The Environment Chronicle

Within the portfolio of the Environmental Minister, an independent Federal Nature Protection Agency shall be set up.

In 1993 BfS and UBA established SR monitoring with 4 stations. In the following years the network has been extended on a national level in cooperation with DWD and further institutions.

The EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a management tool for companies and other organisations to evaluate, report and improve their environmental performance. The scheme has been available for participation by companies since 1995 (Council Regulation (EEC) No 1836/93 of 29 June 1993) and was originally restricted to companies in industrial sectors.

Despite a ban, Norway still intends to harpoon whales. Greenpeace calls for a boycott of Norwegian products. Companies cancel contracts worth $45 million - many times the revenue from whaling.

The international observance of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. The United Nations General Assembly designated 22 March of each year as the World Day for Water by adopting a resolution. This world day for water was to be observed starting in 1993, in conformity with the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development contained in chapter 18 (Fresh Water Resources) of Agenda 21. States were invited to devote the Day to implement the UN recommendations and set up concrete activities as deemed appropriate in the national context. Also a number of NGOs have used World Day for Water as a time to focus public attention on the critical water issues.

Greenpeace returns toxic waste from Rumania to Germany. To save face, the German government then recalls 425 t of German-produced pesticide waste.

The Danish supertanker "Maersk Navigator" is rammed off the coast of Sumatra and loses an unknown amount of oil.

The Braer suffers mechanical problems and is driven towards the Shetland Islands, where it breaks up, spilling c. 85,000 t crude oil into the sea.

Landsacpe of the Year: the lower Oder.

Fish of the Year: Cod (Gadus morhua)

Fish of the Year is organised by Deutsche Angelfischerverband e.V. (DAFV).

The FEA's plans provide for the first time for placing sustainability at the heart of domestic financial policy, using fiscal instruments.

Biotope of the Year: Copses (predominantly on arable land)

Tree of the Year 1993 is the Service tree (Sorbus domestica).

Flower of the Year 1993 is the Snake's Head (Fritillaria meleagris).

Endangered livestock breed of the year 1993 is the Thuringian Forest Goat.

Animal of the Year: Wild cat (Felis silvestris silvestris)

The commission was set up under a decision at the 1992 UN Conference on the Environment and Development. It has 53 members, including Germany, and its goals are to implement Agenda 21 and support the Convention on Biodiversity. Agenda 21 agrees and defines long-term strategic goals for sustainable development.

Since 1993 NABU has been awarding the ‘Dinosaur of the Year’ award, a copy of a dinosaur cast from tin and weighing 2.6 kilograms, to people in the public eye whose outstanding individual achievements have been shown to be particularly outdated.

Bird of the Year 1993 is the Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius).

Orchid of the Year: Military orchis (Orchis militaris)

The surrounding area is seriously contaminated by an o-nitroanisole mixture. Irritation of the eyes, nose and skin, as well as digestive system, suffered by at least 192, doctors report increased incidence of allergies and infections in the affected area.

The Aegean Sea strikes a rock off the coast of Spain, spilling 1,000 t crude oil into the bay of La Coruna.

Greenpeace pursues the Japanese freighter "Akatsuki Maru", laden with 1.7 t plutonium, by ship and plane on its widely condemned journey from Cherbourg to Japan.

The 21st Regulation (BlmSchV) of 7 October 1992 order that a fuel vapor recovery system to limit hydrocarbon emissions be installed at every large fuel station.

Greenpeace takes one of its ships to the Kara Sea near Novaia Semlya, where atomic waste such as submarine atomic reactors is being sunk. The ship is fired upon and towed away by Russian marines. President Yeltsin promises a study of radiation in the frozen sea.

The environment ministry sets up an independent commission to devise an environmental statute book.

"Greenfreeze", the first CFC-free refrigerator, is presented to the world. It was developed and produced in cooperation between a scientist Hans Preisendans and the Saxon company dkk Scharfenstein (now Foron). The appliance uses natural gases (propane and butane) as coolants, which contributes to neither ozone depletion nor the greenhouse effect.

The World Ocean Day was first proposed in 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Although not yet officially designated by the United Nations, an increasing number of countries mark June 8th as an opportunity each year to celebrate the world ocean.

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio Summit, Rio Conference or Earth Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992. In Rio, Governments adopted three major agreements aimed at changing the traditional approach to development: Agenda 21, The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and The Statement of Forest Principles. In addition, two legally binding Conventions aimed at preventing global climate change and the eradication of the diversity of biological species were opened for signature at the Summit, giving high profile to these efforts: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and The Convention on Biological Diversity.

In Bremen and Dover, activists prevent the transport of atomic waste to the British reprocessing plant in Sellafield. The environment ministers of the Länder are presented with radioactively contaminated sand.

Art.3(1) sets up a coherent European network of specially protected sites under the name "Natura 2000". The areas must preserve or recreate the natural and man-made habitats listed in appendices I and II.

Starting in May Greenpeace frequently prevents the export of toxic waste from Germany to Rumania. Illegally stored waste in Rumania is returned to Germany.

In Dordrecht in Holland, Greenpeace blocks track belonging to the world's largest producer of CFCs, DuPont.

The Rainbow Warrior II makes its debut against French atomic testing. Shortly afterwards, President Mitterand abandons the tests.

The WBGU was set up by the German Federal Government as an independent advisory council. It reports directly to the government and is directed alternately by the ministries for education and for the environment. An interministerial committee from 13 other ministries and the Chancellor's Office also follow the work of the council. The council's core task is to analyse all forms of information on global change and produce recommendations for political action. It reports on global environment and development issues, evaluates national and international research on global change, indicates imminent problems and research gaps, stimulates interdisciplinary and applied research. Finally, it observes domestic and international policy on sustainable development, to create and disseminate recommendations for political and public action or research.

NABU starts a campaign to introduce environmental protection as a goal of the state in the German constitution.

The Katina P. loses 72,000 t oil.

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

A faulty pipe allows a large cloud of gaseous chlorine to escape into a production facility at the Buna AG in Schkopau. At least 186 sustain serious respiratory damage.