SalvaEco

We base our work on the following values that colour all the work of SCI:

Volunteering – in the sense of acting out of self-initiative, without seeking material reward and for the benefit of civil society, as a method and a statement for social change, whilst never competing with paid labour nor seeking to contribute to strike-breaking

Non-violence ? as a principle and a method

Human Rights ? respect for individuals as stated in the universal declaration of Human Rights

Solidarity ? international solidarity for a more just world and solidarity between human beings at all levels

Respect for the Environment ? and the ecosystem of which we are a pa?t and upon which we are dependent

Inclusion – to be open and inclusive to all individuals who share the aims and objectives of the movement, without regard to gender, race, colour, religion, nationality, social status or political views and any other possible grounds for discrimination

Empowerment ? empowering people to understand and act to transform the social, cultural and economic structures that affect their lives at all levels.

Co-operation ? with local communities as well as other local, national and international actors to strengthen the positive potential within civil society as a whole

We believe that all the people are capable of living together with mutual respect and without recourse to any form of violence to solve conflicts. We organise international volunteer projects all over the world because we know that peace can only be built if people with different backgrounds and cultures learn to co-operate and work together.

SCI has consultative status with the Council of Europe, operational relations with UNESCO and is a member of:

CCIVS: Coordinating Committee of International Voluntary Service Organisations
YFJ: Youth Forum Jeunesse
AVSO: Association of Voluntary Service Organisations
UNITED for Intercultural Action

In 1987, SCI was awarded the title of Messenger of Peace given by the United Nations, in acknowledgment of its efforts to promote peace and understanding.

More about SCI can be found at: [url=http://www.sciint.org]www.sciint.org[/url]

Cele peste doua milioane de locuitori ai Bucurestiului inhaleaza zilnic peste patru tone de
plumb, produse de gazele de esapament ale celor aproape 1,5 milioane de automobile care
circula in fiecare zi prin Capitala, potrivit unui raport realizat de organizatia Eco-Europa.
Statisticile spun ca un automobil scoate pe teava de esapament un kilogram de plumb anual, iar Bucurestiul detine primul loc pe tara la capitolul numar de masini pe cap de locuitor. Aceasta
substanta este deosebit de nociva pentru organism, deoarece genereaza saturnism (o boala
cauzata de intoxicarea cu plumb), distruge calciul din oase, iar femeile gravide care
inhaleaza o contitate prea mare pot naste copii anemici, cu un intelect scazut. Din cauza
poluarii cu plumb, oxizi si alte gaze, 50% dintre precipitatiile care s-au abatut asupra
Bucurestiului in ultimii ani au fost acide. Defrisarile si constructiile au inmultit tonele de praf

Cele 273 de tone de praf care se depoziteaza, lunar, in Capitala, provin de la betoniere, de
la constructii si de la periferia orasului. Astfel ca bucurestenii inhaleaza zilnic in jur de
noua tone de praf. Specialistii spun ca vintul, din fenomen salvator, a devenit un factor
nociv in Bucuresti, deoarece blocarea circulatiei aerului prin aglomerarea constructiilor din
ce in ce mai inalte a condus la aparitia efectului ?de canion?, adica la blocarea agentilor
toxici la nivelul la care respiram. La periferie, vintul nu face altceva decit sa aduca in
oras tone de praf, din cauza defrisarilor masive, care au afectat perdelele de protectie de
jur imprejurul Capitalei. Ecologistii afirma ca cea mai grava problema o reprezinta nordul
Bucurestiului, Baneasa si Pipera, unde copacii au fost defrisati haotic, iar constructiile au
rasarit ca ciupercile dupa ploaie.

Poluarea cu plumb si praful respirat din atmosfera au facut ca, in ultimii 10 ani, numarul de
decese in rindul bucurestenilor cauzate de afectiuni ale aparatului respirator sa creasca de
la 3,9 la 48,4 cazuri la 100.000 de locuitori, iar cele cauzate de boli ale sistemului
digestiv sa cunoasca un salt de la 1,7 la 6,9 la 100.000 de persoane.
Doar cartierul Primaverii nu e poluat

Potrivit statisticilor, aproximativ 65% dintre bucuresteni se supun zilnic unor concentratii
mai mari decit maximumul acceptat pentru oxizi de azot sau de sulf, plumb si monoxid de
carbon. Ecologistii au identificat opt zone in Capitala in care poluarea atinge cote
alarmante: 1) Bd. Drumul Taberei – Bd. Timisoara – Bd. Iuliu Maniu; 2) Platforma Dudesti –
Liviu Rebreanu – Dristor – Baba Novac; 3) Piata Unirii – George Cosbuc – Soseaua Alexandriei;
4) Timpuri Noi – Splaiul Independentei – Calea Vacaresti; 5) Piata Victoriei – Doctor Felix –
Bd. Ion Mihalache – Bd. Kiseleff; 6) Stefan cel Mare – Tunari – Doamna Ghica; 7) Soseaua
Pantelimon – Gara de Est – Electronicii; 8) Calea Floreasca – Platforma Aviatiei – Poligrafiei
– Romaero – Casa Presei Libere – Sofitel.

Cartierul Primaverii este unicat in Bucuresti, deoarece doar el indeplineste parametrii de
minima poluare si de spatiu verde pe cap de locuitor. Strazile acestui cartier sint circulate
doar de riverani, iar zona e populata doar de vile.
20 de milioane de metri patrati de spatiu verde au disparut

Dragos Stan, presedintele Eco-Europa, spune ca in ultimii 15 ani au disparut din Bucuresti in
jur de 20 de milioane de metri patrati de spatiu verde, informatiile sale bazindu-se pe
statistici ale Ministerului Mediului. ?Au disparut zeci de mii de copaci, zeci de hectare de
verdeata din parcuri si din ultimele doua pepiniere dendro-floricole bucurestene. Spatiile
verzi sint supuse incontinuu unui adevarat macel, prin amplasarea ilegala pe suprafata
acestora a mii de garaje, tarabe pentru comertul stradal, terase sau restaurante, masini
parcate haotic etc. Mai nou, pe suprafete intinse de spatii verzi s-au construit centre
comerciale, hoteluri, sedii de companii sau birouri, vile etc.?, afirma Dragos Stan.
0,6 mp spatiu verde – ratia unui bucurestean din Cringasi

Potrivit statisticilor, unui bucurestean ii revin 2,5 metri patrati de spatiu verde, adica un
sfert din normele minime internationale ale lumii civilizate. In Stockholm, raportul e de 82
de metri patrati/locuitor, in Viena e de 70, iar in Varsovia – 31 de metri patrati.

Repartizat pe sectoare, spatiul verde este mai abundent in sectorul 1, unde un locuitor de
acolo beneficiaza de 11 metri patrati. In celelalte sectoare, situatia este grava, cel mai
negru raport inregistrindu-se in sectorul 6, unde unui locuitor din Cringasi ii revin 0,6
metri patrati de spatiu verde, de 20 de ori mai putin decit necesarul minim admis. Situatia ar
fi fost si mai dramatica, daca autoritatile nu luau in calcul si spatiul verde din cele 14
cimitire bucurestene, care insumeaza 131,3 hectare. Acesta a scapat macelului, datorita
faptului ca in cimitire nu se pot amplasa terase, baruri sau buticuri.
Corigenti la protectia mediului

?In Bucuresti, se mai folosesc inca metodele clasice, in care deseurile sint ingropate si apoi
li se da foc in aer liber, unde se elimina emisii de dioxina. Aceasta este una dintre cele mai
toxice substante cunoscute pina in prezent. Prin arderea plasticului si a cauciucurilor se
elimina substante care produc boli de plamini, iar in timp pot fi afectate ficatul, rinichii
si singele. Solutia problemei e simpla: crearea urgenta a unui sistem public de colectare
separata a deseurilor, in vederea reciclarii?, spune Dragos Stan. Statisticile europene
clasifica Romania pe un loc codas la capitolul tari care nu au un sistem public de reciclare a
deseurilor. Ecologistii cer schimbarea legislatiei de mediu.
20% din gunoiul Capitalei ramine necolectat

Intr-o singura zi, bucurestenii produc in jur de 2.000 de tone de gunoi: sticle goale de suc
si ulei, cutii de conserve, resturi de legume si fructe, haine vechi si incaltaminte rupta,
fier vechi, frigidere ori televizoare stricate, carton si hirtie, jucarii rupte etc. Dragos
Stan afirma ca doar 80% din toate acestea sint strinse de catre firmele de salubritate, restul
raminind necolectate pe spatiile verzi, pe terenurile virane, pe malurile lacurilor ori la
periferie. Ecologistii estimeaza ca fiecare sector al Capitalei are in jur de 60-70 de halde
de gunoi in spatele blocurilor, in piete, in parcuri sau pe marginea si in interiorul
lacurilor in care se scalda unii copii. ?Situatia cu gunoiul necolectat se agraveaza vara,
cind respectivele deseuri incep sa intre in putrefactie, iar in jurul acestora se aduna roiuri
de muste si tintari. Daca cineva are curiozitatea sa scarme in acele gunoaie, va vedea ca
jumatate din volumul ocupat de deseuri este format din ambalajele din plastic, care nu sint
biodegradabile?, precizeaza Dragos Stan.
Baia Mare, poluata de metalurgie

In Baia Mare, calitatea aerului este afectata, in principal, de activitatea de metalurgie
neferoasa, din cauza emisiilor de dioxid de sulf si pulberi in suspensie cu continut de plumb
si cadmiu. Starea de sanatate a populatiei este inrautatita in raport cu alte asezari umane
din cauza acestor emisii. Astfel, bolile de metabolism cauzate de existenta plumbului sint mai
frecvente cu 40-60% decit in alte locuri. In Constanta, poluarea energetica are la baza
emisiile de oxizi de sulf, oxizi de azot si oxizi de carbon. Impactul a fost redus prin
renuntarea la combustibilul solid (carbunele), utilizat in trecut la CT Ovidiu si prin
inlocuirea partiala a combustibilului lichid (pacura) la CET Palas, cu gaze naturale. In
sezonul estival, cind populatia judetului creste, se dubleaza si emisiile din trafic.
In centrul Clujului, poluare mai mare

In Cluj, desi valorile indicatorilor de poluare a aerului se mentin in limite medii,
problemele apar in zonele centrale, in preajma trecerilor de pietoni, unde in timpul
stationarii, autovehiculele produc o poluare, care depaseste de citeva ori limitele admise,
fenomen amplificat la orele de virf. Probleme de poluare mai sint si in ceea ce priveste
solul, in zona rampei de gunoi de la Pata Rit.

Potrivit statisticilor, capitala Moldovei se numara printre cei mai mari generatori de deseuri
si substante poluante din Romania. Principala unitate poluanta din Iasi este Centrala
Electro-Termica (CET) Iasi care, conform masuratorilor genereaza pentru lunile de iarna peste
50 de tone de poluanti zilnic. Inchiderea combinatului chimic Solventul a insemnat oprirea
celui mai mare factor de risc din punct de vedere al poluarii in Timisoara. Poluarea
industriala masiva a fost inlocuita cu poluarea provocata de traficul intens. Cea mai grava
situatie de mediu a orasului este considerata groapa de gunoi de la Parta, etichetata de ani
de zile ca fiind o ?bomba ecologica?. (C.-O.M., M.B.)

Russia handed official ratification papers to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in Nairobi on Thursday.

Russia’s accession gives Kyoto support from countries that emit at least 55% of the world’s greenhouse gases.

The protocol commits 55 industrialised nations to making significant cuts in the emission of gases such as carbon dioxide by the year 2012.

Moscow’s ambassador to the UN, Andrei Denisov, handed Russia’s accession papers to Mr Annan in Nairobi, where the Security Council is holding a special session.

Mr Annan described Russia’s accession to the Kyoto Protocol as a "historic step forward in the world’s efforts to combat a truly global threat".

The formal ratification of the protocol ended years of uncertainty over the future of the agreement, Mr Annan added.

<b>International disagreement</b>

The US, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, withdrew from the protocol in 2001, saying it would gravely damage the US economy.

The Bush administration also criticised the protocol for not forcing developing nations including India and China to cut emissions immediately.

Australia, which has a large coal industry, has also refused to ratify Kyoto.

The protocol was first agreed in 1997, but required the agreement of countries responsible for at least 55% of global emissions measured in 1990.

After the US pulled out, the protocol could not be ratified without Russia, responsible for 17% of emissions.

Industrialised countries will have until 2012 to cut their collective emissions of six key greenhouse gases to 5.2% below the 1990 level.

But some experts have claimed that a drastic cut of around 60% is needed to avoid the worst effects of global warming.

Alaturi de Stanca mai sint cercetati, in acelasi dosar, fostul director general Mircea Dobre
si fostul director de productie Ionel Lazar, au precizat sursele citate. Potrivit acelorasi
surse, in acest dosar va fi audiat si omul de afaceri Frank Timis, presedintele executiv al
societatii mixte Rosia Montana-Gold Corporation SA, rezultata in urma contractului dintre cele
doua societati. Statul roman – reprezentat prin Minvest Deva – s-a asociat cu compania
canadiana Gabriel Resources in urma cu cinci ani si a format societatea mixta Rosia
Montana-Gold Corporation SA (RMGC), care are ca scop exploatarea rezervelor de aur si argint
din zona Rosia Montana in Muntii Apuseni.

Actionar majoritar este Gabriel Resources, care detine 80% din capital, in timp ce
participatia Minvest Deva este de 19% din actiuni. Gabriel Resources a concesionat, in 1997,
terenul pe care urmeaza sa amplaseze viitoarea exploatare contra sumei de trei milioane de
dolari.

Echipa formata din 33 de persoane a urcat pana la altitudinea de opt mii de metri pentru a curata cel mai inalt varf muntos din lume. S-au strans 400 de saci cu sticle de plastic goale, rezervoare de oxigen folosite, corturi si chiar mucuri de tigari.

It says the EU should manage emission cuts slightly larger than those which the Kyoto Protocol requires it to make.

This depends on states living up to all their promises, and on some countries making bigger cuts than they agreed.

Even so, the EEA says, some individual countries will still overshoot their Kyoto targets, some by a large amount.

Stiff requirement

It says the EU will cut its greenhouse gas emissions by slightly more than required under the Kyoto Protocol, the global climate change treaty, on one condition.

This is that member states implement all the policies, measures and third-country projects they are planning, and that several cut emissions by more than they have to.

The EEA’s latest projections show the 15 pre-2004 EU members (the EU-15) should cut their total emissions to 7.7% below 1990 levels by 2010.

The projections are on the basis of existing domestic policies and measures already being implemented, and additional policies and measures currently planned.

Country targets slipping

<img src="%%dir[1]%%_40649993_cloud_ap_203.jpg" border="0" alt="image" name="image" hspace="5" vspace="5" align="left" width="203" height="152" /> The agency says plans by six EU-15 states to use credits from emissions-saving projects in third countries through the Kyoto Protocol’s "flexible mechanisms" would contribute a further reduction of around 1.1%, taking the total to 8.8%.

The flexible mechanisms allow the industrialised countries required by Kyoto to cut their emissions to offset against their totals the savings they help developing countries to make.

This extra reduction is more than the 8% decrease from 1990 levels that the EU-15 are committed to achieving by 2008-2012 under the protocol.

But each EU-15 country also has an agreed, legally binding target for limiting or cutting its own emissions to ensure the overall 8% reduction is met.

The EEA’s projections show that at present Denmark, Italy, Portugal and Spain are on course for above-target emissions, some by a wide margin, even with use of the Kyoto mechanisms and additional mea?ures planned.

Portugal is projected to be emitting 53.1% more by 2010 than it did in 1990, and Spain 48.3% more. Greece (38.6%) and Ireland (29.4%) are not far behind.

Germany is in danger of slightly exceeding its emission limit on the basis of existing policies and measures.

Failure possible

The agency says: "This means the EU-15 may reach its 8% reduction target only if the projected failure of these member states to respect their targets is compensated by others making bigger emission cuts than required.

"This ‘over-delivery’ cannot be taken for granted. Without it, the EU-15 would achieve a total reduction, including use of the Kyoto mechanisms, of only 6.5%."

It says the EU’s emissions trading scheme, starting on 1 January 2005, should help the bloc to achieve greater reductions.

Plans by nine member states to store carbon in deep underground or undersea caverns could make further reductions possible.

By 2002, the latest year for which data are available, the EU-15 had cut their overall emissions of the six gases specified in the protocol by just 2.9% below 1990 levels.

The latest projections are published in the EEA report Greenhouse Gas Emission Trends And Projections In Europe 2004.

Datorita ploilor abundente un produs petrolier dintr-un separator al rafinariei Rompetrol Vega s-a deversat in rau. A fost construit un baraj astfel incat apa potabila nu a fost afectata. Rafinaria a fost amendata cu 225 de milioane de lei pentru neglijenta.

De patru ori mai mult decat norma permisa, informeaza Ministerul Mediului. in urma controlului efectuat, s-a constatat ca sursa de poluare este societatea "Romplumb".

Conform studiului – elaborat de Fundatia RAC din Londra – unele mirosuri "mai grele", cum ar fi cele de mancare, cresc riscul producerii accidentelor, in timp ce alte arome, precum cea de menta, imbunatatesc concentrarea. "Mai mult decat orice alt simt, simtul olfactiv se afla in stransa legatura cu partea logica a creierului. De aceea, parfumul poate transforma barbatii in niste idioti repeziti si tot din acelasi motiv mirosul unei paini calde poate distruge cele mai bune intentii ale unui om care tine regim", a declarat unul din autorii studiului, psihologul Conrad King. Potrivit specialistului, cele mai bune miresme pentru interiorul unei masini sunt cele de menta, scortisoara, lamaie si cafea. De asemenea, briza marii are un efect pozitiv asupra soferilor, ajutandu-i sa scape de stres. De partea cealalta, mirosul invelisurilor de fast-food sau cel al unei paini calde il poate irita pe sofer, care va avea tendinta de a mari viteza, intrucat acesta se va simti infometat si se va grabi sa-si satisfaca apetitul. Printre mirosurile periculoase se mai numara cele de musetel, iasomie si levantica, intrucat acestea il pot suprarelaxa pe sofer, care poate adormi la volan. Aceste plante sunt folosite in general pentru tratarea insomniei. in acelasi timp, studiile efectuate pe astronauti au scos la iveala faptul ca un mediu in care mirosul lipseste cu desavarsire creeaza iritabilitate si chiar halucinatii olfactive. Conform oamenilor de stiinta, in viitor, masinile ar putea fi dotate din fabricatie cu sisteme care sa detecteze starea psihica a soferului si sa actioneze in conformitate schimband pozitia scaunului, a intensitatii luminii si chiar mirosul din masina pentru a-i crea acestuia o stare de bine.

WWF, Greenpeace, and the Forests and the European Union Resource Network (FERN) drew up the model legislation as a response to the European Commission?s Action Plan to combat illegal logging and its related trade (FLEGT), whose first package of measures will be discussed by EU Agriculture Ministers on 21 December 2004.

?Our draft Regulation is intended to press the EU to take swift action to stop the ongoing tragedy of forest destruction, which lays waste to vast areas of forest and destroys the livelihoods of millions who depend on them. The EU is clearly implicated in the trade,? said S?bastien Risso of Greenpeace.

The NGO-drafted Regulation recognizes illegal logging and its related trade as an environmental crime, and allows for sanctions in the event of abuse of documents certifying the wood?s legality (eg, no import notification, false declaration, forged documents). It also proposes that sustainability criteria be developed in cooperation with timber-producing countries and progressively integrated into laws to reassure the consumer that timber is both legal and from a sustainably managed forest.

This builds on the Commission?s current proposal, presented in July 2004, which aims to implement a credible chain of custody to ensure the legality of timber imports from those countries that choose to sign partnership agreements with the EU. The European Commission and European Parliament have each recognized that illegal timber imports from countries without partnership agreements will remain a problem, as will crimes associated with the trade, but these concerns have not been addressed to date.

?The timber industry faces an uncertain ?uture if it fails to address the problem of illegal logging and unsustainable wood imports," said Beatrix Richards, WWF’s Forest Policy Officer for Europe. "Europe needs to remove this wood from the market to ensure a level playing field for legal traders and the survival of the world?s forests.?

The statement signed by NGOs calls for civil society to be fully involved in the development of partnership agreements to propose solutions and to promote responsible forest management. It also requests measures in the areas of customs cooperation, investment, and public-purchasing policies.

WWF, Greenpeace, and FERN emphasize that in addition to their draft regulation, the EU will need to deal with the crimes associated with the illegal timber trade, such as bribery and money-laundering.

Notes:

? More than 1.2 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods, according to the World Bank?s Sustaining Forests report

? 50 per cent of tropical timber imports into the EU are estimated to come from illegal sources (European League Table of Imports of Illegal Timber, Friends of the Earth), and up to 25 per cent of imports from north-west Russia (Illegal logging in north- western Russia and export of Russian forest products to Sweden, WWF, April 2003).

? The European Commission acknowledged in its Action Plan that for a variety of reasons, some important wood-producing countries may choose not to enter into FLEGT partnership agreements with the EU, despite the advantages outlined.