The Environment Chronicle

The cargo ship Ice Prince, which was en route to Alexandria carrying more than 5,000 metric tonnes of sawn timber, made an emergency call to the coastguard on the evening of January 13 after getting into difficulties 27 miles off the Devon coast. It eventually sank 26 miles south south east off the coast of Portland Bill, Dorset, in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The Ice Prince had been carrying an estimated 313 metric tons of intermediate fuel oil and other lubricating oils in the engine spaces.

The ICRI International Year of the Reef 2008 is a worldwide campaign to raise awareness about the value and importance of coral reefs and threats to their sustainability, and to motivate people to take action to protect them. All individuals, corporations, schools, governments, and organizations are welcome and actively encouraged to participate in IYOR 2008.

The United Nations General Assembly in New York has proclaimed the year 2008 to be the United Nations International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE). The Year's activities will actually span 2007-2009 and support research projects within defined themes focusing on Earth Sciences in the service of society.

On 1 January 2008 the cities of Berlin, Cologne and Hanover introduced low emission zones to mitigate air pollution caused by fine particles. Low emission zones are identified by traffic signs and additional signs. The Thirty-fifth Ordinance on the Implementation of the Federal Immission Control Act (Ordinance on the marking of vehicles) stipulates that vehicles have to be marked with stickers (on the windscreen inside the vehicle) and lays down the criteria vehicles have to meet for the different kinds of stickers. Stickers are valid for all low emission zones in any city in Germany.

Cactus of the year 2008 is the Golden Barrel Cactus, Golden Ball or, amusingly, Mother-in-Law's Cushion (Echinocactus grusonii).

Cambisol or Arenosole is the soil of the year 2008.

Moss of the Year is the Orthotrichum pulchellum.

Perennial Herb of the Year is the Sneezeweed (Helenium).

Algal researchers of the Phycology Section of the German Botanical Society have chosen the desmid Micrasterias as ‘Alga of the Year 2008’.

Poisonous plant of the year 2008 is the Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum).

Medicinal Herb of the Year: English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Bird of the Year 2008 is the Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus).

Tree of the Year: Common walnut (Juglans regia)

Animal of the Year: Wisent or European bison (Bison bonasus).

Flower of the year: Musk thistle or Nodding thistle (Carduus nutans)

Orchid of the Year: Southern Marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa)

Spider of the Year 2010 is the Tegenaria atrica.

Butterfly of the Year: Silver-studded Blue (Plebeius argus).

Medicinal Plant of the Year 2008 is the Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum).

Insect of the Year 2008 is the Zygaena carniolica.

The European Tree Frog (Hyla arborea) was nominated to the Frog of the Year 2008 by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Herpetologie und Terrarienkunde e.V. (DGHT). The European Tree Frog is the best known frog species in Central Europe.

Fish of the Year 2008 is the Bitterling (Rhodeus sericeus amarus).

Water plant of the year 2008 is the Eared watermoss (Salvinia natans).

Lichen of the Year is the wolf lichen (Letharia vulpina).

Mollusc of the Year is the Myosotella myosotis, a species of salt marsh snail.

The internationally operating environmental foundation Global Nature Fund (GNF) proclaimed the Mahakam Wetland located in the Indonesian part of Borneo Threatened Lake of the Year 2008. Together with the partner organisation Conservation Foundation for Rare Aquatic Species of Indonesia (RASI) GNF wants to draw the attention to the dramatic increase in deforestation caused by slash-and-burn clearing.

Fungus of the Year 2008 is the Boletus aereus.

After the pilot phase, the second trading period in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) started on 1 January 2008, during which tighter national emissions budgets are valid throughout Europe. For Germany this now means a total of 453 million emissions allowances per year for the industrial and energy sectors. A certain percentage of allowances will no longer be allocated free of charge, due to be sold or auctioned instead (40 million per year).