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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE

Global warming puts 12 us parks at risk:
Global warming puts 12 of the most famous US national parks at risk, environmentalists said, conjuring up visions of Glacier National Park without glaciers and Yellowstone Park without grizzly bears. All 12 parks are located in the American West, where temperatures have risen twice as fast as in the rest of the United States over the last 50 years, said Theo Spencer of the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Rising temperatures, drought, wildfires and diminished snowfalls endanger wildlife and threaten hiking, fishing and other recreational activities" in the parks, Spencer said in a telephone news conference. "Imagine Glacier Park without glaciers or Yellowstone without any grizzly bears."

Planet Ark (Internet), Australia, July 26, 2006

Ril to set up 22 rural hubs in Himachal:
The Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) soon plans to set up 22 rural hubs and some 53 extended rural hubs in Himachal Pradesh so that the company can supply apples, cherries, peaches, pears, honey, exotic fruits, seasonal and non seasonal vegetables to various places in the country.

The Indian Express, Chandigarh, July 26, 2006

GREENHOUSER CREDIT CARDS - Each Briton may be carbon rationed:
British environment minister David Miliband on Wednesday unveiled a radical plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by charging individuals for the amount of carbon they use. Under the proposals, consumers would carry bank cards that record their personal carbon usage. Those who use more energy — with big cars and foreign holidays — would have to buy more carbon points, while those who consume less — those without cars, or people with solar power — would be able to sell their carbon points.

The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, July 21, 2006

Tear in Gangotri glacier:
The Gangotri glacier is showing probably the first major sign of global warming and the ecological imbalance in the region. Mountaineers from the Himalayan Club who visited the glacier this June, discovered a cleavage running into several meters, resulting in them aborting their mission. Such a wide cleavage had never been seen on the glacier, a Ministry of Environment and Forests official said.

The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, July 21, 2006

Global warming a boon for Lahaul-Spiti economy:
Even as global warming continues to pose threat to the environment world over, for the cold desert of Himachal Pradesh-Lahaul and Spiti district-the phenomenon has come as a blessing in disguise. The district that till now produced only two cash crops of potatoes and peas is fast emerging as a big producer of good quality apple. With the upward shift of the snowline following global warming, the `appleline` (the areas where apple plantations are concentrated) has also started to follow suit.

The Indian Express, Chandigarh, July 17, 2006

Amarnath meltdown: Don’t blame it on global warming:
Glaciologists are skeptical that global warming is to be blamed for the damp squib at Amarnath this year. There could be several reasons for the shiv linga not forming this year — inadequate snowfall, melting due to high temperature, the delay in snow formation, says rormer director of glaciology, Geological Survey of India, Deepak Srivastava said. The Amarnath cave is formed of limestone and calcareous rocks. When snow melts on top of the cave, water seeps inside and trickles down. Due to the fall in pressure and the low temperature in the cave, the water again freezes on the ground, growing over time into a shiv linga, not one but many.

The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, June 23, 2006

Methane emissions twice official level - study:
The UK`s emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas methane are nearly double what the government says they are, according to a global audit of methane emissions. The study, which looked at how much methane is released into the air rather than extrapolating from known sources such as landfill sites, suggests that Britain`s actual contribution is 92% up on what it declares under the Kyoto protocol. It also suggests that France is emitting 47% more methane than it declares. The report in New Scientist today coincides with the latest round of figures on greenhouse gas emissions by the European Union. Climate-changing gases, excluding those from aviation and shipping, increased by 18m tonnes or 0.4% between 2003 and 2004. The UK`s emissions rose by 0.2%. Environmental groups greeted the news with dismay. "[The figures] confirm our fear that the UK government is pretending to be a leader on climate change, but in reality it is a laggard," said Germana Canzi of Friends of the Earth.

The Guardian (Internet), UK, June 22, 2006

Poor countries get $2.7 bn under Kyoto treaty in 2005
Rich nations’ funding of clean energy projects in developing countries reached $2.7 billion in 2005, through
deals allowed under the global Kyoto treaty to tackle climate change, the World Bank said. The Kyoto Protocol allows companies and investors in richer countries to invest in and profit from cuts in emissions in poorer nations of heat-trapping carbon dioxide (CO2). Developing country investment was part of a global carbon market which grew ten-fold to $11 billion in 2005, the World Bank’s third annual report on the global carbon market, released at a carbon markets conference here, showed.

The Financial Express, New Delhi, May 11, 2006

EU states may need to reduce carbon grants in 2008
European Union states may need to cut the number of greenhouse-gas permits they grant in the 2008-2012 period by more than the 6 percent previously estimated, after some nations curbed 2005 emissions more than expected, an EU official said. In order to contribute a proportional share of the reduction needed to comply with the Kyoto Protocol, nations would grant allowances to emit about 2.063 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide a year in the five-year period, the European Commission said in January. That compares with 2.191 billion tons granted in each of the three years through 2007.

The Financial Express, New Delhi, May 11, 2006

EU ‘needs to report carbon emissions quarterly’
Companies in the European Union’s greenhouse gas trading scheme must prepare to report their carbon emissions quarterly if the scheme is to work properly, according to the World Bank. Karen Capoor, author of a World Bank report into the state of the carbon market, told a conference in Germany that quarterly estimates of emissions were needed to give the market transparency and avoid situations that led to the collapse of the carbon price on the EU market late last month.

Financial Times (Internet), London, May 10, 2006

Brussels fails to halt slide in carbon dioxide permit prices
Prices for business permits to produce carbon dioxide slid to their lowest in more than a year, even as the European Commission tried to damp turmoil in the fledgling market in greenhouse gas emissions. The Commission called on member states to withhold information on their emissions until May 15, when officials plan to publish data on how much carbon dioxide companies in each member state emitted in 2005, the first year of the EU`s emissions trading scheme.

Financial Times (Internet), London, May 3, 2006

‘World’s roof is melting’:
Global warming has seriously shrunk glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau also known as the “roof of the world”, Chinese scientists have said. Pouring over four decades of research based on data from China’s 681 weather stations, scientists with the Chinese Academy of Sciences said that the world should focus its attention to the environmental deterioration of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau caused by global warming. Professor Dong Guangrong, a scientist at the academy, discovered that the glaciers in the QinghaiTibet plateau, accounting for 47 per cent of China’s total glacier coverage, is shrinking at a rate of seven per cent annually. Mr Dong concludes that the melting glacier will ultimately trigger more droughts, expand desertification and increase sandstorms. Global warming has led to expanding deserts on the QinghaiTibet plateau, Han Yongxiang of the National Meteorological Bureau Global said.

The Asian Age, New Delhi, May 3, 2006

Coral show resilience:
Although most corals face a dire fate if the world’s oceans continue to warm, some reefs appear able to survive the rise by accelerating their feeding rates. A study by scientists at Ohio State, Brown and Villanova universities found that the Hawaiian branching coral Montipora capitata recovered from bleaching
associated with global warming by increasing its intake of tiny plankton. The findings are significant because scientists predict that as much as 60 per cent of reefs worldwide may die in the next few decades
because of warmer ocean temperatures.

The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, May 3, 2006

Brussels fails to halt slide in carbon dioxide permit prices:
Prices for business permits to produce carbon dioxide slid to their lowest in more than a year, even as the European Commission tried to damp turmoil in the fledgling market in greenhouse gas emissions. The Commission called on member states to withhold information on their emissions until May 15, when officials plan to publish data on how much carbon dioxide companies in each member state emitted in 2005, the first year of the EU`s emissions trading scheme. This information is crucial to the emissions trading market, because the price of permits is determined by the difference between the amount of carbon dioxide produced by the 11,500 industrial installations covered by the scheme and the number of permits issued.

Financial Times (Internet),London, May 3, 2006

Majority of Britons want new environmental law:
Three quarters of Britons would like to see a new law introduced forcing successive governments to commit to reducing carbon emissions, a survey showed. Environmental group Friends of the Earth, who commissioned the online poll, said 75% of those asked wanted governments to tackle climate change by making a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 3% each year. Britain said in March it was likely to miss its target to slash CO2 emissions by a fifth by 2010, compared with the 1990 level.

The Economic Times, New Delhi, May 2, 2006

Carbon credit prices crash in Europe:
Emission reports from the Netherlands, Czech Republic, France and Walloon region of Belgium stated that their emissions in 2005 were at lower levels than what they were allowed to emit. Indian corporates` hopes of cashing in on carbon credits could take a hit with the European carbon prices plummeting during the last week. The carbon trading market in Europe has witnessed high level of volatility during the past few days as prices have crashed by more than 50 per cent (from about € 30 per CER to about € 13 per CER).

Business Line, New Delhi, May 2, 2006

Switzerland’s glaciers could run dry:
Alpine Glaciers Have Already Lost 10% Of Their Ice, Ski Resorts Could Become History. It’s cold in the snow up at 2,000 metres, even with sunshine pouring down from almost cloudless skies. Skiers schuss their way down for well-earned lunches and there’s a smile on almost every face in this wintery wonderland. Yet looking over the colossal sweep of the Aletsch glacier, a remnant of the last Ice Age snaking down through a deep valley below the peaks of the Bernese Oberland, the picture appears far different – and warmer.

The Times of India, New Delhi, April 27, 2006

FICCI launches CDM programme:
Towards achieving sustainable development in the country, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has launched its national programme on clean development mechanism (CDM). The programme has been launched in partnership with the international development agency, NORAD of Norway. CDM ensures curtailment in rise of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions in the atmosphere, thereby helping to reduce global warming.

Business Line, New Delhi, April 27, 2006

Warming behind storms:
The record Atlantic hurricane season last year can be attributed to global warming, several top experts, including a leading US government storm researcher, said. "The hurricanes we are seeing are indeed a direct result of climate change and it`s no longer something we`ll see in the future, it`s happening now," said Greg Holland, a division director at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.

The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, Apirl 26, 2006

US taps private sector to fix greenhouse pollution:
Delegates from six of the world`s biggest greenhouse gas polluters - including the United States - gathered last week for the first time to figure out how private industry can help curb global warming. The Bush administration is promoting this voluntary effort as a practical way to develop clean-energy technology to tackle climate change. But an environmental expert dismissed it as busy-work that would not be as effective as the requirements imposed by the international Kyoto Protocol on global warming. Initially skeptical, the US administration accepts the reality of global climate change, which has been associated with stronger hurricanes, severe droughts, intense heat waves and the melting of polar ice. Greenhouse gases, notably carbon dioxide emitted by motor vehicles and coal-fired power plants, trap heat like the glass walls of a greenhouse, causing Earth to warm up.

The Financial Express, New Delhi, April 24, 2006

India will be a major polluter without N-power, says Chirac:
India will become a major polluter unless it can generate electricity using nuclear power, French President Jacques Chirac said. “If we don’t help India produce electricity using nuclear power we would let develop in India a chimney for greenhouse gases,” he said in Bangkok, a day before leaving for a two-day visit to New Delhi. France and India are expected to sign a declaration of intent on the development of nuclear energy for civilian use during Chirac’s visit.

The Indian Express, New Delhi, Feb. 19, 2006

EU commission delays decision on UK emissions plan:
The European Commission delayed an expected decision to block Britain`s revised emissions allocation plan, which sought to ease pollution requirements for UK industry. "It`s been delayed. It is likely to be adopted the middle of next week," a European Commission official said. EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said on Wednesday he intended to reject the plan, which would have allowed British industry to pump out an additional 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main gas blamed for global warming, in the 2005-2007 period. The decision had been expected to go through a so-called "written procedure", which does not require discussion by the 25 EU commissioners themselves.

Planet Ark (Internet), Australia, Feb. 20, 2006

A much hotter India may be in prospect:
Temperature in the Indian sub continent could rise to a level that is three to four degree Celsius above the average by 2100 owing to global warming . The rise may be more in the northern parts than in the southern region because the sea takes longer to warm up, according toe climatalogist John T.Houghton. A former chief executive of the U.K. meteorological office and
chairman of the Royal Commission on Environment Pollution, Mr Houghton said the melting of icecaps in the Polar region cold lead to an increase in the sea level by seven metres as against the present half on the seashore are likely to be affected by this.” Not only will we have extremes of temperatures but the frequency of rainstorm will go up and drier areas will become more dry as a result of hydrological cycles, “ he said.

The Hindu, New Delhi, Feb. 19,2006

Railways line up five carbon credit projects:
In what will be an alternative revenue source from its non-core operations, Indian Railways plans to tap its massive carbon credit potential. To start with, it has identified five projects that will result in lower carbon emissions. Carbon credits are tradeable commodities that can be sold to countries with high emissions. The ministry expects a revenue of Rs 16-17 crore per year initally, a figure that may go up as more projects are taken up. The Railways plans to appoint consultants to advise it on the issue. After getting carbon credits ratified by designated authorities, they can be sold to any country or company interested in buying them.

Business Standard, New Delhi, Feb. 13, 2006

Climate change past point of no return:
A crucial global warming “tipping point” for the earth has already been passed, with devastating consequences for the planet’s future. Research commissioned by The Independent reveals that the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has now crossed a threshold, set down by scientists from around the world at a conference in Britain last year, beyond which really dangerous climate change is likely to be unstoppable. The implication is that some of global warming’s worst predicted effects, from destruction of ecosystems to increased hunger and water shortages for billions of people, cannot now be avoided, whatever we do. It gives considerable force to the contention by the Green guru, Professor James Lovelock, that climate change is now past the point of no return.

The Statesman, New Delhi, Feb. 12, 2006

Study finds global warming most widespread in 1,200 yrs:
Warm temperatures that have spread around the world are greater than those of any other period in the last 1,200 years, according to a study published in the US. The study measured changes in tree rings, fossil shells and ice cores from 14 sites in the northern hemisphere to assess temperature fluctuation since the year 800, researchers wrote in the latest issue of Science magazine. Reinforcing other evidence of global warming, the research found the 20th century stands out as having unusually warm temperatures, wrote Timothy Osborn and Keith Briffa of the University of East Anglia in Britain.

The Financial Express, New Delhi, Feb. 11, 2006

‘India, China will lead green tech demand’:
Capturing carbon from burning fossil fuels can be a quick fix to the problem of global warming and Britain can take a world lead in the technology, a parliamentary committee said. Not only can carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology be developed rapidly, but there will be a booming demand for it from rapidly developing countries like India and China whose economies rely heavily on coal for electricity. "The available evidence indicates that CCS could and should make a valuable contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and safeguarding energy security in the UK," the committee said in a report "Meeting the UK Energy and Climate Needs".

Business Line, New Delhi, Feb. 10, 2006

$31 trillion investor project puts pressure on corporate giants to go green:
A coalition of investors asking the world`s largest companies to come clean on their carbon emissions has widened its net and is packing more of a punch then ever before. Under the banner of the Carbon Disclosure Project 211 institutional investors managing a total of US$31 trillion are asking 1,800 huge corporations to publish data on their greenhouse gas emissions. This is the fourth time the project has written to corporate giants politely asking them to own up to their impact on global emissions and the idea has snowballed. Just a year ago the coalition had 143 members, approached 500 companies and could boast a mere $20 trillion of investment capital.

Edie (Internet), UK, Feb. 2, 2006

Carbon trading: 20 Indian projects registered at UN panel:
Twenty projects from India have been registered at the UN panel as clean development mechanism (CDM) activities till date with the latest being those of Rajshree Sugar and Chemicals Ltd, Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Paper Ltd and Indo Gulf Fertilisers Ltd. CDM activities are those projects that reduce green house gas (GHG) emissions and trade carbon credits. Registration by the UN panel signifies acceptance of a project as a CDM activity. It is the prerequisite for the issuance of certified emission reductions (CERs) or carbon credits by the UN.

Business Line, New Delhi, Jan. 30, 2006

Scientist says NASA tried to silence him:
Top climate scientist at NASA, James E Hansen, says the Bush administration has tried to stop him from speaking out since he gave a lecture last month calling for prompt reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases linked to global warming. Hansen, longtime director of the agency’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said in an interview that officials at NASA headquarters had ordered the public affairs staff to review his coming lectures, papers, postings on the Goddard Website and requests for interviews from journalists.

The Indian Express, New Delhi, Jan. 30, 2006

Global warming may cause sea levels to rise 34 cms by 2100:
Global warming will cause sea levels to rise up to 34 cms by the end of the century, causing increased flooding and coastal erosion, according to a new study by Australian researchers. The study published in this month’s issue of the journal Geological Research Letters said global warming was expected to further heat up the world’s oceans and cause glaciers in the Himalayas and ice sheets in Greenland to melt.

The Financial Express, New Delhi, Jan. 27, 2006

2005 was warmest year on record:
Last year was the warmest recorded on Earth`s surface, and it was unusually hot in the Arctic, U.S. space agency NASA said. All five of the hottest years since modern record-keeping began in the 1890s occurred within the last decade, according to analysis by NASA`s Goddard Institute for Space Studies. In descending order, the years with the highest global average annual temperatures were 2005, 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2004, NASA said in a statement.

Business Line, New Delhi, Jan. 26, 2006

UK launches energy review in face of global warming:
The British government launched an urgent public consultation on future energy policy but was accused of using it as a smokescreen to cover a decision already taken in secret to build new nuclear power plants. Highlighting Britain’s dwindling oil and gas supplies from the North Sea and the urgent need to cut carbon emissions in the face of global warming from burning fossil fuels, trade minister Alan Johnson said crucial decisions had to be taken quickly.

The Financial Express, New Delhi, Jan. 24, 2006

India to join Asia-Pacific initiative on climate change.:
India will be among six countries forming a new Asia-Pacific partnership later this week to deploy and commercialise energy technologies to combat climate change. The Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate Change in Sydney will bring together Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and the US.

Sahara Time, New Delhi, Jan. 21, 2006

Railways seek UNDP help to phase out AC coaches:
The Railways have sought the help of the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) in phasing out its fleet of 10,000 air-conditioned coaches, in keeping with the Montreal Protocol on environment, to which India is a signatory. The Railways had been using chlorofluourocarbons (CFC)-based refrigerants for the air-conditioning of their coaches. With research proving CFCs to be ozone-depleting, the Montreal Protocol had adopted the phasing out of all CFC-based substances from the world by 2010. However, the Railways had asked for additional time, taking the plea that the life of their coaches is 30 years, and they would not be able to discard all of them so soon.

Business Line, New Delhi, Jan. 18, 2006

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