Amnesty International has called on the Salvadoran authorities to investigate the killing of two environmental activists who opposed mining projects in the central Cabañas area, and threats against the staff of a community radio station. Ramiro Rivera was killed on 20 December and Dora Alicia Recinos Sorto on 26 December. Both were representatives of the Cabañas Environment Committee, a grass-roots organization campaigning on local environmental issues which had spoken out against a proposed mining project in the area.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a law Tuesday requiring that Brazil cut greenhouse gas emissions by 39 percent by 2020, meeting a commitment made at the Copenhagen climate talks. Brazil announced at the summit a "voluntary commitment" to reduce CO2 emissions by between 36.1 and 38.9 percent in the next 10 years.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a law Tuesday requiring that Brazil cut greenhouse gas emissions by 39 percent by 2020, meeting a commitment made at the Copenhagen climate talks.
Brazil announced at the summit a "voluntary commitment" to reduce CO2 emissions by between 36.1 and 38.9 percent in the next 10 years.
[24 Nov 2009] Brazil Agrees to Target of 40 Percent Below BAU By 2020. In a turnabout from its previous position, Brazilian Environment Minister Carlos Minc announced that Brazil has agreed to accept a voluntary midterm GHG emission target of 40 percent below the country's projected business- as -usual (BAU) emission levels by 2020. The majority of the emission reduction required to meet the 2020 goal, which is equal to capping Brazil's emission at 2005 levels, are expected to result from reductions in Amazon deforestation. Read more...
In a turnabout from its previous position, Brazilian Environment Minister Carlos Minc announced that Brazil has agreed to accept a voluntary midterm GHG emission target of 40 percent below the country's projected business- as -usual (BAU) emission levels by 2020. The majority of the emission reduction required to meet the 2020 goal, which is equal to capping Brazil's emission at 2005 levels, are expected to result from reductions in Amazon deforestation.
Read more...
Posssibly related old news:
[3-year Exit Plan, 27 June, 2009] Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a law granting more than a million people land titles in huge chunks of the Amazon, aiming to end decades of legal chaos in the world's largest rain forest. Read more...
More than 12 billion years of cosmic history are shown in this unprecedented, panoramic, full-color view of thousands of galaxies in various stages of assembly. This image, taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, was made from mosaics taken in September and October 2009 with the newly installed Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) and in 2004 with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). The view covers a portion of the southern field of a large galaxy census called the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS), a deep-sky study by several observatories to trace the evolution of galaxies.
More than 12 billion years of cosmic history are shown in this unprecedented, panoramic, full-color view of thousands of galaxies in various stages of assembly.
This image, taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, was made from mosaics taken in September and October 2009 with the newly installed Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) and in 2004 with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). The view covers a portion of the southern field of a large galaxy census called the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS), a deep-sky study by several observatories to trace the evolution of galaxies.
A senior member of the Chinese negotiating team at Copenhagen has been shifted from his post, prompting speculation that he has been punished for the debacle of the climate talks.He Yafei, who was at the forefront of China's blocking actions on the final fraught day of the summit, has been removed as vice foreign minister, according to a short summary of government appointments by the Xinhua news agency.The agency gave no explanation, but the Hong Kong newspaper Sing Tao suggests He has been punished with a shift to a post at the United Nations for failing to smooth relations between China, the US and Europe, particularly as tempers flared in the last hours of the talks.
A senior member of the Chinese negotiating team at Copenhagen has been shifted from his post, prompting speculation that he has been punished for the debacle of the climate talks.
He Yafei, who was at the forefront of China's blocking actions on the final fraught day of the summit, has been removed as vice foreign minister, according to a short summary of government appointments by the Xinhua news agency.
The agency gave no explanation, but the Hong Kong newspaper Sing Tao suggests He has been punished with a shift to a post at the United Nations for failing to smooth relations between China, the US and Europe, particularly as tempers flared in the last hours of the talks.
The UK has the equivalent of eight days worth of gas usage left in storage, the Conservative Party has claimed.Shadow energy secretary Greg Clark called for more storage capacity and said the UK lacked "essential back-up plans". But speaking to the BBC, National Grid said: "Be assured, the gas isn't going to run out." Demand for gas was a third higher than normal on Monday due to the weather, prompting the Grid to issue an alert.
The UK has the equivalent of eight days worth of gas usage left in storage, the Conservative Party has claimed.
Shadow energy secretary Greg Clark called for more storage capacity and said the UK lacked "essential back-up plans".
But speaking to the BBC, National Grid said: "Be assured, the gas isn't going to run out."
Demand for gas was a third higher than normal on Monday due to the weather, prompting the Grid to issue an alert.
Scientists have revealed that there is not one but two types of killer whale living in UK waters.Each differs in its appearance and diet, with males of one type being almost two metres longer than the other. The killer whales could be at an early stage of becoming two separate species, the researchers say. The international group of scientists has published its results in the journal Molecular Ecology. "It's exciting to think about two very different types of killer whale in the waters around Britain," says Dr Andy Foote from the University of Aberdeen, UK, who undertook the study.
Scientists have revealed that there is not one but two types of killer whale living in UK waters.
Each differs in its appearance and diet, with males of one type being almost two metres longer than the other.
The killer whales could be at an early stage of becoming two separate species, the researchers say.
The international group of scientists has published its results in the journal Molecular Ecology.
"It's exciting to think about two very different types of killer whale in the waters around Britain," says Dr Andy Foote from the University of Aberdeen, UK, who undertook the study.
Plans to boost food production in Britain and reduce its impact on the environment have been unveiled.The government's 20-year food strategy includes making land available for people to grow their own food and more healthy cooking courses. Minister Hilary Benn said shoppers had led the push for free-range eggs and could do the same for sustainable food. The Tories said ministers "belatedly" recognised the need for food security after a decade of declining production.
Plans to boost food production in Britain and reduce its impact on the environment have been unveiled.
The government's 20-year food strategy includes making land available for people to grow their own food and more healthy cooking courses.
Minister Hilary Benn said shoppers had led the push for free-range eggs and could do the same for sustainable food.
The Tories said ministers "belatedly" recognised the need for food security after a decade of declining production.
Thei idea of taking undeveloped land and giving it over to allotments shows a real townies ignorance of how much work is needed to raise the fertility of land to the point where it's worth growing stuff. Andyou don't do that work to get a couple of years produce. keep to the Fen Causeway
Plans to build America's first off-shore wind farm in the sea off Cape Cod are being obstructed by local American Indian tribes which say it will disrupt their ancient sun-saluting rites. The proposed $1 billion (£620 million) wind farm off the Massachusetts coast would provide electricity to 400,000 homes and bolster President Barack Obama's strategy to expand the US renewable energy sector. However, it has been opposed by two local tribes, descendants of the Wampanoags who greeted the Pilgrim Fathers, whose lawsuit on Monday won the backing of the National Park Service.
The proposed $1 billion (£620 million) wind farm off the Massachusetts coast would provide electricity to 400,000 homes and bolster President Barack Obama's strategy to expand the US renewable energy sector.
However, it has been opposed by two local tribes, descendants of the Wampanoags who greeted the Pilgrim Fathers, whose lawsuit on Monday won the backing of the National Park Service.
The crew of the New Zealand trimaran harassing Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean had to be rescued after their boat was rammed and sunk by a Japanese ship, anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society says. The confrontation is thought to have happened early today in the area of Commonwealth Bay off the Adelie Coast of Antarctica.
The confrontation is thought to have happened early today in the area of Commonwealth Bay off the Adelie Coast of Antarctica.
Photos here.
Looks like the Japanese are getting even more aggressive in their efforts to stomp on those objecting to their murder of whales. And with this escalation, its only a matter of time before someone on one side or another is killed.
