News of the day - Olympics - Beijing Targets Top Polluters In Games Plan

Olympics - Beijing Targets Top Polluters In Games Plan
CHINA: April 15, 2008

BEIJING - Beijing will close factories and force 19 heavy polluters to reduce emissions by 30 percent for two months around the Olympics and Paralympics to improve air quality for athletes, a Beijing official said on Monday.

The measures, which will run from July 20 to Sept. 20, are an attempt to fulfil the city's commitment to provide clean air for the Games, said Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau spokesman Du Shaozhong. "In case of extremely negative meteorological conditions or severe air quality, we will take even more stringent measures," Du told a news conference. "As for exactly what we will do, that will depend on the conditions at the time."

Du said further measures would be taken in neighbouring Tianjin, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi and Shandong, while details of the traffic restrictions aimed at taking half the city's cars off the roads would be released later. Government and plant officials in the other provinces have in the past said they have not received notice of specific closure plans.

The extent of the shutdowns will determine in part how much the Olympics will impact China's economy. "It remains to be seen whether production or consumption will be affected more" by shutdowns, including that of copper cable producers in the Beijing area, Edward Meir, metals analyst with MF Global, wrote earlier this month.

Among the 19 polluters are several plants run by Shougang Steel -- the city's worst offender -- as well as Yanshan Petrochemical Group, Jingneng Thermal power company and three other coal-burning plants, and Number 27 Locomotive Factory. The Eastern Chemical Plant of Beijing will be closed for the whole two months and companies involved in cement manufacture and quarrying in the South-west of the city will also be shut down.

Industrial coal-boilers that fail to meet emission standards -- the toughest in the world, Du said -- will be closed as will petrol stations and oil depots if they have not made sufficient strides to restrict the emission of petrol vapours. Any construction projects not scheduled to have completed excavations and concrete placement as well as site "greening and coverage" by July 20 will not be allowed to start work.

Du said the long-term work for reducing emissions was to the benefit of the companies and any compensation will be decided when they discuss their annual plans with local government. "In the short-term it will cost them, in the longer term it will accelerate the upgrade of their technology," he said.

"We do not deny the contribution these companies are making during the Olympics by reducing emissions and cutting or suspending production." Companies that shut down or restrict production for the two months would be exempt from pollution emission charges, Du added.

Story by Nick Mulvenney

REUTERS NEWS SERVICE

Rich states failing to lead on emissions, says UN climate chief

Rich states failing to lead on emissions, says UN climate chief
Monday, 14 April 2008, 10:26 AM

Developing countries, including China and India, are unwilling to sign up to a new global climate change pact to replace the Kyoto protocol in 2012 because the rich world has failed to set a clear example on cutting carbon emissions, according to the UN's top climate official.


Rajendra Pachauri, head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said too many rich countries, including the US, had failed to take the action needed to convince the developing nations to sign up to a deal in Copenhagen next year that could help to stabilise global emissions.

"You may not be able to get an agreement in one shot, let's say by Copenhagen, that sets you on the path of stabilisation in keeping with some kind of long-term target," Pachauri told the Guardian. "Looking at the politics of the situation, I doubt whether any of the developing countries will make any commitments before they have seen the developed countries take a specific stand."

He said there were "reasons for dismay" at the rich countries' failure to cut carbon emissions. "This really doesn't give anybody the conviction that those that had agreed to take action as the first step are really serious about doing so. And in several developing countries you get the feeling - in fact people state it very clearly - that these guys [rich countries] are going to shove the whole burden on to our shoulders. That's why it's necessary for the developed world to establish a certain credibility."

Pachauri said Germany had set a good example, with significant investment in renewable energy, and Britain had done "quite well". The UK is on track to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions as required under Kyoto, but will miss a separate domestic goal to reduce carbon dioxide pollution by 20% on 1990 levels by 2010. If emissions from aviation and shipping are included, Britain's carbon dioxide emissions are higher now than in 1990.

Analysts say a new global deal needs to be agreed at the Copenhagen meeting for it to come into force by 2012, because it will take several years to be ratified by countries. If a new deal is not in place when Kyoto expires, then confidence in emerging carbon trading markets - seen as a key way to reduce greenhouse gas pollution - could collapse. Schemes such as the European emissions trading scheme, set up under Kyoto, force polluting companies to invest in carbon credits or cleaner technology, but rely on carbon caps continuing past 2012.

Pachauri, who is also director general of the Energy and Resources Institute in New Delhi, India, said: "I don't think they [China and India] will come on board in the first round. I think they would like to see some level of ambition on the part of the developed countries before they make any voluntary commitments of their own."

Last year Pachauri, an economist and environmental scientist, collected the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the IPCC, which it won jointly with the American former vice-president Al Gore. The IPCC analyses the state of climate science and issues reports that form the foundation for international action under the UN.

Any reluctance by China to participate in a new agreement would spell problems for the new US president, who could sign a deal in Copenhagen next year and then find it rejected by the US Senate. Several leading figures in the US have said the Senate would be unlikely to pass a new treaty that did not require China to act on its soaring carbon emissions. All three presidential candidates have promised stronger domestic action on global warming, and are expected to play a more constructive role in the search for a new international treaty than the Bush administration.

Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, told an IPCC meeting in Budapest this week that it would be "very, very difficult" to reach an agreement. He warned that if the carbon emissions of China and India continue to grow at the same pace as their economies, mankind would be unable to prevent a critical level of warming.

Pachauri said there was still time for the developed countries to convince India and China to sign a new deal next year, but that it would require a series of "measures and actions" in the next few months.

He urged other rich countries to follow Europe's lead and set ambitious carbon reduction targets for the next 10 years. He said more money was needed to help poorer countries adapt to the likely impact of global warming, as well as "some tangible efforts to make technology transfer a reality".

Rich nations could help China to invest in more efficient coal power stations, for example. "If there was low interest financing of some of these measures, it would make it very attractive to developing countries."

Britain and the US have pledged support for new World Bank funds to support climate adaptation and technology transfer, but poorer countries and green campaigners are more sceptical, and would prefer the money to be administered through the UN. Rich countries have failed to keep similar promises in the past - only £90m of a promised £600m to pay for adaptation measures had been delivered to a Global Environment Facility fund by the end of last year.

source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/apr/14/climatechange.carbonemissions

DROP THE PLASTIC BAG

Eliminating the use of disposable plastic bags is about more than just the environment, it is about health, sustainability, economics and ultimately, the quality of our life. 

The Dangers of Plastic: Interview with Charles Moore


Say no to plastic bags.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. - Mahatma Gandhi

For more infomation. Click the url below
http://www.droptheplasticbag.org/

Making a difference starting today!

credit: earthactivist

East Asian Seas Youth Agenda

East Asian Seas Congress 2006 Youth Forum Haikou City, Hainan, PR China, December 11-16, 2006.

EarthOCEAN

what is earthOCEAN?
earthOCEAN produce documentary programs and educational content for online distribution and for broadcast. We develop partnerships with and highlight the efforts of, international and local NGOs, conservationists and scientists around the world in order to raise awareness about environmental issues to ultimately inspire change.

It provide a lot of interesting and inspring way to learn about our mother nature, our oceans.

Be sure to check it out.

Earth Hour 2008. I'm joining. Are you?

I'm participating. Are you?

On March 29th, 2008 at 8pm local time

Earth Hour will commence ALL AROUND THE WORLD.

It is created to take a stand against the greatest threat our planet has ever faced, Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a POWERFUL MESSAGE about the need for action on global warming.

Be part of making Earth Hour 2008 a huge, global success by telling your friends and family. Remember, every single light makes a statement and makes a difference.

Last year, on 31 March 2007, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney (Australia) businesses turned off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour. This massive collective effort reduced Sydney’s energy consumption by 10.2% for one hour, which is the equivalent effect of taking 48,000 cars off the road for one hour.

++Pledge your support for Earth Hour and find out more about the lights-out campaign at earthhour.org, the official website. http://www.earthhour.org

Contact Us to find out more about Earth Hour in the Campus.

地球の未来へ贈ろう

何かをちょっと変えれば、自分たちの行き先は全然違ってくるん じゃないか」という思いは、人から人へ、確実に共振しはじめてい ると思う。共振しはじめた人々の意識はいろいろなモノやコトにな って連鎖していく。そしてやがては世の中を変える大きなうねりに なっていく。

The next US President...

The press has been asking the presidential candidates hundreds of questions on a range of issues, but seldom asks about the greatest threat to our planet: the climate crisis. I want to know how the next President -- Democrat, Republican or Independent -- is going to address this critical issue. Don't you?

Please click here to sign our petition urging the press to ask the candidates questions about global warming.

A League of Conservation Voters study found that ABC's George Stephanopoulos asked presidential candidates more than 767 questions -- only 5 of which were related to global warming. CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked more than 402 questions -- only 5 were about global warming. Sadly, other political commentators and reporters have shown a similar disregard for this key issue.

This crisis is solvable but it will take leadership. Technologies are available and numerous policies for accelerating their use have been carefully considered. It is now up to our elected representatives to galvanize implementation. Quickly. The next US President must lead this effort.

More important than asking candidates about UFOs, childhood nicknames or sports teams, the press needs to ask candidates how they intend to unlock solutions to the climate crisis. Reporters and their editors need to hear from readers like you and me.

Please sign our petition today and urge the press to ask much-needed questions on how candidates will address global warming.

Sincerely,

Cathy Zoi
CEO
Alliance for Climate Protection

P.S. You can see the League of Conservation Voters' study here.

Inovative JUSCO plastic bag recycling mathod ^^

I received an email from my brother Nic regarding Jusco new way of recycling plastic bags. 
Well i'm not trying to promote this 'innovative' way of  recycling but rather
use the pictures below to remind everyone who is reading this.

"We can all make a difference today and everyday. Look at the kid. He made a difference!"
- Mervin



 

Okie... stop laughing dude...

Way to Go GREEN. Banning the styrofoam once and for all

I'm very delighted to hear the news that USM has ban the use of styrofoam containers once and for all.  ^o^
The first thing that came through my mine was the faces of those who helped in making this possible especially all the dedicated committee members. 
It's been a long and tiring journey since the beginning of the establishment of KAS club, i sincerely thank each and everyone of you for making a stand and making a difference.

Here's the article from the star newspaper.

Sincere thanks to
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Prof Datuk Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
Prof. Madya Dr. Omar Osman
Dr. Lee Lik Ming
Dr. Nurul Salmi Abdul Latip
Dr. Foong Swee Yeok
Don and Mylene

KAS committee members
Mervin Low Ze Han
Mahfuzah Othman
Ong Ke Shin
Yip Lye Ping
Ong Su Yean
Nur Izni Sawal
Siti Zubaidah Rahman
Esther Ooi Hooi Kheng
Woo Sau Pinn
Lam Wai Kheng
Kang Fong Liang
Teh Chiew Peng
Rosmawati Yusof
Chuah Chern Chung
Zahanis Soffia Zaharin
Loh Tien Hock
Siti Sarah Sohhimi
Farah Alia Nordin
Chek Min Fey
Sophia Ho Soc Hwa

Tzu Chi Group
Rancangan Khidmat Masyarakat
Members of Kampus Sejahtera and Lestari

Cheers and Keep Going,
Mervin @.@






 

Solving the Biofuels vs. Food Problem

It is highly doubtful whether biofuels can be the next generation of fuel that will replace petroleum in future.

As we know to grow biofuels, we need huge amount of land. In Tropical Climate Countries such as ours, this means removing more forest to 'grow' fuel from palm oil, corn or sugarcane.

Here's an interesting issue and finding about biofuel and food problem from the latest Times Magazine.

Read on...

How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic

Got this from 'causes'  in facebook. Pretty useful on how to dealt with climate skeptics.
Do check it out.

http://gristmill.grist.org/skeptics

WILDLIFE POSTER LAUNCH

The Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS) in collaboration
with the Zoologists Association of the University of Peradeniya has
launched a series of posters on the wildlife of Sri Lanka.

The first in the series is a set of posters on the MAMMALS of SRI
LANKA. Each poster has information on the behavior, distribution and
characteristics of each species, along with the common and scientific
names in Sinhalese and English. Additionally the Societys website
contains detailed information about the fauna and flora of Sri Lanka
for use by students and other interested individuals and
organizations.

The Posters are available for sale at a pre-launch price of Rs. 200
each and Rs. 350 for a set of 2 posters at the SLWCS Colombo HQ, at
38 Auburn Side, Dehiwala (opposite Arpico on the sea side and open
24h). For those who are interested they can also browse an extensive
library on Sri Lankan related natural history and scientific
publications. The posters will also be available at the Zoologists'
Association office in the Dept. of Zoology, Faculty of Science,
University of Peradeniya. The posters will also be available for sale
at leading bookshops shortly. A number of poster sets will also be
donated to a few selected organizations and schools.

Posters can be sent internationally and ordered by credit card. Email
info@slwcs.org
for details.


For more information on the SLWCS visit the Societys website at:
http://www.slwcs.org/

Message from Clean Up the World

THANK YOU FROM IAN KIERNAN FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN CLEAN UP THE WORLD 2007‏

Watch the video

http://www.cleanuptheworld.org/en/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaSFLJAUHxc

Hi, Ian Kiernan, the founder of Clean Up the World here.
2007 has been an amazing year – full of challenges but also full of achievements.

Your efforts throughout the year have been nothing short of inspirational. It really has been and incredible year and I applaud all of you for the role you played, for the difference you have made to the world.

When we went to the United Nations Environment Programme in 1993 with the idea that the success of Clean Up Australia could be taken to the rest of the world, we had no idea how wide and how far Clean Up the World would spread in 15 years.

I’d like to highlight just some of the achievements of the members of the 15th Clean Up the World campaign this year:

More than 730 organisations from over 120 countries took part in the campaign in 2007.

You worked with over 20,000 groups engaging millions of volunteers to carry out clean up’s, tree plantings, educational workshops and even festivals to raise awareness and improve your local environment.

Importantly, many of you were also able to engage the support of local partners to carry out your activities, ensuring that the whole community got involved.

Where you have reported back to us, a summary of the activities you and other participants have undertaken, along with an overview of the campaign will be available early 2008 in our Clean Up the World Activity Report.

Looking ahead, 2008 is going to be another year when your commitment and passion for the environment will be so important.

Your local community needs leaders to ensure the environment continues to improve, rather than suffer.

Your local community needs you to be a leader.

On your behalf, I would also like to acknowledge the role that our international partners play in supporting the campaign.

Quite simply, without them we would not be able to support and promote your efforts and recruit new participants to the campaign.

This year, a special thanks goes to our long term partners The United Nations Environment Programme and the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

However, we also would like to acknowledge the valuable contributions made by Brambles, Qantas, National Geographic Channels International and Marriott International.

Finally, the Clean Up the World team and I wish you, your participants and supporters all the best for the end of this year and for your plans for 2008.

With your help, we will be able to build on the momentum for action, which will produce on-the-ground environmental and social outcomes for the good of our planet and for future generations.
We look forward to working with you again in 2008.

THANK YOU FROM IAN KIERNAN FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN CLEAN UP THE WORLD 2007‏

Spend your Christmas sustainably

For some, climate fight is about survival

This morning, while i was having breakfast in one of the hostel inn in Fukuoka, an article from a newspaper caught my eye. The title was `For some, climate fight is about survival`.
Here is the article that i would like to share with you, Please click here.

An environmental activist and a Pacific Islander pose for a photo on Kuta Beach after the end of the UN Climate Conference in Bali.
(Ed Wray/The Associated Press)

For more GREEN articles. Check out iht.com/bog

Highlight of Nagasaki University School Festival

On 22-24 November, NU celebrates the annual school festival.
Just like our Convocation celebration with ton's of events, exhibitions and stalls.
I noticed some difference which we can learn and implement it in our school.
Read on to find out more...


Entrance of NU at night lighten brightly


Students selling food and drinks.


All the price of items sold are given huge discount on the last day in the evening.


The students sell organic vegetables grown in the university.


Performances during the festival


The poster caught my eye when we passed by the environmental department booth.


They did far more better then Convocation in USM.
Items are seperated into 9 catagories!!! Unbelievable isn't it.

It's time to ACT. NOW

Quote of the month