September 2nd, 2009 @ buhlig // No Comments
FIRM BACKS GREEN TREASURE HUNt
COMMUNICATIONS and event management consultancy firm Eventscom has joined forces with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for Bahrain’s sixth annual Environmental Treasure Hunt. The event, held under the patronage of the Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife head Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, is due to take place on November 6. A memorandum of understanding was signed yesterday at the Marriott Executive Apartments in Manama for this year’s event.
Eventscom will help raise awareness of the annual event, which will also include an interactive educational environmental workshop, a photography competition, a children’s summer camp and a recycling fashion show, said chief executive officer Zahra Taher. The event, held from 2003, aims to increase awareness among youngsters of environmental issues concerning Bahrain.
September 2nd, 2009 @ buhlig // No Comments
A NATIONWIDE recycling initiative plans to donate more than a million dollars to local charities and community needs by March next year.
Recycling for Charity aims to collect waste paper, plastic bottles, metal cans and white or coloured glass, recycling them, selling them, and in turn donating around BD450,000 to the local community.
The Manama-based German waste management firm Arteko is providing the bins and much of the technology for the recycling process. It collects the recyclables by encouraging people to deposit them in various containers (recycling bins) across the country.
The containers are provided and emptied free of charge and the recyclables are transferred to a recycling factory in Sitra.
The initiative, which is the first of its kind in the GCC, was launched in March this year.
The containers are already in 30 locations, mainly in schools and supermarkets, and 10 to 15 more are planned this week, but the goal is to have 100 locations, said Arteko managing director for the Middle East Boris Uhlig. He said the company had already collected between 800 and 900 tonnes of recyclables and planned to start selling them in various countries in the Gulf, as well as India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The company, he said, aimed to collect 30,000 tonnes of waste by March 2010 and for each tonne collected and sold it would donate BD15 to local charities and community needs, which would come to a total of BD450,000.
The money donated would be divided as follows: 30 per cent to the 86 charity funds located across Bahrain; 30pc to student scholarships; 20pc to emergency cases in the community; and 20pc to events such as awareness.
campaigns and environment activities. “It’s a customised programme to convince people to protect the environment,” Mr Uhlig told the GDN.
“We spent one year studying to create a concept that would be suitable for Bahrain.
“We have been approached by the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to have a similar concept there but we are doing this gradually and starting with Bahrain.”
Mr Uhlig said the response from the community had been positive, with the bins needin to be emptied every day, or every other day, compared to once every five days in Germany. He said majority of those who were recyclingwere expats, but about 20pc were
Bahrainis.
Within two years, he hoped 80pc of people in the country would be using the bins for recycling.
“We are confident this will work out,” saidMr Uhlig.
“There is awareness among the younger generation so it is not a problem to convince them, it is not even a problem to convince the older generation but we must educate them.” He said New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), Adliya, which joined the initiative yesterday was the first university to introduce the recycling bins and Bahrain University in Isa Town and Sakhir would follow soon.
“We will definitely want locations in all schools by the end of next year and universities are important because awareness of the people there is bigger.
“Most of those going to university have a car and it is easy for them to take their recyclables to the bins.
“We encourage the PR (public relations) awareness campaigns that are being conducted in NYIT, Alosra and the Crowne Plaza.”
NEW York Institute of Technology (NYIT) launched a recycling campaign at a ceremony held at its Adliya campus yesterday.
The campaign includes the establishment of an environment group and launching the Recycling for Charity initiative. Staff will pass out flyers in the classroom and participate in recycling, while students will volunteer as members of the newly formed Environmental Club.
The club will promote NYIT’s recycling location to local businesses as well as the campus community among other activities.
“I was interested in bringing it to NYIT, but also in a broader perspective getting students involved in putting the message out to the community and educating businesses to get involved,” said NYIT dean Reginald Braggs. He said everyone was invited to use the recycling bins, which are located at the main entrance of the NYIT and various smaller bins were around the campus.
UNITED NATIONS: Chinese President Hu Jintao announced new goals yesterday to slow the growth in his country’s carbon dioxide emissions while US President Barack Obama warned time was short to act on global warming. The two men, whose countries represent 40 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, sought at a climate change summit to reinvigorate stalled UN talks to reach an international deal to fight global warming.
Hu laid out a new climate change plan for China. Obama outlined his administration’s efforts so far this year but did not offer new proposals. Hu said China would vigorously develop renewable and nuclear energy and promised emissions would grow slower than economic growth in future.
“We will endeavour to cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by a notable margin by 2020 from the 2005 level,” Hu said. He also outlined ambitious goals of planting enough forest to cover an area the size of Norway and generate 15 per cent of its energy needs from renewable sources within a decade. The pledge, while short of an absolute cap on output, was seen as an attempt to counter critics, especially in Washington, who say Beijing is doing too little.
Obama said the US had done more over the eight months of his presidency to reduce carbon pollution than at any time in history and urged all nations to act together. “Our generation’s response to this challenge will be judged by history, for if we fail to meet it – boldly, swiftly, and together – we risk consigning future generations to an irreversible catastrophe,” Obama said.
“The time we have to reverse this tide is running out.”Activists hoped the US and China would inject momentum before 190 nations gather in Copenhagen aiming to complete a deal to slow climate change. But environmentalists were upset at the lack of specifics in Obama’s first presidential speech to the UN.
“We are very, very disappointed about what Obama has said,” said Thomas Henningsen, climate co-ordinator for Greenpeace International.
“It is more of a step back than a step forward,” he said, adding Obama had not spelled out any concrete steps compared to what other nations were prepared to do.
Europeans, who had welcomed Obama’s commitment to fight climate change as a positive development after his predecessor George W Bush, are growing impatient.
A climate change bill mandating cuts in US emissions is unlikely to be passed by the US Senate by December.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said talks were moving too slowly. “Failure to reach broad agreement in Copenhagen would be morally inexcusable, economically short-sighted and politically unwise,” he said.
Talks leading to the December 7-18 meeting have put developed and developing countries at odds over how to distribute emissions curbs.
MANAMA: Developers, who destroy marine life and the environment through reclamation, will have to pay a “green tax”.
The penalty would be used to fund green projects to either restore or protect other areas of Bahrain’s environment. Developers would then have to carry out “green” rehabilitation projects themselves or pay towards the cost through the tax. It is hoped the National Assembly will approve the “green tax” by the end of the year, said Public Commission for the Protection of
Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife head Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa. He said that the public commission was not against development, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of the environment. Shaikh Abdulla said that a “green tax” fund would be set up soon to fund remedial projects, once it is approved by the National Assembly. “We want to reach sustainable development, but this should include safeguarding the environment, which shouldn’t be the duty of only the government, but the private sector too,” he said. “However, those who believe they are above the law and want to continue destroying the environment only have themselves to blame.”
alaali@gdn.com .bh
ISTANBUL: Record flooding left at least 31 people dead and large parts of Istanbul under water yesterday as rescuers used military helicopters and rubber dinghies to ferry terrified residents to safety.
Neighbourhoods in Turkey’s largest city were left partially submerged after two days of the heaviest rain in 80 years. Rescue workers, some on boats, put out planks and ladders to help drivers, stranded in fast-flowing waters, reach the safety of bridges and high land. The worst flooding occurred in low-lying areas in the west of the city, on the European side, where drainage is often poor. Witnesses said waves of muddy waters pulling cars, trees and debris crashed into homes and buildings as people were getting up to break their fasting during Ramadan. “We heard a crashing sound and then saw the waters coming down carrying cars and debris,” said Nuri Bitken, a 42-year-old night guard at a truck garage.
“We tried to wake up those who were still asleep but some didn’t make it. The dead had to be retrieved by boats,” Bitken said. The biggest loss of life occurred in Istanbul itself where 20 people died in addition to three people who died a day before in the western suburbs, the city’s g o v e r n o r M u a m m e r Guler said.
“Unfortunat ely, eight people are missing,” he said. E a r l i e r , seven people drowned in flooding in the province of Tekirdag, west of Istanbul, Environment M i n i s t e r Veysel Eroglu said, describing the rains pounding the region as the “worst seen in 500 years”. Guler said six bodies were found at a truck park in the district of Basaksehir. The victims included a truck driver, a
security guard and a shepherd grazing animals nearby. Once the flood waters receded, the park was left under a thick layer of mud with trucks toppled over on the sides or thrown against each other.
In the neighbouring district of Halkali, seven women drowned when they were swept away by the flood as they tried to get out of their stranded minibus taking them to work at a textile factory, Guler explained. “The minibus was right at the front of the factory. It was hit by water coming from both sides. Those at the front got out, but those at the back could not,” the governor said.
“They were unable to open the van’s back door due to water pressure.” There were incidents of looting in some shops in areas affected by the flood where people were walking away with dinner sets, irons and electric kettles. President Abdullah Gul described the flood as the worst ever to hit Istanbul and pledged the state would do everything it could to help victims. Authorities launched a major rescue operation, deploying 900 firemen, six military helicopters and 30 inflatable dinghies.
The Istanbul mayor’s office said more than 1,000 people had been rescued since the floods began. Forecasters say they are expecting a new front of rain to move in over the countryover the next few days.
Green summit outlines data goals
GENEVA: Experts at 150-nation climate talks agreed guidelines yesterday to improve a flow of information to help the world cope with heatwaves, sandstorms or rising sea levels likely to be caused by global warming.
“In the 21st century the peoples of the world will be facing multi-faceted challenges of climate variability and climate change,” said a draft summary of talks among 1,500 experts at a World Climate Conference. The experts, including leading scientists, urged better monitoring of the climate, free and open exchange of data, more research, speedier information for everyone from farmers to governments, and other measures such as more education.
The draft document was due to be endorsed by governments today as part of a plan to bolster climate services. The Geneva agreement could help implement a separate UN climate treaty due to be agreed in Copenhagen in December.
“We’re on track,” Jane Lub-chenco, US Under-Secretary of Com-merce for Oc-eans and At-mosp-here and he-ad of the US dele-gation, said of the Geneva meeting and its go-als. The talks are aimed mainly at helping developing nations adapt to climate change that will affect all parts of society from farming to energy supplies and from health to transpor, she said.
“Climate change is real and it’s happening every place … every country will have to adapt to climate change,” Lubchenco said. Delegates said governments at the talks were trying to end splits over a separate document mentioning global warming that is also due to be endorsed by about 80 ministers and 20 heads of state at the final two days of talks today and tomorrow.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be among the speakers. Martin Visbeck, the chair of the committee of experts in Geneva, said a few disputes among delegates did not threaten agreement on a new ”Framework for Climate Services” in Geneva.
WINNING WAR ON TRAFFIC FUMES
By DANIEL MUNDEN
BAHRAIN is winning the battle against dangerous traffic fumes, by drastically cutting the sulphur in diesel fuel.
The country has risen 12 places to 63rd in the world on a ranking system assessing on-road sulphur limits, it was announced yesterday. Bahrain, which spent $700 million (BD262m) to build a low-sulphur production plant at the Bapco refinery, is the only country in the Middle East to have risen in the annual International Fuel Quality Centre (IFQC) rankings. It came fifth in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region as a whole, with Morocco (44th worldwide), Qatar (57th), Oman (58th) and the UAE (61st). The study looks at action taken by governments to de-sulphurise diesel fuel – greatly reducing tailpipe emissions.
Saudi Arabia ranked 96th, the lowest placed Middle East country in the top 100 listings, having dropped eight places since 2008, with Lebanon following close behind at 94th. Bahrain also finished above Egypt (74th), Iraq (75th), Kuwait (76th) as well as Algeria and Tunisia – who finished 79th and 81st respectively. Cambodia came bottom in the worldwide chart. IFQC executive director Liisa Kiuru said great strides had already been made worldwide in seeking to reduce sulphur emissions and this year’s positive statistics proved that countries were aware of the importance of the issue.
“This year’s ranking shows the tremendous movement being made globally towards zero sulphur fuels, as the top 44 countries all have sulphur limits of 50 parts per million (ppm) or less,” she said. “We can expect to see sulphur reduction spreading beyond on-road fuels in the near future, to include marine and jet fuels amongst others.”
Sulphur occurs naturally in crude oil and because of this it is passed onto refined products such as transportation fuels, when it is processed in a refinery. Bapco’s low-sulphur diesel production plant (LSDPP) opened in December 2007 and aims to reduce levels from 6,500 ppm to less than 10 ppm. The top of the IFQC’s rankings remained unchanged; with Sweden, Germany and Japan coming in first, second and third respectively.
All EU countries ranked in the top 10, with 100 per cent market penetration of 10 ppm sulphur diesel fuel according to the Fuel Quality Directive – which shows that all countries within the EU had a 100 per cent uptake of 10 ppm sulphur diesel by January this year. Outside of the EU only Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea have managed to achieve full market penetration of 10 ppm sulphur diesel, with the Middle East region averaging around 300-500 ppm for sulphur diesel sold.
danm@gdn.com.bh
September 1st, 2009 @ buhlig // No Comments
صندوق تعويضات لإعادة إصلاح البيئة
كتب – مصطفى نور الدين: كشف المدير العام لحماية البيئة والحياة الفطرية والثروة السمكية د. عادل الزياني عن مؤشرات ايجابية للدفع باتجاه إصدار قانون جديد للبيئة، وقال إنه سيتم إنشاء صندوق لتعويضات الضرر والتي ستستخدم لإعادة اصلاح البيئة. وقال الزياني ل” الأيام” إن الأموال التي سيتم إيداعھا في الصندوق ليست مساعدات أو معونات وإنما تعتبر إصلاحا للبيئة في حال وجود أي خلل تتسبب به الشركات أو المصانع المخالفة، موضحا بأن البيئة ستتمكن من تمويل نفسھا ذاتياً في ظل وجود ھذا الصندوق. ومن جھة أخرى، قال الزياني انه سيتم طرح أسطول فعال من القوارب يتواجد عليه مفتشون وضباط تابعون للھيئة وسيجوبون البحر لضبط المخالفين للدفان والحفار والصيد. وكشف عن مساعٍ لإيجاد طاقم بري ودعم المفتشين الموجود في البيئة لزيادة وتقوية الأدوات الرقابية
September 1st, 2009 @ buhlig // No Comments
أعلن مجلس الوزراء العرب المسئولين عن شئون البيئة فتح باب الترشح لجائزة المجلس للعام 2010 وموضوعھا” أفضل مشروع طوعي يحمي البيئة ويوفر فرص عمل”. وتبلغ قيمة الجائزة الأولى 10 آلاف دولار مع شھادة تقديرية وميدالية تذكارية، والجائزة الثانية 7 آلاف دولار مع شھادة تقديرية وميدالية تذكارية، والجائزة الثالثة 3 آلاف دولار مع شھادة تقديرية وميدالية تذكارية. كما تأتي ھذه الجائزة تقديرا للدور الذي يقوم به العمل التطوعي في تحسين الظروف المعيشية والإنسانية والاجتماعية للأسر والمجتمعات العربية، وبغية تشجيع مشاركة مؤسسات المجتمع المدني وزيادة الفرص المتاحة لھا للإسھام في تنمية المجتمع والارتقاء بمستوي معيشة أفراده، وعليه قرر مجلس الوزراء العرب المسئولين عن شئون البيئة في دورته 20 ديسمبر/ كانون الأول 2008 تخصيص جائزة المجلس للعام 2010 للعمل التطوعي الذي يحمي البيئة ويوفر فرص عمل، وتمنح الجائزة لمن يحقق أفضل وأعلى الانجازات من الأفراد والمجموعات. وتھدف جائزة المجلس إلى الاعتراف بالانجازات المتميزة والبارزة للعمل الطوعي العربي في النھوض بالمجتمع وحماية بيئته وتحسين المستوي المعيشي للمواطن العربي. والتقدم للجائزة مكفول لأي فرد أو مجموعة من الأفراد أو مؤسسة عربية تعمل بالعمل الطوعي من بين الدول العربية الأعضاء بجامعة الدول العربية، ولا يجوز للعاملين في جامعة الدول العربية ومؤسساتھا التقدم للجائزة. ودعا المجلس وأمانته الفنية (الأمانة العامة لجامعة الدول العربية) الأفراد والجھات المھتمة بالعمل التطوعي، إلى المشاركة المكثفة والإسھام المبدع في ھذه المسابقة. وستعلن أسماء الفائزين بجائزة المجلس لعام 2010 خلال اجتماع المكتب التنفيذي للمجلس الذي يعقد شھر أكتوبر/ تشرين الأول/ نوفمبر/ تشرين الثاني 2010 ، وتسلم الجائزة للفائزين خلال دورة المجلس التي تعقد في . شھر نوفمبر 2010
ويقدم المرشح مذكرة توضيحية، باللغة العربية، من سبع نسخ واضحة ومطبوعة لا تزيد عن 20 صفحة تحدد طبيعة العمل المرشح للجائزة، الھدف منه، وطريقة تنفيذه، وغير ذلك من البيانات والمعلومات المفيدة التي تتيح التعرف على أبعاده، مع تقديم السيرة الذاتية.
(202+) – ، فاكس: 25779546
.Envsusdev.dept@las.int.
September 1st, 2009 @ buhlig // No Comments
Rehan Ahmed explains why we should all be concerned by encroaching dust.
Eng. Rehan Ahmed
Residents of Bahrain are witnessing – and enduring – more dust storms today than previously, and the kingdom is often blanketed in a thick dust haze due to adverse meteorological conditions. Dust also reduces the visibility to less than 1,000 metres often affecting flights at the Bahrain International Airport as well as causing difficulty in driving and in turn accidents. However, the major health impact is due to dust inhalation.
Dust is a general name for minute solid particles – less than 500 micrometres, or ½ millimetre – often referred to as Particulate Matter (PM). PM10 includes all particles smaller than 10μm in diameter (smaller than 1/7th of a hair width). Particles levels in air are measured by the weight (micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m³). One (μg/m³) equals one millionth of a gram in a cubic metre of air.
PM exists naturally in the atmosphere, as sea-salt spray and pollens and can be increased due to human activities such as vehicle exhaust, industrial processes, power stations, mining, farming or smoke from bushfires. The human body’s respiratory system has a number of defence mechanisms to protect against the harmful effects of PM and dust is often trapped in sticky mucus on the walls of the airways and can be removed by cilia – small hair-like objects which line the surface of the airways. Generally, it is thought that fine particles below 2.5μm in diameter may be of a greater health concern than larger particles as they can reach the air sacs deep in the lungs. However, coarse particles (PM2.5-10) could also be associated with adverse health effects.
Airborne dust is the main cause of increase in allergies, asthma and other respiratory ailments in the country. People who may be more susceptible to the health effects of fine and coarse particles are infants, children and adolescents, elderly, people with respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema, heart disease and diabetes. High levels of dust also causes coughing, sneezing and sore eyes.
Dust is often suspended in the air which later accumulates and settles on the ground aggravating the existing natural dust situation. This dust, once on the ground, is moved, agitated and re-suspended mainly by traffic on road and other open surfaces. Dust generated by vehicles may account for around 33 per cent of all air pollution and consists of vehicle deposits from exhausts, industrial exhausts, tire and brake fragments, dust from paved roads or potholes, and dust from construction sites.
Control of road dust is a significant challenge in urban areas due to number of vehicles using the road system. Road dust needs to be controlled and suppressed by mechanical methods such as sweeping vehicles with water sprayers.
Bahrain’s air quality is monitored
by five mobile air quality monitoring stations which are located in all five governorates. The data is being continuously monitored and any exceeding of local standards is reported and levels maintained. The standard for PM10 is 340 μg/m³ for a 24 hour period and 80 μg/m³ annually, while for PM2.5 the 24 hour standard is 50 μg/m³.
The most frequent dust control violations occur at construction
and development sites where the principle sources of dust include cutting and filling activities during land preparation works, excavations, movement of construction related traffic on unpaved roads, movement of uncovered material trucks and wind blowing over stockpiled materials.
Dust management at individual, family and at community level is now become a necessity to avoid any adverse health impacts. The occupational safety lies in better control and taking precautionary measures. Wearing a filter mask restricts human exposure to dust. Using glasses and goggles and body covering are other aspects to be adhered to. Face washing and nasal cleansing are other occupational health remedies and showers and baths further help in combating the dust pollution problem ■
Rehan Ahmed is Senior Environmental Specialist, Directorate of Environmental
Control, Public Commission, Bahrain. Email: rehan900@gmail.com