The Environmental Blog

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Sweden Bans Smoking

On June 1 you are not any longer allowed to smoke in bars, restaurants and cafés in Sweden. Sweden is then following Norway in its fight for global awareness about the dangers of using tobacco in any form.

And for all the non-smokers havning been enforced the dampening of tobacco for too many years, can now breathe in the air without smelling that awful tobacco smell. And - the clothes doesn't longer get the smell either.

This is a step in the right direction making us all a little healthier. The Environmental Blog encourage every nation to follow Italy, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Malta in the fight against tobacco.

Monday, May 30, 2005

New Focus on Global Warming

General Electric plan to cut its own greenhouse-gas emissions and boost environmental technology spending, along with similar recent moves by key businesses. This has begun to shift the political landscape in favor of action on climate change.

The big issue now is what will happen when the Senate takes up an energy bill in the coming weeks. Several legislative proposals are expected to include provisions to curb carbon dioxide and other emissions created by the burning of coal and oil. These so-called greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, altering global weather patterns and increasing the risk of rising sea levels, cropland loss, and drought.

From USNews:

The Kyoto treaty on climate change went into effect earlier this year in 140 nations but not in the United States, the country that is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases. However, a growing number of business leaders--most recently GE Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt--have called for the United States to set clear goals on carbon emissions. Most industry supporters would prefer a market-based system like that in the Kyoto treaty, one that would cap carbon emissions and create a market where businesses can buy pollution credits from the government and then trade them among one another. It would imitate a model that has proved successful in controlling sulfur dioxide emissions to reduce acid rain in the United States.
Now - Mr. Bush, when will you give in for the people of the world to sign the Kyoto Treaty?

Friday, May 27, 2005

Program to Reduce Destruction of Global Forests

The World Bank and World Wildlife Fund have launched a five-year program to reduce the destruction of forests by 10 percent annually in an attempt to combat the alarming disappearance of the world's trees. The two organizations said they will intensify their efforts to support new forest protected areas such as national parks, more effective management of already protected areas, and improved management of forests that are not yet protected.

This is alarming to most of us making us aware of keeping the forest near us - in every society of the world. Do as this year's winner of the Nobel Price Award, Wangari Maathai; plant a tree.

Thanks to the Environmental News Network for the good news.

Thursday, May 26, 2005

A Seed - For the Future

Think about it.

Thousands of years ago, in the Stone Age, the first human beings started to cultivate crops and by that made seeds the oldest human artefacts we are still taking care of.

Having that in mind a U.N.-backed plan to freeze millions of seeds will help safeguard food supplies from future shocks and preserve a legacy of farming dating back to the Stone Age.

"The goal is to ensure the diversity of crops -- what I'd argue is the world's most valuable natural resource for human beings," Cary Fowler said after his appointment as head of the Rome-based Global Crop Diversity Trust on Wednesday. (Planet Ark)

These samples will help ensure that the world safeguards crops to help feed a growing population.

Good for us. Good for our children and our grand children.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Lead Tops the List of North American Industrial Pollutants

According to the Montreal-based Commission for Environmental Co-operation lead and its compounds remain the leading developmental toxin released by industrial facilities, with much of it coming from just three base metal smelters in Canada.

"We see that lead comes out at the top of the list in terms of developmental toxicants and known or suspected carcinogens," said commission spokesman Evan Lloyd.

Lead may accumulate in the human body causing nervous system damage in fetuses and small children, which can lead to problems with their physical and mental development. It can also cause cancer.

BEWARE.

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

The Environmental Satelite

Science Daily reports today that NASA successfully launched a new environmental satellite today for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It will improve weather forecasting and monitor environmental events around the world.

NOAA-18 will collect data about the Earth's surface and atmosphere. The data are input to NOAA's long-range climate and seasonal outlooks, including forecasts for El Nino and La Nina. NOAA-18 is the fourth in a series of five Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites with instruments that provide improved imaging and sounding capabilities.

This is good. Hopefully the leaders of all countries will react to the findings of this satelite.

Mr. Bush; Do you hear me?

(Image credit: NASA/VAFB)

Monday, May 23, 2005

The First Commercial Wave Farm in the World..

Although there have been a lot of trials and errors in trying to make energy from waves in the sea, somebody never give up. Now Ocean Power Delivery is setting up a wave farm in Portugal which probably will be of commercial value. The cost of the project is estimated to €8m and will have a capacity to meet the average electricity demand of more than 1,500 Portuguese households. This initial phase will consist of three machines located 5km off the Portuguese coast, and if the project goes well, there is expected an order for a further 30 machines which will produce 20 MV, enough for 15,000 Portugese households.

This is a landmark for the evolution of alternative energy resources.

Friday, May 20, 2005

Space Weather Warning


Solen
Originally uploaded by sjakk.
There was observed a heavy geomagnetic storm on Sunday, May 15, which the NOAA Space Environment Center classified as an extreme event, measuring G-5; the highest level on the NOAA Space Weather Scales.

From NOAA: Possible impacts from such a geomagnetic storm include widespread power system voltage control problems; some grid systems may experience complete collapse or blackouts. Transformers may experience damage. Spacecraft operations may
experience extensive surface charging; problems with orientation; uplink/downlink and tracking satellites. Satellite navigation may be degraded for days, and low-frequency radio navigation can be out for hours. Reports received by the NOAA Space Environment Center indicate that such impacts have been observed in the United States.

What about Europe? Such a geomagnetic storm may have hade an impact on this continent as well?

Today the activity is back to G2, meaning no reasons for anxiety.

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Time for Action, Not Hot Air

In the Open Democracy Blog Michael Grubb writes:

Kyoto is the only foundation for global action on climate change, but
governments must now start using the tools it provides.

The Kyoto Protocol is reatified by more than 140 countries. Among the rich countries it is only USA and Australia who are against it, though it now seems like Australia intends to meet its Kyoto target and to participate in future negotiations. Nor should Russia’s decision finally to bring it into force have been a surprise. Russia had reasons to prevaricate but never to reject it.

One of the main reasons for the survival of the Kyoto Protocol is George Bush's lack of a better alternative. Kyoto’s fundamental premise is that countries should tackle climate change by negotiating a core of national targets for emission reductions. It sounds sensible, and it is: after four years, and numerous discussions, credible alternatives remain elusive.

Let us therefore hope for the implementation of the common goals set in the Kyoto Protocol in order to reduce the emissions and improve energy efficiency. The energy savings will then probably outweigh the initial costs required after very few years.

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

The Potential of Solar and Wind Energy

From the Environmental News Network we read;

Thousands of megawatts of new renewable energy potential in Africa, Asia, South and Central America have been discovered by a pioneering project to map the solar and wind resource of 13 developing countries.

This is really good news as the potential for deploying solar panels and wind turbines in these countries is far greater than previously supposed. Klaus Toepfer, UNEP's Executive Director says: "These countries need greatly expanded energy services to help in the fight against poverty and to power sustainable development. SWERA offers them the technical and policy assistance to capture the potential that renewable energy can offer."

Think about it. Both being able to produce a lot of energy letting this energy to be used for the well being of thousands of poor people. GREAT.

Monday, May 16, 2005

Closing of nuclear leak plant - Sellafield

From The Observer:

The owner of the Sellafield site in Cumbria, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, wants its main reprocessing facility to shut forever following a leak of highly radioactive liquefied nuclear fuel containing plutonium and uranium.

Good for Britain, Good for Ireland, Good for Norway, Good for everyone.

Friday, May 13, 2005

Wind Turbines at Rooftop


VindTurbin_01
Originally uploaded by sjakk.
Renewable Devices of Scotland has developed a small, quiet rooftop-mounted wind turbine with an output of 1.5Kw and its not much more conspicuous than a satellite dish, Treehugger says. The government of Scotland "is committed to meeting its ambitious target of 40% of electricity generated in Scotland from renewable sources by 2020 - tackling climate change and creating new green jobs.

That's really good - and something for other societies to grab.

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Climate Change Affecting Norwegian Farmed Salmon

Due to a report from E-Wire scientists, members of the Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Accounting, issued a Communiqué from their 2005 Annual Science Meeting.

"Atmospheric temperatures are increasing, oceans are becoming warmer, sea levels are rising, rainfall patterns are changing. The amount of sunlight reaching the earth's surface directly is falling, as are evaporation rates from land-based water bodies and potential evaporation rates from the soil and vegetation," they said.

This is serious matters, and we may see consequenses of this in Norway as up to 5% of farmed Atlantic salmon has some deformities. These deformities are perhaps linked to pollution, but may also be linked to too fast growing. From Planet Ark we can read:
Reasons for the deformities were unknown but could include an imbalance of minerals in feed, polluted water, cramped pens or the wrong temperatures for water.

Is there a link between "the wrong temperatures for water" and global warming? Probably.

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Sellafield leak worries Norway

About three weeks ago the British nuclear plant Sellafield leaked 20 tonns of highly radioactive fluid into a tank. The wast contains both plutonium and uranium mixed with salpetre. This happened without British officials telling their Norwegian counterparts about it despite the agreement between the to countries to alarm each other if such an incident happens. And this not only worries Norwegian officials, but also Norwegian environmental organisations.

Today we can read in the online edition of The Independent that the British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair demands nuclear power to protect high "living standard".

Doesn't Mr. Blair think Norway has high enough living standard to be protected? Or to be warned if such nuclear emissions happens?

Monday, May 09, 2005

We Care About Our Future

Time publish some rather interesting articles about how Power To The People are Taking The Earth Into Account. Time writes about how an evironmetal group made JP Morgan Chase to take a new look at how they evaluate new prospects which they will be financing. Many banks now set green goals thanks to the discussions and talks they have had with green groups. Let us hope this will continue so we all will have a better place to live.

Also the magazine publish an article on how a little British community now make their own energy from clean, renewable local sources.

"The Beddington eco-village (BedZED for short) is Britain's premier sustainable housing estate. Why? Because it's carbon neutral: the community's energy use and production releases no extra carbon dioxide into the environment. "We wake up every morning and think we're on holiday," says resident Steve Tabard. His neighbor, Danny Burrage, says that outside BedZED, "I don't know anybody who has a flat on the second floor with a conservatory and a garden. The kids love it." "

And we love it too.