The Environment Chronicle

A recent study conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI together with European research partners looked at the long-term impacts of extra long and heavy trucks up to 25.25 m and 60 tons gross weight, so-called mega trucks, on the climate balance of freight transport. The study finds no positive impact on CO₂ emissions as there is a considerable risk that large volumes of goods will be shifted from rail to roads. This finding contradicts the common assumption that two mega trucks would replace three standard trucks and thus reduce harmful environmental impacts.

An international team of researchers have just discovered 130, possibly even as many as 200, new frog species in Madagascar. The team of Prof. Miguel Vences from the Technical University Braunschweig reported this in the "Proceedings" of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. The discoveries are the results of the intensive search on the island, as well as genetic analyses of frogs and tadpoles.

National Geographic and the international polling firm GlobeScan have just conducted their second annual study measuring and monitoring consumer progress toward environmentally sustainable consumption in 17 countries around the world. This quantitative consumer study of 17,000 consumers in a total of 17 countries (14 in 2008) asked about such behavior as energy use and conservation, transportation choices, food sources, the relative use of green products versus traditional products, attitudes towards the environment and sustainability, and knowledge of environmental issues. The top-scoring consumers of 2009 are in the developing economies of India, Brazil and China. Argentina and South Korea, both new additions to the survey, are virtually tied for fourth, followed by Mexicans, Hungarians and Russians. Ranks ninth through thirteenth, the latter a three-way tie, are all occupied by Europeans, as well as Australians in twelfth. Japanese, U.S. and Canadian consumers again score lowest.

The German edition of the report "State of the World 2009: Into a Warming World" of the Washington World Watch Institute was presented in Berlin on 28 April 2009.

A group of EU-funded researchers are counting the costs of the damage caused by invasive species in Europe. In the study published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment e-view, they have listed the invasive species that cause the most harm to environment and cost the most money to combat. The ecologists used data from the Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe (DAISIE) project. Ecosystem services are broken down into four categories: supporting major ecosystem resources, such as water and energy cycles; provisioning by producing goods, such as pollination of crops; regulating ecosystem processes, such as water filtration; and cultural or non-material benefits, such as recreation and aesthetics. They produced a list of the top 100 invasive species in Europe by assessing which species had the most impacts in the most categories. Among the top invaders were Canada geese, zebra mussels, brook trout, the Bermuda buttercup and coypu, also known as nutria.

Researchers at UC Berkeley and Texas Tech are out with a new study that predicts climate change will alter global forest fire patters, making some areas more prone to fire while lessening the risk to others. The result could mean big changes for areas that either depend on fire or those that fear it.

The latest Arctic sea ice data from NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center show that the decade-long trend of shrinking sea ice cover is continuing. New evidence from satellite observations also shows that the ice cap is thinning as well. Scientists who track Arctic sea ice cover from space announced that this winter had the fifth-lowest maximum ice extent on record. The six lowest maximum events since satellite monitoring began in 1979 have all occurred in the past six years (2004-2009).

The report was presented to the press on 17. March 2009 during the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul, Turkey. The EEA report 'Water resources across Europe – confronting water scarcity and drought' highlights that while southern Europe continues to experience the greatest water scarcity problems, water stress is growing in parts of the north too. Moreover, climate change will cause the severity and frequency of droughts to increase in the future, exacerbating water stress, especially during the summer months. Excluding illegal water use, Europe abstracts around 285 km3 of freshwater annually, representing on average 5 300 m3 per capita, roughly equivalent to two olympic swimming pools.

Commissioned by Siemens, the Wuppertal Institute examined how a modern metropolis like Munich can drastically reduce the amount of CO2 it emits. Using a specific model urban district, the analysis concretely demonstrates how the transformation to a virtually carbon-free metropolis can be accomplished in terms of infrastructure and technology. Key levers for cutting CO2 emissions are high-efficiency energy applications, in particular in buildings; infrastructure modifications in the areas of heating, electricity and transportation; and a transition to renewable and low carbon energy sources wherever possible.

Businesses will soon not only be leading cars and computers but also chemicals. The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) makes this proposal in its “Sustainable Chemicals” paper. The idea is simple: producers or importers no longer sell a chemical, say a solvent used in platinum production, but instead provide the benefits obtained from the chemical, including its professional and ecological application. After use the supplier recovers the used chemicals, treats them, and handles their ecological disposal. According to the chemical leasing concept suppliers will benefit from providing their know-how and not from the volumes of chemicals sold as in the past.

The Amazon is surprisingly sensitive to drought, according to new research conducted throughout the world's largest tropical forest. The 30-year study, published in Science, provides the first solid evidence that drought causes massive carbon loss in tropical forests, mainly through killing trees. The study was based on the unusual 2005 drought in the Amazon. In normal years the forest absorbs nearly 2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide. The drought caused a loss of more than 3 billion tonnes. The total impact of the drought - 5 billion extra tonne of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere - exceeds the annual emissions of Europe and Japan combined.

FAO has published the new edition of its biennial report The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) as over 60 countries gather in Rome for the 28th meeting of FAO's Committee on Fisheries (COFI). The fishing industry and national fisheries authorities must do more to understand and prepare for the impacts that climate change will have on world fisheries, says the FAO report. Existing responsible fishing practices need to be more widely implemented and current management plans should be expanded to include strategies for coping with climate change.

Globally, commercial ships emit almost half as much particulate pollution into the air as the total amount released by cars, according to a new study of the US-Agency NOAA. Ship pollutants affect both the Earth's climate and the health of people living along coastlines. The study is the first to provide a global estimate of maritime shipping's total contribution to air particle pollution based on direct measurements of emissions. The authors estimate that worldwide, ships emit 0.9 teragrams, or about 2.2 million pounds, of particulate pollution each year. Shipping also contributes almost 30 percent of smog-forming nitrogen oxide gases. The findings appeared online 25 February in the Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres, a publication of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). Lack, D. A., et al. (2009), Particulate emissions from commercial shipping: Chemical, physical, and optical properties, J. Geophys. Res., 114, D00F04, doi:10.1029/2008JD011300.

The BMU Brochure was made avaible on the Internet (in German only).

The risks of severe climate impacts increase drastically with only small increases in global mean temperature. An international team of researchers has reinvestigated the five “reasons for concern” described first in the Third Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2001, and revised a graphic depiction of their sensitivities to increases in global mean temperature. The diagram shows clearly how the borderline to dangerous climate change could be crossed much earlier than previously thought but also that ambitioned climate policy could minimize the associated risks.

The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the Federal Environmental Agency (UBA) have published the first “Umweltwirtschaftsbericht” (environmental economic report). The new joint report demonstrates the close connection between ecology and economy as well as the new importance of environmental policy.

"First Contact in the Greater Mekong" reports that 1068 species were discovered or newly identified by science between 1997 and 2007.

Butterflies are a well-known and popular group of insects that can play a valuable role as early warning indicators of environmental change. They have short life-cycles and respond rapidly to change. Butterflies have also declined rapidly in recent decades and are declining more rapidly than other well-known groups such as plants and birds (which often depend on their caterpillars for food). This Atlas is an early attempt to investigate the possible effects of climate change on the majority of European butterflies by modelling the impact of various future climate scenarios. The results are important because butterflies are one of the few groups of insects for which such comprehensive data are available at a European level. As insects comprise over two-thirds of all known species, the results are valuable to help understand the possible impacts of climate change on biodiversity as a whole.

For the first time it is now possible to get a comprehensive overview of which alien species are present in Europe, their impacts and consequences for the environment and society. More than 11,000 alien species have been documented by DAISIE (Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventory for Europe), a unique three year research project with more than 100 European scientists, funded by the European Union that provides new knowledge on biological invasions in Europe. Biological invasions by alien species often result in a significant loss in the economic value, biological diversity and function of invaded ecosystems.

The Living Planet Report is WWF's periodic update on the state of the world's ecosystems. This Report uses complementary measures to explore the changing state of global biodiversity and of human consumption. The Living Planet Index reflects the state of the planet’s ecosystems while the Ecological Footprint shows the extent and type of human demand being placed on these systems. The Living Planet Index of global biodiversity has declined by nearly 30 per cent over just the past 35 years. Humanity’s demand on the planet’s living resources, its Ecological Footprint, now exceeds the planet’s regenerative capacity by about 30 per cent.

ECHA has included 15 substances in the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) for authorisation. The list was published on ECHA website on 28 October 2008. From 28 October 2008, EU & EEA suppliers of articles which contain substances on the Candidate List in a concentration above 0.1% (w/w) must provide sufficient information, available to them, to their customers and on request to consumers within 45 days of the receipt of this request. This information must ensure safe use of the article and, as a minimum, include the name of the substance.

UNESCO is publishing the first-ever world map of shared aquifers to coincide with the submission to the General Assembly of the United Nations on 27 October of a draft Convention on Transboundary Aquifers. Almost 96% of the planet’s freshwater resources are to be found in underground aquifers, most of which straddle national boundaries.

The US-based Blacksmith Institute and Green Cross Switzerland presents a Top Ten List of the world's worst pollution problems 2008: Artisanal Gold Mining; Contaminated Surface Water; Groundwater Contamination; Indoor Air Pollution, Metals Smelting and Processing; Industrial Mining Activities; Radioactive Waste and Uranium Mining; Untreated Sewage, Urban Air Quality, Used Lead Acid Battery Recycling

The 2008 Red List was released on 6 October 2008, at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona. The study shows at least 1,141 of the 5,487 mammals on Earth are known to be threatened with extinction.

The report presents past and projected climate change and impacts in Europe by means of about 40 indicators and identifies sectors and regions most vulnerable with a high need for adaptation. The report covers the following indicator categories: atmosphere and climate, cryosphere, marine biodiversity and ecosystems, water quantity (including river floods and droughts), freshwater quality and biodiversity, terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity, soil, agriculture and forestry, human health. Furthermore the report shows the need for adaptation actions at EU, national and regional level and the need for enhanced monitoring, data collection and exchange and reducing uncertainties in projections. The report is a joined effort of the European Environment Agency (EEA), the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC-IES) and the World Health Organisation Europe (WHO).

The dramatic and, in some cases, damaging environmental changes sweeping planet Earth are brought into sharp focus in a new atlas launched to mark World Environment Day (WED). Produced by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the atlas compares and contrasts spectacular satellite images of the past few decades with contemporary ones, some of which have never been seen before. It covers developments in the US, Argentinia, Spain, Israel, China, and many other countries.

An expertise of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) points out that climate change, lack of water resources, water pollution, or soil degradation endanger the livelihood of poor people in many regions of the world. These environmental changes are largely man-made and linked with the economic and social development of a country in a complex way. The WBGU demands a closer international cooperation of fighting poverty and environmental policy.

The map has been produced in the framework of the Corine Land Cover programme of the European Environmental Agency. Data on land cover is necessary for the environmental policy as well as for other such as regional development and agriculture policies. At the same time it provides one of the basic inputs for the production of more complex information on other themes (soil erosion, pollutant emissions into the air by the vegetation, etc.). The Map shows the major changes of the European landscapes since 1990.

With a documentation of the Elbe flood of August, 2002, the International Commission for the Protection of the Elbe (IKSE) has completed its underlying work on preventive flood management. The documentation covers all aspects from the emergence to the disastrous results of this natural phenomenon, complimenting the "Action Plan Elbe Flood Protection" from 2003 that covers all the Elbe catchment area.

The impacts of climate change on Europe's environment and society are shown in this report published by the European Environment Agency. Past trends in the climate, its current state and possible future changes are presented using 22 selected indicators. For almost all of these a clear trend exists and impacts are already being observed. The report highlights the need to develop strategies at European, national, regional and local level for adapting to climate change.

As a signatory state of the Climate Convention of the UNFCCC and of the Kyoto Protocol Germany is obliged to report on its emission of greenhouse gas. These so called emission inventories have to be have to be produced, published, and updated every year. The National Inventory Report (NIR) 2003 describes and explains the methods and presumptions of the emission inventories for the first time. This report covers the emission inventories of the years from 1990 to 2001.

More than two thirds of the emissions of important pollutants into German waters come from so called "fugitive sources", following a study of the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI). The scientists, jointly with their colleagues of the Karlsruhe University, elaborated the first survey on emissions of important pollutants into German waters on behalf of the Federal Environment Ministry and the Federal Environmental Agency. The researches summed up all the emissions from the industry, the municipalities as well as several fugitive emissions into rivers and lakes, such as erosion or groundwater. The period of examination has been 1993 to 1997.

The Federal Environmental Agency publishes "Sustainable Germany - roads to environmentally sustainable development". This combination of environmental, social and economic criteria into a vision of the future challenges environmentalists to define their goals. The FEA's experts draw up scenarios for sustainable development in an industrial country like Germany up to the year 2010.

The "Red list of endangered biotope types of the Federal Republic of Germany" has been published by the BfN. For the first time, this list does not cover species but habitats in their contextual endangerment.

The Dobris Report is published within the Conference of Europe in Sofia.

In preparation for the Rio conference, a WHO commission produces a comprehensive picture of world health in its report "Our Planet, our Health".

Documentation of accidents in industrial facilities or involving hazardous substances. 2 editions.

The European Union publishes its third "Report on the State of the Environment"

The first Germany-wide report on the state of the environment "Environmental Data 1984" starts a series of 7 reports to date. With a print run of over 10,000 per edition, it becomes one of the FEA'S best-sellers. Ten years later, the Environmental Information Act requires regular publication of such a report.

The European Community publishes its second "Report on the State of the Environment"