EcoRadio

Category: Sustainable Settlement and Agriculture

The Generator is founded on the simple premise that we should leave the world in better condition than we found it. The news items in this category outline the attempts people have made to do this. They are mainly concerned with our food supply and settlement patterns. The impact that the human race has on the planet.

  • Atmospheric CO2 and Methane Still Building

     

     April 21, 2009, 12:27 pm

    Atmospheric CO2 and Methane Still Building      Neville Gillmore

    By Andrew C. Revkin

    co2 on the riseNOAA The graph shows recent monthly mean carbon dioxide measured at the Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii (recent months are preliminary data).

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is reporting that the concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane, the two most important greenhouse gases released through human activities, rose in 2008.

    The agency’s preliminary summary of greenhouse gas trends consolidates data from 60 monitoring stations around the world. A variety of factors shapes how much of these two gases remains in the atmosphere after they are emitted, which is one reason the global economic recession hasn’t become evident in the data yet, N.O.A.A. researchers said.

    The concentration of carbon dioxide has reached 386 parts per million in the air. The pre-industrial peak in concentrations was 280 parts per million (UPDATE: for at least the preceding 650,000 years or so). Some scientists, notably  James Hansen of NASA, say that a long-term target for the atmospheric concentration of the gas should be 350 parts per million. In this century, given continuing growth in the use of fossil fuels, many climate scientists see the concentration exceeding 450 parts per million or even 550 parts per million before stabilizing and — someday, perhaps — declining.

    Methane levels rose in 2008 for the second consecutive year after a 10-year plateau. As the agency put it, “Atmospheric concentrations increased by 4.4 molecules for every billion molecules of air, bringing the total global concentration up to 1788 parts per billion.” Methane persists only a few years in the air, but is about 25 times more efficient than carbon dioxide at trapping heat.

    In a printed statement, Pieter Tans of the agency’s Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo., said the only way to stop growth in the atmospheric concentration of the gases is to reduce emissions enough that natural processes can keep pace. “Think of the atmosphere and oceans taking in greenhouse gases as  a bathtub filling with more water than the drain can empty, and the drain is very slow,” Dr. Tans said.

  • Plight of the Penguins

     

     

    Plight of the penguins            Neville Gillmore

    Already threatened by global warming, harvesting krill to supply omega-3 oil means danger for Antarctica’s penguins.

    Fifty years ago, delegates from 12 nations – including the United States, Norway and Japan – gathered in Washington DC to discuss how to protect Antarctica, the only continent without a native human population. The result was a treaty system that ensures Antarctica will continue to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and not become an object of international discord.

    Yet as nations gather again to celebrate the Antarctic treaty system’s 50th anniversary this spring, new scientific research indicates that many species of penguins, some of the Antarctic’s most iconic residents, are in deep trouble.

    While the plight of the polar bear may be better known, emperor penguins are also going to be hit hard by the effects of global warming. Made famous by the documentary March of the Penguins, these flightless birds use the Antarctic’s sea ice as a breeding ground and base for feeding on krill, fish and squid. But projected changes in Antarctic sea ice due to global warming will dramatically change the environment for these penguins and countless other species.

    Indeed, a 2008 study by a number of leading penguin experts warned that “50% of Emperor colonies … and 75% of Adelie colonies … that currently exist at latitudes north of 70 degrees S are in jeopardy of marked decline or disappearance, largely because of severe decreases in pack-ice coverage.”

    Making matters worse, these penguins increasingly must compete with man for their principal food: a small, yet invaluable shrimp-like animal known as Antarctic krill. Measuring only five to six centimetres in size, krill comprise the largest biomass in the Southern Ocean. These tiny creatures, rich in the omega-3 oils used in health supplements, are seen by some corporations as a potential source of big profits.

    The Norwegian-based firm Aker Biomarine, one of the globe’s leading krill fishing companies, recently applied to have its Antarctic krill fishery certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The council attempts to provide market-based tools to promote sustainably caught fish. To accomplish this, the MSC works with fisheries, seafood companies, scientists, conservation groups and the public to promote the best “environmental choice” in seafood. Yet while the council’s mission is important, certifying the krill fishery would stymie further efforts to more effectively conserve and manage Antarctic resources.

    Certifying a fishery like Antarctic krill is far more complex than it may seem. Although overall catches appear relatively low as compared to total krill abundance, uncertainties exist about the local impact of fishing operations since they often overlap with the feeding areas of krill predators.

    When it comes to krill and other forage species, MSC’s standards fall far short of achieving its goal of sustainability. In certifying a fishery, the council considers the sustainability of fish stocks – seeking to minimize environmental impacts and maximize effective management. The problem is that it measures mortality rates as though the animals were in an aquarium without predators. In reality, krill are part of a living system where there are many pressures apart from fishing. Yet, the MSC’s process to assess potential krill certification does not take adequate account of the role that krill serve in anchoring the Antarctic food chain.

    Furthermore, according to a recently published study by the National Science Foundation’s Long Term Ecological Research Programme, “Over the past 50 years, winter temperatures on the [Antarctic] Peninsula have risen five times faster than the global average.” Krill are sensitive to warmer waters and thus less abundant there. Nonetheless, climate change and the complexity of ecosystem interactions are not adequately accounted for in the current management process.

    Governments, acting jointly through administrative bodies of the Antarctic treaty system (such as the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources) need to impose precautionary fishery management measures sufficient to ensure that enough krill are left to meet the needs of penguins and other predators. In the meantime, however, the MSC can do the right thing by agreeing not to certify the Antarctic krill fishery until the international community can enact proper protective measures.

    As the world prepares to celebrate 50 years of cooperation on Antarctic research and resources management, we shouldn’t stand idly by as the combination of careless fishing practices and unchecked global warming emissions speed the emperor penguins’ march to extinction.

  • Hundreds of millions will be hurt by climate change

     

     

    Hundreds of millions will be hurt by climate change, Oxfam warns.

    April 21, 2009       Neville Gillmore

    Article from:  Agence France-Presse

    HUNDREDS of millions of people will become victims of climate change-related disasters over the next six years, Oxfam said today, urging governments to change the way they respond to such events.

    The British-based aid and development charity estimated the number of people affected by climatic disasters would rise by 54 per cent to 375 million people a year on average by 2015, based on data on similar disasters since 1980.

    In a new report, it warned that humanitarian aid spending and the way it was allocated was far from prepared to meet the challenge.

    “The response is often fickle – too little, too late and not good enough,” said Oxfam chief executive Barbara Stocking.

    “The system can barely cope with the current levels of disasters and could be overwhelmed by a substantial increase in numbers of people affected. There must be a fundamental reform of the system.”

    The report, “The Right to Survive”, says governments can take action to mitigate the effect of climatic disasters, citing investment by Bangladesh in cyclone protection measures which has reduced the death toll from storms.

    “While there has been a steady increase in climate-related events, it is poverty and political indifference that make a storm a disaster,” Stocking said.

    Oxfam is also launching a new campaign urging rich countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 per cent on 1990 levels by 2020 to tackle the source of global warming.

    Oxfam analysed data from the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters at Louvain University in Belgium, which covered more than 6,500 climate-related disasters since 1980 and the numbers of people affected.

    It defines people “affected” by a disaster as those suffering physical injury or illness, those made homeless or who required immediate assistance.

  • Superweeds cripple Roundup Ready farms
    GM protesters demonstrate near the French town of Toulouse in March 2008.

    How has this happened? Farmers over-relied on Monsanto’s revolutionary and controversial combination of a single “round up” herbicide and a high-tech seed with a built-in resistance to glyphosate, scientists say. 

    Today, 100,000 acres in Georgia are severely infested with pigweed and 29 counties have now confirmed resistance to glyphosate, according to weed specialist Stanley Culpepper from the University of Georgia.

    “Farmers are taking this threat very seriously. It took us two years to make them understand how serious it was. But once they understood, they started taking a very aggressive approach to the weed,” Culpepper told FRANCE 24.

    “Just to illustrate how aggressive we are, last year we hand-weeded 45% of our severely infested fields,” said Culpepper, adding that the fight involved “spending a lot of money.”

    In 2007, 10,000 acres of land were abandoned in Macon country, the epicentre of the superweed explosion, North Carolina State University’s Alan York told local media.

    The perfect weed

    Had Monsanto wanted to design a deadlier weed, they probably could not have done better. Resistant pigweed is the most feared superweed, alongside horseweed, ragweed and waterhemp.

    “Palmer pigweed is the one pest you don’t want, it is so dominating,” says Culpepper. Pigweed can produce 10,000 seeds at a time, is drought-resistant, and has very diverse genetics. It can grow to three metres high and easily smother young cotton plants.

    Today, farmers are struggling to find an effective herbicide they can safely use over cotton plants

     
    Controversial solutions

    In an interview with FRANCE 24, Monsanto’s technical development manager, Rick Cole, said he believed superweeds were manageable. “The problem of weeds that have developed a resistance to Roundup crops is real and [Monsanto] doesn’t deny that, however the problem is manageable,” he said.

    Cole encourages farmers to alternate crops and use different makes of herbicides.

    Indeed, according to Monsanto press releases, company sales representatives are encouraging farmers to mix glyphosate and older herbicides such as 2,4-D, a herbicide which was banned in Sweden, Denmark and Norway over its links to cancer, reproductive harm and mental impairment. 2,4-D is also well-known for being a component of Agent Orange, a toxic herbicide which was used in chemical warfare in Vietnam in the 1960s.

    FRANCE 24 report: French scientist Eric Seralini says research shows Roundup herbicide is highly toxic to human beings.   

    Questioned on the environmental impact and toxicity of such mixtures, Monsanto’s public affairs director, Janice Person, said that “they didn’t recommend any mixtures that were not approved by the EPA,” she said, referring to the US federal Environmental Protection Agency.

    According to the UK-based Soil Association, which campaigns for and certifies organic food, Monsanto was well aware of the risk of superweeds as early as 2001 and took out a patent on mixtures of glyphosate and herbicide targeting glyphosate-resistant weeds.

    “The patent will enable the company to profit from a problem that its products had created in the first place,” says a 2002 Soil Association report.

    Returning to conventional crops

    In the face of the weed explosion in cotton and soybean crops, some farmers are even considering moving back to non-GM seeds. “It’s good for us to go back, people have overdone the Roundup seeds,” Alan Rowland, a soybean seed producer based in Dudley, Missouri, told FRANCE 24. He used to sell 80% Monsanto “Roundup Ready” soybeans and now has gone back to traditional crops, in a market overwhelmingly dominated by Monsanto.

    According to a number of agricultural specialists, farmers are considering moving back to conventional crops. But it’s all down to economics, they say. GM crops are becoming expensive, growers say.

    While farmers and specialists are reluctant to blame Monsanto, Rowland says he’s started to “see people rebelling against the higher costs.”

  • 1500 Indian farmers commit suicide

    MORE than 1,500 farmers in an Indian state committed suicide after being driven to debt by crop failure.

    The agricultural state of Chattisgarh was hit by falling water levels.

    “Most of the farmers here are indebted and only God can save the ones who do not have a bore well,” Shatrughan Sahu, a villager in one of the districts, told Down To Earth magazine.

    Mr Sahu lives in a district that recorded 206 farmer suicides last year. Police records for the district add that many deaths occur due to debt and economic distress.

    In another village nearby, Beturam Sahu, who owned two acres of land was among those who committed suicide. His crop is yet to be harvested, but his son Lakhnu left to take up a job as a manual labourer. His family must repay a debt of £400 and the crop this year is poor.

    “The crop is so bad this year that we will not even be able to save any seeds,” said Lakhnu’s friend Santosh. “There were no rains at all. That’s why Lakhnu left even before harvesting the crop. There is nothing left to harvest in his land this time. He is worried how he will repay these loans.”

    Bharatendu Prakash, from the Organic Farming Association of India, said: “Farmers’ suicides are increasing due to a vicious circle created by money lenders. They lure farmers to take money but when the crops fail, they are left with no option other than death.”

    Mr Prakash added that the government ought to take up the cause of the poor farmers just as they fight for a strong economy.

    “Development should be for all. The government blames us for being against development. Forest area is depleting and dams are constructed without proper planning. All this contributes to dipping water levels.

    “Farmers should be taken into consideration when planning policies,” he said.

     

  • Genetic modification delivers little benefit say scientists

    WASHINGTON – The use of genetically engineered corn and soybeans in the United States for more than a decade has had little impact on crop yields despite claims that they could ease looming food shortages, a study released on Tuesday concluded.

    [A farmer harvests his corn crop near Morris, Illinois. The use of genetically engineered corn and soybeans in the United States for more than a decade has had little impact on crop yields despite claims that they could ease looming food shortages, a study has concluded. (AFP/Getty Images/File/Scott Olson)]A farmer harvests his corn crop near Morris, Illinois. The use of genetically engineered corn and soybeans in the United States for more than a decade has had little impact on crop yields despite claims that they could ease looming food shortages, a study has concluded. (AFP/Getty Images/File/Scott Olson)

    From Common Dreams

    “A hard-nosed assessment of this expensive technology’s achievements to date gives little confidence that it will play a major role in helping the world feed itself in the forseeable future,” said the report by the Union of Concerned Scientists.

    The study evaluated the effect on corn and soybean crop yields of genetically engineered varieties commercialized in the United States over the past 13 years, examining peer-reviewed academic studies that date back to the early 1990s.

    “Based on that record, we conclude that GE (genetic engineering) has done little to increase overall crop yields,” it said.

    The report said genetically engineered soybeans account for 90 percent of soybeans grown in the United States, while genetically engineered corn accounts for 63 percent of the US corn crop.

    “Overall, corn and soybean yields have risen substantially over the last 15 years, but largely not as a result of the GE traits,” the report said. “Most of the gains are due to traditional breeding or improvement of other agricultural practices.”

    It found that corn and soybeans that were genetically modified to increase their tolerance to herbicides “have not increased operational yields, whether on a per acre or national basis, compared to conventional methods that rely on other available herbicides.”

    Corn modified with genes from Bt, or Bacillus thuringienisis, bacteria for resistance to several kinds of insects did provide higher yields, but the study estimated the increase at between 0.2 and 0.3 percent a year on average over the past 13 years.

    Overall corn yields in the United States have increased an average of about one percent a year, it said.

    “More specifically, US Department of Agriculture data indicate that the average corn production per acre nationwide over the past five years (2004-2008) was about 28 percent higher than for the five-year period 1991-1995,” it said.

    “But our analysis of specific yield studies concludes that only 4-5 percent of that increase is attributable to Bt, meaning an increase of about 24-25 percent must be due to other factors such as conventional breeding,” it said.