MALAYSIA does not object introducing issues of climate change in the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum as long as they avoid rhetorics and impositions of rules.
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz said adverse impact from climate change must be viewed as a form of calamity and discussions on the issue in Apec should be on how to manage the climate, not to point fingers at who is responsible.Rafidah said the broader forum for climate change already existed at the United Nations level and through the Kyoto Protocol. The US and Australia have not ratified the Kyoto treaty."We must talk instead about an action plan to manage climate change, preferably at three levels — global, regional and domestic."
Rafidah said Malaysia would object to any new agreements outside of those already agreed at the international level. She has suggested to the Apec forum that issues of climate change be included in the forum’s Trade Facilitation Action Plan 2.The scope, she said, must be wider than that proposed by certain Apec member economies and not limited only to management of forest areas as earlier proposed.Officials, however, said the final declaration to be issued at the end of the leaders meeting this week would still include a watered-down section on climate change.Rafidah said at the end of the day, Apec declarations were non-binding on its members. "Its not that we are not willing to talk about climate change but there is already the Kyoto Protocol to deal with and we do not want rhetorics to creep into Apec."But we are committed towards helping manage the climate. If we can help, we will and if there are others who can help us manage the climate better, we will be willing to listen."Meanwhile, a joint statement issued at the end of the Apec forum yesterday had balanced the focus for anti-corruption initiatives among the public and private sectors after Malaysia intervened during the discussions, saying that an earlier statement was inclined sharply towards civil servants, giving the impression that only government officials were corrupt.In the joint statement, Apec ministers said they endorsed a model Code of Conduct for Business, a model Code of Conduct Principles for Public Officials and a complementary Anti-corruption Principles For The Private and Public Sectors
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
COMMENT: Climate change: Dark clouds on horizon
ON Sept 24, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convened the first-ever high-level meeting focused on climate change. Heads of state represented 80 of the 164 participating nations; foreign ministers a further 40. This was an unprecedented gathering of world leaders, which testified that climate change is happening and demands urgent action.
As Ban said, this event at the UN expressed the political will of world leaders to tackle the challenge of climate change. The importance of climate change was further emphasised by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for bringing world attention to climate change.The first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ends in 2012. The Conference of Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC will meet in Bali from Dec 3 to 14 to negotiate a post-Kyoto Framework.What happens between now and the COP will be crucial to the success of the negotiations. We need clear leadership and commitment.That is why today and tomorrow, the Malaysian government will host a regional conference on climate change. The conference will be addressed by leading specialists from across the region and beyond. The aim will be to help frame the debate on climate change in Southeast Asia. It will also put Malaysia right at the heart of this debate, working closely with regional partners, as well as with the United Kingdom.
The conference is being organised by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, in close collaboration with the British High Commission in Malaysia. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will deliver the keynote address and open the conference, tagged “Reducing the Threats and Harnessing the Opportunities of Climate Change".This conference has not come about by accident. Last year, the world-renowned economist Sir Nicholas Stern published his now famous review on the economic impact of climate change. He concluded that current global emission levels were unsustainable. And the economic cost of failure to act now would be far greater than the cost of acting.Two months after Stern published his review, Malaysians saw for themselves the economic damage caused by the unseasonal floods in Johor.It was immediately apparent that climate change will increase the frequency and severity of such events in the future. This regional conference comes at an opportune time, as it allows participants to inject the conference outcomes directly into the meeting of the COP to the UNFCCC in Bali.Southeast Asia is home to one of the world’s great biodiversity regions. These regions are essential to maintain climate security for the whole planet. The region is vulnerable to climate change, with large areas of coastline potentially threatened by a rise in sea levels. Water supplies are equally at risk. All of us living in this region would have to bear the adverse economic impacts of repeated instances of flooding.The key to tackling climate change on a global scale is working together to build a low-carbon economy. This will require deeper international co-operation in many areas, most notably in creating markets for carbon trading, driving technology research and promoting adaptation, particularly for developing countries.In addition, other important and significant themes in climate change will include mitigation, energy security, climate change negotiations, and the relationship of land use change and forestry to climate change, which will be discussed in this conference.At Bali, the Malaysian and British governments need to work with other countries to put together the plan for how the world will achieve climate security. One thing is clear: we need to act now. That is why the regional conference over the next two days matters.
As Ban said, this event at the UN expressed the political will of world leaders to tackle the challenge of climate change. The importance of climate change was further emphasised by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for bringing world attention to climate change.The first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ends in 2012. The Conference of Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC will meet in Bali from Dec 3 to 14 to negotiate a post-Kyoto Framework.What happens between now and the COP will be crucial to the success of the negotiations. We need clear leadership and commitment.That is why today and tomorrow, the Malaysian government will host a regional conference on climate change. The conference will be addressed by leading specialists from across the region and beyond. The aim will be to help frame the debate on climate change in Southeast Asia. It will also put Malaysia right at the heart of this debate, working closely with regional partners, as well as with the United Kingdom.
The conference is being organised by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, in close collaboration with the British High Commission in Malaysia. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will deliver the keynote address and open the conference, tagged “Reducing the Threats and Harnessing the Opportunities of Climate Change".This conference has not come about by accident. Last year, the world-renowned economist Sir Nicholas Stern published his now famous review on the economic impact of climate change. He concluded that current global emission levels were unsustainable. And the economic cost of failure to act now would be far greater than the cost of acting.Two months after Stern published his review, Malaysians saw for themselves the economic damage caused by the unseasonal floods in Johor.It was immediately apparent that climate change will increase the frequency and severity of such events in the future. This regional conference comes at an opportune time, as it allows participants to inject the conference outcomes directly into the meeting of the COP to the UNFCCC in Bali.Southeast Asia is home to one of the world’s great biodiversity regions. These regions are essential to maintain climate security for the whole planet. The region is vulnerable to climate change, with large areas of coastline potentially threatened by a rise in sea levels. Water supplies are equally at risk. All of us living in this region would have to bear the adverse economic impacts of repeated instances of flooding.The key to tackling climate change on a global scale is working together to build a low-carbon economy. This will require deeper international co-operation in many areas, most notably in creating markets for carbon trading, driving technology research and promoting adaptation, particularly for developing countries.In addition, other important and significant themes in climate change will include mitigation, energy security, climate change negotiations, and the relationship of land use change and forestry to climate change, which will be discussed in this conference.At Bali, the Malaysian and British governments need to work with other countries to put together the plan for how the world will achieve climate security. One thing is clear: we need to act now. That is why the regional conference over the next two days matters.
Hujan dijangka bertambah kerap
KUALA LUMPUR, 31 Okt (Bernama) — Jabatan Meteorologi Malaysia menjangka keadaan hujan di semenanjung Malaysia dari semasa ke semasa akan bertambah kerap dalam tempoh tiga bulan akan datang, berbanding tempoh yang sama tahun lepas.Timbalan Menteri Sains Teknologi dan Inovasi Datuk Kong Cho Ha berkata kawasan yang dijangka mengalami hujan itu berselerak di seluruh negara, namun ia dijangka bertumpu kepada kawasan sekitar bahagian utara dan tengah semenanjung.“Kita jangka lebih banyak hujan bagi tempoh tiga bulan akan datang, malah ia sudah bermula sejak September lepas. Bagaimanapun tidak semestinya bermakna ia akan membawa banjir buruk sebagaimana yang berlaku di Johor tahun lepas,” katanya.“Kita menjangka kadar hujan meningkat sedikit berbanding tahun lepas ekoran kesan La Nina, yang mengubah keadaan biasa cuaca,” tambahnya. - BERNAMA
Demam denggi meningkat 60 peratus 2085
KUALA LUMPUR 30 Okt. – Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) Bahagian Pejabat Filipina mendapati 60 peratus penduduk dunia akan terdedah kepada risiko demam denggi yang boleh menyebabkan kematian menjelang 2085, ekoran perubahan iklim.
Pakar kesihatannya, Dr. Hisashi Ogawa berkata, pada masa ini, kadar penyakit itu meningkat 35 peratus setahun dan ia menjadi satu fenomena yang membimbangkan.
Katanya, statistik yang diperoleh itu menunjukkan sebanyak 925,896 kes dicatatkan di seluruh dunia sepanjang tempoh lima tahun yang lalu iaitu dari 2000 hingga 2005.
Jelasnya, demam denggi kini sudah menjadi antara penyakit paling tinggi melanda penduduk dunia.
‘‘Penyakit itu meningkat terlalu mendadak berbanding 1990 hingga 1999 yang lalu. Dalam tempoh itu, ia hanya menunjukkan bilangan kes sebanyak 479,848.
‘‘Berlaku peningkatan mendadak dengan perbezaan sebanyak 44,6048 kes.
‘‘Kesedaran perlu dipertingkatkan dan setiap negara perlu mengambil langkah berjaga-jaga,’’ katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian ketika membentangkan kertas kerjanya bertajuk Kesan Perubahan Iklim Terhadap Kesihatan Masyarakat dalam Persidangan Serantau Mengenai Perubahan Iklim di sini hari ini.
Ogawa menambah, pihaknya turut mendapati lebih 150,000 penduduk dunia mati akibat perubahan iklim setiap tahun bermula 1970.
Katanya, rantau Asia Pasifik pula menunjukkan jumlah kematian antara yang tertinggi di dunia iaitu sebanyak 77,000 orang kesan fenomena itu.
Beliau memberitahu, langkah-langkah pencegahan perlu dilakukan seperti meningkatkan kesedaran kesihatan kepada orang ramai akibat daripada perubahan iklim.
Jelasnya lagi, sistem kesihatan di setiap negara juga perlu dipertingkatkan untuk menyediakan perlindungan daripada risiko perubahan itu.
Pakar kesihatannya, Dr. Hisashi Ogawa berkata, pada masa ini, kadar penyakit itu meningkat 35 peratus setahun dan ia menjadi satu fenomena yang membimbangkan.
Katanya, statistik yang diperoleh itu menunjukkan sebanyak 925,896 kes dicatatkan di seluruh dunia sepanjang tempoh lima tahun yang lalu iaitu dari 2000 hingga 2005.
Jelasnya, demam denggi kini sudah menjadi antara penyakit paling tinggi melanda penduduk dunia.
‘‘Penyakit itu meningkat terlalu mendadak berbanding 1990 hingga 1999 yang lalu. Dalam tempoh itu, ia hanya menunjukkan bilangan kes sebanyak 479,848.
‘‘Berlaku peningkatan mendadak dengan perbezaan sebanyak 44,6048 kes.
‘‘Kesedaran perlu dipertingkatkan dan setiap negara perlu mengambil langkah berjaga-jaga,’’ katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian ketika membentangkan kertas kerjanya bertajuk Kesan Perubahan Iklim Terhadap Kesihatan Masyarakat dalam Persidangan Serantau Mengenai Perubahan Iklim di sini hari ini.
Ogawa menambah, pihaknya turut mendapati lebih 150,000 penduduk dunia mati akibat perubahan iklim setiap tahun bermula 1970.
Katanya, rantau Asia Pasifik pula menunjukkan jumlah kematian antara yang tertinggi di dunia iaitu sebanyak 77,000 orang kesan fenomena itu.
Beliau memberitahu, langkah-langkah pencegahan perlu dilakukan seperti meningkatkan kesedaran kesihatan kepada orang ramai akibat daripada perubahan iklim.
Jelasnya lagi, sistem kesihatan di setiap negara juga perlu dipertingkatkan untuk menyediakan perlindungan daripada risiko perubahan itu.
PRECIS tawar teknologi kendali perubahan iklim
KUALA LUMPUR 30 Okt. – Negara-negara membangun tidak perlu lagi merintih untuk mendapatkan teknologi pengendalian perubahan iklim dunia, sebaliknya boleh merujuk kepada perisian yang dinamakan Kajian Penyediaan Impak Iklim Serantau (PRECIS).
PRECIS dibangunkan oleh Pusat Hedley, Met Office, Exeter di United Kingdom.
Menurut pakar teknologi maklumatnya, David Hein, perisian itu boleh diperoleh secara percuma menggunakan operasi sistem LINUX.
Jelasnya, perisian serba guna itu boleh digunakan di mana-mana bahagian dunia bagi mengukur keadaan iklim dan cuaca.
‘‘Perisian ini turut mengandungi pengiraan matematik terhadap ketinggian serta jumlah kekerapan selain mampu menunjukkan keadaan atmosfera dan permukaan bumi,’’ katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian sewaktu membentangkan kertas kerjanya yang bertajuk Unjuran Terperinci Iklim Terhadap Kemusnahan dan Impak Penggunaan Model PRECIS dalam Persidangan Serantau Mengenai Perubahan Iklim di sini hari ini.
Menurut Hein, pihaknya turut menganjurkan bengkel penggunaan teknologi dalam menangani perubahan iklim untuk negara-negara membangun.
Katanya, perisian PRECIS hanya dikeluarkan melalui bengkel yang disertai oleh para peserta dari negara berkenaan.
Tambah beliau, perisian itu sudah dibangunkan di Asia Tenggara pada Ogos tahun lalu dan ia boleh didapati melalui laman web http://precis.metoffice.com atau e-mail iaitu precis@ metoffice.gov.uk.
PRECIS dibangunkan oleh Pusat Hedley, Met Office, Exeter di United Kingdom.
Menurut pakar teknologi maklumatnya, David Hein, perisian itu boleh diperoleh secara percuma menggunakan operasi sistem LINUX.
Jelasnya, perisian serba guna itu boleh digunakan di mana-mana bahagian dunia bagi mengukur keadaan iklim dan cuaca.
‘‘Perisian ini turut mengandungi pengiraan matematik terhadap ketinggian serta jumlah kekerapan selain mampu menunjukkan keadaan atmosfera dan permukaan bumi,’’ katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian sewaktu membentangkan kertas kerjanya yang bertajuk Unjuran Terperinci Iklim Terhadap Kemusnahan dan Impak Penggunaan Model PRECIS dalam Persidangan Serantau Mengenai Perubahan Iklim di sini hari ini.
Menurut Hein, pihaknya turut menganjurkan bengkel penggunaan teknologi dalam menangani perubahan iklim untuk negara-negara membangun.
Katanya, perisian PRECIS hanya dikeluarkan melalui bengkel yang disertai oleh para peserta dari negara berkenaan.
Tambah beliau, perisian itu sudah dibangunkan di Asia Tenggara pada Ogos tahun lalu dan ia boleh didapati melalui laman web http://precis.metoffice.com atau e-mail iaitu precis@ metoffice.gov.uk.
2030: Permintaan sumber tenaga meningkat 55 peratus
KUALA LUMPUR 29 Okt. – Permintaan sumber tenaga seperti petroleum dan gas asli dunia yang dijangka meningkat sebanyak 55 peratus menjelang 2030 dikhuatiri mengakibatkan pencemaran yang teruk.
Pengarah Perubahan Iklim Antarabangsa, Analisis dan Udara United Kingdom, Henry Derwent berkata, menurut kajiannya, peningkatan guna tenaga itu dijangka berlaku di negara-negara membangun.
‘‘Kajian turut mendapati sebanyak 70 peratus permintaan guna tenaga itu adalah dari negara-negara membangun.
‘‘Apabila permintaan guna tenaga meningkat, ia akan mencatatkan peningkatan pengeluaran asap karbon dioksida yang tinggi iaitu hingga 55 peratus,’’ katanya.
Beliau bercakap kepada pemberita selepas membentangkan kertas kerja bertajuk Kemusnahan Semulajadi dan Pengurangan Risiko dalam Persidangan Serantau Mengenai Perubahan Iklim di sini hari ini.
Menurut Derwent, salah satu langkah untuk mengurangkan pengeluaran asap karbon dioksida di ruang atmosfera bumi ialah dengan menggunakan sasaran pengurangan pengeluaran karbon (CERT).
Katanya, CERT merupakan cadangan untuk mengurangkan penggunaan sumber tenaga.
Jelasnya, konsep itu dapat meningkatkan penggunaan sumber tenaga berkesan seperti solar dan elektrik.
Pengarah Perubahan Iklim Antarabangsa, Analisis dan Udara United Kingdom, Henry Derwent berkata, menurut kajiannya, peningkatan guna tenaga itu dijangka berlaku di negara-negara membangun.
‘‘Kajian turut mendapati sebanyak 70 peratus permintaan guna tenaga itu adalah dari negara-negara membangun.
‘‘Apabila permintaan guna tenaga meningkat, ia akan mencatatkan peningkatan pengeluaran asap karbon dioksida yang tinggi iaitu hingga 55 peratus,’’ katanya.
Beliau bercakap kepada pemberita selepas membentangkan kertas kerja bertajuk Kemusnahan Semulajadi dan Pengurangan Risiko dalam Persidangan Serantau Mengenai Perubahan Iklim di sini hari ini.
Menurut Derwent, salah satu langkah untuk mengurangkan pengeluaran asap karbon dioksida di ruang atmosfera bumi ialah dengan menggunakan sasaran pengurangan pengeluaran karbon (CERT).
Katanya, CERT merupakan cadangan untuk mengurangkan penggunaan sumber tenaga.
Jelasnya, konsep itu dapat meningkatkan penggunaan sumber tenaga berkesan seperti solar dan elektrik.
Perubahan iklim: 3.4 bilion penduduk dunia terancam
KUALA LUMPUR 29 Okt. – Seramai 3.4 bilion penduduk dunia yang tinggal di kawasan seluas 25 juta kilometer persegi terdedah secara langsung kepada sekurang- kurangnya sejenis bahaya yang diakibatkan daripada perubahan iklim dunia.
Pengarah Strategi Antarabangsa dan Pengurangan Risiko Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) yang berpusat di Geneva, Salvano Briceno berkata, sebanyak 105 juta penduduk lagi terdedah kepada tiga atau lebih bahaya akibat perubahan iklim berkenaan.
Menurut beliau, kajiannya mendapati penduduk dunia semakin terancam ekoran perubahan iklim tersebut dan Bumi menjadi tempat yang tidak lagi selamat untuk didiami.
Jelasnya, perubahan iklim tidak berlaku secara semula jadi sebaliknya ia berpunca daripada perbuatan manusia.
‘‘Manusia menjadi faktor utama kepada kemusnahan Bumi dan ia memberi kesan kepada manusia seperti kemiskinan, pembangunan bandar tidak terancang, inflasi, tidak mempunyai kawasan untuk didiami dan pembinaan perumahan dalam kawasan bahaya,’’ katanya.
Briceno berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas membentangkan kertas kerja bertajuk Kemusnahan Semula Jadi dan Pengurangan Risiko pada Persidangan Serantau Mengenai Perubahan Iklim di sini hari ini.
Briceno menambah, tindakan praktikal untuk mengurangkan kemusnahan Bumi adalah dengan menguatkuasakan undang-undang yang benar-benar tegas terhadap penjagaan alam sekitar.
Selain itu, katanya, setiap negara juga boleh mengenal pasti risiko dan bahaya yang bakal dihadapi rakyat dengan mewujudkan zon kediaman selamat.
Pengarah Strategi Antarabangsa dan Pengurangan Risiko Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) yang berpusat di Geneva, Salvano Briceno berkata, sebanyak 105 juta penduduk lagi terdedah kepada tiga atau lebih bahaya akibat perubahan iklim berkenaan.
Menurut beliau, kajiannya mendapati penduduk dunia semakin terancam ekoran perubahan iklim tersebut dan Bumi menjadi tempat yang tidak lagi selamat untuk didiami.
Jelasnya, perubahan iklim tidak berlaku secara semula jadi sebaliknya ia berpunca daripada perbuatan manusia.
‘‘Manusia menjadi faktor utama kepada kemusnahan Bumi dan ia memberi kesan kepada manusia seperti kemiskinan, pembangunan bandar tidak terancang, inflasi, tidak mempunyai kawasan untuk didiami dan pembinaan perumahan dalam kawasan bahaya,’’ katanya.
Briceno berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas membentangkan kertas kerja bertajuk Kemusnahan Semula Jadi dan Pengurangan Risiko pada Persidangan Serantau Mengenai Perubahan Iklim di sini hari ini.
Briceno menambah, tindakan praktikal untuk mengurangkan kemusnahan Bumi adalah dengan menguatkuasakan undang-undang yang benar-benar tegas terhadap penjagaan alam sekitar.
Selain itu, katanya, setiap negara juga boleh mengenal pasti risiko dan bahaya yang bakal dihadapi rakyat dengan mewujudkan zon kediaman selamat.
Pencemaran udara berbahaya selepas kebakaran di AS
SAN DIEGO, California 28 Okt. – Para pegawai kesihatan semalam memberi amaran keras tentang kualiti udara yang boleh membahayakan kesihatan akibat kebakaran hutan yang telah memusnahkan sebahagian besar daripada wilayah-wilayah di selatan California minggu ini.
Amaran turut disuarakan tentang kesan-kesan pencemaran jangka panjang serta gas-gas rumah hijau akibat kebakaran itu, yang menyebabkan kepulan asap tebal berkumpul di udara.
Sebanyak 203,000 hektar daripada kawasan hutan, taman dan sehingga 1,800 buah rumah di selatan California musnah dalam kebakaran itu.
Dalam tempoh seminggu, kebakaran tersebut telah mengeluarkan jumlah gas rumah hijau yang sama banyak dengan pengeluaran yang dibuat oleh 440,000 buah kereta dalam tempoh setahun.
Amaran itu disuarakan oleh Patricia Rey, jurucakap untuk lembaga sumber-sumber air, yang merupakan sebahagian daripada Agensi Perlindungan Alam Sekitar negeri California.
“Kualiti udara sekarang telah bertukar daripada tahap tidak sihat kepada tahap bahaya, dengan setiap penduduk dinasihatkan supaya tidak keluar daripada rumah masing-masing,” katanya.
Amaran itu ditujukan kepada penduduk di lima wilayah, iaitu San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernadino dan Riverside, setelah tahap pencemaran meningkat tiga kali lebih tinggi daripada tahap biasa.
“Keadaan sekarang amat membimbangkan,” kata Rey. “Kami kini sedang memantau secara rapi untuk memberi nasihat yang betul kepada penduduk di kawasan-kawasan berkenaan,” tambahnya.
Menurut indeks kualiti udara, catatan 151-200 bermakna tahap “tidak sihat,” yang bermakna “setiap orang akan mula merasai kesan-kesan kesihatan, manakala golongan yang sensitif mungkin mengalami keadaan kesihatan yang lebih serius.”
Catatan 300 menunjukkan tahap bahaya yang bermakna “amaran kesihatan bermulanya keadaan-keadaan kecemasan. Penduduk di seluruh kawasan mungkin mengalami keadaan itu.”
Kewujudan debu-debu toksik di udara boleh memudaratkan kesihatan golongan tua, kanak-kanak dan mereka yang menghidap penyakit asma atau masalah pernafasan.
“Golongan yang sensitif kepada keadaan sekarang dinasihatkan supaya tidak keluar daripada rumah masing-masing, mengelakkan daripada melakukan aktiviti senaman di luar rumah dan memasang alat pendingin udara daripada membuka tingkap,” katanya.
Amaran turut disuarakan tentang kesan-kesan pencemaran jangka panjang serta gas-gas rumah hijau akibat kebakaran itu, yang menyebabkan kepulan asap tebal berkumpul di udara.
Sebanyak 203,000 hektar daripada kawasan hutan, taman dan sehingga 1,800 buah rumah di selatan California musnah dalam kebakaran itu.
Dalam tempoh seminggu, kebakaran tersebut telah mengeluarkan jumlah gas rumah hijau yang sama banyak dengan pengeluaran yang dibuat oleh 440,000 buah kereta dalam tempoh setahun.
Amaran itu disuarakan oleh Patricia Rey, jurucakap untuk lembaga sumber-sumber air, yang merupakan sebahagian daripada Agensi Perlindungan Alam Sekitar negeri California.
“Kualiti udara sekarang telah bertukar daripada tahap tidak sihat kepada tahap bahaya, dengan setiap penduduk dinasihatkan supaya tidak keluar daripada rumah masing-masing,” katanya.
Amaran itu ditujukan kepada penduduk di lima wilayah, iaitu San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernadino dan Riverside, setelah tahap pencemaran meningkat tiga kali lebih tinggi daripada tahap biasa.
“Keadaan sekarang amat membimbangkan,” kata Rey. “Kami kini sedang memantau secara rapi untuk memberi nasihat yang betul kepada penduduk di kawasan-kawasan berkenaan,” tambahnya.
Menurut indeks kualiti udara, catatan 151-200 bermakna tahap “tidak sihat,” yang bermakna “setiap orang akan mula merasai kesan-kesan kesihatan, manakala golongan yang sensitif mungkin mengalami keadaan kesihatan yang lebih serius.”
Catatan 300 menunjukkan tahap bahaya yang bermakna “amaran kesihatan bermulanya keadaan-keadaan kecemasan. Penduduk di seluruh kawasan mungkin mengalami keadaan itu.”
Kewujudan debu-debu toksik di udara boleh memudaratkan kesihatan golongan tua, kanak-kanak dan mereka yang menghidap penyakit asma atau masalah pernafasan.
“Golongan yang sensitif kepada keadaan sekarang dinasihatkan supaya tidak keluar daripada rumah masing-masing, mengelakkan daripada melakukan aktiviti senaman di luar rumah dan memasang alat pendingin udara daripada membuka tingkap,” katanya.
Karbon dioksida 100% di atmosfera bumi 2100
KUALA LUMPUR 30 Okt. – Paras karbon dioksida di ruang atmosfera bumi dijangka meningkat 100 peratus menjelang tahun 2100, mengakibatkan permukaan bumi bertambah panas, kata Pensyarah University of California, Amerika Syarikat, Profesor ML Kavvas.
Menurutnya, karbon dioksida terhasil melalui pembakaran fosil, pernafasan manusia serta haiwan dan ia merupakan salah satu elemen gas rumah hijau.
Beliau memberitahu, selain suhu bumi bertambah akibat pengeluaran karbon dioksida itu, keseimbangan tenaga bumi juga dijangka tidak stabil sehingga menyebabkan berlakunya bencana alam.
‘‘Sekarang, kita sudah mempunyai peningkatan karbon dioksida di atmosfera sebanyak 21 peratus dan ia akan meningkat secara perlahan.
‘‘Suhu permukaan bumi pula menunjukkan peningkatan sebanyak 0.5 darjah celsius,’’ katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian ketika membentangkan kertas kerjanya bertajuk Perubahan Cuaca dan Sumber Air dalam Persidangan Serantau Mengenai Perubahan Iklim di sini hari ini.
Kavvas menambah, model pengiraan am (GCM) yang dikeluarkan pada 1995 mendapati iklim dunia berubah secara perlahan-lahan dan paras karbon dioksida yang dilepaskan ke atmosfera bumi meningkat sebanyak satu peratus setahun.
Di Malaysia, beliau memberitahu, aliran sungai di seluruh negara tidak akan berubah berdasarkan keadaan simulasi hidroklimatik yang disukat pada 1984 hingga 1993 kecuali di Kelantan dan Pahang.
Jelasnya, kedua-dua negeri itu akan mempunyai aliran sungai yang deras dan berubah-ubah pada masa akan datang pada tahun 2025 hingga 2034 dan 2041 hingga 2050.
Ini kerana terdapat legeh di sungai-sungai negeri itu yang tidak lagi dapat menampung jumlah aliran air yang deras setiap kali musim tengkujuh sehingga merubah permukaan aliran sungai tersebut.
Menurutnya, karbon dioksida terhasil melalui pembakaran fosil, pernafasan manusia serta haiwan dan ia merupakan salah satu elemen gas rumah hijau.
Beliau memberitahu, selain suhu bumi bertambah akibat pengeluaran karbon dioksida itu, keseimbangan tenaga bumi juga dijangka tidak stabil sehingga menyebabkan berlakunya bencana alam.
‘‘Sekarang, kita sudah mempunyai peningkatan karbon dioksida di atmosfera sebanyak 21 peratus dan ia akan meningkat secara perlahan.
‘‘Suhu permukaan bumi pula menunjukkan peningkatan sebanyak 0.5 darjah celsius,’’ katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian ketika membentangkan kertas kerjanya bertajuk Perubahan Cuaca dan Sumber Air dalam Persidangan Serantau Mengenai Perubahan Iklim di sini hari ini.
Kavvas menambah, model pengiraan am (GCM) yang dikeluarkan pada 1995 mendapati iklim dunia berubah secara perlahan-lahan dan paras karbon dioksida yang dilepaskan ke atmosfera bumi meningkat sebanyak satu peratus setahun.
Di Malaysia, beliau memberitahu, aliran sungai di seluruh negara tidak akan berubah berdasarkan keadaan simulasi hidroklimatik yang disukat pada 1984 hingga 1993 kecuali di Kelantan dan Pahang.
Jelasnya, kedua-dua negeri itu akan mempunyai aliran sungai yang deras dan berubah-ubah pada masa akan datang pada tahun 2025 hingga 2034 dan 2041 hingga 2050.
Ini kerana terdapat legeh di sungai-sungai negeri itu yang tidak lagi dapat menampung jumlah aliran air yang deras setiap kali musim tengkujuh sehingga merubah permukaan aliran sungai tersebut.
Negara maju ditegur tidak salur kepakaran tangani iklim
KUALA LUMPUR 30 Okt. – Negara-negara maju ditegur kerana tidak mengamalkan pasaran terbuka dan enggan menyalurkan kepakaran teknologi mereka bagi menangani masalah perubahan iklim dunia di negara-negara membangun.
Pengarah Urusan Sustainable Technology Resource Centre (STREC), Chow Kok Kee berkata, kebanyakan negara maju memiliki kepakaran itu, tetapi bersifat sombong dan enggan menjualnya di pasaran terbuka selain meletakkan harga yang terlalu tinggi.
Jelasnya, tidak salah untuk menjual kepakaran yang dimiliki tetapi negara-negara maju perlu juga memikul tanggungjawab sosial dengan memberi insentif kepada negara-negara membangun dan miskin yang tidak berkemampuan untuk memiliki kepakaran berkenaan.
‘‘Isu perubahan iklim dunia bersifat sejagat dan mereka perlu memberi perhatian terhadap isu tersebut.
‘‘Mereka (negara-negara maju ) boleh memperkenalkan kaedah pembelian teknologi itu melalui skim rebat, pinjaman dengan kadar faedah yang rendah, ansuran dan sebagainya bagi membolehkan semua negara memiliki kepakaran berkenaan,’’ katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian sewaktu membentangkan kertas kerja bertajuk Perhatian Terkini Terhadap Penyelesaian Perubahan Iklim Antarabangsa pada Persidangan Mengenai Perubahan Iklim di sini hari ini.
Persidangan selama dua hari yang bermula semalam dianjurkan oleh Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Alam Sekitar serta Suruhanjaya Tinggi Britain.
Seramai 350 peserta dari seluruh negara ASEAN hadir pada persidangan tersebut.
Kok Kee menambah, sekiranya semua negara memiliki kepakaran dan teknologi dalam menangani perubahan iklim dunia, maka pengeluaran gas rumah hijau dapat dikurangkan.
Katanya, pelaksanaan dan tindakan untuk mengurangkan gas berkenaan bergantung kepada keupayaan sesebuah negara.
“Jika sesebuah negara itu mundur dan kurang membangun, mereka akan terlewat menerima kepakaran teknologi untuk mengurangkan pelepasan gas rumah hijau ke atmosfera bumi,’’ ujarnya.
Pengarah Urusan Sustainable Technology Resource Centre (STREC), Chow Kok Kee berkata, kebanyakan negara maju memiliki kepakaran itu, tetapi bersifat sombong dan enggan menjualnya di pasaran terbuka selain meletakkan harga yang terlalu tinggi.
Jelasnya, tidak salah untuk menjual kepakaran yang dimiliki tetapi negara-negara maju perlu juga memikul tanggungjawab sosial dengan memberi insentif kepada negara-negara membangun dan miskin yang tidak berkemampuan untuk memiliki kepakaran berkenaan.
‘‘Isu perubahan iklim dunia bersifat sejagat dan mereka perlu memberi perhatian terhadap isu tersebut.
‘‘Mereka (negara-negara maju ) boleh memperkenalkan kaedah pembelian teknologi itu melalui skim rebat, pinjaman dengan kadar faedah yang rendah, ansuran dan sebagainya bagi membolehkan semua negara memiliki kepakaran berkenaan,’’ katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian sewaktu membentangkan kertas kerja bertajuk Perhatian Terkini Terhadap Penyelesaian Perubahan Iklim Antarabangsa pada Persidangan Mengenai Perubahan Iklim di sini hari ini.
Persidangan selama dua hari yang bermula semalam dianjurkan oleh Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Alam Sekitar serta Suruhanjaya Tinggi Britain.
Seramai 350 peserta dari seluruh negara ASEAN hadir pada persidangan tersebut.
Kok Kee menambah, sekiranya semua negara memiliki kepakaran dan teknologi dalam menangani perubahan iklim dunia, maka pengeluaran gas rumah hijau dapat dikurangkan.
Katanya, pelaksanaan dan tindakan untuk mengurangkan gas berkenaan bergantung kepada keupayaan sesebuah negara.
“Jika sesebuah negara itu mundur dan kurang membangun, mereka akan terlewat menerima kepakaran teknologi untuk mengurangkan pelepasan gas rumah hijau ke atmosfera bumi,’’ ujarnya.
‘Biodiesel satu jenayah’ - Bawa malapetaka kemanusiaan, kos makanan lebih mahal
NEW YORK 27 Okt. – Seorang pakar Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) menyifatkan amalan menukar tanaman sumber makanan menjadi sumber bahan bakar bio termasuk biodiesel sebagai “satu jenayah terhadap kemanusiaan.”
Pakar bebas PBB mengenai hak mendapat makanan, Jean Ziegler semalam berkata, amalan yang semakin meluas itu mengakibatkan kekurangan bekalan makanan dan kenaikan harga yang memaksa berjuta-juta penduduk miskin menanggung kelaparan.
Ziegler yang memegang jawatan tersebut sejak diwujudkan pada 2000 menggesa supaya pengeluaran bahan bakar bio dibekukan selama lima tahun bagi menghentikan apa yang disifatkan oleh beliau sebagai “malapetaka” semakin buruk bagi golongan miskin.
Beliau menegaskan, kemajuan penyelidikan saintifik begitu pesat sehinggakan “dalam tempoh lima tahun lagi bahan bakar bio seperti biodiesel boleh dihasilkan daripada bahan sisa pertanian” dan bukan daripada gandum, jagung, tebu dan tanaman lain.
Penggunaan bahan bakar bio sebagai ganti petrol dalam kenderaan dianggap boleh mengurangkan pengeluaran karbon dioksida yang menyumbang kepada pemanasan global.
Penggunaan tanaman untuk bahan bakar bio giat dilakukan terutamanya di Brazil dan Amerika Syarikat (AS).
Mac lalu Presiden AS, George W. Bush dan Presiden Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva menandatangani perjanjian kerjasama kedua-dua negara untuk meningkatkan pengeluaran etanol.
Mereka berkata, penggunaan bahan bakar alternatif yang meningkat boleh membawa kepada lebih banyak pekerjaan, mewujudkan persekitaran lebih bersih dan mengurangkan pergantungan kepada minyak.
Ziegler menyifatkan motif mereka sebagai wajar tetapi menambah, kesan penukaran ratusan ribu tan jagung, gandum, kacang dan minyak kelapa sawit menjadi bahan bakar membawa malapetaka kepada penduduk yang kelaparan.
Harga gandum di pasaran dunia meningkat sekali ganda dalam masa setahun dan harga jagung meningkat empat kali ganda, menyebabkan negara miskin terutamanya di Afrika tidak mampu membayar kos makanan import, katanya.
“Kerana itu adalah jenayah terhadap kemanusiaan untuk menggunakan tanah pertanian bagi mengeluarkan bahan bakar bio ,” kata beliau pada satu sidang media.
Sebagai contoh, beliau berkata, 231 kilogram jagung diperlukan untuk menghasilkan 49.2 liter etanol.
Jagung sebanyak itu mencukupi untuk memberi makan kepada seorang kanak-kanak di Zambia atau Mexico selama setahun, tambah Ziegler.
Pakar bebas PBB mengenai hak mendapat makanan, Jean Ziegler semalam berkata, amalan yang semakin meluas itu mengakibatkan kekurangan bekalan makanan dan kenaikan harga yang memaksa berjuta-juta penduduk miskin menanggung kelaparan.
Ziegler yang memegang jawatan tersebut sejak diwujudkan pada 2000 menggesa supaya pengeluaran bahan bakar bio dibekukan selama lima tahun bagi menghentikan apa yang disifatkan oleh beliau sebagai “malapetaka” semakin buruk bagi golongan miskin.
Beliau menegaskan, kemajuan penyelidikan saintifik begitu pesat sehinggakan “dalam tempoh lima tahun lagi bahan bakar bio seperti biodiesel boleh dihasilkan daripada bahan sisa pertanian” dan bukan daripada gandum, jagung, tebu dan tanaman lain.
Penggunaan bahan bakar bio sebagai ganti petrol dalam kenderaan dianggap boleh mengurangkan pengeluaran karbon dioksida yang menyumbang kepada pemanasan global.
Penggunaan tanaman untuk bahan bakar bio giat dilakukan terutamanya di Brazil dan Amerika Syarikat (AS).
Mac lalu Presiden AS, George W. Bush dan Presiden Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva menandatangani perjanjian kerjasama kedua-dua negara untuk meningkatkan pengeluaran etanol.
Mereka berkata, penggunaan bahan bakar alternatif yang meningkat boleh membawa kepada lebih banyak pekerjaan, mewujudkan persekitaran lebih bersih dan mengurangkan pergantungan kepada minyak.
Ziegler menyifatkan motif mereka sebagai wajar tetapi menambah, kesan penukaran ratusan ribu tan jagung, gandum, kacang dan minyak kelapa sawit menjadi bahan bakar membawa malapetaka kepada penduduk yang kelaparan.
Harga gandum di pasaran dunia meningkat sekali ganda dalam masa setahun dan harga jagung meningkat empat kali ganda, menyebabkan negara miskin terutamanya di Afrika tidak mampu membayar kos makanan import, katanya.
“Kerana itu adalah jenayah terhadap kemanusiaan untuk menggunakan tanah pertanian bagi mengeluarkan bahan bakar bio ,” kata beliau pada satu sidang media.
Sebagai contoh, beliau berkata, 231 kilogram jagung diperlukan untuk menghasilkan 49.2 liter etanol.
Jagung sebanyak itu mencukupi untuk memberi makan kepada seorang kanak-kanak di Zambia atau Mexico selama setahun, tambah Ziegler.
Najib: Kerajaan komited tangani isu perubahan cuaca
KUALA LUMPUR 29 Okt. – Kerajaan komited menangani masalah perubahan cuaca yang kini dianggap sebagai satu fenomena global kerana ia boleh memberi kesan buruk terhadap kehidupan manusia.
Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata, Malaysia tidak terkecuali berhadapan dengan isu tersebut dan oleh itu kerajaan telah mengambil beberapa langkah tertentu untuk mengatasinya.
Beliau berkata, semua pihak harus sedar bahawa isu berkenaan sekiranya tidak ditangani dengan efisien bukan sahaja mengakibatkan berlakunya cuaca melampau bahkan menjejaskan bidang-bidang lain seperti pertanian, perhutanan dan biodiversiti.
‘‘Kesemua bidang ini sebenarnya berkait rapat dengan kehidupan manusia. Sebagai contoh disebabkan berlakunya perubahan iklim, pengeluaran pertanian mungkin boleh terjejas.
‘‘Perubahan cuaca juga telah menyebabkan banjir berlaku dengan lebih kerap. Berdasarkan rekod banjir pada Disember 2005, Disember 2006 dan Januari tahun ini telah menyebabkan negara kerugian kira-kira RM4 bilion,’’ katanya.
Beliau berucap merasmikan Seminar Perubahan Cuaca di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PWTC) hari ini.
Najib berkata, lebih membimbangkan, jika isu itu tidak ditangani dengan baik, ia boleh menyebabkan berlakunya banyak kes malaria dan denggi.
Sementara itu beliau berkata, antara langkah yang diambil oleh pihak kerajaan untuk menangani isu tersebut ialah memperkenalkan konsep pembangunan lestari iaitu dengan mengambil kira aspek alam sekitar dalam membangunkan negara.
‘‘Kita turut memperkenalkan pengurusan hutan secara lebih mapan bagi menangani masalah perubahan cuaca yang berlaku ketika ini,’’ katanya
Selain itu Najib berkata, usaha mengatasi masalah pemanasan global juga telah dilaksanakan secara bersungguh-sungguh antaranya dengan menggalakkan penggunaan sumber tenaga baru.
‘‘Antara sumber tenaga baru yang dimaksudkan ialah biomas, biogas, solar dan mini hidro,’’ ujarnya.
Beliau berkata, bagi menggalakkan lebih banyak penggunaan sumber tenaga baru khususnya biomas, kerajaan telah memperkenalkan insentif cukai ke atas syarikat yang menggunakannya.
Tambahnya, langkah menggalakkan penggunaan biodiesel daripada minyak kelapa sawit juga merupakan salah satu usaha menangani isu berkenaan.
Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata, Malaysia tidak terkecuali berhadapan dengan isu tersebut dan oleh itu kerajaan telah mengambil beberapa langkah tertentu untuk mengatasinya.
Beliau berkata, semua pihak harus sedar bahawa isu berkenaan sekiranya tidak ditangani dengan efisien bukan sahaja mengakibatkan berlakunya cuaca melampau bahkan menjejaskan bidang-bidang lain seperti pertanian, perhutanan dan biodiversiti.
‘‘Kesemua bidang ini sebenarnya berkait rapat dengan kehidupan manusia. Sebagai contoh disebabkan berlakunya perubahan iklim, pengeluaran pertanian mungkin boleh terjejas.
‘‘Perubahan cuaca juga telah menyebabkan banjir berlaku dengan lebih kerap. Berdasarkan rekod banjir pada Disember 2005, Disember 2006 dan Januari tahun ini telah menyebabkan negara kerugian kira-kira RM4 bilion,’’ katanya.
Beliau berucap merasmikan Seminar Perubahan Cuaca di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PWTC) hari ini.
Najib berkata, lebih membimbangkan, jika isu itu tidak ditangani dengan baik, ia boleh menyebabkan berlakunya banyak kes malaria dan denggi.
Sementara itu beliau berkata, antara langkah yang diambil oleh pihak kerajaan untuk menangani isu tersebut ialah memperkenalkan konsep pembangunan lestari iaitu dengan mengambil kira aspek alam sekitar dalam membangunkan negara.
‘‘Kita turut memperkenalkan pengurusan hutan secara lebih mapan bagi menangani masalah perubahan cuaca yang berlaku ketika ini,’’ katanya
Selain itu Najib berkata, usaha mengatasi masalah pemanasan global juga telah dilaksanakan secara bersungguh-sungguh antaranya dengan menggalakkan penggunaan sumber tenaga baru.
‘‘Antara sumber tenaga baru yang dimaksudkan ialah biomas, biogas, solar dan mini hidro,’’ ujarnya.
Beliau berkata, bagi menggalakkan lebih banyak penggunaan sumber tenaga baru khususnya biomas, kerajaan telah memperkenalkan insentif cukai ke atas syarikat yang menggunakannya.
Tambahnya, langkah menggalakkan penggunaan biodiesel daripada minyak kelapa sawit juga merupakan salah satu usaha menangani isu berkenaan.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Rich Nation Aid Needed on Climate Change -- MALAYSIA
++ Malaysia Urges Rich Nations to Give Funds, Technology to Fight Climate Change -- Yeay for MALAYSIA!! =) ++
Monday October 29
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Developed nations, which are some of the world's greatest polluters, should provide the technological and financial means to help poor countries fight climate change, Malaysia's deputy leader said Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, opening a two-day regional conference on climate change, said developing countries lacked the means to gain new technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Despite global efforts, he noted that greenhouse gas concentrations have been projected to increase by 42 percent in 2100 from the 2005 levels.
"Technology transfer and capacity building are essential in our fight against climate change. Greater international momentum on technology transfer is needed," he told some 300 delegates from Southeast Asian governments, companies and environmental groups.
"While technologies are held by private companies, governments can help to promote international collaboration to overcome barriers faced," he said.
"Countries will commit themselves to the climate change efforts at the international level only if such efforts are congruent with those of national interests," he said. "This means that different types of targets ... will have to be in place so that all countries can participate effectively." He didn't elaborate.
Officials said the conference is aimed at identifying common approaches to tackle climate change ahead of a December summit on Indonesia's Bali island, where environment ministers from 80 countries will discuss a replacement for the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.
Najib called for a fair and equitable replacement for the Protocol, which expires in 2012, and suggested flexibility be given to developing nations.
The treaty requires 36 industrial nations to reduce the heat-trapping gases emitted by power plants and other industrial, agricultural and transportation sources, but critics say it did not go far enough and are pushing for a more stringent regime next time around.
The United States and Australia, which kept out of Kyoto, also do not want to sign onto a new treaty setting caps on emissions unless China and India -- who argue that such a deal would impede their booming economies -- agree. So far, that seems unlikely.
Su-Lin Garbett, an economist with Britain's climate change office, said there has been greater awareness on climate change in the U.S. and Australia but any binding agreement is not likely in Bali.
"We are hopeful there will be significant progress in Bali. It will be helpful but Bali won't be the answer everyone is hoping for," she said. "There is still a lot of work to do."
A post-Kyoto framework will only be effective if the United States, China and India, come on board, she added.
Monday October 29
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Developed nations, which are some of the world's greatest polluters, should provide the technological and financial means to help poor countries fight climate change, Malaysia's deputy leader said Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, opening a two-day regional conference on climate change, said developing countries lacked the means to gain new technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Despite global efforts, he noted that greenhouse gas concentrations have been projected to increase by 42 percent in 2100 from the 2005 levels.
"Technology transfer and capacity building are essential in our fight against climate change. Greater international momentum on technology transfer is needed," he told some 300 delegates from Southeast Asian governments, companies and environmental groups.
"While technologies are held by private companies, governments can help to promote international collaboration to overcome barriers faced," he said.
"Countries will commit themselves to the climate change efforts at the international level only if such efforts are congruent with those of national interests," he said. "This means that different types of targets ... will have to be in place so that all countries can participate effectively." He didn't elaborate.
Officials said the conference is aimed at identifying common approaches to tackle climate change ahead of a December summit on Indonesia's Bali island, where environment ministers from 80 countries will discuss a replacement for the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.
Najib called for a fair and equitable replacement for the Protocol, which expires in 2012, and suggested flexibility be given to developing nations.
The treaty requires 36 industrial nations to reduce the heat-trapping gases emitted by power plants and other industrial, agricultural and transportation sources, but critics say it did not go far enough and are pushing for a more stringent regime next time around.
The United States and Australia, which kept out of Kyoto, also do not want to sign onto a new treaty setting caps on emissions unless China and India -- who argue that such a deal would impede their booming economies -- agree. So far, that seems unlikely.
Su-Lin Garbett, an economist with Britain's climate change office, said there has been greater awareness on climate change in the U.S. and Australia but any binding agreement is not likely in Bali.
"We are hopeful there will be significant progress in Bali. It will be helpful but Bali won't be the answer everyone is hoping for," she said. "There is still a lot of work to do."
A post-Kyoto framework will only be effective if the United States, China and India, come on board, she added.
Special Issue of Current History Features Warning: Climate Change Portends Worldwide Conflicts
Monday October 29, 11:07 am ET
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- As global warming intensifies, severe storms, drought, and flooding could wreak havoc around the world. But "it may well be that the most costly and challenging consequence of climate change will be an increase in violent conflict and all the humanitarian trauma this brings with it."
So argues Michael T. Klare in the November issue of Current History, a special issue devoted to the effects of climate change on the international order.
Klare, a Hampshire College professor and author of the forthcoming Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet: The New Geopolitics of Energy, contends in his essay ("Global Warming Battlefields: How Climate Change Threatens Security") that emerging resource conflicts, collapsing states, and massive migrations will transform the global security landscape in coming decades.
Klare is available for interviews at 413-559-5563.
For complimentary copies, or to reach any authors, contact Alan Sorensen, 215-482-5465.
Also in the November issue:
-- Senator Barbara Boxer (chair, Environment and Public Works Committee)
asserts that America has been mostly missing in action when it comes to
international efforts to combat global warming.
-- Will Steffen (Australian National University) suggests climate
change may require rethinking humanity's relationship with nature.
-- Bryan Mignone (Brookings Institution) assesses prospects for
international cooperation on global warming.
-- David Wyss (Standard & Poors) analyzes the global costs of capping
emissions and considers which countries might emerge as winners and
losers from climate change.
-- Kelly Sims Gallagher (Harvard) warns that China, now the largest
aggregate emitter of greenhouse gases, lacks tools to address the
crisis.
-- Nathan Hultman (Georgetown) suggests how the global economy can be
weaned from reliance on fossil fuels.
The oldest US publication devoted exclusively to world affairs, Philadelphia, Pa.-based Current History was founded by The New York Times in 1914 and since the 1940s has provided an independent forum for scholars and specialists to analyze trends in every region of the world.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- As global warming intensifies, severe storms, drought, and flooding could wreak havoc around the world. But "it may well be that the most costly and challenging consequence of climate change will be an increase in violent conflict and all the humanitarian trauma this brings with it."
So argues Michael T. Klare in the November issue of Current History, a special issue devoted to the effects of climate change on the international order.
Klare, a Hampshire College professor and author of the forthcoming Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet: The New Geopolitics of Energy, contends in his essay ("Global Warming Battlefields: How Climate Change Threatens Security") that emerging resource conflicts, collapsing states, and massive migrations will transform the global security landscape in coming decades.
Klare is available for interviews at 413-559-5563.
For complimentary copies, or to reach any authors, contact Alan Sorensen, 215-482-5465.
Also in the November issue:
-- Senator Barbara Boxer (chair, Environment and Public Works Committee)
asserts that America has been mostly missing in action when it comes to
international efforts to combat global warming.
-- Will Steffen (Australian National University) suggests climate
change may require rethinking humanity's relationship with nature.
-- Bryan Mignone (Brookings Institution) assesses prospects for
international cooperation on global warming.
-- David Wyss (Standard & Poors) analyzes the global costs of capping
emissions and considers which countries might emerge as winners and
losers from climate change.
-- Kelly Sims Gallagher (Harvard) warns that China, now the largest
aggregate emitter of greenhouse gases, lacks tools to address the
crisis.
-- Nathan Hultman (Georgetown) suggests how the global economy can be
weaned from reliance on fossil fuels.
The oldest US publication devoted exclusively to world affairs, Philadelphia, Pa.-based Current History was founded by The New York Times in 1914 and since the 1940s has provided an independent forum for scholars and specialists to analyze trends in every region of the world.
Scientist hopes 'fingerprinting' bears reveals hunting, climate change pressures
Sun Oct 28
A Canadian researcher is using new technology to try to "fingerprint" polar bears in an effort to discover how hunting and climate change is affecting their population. The new technique, which has already been used on rhinos in Africa and tigers in India, could allow scientists to keep much closer tabs on bear numbers in the face of Inuit hunting pressures and the threat to their icy habitat from global warming. "We have no idea what's going on with our bears most of the time in the High Arctic or the Arctic generally," said Peter De Groot of Queen's University in Kingston, Ont. Estimating bear populations has become increasingly controversial. Most scientists suggest that bears are coming under increasing pressure as climate change melts the ice they use as a hunting platform. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently considering whether to declare the bears an endangered species. But guiding sport hunters is a lucrative business for some Inuit and they have long maintained they see plenty of bears out on the land. Scientists currently depend on expensive population surveys conducted by tranquilizing bears that have been tracked by air. Surveying Canada's 13 bear populations through this method can cost more than $2 million per region, so counts only take place every 13 years or so. That means wildlife managers who set hunting limits and scientists trying to understand how the changing Arctic is affecting its largest predator have to make decisions on increasingly doubtful data. "There's a hell of a lack of information and to me, the harvesting regime gets increasingly incorrect," De Groot said. "You can't take data that's 10 years old in a dynamic system that's subject to change like the melting of ice and set up harvesting regimes." He's hoping the procedure developed by a European-based company called Wildtrack could help end the dispute. Wildtrack uses the photographs taken in the field to measure the distances and angles between the bear's five toes and its toe and heel footpads. In a clear print, that reveals sex and age - data crucial to determining population trends - and can even identify individuals. "They are probably as individual as fingerprints," said Suzanne Sprajcar of SAS, the company that developed the software for the program. Footprint surveys, however, require only a camera and an Inuit bear tracker. The cost is about one-quarter of a full "mark-and-capture" survey. "That's the strength of the Inuit," said De Groot, who works in the M'Clintock Channel region near the Nunavut community of Gjoa Haven. "You give them a hunting knife and a can of gas and in two weeks they'll come back with whatever you want." Such surveys could be done almost yearly, using mostly local resources. But first, De Groot's team must first find enough fresh, clear footprints from bears of known age and sex in order to have something to compare to those from unknown bears. Over the next few months, he plans develop that reference in Churchill, Man., where bears - even known individuals - are more commonly handled. De Groot's work will also gather genetic information using hair samples gleaned from barbed wire strung up along chunks of seal meat. The system will also involve local Inuit as expert bear trackers and data gatherers. Many hunters now claim they can already tell a bear's age and sex from its footprint, and De Groot said the Wildtrack system will give local people a role to play in the science that determines how their wildlife is managed. "We're about about inclusivity," he said. "Before it was quite paternalistic - the men in the white coats show up and collect all this data and put it
A Canadian researcher is using new technology to try to "fingerprint" polar bears in an effort to discover how hunting and climate change is affecting their population. The new technique, which has already been used on rhinos in Africa and tigers in India, could allow scientists to keep much closer tabs on bear numbers in the face of Inuit hunting pressures and the threat to their icy habitat from global warming. "We have no idea what's going on with our bears most of the time in the High Arctic or the Arctic generally," said Peter De Groot of Queen's University in Kingston, Ont. Estimating bear populations has become increasingly controversial. Most scientists suggest that bears are coming under increasing pressure as climate change melts the ice they use as a hunting platform. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently considering whether to declare the bears an endangered species. But guiding sport hunters is a lucrative business for some Inuit and they have long maintained they see plenty of bears out on the land. Scientists currently depend on expensive population surveys conducted by tranquilizing bears that have been tracked by air. Surveying Canada's 13 bear populations through this method can cost more than $2 million per region, so counts only take place every 13 years or so. That means wildlife managers who set hunting limits and scientists trying to understand how the changing Arctic is affecting its largest predator have to make decisions on increasingly doubtful data. "There's a hell of a lack of information and to me, the harvesting regime gets increasingly incorrect," De Groot said. "You can't take data that's 10 years old in a dynamic system that's subject to change like the melting of ice and set up harvesting regimes." He's hoping the procedure developed by a European-based company called Wildtrack could help end the dispute. Wildtrack uses the photographs taken in the field to measure the distances and angles between the bear's five toes and its toe and heel footpads. In a clear print, that reveals sex and age - data crucial to determining population trends - and can even identify individuals. "They are probably as individual as fingerprints," said Suzanne Sprajcar of SAS, the company that developed the software for the program. Footprint surveys, however, require only a camera and an Inuit bear tracker. The cost is about one-quarter of a full "mark-and-capture" survey. "That's the strength of the Inuit," said De Groot, who works in the M'Clintock Channel region near the Nunavut community of Gjoa Haven. "You give them a hunting knife and a can of gas and in two weeks they'll come back with whatever you want." Such surveys could be done almost yearly, using mostly local resources. But first, De Groot's team must first find enough fresh, clear footprints from bears of known age and sex in order to have something to compare to those from unknown bears. Over the next few months, he plans develop that reference in Churchill, Man., where bears - even known individuals - are more commonly handled. De Groot's work will also gather genetic information using hair samples gleaned from barbed wire strung up along chunks of seal meat. The system will also involve local Inuit as expert bear trackers and data gatherers. Many hunters now claim they can already tell a bear's age and sex from its footprint, and De Groot said the Wildtrack system will give local people a role to play in the science that determines how their wildlife is managed. "We're about about inclusivity," he said. "Before it was quite paternalistic - the men in the white coats show up and collect all this data and put it
Utara: JPS pantau fenomena air pasang besar Selat Melaka
Oleh Abu Bakar Al Sidek
Benteng penahan air Jalan Tokong, Jalan Pasar dan Taman Rekreasi Jalan Maharajalela roboh punca banjir
TELUK INTAN: Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran (JPS) Perak sedang memantau fenomena air pasang besar di Selat Melaka yang melanda pesisiran pantai Barat negeri ini, terutama di daerah Hilir Perak sejak Khamis lalu. Banjir air pasang besar itu berlaku setiap tahun dan secara kebetulan sering terjadi menjelang perayaan Deepavali dan dianggap paling tinggi dalam tempoh 10 tahun apabila mencatatkan ketinggian sehingga 3.4 meter dari paras permukaan laut Selat Melaka di Bagan Datoh.
Pengarah JPS negeri, Abdul Razak Dahalan, berkata catatan kenaikan air tertinggi banjir air pasang besar itu mula berlaku pada Khamis lalu sehingga kelmarin. "Bagaimanapun, penduduk yang tinggal di sepanjang tebing Sungai Perak, Sungai Kerian dan Sungai Dinding yang bersempadan dengan pesisiran pantai perairan Selat Melaka tidak berpindah kerana banjir air pasang yang bermula jam 5.20 pagi itu hanya naik antara 0.3 meter hingga 0.6 meter dan surut secara perlahan-lahan jam 9 pagi. "Semua Jurutera Daerah di Kerian, Manjung dan Hilir Perak sudah mengambil langkah bersiap sedia sejak beberapa hari lalu mengawasi lokasi yang mudah berlaku limpahan banjir air pasang di kawasan rendah, " katanya kepada pemberita selepas melawat ke beberapa kawasan sekitar bandar ini yang dilanda banjir air pasang kelmarin.
Beliau berkata, 15 peratus kawasan perumahan, premis perniagaan dan jabatan kerajaan yang terletak di pusat bandar ini yang membabitkan keluasan 24 hektar dilanda banjir air pasang berkenaan. Katanya, banjir air pasang yang bertembung dengan hujan lebat berterusan setiap petang di sebelah Hulu Perak menyebabkan beberapa lokasi rendah sekitar bandar ini dilimpahi banjir tetapi masih terkawal. "Pemantauan JPS mendapati dua lokasi iaitu ban (benteng penahan air) di Jalan Tokong, Jalan Pasar dan di Taman Rekreasi Jalan Maharajalela di sini didapati roboh menyebabkan air melimpah masuk ke bandar ini," katanya. Sehubungan itu, katanya, JPS telah mengambil tindakan memperbaiki serta-merta dengan menaikkan ketinggian ban di ketiga-tiga lokasi itu untuk mencegah air Sungai Perak yang mencatatkan kenaikan parasnya melimpah masuk ke kawasan bandar.
Abdul Razak berkata, satu lagi kawasan mudah berlaku banjir air pasang ialah penempatan setinggan di Kampung Trengganu di Jalan Mak Intan yang kini sedang dalam pembinaan projek tebatan banjir membabitkan kos RM8 juta yang kini 90 peratus siap.
Benteng penahan air Jalan Tokong, Jalan Pasar dan Taman Rekreasi Jalan Maharajalela roboh punca banjir
TELUK INTAN: Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran (JPS) Perak sedang memantau fenomena air pasang besar di Selat Melaka yang melanda pesisiran pantai Barat negeri ini, terutama di daerah Hilir Perak sejak Khamis lalu. Banjir air pasang besar itu berlaku setiap tahun dan secara kebetulan sering terjadi menjelang perayaan Deepavali dan dianggap paling tinggi dalam tempoh 10 tahun apabila mencatatkan ketinggian sehingga 3.4 meter dari paras permukaan laut Selat Melaka di Bagan Datoh.
Pengarah JPS negeri, Abdul Razak Dahalan, berkata catatan kenaikan air tertinggi banjir air pasang besar itu mula berlaku pada Khamis lalu sehingga kelmarin. "Bagaimanapun, penduduk yang tinggal di sepanjang tebing Sungai Perak, Sungai Kerian dan Sungai Dinding yang bersempadan dengan pesisiran pantai perairan Selat Melaka tidak berpindah kerana banjir air pasang yang bermula jam 5.20 pagi itu hanya naik antara 0.3 meter hingga 0.6 meter dan surut secara perlahan-lahan jam 9 pagi. "Semua Jurutera Daerah di Kerian, Manjung dan Hilir Perak sudah mengambil langkah bersiap sedia sejak beberapa hari lalu mengawasi lokasi yang mudah berlaku limpahan banjir air pasang di kawasan rendah, " katanya kepada pemberita selepas melawat ke beberapa kawasan sekitar bandar ini yang dilanda banjir air pasang kelmarin.
Beliau berkata, 15 peratus kawasan perumahan, premis perniagaan dan jabatan kerajaan yang terletak di pusat bandar ini yang membabitkan keluasan 24 hektar dilanda banjir air pasang berkenaan. Katanya, banjir air pasang yang bertembung dengan hujan lebat berterusan setiap petang di sebelah Hulu Perak menyebabkan beberapa lokasi rendah sekitar bandar ini dilimpahi banjir tetapi masih terkawal. "Pemantauan JPS mendapati dua lokasi iaitu ban (benteng penahan air) di Jalan Tokong, Jalan Pasar dan di Taman Rekreasi Jalan Maharajalela di sini didapati roboh menyebabkan air melimpah masuk ke bandar ini," katanya. Sehubungan itu, katanya, JPS telah mengambil tindakan memperbaiki serta-merta dengan menaikkan ketinggian ban di ketiga-tiga lokasi itu untuk mencegah air Sungai Perak yang mencatatkan kenaikan parasnya melimpah masuk ke kawasan bandar.
Abdul Razak berkata, satu lagi kawasan mudah berlaku banjir air pasang ialah penempatan setinggan di Kampung Trengganu di Jalan Mak Intan yang kini sedang dalam pembinaan projek tebatan banjir membabitkan kos RM8 juta yang kini 90 peratus siap.
Rezeki banjir
Oleh Jamaludin Husin
MUAR: Banjir yang melanda beberapa kawasan di daerah ini, awal minggu lalu turut memberi rahmat kepada seorang penduduk di Bakri, di sini, kerana berjaya menangkap seekor ikan dipercayai daripada spesies kelisa atau nama saintifiknya 'Aropaima'.Ikan seberat 6.5 kilogram itu dipercayai dihanyutkan air di dalam kebun kelapa sawit dari sebuah bekas lombong di Kampung Parit Zin, dua hari selepas banjir berikutan hujan lebat selama enam jam, Selasa lalu.Petani yang menjumpai ikan itu kemudian menyerahkannya kepada seorang peraih dan penternak ikan air tawar di Parit Pecah untuk dipelihara di dalam akuarium di rumahnya.Bagaimanapun, peraih terbabit, Sahlan Ithnin, 44, berkata dia tidak menyangka ikan itu tidak dapat bertahan lama dan mati selepas tiga hari ditempatkan dalam akuarium walaupun melengkapkannya dengan peralatan oksigen.
Beliau berkata, kemungkinan ikan itu tidak dapat menyesuaikan diri dengan suhu dan air di dalam akuarium yang lebih panas berbanding dengan air dalam lombong.
"Saya percaya ikan ini daripada spesies kelisa yang kebiasaannya hidup di dalam tasik berair sejuk walaupun bentuk badannya tidak nipis dan memanjang sebagaimana ikan kelisa hiasan."Keadaan sisiknya berwarna keemasan dan bercahaya ketika ditempatkan di dalam akuarium dan ia dipercayai mempunyai nilai tinggi dan boleh mencecah hingga ribuan ringgit jika spesies itu masih hidup kerana sesuai dijadikan ikan hiasan," katanya.Bagaimanapun, katanya, rakannya yang menjumpai ikan itu tidak bernasib baik kerana ikan itu mati sebelum sempat dijual kepada mereka yang berminat untuk memeliharanya."Setakat ini saya masih menyimpan ikan itu di dalam peti sejuk di pusat ternakan di rumah saya dan akan menyerahkan kepada pemiliknya sama ada untuk dijadikan hidangan atau dijual," katanya.
MUAR: Banjir yang melanda beberapa kawasan di daerah ini, awal minggu lalu turut memberi rahmat kepada seorang penduduk di Bakri, di sini, kerana berjaya menangkap seekor ikan dipercayai daripada spesies kelisa atau nama saintifiknya 'Aropaima'.Ikan seberat 6.5 kilogram itu dipercayai dihanyutkan air di dalam kebun kelapa sawit dari sebuah bekas lombong di Kampung Parit Zin, dua hari selepas banjir berikutan hujan lebat selama enam jam, Selasa lalu.Petani yang menjumpai ikan itu kemudian menyerahkannya kepada seorang peraih dan penternak ikan air tawar di Parit Pecah untuk dipelihara di dalam akuarium di rumahnya.Bagaimanapun, peraih terbabit, Sahlan Ithnin, 44, berkata dia tidak menyangka ikan itu tidak dapat bertahan lama dan mati selepas tiga hari ditempatkan dalam akuarium walaupun melengkapkannya dengan peralatan oksigen.
Beliau berkata, kemungkinan ikan itu tidak dapat menyesuaikan diri dengan suhu dan air di dalam akuarium yang lebih panas berbanding dengan air dalam lombong.
"Saya percaya ikan ini daripada spesies kelisa yang kebiasaannya hidup di dalam tasik berair sejuk walaupun bentuk badannya tidak nipis dan memanjang sebagaimana ikan kelisa hiasan."Keadaan sisiknya berwarna keemasan dan bercahaya ketika ditempatkan di dalam akuarium dan ia dipercayai mempunyai nilai tinggi dan boleh mencecah hingga ribuan ringgit jika spesies itu masih hidup kerana sesuai dijadikan ikan hiasan," katanya.Bagaimanapun, katanya, rakannya yang menjumpai ikan itu tidak bernasib baik kerana ikan itu mati sebelum sempat dijual kepada mereka yang berminat untuk memeliharanya."Setakat ini saya masih menyimpan ikan itu di dalam peti sejuk di pusat ternakan di rumah saya dan akan menyerahkan kepada pemiliknya sama ada untuk dijadikan hidangan atau dijual," katanya.
Penduduk sudah jemu
Oleh Mohamad Yatim Latip
MELAKA: Sistem empangan baru yang diperkenalkan Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran (JPS) bagi menangani masalah banjir kilat di Kampung Limbongan, dekat sini yang siap dibina Julai lalu masih gagal mengatasi masalah berkenaan.Ini berikutan kira-kira 100 rumah penduduk yang terletak berhampiran dan di sepanjang longkang besar di kampung berkenaan masih dinaiki air setiap kali hujan lebat.Seorang penduduk, Zaide Abd Rahman, 49, berkata masalah banjir kilat di kampung berkenaan dikenal pasti akibat sistem saliran longkang besar di kampung itu yang tidak sempurna sejak hampir 20 tahun lalu.Katanya, harapan penduduk di kampung berkenaan supaya tidak lagi dibelenggu masalah itu masih tidak berkesudahan meskipun JPS membina sistem empangan baru di hujung longkang besar terbabit yang menghala ke laut dan menggunakan teknologi Jepun.
"Pada awalnya kami lega sebaik mendapati JPS membina empangan baru di kawasan itu bagi menahan air laut memasuki saliran longkang besar di kampung ini apabila air pasang.
"Bagaimanapun, sejak empangan baru itu siap, kami masih berdepan masalah banjir kilat dengan kejadian terbaru beberapa hari lalu akibat hujan lebat. "Kami sudah jemu kerana terpaksa membersihkan lantai rumah yang dimasuki air kumbahan dari longkang berkenaan selain menanggung kerugian akibat perkakas rumah rosak," katanya ketika ditemui di sini semalam.Sehubungan itu, katanya, agensi kerajaan yang berkenaan perlu mengadakan perjumpaan bersama penduduk dan wakil Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampung (JKKK) Limbongan bagi membincangkan masalah berkenaan supaya satu pelan menyeluruh dapat dikemukakan bagi mengatasi isu itu.Sementara itu, Pengerusi JKKK Limbongan, Mohd Sarif Daud, berkata, pihaknya sudah memaklumkan masalah dihadapi penduduk di kampung terbabit kepada wakil Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Kesidang yang melawat kawasan itu, baru-baru ini.
MELAKA: Sistem empangan baru yang diperkenalkan Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran (JPS) bagi menangani masalah banjir kilat di Kampung Limbongan, dekat sini yang siap dibina Julai lalu masih gagal mengatasi masalah berkenaan.Ini berikutan kira-kira 100 rumah penduduk yang terletak berhampiran dan di sepanjang longkang besar di kampung berkenaan masih dinaiki air setiap kali hujan lebat.Seorang penduduk, Zaide Abd Rahman, 49, berkata masalah banjir kilat di kampung berkenaan dikenal pasti akibat sistem saliran longkang besar di kampung itu yang tidak sempurna sejak hampir 20 tahun lalu.Katanya, harapan penduduk di kampung berkenaan supaya tidak lagi dibelenggu masalah itu masih tidak berkesudahan meskipun JPS membina sistem empangan baru di hujung longkang besar terbabit yang menghala ke laut dan menggunakan teknologi Jepun.
"Pada awalnya kami lega sebaik mendapati JPS membina empangan baru di kawasan itu bagi menahan air laut memasuki saliran longkang besar di kampung ini apabila air pasang.
"Bagaimanapun, sejak empangan baru itu siap, kami masih berdepan masalah banjir kilat dengan kejadian terbaru beberapa hari lalu akibat hujan lebat. "Kami sudah jemu kerana terpaksa membersihkan lantai rumah yang dimasuki air kumbahan dari longkang berkenaan selain menanggung kerugian akibat perkakas rumah rosak," katanya ketika ditemui di sini semalam.Sehubungan itu, katanya, agensi kerajaan yang berkenaan perlu mengadakan perjumpaan bersama penduduk dan wakil Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampung (JKKK) Limbongan bagi membincangkan masalah berkenaan supaya satu pelan menyeluruh dapat dikemukakan bagi mengatasi isu itu.Sementara itu, Pengerusi JKKK Limbongan, Mohd Sarif Daud, berkata, pihaknya sudah memaklumkan masalah dihadapi penduduk di kampung terbabit kepada wakil Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Kesidang yang melawat kawasan itu, baru-baru ini.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Reporting from Sydney: Discuss action plan to manage climate issues
2007/09/07
MALAYSIA does not object introducing issues of climate change in the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum as long as they avoid rhetorics and impositions of rules.
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz said adverse impact from climate change must be viewed as a form of calamity and discussions on the issue in Apec should be on how to manage the climate, not to point fingers at who is responsible.Rafidah said the broader forum for climate change already existed at the United Nations level and through the Kyoto Protocol. The US and Australia have not ratified the Kyoto treaty."We must talk instead about an action plan to manage climate change, preferably at three levels — global, regional and domestic."
Rafidah said Malaysia would object to any new agreements outside of those already agreed at the international level. She has suggested to the Apec forum that issues of climate change be included in the forum’s Trade Facilitation Action Plan 2.The scope, she said, must be wider than that proposed by certain Apec member economies and not limited only to management of forest areas as earlier proposed.Officials, however, said the final declaration to be issued at the end of the leaders meeting this week would still include a watered-down section on climate change.Rafidah said at the end of the day, Apec declarations were non-binding on its members. "Its not that we are not willing to talk about climate change but there is already the Kyoto Protocol to deal with and we do not want rhetorics to creep into Apec."But we are committed towards helping manage the climate. If we can help, we will and if there are others who can help us manage the climate better, we will be willing to listen."Meanwhile, a joint statement issued at the end of the Apec forum yesterday had balanced the focus for anti-corruption initiatives among the public and private sectors after Malaysia intervened during the discussions, saying that an earlier statement was inclined sharply towards civil servants, giving the impression that only government officials were corrupt.In the joint statement, Apec ministers said they endorsed a model Code of Conduct for Business, a model Code of Conduct Principles for Public Officials and a complementary Anti-corruption Principles For The Private and Public Sectors.
MALAYSIA does not object introducing issues of climate change in the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum as long as they avoid rhetorics and impositions of rules.
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz said adverse impact from climate change must be viewed as a form of calamity and discussions on the issue in Apec should be on how to manage the climate, not to point fingers at who is responsible.Rafidah said the broader forum for climate change already existed at the United Nations level and through the Kyoto Protocol. The US and Australia have not ratified the Kyoto treaty."We must talk instead about an action plan to manage climate change, preferably at three levels — global, regional and domestic."
Rafidah said Malaysia would object to any new agreements outside of those already agreed at the international level. She has suggested to the Apec forum that issues of climate change be included in the forum’s Trade Facilitation Action Plan 2.The scope, she said, must be wider than that proposed by certain Apec member economies and not limited only to management of forest areas as earlier proposed.Officials, however, said the final declaration to be issued at the end of the leaders meeting this week would still include a watered-down section on climate change.Rafidah said at the end of the day, Apec declarations were non-binding on its members. "Its not that we are not willing to talk about climate change but there is already the Kyoto Protocol to deal with and we do not want rhetorics to creep into Apec."But we are committed towards helping manage the climate. If we can help, we will and if there are others who can help us manage the climate better, we will be willing to listen."Meanwhile, a joint statement issued at the end of the Apec forum yesterday had balanced the focus for anti-corruption initiatives among the public and private sectors after Malaysia intervened during the discussions, saying that an earlier statement was inclined sharply towards civil servants, giving the impression that only government officials were corrupt.In the joint statement, Apec ministers said they endorsed a model Code of Conduct for Business, a model Code of Conduct Principles for Public Officials and a complementary Anti-corruption Principles For The Private and Public Sectors.
Broad understanding reached on climate change
2007/09/26
THE largest gathering of leaders discussing climate change here concluded that there is an urgent need to tackle the root causes of the problem and reverse its effects through decisive action.
The goal is a global low-carbon economy that supports both mitigation and adaptation efforts, the leaders said in a statement issued at the end of the meeting.Leaders from over 150 countries came to a broad understanding that developing countries should be provided with additional resources for investment and to develop and implement the right mix of public policy instruments that will help them ensure sustainable growth. The one-day “High Level Event on Climate Change” was held yesterday - a day before the United Nations General Assembly.Literally feeling the heat and facing rising sea levels in their respective countries, the leaders admitted that industrialised nations needed to cut the emission of greenhouse gases while, at the same time, help subsidise similar efforts in developing countries.
The meeting was aimed at securing political commitments from the leaders on key issues pertaining to climate change while details and negotiations towards a new international climate agreement will start at the UN Framework Convention of Climate Change in Bali from Dec 3 to 14.Developing countries had called for increased funding through the “Adaptation Fund” and other mechanisms and had pushed for legally binding targets on emissions and other factors that contribute to climate change.“Developing countries understandably do not want to compromise their chances of achieving better standards of living for their people. “They also accept that a more sustainable energy system with better energy efficiency and planning can allow for less emission.“Further incentives are needed to ensure the active engagement of these countries in a future climate regime. In the negotiating process we should not lose the big picture, which is safeguarding our planet,” the statement said.Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, who spoke at the plenary session on financing for developing countries and also at the special meeting of tropical rainforest countries, said:“Malaysia also insisted that accessibility to funds to help countries overcome problems relating to climate change should not come with any conditions. “If the developed countries want developing countries to save the world then the industrialised nations must save the economies of the developing countries.”He said the ultimate goal was to draw up a treaty where the concerns of all countries were addressed, climate change was managed and serious consequences and calamities were avoided.Syed Hamid said he told the meeting that, while focusing on economic development, Malaysia would also give equal attention to the conservation of its natural resources, environmental protection and sustainable utilisation of forest resources for people dependant on it.He said the Bali meeting must formulate strategies on all fronts including adaptation, mitigation, clean technologies and resource mobilisation, to ensure future generations get to live and enjoy Mother Earth without facing disaster.
THE largest gathering of leaders discussing climate change here concluded that there is an urgent need to tackle the root causes of the problem and reverse its effects through decisive action.
The goal is a global low-carbon economy that supports both mitigation and adaptation efforts, the leaders said in a statement issued at the end of the meeting.Leaders from over 150 countries came to a broad understanding that developing countries should be provided with additional resources for investment and to develop and implement the right mix of public policy instruments that will help them ensure sustainable growth. The one-day “High Level Event on Climate Change” was held yesterday - a day before the United Nations General Assembly.Literally feeling the heat and facing rising sea levels in their respective countries, the leaders admitted that industrialised nations needed to cut the emission of greenhouse gases while, at the same time, help subsidise similar efforts in developing countries.
The meeting was aimed at securing political commitments from the leaders on key issues pertaining to climate change while details and negotiations towards a new international climate agreement will start at the UN Framework Convention of Climate Change in Bali from Dec 3 to 14.Developing countries had called for increased funding through the “Adaptation Fund” and other mechanisms and had pushed for legally binding targets on emissions and other factors that contribute to climate change.“Developing countries understandably do not want to compromise their chances of achieving better standards of living for their people. “They also accept that a more sustainable energy system with better energy efficiency and planning can allow for less emission.“Further incentives are needed to ensure the active engagement of these countries in a future climate regime. In the negotiating process we should not lose the big picture, which is safeguarding our planet,” the statement said.Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, who spoke at the plenary session on financing for developing countries and also at the special meeting of tropical rainforest countries, said:“Malaysia also insisted that accessibility to funds to help countries overcome problems relating to climate change should not come with any conditions. “If the developed countries want developing countries to save the world then the industrialised nations must save the economies of the developing countries.”He said the ultimate goal was to draw up a treaty where the concerns of all countries were addressed, climate change was managed and serious consequences and calamities were avoided.Syed Hamid said he told the meeting that, while focusing on economic development, Malaysia would also give equal attention to the conservation of its natural resources, environmental protection and sustainable utilisation of forest resources for people dependant on it.He said the Bali meeting must formulate strategies on all fronts including adaptation, mitigation, clean technologies and resource mobilisation, to ensure future generations get to live and enjoy Mother Earth without facing disaster.
Climate change: Dark clouds on horizon
2007/10/29
The recent unseasonal floods in Johor are clear signs that the climate patterns are slowly changing.
ON Sept 24, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convened the first-ever high-level meeting focused on climate change. Heads of state represented 80 of the 164 participating nations; foreign ministers a further 40. This was an unprecedented gathering of world leaders, which testified that climate change is happening and demands urgent action.
As Ban said, this event at the UN expressed the political will of world leaders to tackle the challenge of climate change. The importance of climate change was further emphasised by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for bringing world attention to climate change.The first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ends in 2012. The Conference of Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC will meet in Bali from Dec 3 to 14 to negotiate a post-Kyoto Framework.What happens between now and the COP will be crucial to the success of the negotiations. We need clear leadership and commitment.That is why today and tomorrow, the Malaysian government will host a regional conference on climate change. The conference will be addressed by leading specialists from across the region and beyond. The aim will be to help frame the debate on climate change in Southeast Asia. It will also put Malaysia right at the heart of this debate, working closely with regional partners, as well as with the United Kingdom.
The conference is being organised by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, in close collaboration with the British High Commission in Malaysia. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will deliver the keynote address and open the conference, tagged “Reducing the Threats and Harnessing the Opportunities of Climate Change".This conference has not come about by accident. Last year, the world-renowned economist Sir Nicholas Stern published his now famous review on the economic impact of climate change. He concluded that current global emission levels were unsustainable. And the economic cost of failure to act now would be far greater than the cost of acting.Two months after Stern published his review, Malaysians saw for themselves the economic damage caused by the unseasonal floods in Johor.It was immediately apparent that climate change will increase the frequency and severity of such events in the future. This regional conference comes at an opportune time, as it allows participants to inject the conference outcomes directly into the meeting of the COP to the UNFCCC in Bali.Southeast Asia is home to one of the world’s great biodiversity regions. These regions are essential to maintain climate security for the whole planet. The region is vulnerable to climate change, with large areas of coastline potentially threatened by a rise in sea levels. Water supplies are equally at risk. All of us living in this region would have to bear the adverse economic impacts of repeated instances of flooding.The key to tackling climate change on a global scale is working together to build a low-carbon economy. This will require deeper international co-operation in many areas, most notably in creating markets for carbon trading, driving technology research and promoting adaptation, particularly for developing countries.In addition, other important and significant themes in climate change will include mitigation, energy security, climate change negotiations, and the relationship of land use change and forestry to climate change, which will be discussed in this conference.At Bali, the Malaysian and British governments need to work with other countries to put together the plan for how the world will achieve climate security. One thing is clear: we need to act now. That is why the regional conference over the next two days matters.
The recent unseasonal floods in Johor are clear signs that the climate patterns are slowly changing.
ON Sept 24, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convened the first-ever high-level meeting focused on climate change. Heads of state represented 80 of the 164 participating nations; foreign ministers a further 40. This was an unprecedented gathering of world leaders, which testified that climate change is happening and demands urgent action.
As Ban said, this event at the UN expressed the political will of world leaders to tackle the challenge of climate change. The importance of climate change was further emphasised by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for bringing world attention to climate change.The first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ends in 2012. The Conference of Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC will meet in Bali from Dec 3 to 14 to negotiate a post-Kyoto Framework.What happens between now and the COP will be crucial to the success of the negotiations. We need clear leadership and commitment.That is why today and tomorrow, the Malaysian government will host a regional conference on climate change. The conference will be addressed by leading specialists from across the region and beyond. The aim will be to help frame the debate on climate change in Southeast Asia. It will also put Malaysia right at the heart of this debate, working closely with regional partners, as well as with the United Kingdom.
The conference is being organised by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, in close collaboration with the British High Commission in Malaysia. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will deliver the keynote address and open the conference, tagged “Reducing the Threats and Harnessing the Opportunities of Climate Change".This conference has not come about by accident. Last year, the world-renowned economist Sir Nicholas Stern published his now famous review on the economic impact of climate change. He concluded that current global emission levels were unsustainable. And the economic cost of failure to act now would be far greater than the cost of acting.Two months after Stern published his review, Malaysians saw for themselves the economic damage caused by the unseasonal floods in Johor.It was immediately apparent that climate change will increase the frequency and severity of such events in the future. This regional conference comes at an opportune time, as it allows participants to inject the conference outcomes directly into the meeting of the COP to the UNFCCC in Bali.Southeast Asia is home to one of the world’s great biodiversity regions. These regions are essential to maintain climate security for the whole planet. The region is vulnerable to climate change, with large areas of coastline potentially threatened by a rise in sea levels. Water supplies are equally at risk. All of us living in this region would have to bear the adverse economic impacts of repeated instances of flooding.The key to tackling climate change on a global scale is working together to build a low-carbon economy. This will require deeper international co-operation in many areas, most notably in creating markets for carbon trading, driving technology research and promoting adaptation, particularly for developing countries.In addition, other important and significant themes in climate change will include mitigation, energy security, climate change negotiations, and the relationship of land use change and forestry to climate change, which will be discussed in this conference.At Bali, the Malaysian and British governments need to work with other countries to put together the plan for how the world will achieve climate security. One thing is clear: we need to act now. That is why the regional conference over the next two days matters.
Climate change will hurt NM water supply
Wed Oct 24
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Researchers at New Mexico's two largest universities are painting a grim picture of New Mexico's economic and agricultural future with predictions that climate change will mean less water in the Rio Grande watershed.
New Mexico State University agricultural economics professor Brian Hurd and University of New Mexico civil engineering professor Julie Coonrod say a wide range of climate models predict warmer weather and a change in precipitation patterns in New Mexico.
The researchers said in a study released Tuesday that those changes could lead to a drop in the basin's water supply by as little as a few percent or as much as one-third. That, in turn, could result in direct and indirect losses ranging between $13 million and $115 million by 2030 and from $21 million to more than $300 million by 2080.
The researchers noted that water is used by people, plants and animals and it's used to grow food and provide economic and ecological benefits.
"Under current climate there is virtually no spare water in New Mexico," the study says. "Imagine a very plausible future ... of significantly less water and at the same time significantly more people."
Most at risk are rural communities and agriculture, said Hurd, who has studied climate change and its economic effects for more than a decade.
According to the study, warmer temperatures could create a shift in precipitation patterns, leading to more rain and less snow. Much of the state's surface water comes from snow melt.
Warmer temperatures also mean earlier snow melts, and the researchers said that means water that makes it to the state's reservoirs has more time to evaporate before the irrigation season.
Hurd and Coonrod said less water means crops will shrink and production will drop, which could irreversibly alter New Mexico's landscape and character.
"Irrigated lands support more than crops," Hurd said. "They provide habitat for wildlife, open space and scenic vistas for the backdrop to New Mexico's thriving art, tourist and recreation economies."
Hurd and Coonrod also said the effects warming and drying would have an impact on the state's forests, rangelands and water quality. Wildfires could happen more often and be more severe, and wildlife and livestock would have less forage.
Also, farmers might experience more pressure to lease or sell their water rights so communities can sustain their populations.
"This is something that has already been happening in the state," Hurd said. "Climate change will only hasten water transfers."
The study says New Mexico's social, economic and environmental systems are highly vulnerable to changes and disruptions to water supplies potentially caused by climate change.
"Thus, the need is highlighted for water users, communities, organizations and institutions in New Mexico at every level and in every sector to begin considering possible adaptive strategies for making better use of their water resources," the study says.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Researchers at New Mexico's two largest universities are painting a grim picture of New Mexico's economic and agricultural future with predictions that climate change will mean less water in the Rio Grande watershed.
New Mexico State University agricultural economics professor Brian Hurd and University of New Mexico civil engineering professor Julie Coonrod say a wide range of climate models predict warmer weather and a change in precipitation patterns in New Mexico.
The researchers said in a study released Tuesday that those changes could lead to a drop in the basin's water supply by as little as a few percent or as much as one-third. That, in turn, could result in direct and indirect losses ranging between $13 million and $115 million by 2030 and from $21 million to more than $300 million by 2080.
The researchers noted that water is used by people, plants and animals and it's used to grow food and provide economic and ecological benefits.
"Under current climate there is virtually no spare water in New Mexico," the study says. "Imagine a very plausible future ... of significantly less water and at the same time significantly more people."
Most at risk are rural communities and agriculture, said Hurd, who has studied climate change and its economic effects for more than a decade.
According to the study, warmer temperatures could create a shift in precipitation patterns, leading to more rain and less snow. Much of the state's surface water comes from snow melt.
Warmer temperatures also mean earlier snow melts, and the researchers said that means water that makes it to the state's reservoirs has more time to evaporate before the irrigation season.
Hurd and Coonrod said less water means crops will shrink and production will drop, which could irreversibly alter New Mexico's landscape and character.
"Irrigated lands support more than crops," Hurd said. "They provide habitat for wildlife, open space and scenic vistas for the backdrop to New Mexico's thriving art, tourist and recreation economies."
Hurd and Coonrod also said the effects warming and drying would have an impact on the state's forests, rangelands and water quality. Wildfires could happen more often and be more severe, and wildlife and livestock would have less forage.
Also, farmers might experience more pressure to lease or sell their water rights so communities can sustain their populations.
"This is something that has already been happening in the state," Hurd said. "Climate change will only hasten water transfers."
The study says New Mexico's social, economic and environmental systems are highly vulnerable to changes and disruptions to water supplies potentially caused by climate change.
"Thus, the need is highlighted for water users, communities, organizations and institutions in New Mexico at every level and in every sector to begin considering possible adaptive strategies for making better use of their water resources," the study says.
White House defends 'health benefits' of climate change
Thu Oct 25
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House on Thursday defended its prediction that climate change would bring some "health benefits" to humans, a forecast unlikely to endear it to critics of the US environmental record.
But a document cited to buttress the claim also warned that the advantages would be "outweighed by the negative health effects of rising temperatures worldwide, especially in developing countries."
On Wednesday, spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters that US experts were trying to determine "what are going to be the health benefits and the health concerns of climate change, of which there are many."
Asked to detail what the benefits would be, Perino replied: "Look, this is an issue where I'm sure lots of people would love to ridicule me when I say this.
"But it is true that many people die from cold-related deaths every winter. And there are studies that say that climate change in certain areas of the world would help those individuals," she added. "I'm not an expert."
On Thursday, President George W. Bush's Council on Environmental Quality, which steers the US government's environmental policies, rode to her defense, citing findings by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
"It is important to consider both health risks and health benefits of climate change. We rely on the best available science to guide our policy decision process," said spokeswoman Kristen Hellmer.
Hellmer provided sections of a 2007 IPCC report that cited some possible advantages of climate change, including a drop in deaths from cold and possible curtailing, in some areas, of the spread of infectious disease.
"Studies in temperate areas have shown that climate change is projected to bring some benefits, such as fewer deaths from cold exposure," according to the Summary For Policymakers of the IPCC report.
But "overall it is expected that these benefits will be outweighed by the negative health effects of rising temperatures worldwide, especially in developing countries," it said.
Another section of the report suggested a "mixed" impact on malaria, restricting the range of the deadly mosquito-borne illness in some areas, expanding it in others.
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House on Thursday defended its prediction that climate change would bring some "health benefits" to humans, a forecast unlikely to endear it to critics of the US environmental record.
But a document cited to buttress the claim also warned that the advantages would be "outweighed by the negative health effects of rising temperatures worldwide, especially in developing countries."
On Wednesday, spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters that US experts were trying to determine "what are going to be the health benefits and the health concerns of climate change, of which there are many."
Asked to detail what the benefits would be, Perino replied: "Look, this is an issue where I'm sure lots of people would love to ridicule me when I say this.
"But it is true that many people die from cold-related deaths every winter. And there are studies that say that climate change in certain areas of the world would help those individuals," she added. "I'm not an expert."
On Thursday, President George W. Bush's Council on Environmental Quality, which steers the US government's environmental policies, rode to her defense, citing findings by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
"It is important to consider both health risks and health benefits of climate change. We rely on the best available science to guide our policy decision process," said spokeswoman Kristen Hellmer.
Hellmer provided sections of a 2007 IPCC report that cited some possible advantages of climate change, including a drop in deaths from cold and possible curtailing, in some areas, of the spread of infectious disease.
"Studies in temperate areas have shown that climate change is projected to bring some benefits, such as fewer deaths from cold exposure," according to the Summary For Policymakers of the IPCC report.
But "overall it is expected that these benefits will be outweighed by the negative health effects of rising temperatures worldwide, especially in developing countries," it said.
Another section of the report suggested a "mixed" impact on malaria, restricting the range of the deadly mosquito-borne illness in some areas, expanding it in others.
Climate change seen hurting poor regions
Thu Oct 25
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - Latin America and other poor regions of the world will bear the brunt of climate change, a top official from the organization that shared this year's Nobel Peace Prize said Thursday.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a U.N. network of scientists, was awarded the prize along with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore for their work alerting the public of the perils of global warming.
"The results of the IPCC show very clearly the impacts of climate change will be ... much more severe for the poorest groups and Latin America is included in that," said IPCC vice chairman Mohan Munasinghe of Sri Lanka. Munasinghe headed a two-day meeting in Rio of the organization, its first since winning the Nobel prize.
He said water management issues were likely to be the most pressing problem caused by global warming in Latin America. Dry areas will become much drier and other areas will face increased floods and associated waterborne diseases like malaria and dengue fever.
Results from the Rio meeting, the group's fourth since 1990, will be presented at the U.N. climate conference in Bali, Indonesia, in December.
Munasinghe said he felt the Noble prize gave greater recognition and credibility to the scientific panel, which has explained the details of global warming in thousands of pages of footnoted reports issued every six years or so.
He said despite the problems facing Latin America, the region is very proactive in addressing the issue.
"My sense is that (Latin American) countries ... have been much more responsive to the issue of climate change because they feel much more vulnerable," Munasinghe said. "For North America, particularly the United States, the reaction is more defensive."
Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva said global warming was a burden shared by both developing and developed nations.
"If we were to reduce our gas emission by 100 percent, without richer nations reducing theirs by at least 80 percent, we would still be affected," Silva said, warning that global warming could turn the Amazon rain forest into dry savanna land in the decades to come.
Many scientists believe that the extensive Amazon rainforest absorbs carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas. About 70 percent of the basin lies in Brazilian territory.
But agricultural burning in the Amazon is also responsible for about 75 percent of Brazil's greenhouse gas emissions, making it the world's fourth largest emitter nation.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - Latin America and other poor regions of the world will bear the brunt of climate change, a top official from the organization that shared this year's Nobel Peace Prize said Thursday.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a U.N. network of scientists, was awarded the prize along with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore for their work alerting the public of the perils of global warming.
"The results of the IPCC show very clearly the impacts of climate change will be ... much more severe for the poorest groups and Latin America is included in that," said IPCC vice chairman Mohan Munasinghe of Sri Lanka. Munasinghe headed a two-day meeting in Rio of the organization, its first since winning the Nobel prize.
He said water management issues were likely to be the most pressing problem caused by global warming in Latin America. Dry areas will become much drier and other areas will face increased floods and associated waterborne diseases like malaria and dengue fever.
Results from the Rio meeting, the group's fourth since 1990, will be presented at the U.N. climate conference in Bali, Indonesia, in December.
Munasinghe said he felt the Noble prize gave greater recognition and credibility to the scientific panel, which has explained the details of global warming in thousands of pages of footnoted reports issued every six years or so.
He said despite the problems facing Latin America, the region is very proactive in addressing the issue.
"My sense is that (Latin American) countries ... have been much more responsive to the issue of climate change because they feel much more vulnerable," Munasinghe said. "For North America, particularly the United States, the reaction is more defensive."
Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva said global warming was a burden shared by both developing and developed nations.
"If we were to reduce our gas emission by 100 percent, without richer nations reducing theirs by at least 80 percent, we would still be affected," Silva said, warning that global warming could turn the Amazon rain forest into dry savanna land in the decades to come.
Many scientists believe that the extensive Amazon rainforest absorbs carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas. About 70 percent of the basin lies in Brazilian territory.
But agricultural burning in the Amazon is also responsible for about 75 percent of Brazil's greenhouse gas emissions, making it the world's fourth largest emitter nation.
Debu sulfur kurangkan pemanasan
COLORADO: Sekumpulan saintis Barat baru-baru ini mencadangkan satu kaedah kontroversi untuk mengatasi pemanasan global iaitu dengan menggunakan cara yang sama seperti letusan gunung berapi memuntahkan lahar dan abu panas ke udara. Bagaimanapun, ada saintis berpendapat menaburkan debu sulfur ke awan mungkin menyebabkan lebih banyak masalah berbanding kebaikan.
Kaedah penyelesaian sementara yang dicadangkan ialah menyembur debu sulfur jauh ke atmosfera, menghasilkan kesan seperti ketika gunung berapi meletus, apabila ia memuntahkan abu panas yang menghalang sinaran matahari. Lapisan sulfur ini membolehkan penghasilan gas rumah hijau dikurangkan untuk jangka masa tertentu. Bagaimanapun, penyelidik berpendapat walaupun debu sulfur akan mengurangkan kepanasan bumi, ia juga akan mengurangkan jumlah hujan dan menyebabkan kemarau serius.
"Ia hanyalah satu daripada beberapa kaedah drastik yang dicadangkan untuk mengurangkan pemanasan global dan tidak akan memberi kesan positif dalam jangka panjang. "Sekarang kebanyakan saintis bersetuju karbon dioksida yang dihasilkan daripada penggunaan bahan api fosil menjadi punca iklim dunia berubah," kata Kevin Trenberth dari Pusat Kebangsaan Bagi Penyelidikan Atmosfera (NCAR) di Boulder, Colorado. Trenberth bersama rakannya Aiguo Dai melakukan kajian jumlah hujan dan rekod aliran air di sungai terbesar dunia antara 1950 dan 2004. Ketika Gunung Pinatubo meletus suhu global menurun secara purata 0.5 darjah Celsius, pada tahun berikutnya. - Agensi.
Kaedah penyelesaian sementara yang dicadangkan ialah menyembur debu sulfur jauh ke atmosfera, menghasilkan kesan seperti ketika gunung berapi meletus, apabila ia memuntahkan abu panas yang menghalang sinaran matahari. Lapisan sulfur ini membolehkan penghasilan gas rumah hijau dikurangkan untuk jangka masa tertentu. Bagaimanapun, penyelidik berpendapat walaupun debu sulfur akan mengurangkan kepanasan bumi, ia juga akan mengurangkan jumlah hujan dan menyebabkan kemarau serius.
"Ia hanyalah satu daripada beberapa kaedah drastik yang dicadangkan untuk mengurangkan pemanasan global dan tidak akan memberi kesan positif dalam jangka panjang. "Sekarang kebanyakan saintis bersetuju karbon dioksida yang dihasilkan daripada penggunaan bahan api fosil menjadi punca iklim dunia berubah," kata Kevin Trenberth dari Pusat Kebangsaan Bagi Penyelidikan Atmosfera (NCAR) di Boulder, Colorado. Trenberth bersama rakannya Aiguo Dai melakukan kajian jumlah hujan dan rekod aliran air di sungai terbesar dunia antara 1950 dan 2004. Ketika Gunung Pinatubo meletus suhu global menurun secara purata 0.5 darjah Celsius, pada tahun berikutnya. - Agensi.
Debu sulfur kurangkan pemanasan
COLORADO: Sekumpulan saintis Barat baru-baru ini mencadangkan satu kaedah kontroversi untuk mengatasi pemanasan global iaitu dengan menggunakan cara yang sama seperti letusan gunung berapi memuntahkan lahar dan abu panas ke udara. Bagaimanapun, ada saintis berpendapat menaburkan debu sulfur ke awan mungkin menyebabkan lebih banyak masalah berbanding kebaikan.
Kaedah penyelesaian sementara yang dicadangkan ialah menyembur debu sulfur jauh ke atmosfera, menghasilkan kesan seperti ketika gunung berapi meletus, apabila ia memuntahkan abu panas yang menghalang sinaran matahari. Lapisan sulfur ini membolehkan penghasilan gas rumah hijau dikurangkan untuk jangka masa tertentu. Bagaimanapun, penyelidik berpendapat walaupun debu sulfur akan mengurangkan kepanasan bumi, ia juga akan mengurangkan jumlah hujan dan menyebabkan kemarau serius.
"Ia hanyalah satu daripada beberapa kaedah drastik yang dicadangkan untuk mengurangkan pemanasan global dan tidak akan memberi kesan positif dalam jangka panjang. "Sekarang kebanyakan saintis bersetuju karbon dioksida yang dihasilkan daripada penggunaan bahan api fosil menjadi punca iklim dunia berubah," kata Kevin Trenberth dari Pusat Kebangsaan Bagi Penyelidikan Atmosfera (NCAR) di Boulder, Colorado. Trenberth bersama rakannya Aiguo Dai melakukan kajian jumlah hujan dan rekod aliran air di sungai terbesar dunia antara 1950 dan 2004. Ketika Gunung Pinatubo meletus suhu global menurun secara purata 0.5 darjah Celsius, pada tahun berikutnya. - Agensi.
Kaedah penyelesaian sementara yang dicadangkan ialah menyembur debu sulfur jauh ke atmosfera, menghasilkan kesan seperti ketika gunung berapi meletus, apabila ia memuntahkan abu panas yang menghalang sinaran matahari. Lapisan sulfur ini membolehkan penghasilan gas rumah hijau dikurangkan untuk jangka masa tertentu. Bagaimanapun, penyelidik berpendapat walaupun debu sulfur akan mengurangkan kepanasan bumi, ia juga akan mengurangkan jumlah hujan dan menyebabkan kemarau serius.
"Ia hanyalah satu daripada beberapa kaedah drastik yang dicadangkan untuk mengurangkan pemanasan global dan tidak akan memberi kesan positif dalam jangka panjang. "Sekarang kebanyakan saintis bersetuju karbon dioksida yang dihasilkan daripada penggunaan bahan api fosil menjadi punca iklim dunia berubah," kata Kevin Trenberth dari Pusat Kebangsaan Bagi Penyelidikan Atmosfera (NCAR) di Boulder, Colorado. Trenberth bersama rakannya Aiguo Dai melakukan kajian jumlah hujan dan rekod aliran air di sungai terbesar dunia antara 1950 dan 2004. Ketika Gunung Pinatubo meletus suhu global menurun secara purata 0.5 darjah Celsius, pada tahun berikutnya. - Agensi.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
CLIMATE CHANGE conservation programs
Climate change is among the greatest threats to biodiversity today. As Earth's temperature rises, wildlife moves to more suitable habitat northward or perhaps to higher elevations. Some coral reef species cannot move, other species are not suited to new ecosystems, and some are simply running out of room to live. Meanwhile, glaciers are melting, ocean chemistry is changing, and entire populations of species are disappearing. If left unchecked, climate change could prompt the extinction of tens of thousands of species in as few as 50 years.
It is well known that human activity, especially the burning of fossil fuels, causes global warming. However, few people realize that deforestation and land-use changes – such as slash-and-burn farming, soil degradation and loss, road building, and urban sprawl – account for as much as 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Some 35.1 million acres of tropical forests are destroyed each year, releasing millions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. Not to mention the significant loss of biodiversity and habitat in each converted acre, or the cumulative loss of ecosystem services for local communities, including storm protection, non-timber forest products, ecotourism potential, and water purification.
Conservation International (CI) is working with partners in all sectors to better understand the impact of climate change on global biodiversity and to promote conservation as a strategy for mitigating global warming. By incorporating the science of climate change into conservation strategies, CI is demonstrating that CO2 emissions can be reduced not only by protecting and restoring forests that absorb the gas, but also by preventing release of the greenhouse gases when forests are cleared or burned.
Through its Center for Environmental Leadership in Business (CELB), CI engages industry in this effort and offers cost-effective options for businesses to offset their emissions. Conservatio Carbon projects are unique in that they are designed to deliver multiple benefits: mitigating climate change, conserving biodiversity, and promoting human welfare. Thus, a donation for offsetting carbon also prevents species extinctions, restores ecosystem services for communities, and fosters economic growth.
For example, CI has partnered with the Wildlife Conservation Society and Madagascar’s Ministry of the Environment, Water, and Forests to protect one of the largest remaining patches of rain forest on the island nation and thus prevent the release of tons of CO2 there. Madagasca is home to a wide array of species found nowhere else on Earth, but poverty, rapid population growth, and a lack of agricultural alternatives have resulted in extensive deforestation on the island.
With offset donations of various companies, however, CI and its partners are supporting Malagasy communities in managing a protected area and transforming slash-and-burn farming into sustainable agriculture across some 864,900 acres of land.
It is well known that human activity, especially the burning of fossil fuels, causes global warming. However, few people realize that deforestation and land-use changes – such as slash-and-burn farming, soil degradation and loss, road building, and urban sprawl – account for as much as 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Some 35.1 million acres of tropical forests are destroyed each year, releasing millions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. Not to mention the significant loss of biodiversity and habitat in each converted acre, or the cumulative loss of ecosystem services for local communities, including storm protection, non-timber forest products, ecotourism potential, and water purification.
Conservation International (CI) is working with partners in all sectors to better understand the impact of climate change on global biodiversity and to promote conservation as a strategy for mitigating global warming. By incorporating the science of climate change into conservation strategies, CI is demonstrating that CO2 emissions can be reduced not only by protecting and restoring forests that absorb the gas, but also by preventing release of the greenhouse gases when forests are cleared or burned.
Through its Center for Environmental Leadership in Business (CELB), CI engages industry in this effort and offers cost-effective options for businesses to offset their emissions. Conservatio Carbon projects are unique in that they are designed to deliver multiple benefits: mitigating climate change, conserving biodiversity, and promoting human welfare. Thus, a donation for offsetting carbon also prevents species extinctions, restores ecosystem services for communities, and fosters economic growth.
For example, CI has partnered with the Wildlife Conservation Society and Madagascar’s Ministry of the Environment, Water, and Forests to protect one of the largest remaining patches of rain forest on the island nation and thus prevent the release of tons of CO2 there. Madagasca is home to a wide array of species found nowhere else on Earth, but poverty, rapid population growth, and a lack of agricultural alternatives have resulted in extensive deforestation on the island.
With offset donations of various companies, however, CI and its partners are supporting Malagasy communities in managing a protected area and transforming slash-and-burn farming into sustainable agriculture across some 864,900 acres of land.
Document: Climate change remarks altered
Centers for Disease Control Director Dr. Julie Gerberding testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, in this June file photo. The White House severely edited congressional testimony given Tuesday by Gerberding on the impact of climate change on health, removing specific scientific references to potential health risks, according to two sources familiar with the documents.
WASHINGTON - The White House significantly edited testimony prepared for a Senate hearing on the impact of climate change on health, deleting key portions citing diseases that could flourish in a warmer climate, documents obtained by The Associated Press showed Wednesday.
The White House on Wednesday denied that it had "watered down" the congressional testimony that Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, had given the day before to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
But a draft of the testimony submitted for White House review shows that six pages of details about specific disease and other health problems that might flourish if the Earth warms were not delivered at the hearing.
But a draft of the testimony submitted for White House review shows that six pages of details about specific disease and other health problems that might flourish if the Earth warms were not delivered at the hearing.
Gerberding on Wednesday downplayed the significance of the changes made in her prepared text saying she never felt she was being censored and that she was free to go beyond her text — and did when testifying. "I was absolutely happy with my testimony in Congress. We finally had a chance to go and say what we though was important," she said at a luncheon appearance in Atlanta.
Later, she added, "I don't let people put words in my mouth and I stand for science."
The draft noted that "scientific evidence supports the view that the earth's climate is changing" and that many groups are working to address climate change. "Despite this extensive activity, the public health effects of climate change remain largely unaddressed. CDC considers climate change a serious public health concern," the draft declares.
That paragraph was not in Gerberding's text as approved by the White House.
The draft document was obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press from a source other than the CDC, the Atlanta-based agency considered the government's premier disease tracking and monitoring agency.
Two people familiar with the documents told the AP on Tuesday, after the Senate hearing, that the White House Office of Management and Budget edited the CDC director's congressional testimony, removing specific scientific references to potential health risks.
Gerberding told a Senate hearing on Tuesday that climate change "is anticipated to have a broad range of impacts on the health of Americans."
But her prepared testimony was devoted almost entirely to the CDC's preparation, with few details on what effects climate change could have on the spread of disease. The prepared remarks covered six pages. The draft submitted for OMB was twice as long.
Referring to the draft, one CDC official familiar with both versions, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the review process, said that "it was eviscerated."
White House press secretary Dana Perino said the prepared testimony went through an interagency review process and the Office of Science and Technology Policy did not believe that the science in the testimony matched the science that was in a report by the International Panel on Climate Change.
"She testified yesterday. Her spokesperson said that she was able to say everything she wanted to say," Perino said. "It was not watered down in terms of its science. It wasn't watered down in terms of the concerns that climate change raises for public health."
The CDC official said that while it is customary for testimony to be changed in a White House review, these changes were particularly "heavy-handed."
The deleted sections of the draft, covering more than half of the original text, included a list of specific impacts on which "climate change is likely to have a significant impact on health." The list included the effect of more frequent hot spells on vulnerable populations, the impact of extreme weather, more air pollution in drought areas, and greater likelihood of vector-borne and waterborne diseases as well as mental health problems.
While these impacts would be expected to be less significant in the United States than in the developing world, one deleted section says, "nevertheless many Americans will likely experience difficult challenges."
"Climate change-driven ecological changes such as variations in rainfall and temperature could significantly alter the range, seasonality and human incident of many zoonotic and vector-borne diseases," the draft says in another section deleted.
At Tuesday's hearing, Gerberding addressed some of those issues during questioning from senators after she delivered her prepared remarks.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., committee chairman, produced a CDC chart, listing many of the same concerns — deleted from Gerberding's draft text — that could be exacerbated by global warming.
"These are the potential things you can expect," replied Gerberding when asked about the items by Boxer. "... In some of these areas its not a question of if, it's a question of who, what, how and when."
Indonesian president calls for more climate change action
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono delivers a speech to inaugurate a meeting of ministers and senior officials from around 40 countries at the Presidential Palace in Bogor. Yudhoyono urged developed nations to take the lead in fighting climate change as he opened international talks Wednesday on the issues.
Wed Oct 24, 12:14 PM
BOGOR, Indonesia (AFP) - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged developed nations to take the lead in fighting climate change as he opened international talks Wednesday on the issue.
BOGOR, Indonesia (AFP) - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged developed nations to take the lead in fighting climate change as he opened international talks Wednesday on the issue.
Ministers and senior officials from about 40 countries are holding two days of informal talks this week aimed at building a foundation for a major United Nations conference on global warming in December on the resort island of Bali.
"It is only logical that developed countries should continue taking the lead in significantly reducing carbon emissions," Yudhoyono said at the talks in this Indonesian hill town just outside the capital, Jakarta.
"Developed countries are also called upon to provide resources, environmentally-sound technologies and the necessary financial support for developing countries, many of which have scant resources for coping with and adapting to the impact of climate change," he said.
But developing nations should also try to reduce their national greenhouse gas emissions and step up their efforts to do more, he said.
"They would be well advised to formulate and carry out innovative and forward-looking national strategies by way of mitigation and adaptation," he said.
Yudhoyono told the ministers and officials -- from nations such as China, India, Malaysia, Sweden, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States -- that he expected they would be creating a basis for decisions to be made at the UN-backed Bali summit during their closed-door talks.
The Bali meeting would then "form the starting point for future concerted global action on climate change," he said.
The 11-day Bali summit, which begins December 3, is tasked with creating a plan for negotiations on a global climate change accord to come into force after the first stage of the UN's Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Scientists see coal as key challenge
Mon Oct 22
The proliferation of coal-burning power plants around the world may pose "the single greatest challenge" to averting dangerous climate change, an international panel of scientists reported Monday.
Governments and the private sector are spending too little on research into a partial solution — technology to capture and store the carbon dioxide emissions from such plants, the group said.
The study by 15 scientists from 13 nations, "Lighting the Way: Toward a Sustainable Energy Future," was commissioned by the governments of China and Brazil and is the product of two years of workshops organized by the InterAcademy Council, the Netherlands-based network of national academies of science.
The 174-page report details current and developing technologies, and government incentives and other policies that could lead both the developed and developing world to clean, affordable and sustainable energy supplies.
"The first thing it says, really, is that conservation and energy efficiency will remain for the next couple of decades the most important thing the world can do to get on a sustainable path," said co-chairman Steven Chu, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and director of California's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Such steps are urgently needed, the panel said, not only to cut back emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for global warming, but also to extend basic energy services to 2 billion poor people worldwide and reduce the potential for international conflict over energy resources.
The report took note of the growing role of coal-fired power plants in some countries, "despite increased scientific certainty and growing concern about climate change."
China expects to open one new coal-fired plant per week over the next five years. In the United States, plans for more than 150 new coal plants have been announced since the late 1990s, although some recently have been scrapped or delayed because of climate and other concerns.
European and U.S. scientists and engineers are working to develop capture-and-storage technologies, whereby power plants' carbon-dioxide emissions might be sequestered long-term in abandoned oil wells or other underground cavities. But the InterAcademy Council panel said such work is poorly financed.
"Some would argue this is an absolutely cornerstone policy with currently inadequate investment and attention," panelist Ged Davis, a British energy economist, told reporters in a teleconference Monday.
The report noted public investment worldwide in energy research and development was estimated at $9 billion in 2005. That should be at least doubled, it said, and there should be "worldwide introduction of price signals for carbon emissions," to push future public and private investment in a carbon-saving direction.
Under the Kyoto Protocol, which requires emissions reductions by industrialized nations, the European Union operates a "carbon price" system whereby industries not using up their quotas can sell allowances to others that overshoot their quotas. The United States rejects the idea of such mandatory emissions cutbacks.
The proliferation of coal-burning power plants around the world may pose "the single greatest challenge" to averting dangerous climate change, an international panel of scientists reported Monday.
Governments and the private sector are spending too little on research into a partial solution — technology to capture and store the carbon dioxide emissions from such plants, the group said.
The study by 15 scientists from 13 nations, "Lighting the Way: Toward a Sustainable Energy Future," was commissioned by the governments of China and Brazil and is the product of two years of workshops organized by the InterAcademy Council, the Netherlands-based network of national academies of science.
The 174-page report details current and developing technologies, and government incentives and other policies that could lead both the developed and developing world to clean, affordable and sustainable energy supplies.
"The first thing it says, really, is that conservation and energy efficiency will remain for the next couple of decades the most important thing the world can do to get on a sustainable path," said co-chairman Steven Chu, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and director of California's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Such steps are urgently needed, the panel said, not only to cut back emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for global warming, but also to extend basic energy services to 2 billion poor people worldwide and reduce the potential for international conflict over energy resources.
The report took note of the growing role of coal-fired power plants in some countries, "despite increased scientific certainty and growing concern about climate change."
China expects to open one new coal-fired plant per week over the next five years. In the United States, plans for more than 150 new coal plants have been announced since the late 1990s, although some recently have been scrapped or delayed because of climate and other concerns.
European and U.S. scientists and engineers are working to develop capture-and-storage technologies, whereby power plants' carbon-dioxide emissions might be sequestered long-term in abandoned oil wells or other underground cavities. But the InterAcademy Council panel said such work is poorly financed.
"Some would argue this is an absolutely cornerstone policy with currently inadequate investment and attention," panelist Ged Davis, a British energy economist, told reporters in a teleconference Monday.
The report noted public investment worldwide in energy research and development was estimated at $9 billion in 2005. That should be at least doubled, it said, and there should be "worldwide introduction of price signals for carbon emissions," to push future public and private investment in a carbon-saving direction.
Under the Kyoto Protocol, which requires emissions reductions by industrialized nations, the European Union operates a "carbon price" system whereby industries not using up their quotas can sell allowances to others that overshoot their quotas. The United States rejects the idea of such mandatory emissions cutbacks.
Qld has cool idea for climate change
Tuesday October 23
Queenslanders have been urged to set their fridge temperatures to four degrees celsius to help combat climate change.
The state government launched on Tuesday its new 'Cool it by Degrees' campaign, which aims to tackle global warming by changing simple household habits.
Premier Anna Bligh, who launched the initiative at Sea World's polar bear shores on the Gold Coast, said climate change was everyone's responsibility.
"Polar bears are among the most threatened species as a result of changes in our temperature and changes in our climate," Ms Bligh told reporters.
"If we had every Queenslander change the temperature of their fridge by one degree, it would be the equivalent of taking 11,000 cars off the road.
"While climate change is a very significant global issue, the solution lies in our own households and in our own hands."
Ms Bligh said four degrees celsius was a safe level for storing food.
"You don't need to have your fridge on the coldest possible temperature," she said.
The initiative is part the government's Climate Smart Living campaign and follows last month's Change A Lightbulb Day.
Ms Bligh urged all households to set their fridges to four degrees celsius by November 16 - Cool it by Degrees Day.
"Our reduction in water use here in south-east Queensland is an inspiration I think to people across the state and across the country that you can change your behaviour to make a big impact on the environment," she said.
A television commercial will screen in the coming months and 50,000 free thermometers will be handed out as part of the campaign.
Queenslanders have been urged to set their fridge temperatures to four degrees celsius to help combat climate change.
The state government launched on Tuesday its new 'Cool it by Degrees' campaign, which aims to tackle global warming by changing simple household habits.
Premier Anna Bligh, who launched the initiative at Sea World's polar bear shores on the Gold Coast, said climate change was everyone's responsibility.
"Polar bears are among the most threatened species as a result of changes in our temperature and changes in our climate," Ms Bligh told reporters.
"If we had every Queenslander change the temperature of their fridge by one degree, it would be the equivalent of taking 11,000 cars off the road.
"While climate change is a very significant global issue, the solution lies in our own households and in our own hands."
Ms Bligh said four degrees celsius was a safe level for storing food.
"You don't need to have your fridge on the coldest possible temperature," she said.
The initiative is part the government's Climate Smart Living campaign and follows last month's Change A Lightbulb Day.
Ms Bligh urged all households to set their fridges to four degrees celsius by November 16 - Cool it by Degrees Day.
"Our reduction in water use here in south-east Queensland is an inspiration I think to people across the state and across the country that you can change your behaviour to make a big impact on the environment," she said.
A television commercial will screen in the coming months and 50,000 free thermometers will be handed out as part of the campaign.
Climate Change Threat in Caribbean
Monday October 22,
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- The Caribbean tourism industry, the lifeblood for many island economies, needs to brace itself for stronger hurricanes, more frequent droughts and rising sea levels resulting from global warming, scientists said Monday.
The Caribbean, where more than half the population lives within a mile of the coast, faces some of the greatest risks from climate change, according to the expert panel at the Caribbean Tourism Organization meeting in San Juan.
"The region as a whole is really vulnerable -- it's sand, sun and beaches," said Ulric Trotz, science adviser to the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center in Belize.
Trotz said governments should limit development along eroding coastlines, protect natural resources including reefs and mangroves and take other steps before global warming accelerates in the coming decades, as some experts forecast.
Already, rising ocean temperatures have been blamed for killing off coral that sustains significant marine life and fueling monstrous storms. This year was the first on record when two Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes -- Felix and Dean, which both gained strength in the Caribbean -- made landfall in the same season.
While humans' role in global warming remains a source of controversy, panelists said the trend is driving decisions by investors on where to develop hotels.
"Even if you don't believe in climate change, it's part of decision making in the industry," said Daniel Scott, a climate specialist at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
Many have launched campaigns to emphasize sustainable or "green" tourism. Barbados, which already suffers a scarcity of fresh water, has required new golf courses to build desalination plants for irrigation.
To help adapt the tourism industry regionwide, Trotz suggested imposing a $5 levy on every visitor arriving by plane or cruise ship -- a method that could raise more than $60 million annually.
"We have to do something very urgently about resources for adaptation," he said.
Growing awareness of emissions released by jet travel could lead to a drop in tourists, according to Scott, who cited surveys from Britain that showed many believe the price of a ticket should reflect its environmental cost.
And as other regions grow warmer, the tropics might lose their appeal.
"We can't move these islands," said Brenda Ekwurzel, of the Washington-based nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- The Caribbean tourism industry, the lifeblood for many island economies, needs to brace itself for stronger hurricanes, more frequent droughts and rising sea levels resulting from global warming, scientists said Monday.
The Caribbean, where more than half the population lives within a mile of the coast, faces some of the greatest risks from climate change, according to the expert panel at the Caribbean Tourism Organization meeting in San Juan.
"The region as a whole is really vulnerable -- it's sand, sun and beaches," said Ulric Trotz, science adviser to the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center in Belize.
Trotz said governments should limit development along eroding coastlines, protect natural resources including reefs and mangroves and take other steps before global warming accelerates in the coming decades, as some experts forecast.
Already, rising ocean temperatures have been blamed for killing off coral that sustains significant marine life and fueling monstrous storms. This year was the first on record when two Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes -- Felix and Dean, which both gained strength in the Caribbean -- made landfall in the same season.
While humans' role in global warming remains a source of controversy, panelists said the trend is driving decisions by investors on where to develop hotels.
"Even if you don't believe in climate change, it's part of decision making in the industry," said Daniel Scott, a climate specialist at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
Many have launched campaigns to emphasize sustainable or "green" tourism. Barbados, which already suffers a scarcity of fresh water, has required new golf courses to build desalination plants for irrigation.
To help adapt the tourism industry regionwide, Trotz suggested imposing a $5 levy on every visitor arriving by plane or cruise ship -- a method that could raise more than $60 million annually.
"We have to do something very urgently about resources for adaptation," he said.
Growing awareness of emissions released by jet travel could lead to a drop in tourists, according to Scott, who cited surveys from Britain that showed many believe the price of a ticket should reflect its environmental cost.
And as other regions grow warmer, the tropics might lose their appeal.
"We can't move these islands," said Brenda Ekwurzel, of the Washington-based nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists.
Global warming may be leading to higher rice yields in China: IRRI
23rd Oct 2007
MANILA (AFP) - Global warming appears to have led to higher rice yields in northern China while free trade, changing diets, and rapid urbanisation is leading to a decline in rice production elsewhere, officials from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said.
Philippines-based IRRI has tracked a northward shift in rice-growing areas in China, which is home to a fifth of humanity and produces 35 percent of the world's rice.
While economic development, the shift to high-value vegetables and land conversion steered farmers away from rice farming in southern China, "another factor that may have contributed is climate change," IRRI geographer Robert Hijmans wrote in the forthcoming issue of the IRRI journal Rice Today.
Liaoning, Jilin, Nei Mongol and Heilongjiang now account for 11.5 percent of China's rice growing areas, up from 2.7 percent in 1979.
The four northern provinces also saw "relatively strong increases in yield" over the period, he said.
Warming in high latitudes such as northern China, where a 2.5 degree-Celsius rise in minimum temperature in Heilongjiang was monitored over the past 40 years, has been above the global average of 0.03 degrees Celsius rise per year, he said.
While yield declines result from increased minimum temperature in areas near the equator, "in relatively cool areas as Heilongjiang, warming may have contributed to higher yields through a longer growing season and reduced cold stress," Hijmans added.
Meanwhile, free trade, changing diets, and rapid urbanisation could lead to a decline in rice production, one of the world's leading experts on the crop said.
"As prosperous rice-growing countries move toward free trade in agricultural production, they may increasingly find it difficult to sustain producers' interest in rice farming," said Mahabub Hossain, a former IRRI economist.
He said global rice demand growth has slowed as rapid urbanisation and rising per capita income in middle and high-income countries in Asia and Latin America prompt people to diversify their diets, while population control has reduced population growth rates in rice-eating China, Malaysia and Thailand.
However, this may be offset by "increased consumption due to poverty reduction among low-income households" in West Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and South America, where rapid migration to urban areas has led to changes in diets from ones based on maize or root crops to rice-based ones.
Hossain said urbanisation would lead to "economic pressure to reduce the area under rice cultivation to accommodate agricultural diversification in favor of higher-value crops" and as farms are lost to build housing, factories and roads.
MANILA (AFP) - Global warming appears to have led to higher rice yields in northern China while free trade, changing diets, and rapid urbanisation is leading to a decline in rice production elsewhere, officials from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said.
Philippines-based IRRI has tracked a northward shift in rice-growing areas in China, which is home to a fifth of humanity and produces 35 percent of the world's rice.
While economic development, the shift to high-value vegetables and land conversion steered farmers away from rice farming in southern China, "another factor that may have contributed is climate change," IRRI geographer Robert Hijmans wrote in the forthcoming issue of the IRRI journal Rice Today.
Liaoning, Jilin, Nei Mongol and Heilongjiang now account for 11.5 percent of China's rice growing areas, up from 2.7 percent in 1979.
The four northern provinces also saw "relatively strong increases in yield" over the period, he said.
Warming in high latitudes such as northern China, where a 2.5 degree-Celsius rise in minimum temperature in Heilongjiang was monitored over the past 40 years, has been above the global average of 0.03 degrees Celsius rise per year, he said.
While yield declines result from increased minimum temperature in areas near the equator, "in relatively cool areas as Heilongjiang, warming may have contributed to higher yields through a longer growing season and reduced cold stress," Hijmans added.
Meanwhile, free trade, changing diets, and rapid urbanisation could lead to a decline in rice production, one of the world's leading experts on the crop said.
"As prosperous rice-growing countries move toward free trade in agricultural production, they may increasingly find it difficult to sustain producers' interest in rice farming," said Mahabub Hossain, a former IRRI economist.
He said global rice demand growth has slowed as rapid urbanisation and rising per capita income in middle and high-income countries in Asia and Latin America prompt people to diversify their diets, while population control has reduced population growth rates in rice-eating China, Malaysia and Thailand.
However, this may be offset by "increased consumption due to poverty reduction among low-income households" in West Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and South America, where rapid migration to urban areas has led to changes in diets from ones based on maize or root crops to rice-based ones.
Hossain said urbanisation would lead to "economic pressure to reduce the area under rice cultivation to accommodate agricultural diversification in favor of higher-value crops" and as farms are lost to build housing, factories and roads.
Carbon dioxide in atmosphere increasing
Mon Oct 22, 9:39 PM
WASHINGTON - Just days after the Nobel prize was awarded for global warming work, an alarming new study finds that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing faster than expected.
Carbon dioxide emissions were 35 percent higher in 2006 than in 1990, a much faster growth rate than anticipated, researchers led by Josep G. Canadell, of Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, report in Tuesday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Increased industrial use of fossil fuels coupled with a decline in the gas absorbed by the oceans and land were listed as causes of the increase.
"In addition to the growth of global population and wealth, we now know that significant contributions to the growth of atmospheric CO2 arise from the slowdown" of nature's ability to take the chemical out of the air, said Canadell, director of the Global Carbon Project at the research organization.
The changes "characterize a carbon cycle that is generating stronger-than-expected and sooner-than-expected climate forcing," the researchers report.
Kevin Trenberth of the climate analysis section of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. said the "paper raises some very important issues that the public should be aware of: Namely that concentrations of CO2 are increasing at much higher rates than previously expected and this is in spite of the Kyoto Protocol that is designed to hold them down in western countries,"
Alan Robock, associate director of the Center for Environmental Prediction at Rutgers University, added: "What is really shocking is the reduction of the oceanic CO2 sink," meaning the ability of the ocean to absorb carbon dioxide, removing it from the atmosphere.
The researchers blamed that reduction on changes in wind circulation, but Robock said he also thinks rising ocean temperatures reduce the ability to take in the gas.
"Think that a warm Coke has less fizz than a cold Coke," he said.
Neither Robock nor Trenberth was part of Canadell's research team.
Carbon dioxide is the leading "greenhouse gas," so named because their accumulation in the atmosphere can help trap heat from the sun, causing potentially dangerous warming of the planet.
While most atmospheric scientists accept the idea, finding ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has been a political problem because of potential effects on the economy. Earlier this month, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and former Vice President Al Gore for their work in calling attention to global warming.
"It turns out that global warming critics were right when they said that global climate models did not do a good job at predicting climate change," Robock commented. "But what has been wrong recently is that the climate is changing even faster than the models said. In fact, Arctic sea ice is melting much faster than any models predicted, and sea level is rising much faster than IPCC previously predicted."
According to the new study, carbon released from burning fossil fuel and making cement rose from 7.0 billion metric tons per year in 2000 to 8.4 billion metric tons in 2006. A metric tons is 2,205 pounds.
The growth rate increased from 1.3 percent per year in 1990-1999 to 3.3 percent per year in 2000-2006, the researchers added.
Trenberth noted that carbon dioxide is not the whole story — methane emissions have declined, so total greenhouse gases are not increasing as much as carbon dioxide alone. Also, he added, other pollution plays a role by cooling.
There are changes from year to year in the fraction of the atmosphere made up of carbon dioxide and the question is whether this increase is transient or will be sustained, he said.
"The theory suggests increases in (the atmospheric fraction), as is claimed here, but the evidence is not strong," Trenberth said.
The paper looks at a rather short time to measure a trend, Robock added, "but the results they get certainly look reasonable, and much of the paper is looking at much longer trends."
The research was supported by Australian, European and other international agencies.
WASHINGTON - Just days after the Nobel prize was awarded for global warming work, an alarming new study finds that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing faster than expected.
Carbon dioxide emissions were 35 percent higher in 2006 than in 1990, a much faster growth rate than anticipated, researchers led by Josep G. Canadell, of Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, report in Tuesday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Increased industrial use of fossil fuels coupled with a decline in the gas absorbed by the oceans and land were listed as causes of the increase.
"In addition to the growth of global population and wealth, we now know that significant contributions to the growth of atmospheric CO2 arise from the slowdown" of nature's ability to take the chemical out of the air, said Canadell, director of the Global Carbon Project at the research organization.
The changes "characterize a carbon cycle that is generating stronger-than-expected and sooner-than-expected climate forcing," the researchers report.
Kevin Trenberth of the climate analysis section of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. said the "paper raises some very important issues that the public should be aware of: Namely that concentrations of CO2 are increasing at much higher rates than previously expected and this is in spite of the Kyoto Protocol that is designed to hold them down in western countries,"
Alan Robock, associate director of the Center for Environmental Prediction at Rutgers University, added: "What is really shocking is the reduction of the oceanic CO2 sink," meaning the ability of the ocean to absorb carbon dioxide, removing it from the atmosphere.
The researchers blamed that reduction on changes in wind circulation, but Robock said he also thinks rising ocean temperatures reduce the ability to take in the gas.
"Think that a warm Coke has less fizz than a cold Coke," he said.
Neither Robock nor Trenberth was part of Canadell's research team.
Carbon dioxide is the leading "greenhouse gas," so named because their accumulation in the atmosphere can help trap heat from the sun, causing potentially dangerous warming of the planet.
While most atmospheric scientists accept the idea, finding ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has been a political problem because of potential effects on the economy. Earlier this month, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and former Vice President Al Gore for their work in calling attention to global warming.
"It turns out that global warming critics were right when they said that global climate models did not do a good job at predicting climate change," Robock commented. "But what has been wrong recently is that the climate is changing even faster than the models said. In fact, Arctic sea ice is melting much faster than any models predicted, and sea level is rising much faster than IPCC previously predicted."
According to the new study, carbon released from burning fossil fuel and making cement rose from 7.0 billion metric tons per year in 2000 to 8.4 billion metric tons in 2006. A metric tons is 2,205 pounds.
The growth rate increased from 1.3 percent per year in 1990-1999 to 3.3 percent per year in 2000-2006, the researchers added.
Trenberth noted that carbon dioxide is not the whole story — methane emissions have declined, so total greenhouse gases are not increasing as much as carbon dioxide alone. Also, he added, other pollution plays a role by cooling.
There are changes from year to year in the fraction of the atmosphere made up of carbon dioxide and the question is whether this increase is transient or will be sustained, he said.
"The theory suggests increases in (the atmospheric fraction), as is claimed here, but the evidence is not strong," Trenberth said.
The paper looks at a rather short time to measure a trend, Robock added, "but the results they get certainly look reasonable, and much of the paper is looking at much longer trends."
The research was supported by Australian, European and other international agencies.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Abdullah: Don’t take climate change lightly
MALAYSIA objected to earlier moves to introduce a new framework to address climate change issues at the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum but acknowledged that the subject cannot be ignored.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said although a watered-down Sydney Declaration will be issued on climate change at the end of the Apec leaders summit, no country in the world should take the issue lightly. Australia had earlier wanted to push for target dates to be included in the Sydney Declaration on climate change but encountered strong opposition from developing nations such as China and Malaysia who felt that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adequate to address the issue.Speaking at a news conference, Abdullah said climate change was a global issue and no country could say it had the right to conduct whatever activities, no matter how damaging they were to the environment, as long as they were within its borders."Sometimes the impact of such environment-damaging activities are felt by those outside of their borders."
Outside of introducing new frameworks, he said it was good that a forum such as Apec discussed climate change since the 21-member grouping has in it both developing and developed economies. "We agree that the emission of greenhouse gases must be reduced."Abdullah also hoped that all the economies in Apec would participate in the forthcoming UNFCCC convention which will be held in Bali in December.Apec leaders eventually adopted the Sydney Declaration, which among others, stated that they will work through bilateral, regional and global partnerships to promote clean development. They also recognised that the UN climate change process is the appropriate multilateral forum for international negotiations on climate change.The leaders also managed to widen certain definitions in the earlier draft declaration which otherwise would make certain developing nations commit more. The definitions of forest, for instance, was widened to mean all types of forests when earlier it was understood to encompass only those in the tropical region.Abdullah said Apec leaders also discussed the need to explore new and renewable energy resources. "I am all for technology and we should continue to explore clean and renewable energy resources." On trade, Abdullah said Apec leaders agreed that the World Trade Organisation Doha Round talks must resume and be concluded as soon as possible. "It has stalled for quite some time." Yesterday, Abdullah also had a meeting with Mexican President Fillipe Calderon where both discussed ways to increase trade and investments. Mexico is Malaysia’s second largest trading partner in Latin America and the ninth largest in the world.Calderon also expressed Mexico’s interest in exploring business opportunities in liquified natural gas with Petronas and in palm oil with the Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said although a watered-down Sydney Declaration will be issued on climate change at the end of the Apec leaders summit, no country in the world should take the issue lightly. Australia had earlier wanted to push for target dates to be included in the Sydney Declaration on climate change but encountered strong opposition from developing nations such as China and Malaysia who felt that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adequate to address the issue.Speaking at a news conference, Abdullah said climate change was a global issue and no country could say it had the right to conduct whatever activities, no matter how damaging they were to the environment, as long as they were within its borders."Sometimes the impact of such environment-damaging activities are felt by those outside of their borders."
Outside of introducing new frameworks, he said it was good that a forum such as Apec discussed climate change since the 21-member grouping has in it both developing and developed economies. "We agree that the emission of greenhouse gases must be reduced."Abdullah also hoped that all the economies in Apec would participate in the forthcoming UNFCCC convention which will be held in Bali in December.Apec leaders eventually adopted the Sydney Declaration, which among others, stated that they will work through bilateral, regional and global partnerships to promote clean development. They also recognised that the UN climate change process is the appropriate multilateral forum for international negotiations on climate change.The leaders also managed to widen certain definitions in the earlier draft declaration which otherwise would make certain developing nations commit more. The definitions of forest, for instance, was widened to mean all types of forests when earlier it was understood to encompass only those in the tropical region.Abdullah said Apec leaders also discussed the need to explore new and renewable energy resources. "I am all for technology and we should continue to explore clean and renewable energy resources." On trade, Abdullah said Apec leaders agreed that the World Trade Organisation Doha Round talks must resume and be concluded as soon as possible. "It has stalled for quite some time." Yesterday, Abdullah also had a meeting with Mexican President Fillipe Calderon where both discussed ways to increase trade and investments. Mexico is Malaysia’s second largest trading partner in Latin America and the ninth largest in the world.Calderon also expressed Mexico’s interest in exploring business opportunities in liquified natural gas with Petronas and in palm oil with the Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia.
Mustapha Kamil reporting from Sydney: Discuss action plan to manage climate issues
MALAYSIA does not object introducing issues of climate change in the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum as long as they avoid rhetorics and impositions of rules.
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz said adverse impact from climate change must be viewed as a form of calamity and discussions on the issue in Apec should be on how to manage the climate, not to point fingers at who is responsible.Rafidah said the broader forum for climate change already existed at the United Nations level and through the Kyoto Protocol. The US and Australia have not ratified the Kyoto treaty."We must talk instead about an action plan to manage climate change, preferably at three levels — global, regional and domestic."
Rafidah said Malaysia would object to any new agreements outside of those already agreed at the international level. She has suggested to the Apec forum that issues of climate change be included in the forum’s Trade Facilitation Action Plan 2.The scope, she said, must be wider than that proposed by certain Apec member economies and not limited only to management of forest areas as earlier proposed.Officials, however, said the final declaration to be issued at the end of the leaders meeting this week would still include a watered-down section on climate change.Rafidah said at the end of the day, Apec declarations were non-binding on its members. "Its not that we are not willing to talk about climate change but there is already the Kyoto Protocol to deal with and we do not want rhetorics to creep into Apec."But we are committed towards helping manage the climate. If we can help, we will and if there are others who can help us manage the climate better, we will be willing to listen."Meanwhile, a joint statement issued at the end of the Apec forum yesterday had balanced the focus for anti-corruption initiatives among the public and private sectors after Malaysia intervened during the discussions, saying that an earlier statement was inclined sharply towards civil servants, giving the impression that only government officials were corrupt.In the joint statement, Apec ministers said they endorsed a model Code of Conduct for Business, a model Code of Conduct Principles for Public Officials and a complementary Anti-corruption Principles For The Private and Public Sectors.
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz said adverse impact from climate change must be viewed as a form of calamity and discussions on the issue in Apec should be on how to manage the climate, not to point fingers at who is responsible.Rafidah said the broader forum for climate change already existed at the United Nations level and through the Kyoto Protocol. The US and Australia have not ratified the Kyoto treaty."We must talk instead about an action plan to manage climate change, preferably at three levels — global, regional and domestic."
Rafidah said Malaysia would object to any new agreements outside of those already agreed at the international level. She has suggested to the Apec forum that issues of climate change be included in the forum’s Trade Facilitation Action Plan 2.The scope, she said, must be wider than that proposed by certain Apec member economies and not limited only to management of forest areas as earlier proposed.Officials, however, said the final declaration to be issued at the end of the leaders meeting this week would still include a watered-down section on climate change.Rafidah said at the end of the day, Apec declarations were non-binding on its members. "Its not that we are not willing to talk about climate change but there is already the Kyoto Protocol to deal with and we do not want rhetorics to creep into Apec."But we are committed towards helping manage the climate. If we can help, we will and if there are others who can help us manage the climate better, we will be willing to listen."Meanwhile, a joint statement issued at the end of the Apec forum yesterday had balanced the focus for anti-corruption initiatives among the public and private sectors after Malaysia intervened during the discussions, saying that an earlier statement was inclined sharply towards civil servants, giving the impression that only government officials were corrupt.In the joint statement, Apec ministers said they endorsed a model Code of Conduct for Business, a model Code of Conduct Principles for Public Officials and a complementary Anti-corruption Principles For The Private and Public Sectors.
Environment: Teach green values to kids
The Education Ministry should introduce a separate subject on environmental protection in primary schools.
GLOBAL warming plus environmental degradation spell trouble for all life on earth. These pressing environmental issues are difficult to overcome, especially since environmental awareness is superficial and environmental knowledge is limited among the public.
Environmental education is not being addressed. For example, global warning is related to human activities. With the massive developments in China and India, the two nations with the highest populations, nobody can deny that carbon emissions are on the increase.The increase in carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has led to a greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect will result in global warming. An increase of the atmospheric temperature by 1°C or 2°C will melt the ice in the Antarctic and Arctic regions. The increase in sea levels will drown most of the great cities in the world. Perhaps, Bangladesh and the Maldives will be gone. George Town and Johor Baru could also be under water.
The increase in invasive species is reportedly taking place at a tremendous rate due to global warming. Insects, especially mosquitoes, are moving northward and mosquito-borne diseases like malaria are more pronounced in some poor nations. Weedy species are also on the increase, for example, a grassy species, Poa annua, found in Cameron Highlands, was recently recorded in Antarctica. The unique evolutionary characteristics of this species, which can adapt to various ranges of temperatures, has brought about a successful species in the world. Certain insect and grass species can take advantage of such harsh and extreme conditions. This phenomenon is also known as biological pollution. The newly-introduced species can colonise an area quickly. Within a year, their population creates a big problem for native species. Another example is the warming of our coastal waters. This can lead to an algal bloom, which has vast implications on the fishing industry. In view of all this, our children should be exposed to environmental education as early as possible. Nature camps and expeditions should be organised to make them realise the importance of safeguarding ecosystems. Those people armed with ecological and taxonomical knowledge should be involved. Unfortunately, most of our students are weak in taxonomical knowledge. For example, some students cannot even differentiate between an eagle and a crow, a rice plant and a lallang. How can we protect our biodiversity if we don’t know pests and endemic species? We should emphasise this aspect more, because our country is rich in biodiversity. Local communities can protect the habitats of wildlife in their areas. Every school should establish or at least have herbariums and collections of living species from their areas. Finally, newspapers can also highlight environmental events.
Do your part
I AM an 11-year-old boy. I have heard about global warming. I have heard my parents talking about it. I have also watched TV programmes about this subject. I was first confused about it but I surfed the Internet and got a better understanding of it.Global warming is beginning to get bad and could be worse if the trend continues. It is a serious concern because we are seeing all the bad effects of this phenomenon. A lot of natural disasters are happening because of it. The melting of ice caps is because of this. This will in turn cause sea levels to rise and many coastal cities could be flooded. And because of global warming, climates are also changing. Many countries and continents are facing drought. This will also cause bush fires. And when these fires occur, the earth will get even warmer.Global warming is making many countries work hard to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.Children, too, can help reduce the effects of global warming.
• Cut down on the use of plastic bags.
• Look for friends in school to car pool and use public transport wherever we can.
•Advise our parents not to burn rubbish.
• Plant trees.
I urge the Education Ministry to introduce a separate subject on environmental protection in primary schools. It is important for us to have an understanding of our environment and how we should protect it.
PROFILE: Treating the world around us like home
Educating students on being good stewards of the environment is not a high priority subject. KOH SOO LING talks to senior university lecturerLim Loong Fatt about the importance of environmental education.
WHEN Lim Loong Fatt talks about environmental issues, his face lights up. Ask him anything from the mating rituals of pandas to reafforestation, Lim will delight the listener with facts and stories. After all, Lim is a senior lecturer teaching environmental education at the Faculty of Education in University of Malaya."It is important for the young especially to know about issues such as climatic changes. Many do not realise the impending danger should this present phenomenon be left unchecked," says Lim.Interestingly enough, the World Environment Day theme selected for June 5 is Melting Ice — a Hot Topic? In support of International Polar Year, the 2007 theme focuses on the effects of climate on polar ecosystems and communities, and the ensuing consequences around the world.Lim, who teaches undergraduates and Master in Education students, believes that environmental education should be caught and not taught.
Basically there are four objectives in the teaching of environmental education: creating awareness, gaining knowledge, developing skills and participating in environmental issues. Master in Education students are also taught how to teach environmental education."It is pointless if a student gets a good grade and yet fails to internalise the dynamics of environmental education. That is why they should roll up their sleeves and take part in actual environmental projects."Due to his belief in hands-on education, Lim concentrates on getting his students to work in groups on environmental topics ranging from pollution to the depletion of the ozone layer. Students also go on field trips to the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia or Kuala Selangor.Lim says: "Students have to present their group work. Every topic has four areas: the history of the issue, the cause, the effect and the solution. As the students have to look for materials on their own, they are more passionate about what they are studying."Lim says many people may be aware or may even have knowledge about environmental issues. Yet, without practice, this is all void. In fact, participating in environmental issues is the most rewarding stage.However, this awareness should not only be at tertiary level. Lim feels that primary and secondary students should be made more aware of environmental education. Unfortunately, there are no teachers trained in environmental education and this subject is usually left to the biology teacher or any teacher who takes the initiative to incorporate environmental awareness into his lessons."There’s this lower secondary teacher in Malacca who took the initiative to recycle damaged fans and furniture. He turned broken fan blades into signages and hammered faulty chairs together to form long benches." Indeed, there is a need to give a human face to environmental issues. Most of all, realising that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues will help ensure that there is a safer future. The first step is to teach students to treat the world around them the way they would treat their home — with care.
WHEN Lim Loong Fatt talks about environmental issues, his face lights up. Ask him anything from the mating rituals of pandas to reafforestation, Lim will delight the listener with facts and stories. After all, Lim is a senior lecturer teaching environmental education at the Faculty of Education in University of Malaya."It is important for the young especially to know about issues such as climatic changes. Many do not realise the impending danger should this present phenomenon be left unchecked," says Lim.Interestingly enough, the World Environment Day theme selected for June 5 is Melting Ice — a Hot Topic? In support of International Polar Year, the 2007 theme focuses on the effects of climate on polar ecosystems and communities, and the ensuing consequences around the world.Lim, who teaches undergraduates and Master in Education students, believes that environmental education should be caught and not taught.
Basically there are four objectives in the teaching of environmental education: creating awareness, gaining knowledge, developing skills and participating in environmental issues. Master in Education students are also taught how to teach environmental education."It is pointless if a student gets a good grade and yet fails to internalise the dynamics of environmental education. That is why they should roll up their sleeves and take part in actual environmental projects."Due to his belief in hands-on education, Lim concentrates on getting his students to work in groups on environmental topics ranging from pollution to the depletion of the ozone layer. Students also go on field trips to the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia or Kuala Selangor.Lim says: "Students have to present their group work. Every topic has four areas: the history of the issue, the cause, the effect and the solution. As the students have to look for materials on their own, they are more passionate about what they are studying."Lim says many people may be aware or may even have knowledge about environmental issues. Yet, without practice, this is all void. In fact, participating in environmental issues is the most rewarding stage.However, this awareness should not only be at tertiary level. Lim feels that primary and secondary students should be made more aware of environmental education. Unfortunately, there are no teachers trained in environmental education and this subject is usually left to the biology teacher or any teacher who takes the initiative to incorporate environmental awareness into his lessons."There’s this lower secondary teacher in Malacca who took the initiative to recycle damaged fans and furniture. He turned broken fan blades into signages and hammered faulty chairs together to form long benches." Indeed, there is a need to give a human face to environmental issues. Most of all, realising that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues will help ensure that there is a safer future. The first step is to teach students to treat the world around them the way they would treat their home — with care.
OPINION: Dealing with climate change challenges
Since Malaysia is a food-deficit country, a policy framework that deals with the effect of climate change on agricultural development is crucial.
Agriculture and climate are mutually dependent. If the detrimental effects of heat and water stress on crop growth as temperatures rise do not abate, agricultural production is likely to decline in the long term, writes MAD NASIR SHAMSUDIN
A SIGNIFICANT outcome of the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit was the Sydney Declaration on climate change, although there were some disagreements on the resolutions between developing and developed economies.Climate change poses challenges for all sectors of the Malaysian economy, particularly those dependent on natural resources such as agriculture and forestry. Despite technological advances in biotechnology, climate is still a key factor in determining agricultural productivity.Agriculture and climate are mutually dependent. Their interactions involve temperature effects, water supply and demand, and fluxes of carbon through the processes of photosynthesis and respiration. Emissions from agricultural sources are believed to account for some 15 per cent of today’s human-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.Climate is important not only in terms of average conditions but also with regard to the frequency and intensity of extreme events, such as floods, droughts and heat spells.
A study by Universiti Putra Malaysia within the Muda Agricultural and Development Authority area indicated that tropospheric ozone is increasing. In cases where it was above the threshold of 40 parts per billion during the growing period of year 2003 and 2004, rice yield dropped significantly to 12 per cent.Studies have consistently shown that overall production in the middle and high latitudes is likely to benefit in the near term (approximately to mid-century), while production systems in the low latitudes are likely to decline.This has implications for world food security, as most developing countries, including Malaysia, are located in lower-latitude regions.The vulnerability of developing countries is related to the growth of crops under current climate conditions nearer their optimum temperature limits and the potential for greater increases in water stress under a warming climate. Developing countries also have fewer resources to develop appropriate measures to counter negative impacts.If the effects of climate change are not abated, agricultural production in the middle and high latitudes is likely to decline in the long term (approximately by the end of 21st century). That would be primarily due to the detrimental effects of heat and water stress on crop growth as temperatures rise.Since Malaysia is a food-deficit country (with an import bill of RM15.4 billion in 2005), a policy framework that deals with the effect of climate change on agricultural development is crucial.Some possible areas in the framework include adaptation strategies to build resilience into production systems; mitigation strategies to reduce or offset greenhouse gas emissions; research and development strategies to enhance the agricultural sector’s capacity to respond to climate change; and awareness and communication strategies to inform decision-making by agricultural producers.Mitigation strategies such as carbon sequestration (binding) in agricultural soils are aimed at reducing the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, countering climatic change. Adaptation strategies such as changes in crop types and management practices are responses that optimise production under changing climate conditions.Mitigation and adaptation responses are synergistic. Mitigation practices can enhance the adaptation potential of agricultural systems.For example, carbon sequestration in agricultural soils leads to more stable soil-water dynamics, enhancing the ability of crops to withstand drought and floods, both of which may increase under changing climate conditions.In addition, many of the strategies proposed for reduction of GHG emissions from agriculture are “best practices": they increase input efficiency while limiting environmental damage.For instance, use of tree shelter belts can help minimise soil erosion and stabilise soil carbon, while mulches added between row crops help conserve soil water, reduce erosion and sequester carbon. Recent studies have shown that improved agriculture practices can help significantly reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by increasing carbon sequestration.The potential contribution of the agricultural sector in reducing GHG emissions at source and removing them by sinks in the agriculture soils largely depends on environmental-friendly land use and management practices.Farmers are largely influenced by the net returns from the farm, agriculture and environmental policies. Although their adoption of these practices has benefits such as increased crop yields, it depends on how much farmers are compensated for the global benefits and taxed for the negative effects of their activities.Farmers may need additional knowledge and resources for such practices. Their land allocation for different purposes and their shift towards adoption of land management practices, on the other hand, are also influenced by policy as well as strategies such as investment in research on soil fertility management, provision of required infrastructure and market facilities.Agricultural soils can both contribute to and be affected by a changing climate. In the past, land management has resulted in considerable depletion of soil organic matter and the release of carbon dioxide. Now, there is the potential to restore soil organic carbon through improved management techniques, enhancing soil structure and fertility, and helping to counter climate change.An important caveat is that the capacity for agricultural soil carbon sequestration is constrained by the amount of carbon lost during the conversion of natural ecosystems to agriculture, so its effectiveness as a mitigating activity for climate change is not unlimited.A policy framework that deals with the planning and implementation of mitigation and adaptation measures in response to global climate change should be co-ordinated. Investments in programmes and research will be needed to assure effectiveness in both activities for Malaysian agriculture. This needs to be explicitly stated in the Malaysian agricultural policy.
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