The Environment Chronicle

On 30 September 2013, the European Union and Indonesia signed a historic trade agreement which will contribute to halting the trade in illegal timber. Under the agreement, only verified legal timber and timber products will be exported to the EU. Indonesia is the first Asian country to enter into such an agreement, and by far the largest Asian timber exporter to the EU.

On 19 September 2013, the Russian Coast Guard boarded the Greenpeace International ship Arctic Sunrise and arrested the 25 activists on board following a protest against Gazprom’s Arctic oil drilling operations. At the time of the boarding, the Arctic Sunrise was circling Gazprom’s Prirazlomnaya platform at the three nautical mile limit, inside international waters.

On 19 September 2013, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered the scrapping of the remaining Fukushima nuclear reactors that survived the 2011 tsunami. Abe's order to decommission No. 5 and No. 6 came as he visited the plant to inspect the on-going problem of radiation leaks.

On 19 September 2013, a ceremony was organised at Venlo to celebrate the Permanent German-Dutch Boundary Water Commission's 50th anniversary. The Commission was founded by the border treaty of 1960. The first meeting was held in December 1963 in the Dutch city of Zwolle. Transboundary waters include the rivers Vechte, Rur and Grenzaa. While activities initially focused on water quantity management with the goal of ensuring proper water flow among other things, later the Commission also began to deal with the causes and control of water pollution. The Ems-Dollart Environment Protocol of 1996 led to further cooperation in the field of water and nature conservation in the Ems estuary. The protection of water bodies as ecosystems and the Commission's contribution to implementing the relevant European Directives, for instance the Water Framework Directive, have significantly gained in importance in recent years.

On 18 September 2018, Greenpeace activists staged a protest at an offshore oil drilling platform in the Russian Arctic, during which two protesters were arrested and the Russian Coast Guard fired warning shots across Greenpeace's ship, the environmental lobbying group said.

On 15 September 2013, a polar bear the size of a double-decker bus marched through London along with up to 3,000 people for Greenpeace's Save the Arctic campaign. The polar bear, called Aurora, required 15 puppeteers and 20 volunteers to haul it through the streets of London. Protesters marched down Lambeth Palace Road towards Shell headquarters, on Belvedere Road, to call for a ban on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic.

Draft legal measures to cap traditional biofuel production and accelerate the switchover to a a new generation of products from other sources, such as seaweed and or certain types of waste, were approved by the Environment Committee on 11 September 2013.

Fresh legislation is urgently needed to save the European eel stock, which scientists report has declined by at least 95% in the past thirty years, says Parliament in a resolution voted on 11 September 2013. The resolution was approved by 427 votes to 249, with 25 abstentions. MEPs urge the European Commission to table a draft law by March 2014, including sanctions against EU member states that are slow to provide the data needed to assess the stock. The European eel's decline is probably due, inter alia, to overfishing, pollution, obstacles to its migration up rivers or even changing ocean currents, as eel migrate from the ocean up rivers and back again. Attempts to reproduce eel in captivity have yet to achieve commercial success.

On 9 September 2013 the European Commission published a proposal for a Regulation on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species. The proposal seeks to address the problem of invasive alien species in a comprehensive manner so as to protect native biodiversity and ecosystem services, as well as to minimize and mitigate the human health or economic impacts that these species can have. The proposal is for three types of interventions; prevention, early warning and rapid response, and management. A list of invasive alien species of Union concern will be drawn up with Member States using risk assessments and scientific evidence.

In September 2013 a bulk carrier is using the North West Passage as a transit trade lane, when transporting coal from Vancouver in Canada to the port of Pori in Finland via the Arctic Sea. The vessel left Vancouver on 6 September 2013, loaded with metallurgical coal and arrived at its destination in Pori, Finland, on 29 September 2013.

On 5 September 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency announced settlements with Shell Gulf of Mexico, Inc. and Shell Offshore, Inc. for violations of their Clean Air Act permits for arctic oil and gas exploration drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, off the North Slope of Alaska. Based on EPA’s inspections and Shell’s excess emission reports, EPA documented numerous air permit violations for Shell’s Discoverer and Kulluk drill ship fleets, during the approximately two months the vessels operated during the 2012 drilling season. In today’s settlements, Shell has agreed to pay a $710,000 penalty for violations of the Discoverer air permit and a $390,000 penalty for violations of the Kulluk air permit.

On 3 September 2013, Northeast German power utility WEMAG and renewables-integration specialists Younicos started construction of a battery park for the balancing of short-term power fluctuations in Schwerin, Germany.

A team of researchers from the University of Göttingen in Germany and Yale University (USA) has presented the most comprehensive description and characterization so far of bioclimatic and physical characteristics of the world’s islands. Islands make up only five percent of the land surface of the Earth, but they are home to a disproportionately high number of plant and animal species and provide ecosystem functions and services to more than 500 million people. However, a quantitative description of the ecological conditions on islands had been lacking so far. The study published on 3 September 2013, in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences now closes this gap. The researchers investigated almost 18,000 marine islands with areas greater than one square kilometer. They also compiled ecologically important climate data and precise information about physical factors such as area, distance to the next continent and the proportion of landmass in the surroundings of each island. The researchers employed modern statistical approaches to describe, classify and map the islands based on differences in their environments. This allows the identification of islands with similar environmental settings and will facilitate further island biogeographical studies and biodiversity conservation.

On 30 August 2013 researchers at UBA moved into their new offices in 'Haus 2019' in Berlin-Marienfelde after 20 months of construction. It is the Federal Government's first zero-energy building. The goal for the model green building, which will provide a workplace for 31 people, is particularly ambitious: it is a zero-energy house which will cover its entire energy needs by itself. Energy consumption will be closely monitored. "In one year's time we will know if we have achieved our ambitious aim of showing a balanced energy budget as a result of the use of renewable energy sources and high standards in building and technology," said UBA President Jochen Flasbarth at the opening ceremony. The name 'Haus 2019' refers to the EU Directive on the energy performance of buildings. The Directive lays down the requirements for ‘nearly zero-energy buildings’. This standard will already apply for public institutions as of 2019; as of 2021 for all other buildings.

A joint study from the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released on 28 August 2013 found that a fracking fluid spill in Kentucky in 2007 likely caused the widespread death of several types of fish.

Ocean acidification could change the ecosystems of our seas even by the end of this century. Biologists at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), have therefore assessed the extent of this ominous change for the first time. In a study they compiled and analysed all available data on the reaction of marine animals to ocean acidification. The scientists found that whilst the majority of animal species investigated are affected by ocean acidification, the respective impacts are very specific. The AWI-researchers presented their results as an Online Publication on 25 August 2013 in Nature Climate Change. The study of the biologists from the Alfred Wegener Institute was conducted in the framework of the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and is intended to provide an overview of the current level of scientific knowledge on ocean acidification.

On 24 August 2013, the Waldschlösschen Bridge was inaugurated with street festivities in Dresden. The first regular traffic crossed it on 26 August 2013.

On 24 August 2013 Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise today entered the Northern Sea Route (NSR) off Russia’s coastline to protest against Arctic oil drilling, in defiance of Russian authorities who this week refused the ship permission to enter the area.

French Energy services company Technip said on 23 August 2013, it would work on the installation of the world's deepest underwater gas pipeline for Shell, planned for the Gulf of Mexico. The field is located in the Walker Ridge area in the US Gulf of Mexico, at a water depth of approximately 2,900 meters (9,500 feet).

How does climate change affect the formation of ice in the Arctic marginal seas? How do the changes affect the ecosystem? And what are the large-scale consequences for the entire Arctic region and Europe eventually? These are the questions German and Russian scientists are trying to answer during an expedition to the Laptev Sea, East Siberia, which started on 22. August 2013. It is the first expedition to the Russian Arctic as part of a new German-Russian joint project, coordinated at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, and supported through Russian and German funding for three years at around 7 million euros.

On 21 August 2013, the Russian government denied permission for the Greenpeace icebreaker Arctic Sunrise to enter the Northern Sea Route (NSR), despite the ship having fulfilled all the requirements for such an entry. Greenpeace International claims the decision is an attempt to prevent it from exposing the activities of Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft. Multiple vessels contracted by Rosneft and US partner ExxonMobil are conducting seismic testing and geological work in the Kara Sea in preparation for offshore Arctic drilling.

On 20 August 2013, the European Commission adopted a package of measures to address the continued unsustainable fishing of herring by the Faroe Islands. The measures include the ban of imports of herring and mackerel from the Atlanto-Scandian stocks that has been caught under the control of the Faroe Islands as well as fishery products containing or made of such fish. The measures also include restrictions on the use of EU ports by vessels fishing for the herring and mackerel stocks under the control of the Faroe Islands. This means that some Faroese vessels will not be allowed to dock in EU ports, except in cases of emergency. The Atlanto-Scandian herring stock was until 2013 managed jointly by Norway, Russia, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and the EU through an agreed long-term management plan and pre-established shares of the Total Allowable Catch (TAC). However, in 2013 the Faroe Islands unilaterally decided to break out of this agreement and established an autonomous quota which more than trebled their previously agreed share.

On 20 August 2013, Ecuador's President Raffael Correa canceled Germany's special programme for the Yasuní biosphere reserve. President Correa said his government would unilaterally terminate the environmental agreement with Germany, following German criticism Ecuador's decision to exploit oil in the Yasuni National Park. The German gov­ern­ment had agreed with Ecuador in 2012 on an extensive programme of support. The aim of the programme is to preserve the bio­di­ver­sity and the forests in the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve, and to empower the indigenous popu­la­tion living there.

Twelve Dongria villages have voted against Vedanta's plan to mine bauxite in the Niyamgiri Hills during consultations ordered by India’s Supreme Court in April 2013, because their religious, cultural and social rights would be jeopardized if mining were to go ahead.

On 14 August 2013, a White House official confirmed to the Washington Post that installation of solar panels began this week on the White House roof. The plan to use solar energy was first revealed in October 2010, but was not put into effect until now.

On 13 August 2013 the research ship MYA II was handed over to science at the Alfred Wegner Institute at a ceremony in List on Sylt. Ten percent of the 4.5 million euro development and construction costs for the MYA II were met by the State of Schleswig-Holstein, and 90 percent from federal funds. The research vessel is extremely modern and ideally equipped for coastal research. It has a particulate filter as well as a waste gas purification system, which removes nitrogen oxide (NOx) from engine exhaust fumes. Moreover an environmentally friendly ship coating was used and an impressed current system was installed to prevent corrosion on the hull as a substitute for toxic zinc anodes. Neither wastewater nor oily bilge water from the engine room get into the sea, but are disposed of in port. The “Blue Angel” eco label for the environmentally friendly ship design was revealed during the celebration on 13 August 2013.

The world's biggest river research expedition started on the Danube on 13 August 2013. The Joint Danube Survey 3 (JDS3) catalyzed international cooperation from all 14 of the main Danube Basin countries and the European Commission. For six weeks between 13 August and 26 September, the JDS3 ships traveled 2,375 km downstream the Danube River, through 10 countries, to the Danube Delta. The JDS3 was coordinated by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR). An international Core Team of 20 scientists was responsible for sampling, sample processing, on-board analyses and all survey activities. The Joint Danube Survey 3 was officially launched by the State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry, and the Bavarian Minister of the Environment in Regensburg on 14 August 2014.

The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) is working on a satellite-based system for substantially improving ship navigation in ice-affected waters. The Earth observation satellites TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X provide the high-resolution images needed to make this possible. Scientists from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) – the Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research based in Bremerhaven – are currently on their way to Antarctica on board the research vessel 'Polarstern' to test the practicality of this technique.

On 29 July 2013, Nepal’s government announced its tiger population has increased by 63 percent since the last survey in 2009—putting the number of tigers at an estimated 198 with a range between 163-235. The first-ever joint tiger survey between Nepal and India in the transboundary Terai Arc Landscape began in January. In Nepal, this massive wildlife survey included over 260 trained staff, camera traps covering 1,870 square miles of tiger habitat and 7,699 tiger images. This was funded by WWF UK, WWF Australia, WWF US, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, the Hariyo Ban Program (funded by USAID), and US Fish and Wildlife Service. WWF also played a major role from planning and implementation to the final data analysis.

The European Investment Bank has adopted new guidelines to reinforce support for investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy grids. The EIB will introduce a new Emissions Performance Standard to be applied to all fossil fuel generation projects to screen out investments whose carbon emissions exceed a threshold level. This threshold reflects existing EU and national commitments to limit carbon emissions. The board agreed that the Emissions Performance Standard would be kept under review and that more restrictive commitments could be considered in the future.

A shipment of 130 tonnes of fin whale meat from whales killed four years ago has been sent back to Iceland and got unloaded in Reykjavik on 21 July 2013. On 5 July 2013 the whale meat arrived at the harbour of Hamburg on the cargo ship, Cosco Pride. Greenpeace activists met the ship at the federal state boundary waving protest banners. They escorted the ship on its way to the harbour, then informed the administrative bodies.

On 16 July 2013, a Commission proposal to restrict the use of Fipronil, an insecticide which has recently been identified as posing an acute risk to Europe’s honey bee population, was backed by Member State experts meeting today in the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health. This proposal follows a scientific risk assessment carried out by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that was published on 27 May 2013 which identified that seeds treated with pesticides containing Fipronil pose an acute risk to Europe’s honey bee population. The measures: Restrict the crops where Fipronil can be used as a seed treatment; Authorisations may be granted for the treatment of seeds that will only be sown in greenhouses. However, this exception does not apply to leeks, shallots, onions and brassica vegetables (such as Brussel sprouts, cauliflower or broccoli), where treated seeds can also be sown in the field, as the harvest of these crops takes place before flowering; The treatment of maize and sunflower seeds will no longer be authorised; Foresee that the Commission will initiate a review of the restrictions within 2 years. The restriction will apply from 31 December 2013.

On 11 July 2013, the European Commission adopted a proposal to strengthen inspections on waste shipments through an amendment of the Waste Shipment Regulation. The Commission proposed stronger legislation on national inspections of waste shipments to ensure that all Member States have similar levels of control. Around 25 % of waste shipments sent from the EU to developing countries in Africa and Asia are thought to contravene international regulations. When it arrives, that waste is often dumped or mismanaged, causing serious negative impacts on human health and the environment.

On 11 July 2013, the European Parliament Environment Committee voted on legislation to limit the quantities of 'food based' biofuels in renewable energy transport targets for Europe.

On 11 Juli 2013, six Greenpeace activists climbed Europe's tallest building in a protest against oil and gas drilling the Arctic. A statement from Greenpeace said the action was part of their campaign against oil and gas drilling in the Arctic and that the activists carried out a safety assessment beforehand. The women were able to access the Shard from the roof of nearby London Bridge station, after months of planning and training. The campaigners said they chose the Shard because of its proximity to oil company Shell's three London offices. Greenpeace are streaming live video of the attempt from a camera worn by one of the climbers.

A protest by Greenpeace activists in Hamburg harbour on 5 July 2013 called attention to the trans-shipment of fin whale meat by the vessel "Cosco Pride". Ten activists in inflatable boats met the ship in the port of Hamburg Cosco with the banner message: "Stop the trade in whale meat". The containers in question were unloaded for an inspection by customs authorities. Several whale meat consignments from Iceland and Norway have been transited via German harbours to Japan. On 9 July 2013, Federal Environment Minister Peter Altmaier asked German port operators to refrain on a voluntary basis from allowing the transit of whale meat via their harbours.

On 4 July 2013, DONG Energy, E.ON and Masdar officially opened the world’s largest offshore wind farm, London Array, at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister David Cameron, alongside other dignitaries. London Array, the 630MW offshore wind farm located in the Outer Thames Estuary, first started generating power in October 2012. The 175th turbine was bought online in March 2013 and London Array is now celebrating the completion and full operation of the site, which could supply around 500,000 UK homes with electricity each year.

On 3 July 2013, the European Parliament voted to back a European Commission's proposal to backload allowances in the European Union's emissions trading scheme (ETS).

The latest update of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ shows worrying declines for conifers – the world’s oldest and largest organisms – freshwater shrimps, cone snails and the Yangtze Finless Porpoise. The Santa Cruz Pupfish, a lizard known as the Cape Verde Giant Skink and a species of freshwater shrimp have been declared Extinct. With this update, 4,807 species have been added to The IUCN Red List bringing the total of assessed species to 70,294, of which 20,934 are threatened with extinction.

On 1 July 2013, US President Obama announced a series of new initiatives to combat spiking levels of international poaching and draft a new national plan on wildlife trafficking, an industry that has grown so significantly in recent years that the president now calls it an “international crisis”.