Environmental Impact
Environmentalists Agree to the Eucalyptus
Historically, there has been a rejection of the environmental movement of eucalyptus plantations in areas where trees were allochthonous, that is brought from other regions, non-native. This rejection was based primarily on planting a tree that did not belong to a particular ecosystem could harm, negatively affecting both fauna and other trees. Eucalyptus is imposed on other plant species because it grows fast and very high, and resource-land. In a few years, the landscape changes. But, friend, all consume paper. Even members of environmental groups. Even today, with new technologies.
But finally, ecologists have accepted that the eucalyptus will be part of the Spanish landscape, though in part not to your liking. You do not ask eucalyptus forests disappear. But if you set limits to its expansion. Greenpeace believes it would benefit the environment by limiting the eucalyptus trees in regions with humid climates of the Iberian Peninsula, a climate conducive to this kind of tree, and that, in general, are the Atlantic coast.
The head of Greenpeace Forests of Spain, Miguel Angel Soto has said that is as simple as limiting where and how many can be planted eucalyptus trees and remove them from the protected natural areas so they do not harm them. In short, nothing new, responsible management by the government.
Greenpeace presented a report which reviews the conflict caused by eucalyptus trees in the Iberian Peninsula for more than a century, when the first specimens were planted in the province of Lugo. The bottom line is this request to make this tree physical boundaries by law.
The pulp that gives the wood is already part of the production system, said Miguel Angel Soto, author of the report. Thus, while the continued use of paper, you should do is to reach an agreement between the public sector, private sector and environmental groups to agree on legislation that balances the interests of the bins with the needs of the environment. In the Principality of Asturias, without going further, it has limited its expansion.
The Ministry of Environment recognizes that eucalyptus acreage has increased in recent years, reaching a total area of ??760,000 hectares. The main peninsular plantations of this tree were made from the sixties to bring economic performance of its rapid development. Since then the number of hectares occupied Spain and Portugal has grown.
Posted in Biodiversity, Environmental Impact | 
Tags: environment, eucalyptus, humid, landscape, the eucalyptus trees, tree, tree physical boundaries | 
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Oil Spill in the Yellowstone River
The Yellowstone River has received a discharge equivalent to a thousand barrels of crude oil. The cause was a ruptured underground pipeline owned oil company ExxonMobil. The break has been the discharge to 130 miles away and forced authorities to order evacuations.
The Yellowstone River runs through Yellowstone National Park and flows into the Missouri River. It is a river with a length of 1,080 km passing through the states of Montana and Wyoming, United States, and its banks grows a unique natural space.
As time passes, dumping more than a thousand of those barrels is more difficult to control. The pipe rupture occurred near the town of Laurel, Montana, and forced the immediate evacuation of about 140 people in the city about the possibility of the occurrence of explosions and gas emissions that can seriously affect the health human.
As the spill was discovered, called on the three oil companies to shut off the fuel pipes. In any case, it will be days until the level of gases in the atmosphere poses no danger. The smell of oil is still present in the air for several miles to the city of Billings. There are three companies that have refineries in that city: ExxonMobil, Cenex Harvest Refinery and Conoco Phillips.
ExxonMobil has already started cleaning equipment, absorbent material and placed barriers at various points in the Yellowstone River. However, some floods have hampered the cleanup efforts. ExxonMobil decided to send a rescue team of fifty specialists in oil spills.
Environmental Protection Agency U.S. Department of Environmental Quality Montana and other organizations and environmental groups are also trying to help this environmental disaster. But the Yellowstone River is about to overflow and spill threatens to spread further. Oil stain not only the oceans. It can also affect rivers and one of the most beautiful and most amazing nature of the planet.
Posted in Environmental Impact | Tags: absorbent material, atmosphere, crude oil, environmental disaster, oil spill, Yellowstone National Park | 1 Comment »
Release Into the Strait of Gibraltar
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There has been an oil spill in the Strait of Gibraltar. The head is the Shell Petroleum. The City of Algeciras, the town hardest hit, has filed a complaint in court against that company. Also, do not rule out asking Gibraltar Management responsibilities for damages by the new release.
The beaches of El Rinconcillo, La Concha, and Getares Chinarral in Algeciras (Cádiz), are closed to the public bath, and being made the cleanup of the spill. They have already collected 23 tons in these cleanup, including waste, water and sand, according to the Junta de Andalucía.
The discharge from a fire that occurred in the tanks of waste oil in Gibraltar. Since there are six linear miles of affected beaches on the coast of the province of Cadiz. It is planned to place floating protective barriers and absorption, especially in Punta Carnero, preemptively, to avoid the spill from spreading.
In the next have to consider whether endangered species have been adversely affected as a type of limpet (patella ferruginea) or the typical structures of the area, such as the “flysh” elongated rock formations. For now, it seems that the discharge will not over and the situation is controlled within the seriousness posed to the environment of the area.
The red flag waving on the beaches will continue until the completion of completely cleaning and there is no danger in bathing. The affected area is part of the Parque Natural del Estrecho and should be treated with extreme care.
The accident that caused the spill occurred when two workers, both performing welding tasks in a waste oil tank. The two workers were injured, one of them seriously.
Posted in Environmental Impact, Soil Erosion | Tags: endangered species, environment, extreme care, floating protective, oil spill | No Comments »
Food Sovereignty, Environmental Protection and the Fight Against Hunger
This concept came to be known worldwide from the World Food Summit organized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome in 1996. It is a concept that advocates that each state should be free to choose which crops to develop according to objectives of sustainable development and food security. In short, an agricultural policy with environmental responsibility and the future of the earth.
The concept of food sovereignty was proposed by the organization Via Campesina, an international movement that brings together farmers’ organizations, small and medium farmers and indigenous groups and farm workers. It is a critical global trading system, which, if reducing prices of food exports, impact on local populations, weakening and impoverishing.
Food sovereignty is to defend small farmers against the large multinational food means healthier food and avoid GE crops, and less use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, avoiding the concentration of food production in the hands of few. In the long term, is a much more effective to end hunger in the poorest regions of the planet that the delivery of food from rich countries.
Food sovereignty should be accompanied to produce healthy food for local markets. This will protect the work of farmers, the environment and biodiversity. The concept has reached into some constitutions, such as Ecuador and Bolivia.
In 2007, the organization Via Campesina organized a meeting attended by more than seven hundred people from different social movements, not only farmers, but farmers, trade unions, environmentalists and consumers. But the opposition of large corporations is difficult to overcome. Free markets and multinationals do not want to end world hunger. They want to win even more money and own more land. In 2008, the number of hungry people rose from 800 million to 1,000 million. Moreover, in recent years 44 million people have crossed the threshold of poverty.
Posted in Environmental Impact | Tags: agricultural, Environmental Protection, farmers' organizations, Food Sovereignty, World Food | No Comments »
New Nuclear Plant Accident
Last weekend there was an explosion in a transformer Tricastin nuclear plant in France. Being close to the A7 motorway, anyone to move in there in those moments I could see black smoke coming out of the plant. The explosion caused a fire that was rushed to the fire department.
According to the French authorities, the accident did not produce any radiological consequences. However, it seems increasingly difficult to argue that nuclear power is safe, as more and more accidents occur in locations around the world: Japan, Scotland, USA and now also France, one of the most energy nuclear produces.
Thanks to the rapid intervention of firefighters, the fire was controlled before they cause any serious accident. No one was hurt. The operator of the plant, the company EDF has said that the incident occurred in non-nuclear facilities and, therefore, has not had any radiological consequences or on the environment or on people of the region. In fact, not be considered a nuclear accident, as there has been in the parts where it is produced, handled or processed nuclear energy, but you can call into question the safety of the plant, which has suffered several incidents during life.
One of the most serious occurred in 2008, while cleaning a tank, and where the uranium came to pollute nearby rivers. Fishing and swimming is prohibited in some rivers infected as a precaution.
The plant became operational in 1980, reactor number 1 of the central one of the oldest in France. In July 2009, the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) from France passed an extension of forty years of operation.
After Fukushima, have increased security measures for the plant, such as strengthening the protection against floods and earthquakes, as well as improving fuel cooling pools and measures to prevent a hydrogen explosion. But despite the security measures are increasingly stringent, it always ends by an accident that was not foreseen.
Posted in Air Pollution, Environmental Impact | Tags: environment, hydrogen explosion, Nuclear Plant Accident, nuclear power, radiological, uranium | No Comments »
Irregularities in Waste Management
According to several Spanish environmental groups (Friends of the Earth, Ecologists in Action, Ecologist de Catalunya, Fundación Global Nature, GOB and Greenpeace) have analyzed the data provided to the European Commission, Spain recycled quantities less than those declared to the European Commission.
Environmental organizations have been presented by this case, a complaint to the European Commissioner for Environment to investigate serious irregularities in the data container recycling, calling for an inquiry about it. According to environmentalists, the data that Spain sent to Europe each year are based solely on the statistics of the entities that are responsible for waste collection (Integrated Waste Management GIS), i.e these data have not been opposed by the public administrations responsible.
Among the various irregularities found that Spain are counted as packaging materials that are not, such as paper and newspapers, packaging accounted for as all metals recovered from the slag from incineration indistinguishable after combustion, and even that has been counted as packaging materials recovered from scrap.
Packers themselves assume a difference in their data 10%. This is because many packages are not reported. However, they are counted in the circuits of collection and contribute to the total recycling, so it distorts data collection and recycling.
Some materials collected in recycling containers should be deducted from the total recycled because they can not be recycled. The amount depends on the type of containers, in the case of glass or paper containers are 2%, but in the case of lightweight containers can reach 25% of the content. Moreover, in the case of plastics, about 25% of entering recycling plants to recycle is not reached, although for the statistics, are counted as recycled.
The first conclusion reached is that the objectives are not being respected for glass and plastic as well as the global target marked by the Packaging Directive of the European Commission.
Environmental Performance On the Beach
Now is the time that many spend much of the day at the beach. But bask in the sun, enjoy refreshing swims in the sea, walks along the beach or a drink at the pool bar are activities that should be environmentally friendly. Being on vacation does not mean forgetting environmental practices.
Many countries live (or at least has great importance for the economy) sector of sand and beach tourism (almost all countries of the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, without going further), so take care of that environment, not only ensures future healthy environment, but also a future economic development. It is a task for both visitors and natives of the place. And starting with the trip to the beach. The best option, as always, walk, bike or, if from a distance, using public transport, be it metro, bus, tram or train.
Once the swimmer has reached the beach, in many cases, huge place and the sea diminishes the human being. But this is no reason to believe that they can become contaminated. In general, a good tip is to think being at home. In this sense, ie not ever forget the three Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle). Are decreased in the first place, the amount of waste. And secondly, never be thrown into the sea or the beach. The Mediterranean has been turned into a landfill will take years to clean properly.
When the food is especially important to use reusable utensils. No silverware and plastic dishes, after dinner, thrown in the trash. It is better to use the cutlery used at home and bring them back when finished the day at the beach. As for beverage containers, glass has the advantage that can be recycled, but it is risky because the beach is usually barefoot, and if it breaks a bottle and remains of glass or glass in the sand, is very likely to produce a cut in the skin. Thus, it is best to take the drink in a thermos bottles, aluminum or the typical water bottle.
Deserve a separate section for smokers. The beaches are not giant ashtrays. Smokers should worry about carrying a container to throw the ashes, and above all, cigarettes. Another object that pollutes much or more than one filter of a cigarette is a depleted battery or a battery. Never leave the beach or surrounding area. We must save them and bring them to recycle.
Waste of water in the showers
Finally, a vacation means no waste. We must take special care when using the showers at the beach and not spend an eternity under running water. Have been installed to remove sand and salt quickly before leaving the beach. And never have to use soap or shampoo in such showers. Wait until you arrive at your home, apartment, hotel or campsite.
The coastal ecosystem has its own very valuable, and the rest of the year does not have to endure the environmental impact of humans. And not only have to respect living things, plants, animals, both on land and in water, but also other elements, they all have one important feature: the sand dunes protect beaches from erosion, the storms and waves, stones perform a similar function, as well as shelter to many small animals, not to mention the coral, endangered species and natural value incalculable. Enjoy all this, take pictures, but never touch or move, living or inanimate, if there is a reason.
Posted in Environmental Impact | Tags: beach tourism, coastal ecosystem, endangered species, environmental practices, Waste of water | No Comments »
Recycled Paper, Protects the Environment
The vast majority of the things we touch throughout the day are of paper in all its forms: cereal boxes, money, books, parking tickets, tissue paper and many other objects.
This means we spend vast amounts of paper each year, implying a major impact on the environment, which suffers much more than what is considered necessary to meet such claims annually.
On this subject we can find a report published online by the Environmental Paper Network, a coalition of groups dedicated to environmental protection that claims to reduce paper consumption, increasing the quantities recycled, including measures to optimize the cycle life of this product without harming Mother Nature.
These are the points that the report highlights: Read the rest of this entry »
What is Biodegradable?
All things in this world have had their time, it takes more or less degrade one way or another. One way is biodegradation, which is when something is undone by living organisms (mainly bacteria).
The ability of some materials to return to the earth by the action of nature is what is called biodegradation.
The term is related to ecology, waste management, and most of all when it comes to plastic, because they take hundreds of years to decompose.
In the process of biodegradation of some chemicals (organic waste, paper, etc.) can be used as food by microorganisms, which use to produce energy and to create other substances such as amino acids, new fabrics and new organisms. The organic material could be degraded aerobically, with oxygen (air), or anaerobically, without oxygen (somewhat buried).
The biodegradability of the materials depend on their physical and chemical structure, some such as glass can not be biodegraded. Although they say that a material is not biodegradable when the time for agencies to break it down is extremely long, or exceeds the ability of agencies to process, as with the plastic and aluminum cans. Today many things are made with biodegradable agents, as with detergents, but they are still plastic and various substances such as insecticides.