome, a global think tank that deals with a variety of international political issues, the infinity optimism of the business-as-usual economic models of Capitalism was made to stand before a critical question. We cannot grow exponentially and how long before we face a collapse of our viral growth. The book used the World3 model to simulate the consequence of interactions between the Earth’s and human systems by considering five variables, namely, world population, industrialization, pollution, food production and resource depletion. The book offered predictions about explosion and collapse of human civilization in terms of economic and technological growth studied under the five variables and echoed many Malthusian concerns in An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798). While there still remained the question of accuracy of the prediction of collapse, the debate took a turn about how long we have before our infinite growth balloon bursts.

Despite being a pioneering work of science employing computer simulations and introducing systems dynamics approach, feedback loop and exponential reserve index for the first time ever, the book met with immediate criticism and open hostility. Soon after publication prominent economists, scientists and political figures criticized the Limits to Growth. They attacked the methodology, the computer, the conclusions, the rhetoric and the people behind the project. Yale economist Henry C. Wallich agreed that growth could not continue indefinitely, but that a natural end to growth was preferable to intervention. Wallich stated that technology could solve all the problems the Meadows were concerned about, but only if growth continued apace. By stopping growth too soon, Wallich warned, the world would be “consigning billions to permanent poverty”. Robert M. Solow from MIT, argued that prediction in The Limit to Growth was based on a weak foundation of the data (Newsweek, March 13, 1972, page 103). Dr. Allen Kneese and Dr. Ronald Riker of Resources for the Future (RFF) stated: “The authors load their case by letting some things grow exponentially and others not. Population, capital and pollution grow exponentially in all models, but technologies for expanding resources and controlling pollution are permitted to grow, if at all, only in discrete increments.”

In retrospect, it now appears that much of the criticism of the pioneering work of Meadows et al was out of the inertia of a contemporary paradigm of progress or development instead of observation and critical analysis. In 2008 researcher Peter A. Victor wrote, that even though D.H. Meadows et al. probably underestimated price-mechanism’s role in adjusting, their critics have overestimated it. He states that Limits to Growth has had a significant impact on the conception of environmental issues and notes that the models in the book were meant to be taken as predictions “only in the most limited sense of the word” as they wrote. In 2008 Graham Turner at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia published a paper called “A Comparison of `The Limits to Growth` with Thirty Years of Reality“. It examined the past thirty years of reality with the predictions made in 1972 and found that changes in industrial production, food production and pollution are all in line with the book’s predictions of economic and societal collapse in the 21st century. In 2010, Peet, Nørgård, and Ragnarsdóttir called the book a “pioneering report”, but said that, “unfortunately the report has been largely dismissed by critics as a doomsday prophecy that has not held up to scrutiny.” In 2011 Ugo Bardi analyzed the ‘The Limits to Growth’, its methods and historical reception and concluded that “The warnings that we received in 1972 … are becoming increasingly more worrisome as reality seems to be following closely the curves that the … scenario had generated.”

For all who are interested, The Limits to Growth, contrary to popular belief, did not predict world collapse by the end of 20^th Century. It gave three scenarios, namely, (a) standard run – the business as usual growth that simply ignores the negative effects on the five variables, (b) comprehensive technology – response by world systems in terms new and low-waste technology evenly penetrating into the whole world and (c) steady state – response by world systems in terms of new economic price-mechanisms that takes into account the environmental costs and thereby limits the growth rate within an equilibrium. Common experience shows that world is moving along scenario (a) that is standard run – and I shall contend that the world has so far shown neither the political wisdom nor the economic ingenuity to do any better – the analysis of last 30 years of historical data compares favorably with the Standard Run Scenario prediction, which results in the collapse of global systems midway through 21^st Century or 2050 AD. See picture below:

If this is the future in anticipation, and for a minute we agree to wake up from denailist dream of infinity optimism, what is the adaptive/mitigative response of the world? I shall attempt to present that in my next post.

Reference:
* A Comparison of the Limits To Growth With Thirty Years of Reality by Graham Turner
* Feature Image Credit: Dribble

READ MORE:
* Limits To Growth And Beyond – Part II

AUTHOR: Pabitra Mukhopadhyay
URL: http://pabitraspeaks.com
E-MAIL: mukhopadhyay.pabitra [at] gmail.com

Bottled water manufactures do a great job of enticing thirsty buyers to pick up a brand with adverts or labels with pictures of sparkling clean water pouring or splashing. One can hardly debate the powerful suggestion of purity and quality of drinkable water those pictures evoke in the minds of people. The last vestige of any indecision on the part of a purchaser is unquestionably removed with additional suggestions of mountain springs or rivers flowing with abundant clear and clean cool waters. This is not surprising at all as mountain springs or high altitude regimes of ice fed rivulets create a sense of freshness and purity of natural water whose quality is sacrosanct. That mountain waters are purer compared to any other surface water is a common knowledge.

In Himalayan hills, surface water may be scarcer compared to plains but they are naturally of better quality so from a perspective of collection, treatment and distribution as drinking water, these waters are expected to require lesser investments for the purification process. Quality drinking water should, by common sense, come cheaper in the hilly states and cause lesser concerns of public health related to water borne diseases.

While physiochemical properties of any water sample is fairly easy to determine by using some chemical reagents or direct measurements such analysis do not truly portray the environmental or biological quality of water and a knowledge of this aspect of water is pretty important when we use the water for personal use like drinking or cooking.

What is a matter of great concern is that the quality of Himalayan Rivers is steadily worsening. The pictures of pristine mountains in bottled water labels can hardly be taken on ‘face’ value any more. Lack of adequate clean water is one of the most severe environmental problems in HKH region with impact on human health and economic development. Total health costs due to lack of safe drinking waters were estimated in Nepal (Tiwari 2002), Pakistan (World Bank 2006), Bangladesh and India (Brandon and Hoffman 1995) at 2.0, 1.8, 1.5 and 2.7 percent of GDP.

Current Science, Vol. 91, No. 4, August 2006 published an article by N. Semwal and P. Akolkar of Central Pollution control Board that classified all rivers of Indian state of Uttaranchal (a mountain state of India) on environment water quality classes A, B, C, D and E where A indicates clean, B slight pollution, C moderate pollution, D heavy pollution and E severe pollution. Let me reprint table 6 of the article, which speaks for itself.

One may note with concern that Bhagirathi, a river believed to be life sustaining showed no benthic macro invertebrates at all at a site near old mosque of Old Tehri. Same goes for Dhauliganga and Ramganga sites. The following human activities were observed during sampling of rivers at various locations: Religious, tourism, bathing, washing, open defecation, cultivation, sand, stone and gravel recovery, stone crushing, road construction, mining, hydel activities, cremation; fishing, surface drain-age, irrigation, drinking water intake, rafting, wildlife habitat, etc. Beside these human activities, the river ecology is significantly affected by land sliding and forest fire activities.

Benthos or benthic macro invertebrates represent an extremely diverse group of aquatic animals ( animals without backbones that are larger than ½ millimeter – the size of a pencil dot) and the large number of such species possesse a wide range of responses to stressors such as organic pollutants, sediments, and toxicants. Many benthic macro invertebrates are long-lived, allowing detection of past pollution events such as pesticide spills and illegal dumping. For example, taxa richness is a measure of the number of different types of animals; greater taxa richness generally indicates better water quality. Or, pollution tolerance: many types of benthos are sensitive to pollutants such as metals and organic wastes. Mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies are generally intolerant of pollution. If a large number of these insect types are collected in a sample, the water quality in the stream is likely to be good. If only pollution-tolerant organisms such as non-biting midges and worms are found, the water is likely to be polluted. Another important observation can be functional groups: the presence or absences of certain feeding groups (such as scrapers and filterers) may indicate a disturbance in the food supply of the benthic animals in the stream and the possible effects of toxic chemicals.

Another revealing observation is that all the sites are somehow linked to an engineering intervention, either a dam or a reservoir. Such projects do enhance economies and economic activities draw population and infrastructure but it seems that we are yet to discover a way to handle growth and pollution with right trade off for ecologies.

The policy response of India remained traditionally end-of-pipe. The general public suffers lack of awareness and is largely indifferent and it’s only recently, on June 30, 2008 to be precise, Prime Minister of India has released India’s first National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which in one part addresses the ensuing water scarcity through National Water Mission. A full pdf document for the plan can be downloaded and read from here. On February 27, 2009, the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People published a critique of the India’s National Action Plan  on  Climate  change  (NAPCC),  titled:  “There  is  little  Hope  here”. The report which includes several civil society consultations concluded that NAPCC had been formulated through a most non transparent manner and that it will help neither the poor nor the Climate Change. Press Release is here.  8 missions launched by Indian Government do not speak about water specific initiatives (Press Release here ), rather a white paper published by TERI-BCSD discussed Corporate Road Map in context of National Water Mission and Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system. Report here.

The Mountain waters that some call Indian Water Bottle, degrade out of economic and livelihood activities of people. While the livelihood activities can be expected to be curbed with awareness campaign, the economic activities at the grass root level will never stop unless there is a proper economic incentive about restoring the environmental qualities of the waters. South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People accuse that whatever economic incentive is there in NAPCC works for the rich and not for the poor. While this may be debated, a people centric instrument with clear incentive embedded in it is missing in India and more specifically in Indian Himalayas.

We need to look for such innovative ways not to let the elixir of the mountains to turn to envenom.

First published at Climate Himalaya.

AUTHOR: Pabitra Mukhopadhyay
URL: http://pabitraspeaks.com
E-MAIL: mukhopadhyay.pabitra [at] gmail.com

This time series, based on satellite data, shows the annual Arctic sea ice minimum since 1979. The September 2010 extent was the third lowest in the satellite record.

Climate change has been a topic of discussion since past few years, its relevancy and awareness has spread with the confusion among the different stake holders regarding its work methodology and its practices. With high priority and concern, large amount of international funds  has been poured-in in regards to the climate change activities and campaigns  where the awareness spread in the field has not only created a trend of awareness but to a level has created a confusion among the different entities to work together for the cause.  The basic entities in the field of climate change in Nepal have been working individually in regards to their sectors and work practices. In Nepal the work entities have been basically divided in these categories

1. Donor
2. Line agencies
3. The government
4. Local organization
5. Consumer

The different categories of organization work at different levels of action and awareness strategy where the government and line agencies work in policy and strategy level. The government role is immense in respect to the services that it provides through its different organizations but due to lack of infrastructure and mobility in the rural areas the human resources are limited within the urban area where the rural people lack the services which they are in dire need of.   The Donor organization works in providing funds and receiving the feedbacks only. Local organization works in collaboration of the line agencies and government in following the strategies in action. At consumer level they work toward the adaptation and adaptability of the problem where lack of coordination and planning has been hindering the prospect of investment and research.

Especially in a country like Nepal where the education rate is very low, People know that changes are happening and they are adapting to it but they lack the technical knowhow of what, where and how? Looking at the scenario and economic condition of Nepal and its pollution rates, Nepal stand nowhere to talk about its contribution in Green house gases emission rates but consequently it faces a huge price of global warming and climate change in retrospect to its adaptability and consequences. 

The world Wild Life Nepal in its website says, “Communities in the target area are facing the natural hazards such as landslides, earthquakes and forest fires. Serious drought, temperature increases, and flash flooding are causing serious detrimental impacts on community livelihoods – causing food insecurity; lack of access to freshwater for irrigation and household needs; soil erosion; damage to infrastructure (including irrigation systems, land, property and roads); increase in pests and diseases, and changes to ecosystems (including NTFPs). These hazards are in part as a result of non-climate drivers (such as land use changes, unsustainable use of natural resources, governance, tourism) but are exacerbated by climatic variability.  Communities in the target area do not have adequate access to information on climate data and local planning structures (including Village Development Committee Plans, and Buffer Zone Management Plans) have not taken into account risks as a result of climate change. WWF will play a crucial role in working with communities to ensure risks to ecosystem integrity (and therefore ecosystem services) are minimized; thereby building on existing or developing new relationships with other NGOs, private sector organizations, government agencies or research institutions to ensure all vulnerabilities facing people and the natural environment are addressed.”

Climate change has been an effective sector of funding where different Non government organizations are mushrooming in. According to a report from the Centre District Office there are thousands of organizations registered or that have the work capability to work in the field of climate change. Though different NGOs are operational but most of them are limited within bring funds and lack real operational skills where the government lack of monitoring mechanism has boosted their confidence. 

Like such Saurav Dhakal, British Council International Climate Champion 2010/11 recently shared his experience of the ground reality of the climate change and its adaptation problems that he encountered during his visit to far rural villages of Dailekh and Terahthum. He shared some key points in his study report of “Adaptation learning highways” which are given below.

• Delay and reduced snowfall
• Delay in erratic rainfall
• Prolonged dry spells
• Water stress
• Increased pest incident
• Early maturing of crops and new crop opportunities

Dhakal further highlighted the issues and gaps of climate change in following key points.

• Lack of mechanism or existing mechanism is not actively functioning to discuss on farmers problem and technical backstopping on problem
• Lack of technical backstopping for farmers to solve the problem in field level from line agencies. Most of the technical service providers agencies are centered in district headquarters
• Less information on adaptation of farming techniques and seed methodology
• Less knowledge on responsibilities of line agencies toward farmers
• Lack of effective information flow system
• Lack of introduction of new technology in adaptation of farming techniques
• Lack of effective human resource in the field

He said, “People in rural parts of Nepal they majorly lack knowledge sharing and most importantly they are unaware of the resources that are available to reduces the effective of climate change.  It’s a worrying situation especially in rural villages where prominent changes are happening and people have no idea of what’s happening. The awareness program of line agencies has reached places but they are inconclusive way limited to center and cities where people in rural areas are confused.   The government needs to collaborate in a proper mechanism in dealing with such scenario where the gaps in between the line agencies, and the people should be overcome. The ultimate goal is to provide relief to the public where a reality check needs to be done from all sides and proper efforts have to be done in dealing with the situation.”

Ministry of Environment (MoE) in its portal  states, “The Government of Nepal, Ministry of Environment (MoE) has received support from the Embassy of Denmark in Nepal to implement climate change activities. The MoE prepared, through this support, the status report while participating the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to UNFCCC and 5th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties (CMP) to the KP. In addition, this funding was also used to prepare and publish the Status of Climate Change in Nepal. The MoE has felt an urgent need for preparing Strategy for Climate Change Strategy and Framework for Climate Change Fund from this support within the broader framework of the Climate Change Policy, 2011. This strategy is expected to streamline all climate change activities in Nepal and include negotiation approaches and will contribute to future climate change negotiations as well. Similarly, the framework for climate change fund will provide a basis to channelize funding on climate change activities received from different sources in the country. The Ministry of Environment intends to prepare the Climate Change Strategy and Framework for Climate Change Fund by procuring consulting services. The key output of this study will be the final reports on: (i) Climate Change Strategy; and (ii) Framework for Climate Change Fund.”

With stakeholders of climate change being more focused in managing the funds and other operational issues climate change industry in Nepal has been a booming industry. The reality of the rural villages and lack of effective human resource in addressing the issue has evolved as a serious problem.  Lack of monitoring from the government side and effective mechanism to upgrade the human resource and to outreach the people seems to be the problem at large. Climate change in Nepal has been an issue of concern to all where lack of coordination among the stakeholder hiders the process of awareness and adaptation.

Further climate change strategy and adaptation perspective can be gained from the following link
http://www.scribd.com/doc/24367688/Research-Paper-Nepal-s-Position-Paper-for-the-en-Negotiations-COP15-by-Shreedeep-Rayamajhi

AUTHOR: Shreedeep Rayamajhi
URL: http://www.shreedeeprayamajhi.blogspot.com
E-MAIL: weaker41 [at] gmail.com

Experts say that any noise above 80 dB is painful to human ear and continuous exposure such noise can induce serious health threats like hypertension, ischemic heart disease, annoyance and sleep disturbance apart from hearing loss. Sen, Bhattacharjee and Banerjee, three Engineer researchers conducted a study on the auto-rickshaw drivers of Kolkata to assess the exposure to sustained high noise (criterion level and threshold level kept in 90dB and 80dB respectively) during successive runs of the vehicles (up to 12 times maximum) to conclude that drivers undertaking four consecutive trips within Kolkata city traffic routes have higher noise exposure than the recommended standard. It was found that working in such places where daily noise dose exceeded 89dBA was more dangerous, even for those suffering from mild noise related hearing loss. It’s no wonder that auto-rickshaws are the most accident prone, presumably such noise affects judgment of the drivers, and risky for both the drivers and pedestrians. Read the paper here.

But auto-rickshaws are only a part of Kolkata’s noise story.  Kolkata is a city of compulsive honkers where people reportedly honk to express frustration, hurry or just to announce a right of way. Stand in a busy cross section of Kolkata Street and you will be amazed by the impunity with which vehicular traffic honk. There is practically no noise shed in Kolkata; the hospitals, schools or the homes for the elders suffer equally. Times of India reported: ‘If India, and to an extent Pakistan, are the honking capitals of the world, Kolkata is the hellhole. Motorists here honk for all reasons and for no reason at all.’ You may find the honking stories reported by media very revealing here and here.

“In most countries, a horn is used only in extreme emergency or panic. Hence, the sound is muted. But in India, the device is almost an extension of the driver. It is in his psyche to sound it now and again,”

-Karl Slym president and managing director of General Motors India

Here is a video shoot of a couple of minutes of maddening Kolkata traffic competing with each other with horns.

If horns are the statement of a city bursting at the seams, the City of Joy also finds its unique expression in blaring out music and speeches through loud speakers for every conceivable reason – cultural, religious, social and political. The new Chief Minister of West Bengal whose capital is Kolkata has recently came up with the idea of playing Rabindra Sangeet (Tagore Songs) at traffic intersections. I am baffled by the idea. Music over 80 dB cacophony? I pity for the great man because every day his blissful music is trampled with millions of horns. Every year there is talk of clamping down on loud speaker menace and every passing ear sees failure. Politicians can do least in this matter as much of their election success lie on loud spoken speeches. I offer them a read of Planet Earth Summary Unsound.

I remember a popular Indian movie where a sequence showed how a gang of killers gunned down the whole family of a protagonist on a Diwali night. Can you imagine why they selected diwali night for the crime? It’s because gun shots are perfectly unnoticeable in any city in India during diwali night as crackers go on for hours drowning any sound, possibly a cry for help too. Kolkata used to be a heaven for cracker mongers but, in my opinion, this is a silver lining for Kolkatans as compared to year 2003, successive years are registering lesser noise during Kali Puja (Bengali equivalent of Diwali) and consequently lesser number of complaints. A West Bengal Pollution Control Board report shows it like:

Full report is here.

I shall, however, acknowledge that the credit goes not to the Enforcement Departments but to the hike in the prices of crackers.

Feature Image Courtesy : Journey of a repat

AUTHOR: Pabitra Mukhopadhyay
URL: http://pabitraspeaks.com
E-MAIL: mukhopadhyay.pabitra [at] gmail.com

DO U CARE………………….?

AUTHOR: Shreedeep Rayamajhi
URL: http://www.shreedeeprayamajhi.blogspot.com
E-MAIL: weaker41 [at] gmail.com

Reducing Fertilizer Used in Farming

There are many types of ocean pollution but the most devastating pollutants are the nitrogen and phosphorus found in our fertilizer and sewage. When it washes downstream, coastal waters become choked with heavily fertilized algae, which then dies and decomposes, consuming the oxygen in the water and asphyxiating animal life. This process, called eutrophication, has created at least 405 “dead zones” worldwide.

We have tangible evidence that eutrophication is reversible. The “no-till” farming method achieves equal yields using just half the energy. This method leaves the stubble and root structure of last year’s crops in place, new seeds are planted using modern seed drills, and fertalizer is deposited beneath the surface using fertilizer injectors. This method reduces phosphorus runoff by about 40 percent, atmospheric nitrogen release by about half, and overall erosion by up to 98 percent.

Pricing Carbon

Since the beginning of the industrial era, oceans have absorbed more than a quarter of the CO2 that humans have released into the atmosphere and when CO2 mixes with seawater it becomes carbonic acid. In the past two centuries our oceans have become 30 percent more acidic. In the Pacific Northwest acidic oceans have prevented oysters from spawning. For this and other reasons we must reduce CO2 production. This starts with eliminating oil subsidies but we will also need a way of making carbon production more expensive. One suggestion involves a carbon tax. A tax of just $12.50 per ton of CO2 by 30 percent kieeping some 214 million tons of pollution out of the oceans.

Curb Species Invasions

Slimy invertebrates called tunicates are just one of the 4,000 known invasive aquatic species worldwide. The best way to reduce invasive species is to prevent them from arriving in the first place. Efforts are underway to impose new ballast water regulations in the US. Meanwhile, dozens of companies are developing techniques for meeting those standards, including computerized filtration and ultraviolet irradiation. For established invaders, the best hope is to control their numbers, one creative solution invovles eating them. In 2009 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched a program to stimulate an appetite among fishermen, chefs and diners for lionfish.

Fix the Water Cycle

Atmospheric warming is causing saltier oceans. However, cooler less salty water exists deeper in the oceans. One technique, known as Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, or OTEC, might help. In the 1970s, engineers began using platform-based rigs to bring cold, deep water to the warm surface; the idea was that the temperature difference would drive a heat engine, generating energy. Used on a large scale, OTEC could have the healthy side effect of lower the surrounding surface temperatures. In the saltiest areas, pulling water from the deep might help create life-rich oases rich in nutrients that stimulate the growth of chlorophyll and phytoplankton.

Rescue Coral Reefs

In the past 20 years, nearly a third of the world’s coral has been destroyed. Around 90 percent of the reefs off the coasts of Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Kenya, the Maldives and the Seychelles are at risk. The primary cause of the die-off is coral bleaching. As temperatures rise, marine bacteria flourish and attack the algae that live symbiotically within every individual coral polyp. Eugene Rosenberg, a microbiologist at Tel Aviv University, has proposed that the presence of a different form of bacteria could protect coral reefs. Introducing these bacteria in what is known as “phage therapy” could reintroduce life into bleached coral reefs.

Fishing Smarter

Last year, fish consumption reached a global annual average of 37.5 pounds per person. Meanwhile, cod and bluefin-tuna populations have collapsed, and animals ranging from whales to turtles have been added to the Endangered Species Act. Fishermen also kill a lot of marine wildlife unintentionally in what is called “bycatch”. A United Nations report estimates bycatch at 7.5 million tons a year, or 5 percent of the total commercial-fishing haul. Because most available data is self-reported, the U.N.’s numbers “woefully underestimate” the problem. Better fishing methods could radically reduce bycatch.

Invest in Research

The oceans are huge, therefore investments to understand the oceans must be equal to the task. A total of 71 percent of the planet or 139 million square miles are covered by oceans. Oceanographers are building undersea sensor arrays in the Pacific Northwest to monitor temperature and acidity. However, much more needs to be done to properly understand the ocean and develop strategies to help manage them. NASA’s budget in 900 times greater than that of the Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. Clearly our oceans require greater more research funding.

AUTHOR: Richard Matthews
URL: http://thegreenmarket.blogspot.com/
E-MAIL: smallbusinessconsultants [at] gmail.com

Through WED, the UN Environment Programme is able to personalize environmental issues and enable everyone to realize not only their responsibility, but also their power to become agents for change in support of sustainable and equitable development.

WED is also a day for people from all walks of life to come together to ensure a cleaner, greener and brighter outlook for themselves and future generations.

People are organizing neighborhood clean-ups, planting trees and starting a recycling drive. See suggestions here. People are asked to report their activities here and they are being posted on the Wide World of WED map.

Host Country

This year the Republic of India will be the host for World Environment. India is the second most populous nation in the world with around 1.2 billion people. It has the seventh largest land mass on the planet, 3.28 million square kilometers. The country faces serious environmental challenges related to population increase and uncontrolled urbanization, industrialization, and the massive intensification of agriculture. The problems include deforestation, pollution, loss of water resources and wildlife trade. As the economy continues to grow, however, India is seeking solutions to tackle these issues.

Releasing a major report on the assessment of the impact of climate change last year, the Minister for Environment and Forests, Mr. Jairam Ramesh, noted that, “There is no country in the world that is as vulnerable, on so many dimensions, to climate change as India is. This makes it imperative for us to have sound evidence-based assessments on the impact of climate change… We must continue this focus on rigorous climate change science.”

The Royal Bengal Tiger is a well known rare species under threat in India but the less well known Golden Langur monkey is the most endangered primate in the country. The Golden Langur monkey has declined by 30 percent in the last 30 years. A major threat to these monkeys is the loss of habitat due to the destruction of forests.

Theme for 2011

This year’s World Environment Day theme – Forests: Nature at Your Service – underscores the need for both conservation and sustainable use of forests. India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests is supportive of this initiative and to date has 39 protected areas for tigers and earmarked 5 more for the near future.

World Environment Day this year will help to raise awareness on the serious impacts of deforestation and forest degradation. Through engaging governments in action and your spreading the word on the importance of forests, this collective effort will preserve ecosystems and encourage sustainable use of forests.

Forests cover one third of the earth’s land mass, performing vital functions and services around the world which make our planet alive with possibilities. In fact, 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods. They play a key role in our battle against climate change, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere while storing carbon dioxide.

Forests feed our rivers and are essential to supplying the water for nearly 50% of our largest cities. They create and maintain soil fertility; they help to regulate the often devastating impact of storms, floods and fires.

Splendid and inspiring, forests are the most biologically diverse ecosystems on land, and are home to more than half of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects.

Forests also provide shelter, jobs, security and cultural relevance for forest-dependent populations. They are the green lungs of the earth, vital to the survival of people everywhere — all seven billion of us.

Global deforestation continues at an alarming rate — every year, 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed. That’s equal to the size of Portugal.

As a result of the growing global pollution levels forests have often come to be referred to as the ‘lungs of the earth’. This is particularly because deforestation and forest degradation account for nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which forests would absorb if carefully managed.

Broadly, there are three main sources of forest degradation: commercial logging, fires, and gathering wood for fuel. Insects and pests also cause considerable forest degradation.

Benefits of Forests

Forests help sustain the quality and availability of freshwater supplies. More than three quarters of the world’s accessible freshwater comes from forested catchments. Water quality declines with decreases in forest condition and cover, and natural hazards such as floods, landslides, and soil erosion have larger impacts.

It’s well known that forests play a key role in our battle against climate change; storing carbon and sucking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and locking it into their biomass. But what’s less well known is that the products and services they provide are essential to every aspect of life.

By regulating water for many of the world’s rivers, they help secure water quality, and supply nearly half of the world’s largest cities from Caracas to New York. They also help decrease the impacts of storms and floods, whilst helping control erosion. As the most biologically diverse ecosystems on land, forests are home to more than half of terrestrial species, from the great apes to the smallest of creatures.

In many developing countries more than 80% of total energy consumed by people and industry derives from forests. Such as fuel wood and charcoal. Trade in timber and other forest products, is estimated at almost 330 billion US Dollars /year. Its value multiplies as its processed into a myriad of products used globally every day. Use of the genetic diversity within forests enables the development of new medicines; progress in healthcare and science.

Forests cover 31% of total land area while at the same time supporting 80% of terrestrial biodiversity that live in them. Many of the world’s most threatened and endangered animals live in these forests, making them crucial to sustaining ecosystems. Not only animals live in the forests, as they also World Environment Day and forests

Rather shockingly, 36 million acres of natural forest are lost each year. World Environment Day (WED) chose this year’s theme, ‘Forests: Nature at Your Service’, to encourage forest conservation and sustainable consumption for green growth, and in support of the UN International Year of Forests initiative. Preserving forests throughout the world has to be in our collective consciousness so as to change our lifestyles.

UN Action to Preserve Forests

In September 2008, United Nations launched a collaborative initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) in developing countries. The UN-REDD Programme assists developing countries prepare and implement national REDD+ strategies, and builds on the convening power and expertise of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The Programme currently has 29 partner countries spanning Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. REDD+ is seen as one of the most cost-effective ways of stabilizing the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to avoid a temperature rise of two degrees Celsius.

AUTHOR: Richard Matthews
URL: http://thegreenmarket.blogspot.com/
E-MAIL: smallbusinessconsultants [at] gmail.com