The Environment Chronicle

April 24, 1996, marked the first Noise Awareness Day spearheaded by the League for the Hard of Hearing in New York City. Today the celebration of this day takes place in more than 40 countries around the World. In Germany this day is organized by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Akustik e.V. (DEGA) since 1998. Usually it is celebrated on one of the two last Wednesday of April.

The Renewable Energy Day is a German-wide initiative launched on the occasion of the anniversary of the Chernobyl reactor disaster and aimed at presenting the different utilisation possibilities offered by sustainable energy management. This event was initiated by the city of Oederan (Saxony) on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1996. On 20 April 1996, 27 house owners in the federal state of Saxony presented their wood heating systems as well as their solar, wind and water energy systems to the public. In the following years, activities within the scope of the day of renewable energy sources spread throughout Germany.

Fungus of the Year 1996 is the Sarcodon imbricatus, commonly known as the shingled hedgehog or scaly hedgehog.

Flower of the Year 1996 is the Pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris).

The "Sea Empress" strikes a rock off the Welsh coast and spills c. 70,000 t crude, killing dolphins, seals, rare sea birds and crustaceans.

Animal of the Year: Common hamster (Cricetus cricetus)

Bird of the Year 1996 is the Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus).

Orchid of the Year 1996 is the Lady's slipper (Cypridedium calceolus).

Fish of the Year 1996 is the Sea trout (Salmo trutta trutta).

Biotope of the Year: the stream

Tree of the Year 1996 is the Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus).

Disastrous fire caused by improper welding work. The fire kills 17, injures about 20 and impairs the health of a further 100.

Vynilchloride released in a rail accident. At least 328 suffer impaired health: irritation of the eyes, nose and skin, also gastrointestinal problems.

Sodium circulating in the secondary system (loop C) breaks the casing of the cylindrical thermometer, which explodes and cause the sodium to burn in the main system. Sodium escaped from loop C (source: Greenpeace).

§1 The purpose of this Act is to ensure the effective implementation of an EU directive ... on the voluntary participation of commercial companies in a common system for environmental management and inspection.

Since 1995, on 16 September each year, the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is celebrated. This date has been designated by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 49/114, to commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. This commemoration around the world offers an opportunity to focus attention and action at the global, regional and national levels on the protection of the ozone layer.

Greenpeace members from Europe and the USA unfurl a banner on Tian an Men Square in Beijing, reading "Stop all atomic testing, stop atomic testing in China". They are arrested, interrogated and deported.

After serving as President of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) for 14 years, Prof. Dr. Andreas Troge was retired at his own request on 28 July 2009. During a symposium held at the UBA offices in Dessau-Roßlau Federal Minister for Environment Gabriel handed Prof. Dr. Troge his document of discharge. Until a successor is appointed, UBA Vice President, Dr.Thomas Holzmann, will perform the duties of president at the Agency.

Shell announces that it will not, after all, sink the defunct oil platform Brent Spar. Prominent artists, politicians of all parties and the Church in Germany had condemned Shell's plans. The multinational ignored the criticism, until a boycott of petrol stations forced it to give way. The Brent Spar remained at anchor in a Norwegian bay until the issue was resolved: the platform was cleaned up, its support cut into rings and dismantled completely. The rings were used to build a quay in the harbour near Stavanger in Norway.

The Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) is the largest of its kind developed so far under CMS. It was concluded on 16 June 1995 in the Hague, the Netherlands and entered into force on 1 November 1999. The AEWA covers 255 species of birds ecologically dependent on wetlands for at least part of their annual cycle. The agreement covers 118 countries and the European Community (EC) from Europe, parts of Asia and Canada, the Middle East and Africa. Of the 118 Range States and the EC currently 62 countries have become a Contracting Party to AEWA.

Despite worldwide protests, France restarts its atomic testing on Moruroa. When a Greenpeace ship enters the 12 mile exclusion zone, it is entered by French marines and confiscated. The ship's instruments are destroyed.

The first United Nations Climate Change Conferences took place from 28 March to 7 April 1995 in Berlin, Germany. Delegates of the 116 UNFCC signatory states agree to the "Berlin Mandate", in which they commit themselves to develop a protocol by 1997, aimed at limiting and reducing greenhouse emissions beyond the year 2000. It is decided to locate the UN Secretariat for the FCC in Bonn from 1996.

During the Berlin Climate Conference, Greenpeace climbers occupy a chimney stack at an RWE coal-fired power station. An attempt to remove them fails. The pictures are broadcast live to the Conference.

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.

Flower of the Year 1995 is the Globeflower (Trollius europaeus).

Biotope of the Year: Beech woods

Fish of the Year 1995 is the Eel(Anguilla anguilla).

Bird of the Year 1995 is the Nightingale (Luscinia magarhynchos).

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

Landscape of the Year: the Alps.

Orchid of the Year: Bee orchid (Ophrys apifera)

Animal of the Year: Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo)

Fungus of the Year 1995 is the tinder fungus (Fomes fomentarius).

Tree of the Year 1995 is the Norway maple (Acer platanoides).

Art 1 No.2: "After Art 20 the following Art 20a will be inserted: "The state also has a responsibility to protect the natural basis for life for future generations, within the constitution by legislation, execution of the law and in legal judgements."

The act applies to the cross-border transport of waste into or out of Germany.

§1 The purpose of this Act is to promote closed substance cycle waste management (Kreislaufwirtschaft), in order to conserve natural resources and to ensure environmentally compatible disposal of waste.

Official statistics are to be collected for use in environmental policy-making.

§1 The purpose of this Act is to protect man and the environment from the harmful effects of dangerous substances and preparations, in particular to identify them, avert them and prevent their occurrence.

On 20 June 1994 the Apollo Sea, a bulk ore carrier, sank near Dassen Island on the west coast, South Africa. She was carrying some 2 400 tonnes of fuel oil at that time. The oil spill had a major impact on the coastline of the Cape Peninsula. Besides affecting large numbers of African penguins, the amenity beaches in the area were also badly polluted.