"We believe these are realistic and achievable and good goals," said Kerry Morash, chair of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. "We certainly have the science that backs up the suggestions that have been put forward."

Mercury generated from electric power plants is a known toxin that can cause organ damage and compromise the central nervous system in humans. Mercury exposure has also been linked to learning disabilities, mental retardation and blindness in children.

Meanwhile, on the domestic front, the Bush administration is backing a proposal by its Environmental Protection Agency to cap mercury emissions beginning in 2010 by allowing American power utilities to trade the right to pollute through a market-based system similar to the one successfully implemented to curb acid rain during the 1990s. But critics fear that such a plan will not provide sufficient remediation in those areas hardest hit by mercury contamination, such as New England.

”We support the acid rain trading program," said John Walke of the Natural Resources Defense Council, a Washington DC-based environmental group. ”But like the vast majority of states and public health officials, we oppose trading in a neurotoxin, like mercury.

Reporting by Roddy Scheer

Abia ajunsi la "cina", ursii s-au pomenit cu un… miting de sustinere, pus la cale de Fundatia AVES din Odorheiu Secuiesc! Descinsi din cateva autoturisme si un microbuz, membrii fundatiei si-au atarnat de gat pancarte cu "Stopati macelul ursilor!", in romana si maghiara, si au inceput sa dea "ture" pe langa containere, fara ca animalele, absorbite de scurmatul printre gunoaie, sa-i bage in seama. Dupa cum au explicat harghitenii, actiunea lor s-a vrut un protest impotriva intentiei autoritatilor brasovene de a rezolva "radical" problema ursilor gunoieri de sub Tampa, dupa ce doi dintre acestia atacasera cativa locuitori din cartier. Astfel, primarul Gheorghe Scripcaru a decis prinderea tuturor ursilor gunoieri si "relocalizarea" lor, fie la gradina zoologica, fie in padurile din alte judete, soarta de care au avut deja parte doua dintre patrupede. Protestatarilor din Odorheiu Secuiesc li s-au alaturat, in scurt timp, si cateva zeci de brasoveni, nemultumiti ca hotararea "inumana" a edilului-sef ii va lasa fara aceasta "atractie turistica de prim rang". Dupa miezul noptii, cand si ultimul urs a disparut, satul, in padure, protestatarii ramasi fara "obiectul muncii" si-au strans pancartele si au pornit spre casele lor, spre usurarea jandarmilor si gardienilor publici, care privisera de la distanta mitingul ad-hoc

Adrian POPESCU

[b]Actiune in justitie impotriva poluatorilor[/b]
[img]"%%dir[1]%%20040413155506040413_pollution203.jpg" border="0" alt="image" name="image" align="left" width="160" height="110" /[/img]
Este o actiune fara precedent. Cele cinci companii atacate in justitie nu au produs vreun dezastru ecologic, nu au otravit apa sau aerul si nici nu au incalcat normele de producere a energiei.

Luate impreuna, insa, ele produc 10 la suta de dioxidul de carbon emis in atmosfera in Statele Unite. Adica 650 de milioane de tone din gazul considerat responsabil pentru efectul de sera, incalzirea globala, schimbarile climatice si asa mai departe.

Procurorii generali din 8 state americane au completat ieri actele necesare pentru a porni un proces care sa oblige cele cinci companii producatoare de energie sa-si reduca emisiile de dioxid de carbon cu cel putin 3 la suta in urmatorii 10 ani. E o incercare mai putin obisnuita de a limita emisiile de dioxid de carbon, lasate pana acum in grija reglementarilor internationale.

Actiunea in justitie pleaca de la constatarea ca guvernul federal a esuat in reglementarea problemei si ca trebuie facut ceva. Nu va fi usor, pentru ca, spre deosebire de alte gaze poluante, dioxidul de carbon nu este nici macar trecut pe lista federala a substantelor a caror emisie este reglementata prin lege.

[b]Legea "pericolului public"[/b]
[img]"%%dir[1]%%powerstation.jpg" border="0" alt="image" name="image" align="left" width="140" height="160" /[/img]
Drept care procesul pornit ieri invoca o lege mai veche, a "pericolului public", destinata sa protejeze proprietarii de actiunile neplacute ale vecinilo. in baza acestei legi au mai fost limitate emiterea de substante care polueaza apa sau aerul, din cauza pericolului in care este pusa populatia.

Echipa de juristi care a pornit procesul argumenteaza ca incalzirea globala se afla la originea a numeroase riscuri in viitor: de la bolile de plamani la cele de inima, de la topirea ghetarilor polari la inundatii sau distrugerea florei si faunei salbatice.

Procesul impotriva companiilor poluatoare nu cere nici un fel de daune ci doar ca acestea sa fie obligate sa-si limiteze emisiile de dioxid de carbon. Un lucru de altminteri foarte costisitor, ceea ce face ca aceasta prima actiune legala sa aiba relativ putine sanse de reusita. Pe de alta parte, ar putea fi inceputul unei noi tendinte in atitudinea publicului fata de poluare si incalzirea globala.

Alte actiuni similare ar putea urma, punand in cele din urma Congresul american in fata unei alternative: o serie de procese anti-poluare pe cauze individuale sau schimbarea legii.

Any deal at the Group of Eight (G8) summit in Scotland is unlikely to satisfy environmentalists who want all countries to sign up to binding targets on the carbon emissions that scientists say are causing the world to heat up.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has put the issues of climate change and African poverty at the top of the summit agenda, said the idea was to move beyond the binding Kyoto protocol, which the United States has refused to accept.

"There is no point going back over the Kyoto debate … that’s not what it’s about," Blair said after talks with US President George W. Bush at the luxury Gleneagles hotel where the summit is being held.

"What it is about is seeing whether it will be possible in the future to bring people back into consensus together, not just America and Europe and Japan but also … the emerging economies like China, like India," he said.

"Can we do that? I don’t know, but it’s important that we at least begin a process of dialogue that allows us to make progress on it."

The US has refused to accept any targets which could damage the its economy and says there is no point in agreements which do not include major developing economies such as China and India, whose leaders are attending the summit as guests.

Bush urged the world to focus instead on developing new clean technologies.

"Now is the time to get beyond the Kyoto period (which ends in 2012) and develop a strategy forward that is inclusive not just of the United States but also of developing nations," he said after his meeting with Blair.

"This is an opportunity for those of us who have the capacity to spend research dollars to share information."

GREEN GROUPS ANGRY

Environmental group Greenpeace denounced Blair’s approach.

"In fact, Blair is destroying Kyoto and selling out the EU position, which demands binding commitments to reduce carbon emissions," Greenpeace director Stephen Tindale said.

"This is a fast lane to climate chaos. We can only hope other G8 leaders have the courage to say ‘no’."

The world economy was also due to feature prominently in Thursday’s talks at the plush golf resort, with record oil prices the main concern.

Oil prices hit record levels of over $62 a barrel Wednesday, despite expectations that the leaders would make an official appeal for more stable prices and more freedom for oil companies to invest in oil-rich countr?es.

There were no plans to include any comment on currencies in the economic communique.

G8 leaders were also due to discuss foreign policy issues, particularly the Middle East, although they were not expected to make any major announcements.

Following five days of pop concerts, demonstrations and sporadic violent protests on Scotland’s streets that focused public attention in Britain on the G8 as never before, no anti-G8 protests were planned on Thursday.

But police surrounded a protest campsite in the town of Stirling, 32 km (20 miles) south of Gleneagles, to protect public safety. They were allowing protesters to come and go as long as they submitted to body searches.

Astazi, padurile sunt nemilos taiate. Noi, elevii din Consiliul Local al Copiilor si Tinerilor din satul Piatra, Orhei, membri ai comisiei de ecologie, am adunat 286 de semnaturi de la elevii din gimnaziu pentru a interzice defrisarea padurilor, lista pe care mai tarziu o vom remite Ministerului Ecologiei si Resurselor Naturale. Padurile ocupa o suprafata de numai 9,6% din teritoriul R. Moldova. Noi trebuie sa interzicem categoric defrisarea lor si sa sustinem plantarea pomilor. Noi, elevii din satul Piatra, facem un apel catre toti elevii R. Moldova de a se uni in salvarea celei mai mari bogatii a tarii – padurile. Sa interzicem defrisarea lor!".

Acest ravas, semnat de tinerii din satul Piatra, contine mai mult decat o constatare de fapte – este o speranta pentru ecologisti ca generatiei in crestere ii pasa de soarta mediului. Cu adevarat, tinerii au identificat o grava problema – taierea padurilor, fapt ce mareste riscul activizarii alunecarilor de teren, a eroziunilor si a altor procese negative. intr-o vizita nu prea indepartata in satul Ghermanesti, Telenesti, am gasit lume indurerata. "Se duc la vale jumatate din casele satului, pamantul fuge de sub picioare", se plangea mai fiecare al doilea. Alunecari de teren au loc frecvent in 150 de localitati ale republicii si sunt o problema destul de grava pentru multe terenuri din R. Moldova.

Taierea padurilor si alunecarile de teren sunt doar doua dinte cauzele ce accelereaza procesul desertificarii, care este determinat si de secete, si de pasunatul intens, si de poluarea, dehumizarea, dar, mai ales, de eroziunea solului. Pentru R. Moldova, tara agrara, accelerarea proceselor de desertificare (degradarea terenurilor in raioanele aride, semiaride si uscate subhumide ca rezultat al actiunilor diferitor factori, inclusiv schimbarea climei si activitatea umana – definitie data de Conventia Organizatiei Natiunilor Unite pentru combaterea desertificarii) inseamna, desigur, saracie lucie. Deja milioane de oameni sufera din cauza acestor procese. in intreaga lume se militeaza pentru diminuarea procesului de desertificare si conservarea diversitatii biologice. Se estimeaza ca pana in 2020, din cauza deprecierii mediului inconjurator si, in special, din cauza taierii padurilor, vor dispare 5-15% din speciile florei si a faunei Pamantului. Aceasta inseamna disparitia posibila a 15.000-50.000 specii pe an, adica putem pierde 40-140 specii pe zi! in plus, se considera ca in fiecare minut se defriseaza mai mult de 20 ha de padure. Pierderea lumii vegetale si animale, consecinta a desertificarii, va accelera incalzirea pamantului, caci nu va avea cine inspira milioanele de tone de carbon pe care omenirea le produce anual.

Desigur, depinde de noi ca procesele distructive sa fie incetinite. Mentinerea si ridicarea fertilitatii solurilor, protectia teritoriilor si conservarea lor pentru restabilirea naturala si alte actiuni permanente pot preveni impactul negativ al proceselor de desertificare asupra schimbarilor climatice si biodiversitatii.

in plus, fiecare dintre noi, poate preveni, la nivel local, agravarea situatiei. Stop taierilor ilicite a padurilor, stop poluarii solurilor cu pesticide, unda verde pentru restabilirea pasunilor! Solutii exista si pentru a combate alunecarile de teren: construirea de canale de evacuare rapida a apei pluviale, drenarea terenurilor, captarea izvoarelor de coasta, impadurirea terenurilor afectate sau cu risc de a fi afectate etc. Plantarea perdelelor forestiere pentru protectia terenurilor agricole si a bazinelor acvatice sunt necesare pentru prevenirea eroziunilor, dar si pentru combaterea secetelor. in general, fondul forestier este esential pentru mentinerea echilibrului ecologic si pentru refacerea lui. Se zice ca romanul e frate cu codrul. Da, padurea ne-a dat totul fara a pretinde ceva. Acum, insa, se cere de la noi sa oprim securea si sa cumpanim bine. Altfel, viitorul ne va fi pecetluit cu durere.

GLENEAGLES, Scotland – The Group of Eight powers meeting in Scotland reached agreement on Thursday on the need for urgent action to combat global warming, but set no measurable targets, Germany’s top negotiator said.

A draft with Thursday’s date seen by Reuters contained an acknowledgment that human activity was a significant contributor to global warming, and that there was a need to reduce the greenhouse gases that trigger it.

But it made only cursory reference to the binding Kyoto accord on cutting greenhouse gases, signed by seven of the G8 powers and championed in Gleneagles by France and others — but termed economic suicide by US President George W. Bush.

France made clear that it saw the outcome as only just sufficient.

"Even if it does not go as far as we would have liked, it has one essential virtue in my eyes — that is, to re- establish a dialogue and cooperation between the Kyoto seven and the United States on a subject of the highest importance," French President Jacques Chirac said.

FORMAL AGREEMENT DELAYED

Thursday’s bombs on London’s transport network forced a delay in the formal final agreement by heads of state, but German negotiator Bernd Pfaffenbach told reporters:

"The document was accepted and you can be sure that there won’t be any more changes."

The text seen by Reuters contained no brackets to indicate that passages were still disputed, and so appeared likely to be a copy of the text Pfaffenbach was referring to — final in all but name.

In the event, it also went some way to meeting other demands from Kyoto signatories led by France. They wanted it to endorse the view of the world’s top scientists that human activities are a significant contributor to global warming — disputed recently by the Bush administration – – and require action.

While uncertainties remained in understanding climate science, enough was known to act now to begin to slow down and arrest and reverse the increase in greenhouse gases, the draft said.

"DETERMINATION AND URGENCY"

It committed all eight countries to "act with determination and urgency" to reach common goals that included reducing greenhouse gases, but without offering any yardstick.

The draft also stated that the United Nations provided the appropriate forum to negotiate a future multilateral regime to address climate change.

However, environmentalists were dismissive of a text that made no concrete commitment to any measurable reduction in greenhouse gases.

"President Bush is isolated from the 12 other countries who have all emphasised the need for tough targets to reduce CO? emissions," Greenpeace director Stephen Tindale said, referring to the participation of South Africa, Mexico, India, China and Brazil in some of the G8 meetings.

The draft said it was in the interests of all to work with large emerging economies — a reference in particular to China and India, which are expected to produce more greenhouse gases.

The G8 powers pledged to promote work on more efficient and cleaner energy use, and also to promote the transfer of new technology to developing countries, and to "launch a dialogue on climate change, clean energy and sustainable development".

Friends of the Earth director Tony Juniper said the Bush administration had "again done its best to derail international action to tackle climate change".

But he added: "Even if there was no progress here, there has been a big impact on public awareness."

Astazi, Valeriu Ţarigradschi, directorul rezervatiei stiintifice "Padurea Domneasca", este iarasi la pestera de la Criva, zi de zi participand la "scrierea filelor de istorie". Este managerul proiectului "Pestera Emil Racovita", sustinut de Fondul Ecologic National, prin care si-a propus studierea posibilitatii de renovare a intrarii in pestera si efectuarea cercetarilor in stabilirea perimetrului sistemului carstic, amenajarea zonei de protectie si elaborarea de propuneri pentru organele de stat in scopul ocrotirii acestui sistem. De aceea l-am intrebat pe Valeriu Ţarigradschi care este situatia actuala la pestera "Emil Racovita". in cele ce urmeaza va prezentam raspunsul dlui.

Pestera "Emil Racovita", care se afla in vizorul tuturor ecologistilor din Moldova, isi asteapta exploratorii. Noi, echipa antrenata intr-un proiect sustinut de Fondul Ecologic National, de trei saptamani activam in perimetrul pesterii. Sarcina noastra principala este sa asiguram accesul in galeriile subterane.

La moment grota (intrarea in pestera) a fost modificata prin constructia unui burlan vertical cu o inaltime de peste 25 metri. Accesul este destul de greu si din motivul ca la temelia burlanului se afla multa apa. Despre originea acestei ape inca nimic nu se stie, dar din punct de vedere hidrogeologic sau teoretic acolo ea n-ar fi trebui sa existe. in plus, in etajele superioare se simte o insuficienta de oxigen sau, altfel vorbind, o suprasaturare de oxid de carbon. Originea acestuia este, de asemenea, enigmatica, pentru ca, in mod normal, n-ar fi trebuit sa fie. Sa luam exemplu fantanilor, pentru ca burlanul in prezent reprezinta o fantana de 20-25 metri: toate au oxigen pana la suprafata apei. Cu atat mai mult cu cat in expeditia organizata de Miscarea Ecologista din Moldova s-a coborat pana la apa, la 1 mai a.c., si ne-am aflat acolo timp de 3 ore fara sa fie atestata lipsa de oxigen… Actualmente, se fac lucrari de curatare a burlanului si, in timpul cel mai apropiat, va fi pompata apa. De fapt, va fi descoperita intrarea in pestera.

[img]"%%dir[1]%%21.jpg" border="0" alt="image" name="image" align="center" width="450" height="338" /[/img]
Grupul expeditional MEM in arealul Pesterii ?Emil Racovita?. De la dreapta la stanga: deputatul Andrei Conisescu, ecologistii Gavril Galca, Valeriu Ţarigradschi, Ioana Bobana

Concomitent, se fac tratative cu Institutul de speologie "Emil Racovita" din Bucuresti, Romania. Recent a avut loc o intrevedere cu cercetatorii institutului, la care am participat si s-a convenit ca dupa deschiderea intrarii burlanului, impreuna cu specialistii din Romania, vom lucra asupra unui proiect tehnic de reconstructie a intrarii. Or, pestera "Emil Racovita", fiind un complex carstic grandios, ar fi trebuit sa aiba o comunicare normala cu exteriorul si sa existe o cale de circulatie atat a florei, cat si a faunei. Acesta este primul si cel mai important subiect tratat. Dupa descoperirea burlanului, impreuna cu specialistii din Romania, vom efectua cercetari speologice pentru elucidarea proceselor de importanta majora care au loc in pestera. La fel, am stabilit ca vom implica speologii din Ucraina, pentru ca impreuna R. Moldova, Ucraina, Romania, sa colaboram la acest complex carstic de importanta mondiala. in septembrie, Institutul de speologie "Emil Racovita", va organiza cursuri pentru 5-6 tinerii din R. Moldova, care vor participa la cartarea subterana.

in linii generale opinia stiintifica, a speologilor, este favorabila studierii pesterii "Emil Racovita". Suntem bucurosi ca avem sustinerea Ministerului Ecologiei si Resurselor Naturale, ca suntem ajutati informational si mediatic de revista "Natura". Sper ca in timpul apropiat pestera "Emil Racovita", dupa anumite negocieri cu conducerea "Knauf", sa fie amenajata, studiata si valorificata in scopuri turistice, dar mai ales pentru investigatii stiintifice, caci pestera reprezinta un gigantic laborator biospeologic.

Valeriu ŢARIGRADSCHI

And the world today is changed, but while we achieved the goal of stopping nuclear weapons testing, we are all still living under the threat of nuclear weapons. The urgent task for us now is to abolish them.

We’ve set up a website commemorating the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior and recalling her mission to work for peace and nuclear disarmament.

Visit the site here:
[url=http://www.greenpeace.org/rw20]http://www.greenpeace.org/rw20[/url]

If you remember the bombing, you can post a recollection here:
[url=http://www.greenpeace.org/i-remember]http://www.greenpeace.org/i-remember[/url]

If you were too young to remember the bombing or not born yet, tell us how a new younger breed of activist would carry on the work of abolishing nuclear weapons here:
[url=http://www.greenpeace.org/i-say-peace]http://www.greenpeace.org/i-say-peace[/url]

(The winning submission will get a T-shirt and a grab-bag of Greenpeace goodies and possibly be featured in our media work. Don’t forget to register at the cybercentre — anonymous postings don’t count.)

Thanks for your help in keeping the Rainbow Warrior sailing, a living reminder to our adversaries that while you can send a boat to the bottom of the ocean, you can’t sink a rainbow.

[b]Administrare proasta[/b]

Directorul general al Institului International al Apei, profesorul Frank Riisberman, e de parere ca descentralizare e motivul pentru care apele sunt prost administrate.

[i]Apa de la robinet e un lux in unele parti ale lumii [/i]
[img]"%%dir[1]%%20030907141426water203.jpg" border="0" alt="image" name="image" align="left" width="203" height="152" /[/img]
?Guvernele nu abordeaza unitar problema administrarii apelor. Avem ministerul agriculturii pe de-o parte, administratiile locale de alta parte si, separat de toti acestia Ministerul Mediului.?

Modul in care interectioneaza acesti factori de decizie in domeniul apelor a fost ignorat.

Consecinta ?

Uriase probleme cu apa in India, in China si oriunde te uiti pe harta.

Nu trebuie sa cauti prea mult pentru a vedea ca apa a inceput sa fie o problema majora.

[b]Victimele umane[/b]
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Potrivit profesorului Frank Riisberman, seceta si inundatiile produc pagube greu de evaluat.

?Inundatiile din Bangladesh si din sudul Asiei ne-au costat 1600 de vieti si miliarde de dolari. insa, de fapt, daune mult mai mari sunt produse, de pilda, de diaree, ca efect al consumului apei de proasta calitate.

Doua milioane de oameni mor anual din pricina calitatii apei- trei sferturi dintre ei sunt copii sub cinci ani, care mor din cauza unei boli care ar putea fi usor tratata.