Tag Archives: agriculture

Toxic algae take over British water bodies

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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.”

Top 10 worlds greenest cities

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Going green seems to be the new fad and there are whole countries that have upped their efforts to reduce their impact on the environment. Here are 10 countries that have set the stage to creating a ‘Greener’ Earth. All of these countries have found ways to reduce their carbon and sulphur emissions which leads to cleaner air and water. This list is based on each country’s Environmental Performance Index (EPI) rating provided by Yale University.

10. Colombia (76.8): It is said Colombia is home to 10 percent of various species found throughout the world. Scientists have also discovered it may be home to as many as 10 new amphibians species. The Colombian government has made efforts to turn the country into one that is eco-friendly. TO do so, numerous national parks, some including native medicinal plants, have been opened, like the Orito Igni-Ande Medicinal Flora Sanctuary. Also, architects in Colombia have started to use bamboo, which they say is just as durable and reliable as a means to building structures. Even fashion has gone green in Colombia – designer Maria Nubia Ayala has created a line of clothing using leaves and flowers.

9. Cuba (78.1): Cuba has never been a country that has been extremely harsh to the environment. Most who live in the country either travel by bicycle or foot, and many make their money by selling crops and raising livestock. However, there have been times when illegal pesticides were used as well as land that was abandoned. To fix this, the country has put forth effort to reuse farm land, decrease the use of harmful pesticides, and to lower the sea level to ensure that salt from the water does not ruin the rich soil. Cuba has also decided to only use organic products on all farms. Cuba has decided to put a lot of effort and money into using hydroelectric energy. In 2008, it began connecting many homes and businesses located in Guamá to a hydro-electric power station. Once it is all said and done and the 30 rivers located near or in Guamá are used, almost 7,000 people will have clean electricity.

8. Austria (78.1): The 2010 Winter Olympics were just one place where Austria planted its green footprint. To house the Austrian Olympic Committee as well as several broadcasters, the country built a ‘passive house’ in Whistler, BC. The passive house is self-regulatory and is able to heat and cool when necessary. Austria has teamed up with the Czech Republic in order to plant eco-friendly gardens across the border between the two countries. There are already 330,000 gardens in Austria and 6,800 of them are natural and eco-friendly.

7. France (78.2): France is earning a reputation as an eco-friendly country. It now gets 80 per cent of its electricity from the use of nuclear power. Alès, a commune in France, is said to be one of the greenest locations in the country. The commune is home to one of only three buildings that utilizes solar panels as a means for energy. To encourage the use of solar panels, the country offers a reduction in taxes if a home-owner decides to use solar energy in their home. France as a whole has decided to utilize more wood and straw bales to construct. It is said that straw bales are very sturdy, eco-friendly, renewable, and even provide for great thermal insulation.

6. Mauritius (80.6): Mauritius is an island off the coast of Africa and east of Madagascar. The country wants to focus on recycling and finding ways to reuse items. This includes burning solid waste instead of storing or dumping it. Finance Minister Rama Sithanen wants to rely on renewable and cleaner types of energy. The country is focusing on wind power and using sugar cane plants to create fuel, especially for boilers.

5. Norway (81.1): By 2030, Norway hopes to be a country that is carbon neutral. This means the country plans to find ways so that there are no green-house gases emitted. But, before 2030, the country also plans to cut its total emissions to 40 per cent. Norway has also planned to set aside large amounts of money to put towards other green-friendly ideas. For example, it wants to focus heavily on utilizing railroads more, as well as finding an alternative source for fuel. Those who use diesel fuel will have to pay a higher fee for it. Norway hopes to have all businesses in the country run with flexible energy systems and from 2009 on, the use of oil-powered heating systems has been banned. The country also hopes to cut down on the amount of deforestation.                           iceland green city

4. Sweden (86): Sweden has a plan to phase out the use of fossil fuels by 2020; however, these efforts didn’t just begin. The change started in 1980s during the oil crisis and today 28 per cent of the energy and resources used in Sweden are renewable and eco-friendly. The country has focused on the use of hydropower, nuclear power, and wind power to provide electricity and other necessities throughout Sweden. One major way Sweden is going green is by using every piece of their forests. Though the trees are often used for various lumber projects, there is usually sawdust left behind. The government has decided sawdust can be manufactured into wood pellets, which are sold to homeowners to generate heat. Sweden has also decided to cut back on the amount of fuel needed for transportation. Many citizens in Sweden now power their cars using methane, which is taken from the entrails of cows.

3. Costa Rica (86.4): By 2021, Costa Rica hopes to be one of the few, if not the only country in the world that is carbon neutral. For decades, Costa Rica has been plagued with deforestation. Because the country is very agricultural and known for its export of food, including corn and bananas, there is a great need for land to farm and produce these crops. However, the country has made use of the forest land and actually began to utilize the shade that is created by the canopy to successfully grow the necessary crops. This not only saves space, but reduces the amount of pesticides used to protect the produce. Now Costa Rica is focusing on reforestation and building up the land that was ruined. In fact, the country planted over 5 million trees in 2008.

2. Switzerland (89.1): Switzerland has a long, proven record of being eco-friendly and protecting the environment. For instance, in 1914, it created the first Alpine park located in the Alps, and the tradition has carried on, as it plans to build at least 20 more of these parks. Not only has Switzerland added eco-friendly parts to their country, they’ve also taken a few things away. In some cities, cars are not allowed. While it may seem a little strict, the country has even imposed a fee for disposing of trash in the country. There are also fees for using waste management services. The governments pushing for eco- friendly living, but even hotels are joining in with hopes to show that going green does have its benefits. For example, Badrutt’s Palace Hotel offers discounts to those who arrive in a hybrid car. It had an entirely new heating system installed which is said to reduce its carbon output by 80 per cent each year. The new heating system gets all of its energy from a nearby lake, as do many other hotels and even schools.

1. Iceland (93.5): Because of its location, Iceland has focused on using its geothermal landscape to utilize clean electricity and heat. The most commonly used source for heat and electricity is hydrogen, and the country hopes to become the first to be entirely reliant upon this energy source. Not only will the hydrogen energy be used by homeowners and those who occupy buildings, it is also used for transportation. The government of Iceland has provided hydrogen-powered buses to ensure people can get to their destinations in an eco-friendly way. To go along with the buses, Iceland has put a lot of focus on the Mercedes Benz A-Class F-Cell. This car is also fuelled by hydrogen and can go up to 100 miles on a full tank. Today Iceland can proudly say only 18 per cent of its energy sources come from coal, the other 82 per cent is pure hydrogen and geothermal power.

Conventional farming limits greenhouse gas emissions

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Advances in conventional agriculture have dramatically slowed the flow of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, in part by allowing farmers to grow more food to meet world demand without ploughing up vast tracts of land, a study by three Stanford University researches has found.

The study which has been embraced by many agricultural groups but criticized by some environmentalists, found that improvements in technology, plant varieties and other advances enabled farmers to grow more without a big increase in greenhouse gas releases. Much of the credit goes to eliminating the need to plough more land to plant additional crops.

The study’s authors said they aren’t claiming modern, high production agriculture is without problems, including the potential for soil degradation through intense cultivation and fertilizer runoff that can contaminate fresh water.

But some environmentalists said the study is flawed, arguing it’s based on unrealistic scenarios of what would have happened if yields hadn’t increased during the study period. The yield is the amount of a crop grown per acre.    agriculture

The other authors are Jennifer Burney, a physicist who focuses on energy and food security research at Stanford’s Program on Food Security and the Environment, and David Lobell, an assistant professor of environmental science at Stanford who has studied the effects of food and bio-fuel production on the environment.

The three decided to look at the impact of agriculture on greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Agriculture accounts for about 12 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions generated by human activity.

The researchers set up hypothetical models in which the world’s growing population was fed by cultivating even more land. Those models were then compared with actual agricultural production between 1961 and 2005.

Yields for major crops like corn and soybeans have increased dramatically over the study period. Midwestern corn farmers for instance now average well over 160 bushels an acre. That’s roughly double what they produced in the early 1960s, according to US Department of Agriculture statistics.

Without those increases, it would have taken an additional 4.35 billion acres to feed the world according to the study. The cultivation of that land including the release of carbon in the soil and burning of brush and trees that covered it would have released an additional 317 billion to 590 billion tons of greenhouse gases, the authors wrote.

WWF meeting helped leaders to set plans for 50 years

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A summit of environmental leaders and politicians has called for an urgent move towards a global green economy in order to achieve sustainable development over the next half century. According to a WWF press statement, low-carbon technology, green infrastructure, investment in renewable energy and sustainable agriculture were all listed as being essential in combatting climate change, poverty and water shortages.

At a roundtable — Public Sector Voices on Conservation in the next Half-Century by WWF to mark its 50th anniversary, leaders from Asia and Europe came together to set out their vision of the state of the planet in 50 years’ time. EU Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik said that unless biodiversity is adequately protected the consequences would be “catastrophic”.

Bhutan’s Minister of Agriculture and Forests, Dr Pema Gyamtsho pledged that within 10 years, as part of its drive towards sustainability, Bhutan would be the world’s first totally organic country. He said water security was the biggest challenge facing his country, but one which could only be solved through global action.

The Norwegian Minister of Environment, Erik Solheim spoke of the urgent need to put real economic value on ecosystems and natural resources to help stop wide- spread deforestation. There was a warning that any proposed global green investment fund to fight climate change should not attempt to replace or duplicate existing environmental and development finance. “Today there are more than 230 overseas development funds which lead to fragmentation and more overheads,” said Monique Barbut, CEO of the Global Environment Facility. “We should not be trying to build again another poorly coordinated system which is not going to work.”

All panellists were unanimous in congratulating WWF for its record of conservation achievements for the past 50 years. WWF International Director General Jim Leape urged NGOs to move beyond their traditional roles of lobbying and asking for money.