Ecoconsumer 1/2005

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Controversy on Asbestos is... well, EcoConsumer Asbestos A Quarterly Newsletter sbestos (Greek a-, “not”; sbestos, “extinguishable”) for the Promotion is a group of fibrous metamorphic minerals. The Aname is derived for its historical use in lamp wicks. of Sustainable The fibres are typically mixed with cement or woven into fabric or mats. It has significant flame-retardant and the insulating properties, with high tensile strength, flexibility, enlistment. Production and and resistance to chemicals. There are several types of ‘The National asbestos of which Chrysotile, or white asbestos, obtained Conference on Consumption from Canadian serpentine rocks is the type most used Workers’ Plight and industrially. It is less friable (and therefore less likely to be White Asbestos Trade” inhaled). at its meeting in New Delhi 1/2005 Asbestos has been used commercially since the late on Nov. 8, 2004, has however 1800s (in North America), but its use increased greatly appealed to boycott all asbestos (Jan.-March) during World War II. Since then, it has been used in many products. industries. For example, the building and construction In India, asbestos is not industry uses it for strengthening cement and plastics as unequivocally recognised as a health well as for roofing, insulation, fireproofing, and sound hazard. Some industry experts emphasize that absorption. The shipbuilding industry uses asbestos to asbestos is safe unless its fibres are inhaled over insulate boilers, steam pipes, hot water pipes, and nuclear a long period of time; and in the form that it is used - reactors in ships. The automotive industry uses asbestos in bound within a cement matrix - rules out the possibility vehicle brake shoes and clutch pads. More than 5,000 of its fibres escaping into the atmosphere and posing a products contain or have contained asbestos prominently. health hazard. It has been stressed that elevated In India, the white variety Chrysotile is mostly used, blended concentrations of airborne asbestos can only occur after with cement in the manufacture asbestos containing material are of insulated corrugated roofing disturbed by improper attempts to sheets, cement pipes and cable What are the health hazards remove these materials by cutting, conduits and also as packing and of asbestos? sanding or other remodelling insulating material. Elsewhere, activities, which should be done like in the US, the brown and blue Exposure to asbestos increases the risk of by experts. varieties are also sometimes several serious diseases: The occupational exposure used. w Asbestosis— a chronic lung ailment that limits to all kinds of asbestos in All types of asbestos tend to can produce shortness of breath and the work environment in India is 2 break into very tiny fibre, almost permanent lung damage and increase the fibres/cc (world average 0.1 f/cc- microscopic. Because of their risk of dangerous lung infections; 0.5 f/cc), According to Dr S K Dave small size, once released into the w Lung cancer; of the National Institute of air, they may stay suspended in w Mesothelioma— a relatively rare cancer of Occupational Health (NIOH), the air for hours or even days. the thin membranes that line the chest and Ahmedabad, “We have to bring Asbestos fibres are virtually down the occupational exposure indestructible, even over time. abdomen; and limits to 0.1f/cc at any cost. Also w The fine asbestos fibres are Other cancers, such as those of the larynx we have to completely ban easily inhaled, and can cause a and of the gastrointestinal tract. activities of all kinds of amphibole number of respiratory complaints asbestos, especially tremolite. It (see box). Generally, there are no signs of asbestos-illness is extremely injurious to health and hazardous for workers. until many years after first exposure. For example, the time The tremolite mining in Rajasthan is done under very between first exposure to asbestos and the appearance of hazardous conditions and should be immediately banned.” lung cancer is generally 15 years or more; a lag of 30 to 35 However, while asbestos imports and use continues to years is not unusual. The lag period for development of grow in countries like India, its use has decreased mesothelioma and asbestosis is even greater, often as long significantly in the developed countries. In Canada, use of as 40 to 45 years. asbestos is almost non-existent and it exports almost all its At the Rotterdam Convention for Prior Informed Consent mined asbestos (more than 96 percent), especially to Asia. on Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in November In the US, demand for asbestos has continued to decline 2003, a concerted move by some states to include chrysotile and it is now two percent of what it was at its peak in 1974. in the list of hazardous chemicals was stonewalled by the All in all, the controversy on asbestos rages on. For the asbestos exporting countries led by Canada and Russia. moment it appears to be non-extinguishable - ‘Asbestos’! India happened to be one of the countries opposed to

Sustainable Production..... 2 Environment ...... 8 Climate Watch ...... 4 Basic Needs ...... 10 1/2005 Energy Issues ...... 6 Project Overview...... 12 stocks. 2015, underscoringtheurgentneedtorebuilddepleted increase bymorethan25percentto179milliontonnes compared with47percentin2002,itsaid. world fishstockswerefullyexploited, consumption. Fifty-twopercentof unsustainable amidrising stocks since2002thatwas warned ofincreasedpressureon fisheries inabiannualreportthat because it’s toughtostudythisrare very species.” course,” saidMashhor, “We mightbeablesomuch, tolearn so wewantthisplacetobeasanctuary toletnaturetakeits informed. sciences intheMalaysianUniversityofSciencehas Penang island,Mashhor Mansor, aprofessor ofbiological resorts andseasidecondominiumsonnorthwestern crawling on Tanjung Bungahbeach,apopularstretchof afterthedisaster.tourists time inoveradecade-probablybecauseofdrop-off endangered seaturtles,whichhatchedthereforthefirst T Environmental SustainabilityRatingsAmongNations C Tsunami: Boonfor Ridley Turtles? doing, theESIcreatespressurefor improved results.” leaders andlaggards,whichgovernmentsarewaryof professor andcreatoroftheindex.“Byhighlighting andissue-by-issue,”country saidDanielC. Esty, a Yale benchmarking ofenvironmentalperformancecountry-by- “The ESIprovidesavaluablepolicytool,allowing and theex-Soviet republics of Turkmenistan andUzbekistan. Sustainability Index Korea, (ESI)wereNorth Iraq, Taiwan, bottom oftheEnvironmental Britain wasNo.66.Finishingatthe by itsproductionofgreenhousegases. 45, itsoverallstanding,draggeddown development. natural resourcesinconcertwithnew combine goodmanagementoftheir countries werecitedfortheirabilityto ability toimprove theirenvironmental acumen. The top resources, protectionoftheenvironmentandcountries’ the countrieson21criteria,includinguseofnatural and Iceland. Rounding offthetopfive were Norway, Uruguay, Sweden experts attheUSuniversities of Yale andColumbia. survey conductedamong146countriesbyenvironmental 2 Production Sustainable issued thisgrimsnapshotofworld FAO forecast consumptionoffishmay totalworld “Marine turtlesareverysensitive tohumandisturbances, More than30babyOliveRidleyturtleswerefound The UnitedStateswasrankedNo. The survey, donefor the World EconomicForum, ranked Agriculture Organisation(FAO) highest inenvironmentalsustainabilityaccordingtoa he NordiccountriesledbyFinlandranked onservationists wanttoturnapopularMalaysianbeach hit bythetsunamiintoaprotectednestingareafor already over-exploited. The U.N. Food and stretched totheirlimitsandnearlyaquarteris W Unsustainable FishHarvesting orld stocksofmostfish,including Atlantic herringandcapelin,are (Reuters, 08.03.05) (Reuters, (AP, 28.01.05) (AP, (AP, 22.02.05) (AP, requirements ofthecitizenry. on bore-wells,whichwatercouldnowbedivertedtothe gardens maintainedbythem.Sofartheydependedheavily will helpthemhandletherequirementsof161parksand and acutewatershortage. convenient approachintheface ofChennai’s perennial waste-water for plantsandparks. This couldbeavery has tiedupwithseveralofthemtotreatandusedomestic wake-up call. the Internationalcommunityandneedstobegiventhis of themovementisnowbeingperceivedasalaggardby but therealissueisthatIndiawhichwasonceinforefront under CITES. to specificallyprotectwildanimalsandplantsasrequired (CITES). The rap hascomefor notenactingaseparate law Trade inEndangeredSpeciesof Wild Fauna andFlora associate jutewithnaturalfibre. hardly anyoneknowsaboutthis asmostpeople the maincropsgrown there. Andmostimportantly, is easilyavailableinKarnataka asbananaisoneof simple andtheUSPofthisfibre isthatitverystrong.It has crafted bagsmadefrombananafibre. The techniqueis I Now BagsFromBananaFibre I UN Imposes Wildlife Trade Banon India I Chennai toRecycle Waste Water toFeedParks fall intheirlucrative industry. tourist and 1980s.Officialsaretight-lipped,obviouslyfearinga wildlife asmuchthegreatherdmassacresof1970s known, but say conservationists itcouldendangerAfrica’s proliferated. The scopeoftheproblem isnotyet fully animals forfood,butrecentlythesesmall-scalecullshave ofKenya’sminority have 72tribes always killedwild crossing thecountry, famed for itsabundant wildlife. A 48,900 wiresnaresstrungacrossgametrailscriss- and mutton.Since1999,conservationistshavefound Such meatsaresellingatafractionofthepricebeef bans, haveturnedtoediblewildgameliketheimpala. but baulkedbytoughtrade after elephantandrhinotusks poachers, whowereonce less thanadollarday. of mostpeople,whosubsiston going beyondtheaffordability regular meatpricestorise, Kenya, droughthascaused killing wildlifeforfood.In phenomenon seemstohavecomeEastAfricaaswell: What wasonceseenasatypicalWestAfrican Booming Bushmeat Trade HitsKenya Wildlife waste-water recycling,ChennaiMunicipalCorporation commercial tradebanbytheConventiononInternational National InstituteofDesign(NID)inAhmedabad,India, ndia hassufferedtheignominyofbeingslappedwitha n auniquerangeofnaturalproducts,studentthe nspired byresidents’welfareassociations’successin Civic officialsareconfidentthatwaste-waterrecycling The actualvolumeoftradeaffectedmaynotbemuch On thesupplyside, (ToI, 05.02.05) (ToI, (PA, 01.03.2005) (PA, (ToI, 19.02.05) (ToI, 20.02.05) (TH, 1/2005

EcoConsumer The Science of Biomimicry All in all, overturning the ban will not Sustainable new science is on the horizon. This new science, called be easy, more than ever because the Production Abiomimicry, studies nature’s models and then imitates world’s environmental hawk-eye is trained on or takes inspiration from these designs and processes to the chiru, one of the planet’s most endangered 3 solve human problems. Nature provides beautiful examples species. of elegantly simple and sustainable engineering, chemistry, (ToI, 10.03.05) manufacturing, architecture and agriculture: From digested crickets, beetles and other bugs, the orb- Current Fishing Practices “Unsustainable” weaver spider weaves a web of silk thread stronger s per experts, the normal practice of netting only the and more flexible than any man-made material. Aolder and larger specimens of any variety of fish - The blue mussel attaches to a solid surface by creating leaving the younger and fast-growing ones a collagen/silk mix that provides both toughness and to reach spawning age - may be flawed. flexibility. The big, fat older fish spawn inordinately Photozymes, like chlorophyll and enzymes, are more larvae than the smaller fish and the molecules that show us how to use absorbed sun larvae also have a better chance of energy to do chemistry. For example: when photozymes survival. Older mothers produce larvae with a larger oil are scattered in sunny water they can break down globule, helping them to better resist starvation mainly from pollutants, such as PCBs, into harmless compounds. the sudden depletion of phytoplankton. The green leaf of a plant converts sunlight into energy. The new thinking would better help if the objective was Prairies hold the soil and prevent erosion, fertilize to make fishing sustainable and rebuild fast depleting stock. themselves, and protect themselves against pests. Such practices have also been found by the experts to (ENN, 30.03.05) induce evolutionary pressures on fish to remain smaller and grow more slowly. Also, their age of maturity is sliding The Downside of Using Combine Harvesters down. The scientists say that one of the practical ways to major farming practice followed in Asia (including India) arrest further damage due to commercial fisheries is to go Ais the rice-wheat system in which the two cereals are for some sort of ocean zoning: some totally protected, some grown one after the other: rice between June and October closed seasonally, some open to commercial fishing, etc. and wheat between November and March, (DTE, 31.03.05) leaving little gap between the harvesting of one crop and planting of the other. Timber Stocks are at Risk, Group Warns Combine harvesters are often used to hina’s rising demand for wood threatens to devastate expedite cutting the crop and these also Ctimber stocks in countries from Indonesia to Russia, work out cheaper at the peak season. the environmental group WWF, formerly known as the World These giant harvesting machines cut close Wildlife Fund, said, calling for more efficient wood use and to the grain-bearing crest of the plant. The measures to discourage illegal logging. Although China remaining part - by far the larger - is left as crop residue. The still uses one 17th as much wood per person as the United fastest (and cheapest) method of disposal is to burn this in- States, it is on course to become the world’s top overall situ. What used to be treated as fodder in the days of manual consumer within a few years, the group said in a report. reaping, when the entire plant over the ground was cut and (IHT, 09.03.05) then threshed, is now looked upon as waste. Not only does the burning spew greenhouse gases, Green Cover Under Threat there is loss of the considerable nutrients present in the he forest cover in Haryana, India, is under threat due to crops. Repeated burning also causes permanent diminution Toveruse of firewood in households. According to surveys of the bacterial population in the soil leading to loss of done by Central Government agencies, one-third organic matter. households in the state are chopping off the green cover to (DTE, 28.02.05) use it as fuel. A study done by the Director, Census Operations, reveals that more than 31 percent population India Examining Overturning Shahtoosh Ban in the state is still using conventional fuels, including n the wake of a representation to the Prime Minister from firewood. Officials in the Forest Department have expressed Ithe shahtoosh weavers and traders of Kashmir that their concern over the issue. “With a mere 4 per cent forest cover, livelihood was at stake following the ban on the fur of the excessive use of firewood can bring eco-imbalance in the Tibetan chiru antelope, an expert committee has been state,” said an official. formed to examine whether an ‘environment-friendly (TT, 07.03.05) shahtoosh trade’ is possible. The traders contend that the chiru New technology for soil conservation developed is never killed for its wool as the wool he Coir Geo-textiles Research Project at Konni, in from dead animals become sub- TKerala, India, a joint venture of the Coir Board and the standard and that the shawls are Agriculture University, has developed an eco-friendly and actually woven from hair discarded cost-effective technology for the conservation of soil using by migrating animals. The expert group is however not coir. Research officer M.S.Nair and Coir Research swayed by this argument and have pictorial and statistical Management Institute director Balan said that the Rs 1.43cr evidence to show for their contrary opinion. The project had developed coir geo-textiles for the conservation possibility of chiru farming is also being considered of soil for use in various fields. They said that the new but it is not at all certain that the chiru will survive technology could be used for protection of river banks, in captivity especially away from its natural prevention of soil erosion in hilly terrain and construction of Consumer 1/2005 habitat where the temperature can dip to - village roads. 0 (NIE, 02.01.05) Eco 38 C.

risks tohumansocietiesandecosystems growrisks significantly,” carbon dioxidetotheatmosphere.Beyondsucharise,“the Revolution whenmankindfirststartedsignificantlyadding level of1750—theapproximatestartIndustrial insights. the scanner, sometimesresultinginthemostdiverse of escalate thesegaseswouldincreasinglystartcomingunder fluorocarbons (HFC).Astheeffectsofglobalwarming hexafluoride (SF hydrocarbons. LittleknownSF a villainandeffortsareonovertheworldtochange (cf: India),rottingvegetationandcoalmines. is alsoreleasedfromsourceswhichincludericefarming T The OtherGreenhouseGases 4 Climate G “Global Warming atCriticalPoint”: Report the globalaveragetemperaturerisingby2 and Chinatobuild ontheKyoto Protocol. their researchspendingontechnologyandworkwithIndia leading industrialnationstocutcarbonemissions,double States andtheAustraliaInstitute.ItcalledonGroupof8 Britain, theCentreforAmericanProgressinUnited jointly madeby theInstitutefor Public Policy Researchin sea levelswillbeirreversible,warnedanindependentreport powerful attrappingheatthanCO shoesetctheir and sports ‘bounce’, is23,900timesmore is producedinthestomachsoflivestockandexpelled.CH “enteric fermentation”—thelatterreferringtohowmethane get usedtosuchtermsas“manuremanagement”and emissions andfarmers, soonerthanlater, would have to Changes indietorfertilizerusecanhelpcutlivestock greenhouse gasesinNewZealand,morethanfromenergy! These aremethane(CH to signup. the sidelineswithUnitedStates,saidithadnoplan from 2012.Australia,theonlybigdevelopednationon will bepenalizedwithbiggercutsthantheaveragetargets 1990 levels by 2008-12. e Those emissions ofgreenhousegasesby5.2percentbelow dismisses asaneconomicstraitjacket took effectwithmutedcelebrationsforadealWashington Watch of heat-trappinggasesblamedfordisruptingtheclimate CH HFC, apopularrefrigerant,haslongbeenidentifiedas According tothereport,urgentactionisneededstop Under Kyoto, developed nationswillhave tocut of delays, theUNKyoto Protocoloncurbingemissions other greenhousegasesbesidescarbondioxide(CO he Kyoto Protocolseekstolimittheemissionoffive after whichwidespreaddrought,cropfailureandrising lobal warmingisapproachingthepointofnoreturn, 4 sniping attheUnitedStatesforpullingout.Afteryears fromlivestock,forexample,isthebiggestsourceof by itsbackersasalifelinefortheplanetamid A down. melting andtheGulfStream shutting Greenland andWestAntarctic icesheets “climatic tippingpoints”such asthe runaway climatechange.” of Itwarned be adangerof“abrupt,accelerated, or the reportsaid,addingthattherewould Feted andHated, Kyoto Pact Starts worldplantofightglobalwarmingwent 6 ), perfluorocarbonsandhydro- into forceonFeb16,2005,feted 4 ), nitrousoxide,sulphur 6 , usedtogivetennisballs xceeding the2012goals 2 . (ToI & ET, 17.02.05) ET, & (ToI (Reuters, 15.12.05) (Reuters, 0 C abovethe (AP, 21.01.05) (AP, 2 ). 4 influence ontheamountofcarbon dioxide(CO absorb CO atmosphere andthusglobal warming. The woods rotting orburning. photo-synthesis andrelease the samewhen F Forests couldbeKey toArresting Global Warming scenarios andconsequences: wildlife populations.Some threatening bothhumanand projected byscientists,and level fasterthanearlier These changesareraisingsea have existedformillennia. and glaciersthatinsomecases ground, andthinningicecaps seasons, thawingfrozen Rising globaltemperaturesarelengtheningmelting Ice ismeltingeverywhere—andatanacceleratingrate. orests willplayacentralroleintheextentofclimate change futuregenerations face. These have alarge than 0.5 Temperatures intheArcticCirclehave by risen more temperatures arerising2.5 In theAmundsenSearegioninWestAntarctic come topassbyabout2100. sea levelsbymorethansevenmetres;thisislikelyto melt thelandmasscompletely, raising theworld’s A 3 and fisherydepletion. likely tobeoffsetbyenvironmentalcostslikeoil-spills current 20-30days. The positive effects arehowever increase toabout120daysby2100,upfromthe Marine transportthroughtheArcticisprojectedto end ofthecentury seals andwalrusesthatcanbecomeextinctbythe 10 -17days,threateninglifesupporttopolarbears, decade. The Arcticmeltseasonhaslengthenedby sea icecoverhasdecreasedby7-9percentper by expandinghumanpopulations. difficult propositionaswildlifehabitatsarefragmented animal speciestoadaptorrelocate—anincreasingly Warming andmeltingcouldforcelocalplant their banksandfloodtowns below. in boththeAndesandHimalayasthreatentobreak sure tofollow. Meanwhile, rapidly fillingglaciallakes If theglaciersdisappear, severe are water shortages rely onglacialrunofffordrinkingwaterandirrigation. Millions ofpeoplelivinginAsiaandSouthAmerica by 2010. twentieth century;somemaydisappearcompletely faster inrecentyearsthantheywerethemid- In SouthAmerica,glaciersaremeltingthreetimes completely by2015. The icecapon Tanzania’s Kilimanjaromay disappear have noglaciersleftby2030. are retreating. Montana’s GlacierNationalPark may All but13ofthe2,000glaciersinsoutheastAlaska few centimetrestoahundredmetres. to asmuch1.5kmperyearagainsttypicallya years, disastrouslyspeedingupglacialmovement 0 C riseinthetemperatureofGreenlandwould 2 whenhealthy, toaidtheprocess of 0 C perdecadesince1981. The extent ofArctic Ice MeltingEverywhere 0 C annuallyforthelast60 (EPI, 25.02.05) (EPI, 2 ) inthe 1/2005

EcoConsumer The wild card in this scenario is Fuel Curbs May Speed Warming! Climate forest fires that spew millions of tons of ome scientists continue to differ as to CO at one go. Fires in Indonesia which Watch 2 Swhether global warming is caused by raged for months in the late 1990s, man-made emissions of carbon dioxide and 5 creating clouds that dimmed the sun, other “greenhouse” gases, by natural climate cycles released up to an estimated 2.6 billion or if it exists at all. tonnes of greenhouse gases or the equivalent of about 40 Dr Peter Cox, climate percent of world industrial emissions in a year. change scientist from the UK, Therefore greater responsibility needs to be exhibited quotes a research report to to manage forests with more careful forest plantings, better suggest that fossil fuel by- surveillance to spot outbreaks of fires, quicker response by products like sulphur dioxide fire-fighters and education of the public. particles reflect the sun’s rays, (Reuters, 04.03.05) “dimming” temperatures and almost cancelling out the Cooking Practices in South Asia Spur Warming greenhouse effect. The research he major source of potentially climate-changing soot in says that cutting down on the burning of coal and oil, one of Tthe air over south Asia is home cooking fires, according the main goals of international environmental agreements, to a team of Indian and American researchers. will actually drastically heat rather than cool the climate The burning of wood, agricultural waste and animal and “help turn parts of Europe into desert by 2100” . manure for cooking is the largest source of black carbon in (BBCN, 15.01.05) the air in that region, according to the team led by C. Venkataraman of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. US Forests Cost-Effective vs Global Warming - Study The effect of soot in the air over the Indian Ocean is some he cost of using forests to remove greenhouse gases 10 times that of the so-called greenhouse gases, according Tfrom the air could be about the same as cutting pollution to the researchers. The pollution causes the air to absorb with fuel switching or energy efficiency improvements, more sunlight, thus warming the atmosphere. according to a new report from the Pew Centre on Global “We therefore suggest that the control of these emissions Climate Change, Washington. through cleaner cooking technologies, in addition to The Pew study estimated it would cost between US$25 reducing health risks to several hundred million users, could and US$75 per ton to remove 300 million tons of carbon be of crucial importance to climate change mitigation in dioxide from the atmosphere each year through south Asia,” the researchers wrote in a paper appearing in sequestration projects using vast expanses of forest land. the journal Science. This would be roughly the same as other emission reduction (AP, 04.03.05) measures used to trim energy consumption in buildings, automobiles and appliances, the report said. Himalayan Glaciers Receding Fast - WWF (PA, 20.01.05) he Worldwide Fund for nature (WWF) has said in a Tstudy that Himalayan glaciers are receding at among EU Launches Pioneering Emissions Trading Scheme the fastest in rates the world. Himalayan glaciers feed into n New Year’s Day a new front opened in the battle seven of Asia’s greatest rivers, the Ganges, Indus, Oagainst global warming. The 25-member European Brahmaputra, Salween, Mekong, Yangtze and Huange He Union launched the world’s first international carbon dioxide and ensure a year-round supply of water to hundreds of emissions trading scheme. This is after months of political millions of people in China and the Indian subcontinent. wrangling as governments and Brussels juggled the “The rapid melting of Himalayan glaciers will first increase demands of industry and environmental concerns. From the volume of water in rivers causing, that day, energy-intensive businesses have to monitor and widespread flooding,” said Jennifer lower their carbon emissions or face a penalty Morgan, director of the WWF’s global The scheme could ensure Europe meets its Kyoto target climate change programme, “But in a few of an eight percent cut in carbon emissions by 2012 decades this situation will change and the compared with 1990. water levels in rivers will decline, meaning massive economic (Reuters, 04.01.2005) A and environmental problems for people in western China, E Nepal and Northern India,” she said. 2005 Could Be Warmest Year Recorded O (PA, 15.03.05) gi A weak El Nino and human-made greenhouse gases no No Stopping Global Warming, Studies Predict could make 2005 the warmest year ra ven if people stopped pumping out carbon dioxide and since records started being kept in the le Eother pollutants tomorrow, global warming would still late 1800s, NASA scientists said this R get worse, researchers reported recently. Existing hazards week. The warmest year on record was gr of global warming like rising sea levels, droughts, heat 1998, with 2002 and 2003 coming in co waves and storm surges will get more severe in the second and third, respectively. to immediate future due to the gradual yet inexorable long- Last year was the fourth-warmest si term effects of global warming that Mother Earth is already recorded, with a global mean gl subjected to. temperature of 140C, which was about 0.84 degrees la There is thus a crying need to aggressively pursue warmer than the middle of the century. Average (T an agenda for reducing greenhouse gases without temperatures taken from land and surfaces of the oceans any delay or let up, so that the earth is still showed 2004 to be 0.480C above the average Consumer 1/2005 habitable for our progeny. temperature from 1951 to 1980.

Eco (PA, 18.03.05) (PA, 11.02.05) G S in is he pe Sc reason forthissurge,itiswelcome. urge tomeetKyoto goalsinGermany. Whatever bethe it isthehighcostofconventionalenergyinJapan, megawatts (MW). In 2004,worldsolarcellproductionreached1,256 output andnew players enteredtheindustry, asurvey said. California. Clean Edge,aresearchandpublishingfirmbasedin since 2002tomorethanUS$16bnlastyear, accordingto “green” sourcesofenergyhasalreadygrown68percent costs fall, accordingtoastudy. The combinedmarket for year globalmarketinlessthanadecadeastechnology S Growth inSolarEnergyInitiatives P Congo RiverSlatedtoPower AfricaoutofPoverty 6 Energy R Green EnergyMaybeUS$100bnMarketinaDecade marine life. plans andweighingpossibleproblemsforfishother clean energyforlittoralstates. developed, holdsgreatpotentialfor homes. The technology, whenfully successfully providedpowerto500 summer intheScottishOrkneys an experimentalwaveprojectrunlast connector undertheMediterraneanSea. places likeSpainandItalyinsouthernEuropeviaaninter- industrialisation withthepossibilityofsellingsurplusto than 40,000megawatts, enoughtopower Africa’s industrialisation generate morethanenoughelectricitytopower Africa’s which willinitiallyfocusontheIngarapids,aimstoeventually Issues below freezing. ButHonda’s FCXoperates at-4 with suchcarsisthattheytend tofreezeandnotstart subzero temperatures. the firstfuel-cellvehicletooperate in emit onlywater vapour. Italsowillbe code-named ‘2005 HondaFCX’,will within thenext few months. The model, into thehandsofAmericanconsumers would beputtingacarpoweredbyhydrogenfuel-cells Honda President Takeo Fukuihasannouncedthatthey Honda toStartSellingFuel-CellCarsShortly The reasonbehindthisspurtinsolarenergyisvaried.If Environmental regulatorsarehoweverexaminingthe powerMarine isinitsinfancy. But Hydro-electricity fromtheCongocouldgeneratemore Fuel-cell vehiclesusehydrogen gasandthechallenge spinning withtheebbandflowoftides. lans toharnessthepowerofmightyCongoriver olar electricityproductiongrowthjumped67percent last yearasestablishedindustryplayersincreased generate arebeingdrawn electricity up. The scheme, hydrogen fuelcellscouldblossomintoaUS$100bn enewable energylikewindandsolarpower bobbing onseaswellsorbysubmergedturbines currents andtidalwaves,capturedbybigbuoys S Ocean Waves for Power Supplies Powerfor Ocean Waves cientific effortsareontotapenergy a commercialscale,fromocean (Reuters, 14.02.05) (Reuters, (UNEP, 24.02.05) (UNEP, (WNN, 17.03.05) (WNN, (PA, 17.03.2005) (PA, (AP, 12.01.05) (AP, 0 C. other bio-fuelproductiontothedetrimentoffoodproduction. to allocatesubstantialarablelandtowardsethanoland importantly, itwould beimpractical world toexpect ahungry themselves farmoreenergyintensivetoproduce.More for fossilfuels.Forone,bio-fuelsincludingethanolare - ifever -astomakedentintheworld’s aserious demand production ofbio-fuels,includingethanol,inthenearfuture consumesperday.the 81mnbarrelsofoilthatworld equivalent toonly0.5mnbarrelsofoiladay, afraction of litres in2004.Neverthelessglobalethanoloutputis ethanol productionfromzerointhemid-1970sto30,000mn does notpollute,hasanicesmellandcostsless. idea isbeingrevived.Coconutoilhasmanyadvantages:it increasing pricesofpetroleumderivativesthesedays,the fuel. Buttheideawas abandonedafterthewar. With Philippines hadfirstdiscoveredtheuseofcoconutoilasa Mauritius. DuringWorldWarII,somepeopleinthe United Nationsconferenceonsmallislands,heldat expensive petroleum products. This was revealed atarecent P No Gas? Try Coconut Oil! C China Cracks Down onPower PlantPolluters A Battery-PoweredLaunched Two-Wheeler tidal wave. energy sourceslike wind,solar, biomassand distribution ofelectrictyfrom non -conventional Electrictiy Commissiontopromote generationand a petitionfiledbyGreenpeace thathadurgedtheState sources forthefinancialyearof2006-07. million unitofelectricityproducedfromnon-conventional and otherpowerdistributioncompaniestopurchase200 O Orissa toSupply ‘ GreenPower’ T Future ofEthanolasaFuel possible polluters. after SEPA toexercise started greater resolve inpursuing 2003, butitisonlynowthatitsprovisionsarebeinginvoked, completed environmentalimpactassessment. provinces behaltedbecausetheyhavenotsuccessfully recently thatbuildingworkon30projectsinseveral construction.before starting The Administration demanded that havenotundergoneproperenvironmentalreviews Rs 25,000. Recharging costsonlyRs3. at The two-wheeler ispriced a distanceof50kms.onsinglecharge. vehicle cancarrytwopersonsat40kms/hrupto Named Eko-cosmic,thebatteryoperated However, therewillnotbesuchaquantumleapinthe The twomemberdivisionbench ofOERCwashearing China hadbeefedupitsenvironmentallawsinSept. he InternationalEnergyAgencyinareportsaysthat support schemeshavefinancedthegrowthinglobal two-wheelerwhichrunsonelectricitywas coconut oilasafuelinsteadoftheincreasingly launched inBangalore, Indiarecently. acific islandnationswanttopopularizetheuseof hina’s StateEnvironmental ProtectionAdministration (SEPA) iscracking down onlarge-scalepower projects India ,directedElectricityGridCorporationofOrissa rissa ElectricityRegulatoryCommission(OERC)of (AA, 29.04.05) (AA, (DTE, 15.02.05) (DTE, (BD, 08.01.05) (BD, (FT, 20.01.05) (FT, (FT, 11.02.05) (FT, 1/2005

EcoConsumer About 70 percent of Iceland’s energy Wind Energy Producers Seek Changed Tax Sops Energy needs, from home heating to electricity for Issues aluminium smelters, are already met by Wind energy producers in India have sought an geothermal or hydro-electric power. Only the innovative performance-based incentive system in the 7 transport sector is still hooked on polluting oil and place of the existing tax incentive gas and Iceland has already started introducing scheme. The Indian Wind Energy hydrogen powered buses to overcome this. Association has submitted to the (Reuters, 10.01.05) Finance Ministry that the existing provision of an accelerated What Will Power Vehicles in the Future? depreciation regime be reduced to he world’s major carmakers appeared split over a nominal depreciation regime and which fuel efficient, lower emission engines will prove the indirect fiscal benefits provided, T to be the wave of the future — hybrid, clean diesel or as tax foregone, be linked to performance. hydrogen fuel cell. The new system, it is felt, would help in expediting the As of now, gasoline-electric hybrid engines are the only growth of the wind energy sector as well as lower tariffs, practical alternative, all others being ‘futuristic’. Some rosy by attracting independent power producers and foreign forecasts for the end of the decade range from 500,000 institutional investors. (TH, 19.02.05) units to 1 million of ‘hybrid’ vehicles in the US alone. But consumer research firm J.D. Power and Associates foresees slower growth for hybrids. The significant price Nuclear Energy May be Back in Vogue: US premium on hybrid cars will likely put off most customers. Cleaner diesel and other alternative powertrains and fuel ohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International options may also emerge in the next few years to compete Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told a conference on M with hybrid technology, limiting the sales rise. Some nuclear energy recently that expectations of a sharp rise in manufacturers are proceeding on the premise that energy demand and the risk of climate change are pushing commercializing zero-emission, hydrogen-powered fuel cell many countries to return to the idea of nuclear power. “The vehicles (FCVs) was the ultimate goal, with hybrids merely IAEA’s low projection, based on the most conservative an interim solution to advance fuel-cell technology. assumptions, predicts 427 gigawatts of global nuclear (Reuters, 12.01.05) energy capacity in 2020, " he said. On the topic of climate change and the threat posed by greenhouse gases, ElBaradei said nuclear energy in India’s Untapped Renewable Energy combination with renewable sources of energy represented n a seminar held in Kolkata the potential for green energy a safe alternative to fossil fuels. “Nuclear power emits Iin India was highlighted. Solar, wind, hydel (mini & micro virtually no greenhouse gases. The complete nuclear power hydel plants), biomass, tidal and geothermal power are the chain, from uranium mining to waste disposal, and including popular ways where renewable energy reactor and facility construction, emits only 2-6 grams of sources are put to use across the world. carbon per kilowatt hour,” he added. India is blessed with many days of (Reuters, 22.03.05) sunshine and has a long coastline so both solar and wind power are at the Canadian Researchers Invent New Solar Cell focus of activities along with biomass. esearchers at the University of Toronto have invented India has a potential of 45000 mw of Ra flexible plastic solar cell that is said to be five times power from these sources of which only about 3500 mw more efficient than current methods in converting energy has been installed. The meeting called for a separate from the sun into electrical energy. The cell harnesses renewable energy policy from the Government of India so infrared light from the sun and can form a flexible film on the that the potential can be fully exploited. surface of cloth, paper or other materials. The film can turn (TT, 27.04.05) 30 percent of the sun’s power into usable electrical energy — a far better performance than the six percent gleaned Widespread Green Energy Use Decades Away from the best plastic solar cells now in use. Since the cell he search for sustainable energy sources should works on infrared light it can still operate when there is no Tintensify as oil prices simmer at a high and governments visible sunlight try to meet commitments under the United Nations Kyoto We can let our imaginations run riot and think of clothing Protocol on climate change. The search however is failing made of material into which this flexible plastic is woven - to to make the rapid progress required to make any material let us have ready electricity even on the move. Powering impact, because of the stark economics involved. that cell phone or accessing e-mail anytime anywhere will Wind power is making headway in the electricity market, no longer be a problem with generation nearly quadrupling globally in the past five (PA, 14.01.05) years, but costs are still about 50 percent above those of conventional energy sources. Biodiesel remains 50 percent A Petroleum Free Iceland? more expensive than petrol, meaning oil prices would have ith almost unlimited geothermal energy to climb above US$70 (INR 315) a barrel for biofuels to be Wsizzling beneath its surface, Iceland has an official competitive with petrol. goal of making the country oil-free by shifting cars, Apart from biodiesel, fuel cells using hydrogen are touted buses, trucks and ships over to hydrogen by about as an emission-free solution for transport but high 2050. By then, in theory, the only oil used on the production costs mean a widespread change from petrol is volcanic North Atlantic island will be in planes decades away. Other green power sources such as biomass Consumer 1/2005 visiting Reykjavik airport. and solar also remain much more expensive than gas. (PA, 14.02.05) Eco of missededucationalopportunitiesorjobs. could costapersonUS$31,800inlifetimeearningsbecause researchers determinedthatevena1.6pointdropinIQ Using workexaminingtheeffectsofleadexposureonIQ, mercury, thegroup concluded,causesalossof1.6IQpoints. between 7.13and15micrograms perlitre. That level of about 180,000,areborneachyearwithbloodmercurylevels example, Trasande saidaboutfour percentofbabies, or linked tomercuryrangeasmuch24points.Asan levels linked toIQloss. The researchfound theIQlosses born intheUSeachyearwithumbilicalcordbloodmercury Leonardo Trasande estimated thatabout5mnchildrenare Bangladesh andotherplaces. San Francisco islargelyplastic. and 10percentpaper, sotheproblem in nationwide. The cityuses90percent plastic to make10billionpapergrocery bags add that14milliontreesayearareneeded life.recycled andareathreattomarine They create significantlitterproblems,arerarely encourage recycling. it shouldbecomethefirstU.S.citytotaxgrocerybags S Early SettlersMadeAustralianDesert 8 Environment S Bags Grocery for Ecology Tax P Beijing toPlantRooftopGrassCleanAwaySmog temperatures andBeijing’s weather. typicaldry was “evergreengrass”becauseitcouldresisthigh lower buildings by 2008. The preferred vegetation for roofs on 30percentofthecity’s and60percentofits highrises insert moregreenbelts,sorooftop“greenbelts”couldsprout for the2008Olympics.DowntownBeijingistoocrowdedto of theChinesecapital’s drivetoimprove airqualityintime environment scrub thatistheretoday.than thedesert would havebrowsedontrees,shrubsandgrassesrather that birdsandmarsupialsoncelived inAustralia’s interior as muchrainthecurrentpattern.Fossilevidenceshows middle ofAustralia,itwouldleadtoamonsoonwithtwice simulations toshowthatifthereweresomeforestinthe vapour withtheatmosphere,stoppingcloudsfromforming. population enoughtodecreasetheexchangeofwater suggests thatlargefirescouldhavealteredtheplant itistoday. desert intothedry country’s interior Astudy triggered acataclysmicweatherchangethatturnedthe Health andtheEnvironment, New York. Mount Sinaipaediatricianandleadresearcher Bag fees inIreland,Australia, areworking Taiwan, Environmentalists saythatplasticbags The researchersusedcomputerisedglobalclimate researchers attheMountSinaiCentrefor Children’s olluted Beijingisplanningtocleanupitsactby planting ettlers whocametoAustralia50,000yearsagoandset grass onrooftops. The gardeningcampaignwas part fires thatburnedoffnaturalfloraandfaunamayhave environmentally friendlypolicies,isdebatingwhether an Francisco, itselfon whichhaslongprided potential, accordingtoastudyreleasedby United StatesUS$8.7bnayearinlostearnings L Mercury DamagetoBabiesCostly ower IQlevelslinkedtomercury exposure inthewombcosts (Reuters, 26.01.05) (Reuters, (Reuters, 25.01.05) (Reuters, (Xinhua, 10.01.05) (Xinhua, (AP, 01.03.05) (AP, Mexico for8percent. Canada dependsoncoalfor 17percentofitspower, and from adependenceoncoalfor 50percentofU.S. power. pollutants andthenation’s highlevels ofpollutionstems indicator ofacountry’s economy. case, whenmeasuredbygrossdomesticproduct-an produced moreofeachpollutantperresident,inallbutone times thatofCanada’s, thestudyalsofound U.S. plants production is17timesthatofMexico’s seven andnearly or Canada,anewstudycharges. making itsignificantlydirtierthanitscounterpartsinMexico dioxide, nitrogenoxides,carbondioxideandmercury- to trudgeup175kmopenseagatherfood. penguin chicksfacingstarvationasparentbirdsareforced penguin breedingcolonies,withtensofthousandsAdele including breakingapaththroughtheiceforships. imminent danger, scientistsarelookingintosolutions, scientific communitiesareinno food for thethreestations. Though the that arriveinAntarcticawithfueland buildup arerightinthepathofships is nearby. The icebergandtheice the sound,andItaly’s Terra Nova base Zealand’s ScottBasearelocatedon The USMcMurdoStationandNew causing abuild-upoficebehindit. theAntarcticsummer,ice floesinMcMurdoSoundduring B15A hasblockedwindandwatercurrentsthatbreakup colonies, wheretensofthousandschicksfacestarvation. Antarctica, posingproblemstoscientificbasesandpenguin safety. salt’s public negative impacts withoutsacrificing They hopetolearnmoreabout howtoprevent do nothoweveradvocateleaving icyroadsuntreated. breeding areas. and, asaresult,canbeseparatedfromtheirtraditional learned thatsomeamphibiansrefusetocrosssaltedroads causing collisionswithvehicles.Scientistshavealso ocean. Onanotherplane,roadsaltattractsdeerandmoose, the effectscansometimesbeseenallwaydownto seasonal wetlandslocatedasfar550feetfromroads; rain. Roadsalthasbeenseentoaffectamphibiansinsmall of water, causingsomeofthesamenegative effects asacid contains dyesandotherchemicals,canincreasetheacidity soils. Athighenoughconcentrations,salt,whichfrequently stream chemistry, minerals toleachoutof causingcertain affect awidespreadarealongafterwinterhaspassed. parts oftheworldhasanenvironmentaldownsidethatcan T U.S. Power PlantsMorePolluting thanNeighbours T World’s Largest Iceberg Posing Problems S Road SaltHarmstheEnvironment Coal isthehighestpollutingfuelforallofabove While thatmightnotbesurprising,givenU.S.power Of immediateconcernhoweveristhefateofseveral Scientists whostudyroadsalt’s effect ontheecology Researchers havelearnedthatexcesssaltchanges he world’s largesticeberg,a3000sq. km. behemoth industry producemoreoffourpollutants-sulphur codenamed B15A,appearstohaverunagroundnear he UnitedStates’relianceoncoalmakesitspower cientists havefoundthatthesaltusedcommonlyto melt snowandicefromslipperywinterroadsinmany (AP, 18.03.05) (AP, (ENN, 12.01.05) (ENN, (AP, 20.01.05) (AP, 1/2005

EcoConsumer Time Ticking on Nuclear Waste Decision 2001 and earned the country more than Environment s the U.S. extends the life of its nuclear plants far into US$10bn in foreign exchange last year. Athe future, a potentially critical question remains: Where While soyabean farmers do not usually clear will the reactors’ intensely radioactive waste be stored for the forest themselves, the authors of the report 9 thousands of years to come? Erratic planning for nuclear say, they fuel deforestation by driving cattle and waste has left no place for permanent disposal until perhaps rice deeper into the forest. 2015, when the Yucca Mountain underground repository is Wary of environmental restrictions and international scheduled to open in Nevada. Even then, the volume of criticism, the powerful farm lobby and parts of the spent nuclear fuel will continue to grow at reactors around government have all along argued against the notion, till the country for decades. In any case, with more than 50,000 faced with recent aerial evidence, and are now beginning tons of nuclear waste awaiting disposal across the US and to acknowledge the fact. the Yucca Mountain only initially capable of storing 77,000 (FT, 14.01.05) tons, the facility would reach its capacity by 2030. What then? Things have come to such a pass that the biggest Asian Tsunami Still Spawning Hazards impediment to installing new nuclear reactors is waste UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) report has said disposal. Athat the tsunami has dislodged hazardous materials, The above story is US specific, but the problem is not. It causing a threat to public health, and cited Somalia, where is high time that the world community started to critically the people of the coastal areas are look for a sustainable solution to the problem of nuclear suffering from mouth bleeds, waste disposal. respiratory infections and skin (CT, 06.02.05) conditions. It also said that thousands of wells and water Global Warming Could Worsen US Pollution sources had been contaminated in lobal Warming is not a stand-alone hazard but has other affected countries. Genvironmental pollution The report also revealed that dimensions as well. It could stifle regions protected from the tsunami included those with cleansing summer winds across thriving coral reefs, mangrove forests and other coastal parts of northern United States over vegetation as well as peat swamps. the next 50 years and worsen air (PA, 23.02.05) pollution, U.S. researchers said. Further warming of the atmosphere, Arctic Becoming Chemical Waste Sump as is happening now, would block he Arctic, already a dump for Russian nuclear waste cold fronts bringing cooler, cleaner air from Canada and Tfrom the Cold War, is also rapidly becoming a chemical allow stagnant air and ozone pollution to build up over sump for the globe, the World Wide Fund for Nature said cities in the Northeast and Midwest, they predicted. recently. New research had found even higher (ENN, 21.02.05) concentrations of banned pesticides like DDT in the Arctic environment than in the countries that produced them. Dubai Island-Building May Alter Gulf Environment The environmental pressure group said some of the ubai has embarked on a US$14bn project to build man- chemicals — found not only in the fat of Arctic species Dmade islands off its coast, that is luring buyers from including fish, seals and whales but also in the ice itself — around the world. The new land masses have however buried were affecting immune, hormone and reproductive systems. coral reefs, oyster beds and sea grasses that nurtured fish It said the chemicals, including flame retardants and those and sea turtles. They block and reroute natural currents, used in the manufacture of non-stick cookware, drifted north eroding Dubai’s famed natural beaches. One of the on sea currents, became trapped in ice and were slowly archipelagos, the Palm Jebel Ali, lies in an area once released back into the environment years later. protected as a marine wildlife zone. The United Nations is already backing an international Though the developers assure of doing everything clean-up operation to rid the Russian Arctic of a cocktail of necessary to restore the marine environment, some experts toxic chemicals left behind after the Cold War. feel that it is irretrievably lost. (PA, 17.02.05) However other experts like David Bellamy, the British conservationist and TV documentary host, said after touring Global Anti-Smoking Pact Takes Effect a Palm construction site that it was “like watching Venice being built.” He felt that rubble dumped to create the islands A global treaty aimed at dissuading would provide cover for fish. “If they do it right with proper children from smoking and helping effluent treatment, there will be a lot of new habitat,” he adults kick the habit came into force said. from Feb 27, 2005, despite what (ENN, 28.02.05) health officials say has been heavy lobbying by the tobacco industry. Exports Blamed for Amazon Deforestation The treaty, known as the Framework Convention on ew evidence that the rapid expansion of Brazil’s export- Tobacco Control, gives members fuelled agriculture sector is contributing to the N three years to slap strong health warnings on tobacco deforestation of the Amazon rainforest is emerging from packages and five years to ban advertising, promotion a study conducted by a group of leading and sponsorship. Approved by WHO’s 192 member environmental organisations. states - India among them - in May 2003, the pact became Soyabean farming, the leading crop, has

Consumer law, 90 days after the trigger of the 40th state ratifying it. expanded by more than 50 percent since 1/2005 (Reuters, 28.02.05) Eco human development andhumandignity. urging theworld“torespondbetter”onanurgentmatterof were dyingeachyearfromwater-bornediseases,hesaid, providing basicsanitationandmanymillionsofchildren management.” The leastprogress was beingmadein must involvethemindecision-makingonwater daily choreofhaulingwater, oftenover great distances. We in agriculture.Weneedtofreewomenandgirlsfromthe message, “We needtoincreasewater efficiency, especially of water, Kofi UNSecretary-General Annansaidina women indevelopingcountriesoftenbeingthemaincarriers Decade fromMar22,2005, World Water Day. Nations haslaunchedtheinternational ‘Water for Life’ safe drinkingwaterandbasicsanitationby2015,theUnited Goals) ofhalvingthenumberpeoplelackingaccessto production. pump upthemetabolicratetoreducefreeradical target -inthiscaseahormonecalledthyroxinewould right onitshead).Inhisschemeofthings,apharmaceutical fast anddyingoldofcourseturnstraditionalscientificthinking the ageingofbodytissues.(Thisideametabolizing damages theDNAandotherbuildingblocks,resultingin metabolic ratesproducesfewerharmfulfreeradicalsthat T UN Launches ‘Water for Life’ Decade 10 Basic social responsibility. growth anditspublicsector was alsoaheadintermsof China wastenyearsaheadof India insustainableeconomic water resources,maternalmortality andAIDS.Inhisopinion, Development Goals(MDGs) intermsofhealthcoverage, that Indianeededtodo more ontheMillennium Institute (TERI),thenotedeconomist,JeffreyDSachsfelt S Jeffrey Sachs onIndia’s MDGEfforts A Traditional Knowledge Die fadesasLanguages French. English, Hindi,Spanish,Russian,Arabic, Portuguese and people nowuseoneofjusteightlanguages:Chinese, less than500speakers. estimatehalftheworld’s Experts those arespokeninAfricaandabout200alreadyhave will disappearinlessthanacentury. Roughlyathirdof But theseaccumulated experiences aregettinglostforever. oral traditions, toldfromonegeneration stories toanother. preserving ecosystems.Manyoftheselanguageshaverich death ofalanguagewipesoutcenturiesknow-howin argues thatbeyondadevastatingimpactonculture,the Needs work longerandwouldalsoextendlifespanbyupto30years. With agriculturebeingthemainconsumerofwaterand According toProf.Speakman,animalswithfaster The UNestimateshalfoftheworld’s 6,000languages taken onceaday would keep apersonhealthier, able to o spureffortsby governments andcivilsocietytomeet agreed targets(aspertheMilleniumDevelopment

(UNCTAD) onprotectingtraditional knowledge report organized inNew Delhiby the Tata Energy Research peaking attheSustainableDevelopmentSummit United NationsConference on Trade andDevelopment by AberdeenUniversityprofessorJohnSpeakman,if found! AccordingtotheScotsman,apillinvented T Pill toAddLifespan! he ultimategoalofalchemists-theelixir of life-seemstohavebeen (UNN, 21.03.05) (UNN, (ET, 06.02.05) (ET, 29.03.05) (ET, (AP, 07.03.05) (AP, S Simple SolutiontoArsenicContamination M India’s mostPopulous Cities G Rains BoostSouthernAfricaCropHopes Asian countries. change thelivesofmillionspeopleinNepalandother 96 percentofthearsenicisremoved fromthewater. can bescoopedoutonceamonth.Withthisreusabledevice, nails. Arsenicisnottoxic whenit’s bondedwithironand poured throughthefilter, thearsenicbondstoironin containing ironnailsandshardsofbrick.Whenwateris sand layeredinacleanplasticcantoppedbydiffuser Nepal. arsenic contaminationfoundingroundwateracrossrural developed asimpleandcheapsolutiontotherampant increase inthecomingmonths. may threatenitsoperations,whichithadplannedto southern AfricasincetheDec.26Asiantsunami,andthis food-aid. ButtheUNWFPhasreceivednodonationsfor United NationsWorldFoodProgramme(UNWFP)through short-term demandforfoodduringthisperiodismetbythe its isentering Africa “lean season”.so thatsouthern The untilAprilorMay,the 2005cropisnotduetobeharvested improved thesituation. significant surplusinonlyacoupleofyears—have in Zambia,whichhasgonefromaseriousshortfallto but betterweatherandagriculturalrecovery—particularly rains acrosstheregionleft16millionpeopleshortoffood, changes overthenextfewdecades. which necessitatesmajoreconomic andsocial and thenumberofelderly people isincreasing, (19.2mn) andNew York (18.3mn). with apopulationof35.3mnfollowedbyMexicoCity ondemographic trends.Council report Tokyo topsthelist according toanewUnitedNationsEconomicandSocial respectively asthemostpopulouscitiesinworld, by theInternationalWaterManagementInstitute. based Tata Water Policy ResearchProgramme, assisted by researchersoftheAnan- resources, hasbeendeveloped country’s scarcewater help reducethepressureon cent. The new method,whichwill reducing useofwaterby50per 100 percent,atthesametime method toincreaseyieldsupto Researchers havediscoveredauniquericeproduction The filters,whichcostlessthanUS$20each,could The filteringdeviceconsistsofnomorethangraveland However, the2004crophasnow beenconsumed and The reportshowsurbanpopulation isrisingrapidly Massachusetts Instituteof Technology, USA,have cientists fromtheUniversity of Texas andthe better cropsin2005thanrecentyears.In2002,poor ood rainshaveleftmostofsouthernAfricaexpecting Kolkata with14.3mnstandjointfourth,fifthandsixth umbai with18.3mnpeople,Delhi15.3mnand New RiceCultivationMethodDeveloped (ToI, 18.02.05) (ToI, (Reuters, 21.01.05) (Reuters, (ENN, 04.03.05) (ENN, (BL, 24.02.05) (BL, 1/2005

EcoConsumer Malaria Threat to Mankind ‘Sumo’ Rats to Unravel Obesity Genes Basic research report jointly from the Kenya Needs The Indian Council for Medical Research and scientists AMedical Research Institute, Nairobi and from the Rockefeller University, USA have teamed up to the Centre for Tropical Medicine, Oxford 11 find the genes that cause obesity in specially bred ‘sumo’ University, UK, has said that more than half a billion rats - at around 1.4 kgs each, four times the people the world over - nearly double previous size of normal rats - in an effort to understand estimates - were infected in 2002 by the deadliest form of what makes people overweight and what malaria caused by the mosquito-borne parasite causes them to contract fat-related ailments Plasmodium Falciparum. They calculate that one in three in like infertility and diabetes. the world - a total of 2.2bn - are at risk. Parallels of many of the rats’ activities and There is however hope: geneticists have unraveled the moods can be observed in corpulent DNA of both the mosquito and the parasite, and have to humans so that a critical study of the rats is sure to unveil look for weak spots that could lead to weapons to fight many secrets ultimately useful to treat the obese. them. (TH, 27.02.05) (TH, 11.03.05)

India to Equal China’s Population by 2030 Nicotine-Free Pill may Chill Addiction ndia’s population will equal China’s by 2030, five year’s esearchers are racing to develop a potentially lucrative Iearlier than previous projections, the United Nations has Rdrug that would make smoking as treatable as erectile said in its 2004 Revision of the World Population Report. By dysfunction, high cholesterol and acid reflux 2050 India’s masses would swell to 1592mn while China’s disease. Major pharmaceutical companies will be contained at 1392mn and together they will account see the huge potential of sales for a vaccine for about 27 percent of the world’s population. The report or a nicotine-free pill that could end also predicts that by 2050 the world’s population would addiction at the chemical level for smokers. soar by 40 percent to touch 9.1bn. Researchers feel that it is realistic to be (TH, 25.02.05) able to help addicts stop smoking with a pill. Also it has been shown that nicotine This Pacemaker is a Mood Elevator patches, gums, lozenges and sprays help cientists in Toronto, Canada, have conducted wean smokers off cigarettes by slowly reducing their S successful trials of a “brain pacemaker” that can make dependence on nicotine. depressed people happy by electronically stimulating the (ET, 10.03.05) brain. The process consists of drilling two small holes in the Safe Motherhood area of the brain responsible for modulating sadness and xpecting mothers who take antidepressants may have two thin electrode-tipped wires are inserted. Next a pulse Ebabies who experience withdrawal syndrome in the generator implant - the pacemaker - is attached under the first few days of life, finds a new study by Spanish scientists chest. The wires are hooked up to this to provide constant using a worldwide drug alert system. The neonatal brain stimulation. The results have been described as “like withdrawal symptoms could include convulsions, irritability, a miracle”. abnormal crying and tremors. (ToI, 02.03.05) The study suggested that pregnant women who need to be treated for depression should be prescribed the A Palm-Held Field Arsenic Detector minimum effective dose or advised psychotherapy. eachers and students at the Institute of Engineering (ToI, 06.03.05) Tand Management, Kolkata, India have invented an electronic arsenic detector that is handy and cheap enough to be a fixture in every home. Repeal of Law Promoting Breastfeeding? A special chemical is poured into a glass of water and In the name of simplifying laws and licensing regimes, then exposed to the sun. An electronic chip is then dipped the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries have into the mixture. The detector will indicate if the arsenic proposed repeal of the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding content is above the limit specified by the World Health Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Organisation. Trials of the instrument are on. Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992 (IMS Act). (ToI, 04.03.05) One of the underlying effects of the law was Rice Genome Mapped promotion of breast feeding, n a development that would immensely help rice breeders and Indian organizations that Iworldwide with opportunities for better varieties or rice, have been upholding the scientists from the Beijing Institute of Genomics have come advantages of mother’s milk out with fine genome maps of two widely grown sub-species are up in arms as repeal of of rice. the law would allow The study will help produce better and high-yielding unfettered promotion of ‘infant varieties of rice that is the staple of more than half the formulae’ derailing the decade-long initiative towards world’s population. As per Food and Agricultural breast-feeding. They fear the repeal of the IMS Act would Organization projections, by 2030, the total endanger 60mn children less than five years old. Half of demand for rice will be 38 percent higher than them are undernourished and 2.4mn of them die the annual amounts produced between annually. Consumer 1/2005 1997 and 1999. (DTE, 15.03.05)

Eco (DTE, 31.03.05) the domesticpoliciesofdevelopedcountriesoftenset countries andtheinternationalpolicyenvironmentwhere with anenvironmentalbiasbothintheindividualdeveloped issues. This hasledtotheevolution ofeconomicpolicies they arecomparativelymoreconcernedwithenvironmental understood ordebatedinthedevelopedcountries,where globalisation. that questiontheproprietyofprocess the richNorthandremaintwoimportantissues conflict ofinterestsbetweenthepoorSouthand They haveoftenbeenmadethecauseof countries thatexperienceresourceconstraints. difficult tocontrolboth,particularlyforpoor 12 Overview Project EcoConsumer Editing team Thank youforyourcooperation, if youkindlysendustheannualsubscriptioncharge,whichisminimal,buthelpstocontinueourefforts. Kindly fillintheinformationbelow,andsendittousatearliest,thatis,beforewedespatchournextissue.Wewillal understand ourpointandcooperatewithus. therefore requestaresponsefromallofyouthatwouldliketocontinuereceiving Asyouallknow,it usefulforyourworkarea. publishingandmailingthisnewsletterinvolvesalotofmoney, energy andeffor some contributionsassubscriptioncharges,butthatisfarfromenough.Alsomanyofyouwhoreceivethispublicationmaynot Till newsletter nowwehavebeenpublishingthisquarterly Dear Reader, reinforces theotherandmakesitevenmore Tick thecorrectbox T AA: T ENN: E Poverty issuesoftheSoutharepossibly notwell Eco entwined inacomplexwaybywhicheach HE The news/storiesinthisNewsletterare compressedfromseveralnewspapers. Thesourcesgivenaretobeusedasa " Consumer T threats totheworld. These two are IMES HE Yes, IwantEcoConsumer No, Idon'twantEcoConsumer NVIRONMENT A reference for further information and do not indicate the literal transcript ofaparticularnews/story.reference forfurther informationanddonotindicatethe literaltranscript

OF SIAN E Phone: 91.33.22274985,Telefax: 91.33.22274987,Email:[email protected],[email protected], Website: www.cuts.org, I NDIA A Newsletter:Publishedandcomposed byConsumerUnity&Trust Society, 3-B,CamacStreet,Calcutta700016, nvironmental degradation GE and povertyaremajor Linkages betweenEnvironmentalLinkages Standards andPoverty: APeople-centred Approach , TT: T Any suggestiononthispublicationiswelcomeat , AP:A N EWS HE N SSOCIATE T ETWORK ELEGRAPH P Subscription: $20/Rs.150p.a. , EPI:E RESS , UNEP:U , BBCN:BBCN ARTH P ¨ ¨ NITED OLICY N S OURCE I ATIONAL NSTITUE EcoConsumer EWS , BD:B m ______Em: Ph: ______Address ______Name E , ET: T NVIRONMENT PrintedbyR.K.S.Printers,Calcutta. and reduceenvironmentaldegradation. ensure stableincometothepoorraisetheircapabilities Alternatively, thepaperpointsoutneedfor measuresto the overallwelfareandstabilityinpoorcountries. the poortogaincapabilitiesriseabovepovertyandaffect on preventinguseofresourcescoulddilutetheability poverty. Itanalyseshow environmental standardsthatfocus ATTERY HE anddistributingittoyouFREEOFCOST. We havereceived E ______CONOMIC D P IGEST the impactofenvironmentalstandardson of poverty, impactofpoverty onenvironment; and conceptual analysisofissuesliketheproblem standards andpovertyreduction.Itprovidesa the possiblelinkagesbetweenenvironmental policy triestoprotect. the verypeoplewithinenvironmentthat exploitation oftheenvironment,whilemissing norms thatemphasiseonpreventingthe has ledtotheevolutionofenvironmentprotection the pace. This lopsideddevelopment ofpolicy ROGRAMME , CT: C T EcoConsumer IMES [email protected] This advocacypaperfromCUTSexplores , PA:, P HICAGO , WNN:W T LANET RIBUNE inthefuture.Wehope,youwill ORLD A RK , DTE:D E , TH:T NERGY N OWN HE ETWORK H T so appreciate INDU O E 1/2005 , TOI: ARTH . t. We , find "

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