Category Archives: Green Alerts
Hong Kong’s air quality getting worse
Air pollution levels in Hong Kong were the worst ever last year, the South China Morning Post reported on January 10, a finding that may further undermine the city’s role as an Asian financial center as business executives relocate because of health concerns.
Worsening air quality in Hong Kong caused by vehicle emissions and industrial pollution from the neighboring Pearl River Delta is already forcing many in the financial community to move to Singapore.
Readings at three roadside monitoring stations in Hong Kong’s Central, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok commercial districts showed that pollution levels were above the 100 mark more than 20 per cent of the time, the newspaper said, citing the city’s Environmental Protection Department.
This was 10 times worse than in 2005, when very high readings were recorded only two per cent of the time, it said. The station in Central business district, home to the Asia head- quarters of global banks such as HSBC Holdings Plc and Goldman Sachs Group Inc, showed the worst figures, with excessive readings a quarter of the time, the report said. Hourly readings are taken at the roadside stations throughout the year on major pollutants such as respirable suspended particles and nitrogen oxides. A reading above 100 means at least one pollutant fails air quality objectives. 
Environmentalists renewed their calls for the immediate introduction of new air quality objectives, claiming that the government had deliberately delayed their introduction to ease the way for major infrastructure projects, the newspaper said.
The department blamed the figures on unfavorable weather conditions, worsening background, pollution and the number of aging vehicles on streets. The newspaper quoted the government as saying a number of measures were being considered to help improve air quality, and new air quality objectives would be discussed by Hong Kong’s legislature soon.
Food production threatened by soil erosions
Within 40 years, there will be around two billion more people on Earth. Food production must increase at least 40 per cent, and most of that will have to be grown on the fertile soils covering 11 per cent of the global land surface.
Annually, says the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization, 75bn tones of soil, the equivalent of nearly 10m hectares of arable land, is lost to erosion, water logging and salination; another 20m hectares is abandoned due to degraded soil.
“The world is facing a serious threat of a major food shortage within the next 30 years. We are trying to grow more food on less land while facing increased costs for fertilizer, fuel and a short supply of water,” says Professor Keith Goulding, head of sustainable soils at Rothamsted research station. Lester Brown, president of the Worldwatch Institute in Washington, says it takes between 200 and 1,000 years to renew 2.5cm of soil. “Sometime within the last century, as human and livestock populations expanded, soil erosion began to exceed new soil formation over large areas.”
Soil erosion also leads to lower crop productivity due to loss of water and soil nutrients. A 50 per cent reduction in soil organic matter has been found to reduce corn yields by 25 per cent. Countries are losing soil at different rates. The US, which just avoided turning the Great Plains into a dust bowl in the 1930s, is still losing soil 18 times more rapidly than it is forming it.
Study indicates Wi-Fi signals radiation is killing trees
Radiation from Wi-Fi networks which enable our burgeoning online communications may be killing off magnificent trees. Trees planted close to a wireless router has bleeding bark and dying leaves. The revelation will raise fears that Wi-Fi radiation may also be having an effect on the human body and supports parents who have campaigned to stop wireless routers being installed in schools.
The city of Alphen aan den Rijn in the Netherlands ordered the study after officials found unexplained abnormalities on trees. Researches took 20 ash trees and for three months exposed them to six sources of radiation. Trees placed closed to Wi-Fi source developed a ‘lead-like shine’ on their leaves which was caused by the dying of the leaf’s skin.
The Wageningen University scientists behind the research also discovered that Wi-Fi radiation could slow the growth of corn cobs. In the Netherlands, 70 percent of all trees in urban areas show the same symptoms compared with 10 percent five years ago. Trees in densely forested areas are not affected, according to a Wageningen University statement.
The Dutch health agency issued a statement stressing that ‘these are initial results and they have not been confirmed in a repeat survey.’ In 2007, a BBC Panoroma documentary found that radiation levels from Wi-Fi in one school were up to three times the level of mobile phone mast radiation. However the readings were 600 times below government safety limits.
Polar bears eating goose eggs for survival
Polar bears
may be turning to snow goose eggs to help them survive as Arctic sea ice melts due to global warming, scientists say. Polar bears typically hunt seals out at sea, returning to land when springtime temperatures melt the ice floes the bears use as rest stops. But climate change has been causing sea ice to melt earlier each year, forcing polar bears to come ashore sooner.
In a previous study, biologist Robert Rockwell and his colleague Linda Gormezano documented polar bears in Canada’s Hudson Bay area returning to land about two weeks earlier than they’d done in the past, near the end of June instead of the middle of July. This early arrival brings the bears back to shore around the same time that nesting snow geese are incubating their eggs in Hudson Bay.
Snow goose eggs are more often food for skuas and Arctic foxes. But
polar bears
are famous for their voracious appetites. One polar bear reportedly went on a “goose egg-fest,” Rockwell said, devouring more than 800 eggs in four days. Accounts like this have caused some scientists to worry that hungry polar bears might severely reduce or wipe out nesting snow goose populations.
But in new research, recently published online in the journal Oikos, Rockwell and his team shows that the currently plentiful snow goose population is in no danger from the bears. In fact, the eggs might provide a valuable backup food source as polar bears are forced to end their seal hunts early. For one thing, a snow goose egg is about twice the size of a chicken egg, but it is much more nutritious, said Rockwell, a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History and a professor at the City University of New York.
Downing a goose egg is like “eating a stick of butter,” he said. Rockwell estimates that if a Polar bears eats about 88 snow goose eggs, the bear will be consuming the caloric equivalent of a seal. Snow geese are migratory birds that spend their winters in warmer parts of North America. The birds typically arrive in the Arctic to breed around the end of May and remain through August. Snow geese are currently considered a species of least concern according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, because they have a wide range and a large global population that seems to be increasing. Its time to do something to save these wonderful creature
“Polar bears”
.
Toxic algae take over British water bodies
A combination of mild weather and high levels of phosphate nutrients from agriculture and homes are to blame for the green, porridge-like toxic algae blooms that have blighted British canals and lakes this summer, the Environment Agency has said.
There have been 83 algal incidents so far this year — a month into the three-month algae season — a higher than usual amount, according to the agency. In 2010, the number of incidents reached 225, while the peak year was 2005, when 226 were reported.
It is not yet clear how many of this year’s incidents are blue-green algae. Blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria) are natural inhabitants of many inland waters and estuaries, and form potentially toxic green scum when they die.
These toxin-producing blooms, called harmful algal blooms, have been known to kill wild animals, livestock and pets, and can be harmful to people. Toxic algae have been detected in high concentrations in Loch Coulter, near Stirling, the Llysy Fran reservoir, in south- west Wales, Malthouse and Ranworth Broads in Norfolk, the Serpentine, in London and the Wishing Tree reservoir, in East Sussex.
Other areas have also suffered excessive amounts of algal blooms, with water activities suspended as British Waterways officials were forced to take action.
The blooms are caused by a surge in algae brought on by a combination of climatic factors including the recent calm, mild weather, drought in some parts of the UK causing slow-moving water, and July’s heavy rain in other parts of the country, which increased the amount of nutrients from fertilizers, sewage and detergents in the waterways.
In humans who have swallowed or swum through the blooms, toxins have been linked to neurological, digestive and skin problems and long-term liver disease.
In 1989, two soldiers taking part in canoe training at the algae-hit Rudyard Lake, in Staffordshire, became severely ill with atypical pneumonia. Others reported abdominal pains, vomiting, diarrhea, blistering of the mouth and sore throats. Algal toxins have also been major contributors to fish kills. Professor Geoffrey Codd of Dundee and Stirling Universities, who is a leading expert on blue-green algae, said, “It’s possible that those toxins can accumulate in the fish.”
Blue-green algae feed off nitrates from the air and phosphates from the water. The Plant life Wales conservation officer, Ray Woods, said, “When extra phosphates enter the water in sewage and fertilisers, the algae thrive. With nitrogen from the air and the higher phosphate levels, the blue-green algae just keep growing and can become excessive.”
1 in 5 plant species at risk of extinction
One in five of the world’s plant species – the basis of life on Earth – are at risk of extinction according to a landmark study. At first glance, the 20 percent figure looks far better than a previous official estimate of almost three-quarters but the findings are being greeted with deep concern. The report published on September 29 is the first comprehensive assessment of plants from giant tropical rainforest to the rarest of delicate orchids. It concludes that the real figure is at least 22 per cent and could well be higher as hundreds of species being discovered by scientists each year are likely to be in the “at risk” category.
“We think this is a conservative estimate,” said Eimear Nic Lughadha, one of the scientists at Kew Gardens, London responsible for the project. The previous estimate, that 70 per cent plants were either endangered or critically endangered, was based on what scientists acknowledge were studies heavily biased towards species already thought to be under threat.
The latest study is considered crucial to understanding the level of threat to the entire natural world’s biodiversity, according to Craig Hilton Taylor, of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which runs the world’s official “red lists” of threatened species. “Plants are the basis of life, and it has many implications,” said Taylor. The results will be presented to world leaders meeting at Nagoya, Japan next month to discuss the world “biodiversity crisis, along with new red lists for vertebrates and several groups of the planet’s millions of invertebrate species”. “This is a base point,” said Lughadha. “What we do from now is going to lead to the future of plants. We need to challenge the idea that plants are there to be exploited by us,” he said.
A climate warning from the deep
The dispersal of tiny sea creatures in Antarctica has alerted scientists to the vulnerability of Earth’s ice sheets Bryozoans make unlikely prophets of doom. Nevertheless, scientists believe these tiny marine creatures, which live glued to the side of boulders, rocks and other surfaces, reveal a disturbing aspect about Antarctica that has critical implications for understanding the impact of climate change. British Antarctic Survey researchers have found the dispersal of these minute animals suggests a sea passage once divided Antarctica 125,000 years ago. The discovery was made for the ongoing Census of Antarctic Marine Life project and involved comparing bryozoans from the Ross and Weddell seas.
These two seas are separated by the west Antarctic ice sheet, one of the planet’s largest masses of ice. Bryozoans found in the Ross and Weddell seas should have been fairly different in structure if the sheet had been stable and ancient. The two populations would have slowly evolved in different manners, if the sheet was millions of years old. 
But Dr David Barnes and his team discovered that the two populations were almost identical, indicating the two seas must have been connected by a major sea passage in the recent past, around 125,000 years ago. “What we’ve got is these groups of animals that don’t disperse very well because the adults don’t move at all and the larvae are short-lived and sink, so they find it difficult to get around,” says Barnes. “So you’re left with this nice signal of where things used to be connected and, in this case, it appears to be a connection between what is now an ice sheet.”
The impact of the west Antarctica ice sheet melting sufficiently to let a major sea passage extend through it would have been considerable. A complete collapse of the sheet today would lead to a sea-level rise of between 11feet and 16feet, for example, though the event uncovered by Barnes may only have been a partial one. Nevertheless, the research indicates that the great ice sheet, thought to be impregnable, is really highly vulnerable.
Latest report confirms rapid glacier melting
The united States Geological Survey in its report published in collaboration with 39 international scientists says that glacier throughout the Asia region – Russia, China, Nepal, India, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan are retreating.
However the report says the time period for the retreat is different among the glaciers. “In Bhutan, 66 glaciers have decreased by 8.1 percent over the last 30 years. Rapid changes in the himalaya has been seen in India where Chhota Shigri Glacier has retreated by 12 per cent over the last 13 years and Gangotri Glacier – that is considered to have originated in 1780 witnessed 12 per cent shrinkage in the main stem in the last 16 years,” adds the report.
The melting of the glaciers in the himalayas ran into controversy after the intergovernmental panel on Climate change - a scientific body under the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change to look into the issues of climate change - apologized for the mistake in its fourth assessment report in 2007 that stated ‘the Himalayan glaciers will disappear by 2035 due to the impact of climate change’. 
“This retreat impacts water supplies to millions of people, increases likelihood of outburst floods that threaten life and property in nearby areas and contributes to sea level rise,” states the USGS report.
As glaciers become smaller, water runoff decreases which is especially important during the dry season when other water sources are limited. Climate change also increases temperature and earlier water runoff from glaciers and this combined with spring and summer rains can result in flood conditions.
“The overall glacier retreat and additional melt can increase the amount of water in the vicinity of a glacier and the added pressure enhances likelihood of disastrous flooding,” warns the report. Tracing the history of glacier studies the report has mentioned that glacier studies in each area started at different times depending on accessibility of the glaciers and scientific interest. According to USGS, the earliest description of glaciers in China has been traced back to 630 AD, while studies in the Caucasus area of Russia began in the mid 1800s and modern studies in Nepal started in the 1950s.
“Glaciers in the Himalayas are a major source of fresh water and they feed water to all of the rivers in northern India. Of particular interest is the Himalaya where glacier behaviour impacts the quality of life of tens of millions of people,” said USGS scientist Jane Ferrigno.
Sunderbans may submerge by 2020
At least 15 percent of the sunderbeans – the world’s largest mangrove forests will be submerged by 2020 and neglecting the area further can have global implications as it is highly venerable to climate change, says a UNDP report. The District Human Development Report (DHDR) of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Utter Dinajpur, was released on July 12 in partnership with the West Bengal Government’s Development and Planning Department and the Planning Commission. 
“Sunderbans in South 24 Pargans is highly vulnerable to climate change and it is estimated that 15 percent of the region will be submerged by 2020,” says the report. “Neglecting the Sinderbans can have global implications.” The report says the island blocks of Basanti, Gosaba, Kultai, Patharpatima and Sagar needs special attention as there are vulnerable to natural disaster. Livelihood opportunities are very less in most of the islands due to poor infrastructure.
“Action at local level is critical if National Development and the globally agreed Millennium Development Goals are to be achieved,” said Fadzai Gwaradzimba, chief, South and West Asia division, Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, UNDP. Nirupam Sen, West Bengal Minister of development and planning said, “It is hoped that the DHDR will serve as a primary Document for building a district vision and for assessing and re-addressing disparities within the district.”
The Sunderbans is the largest single block of tidal mangrove forest in the world and is a World Heritage site. The Sunderbans is intersected by a complex network of tidal water ways, mud flats and small islands of salt tolerant mangrove forests. The area is known as the abode of the Royal Bengal Tigers.
About Plastic bags, will you use it?
Consider the Following Shocking Facts About Plastic Shopping Bags:
• Plastic bags are made of polyethylene
• Polyethylene is a petroleum product
• Production contributes to air pollution and energy consumption
• It takes 1000 years for polyethylene bags to break down
• As polyethylene breaks down, toxic substances leach into the soil and enter the food chain
• Approximately 1 billion seabirds and mammals die per year by ingesting plastic bags
• Plastic bags are often mistaken as food by marine mammals. 100,000 marine mammals die yearly by eating plastic bags. 
• These animals suffer a painful death, the plastic wraps around their intestines or they choke to death
• Plastic bag choke landfills
• Plastic bags are carried by the wind into forests, ponds, rivers, and lakes
So, will you use plastic shopping bag again?