Environtmental and Global Health

Archive for the ‘Climate Change’ Category

Activities reducing emissions from greenhouse gases-GHG-, usually known as mitigation, these cover a range of measures, policies and technologies implemented in the different sectors of the economy and human activity in general, resulting in a fewer tons of GHG released into the atmosphere, either by reducing the increase in emissions or increasing terrestrial carbon storage as a result of the implementation of mitigation actions.

Currently there are a variety of activities to reduce GHG emissions applying to sectors such as energy, transportation, waste, agriculture, forestry and industry, which are linked to the development of international and national policies on climate change. Mitigation activities incorporate technological changes in production systems, efficient use of raw materials and fuels, fuel switching, avoiding GHG emissions from different sources, and the expansion, protection and conservation of forest ecosystems. Additional mitigation measures are conceived as complementary to the objectives of a country’s development, which can strengthen social programs, economic and environmental.

Below are the mitigation options proposed by the sectoral level Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change-IPCC-:

Energy efficiency improvements to the transport sector,
industry and energy supply.
Replacement fuels in the transport sector and
as use of alternative energy.
Expansion of forest management and protection to existing ones.
Bioenergy production from agricultural residues and new crops.
Husbandry associated with higher quality pasture
nutrition and cultivation of trees.
Waste management associated with the recovery of methane,
and recycling.
Some of the above activities can be geared to the market in certificates of emission reduction (CER’s) under the Clean Development Mechanism-CDM, the Kyoto Protocol, which allows the participation of the Annex I of the Framework Convention United Nations Climate Change to meet their emission reduction targets (for the first commitment period covering the period 2008 – 2012) with the participation of an Annex I country that has no emissions reduction commitments, such as the case of Colombia. These CER, s offset the emission reduction commitments made by Annex 1 countries and the country supplier of CERs, s will benefit from technology transfer, and implementation of practices that contribute to sustainable development.

To make projects under the CDM is a need for methodologies approved by the executive board of the mechanism for formulation, estimation of the amount of emission reductions generated by the project, assessment of environmental impacts, and consultation different actors and / or stakeholders. Just as the offeror’s national approval and have the validation and monitoring of an independent audit process that concludes with the issue of emissions reduction certificates CERs.

To forecast climate change, we need to make a projection of how the concentration of greenhouse gases will change in the future. A series of emission scenarios developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, reflecting the different ways in which the world can be developed and their implications for humanity, economic growth, energy use and technology . There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the past 50 years, is associated with human activities that lead to changes in the chemical composition of the atmosphere due to increased emissions of greenhouse gases and aerosols; however, the human influence will continue to change atmospheric chemistry by producing XXI century the average temperature and sea level will increase in the future.
An emission scenario is an acceptable and consistent, built to explain the potential consequences of the influence of human activities on climate. Although an increase in the observations give a better idea of global warming and other changes in the climate system, such as the decrease in the coverage of the glaciers, rising sea level, regional variations in precipitation patterns and changes in extremes weather and climate, these recent changes at the regional level, particularly the increase in temperature, have already affected many physical and biological systems. Brings social and economic growth effects related to regional climate variations, suggesting an increase in vulnerability to climate change.

According to the IPCC scenarios include 4 families: A1, A2, B1 and B2. In particular, the storyline and A1 scenario family describes a future world of very rapid economic growth, a population that peaks in mid-century and declines thereafter, and rapid introduction of new and more efficient technologies. Its most important features are convergence among regions, capacity building and increased cultural and social interactions, with a substantial reduction in regional differences in income per ca-pita. The A1 scenario family are differentiated by their technological emphasis: intensive use of fossil fuels (A1FI), use of energy from sources other than fossil fuels (A1T), or a balance across all sources (A1B), meaning by balanced situation in which not relying too heavily on one energy source, assuming that all sources of energy supply and all end-use technologies similar improvement.

Pagesa Assembly of Catalonia, Greenpeace and Platform Transgenics Fora! presented in Barcelona today, coinciding with the start of the European Commission conference on the future of the “coexistence” between GM and non-transgenic in Vienna (Austria), a detailed study, conducted over the past 10 months on the status of these crops. This document, entitled “The Impossible Coexistence,” is the first report of its kind in Spain which aims to show the public what are the real consequences of GM crops from the case of Catalonia and Aragon, the main producing regions in Spain and the EU (in both communities transgenic corn acres nearly 50% of the total corn crop).

The report concludes that the “coexistence” of GM agriculture to other agriculture is not viable, and is the result of extensive field research conducted in major maize producing regions to which they have collected dozens of testimonies from farmers, farmers and managers of cooperatives and have analyzed hundreds of samples of corn. The situation described in detail pollution cases appeared in 2005, the opacity in the world of research, no or inadequate monitoring and control of crop and food contamination incidents, clerical errors, the cultivation of illegal camps experimental unauthorized absence from public records and pollution along the entire transport chain and marketing.

Aragonés Committee of Ecological Agriculture and the Union of Farmers and Ranchers of Aragon have provided essential data for the report. It describes how the introduction of transgenic agriculture accentuates the division and confrontation between farmers, forcing them to bear the risks and problems, while the companies responsible for the introduction of GMOs wash their hands. The reality is perceived in the field is a strong fear and anxiety. “The consequences of GM contamination are serious and unacceptable, are proof that these are not under control and therefore can not think of a possible coexistence with conventional and organic agriculture,” said Jordi Cipriano Pagesa Assembly of Catalonia . “Economic losses from pollution are borne entirely by the contaminated and no liability is required to own the technology or the Administration, while dynamite the right to choose of farmers and consumers,” says Cipriano .

Precisely this report is published when the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Ministry of Agriculture intends to adopt two decrees of “coexistence” whose political aim is to legalize the widespread genetic contamination. Consequently, the surface of organic corn, the only truly sustainable option to produce corn, is shrinking at an alarming rate. “Meanwhile the Institute of Riserca i Technology (IRTA) devotes a significant portion of its business to experiment with GM in place to encourage research in agroecology” said Joan Garcia of the Platform Transgenics Fora!

“What is really worrying is that this is just the tip of the iceberg, as there is no official record of contamination incidents,” said Juan-Felipe Carrasco, head of Greenpeace GMO campaign, “the majority of incidents contamination is not detected by lack of analysis or kept secret by both companies as well as governments. “

All information contained in the report converges to the unequivocal conclusion that the “coexistence” between GM and non-GM crops is not possible and confirms that:

The control and monitoring of GMOs from the laboratory to the plate are ineffective, and in many cases nonexistent. The system of segregation, traceability and labeling does not work.

There are no separate systems for detecting and investigating cases of contamination, illegal crops, administrative irregularities or adverse effects of GMOs. The vast majority of contamination is not detected before.

The economic costs of pollution and other problems caused by GMOs are high and are borne by those affected. The social, environmental and health are potentially immense.

The tremendous cost that would be a comprehensive analysis and a real tight control by the authorities, makes this type of technology is socially, environmentally and economically viable.

The lack of transparency prevents most of the decisions of the GM or the scandals they are perceived by society. This, however, is constantly subjected to propaganda for an industry that provides objective information and contrasted with the sole purpose of increasing its control over agriculture and food sectors.

The biotech industry is able to influence at many levels, political power, making its interests prevail over those of the environment or society.

States are unable to prevent the illegal sale and cultivation, and to prevent non-compliance in the cultivation of GMOs.

Therefore, the undersigned organizations demand that:

Immediately suspend any authorization of GM crops in Spain, considering that there is no legal and technical framework to grow them in a position to control and safety. This must be revoked authorizations for all varieties of different governments have adopted to date and experimental crops prohibited.

Suspension of any attempt to pass decrees or an order of “coexistence” based on contamination and lack of accountability, both by the Department of Livestock and, Agriculture and Fisheries (DARP) and the Ministry of Agriculture.
Authorities to undertake a reassessment of the Spanish agricultural policy in the sense of guaranteeing the existence of an absolutely free of GM production, thus ensuring freedom of choice of consumers and farmers over the interests of the biotech industry and the multinational owners of these technologies. To this must seriously consider the possibility of GM-free zones in Catalonia, Aragon and the rest of the state.

You create a commission to study vigorously and independently and transparently analyze environmental damage, social or health of GM, and demand that sanctions be applied to their cause. The transgenic production companies that own the patents should be found guilty of pollution and cause damages.

Not taking into account the month of June was cooler than normal, July, August and September so far has become the warmest period since 1970, according to the Meteorological Agency (AEMET). “Temperatures are recorded to confirm the gradual warming” related to climate change, has clarified the Agency spokesman, Angel Rivera.

An analysis of the June-August quarter, average temperatures were recorded 1.4 degrees above average, making it the eighth warmest summer quarter 1971. Five of the eight most sweltering summer periods have occurred in the XXI century, which again confirms the trend towards global warming, according to AEMET.

The quarter has been extremely warm in Extremadura and Western Andalusia, Read the rest of this entry »

For environmental impact means the effect of a particular human action on the environment in its various aspects. The concept can be extended, with little use for the purposes of a natural phenomenon.

Human actions, motivated by the pursuit of various goals, cause side effects on the natural or social. While the intended effects are usually positive, at least for those who promote action, side effects can be positive and, more often negative. The environmental impact assessment (EIA) is the analysis of the predictable consequences of the action, and the environmental impact statement (EIS) is the previous communication, environmental laws require that under certain assumptions, the environmental consequences predicted by the assessment . Read the rest of this entry »

Human health is increasingly determined by environmental conditions (Rapport et al 1999, McMichael 2001). A report by the World Health Organization (WHO 1997) revealed the following:

* Deteriorating environmental conditions are an important factor contributing to poor health and low quality of life. Mismanagement of natural resources, excessive waste production and environmental conditions associated with health effects pose major challenges to sustainable development. Read the rest of this entry »

Over 20 million people are affected by water contamination by arsenic in Bangladesh. It is a major catastrophe comparable to Bhopal or Chernobyl. It happens far away in Bangladesh, and it happens every day when every inhabitant of the east or south Asian country drinks a glass of water, which is the same, the lethal dose of arsenic. Contamination of groundwater by this metal, a toxicity similar to lead, affects more than 20 million people.

The problem goes back almost 30 years ago, in those years came to Bangladesh several international aid agencies, with UNICEF in the lead, with the good intention of preventing infections caused by the consumption of stagnant water. The aim was to reduce the high mortality rate, especially the child, caused by diseases such as dysentery and cholera, and to do so beginning a massive program of construction of water wells. Read the rest of this entry »

Mengke Touming The glacier, one of the most beautiful in China and located in the northwestern province of Gansu, is melting the effect of climate change, reported the China Daily. ”

The Touming Mengke is the largest valley glacier in the Qilian Mountains in Sunan, but due to warming caused by greenhouse gases is suffering a reduction of six meters a year.

In the last five decades Touming Mengke, 10.1 km long and covers an area of 21.9 square kilometers, has been reduced by 300 meters.

Its maximum altitude is 5483 meters above sea level and the lowest is 4260 meters and is located in the valley Laohu, on the northern slope of the mountain Daxue, in the district of Subei. Read the rest of this entry »

Between 19 and 23 kilometers above the earth in the stratosphere, a thin layer of gas, the ozone layer, surrounds and protects the earth from harmful solar rays.

Ozone is produced by the effect of sunlight on oxygen and is the only substance in the atmosphere that can absorb harmful ultraviolet radiation (UV-B) from the sun. This thin layer makes life possible on Earth.

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The availability of energy from renewable energy sources is higher than conventional energy sources, but its use is restricted. Technological developments, the increase of social demand and lower installation cost and rapid depreciation, which encourages the use of a source of renewable energy sources in recent years.

Similarly, the challenges to sustainable development model and the change towards a sustainable development model implies a new conception of the production, transportation and energy consumption.

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