More dangerous signs of climate change: A road map is necessary

The effect of GHG emissions and deforestation yet made by man may be more dangerous than what scientists have ever forecasted. Talks in Durban to limit global temperature rises to 2C, agreed in Copenhagen Conference in 2009, will not prevent the possibility of dangerous climate change, warns Dr. Hansen, the scientist who first raised the alarm over global warming at US senate hearings in 1988. He believes carbon dioxide concentrations – now at nearly 389 parts per million (ppm) – should be no higher than 350ppm to stop catastrophic events such as the melting of ice sheets, dramatic sea level rises and methane being released from beneath the permafrost.
Signs of these possible effects of climate change have been observed. In an exclusive interview with The Independent, Igor Semiletov, of the Far Eastern branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that he has never before witnessed the scale and force of the methane– a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide – being released from beneath the Arctic seabed.
"Earlier we found torch-like structures like this but they were only tens of metres in diameter. This is the first time that we've found continuous, powerful and impressive seeping structures, more than 1,000 metres in diameter. It's amazing," Dr Semiletov said. "I was most impressed by the sheer scale and high density of the plumes. Over a relatively small area we found more than 100, but over a wider area there should be thousands of them."
Scientists estimate that there are hundreds of millions of tonnes of methane gas locked away beneath the Arctic permafrost, which extends from the mainland into the seabed of the relatively shallow sea of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf. One of the greatest fears is that with the disappearance of the Arctic sea-ice in summer, and rapidly rising temperatures across the entire region, which are already melting the Siberian permafrost, the trapped methane could be suddenly released into the atmosphere leading to rapid and severe climate change.
Read more about that in:
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/father-of-climate-change-2c-limit-is-not-enough-6273721.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/shock-as-retreat-of-arctic-sea-ice-releases-deadly-greenhouse-gas-6276134.html
The solution can come through curbing GHG emissions turning to renewable sources of energy , further actions in efficient use of energy and too by stopping deforestation and instead promoting afforestation. Today great emitters of some developing countries, China and India, think that reducing or limiting their GHG emissions imply a reduction in their necessary development to satisfy people demands. Other great emitters of developed countries, USA, perhaps doesn’t limit their emissions waiting for a solution in the advancement of science and technology to make the alternatives of green economies more attractive and competitive than the actual traditional economy responsible of GHG emissions made by man. It is time to act beginning in planning a road map so as to limit GHG emissions and to invest much more in R+ D+ I in green economies.

Energy, climate change, water and green economy

Energía, cambio climático, agua y economía verde

Energía, cambio climático, agua y economía verde están íntimamente relacionados. Si de verdad queremos encontrar soluciones sostenibles, debemos asegurarnos de que nos dirigimos a los cuatro de una manera simultanea. Son piezas del mismo rompecabezas y por lo tanto no es práctico verlas de manera aislada. Cuando usted tiene un problema de energía, sin duda no se puede resolver un problema de agua; Esto funciona también a la inversa. Y si usted está preocupado por el cambio climático, en realidad está preocupado por la energía, el agua y la economía verde - ya sea que lo sepa o no. Los responsables políticos, las universidades y centros de investigación, empresas y sociedad civil están trabajando duro tratando de encontrar soluciones a los desafíos del agua y la energía dentro de una economía verde de lucha contra el cambio climático.

¿Por qué este tema importa tanto ahora?
"El cambio climático se espera que va a exacerbar las tensiones actuales sobre los recursos hídricos. [...] Se prevé una aceleración en el siglo 21 de las pérdidas de masa generalizadas de los glaciares y de las reducciones en la capa de nieve en las últimas décadas, reduciendo la disponibilidad de agua, potencial hidroeléctrico, y cambiando la estacionalidad de los flujos (en algunas regiones)”.
Grupo Intergubernamental de Expertos sobre el Cambio Climático, Cambio climático 2007: Informe de Síntesis
Por ello es extremadamente importante realizar una gestión sostenible del agua y de los ecosistemas hídricos. En los últimos años se ha agravado la sequía en el sur de Europa, Asia Central, África, Oriente Medio y regiones de Australia; mientras que las inundaciones provocan cada vez más muertes y perjuicios económicos en China, Pakistán, India, Tailandia y países europeos.
Se prevé un aumento en la demanda global de energía primaria de poco más del 50% de aquí al 2030. Shell dice que vamos a necesitar lo equivalente a cuatro Arabias Saudíes de petróleo más. Las extracciones de agua dulce se prevé que aumenten un 50% para el año 2025 en los países en desarrollo, y el 18% en los países desarrollados.
El aumento de la demanda de energía producirá un aumento en las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero y en el calentamiento del planeta y por ello la disponibilidad del agua será reducida en consecuencia (de cierta calidad y cantidad, y en un momento dado, un lugar o de flujo).Mucha de esta demanda serìa del carbón por ser más barato para centrales térmicas, especialmente en China. Mientras la demanda de energía será mas creciente para conseguir agua. Un modelo nuevo y genuino de las energías renovables y el ahorro y la eficiencia en el uso de la energía y el agua dentro de una economía verde son necesarios para enfrentarse con estos retos de un riesgo probable.

La actual crisis financiera representa una oportunidad para volver a analizar la manera de gestionar este riesgo. Tenemos que aprender a considerar los temas críticos como el agua, energía, cambio climático, los alimentos, la tierra, el desarrollo y los ecosistemas en conjunto. Impulsar las nuevas energías renovables y la eficiencia en el uso de agua y energía mediante la inversión en (I+D+i) en tecnologías e infraestructura son vías fundamentales para lograr los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio. Es esencial que la actual crisis financiera no lleve a una caída en el apoyo a estas vías.
De un tiempo para acá, se viene hablando de la”‘economía verde” que se considera todavía como un concepto emergente. Su eje central, según la Agencia Europea de Medio Ambiente, es la idea de revitalizar economías a medida que vayan saliendo de la reciente crisis económica, a la vez que se reducen de manera significativa sus riesgos medioambientales y se solucionan los problemas de escasez ecológica. A nivel global, hacer la economía más sostenible es el corazón de unos esfuerzos renovados por integrar consideraciones medioambientales y sociales dentro de la toma de decisiones económicas de gran calado, hasta y más allá de la Conferencia de Río sobre Desarrollo Sostenible que celebrará la ONU en 2012.
Finalizo con una reflexión de la profesora Jacqueline McGlade, directora ejecutiva de la Agencia Europea de Medio Ambiente “necesitamos seguir reforzando el vínculo entre política e información. Se trata de un camino en dos direcciones; los responsables de las políticas deben hacer un mejor uso del abanico de informaciones medioambientales disponible actualmente; pero, al mismo tiempo, las evaluaciones medioambientales deben concebirse de la manera más relevante de cara a las políticas.” Algo que sigue brillando por su ausencia en muchos casos por imperativos inmediatos de circunstancias.
“Si queremos sostener el desarrollo social y económica, tendremos que hacer que nuestras economías sean más verdes. Esto implica una gestión equitativa de los recursos limitados, sin comprometer las funciones esenciales del ecosistema. Nuestra capacidad, como sociedad, para alcanzar con éxito este objetivo dependerá del acceso que tengamos a información y evaluaciones medioambientales relevantes, creíbles y legítimas.”

Dr. Mahmoud M. Rabbani

Trabaja y escribe en asuntos de medio ambiente

Publicado en Diario de Navarra y en Hispagua.cedex.es

Industrial estates can be partially turned to green energies

Indusrial Estate Landaben in Pamplona, Spain

Wind turbines and solar panels will be becoming familiar sights at car assembly plants as automakers slash carbon emissions not only of the models they produce, but along the whole production chain.
From 2013, BMW has decided to install wind turbines at its plant in Leipzig in eastern Germany to provide the power for the assembly of its electric and hybrid models, the i3 and the i8, being unveiled at this year's IAA motor show.
French giant Renault boasts that has opened a "zero-carbon" factory at Tangiers, Morocco, powered by wind turbines while biomass generators provide steam and heating and manufacturing waste is recycled.
And in an investment that could prove attractive not only in image terms, but in financial terms, too, the auto giant is planning to equip its French sites with solar panels by 2012.
Further information about green energies in car assembly plants in:
http://www.france24.com/en/20110914-carmakers-turn-green-energy-assembly-plants

Well, that can be extended too covering many industry plants and workshops that capture wind and solar energy in their areas. Then it will not be unusual to see solar panels upon roofs of premises in industrial estates and wind turbines decorating their panoramas. New sources of renewable energies can be so operated in situ to satisfy some of energy demands in factories and workshops in industrial parks.

Andasol: The largest thermo solar park of Europe operating now in Granada, Spain.

In a plain near the Sierra Nevada in Granada, Spain, a spectacular complex of parabolic mirrors has emerged in recent years, which track the sun from east to west, every day. For the focus of each group of mirrors, or collector, through a special glass tube, oil circulates whose temperature is increased from 300 to 400 degree temperature along the circuit due to concentrating sunlight on it, and then it gives up the heat to the water that, in the form of steam, drives a turbine. So solar energy is transformed into electricity, as in a conventional power station, using the sun as a source of clean and free energy and not coal, petroleum or gas, avoiding so greenhouse gases emissions.
Part of the energy collected during the day through the collectors is stored as heat in molten salts within huge deposits to continue generating electricity eight hours after sunset. When the days are not sunny the station can be operated by gas. They are more than 600,000 mirrors, between 2 and 2.8 meters wide, occupying a very large space, equivalent to about 210 football fields, to produce a relatively modest total power -150 MW-but it is enough to serve half a million inhabitants and that-a very important-save 450,000 tons of CO2 annually.
Andasol is already, having carried out this month the third phase, the largest thermo solar park in Europe; but is, above all, a remarkable feat of engineering on which to base future installations of this type in southern Europe and also in northern Africa and Middle East, where there are vast and empty deserts with sunlight and high temperatures.
The best available technology for the right place, with the highest viability and lowest possible cost and environmental impact. This is always the challenge to install solar energy.

Further information about Andasol in:

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/futuro/600000/espejos/sol/Granada/elpepusocfut/20111019elpepifut_1/Tes

Deal with environmental hazards for emergencies of a crowded planet

Enfrentar un peligro ecológico por las emergencias de un planeta abarrotado

La Tierra está sufriendo del hombre que le pide más y más recursos para sobrevivir y satisfacer sus aspiraciones para el consumo. ¿Pueden los avances tecnológicos evitar un colapso total de nuestro planeta?
Según la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación (FAO), el crecimiento de la población requerirá un aumento en la producción agrícola de un 50% en 2030 y el 70% en 2050. Para la mayoría de los expertos, la Tierra tiene el potencial para alcanzar estos objetivos y alimentar a 9 mil millones de personas para el año 2050 que podría tener.
De seguir las actuales tendencias de producción y consumo mundiales, ello conduciría a un aumento de 590 millones de hectáreas de tierras cultivadas o utilizadas para la ganadería (un billón y medio de hectáreas se utilizan hoy en día), pérdida de biodiversidad, un aumento de los problemas ambientales y aceleración del cambio climático.
Todos estos fenómenos se pueden evitar con otro escenario alternativo. Pero eso requiere una convergencia global hacia un nuevo modo de consumo: la disponibilidad de alimentos entonces sería de 3.000 kilocalorías por día por persona (incluyendo 500 animales), una disminución del 25% en promedio para la población de países ricos de su dieta actual; y un aumento equivalente para todos los habitantes del África Subsahariana.
La necesidad de una transición a un nuevo modelo agrícola mundial es cada vez más sugerido, incluso dentro de las instituciones internacionales: "Tenemos que asegurar una transición suave de los sistemas alimentarios y agrícolas a sistemas más eficientes y menos contaminantes " , escriben expertos del Comité de la Plataforma de Seguridad Alimentaria de la ONU en un informe el lunes 17 de octubre.
Se pone gran énfasis en la necesidad de producir más para satisfacer la creciente demanda. Pero nos olvidamos del desperdicio de alimentos o del uso de biocombustibles que compiten con los cultivos de alimentos... "
De acuerdo con un estudio publicado en 2009, el 40% de los alimentos disponibles en los EE.UU. se desperdician cada año.



Más información en:

http://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2011/10/20/face-aux-perils-ecologiques-les-urgences-d-une-planete-surpeuplee_1590844_3244.html#ens_id=1590846

Climate sceptics are lessening public concern about global warming

In a briefing at the Royal Society in London on October 10th, Dr Hansen, who heads NASA's Goddard Institute of Space Studies, and is widely thought of as "the father of global warming" – his dramatic alert about climate change in US Senate hearings in July 1988 put the issue on the world agenda, was frank about the success with public opinion of the climate sceptics ,whom he termed "the climate contrarians", in effectively lessening public concern about global warming.
I think that the actual economic crisis is helping the sceptics in their battle.In spite that the greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions have increased 45% since Kyoto protocol in 1990 and the extreme climatic phenomenos that we have seen in this period.The target agreed upon was an average reduction of 5.2% from 1990 levels by the year 2012.Unfortunately,for economic reasons,carbon is everyday widely more used increasing GHG emissions and so global warming,especially in China, who became the first responsable for GHG emissions in the world followed by USA.
Part of the problem, Hansen said, was that the climate sceptic lobby employed communications professionals, whereas "scientists are just barely competent at communicating with the public and don't have the wherewithal to do it."
When he was asked if anything might re-alert the public to the dangers of climate change, Dr Hansen said: "Mother Nature."
Significant climatic "extreme events" were now occurring over 10 to 15 per cent of the planet annually, whereas between 1950 to 1980 they occurred over less than 1 per cent. He added: "So in places like Texas this year, Moscow last year, and Europe in 2003, the climate change is so big that they are undeniable. Within 10 to 15 years they're going to occur over 15 to 20 per cent of the planet, so people have to notice that the climate is changing."
Hansen's evidence that the world is warming

Texas, summer 2011
The US state this year has had its driest summer since record-keeping began in 1895, with 75 per cent of the state classified as "exceptional drought", the worst level. Shortages of grass, hay and water have forced ranchers to thin their herds – where this cow died, in the San Angelo area, there has been less than three inches of rain.
Moscow, August 2010
Russia experienced its hottest-ever summer last year – for weeks, a large portion of European Russia was more than 7 °C (12.6 °F) warmer than normal, and a new national record was set of 44 °C (111 °F). Raging forest fires filled Moscow with smoke, forcing the cancellation of air services and obliging people to don face masks.
Northern Europe, 2003
Shrivelled French grapes at the end of Europe's hottest summer on record, in 2003. The heatwave led to health crises in several countries and more than 40,000 people are thought to have died. Britain experienced its first (and so far only) 100+ F air temperature – 101.3°F (38.5°C) recorded at Brogdale, Kent, on 10 August.

More information about the briefing in http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/global-warning-climate-sceptics-are-winning-the-battle-2368617.html

Energy, climate change and water links

Energy, climate change and water are inextricably linked. If we truly want to find sustainable solutions, we must ensure that we address all three in a holistic way. They are pieces of the same puzzle and therefore it is not practical to look at them in isolation. When you have an energy problem, you cannot resolve certainly a water problem. It works the other way, too. And if you are concerned about climate change, you are actually concerned about both energy and water – whether you know it or not. Policy makers, universities and research centres, companies and civil society are all hard at work trying to find solutions to water and energy challenges. More research and increased knowledge sharing among all these actors is necessary. Together we can break down the silos and develop solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems.
Why this issue matters now
“Climate change is expected to exacerbate current stresses on water resources.[…] Widespread mass losses from glaciers and reductions in snow cover over recent decades are projected to accelerate through the 21st century, reducing water availability, hydropower potential, and changing seasonality of flows ( in some regions)”.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report

Global primary energy demand is projected to increase by just over 50% between now
and 2030. Freshwater withdrawals are predicted to increase by 50% by 2025 in developing countries, and 18% in developed countries.
Increased energy demand will produce more greenhouse gases emissions and so more environmental warming and consequently reduced water availability (of a certain quality and quantity, and at a given time, place or flow) and more increasing energy demand to get water. A new and genuine model for renewable energies and efficiency in energy and water use are necessary to meet these challenges of a probable risk.
Today’s financial crisis presents an opportunity for us to revisit the way we manage this challenge risk. We need to learn to consider critical issues such as water, energy, climate change, food, land, development and ecosystem services together. Boosting water and energy use efficiency through investment in relevant technologies and infrastructure are critical pathways to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. It is essential that the current financial crisis not lead to a drop in this support.
Water and energy policy need to be interlinked: Reliable energy, GHG emissions, climate change and water data, models and analysis tools are too needed to assess risk and make informed decisions or plans. Reliable meteorological and hydrological data should be collected at national and sub national levels for that too.
On the other hand, water and energy efficiency are linked, and this needs to be expressed clearly in measurement tools and policy. A comprehensive, common approach to water and energy efficiency- or “foot print”- measurement is needed. Also, policy on water efficiency should include energy efficiency and vice versa, because trade-offs and synergies do exist between them.

More information in:
http://www.wbcsd.org/DocRoot/Dg6GYWJq7xuaLO0OwZOi/WaterEnergyandClimateChange.pdf

Reducing Dioxins in Cement Kilns during burning wastes

Las dioxinas no se forman allá donde el oxígeno es suficiente y la temperatura de incineración es la adecuada tanto dentro del horno como en la salida de los gases de emisión. Sin embargo, si se forman durante el calentamiento de residuos bajo condiciones de escasez de oxígeno en las incineradoras o cementeras o/y temperaturas no adecuadas. Los residuos clorados bajo condiciones de escasez de oxígeno producen fácilmente las dioxinas cloradas, causantes de cáncer. Se pueden incluso formar dioxinas clorados, durante la incineración de la madera bajo condiciones pobres de oxígeno, a partir de las ligninas y los hongos blancos de la madera que contienen cloro e incluso del poquísimo cloro que pueda existir en el aire. Por ello, las medidas correctoras y condiciones técnicas de prevención, usando las técnicas asequibles disponibles más adecuadas y las condiciones de temperatura y suministro de oxígeno más adecuadas para ello es necesario; aparte de seguir programas de vigilancia y control, realizando tanto los autocontroles de análisis interno por la fábrica emisora de las dioxinas, como externo por organismos acreditados por la Administración pública.
La formación de dioxinas se puede reprimir y que sean destruidos mediante altas temperaturas ( 1420-1480ºC) y tiempos largos de permanencia que son standard en los hornos de cemento. También se puede limitar la formación de dioxinas limitando la cantidad de residuos clorados en el mix de residuos usado tanto en cementeras o incineradoras y también enfriando rápidamente los gases de salida tanto en hornos que emplean procesos húmedos y en los hornos con procesos largos y secos . Los datos de varios hornos de cemento operando sugieren que los hornos precalentados y precalcinados dan emisiones más bajos de dioxinas y furanos clorados PCDD/ PCDF que los hornos de procesos húmedos.

Fast glaciers melting have worrying implications over agriculture and water supplies

Algunos glaciares de Patagonia funden 100 veces más rápido que en cualquier momento de los últimos 350 años.

Las conclusiones, basadas en una nueva técnica de cálculo de pérdida de hielo desarrollada, estudiando los glaciares de Patagonia en Sudamérica, tienen implicaciones inquietantes para la irrigación de cultivo y suministros de agua en el mundo entero. La cantidad de hielo perdido de Patagonia es equivalente a una quinta parte, más del contenido del Lago Erie, uno de los Grandes Lagos de Norteamérica.

Los científicos del descubrimiento dicen que sus conclusiones muestran que la velocidad de fusión al principio del siglo XX era mucho más lenta que la calculada antes pero que durante los últimos 30 años ha sido considerablemente más rápido que lo supuesto. Lo que más alarmó al equipo era que la velocidad de pérdida se ha acelerado rápidamente desde 1980.

Read more at:http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-04-glaciers-faster-thought.html

El calentamiento del planeta causado por mayores emisiones de CO2 y otros de efecto invernadero por las actividades del hombre provocan supuestamente las pérdidas de estos glaciales. La lucha contra el cambio climático, reduciendo las emisiones de gases con efecto invernadero, debe ser un objetivo prioritario para evitar mayores pérdidas de hielo del planeta y sus implicaciones sobre la escasez de agua para la agricultura y el suministro de agua para los ya casi 7000 millones de habitantes de la tierra.

Europe planning to ban gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2050

Transport fuel supply today, in particular to the road sector, is dominated by oil , which has proven reserves that are expected to last around 40 years . The combustion of mineral oil derived fuels gives rise to CO2 emissions and, despite the fact the fuel efficiency of new vehicles has been improving, so that these emit significantly less CO2 , total CO2 emissions from transport have increased by 24% from 1990 to 2008, representing 19.5% of total European Union (EU) greenhouse gas emissions.
The EU objective is an overall reduction of CO2 emissions of 80-95% by the year 2050, with respect to the 1990 level. Decarbonisation of transport and the substitution of oil as transport fuel therefore have both the same time horizon of 2050. Improvement of transport efficiency and management of transport volumes are necessary to support the reduction of CO2 emissions while fossil fuels still dominate, and to enable finite renewable resources to meet the full energy demand from transport in the long term.
Alternative fuel options for substituting oil as energy source for propulsion in transport are:
• Electricity/hydrogen, and biofuels (liquids) as the main options
• Synthetic fuels as a technology bridge from fossil to biomass based fuels
• Methane (natural gas and biomethane) as complementary fuels
• LPG as supplement

Read more at:
http://ec.europa.eu/transport/urban/vehicles/directive/doc/2011_01_25_future_transport_fuels_report.pdf

La reducción de los límites de velocidad en autopista: ¿lo bueno que es para el medio ambiente?

Bajar los límites de velocidad en las autopistas están generalmente asociados con la seguridad vial. Sin embargo, varios países europeos están ahora debatiendo si ello también beneficia al medio ambiente y, en caso afirmativo, ¿cuánto? No hay ninguna manera sencilla de medir los beneficios ambientales de limitar la velocidad máxima, ya que varios factores juegan claramente un papel clave.
La teoría es bastante simple. Limitar la velocidad en las autopistas debería reducir el consumo de combustible y las emisiones contaminantes, en particular para los turismos. Suponiendo una conducción suave (aceleración y frenado poco), la actual tecnología de los vehículos de pasajeros y el cumplimiento total con los límites de velocidad, se estima que la reducción del límite de velocidad en la autopista de 120 a 110 kilómetros por hora reduciría el consumo de combustible en un 12% para los vehículos diésel y el 18% los vehículos de gasolina.

Por supuesto, estos supuestos son bastante artificiales. En realidad, una variedad de factores que pueden limitar el ahorro de combustible, incluyendo los niveles de eficiencia energética del parque de vehículos, los patrones de conducción, exceso de velocidad y la congestión del tráfico. En un escenario más realista - incluyendo casos de superación de límite de velocidad y las frecuentes fluctuaciones en la velocidad del vehículo - el ahorro real de combustible sería sólo un 2-3%.

Leer más en la página de la Agencia Europea de Medio Ambiente:

http://www.eea.europa.eu/articles/reducing-speed-limits-on-motorways

Madrid y Barcelona se enfrentan a una contaminación preocupante

Madrid y Barcelona, las dos mayores ciudades de España, tomaron esta semana medidas contra la contaminación del aire, por su gran alcance debido a un anticiclón de gran alcance , limitando la velocidad de los coches o la recomendación de utilizar el transporte público.
Los niveles de contaminantes en la atmósfera han alcanzado el pasado fin de semana en Barcelona el doble del nivel permitido por la Unión Europea. A las nueve de la noche, prácticamente no había estaciones marcadas en verde en el mapa de la web municipal de calidad del aire de Madrid, informa el Diario El País.
Las medidas tomadas no son suficientes y se exigen medidas más concretas: restringir el tráfico de coches privados en el centro de la ciudad, aumentar el transporte público y con precios más bajos (more public transport and lower reliance on automobile),favorecer y promocionar los vehículos menos contaminantes, el aumento de las tarifas de estacionamiento, el desarrollo del traslado en bicicleta y más zonas peatonales, la creación de grandes plazas de estacionamiento en las afueras , revisión de sistemas de calefacción yendo hacia sistemas más limpias,reducción de emisionesde sistemas industriales de combustión, planes de choque, programas de educación y sensibilización etc.
"La contaminación mata a 16.000 personas prematuramente cada año en España", según cifras citadas por la Comisión Europea el miércoles por Ecologistas en Acción. "Puede aumentar la tasa de mortalidad de 5%", dijo Javier González Medel, portavoz de la Asociación en Defensa de la Salud Pública en Madrid.

WWF: Highest environmental standards required for deep-sea floor drilling for gas in the eastern Mediterranean.

After the drilling of oil and oil spill risks they entail, the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) warned on Wednesday February 9 against environmental risks of drilling in deep waters to exploit gas deposits colossal in the eastern Mediterranean, which would cause irreversible damage to marine biodiversity.
The recently discovered Leviathan gas field, 135 km off the coast of Israel - Palestine, is the world’s biggest deepwater gas find in a decade – with an estimated volume of 16 trillion cubic feet of gas – while the West Nile Delta gas field, discovered earlier this year, lies in Egyptian waters, 80 km northwest of Alexandria.
But on these two areas sits a unique and delicate marine ecosystem, whose rich biological communities host rare species of deep-sea sponges, worms, molluscs and cold water corals – some of which are thousands of years old.
The Levant Sea is protected by such laws as a Mediterranean-wide ban on destructive trawl fishing beyond the depth of 1,000 metres by the UN’s General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, and encompasses two deep-sea Fisheries Restricted Areas where other potentially harmful activities are also limited – in recognition of the sea bed’s value and fragility.
WWF is calling on the eastern Mediterranean states – particularly on Cyprus, Egypt, Israel and Lebanon – and on the European Union, to ensure that the highest environmental standards are set regarding current and prospective developments in deep-sea floor drilling for gas and oil in the eastern Mediterranean, including exploratory drilling and future commercial exploitation.

Further information on: http://wwf.panda.org/?uNewsID=199297

Spain: Desalination plant powered by renewable energy without brine discharge

A report by researchers at the Cartagena Technical University (UPCT) in Spain outlines a desalination process using renewable energy and resulting in lower environmental impacts. Population and industrial growth have placed a heavy demand on water supplies. Moreover, climate change and population density have brought the topic of water sustainability to the fore. Since the 1960s, Spain has been a global leader in desalination, and remains the largest user in the Western world of such technologies. Today, Spain's more than 700 desalination plants produce 1.6 million cubic metres of water a day - enough to meet the needs of eight million people. Over the last four decades, Spain has developed the second largest tourist industry in the world. Such growth has necessitated significant development along the country's Mediterranean coast. To meet the water demands of the region's many golf courses and holiday resorts, local authorities have relied heavily on desalination. However traditional desalination processes can cause environmental damage when brine, which has a higher salt concentration than seawater, is pumped back into the sea. Moreover, a study on the potential impacts of desalination drafted for the European Commission found that in view of Europe's proposed 20-20-20 environmental target, desalination would place a high demand on energy resources at a time when increasing energy efficiency was a priority. The UPC desalination plant would involve both distillation and vapour compression, driven by renewable energy. The system proposed reduces environmental impacts and promises 100 m3 of freshwater an hour. Initially, seawater distillation would use heat provided by solar cells. The resulting saltwater flow would then be fed into a vapour compressor, driven by wind turbines, for final separation of salt and water.
Further information on:
‘Seawater integrated desalination plant without brine discharge and powered by renewable energy systems', Desalination 235 (2009):
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6TFX-4V476YK-K-1&_cdi=5238&_user=10&_orig=browse&_coverDate=01%2F15%2F2009&_sk=997649998&view=c&wchp=dGLbVzb-zSkWz&md5=2094de858c629b586f937df496b0e9bd&ie=/sdarticle.pdf
‘Potential impacts of desalination development on energy consumption', DG Environment study:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/quantity/pdf/desalination.pdf
Related information on the ETAP website:
‘The desalination technology race':
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/etap/pdfs/desalination.pdf

El Comité de las Regiones de la Unión Europea (CoR) busca contribuciones para las políticas del agua sostenible.

Pantano de Itoiz en Navarra (Spain)

La política del agua debe promover una gestión eficiente y sostenible de los recursos hídricos y las autoridades locales y regionales tienen un papel importante que desempeñar en este contexto. Como parte de la "eficiencia de recursos" iniciativa insignia de la estrategia "Europa 2020, la Comisión Europea llevará a cabo una revisión de la política de aguas de la UE para el año 2012.
Con esto en mente, el Comité de las Regiones propone adoptar un dictamen prospectivo sobre "El papel de las autoridades regionales y locales en la promoción de una política sostenible del agua" en su sesión plenaria en junio de este año. Nichi Vendola (IT / PSE), Presidente de la Región de Puglia, miembro de la Comisión CDR ENVE y el coordinador político de la Plataforma europea de seguimiento de 2020, asumirá el papel de ponente de este dictamen.

EU Committee of the Regions (CoR) seeks input on sustainable water policies
Water policy must promote efficient and sustainable management of water resources and local and regional authorities have an important role to play in this context. As part of the "Resource Efficiency" Flagship Initiative of the Europe 2020 strategy, the European Commission will carry out a review of EU water policy by 2012.
With this in mind, the Committee of the Regions intends to adopt an outlook opinion on "The role of regional and local authorities in promoting a sustainable water policy" at its plenary session in June this year. Nichi Vendola (IT/PES), President of the Region of Puglia, member of the CoR ENVE Commission and the political coordinator of the Europe 2020 Monitoring Platform, will take on the role of rapporteur for this opinion.
Read more in:
http://www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/news/2011/01/eu-committee-regions-cor-seeks-input-sustainable-water-policies

Public transport and lower reliance on the automobile may make big cities not always the biggest polluters

Big cities like New York, London and Shanghai send less pollution into the atmosphere per capita than places like Denver and Rotterdam, said a study released on Tuesday.
Researchers examined data from 100 cities in 33 nations for clues about which were the biggest polluters and why, according to the report in the peer-reviewed journal Environment and Urbanization.
While cities across the world were to blame for around 71 per cent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, urban dwellers who can use public transport rather than drive helped to lower per capita emissions in some cities.
For instance, the sprawling western US city of Denver's per capita emissions were nearly double those in New York City, home to eight million inhabitants and a gritty, heavily used subway system.
'This is mainly attributable to New York's greater density and much lower reliance on the automobile for commuting,' said the study.
Even Denver's per capita emissions, at 21.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, were sharply higher than Shanghai at 11.2 tCO2e, Paris (5.2) and Athens (10.4)
An analysis of three neighborhoods in Toronto found that the highest emissions came from the suburbs, where streets are lined with large single family homes that are far from commercial centers.
The lowest levels of emissions came from areas with apartment complexes in walking distance to shopping and transit.

Using seawater and sun power to produce food, energy and drinking water in deserted zones

EMWIS (Euro-Mediterranean Information System on the know-how in the Water Sector)-EMWIS is a program of the Union for the Mediterranean- informs the following:
A green machine that promises to turn sun and seawater into food, fuel and drinking water will be tried out in the desert near the Red Sea in Jordan, project partners announced. The Sahara Forest Project has the potential to turn deserts into green oases that soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and thus curb global climate change. It’s the sort of thing environmentalists who aren't afraid of geoengineering might describe as dreamy.
How it works:
The machine integrates a 10-megawatt solar power plant with a high-tech greenhouse and desalination system to turn readily available sun and seawater into life essentials that are increasingly difficult to acquire affordably in the Middle East. Here's how it works: Saltwater pumped from the Red Sea is evaporated from grilles at the front of the greenhouse to create cool and humid conditions, which are good for growing food and algae. The algae can be used to produce more food or fuel. As the cool and humid air leaves the growing area, it passes over a second evaporator containing seawater heated by the sun, which warms the air so it can hold even more water. This hot and humid air then meets a series of vertical pipes that have been cooled by seawater, which causes the freshwater vapours to condense and trickle as freshwater droplets down the tubes for collection. This freshwater is then heated by a concentrated solar power plant, which creates steam to turn turbines that generate electricity. The electricity powers the pumps and fans used to bring saltwater in from the Red Sea and grow crops and algae in the greenhouse. Leftover freshwater will be used to re-green the area around the greenhouse, creating that carbon-soaking vegetative sponge.
Funding and rollout Project partners signed a deal to build a demonstration machine on a 50-acre site in Aqaba with funding from the Norwegian government. The designers estimate the construction cost to be $110 million (80 million euros). In addition, the project has rights for expansion onto 500 acres. In-depth feasibility studies will be conducted throughout 2011. Construction of the pilot plant is slated for 2012, with commercial-scale development eyed for 2015. Partners in the Sahara Forest Project include London-based Max Fordham Consulting Engineers, Seawater Greenhouse, Exploration Architecture, and the Oslo, Norway-based Bellona Foundation.

My comment is that it would be a great acheivement to expand as a new model of sustainable development taking advantage of sun power and seawater for desertic zones in many countries.

Read the complete information at:
http://www.emwis.org/thematicdirs/news/2011/01/jordan-sahara-forest-aqaba-turn-sun-and-seawater-food-and-drinking-water

2010 was second warmest year

With a mean temperature of 14.50 °C, 2010 becomes the second warmest year on record, after 1998. The record is maintained by the Met Office and the Climatic Research Unit at UEA.

Read more at:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2011/2010-global-temperature

Speaking about the figures, Professor Phil Jones, Director of Research at the Climatic Research Unit of the University of East Anglia said: "The warmest 10 years in all three datasets are the same and have all occurred since 1998. The last 10 years 2001-2010 were warmer than the previous 10 years (1991-2000) by 0.2 °C."
These figures follow two similar announcements last week from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, which suggested that 2010 was the joint warmest year on their respective records.
Adam Scaife, head of long-range forecasting at the Met Office, said the studies painted a relatively coherent picture. "The three leading global temperature datasets show that 2010 is clearly warmer than 2009," he said. "They also show that 2010 is the warmest or second warmest year on record
The UN's World Meteorological Organisation , which bases its reports on all three sets of data, said that 2010 was the joint warmest year on record, tied with 1998 and 2005. "The 2010 data confirm the Earth's significant long-term warming trend," said the secretary-general, Michel Jarraud. "The 10 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1998."
2010 saw a number of extreme weather events, including a summer heatwave in Russia, floods in Pakistan, Australia and China and heavy snowfall in northern Europe.

Climate change may cause crop shortfalls by 2020

El cambio climático puede causar déficits en la producción agrícola para 2020:

Según un estudio publicado el 18 de enero por Universal Ecological Fund, una ONG en Argentina, titulado “Déficit alimentaria: Los impactos del cambio climático sobre la producción agrícola de aquí a 2020”, la temperatura podría subir 2,4ºC si no se toman las medidas necesarias, con efectos sobre la producción agrícola, especialmente en regiones tropicales donde vive el 60% de la población mundial.
La combinación del impacto del calentamiento del planeta sobre la agricultura y el crecimiento de la población mundial, que alcanzaría los 7,8 mil millones de individuos de aquí a 2020, tendrá efectos negativos para garantizar la alimentación mundial, poniendo en riesgo la seguridad alimentaria mundial: la producción del trigo sufrirá un déficit del 14% respecto a la demanda de aquí a 10 años, según el estudio. Esta cifra sería de 11% respecto al arroz y el 9% para el maíz.

Leer sobre ello en: http://hendrawanm.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/will-climate-change-cause-crop-shortfalls-by-2020-scientific-american/

An interesting review on drought and global aridity changes

Where you read the following:

"The rapid warming since the late 1970s has increased atmospheric demand for moisture and likely altered atmospheric circulation patterns (e.g., over Africa and East Asia), both contributing to the recent drying over land. Since a large part of the recent warming is attributed to human-induced GHG increases,90 it can be concluded that human activities have contributed significantly to the recent drying trend."

You can read this interesting complete review written by Aiguo Dai at:

http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/cas/adai/papers/Dai-drought_WIRES2010.pdf

Prolonged drought may threaten many countries

The United States and many other heavily populated countries face a growing threat of severe and prolonged drought in coming decades, according to a new study by National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) scientist Aiguo Dai. The detailed analysis concludes that warming temperatures associated with climate change will likely create increasingly dry conditions across much of the globe in the next 30 years, possibly reaching a scale in some regions by the end of the century that has rarely, if ever, been observed in modern times.
Using an ensemble of 22 computer climate models and a comprehensive index of drought conditions, as well as analyses of previously published studies, the paper finds most of the Western Hemisphere, along with large parts of Eurasia, Africa, and Australia, may be at threat of extreme drought this century.
In contrast, higher-latitude regions from Alaska to Scandinavia are likely to become more moist.
Dai cautioned that the findings are based on the best current projections of greenhouse gas emissions. What actually happens in coming decades will depend on many factors, including actual future emissions of greenhouse gases as well as natural climate cycles such as El Niño.
The new findings appear this week as part of a longer review article in Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change. The study was supported by the National Science Foundation, NCAR’s sponsor.
“We are facing the possibility of widespread drought in the coming decades, but this has yet to be fully recognized by both the public and the climate change research community,” Dai says. “If the projections in this study come even close to being realized, the consequences for society worldwide will be enormous.”
While regional climate projections are less certain than those for the globe as a whole, Dai’s study indicates that most of the western two-thirds of the United States will be significantly drier by the 2030s. Large parts of the nation may face an increasing risk of extreme drought during the century.

Regions that are blue or green will likely be at lower risk of drought, while those in the yellow and red spectrum could face more unusually-extreme drought conditions. This color scale is different from the one used in the still images, below. (©UCAR. Visualization by Tim Scheitlin, Mary Haley, and Ryan McVeigh, NCAR. Based on Dai, 2010, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change. This image is freely available for media use. Please credit the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. For more information on how individuals and organizations may use UCAR images, see Media & nonprofit use*)
Other countries and continents that could face significant drying include:
• Much of Latin America, including large sections of Mexico and Brazil
• Regions bordering the Mediterranean Sea, which could become especially dry
• Large parts of Southwest Asia
• Most of Africa and Australia, with particularly dry conditions in regions of Africa
• Southeast Asia, including parts of China and neighboring countries
Read more at http://www2.ucar.edu/news/2904/climate-change-drought-may-threaten-much-globe-within-decades.

EUROPA: Safety of Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration and Production: Questions and Answers

Why do we need EU safety legislation for oil platforms?
Offshore accidents do not know borders. If a similar explosion would happen as the one in the Gulf of Mexico, this would have serious effects in many Member States. It is in the interest of citizens that the highest safety standard already existing in given company or Member States will become the standard throughout the European Union.
Although, oil platforms fall already under a series of existing EU legislation, loopholes exist: if a rig accident occurs within the zone of maximal 12 nautical miles from coast, the oil company has to pay for the water damage and take remedial actions under the EU Environmental Liability Directive. Beyond 12 miles, no such EU rules exist.
What is new?
The European Commission for the very first time envisages comprehensive EU legislation on oil platforms covering the prevention, the response and the financial liability. This might take the form of a single piece of legislation.
• Granting permits: Although Member States will continue to grant licences for drillings, they will have to apply key EU criteria. Oil companies must have a contingency plan and prove that they have the financial means available to them to pay for environmental damage caused in the event of an accident.
• Controls: Oil platforms are controlled by national authorities. These supervision tasks of national authorities should be evaluated by independent experts. This is a completely new requirement.
• Standards for safety equipment: Technical standards will ensure that only control equipment meeting the highest safety standards will be allowed. At the moment, EU product safety legislation does not apply to mobile offshore drillings.
• Damages: Oil companies will have to remedy the damage caused to the protected marine species and natural habitat up to max 200 nautical miles from the coast. At present, the EU Environmental Liability Directive does not cover fish in terms of commercial commodities but protected fish and covers only the 12 nautical mile zone as the water quality as such. The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), presently focussing on pollution caused by ships, will also help on those caused by oil platforms.
• International: The Commission will work for implementing existing international conventions and new common initiatives. At the moment, the protocol of the Barcelona Convention governing safety of oil rigs in the Mediterranean is not in force yet, as one signature is missing. If Italy will ratify as announced, the rules will enter into force.
Have you learnt from the Gulf of Mexico? Will new EU rules prevent what went wrong there?
In the case of the Deepwater Horizon rig, several failures coincided according to analyses available to date. It is already clear that the blow up preventer failed when pressure reached limits. Within the framework of technical standards of control equipment, we can set also quality standards for blow up preventers.
Likewise, in the case of the Deepwater Horizon, it took several months to design and drill a relief well to stop oil leaking into the sea water. In the contingency plans, which oil companies have to submit to national authorities, they should be required also to show that they can design these wells in a timely manner.
These are only examples. By the time EU rules are proposed in 2011, reports on the investigations of the Deepwater Horizon should be completed and will be fully utilized.
When will the Commission table the legislative proposals?
The Commission will present its legislative proposals early in 2011.
Are there any rigs in European waters being as deep as Deepwater Horizons?
Out of the 12 European Economic Area (EEA) countries having offshore operations, only Norway reports to have operating offshore activities in water depths of up to 1,300 meters. However, many countries want to follow Norway's example: In the UK, west of Shetlands, exploration is planned in a depths of up to 1,600 meters, near the Faroe Islands at a sea depth of 1,100 meters. Romania has awarded a licence for drilling in the Black sea, at a water depth of 1,000 meters.
In Libyan waters in the Mediterranean, wells were drilled at 1,500 meters and beyond, but drillings are also planned in water depth exceeding 2,000 meters. In Egypt, wells are planned in waters up to 2,700 meters.
Why does the depth matter?
As divers can only operate in a maximum depth of 200-250 meters, intervention in deeper waters in case of accidents become already difficult. In depths of 1000 meters, the pressure is such that even rescue work with remote control gets difficult.
Which EU countries have oil drillings?
Out of the nearly 900 offshore installations operating in the EU, 486 are in the UK, 181 in the Netherlands, 61 in Denmark, 2 in Germany, 2 in Ireland, 123 in Italy, 4 in Spain, 2 in Greece, 7 in Romania, 1 in Bulgaria and 3 in Poland. Cyprus and Malta plan to start drilling activities in the near future.

Butterflies or business - Europe can have both!

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has released its fourth Environment State and Outlook report — SOER 2010 — a comprehensive assessment of how and why Europe’s environment is changing, and what we are doing about it. SOER 2010 concludes that a fully integrated approach to transforming Europe to a resource-efficient green economy can not only result in a healthy environment, but also boost prosperity and social cohesion.

Key findings and recommendations in this report:

• Climate change: The European Union has made progress in cutting emissions and expanding renewable energy. The EU-27's 2009 emissions stand 17 % below the 1990 level and therefore very close to the bloc’s target of cutting emissions 20 % by 2020. However, sectoral trends are not all positive. EU-27 emissions from transport rose by 24% between 1990 and 2008.
• Climate change adaptation: Even if Europe meets all its emission reduction targets and world leaders agree on bold measures during the climate talks currently taking place in Cancun, Mexico, Europe will still need to adapt to ongoing and expected climate change impacts. Dedicated management of natural capital can help deal with these challenges.
• Biodiversity, ecosystems and people’s health: The Natura 2000 network of protected areas, which now covers around 18 % of EU land, has helped protect endangered species and preserve green spaces for leisure. Air and water quality legislation has reduced pressure on biodiversity and people. On the other hand, intensification of land use, loss of habitats and overfishing prevented the EU from meeting its target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010.
• Integrated solutions with a global perspective: By showing the many links between different challenges, environmental and others, SOER2010 encourages us to increase integrated actions across different policy areas dealing with these challenges, so as to deliver improvements quicker and maximise co-benefits (e.g. mitigate climate change and improve air quality at the same time).
• Resource efficiency: Food, energy and water security are key drivers of land use as often conflicting demands increase (e.g. for food, feed and fuel). Accounting and pricing that takes full account of resource use impacts are essential for steering business and consumers towards enhanced resource efficiency.
• Citizen involvement: Policy alone cannot halt or reverse environmental trends. We need to increase the number of citizens committed to reducing their impact on the environment by involving them in collecting data and through social media.

Very interesting report to read and to recommend.

Read more at http://www.eea.europa.eu/pressroom/newsreleases/butterflies-or-business-europe-can