Posts Tagged ‘environment’
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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Moving Icebergs to Desert
Respect the environment, prevent climate change, building on a sustainable life … is not that difficult. Not expensive. Just recall a way of life that most people, not many years ago, wore. But it seems that there are people, companies, countries, who want to complicate matters, defending a way of doing things in there to spend a lot of money and effort, a way unnatural. Interestingly, these people usually have lot of money and power. What is sobering.
The project we are talking about is original, that is something that can not be denied, and he wants to push the Saudi Prince al-Faisal Mohammad, for which, of course, having money is no problem. Some French engineers help. The strange idea is to devise a way to transport icebergs from the arctic regions to deserts.
On the way (the project and the trip of the iceberg) are some problems. First, we must prevent large icebergs are melting while being transported. Furthermore, it should be noted that one of these blocks of ice can weigh one hundred million tons, so it is not easy to move. Besides, think of a method for attaching the iceberg, so maybe that helps keep cold. And when all this is resolved, finally have to decide what time of year is best to carry out transport. For now, they are making computer simulations of what might be involved in the process, to study the various ways to move icebergs and how it would behave the environment.
If it was not enough the problem of melting due to climate change, just need a billionaire prince contribute to the ice disappears altogether to have ice for your gin and tonics.
Posted in Climate Change | Tags: climate change, environment, Respect the environmen, sustainable life, unnatural | No Comments »
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 »
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 »
Global Meeting to Control Mercury Pollution
In 2009, most of environment ministers from around the world, initiated by the United Nations Program for Environment (UNEP), agreed to create a binding global treaty that would control mercury pollution. The first meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee was held in Stockholm in June 2010. It was the beginning of negotiations for a legally binding international agreement on mercury, heavy metal persistent, highly toxic and bio accumulative.
At that first meeting discussed the purpose and structure of the future agreement on funding, respect for the obligations and technical assistance, among other issues. They also talked about mining, the uses of mercury, trade measures, contaminated sites … In Japan, the second meeting, which was agreed to invite governments to provide their views on the matter, for the agreement to be internationally accepted and legally binding.
The third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Mercury was held in Nairobi, Kenya, between October 31 and November 4, 2011. All countries have had the opportunity to provide information on sources of mercury emissions on its territory to help the Secretariat of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to prepare this third session.
A few weeks ago released a study commissioned in 2003 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries on the contamination of fish consumption, confirming the very high levels of mercury it contains. These data were classified as confidential until the organization Oceana won an administrative dispute in court. Citizens of countries with a tradition of eating fish, such as Spain, can accumulate in your body up to ten times more mercury than, say, the Germans.
Mercury is highly toxic heavy metal that never disappears from the environment and accumulates in the air, water and foods. It focuses, therefore, increasingly, in the food chain, especially in large predatory fish such as tuna, swordfish or shark. Those most vulnerable to this pollutant are women of childbearing age, pregnant women, who are nursing, as well as children and adolescents.
This issue is not only an environmental issue but also a serious public health problem. The main responsibility for this contamination are the chlorine industry and coal power plants. Environmental groups are asking the government of Spain to be involved in the international fight against mercury.
Posted in Energy | Tags: Contamination, environment, mercury, mercury pollution, public health problem, United Nations Environment Program | No Comments »