Sea Shepherd's Paul Watson currently in German jail.

Iconic French film star and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot has asked German authorities to allow her to switch places with jailed Sea Shepherd Conservation Society chief Paul Watson, who was arrested and jailed in Germany.

“I have always supported Paul Watson, my brother in arms,” she said in a statement.

Watson, the Canadian national and founder of Sea Shepherd, which fights in international water for marine conservation, is accused by the German government of endangering the crew of a shark-fining ship in the waters of Costa Rica in 2002.

The conservation group has made headlines for its ardent attempts to curtail illegal international whaling, namely Japan’s hunt annually in Antarctic waters, and have tirelessly fought for the rights of marine animals.

He was arrested on an international warrant in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday, and on Monday, German officials remanded him in custody.

Bardot, 77, is “appalled by the news” and insists she is willing to trade places with Watson, who has been battling hunters on the high seas for years, her statement read.

It continued to say, “being outraged by the fact that he’s been put in prison, I offer to take his place because I am his accomplice.”

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Gobble Green is 100 percent vegan.

LOS ANGELES: It can be difficult for vegetarians and vegans to find meals that are both nutritious and appetizing. However, there is now a service that is transforming the health-food industry by catering to people’s specific diet and workout needs.

Gobble Green (www.gobblegreen.com) is a 100% vegan online marketplace and food delivery service where consumers can purchase individual meals, virtual fitness programs, or complete gourmet diet plans. Gobble Green makes veganism hassle free, encourages green living, and proudly advocates the ethical treatment of animals.

Going vegan can be complicated; it’s hard to find animal-free foods with busy schedules and limited options at grocery stores. Not only does Gobble Green offer quality meals — they also deliver nationwide right to shoppers’ doorsteps! Founders Jennifer Clary and Kevin Haberer developed Gobble Green to provide plant-based meals with mainstream appeal. Products available on Gobble Green’s website include meal plans, dishes ranging from macaroni and “cheese” to succulent “chicken” chili, and packages fulfilling consumers’ every wish; dinner kits, weekend kits, and even a “fussy foodie” kit for finicky eaters.

Gobble Green also offers programs developed specifically for weight loss and weight maintenance: “The Challenge” and “Fit for Life Plan.” These best-sellers, designed by vegan fitness expert Melissa Brey help clients realize safe, long-lasting weight loss. Gobble Green created a unique virtual fitness portal, “The Gym,” developed to help customers track personal progress and reach their weight loss goals.

A client on The Challenge gushed, “I’ve reached my goal of losing 15-20 pounds and feel great!” Gobble Green has a strong social network including an active Facebook community page at www.facebook.com/gobblegreen to help clients take back control of their health.

With Gobble Green, Clary and Haberer have created a revolution. These two also practice what they preach. Clary, an acclaimed director, (www.jenkev.com), had Gobble Green provide catering for her latest film, The Silent Thief.

“Frances Fisher and Kurt Fuller were both pro-veg before the shoot, which was great!” says Clary. “Everyone was amenable to a month of vegan eating — it was a great experience.” Experience Gobble Green for yourself at www.gobblegreen.com and look for the brand in retail stores shortly.

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The Himalayan range.

NEW DELHI: Climate change will denude and put under additional stress, the Himalayan forests, the Indian government fears.

A federal government report has said that these Himalayan forests are already reeling under threats like excessive livestock grazing, over extraction and human impact. India’s Environment Minister, Jayanthi Natarajan released the country’s communiqué to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, spelling out the fears.

The report says as much as 45 percent of India’s forest grids will undergo changes due to climate impact.

The forest ministry has determined the spatial location of all forest areas, using a high resolution digital map of the country to gather inputs and finalize the report.

It divided India’s entire area into 165,000 grids of which nearly one fourth were marked with forest density and types.

According to the report’s assessment of vulnerability, the sensitive grids are spread across the country, but their concentration is greater in the upper reaches of Himalayas, besides the Western and Eastern Ghats and Central India.

The report said, most mountainous forests, the dry as well as moist temperature forests of the Himalayas, are susceptible to climate change.

Contrastingly, the report mentions that the forested regions of Eastern India, the forest of the North-East and the southernmost part of the tropical Western Ghats are least vulnerable.

The mighty rugged Himalayan mountain range sits like a crown atop India and its melting glaciers feeds the country’s fertile plains every summer, making a key part of the country’s eco system.

According to Natarajan, India is committed to the responsibility towards the global community and opined that the country has already reduced carbon emission voluntarily.

The report has results of many studies conducted specially to capture India’s forest diversity at a national level.

Notably, the net emission of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gasses in India was pegged at 1301.21 million tons in 2000, showing a 4.2 percent growth from levels recorded in 1994.

The country’s green house gas profile for 2007 is a unique feature of the report and it is estimated at the level of 1771.66 million ton of CO2.

Photo: World Migratory Bird Day

Bird-watching, a popular hobby around the world, can present significant economic opportunities for countries through sustainable tourism, the United Nations environment agency said today, stressing that States should increase efforts to support this growing industry.

“Birding plays a significant and growing part in the tourism industry, and creates direct and indirect economic benefits for many countries and communities, also amongst developing countries,” said the Acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, in a news release ahead of World Migratory Bird Day, which is observed on May 12-13.

Initiated in 2006, the Day is an annual campaign organized by CMS and the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) – two intergovernmental wildlife treaties administered by the UN Environment Program (UNEP), which also backs the campaign – and devoted to celebrating migratory birds and promoting their conservation worldwide.

In a news release, UNEP highlighted that global spending on all areas of ecotourism is increasing by about six times the industry-wide rate of growth, and underlined the potential economic benefits of bird-watching in particular.

In the United States, for example, a survey by authorities puts the economic value generated every year by bird and other wildlife watchers at around $32 billion in that country alone. This amount corresponds to the gross domestic product of Costa Rica, which is also a popular destination for US birdwatchers.

In Scotland, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds found that last year, between $8-12 million is spent annually by tourists wishing to see White-tailed Eagles on the Isle of Mull alone, and that four per cent of jobs in Scotland are associated with wildlife tourism.

World Migratory Bird Day seeks to spotlight these benefits while also raising awareness of the importance of protecting birds, which face a series of challenges each year in their journeys.

“Conserving migratory birds is highly challenging because their annual migration often spans several countries, each governed by its own jurisdiction and national conservation strategies,” Mrema said.

Events to mark the Day are due to take place in 70 countries, including bird festivals, education programs, presentations, film screenings and bird watching trips, run by hundreds of volunteers and organizations.

The Day will be followed by an AEWA intergovernmental conference on migratory waterbirds, which will take place on May 14-18 in La Rochelle, France, and will focus on the role that wetlands play as a vital habitat for migratory birds and people and as a source of livelihoods for communities, particularly in Africa.

“It is absolutely critical that governments use the forthcoming meeting, to continue to do all they can to work together to try to safeguard, retain and where feasible restore high quality habitats – and to begin to link the conservation of migratory birds to human development and livelihoods on a flyway scale,” said the Acting Executive Secretary of AEWA, Marco Barbieri.

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Kokum fruit

Goa (INDIA): Once a home to a legendary band sinewy and tough-as-nails guerrilla fighters, the ‘Mawles’, who challenged the might of the mighty Moghul empire in India in the 17th -18th centuries, India’s tropical hot-house, the Konkan region in south western India is all set to export “fighters” of another kind.

Kokum, a dark red wild berry like fruit, grown specifically in the Konkan region is now being touted as one of the most vigorous fat-fighters by experts and botanists.

Sour as hell as one of the most standard ingredients in fish curries served along India’s south western coast, Kokum also known as Garcinia Indica, is poised to make it big on the global health scene, where obesity is a major blip.

One consistent celebrator of the kokum fruit, Miguel Braganza, organizer of the Konkan fruit festival (KFF), in Goa told Bikyamasr.com that the humble Kokum is fast gaining reputation as a credible fat fighter.

“The humble Kokum or Bhirand Sol has already made its presence felt after it was found to contain the anti-obesity HCA (Hydroxy Citric Acid) in its rind,” Braganza said, adding that the three day festival which opens at the beautiful Campal promenade Friday (May 11) will have on exhibit and sale several varieties of the sour fruit, among other platter of fruits from the region.

“There is even a book being released on Kokum this Saturday (May 12), in Panaji,” Miguel said.

“The aim of the Konkan Fruit Festival is to promote the preservation of the rich diversity of fruits in the Konkan, both native and naturalized, through their cultivation, processing and marketing as the ‘driver’ for research and improvement,” Miguel said, adding that the civic authority in Goa’s capital, Panaji, the Botanical Society of Goa as well as the Western Ghats Kokum Foundation were the driving forces of the unique initiative.

Apart from being used as a staple food ingredient, the dried rind of Kokum fruit is used as a medicinal and culinary agent. The different parts of the kokum tree such as the bark, rind, pulp, juice, root and seeds have numerous health benefits and are utilized in many Ayurvedic preparations. Kokum has also been long used in Ayurveda to prevent infection, treat sores, cure ear infections, heal stomach ulcers, improve digestion, lessen arthritis pain and alleviate diarrhea & constipation.

Braganza said that the fruit festival was already beginning to bear ‘fruit’, at least on the Kokum front.

“The Konkan Fruit Fest has inspired a man like Shrihari Subrai Naik Kurade of Cuncolim (a village in south Goa 50 kms from here) to plant 2,500 Kokum trees with irrigation facility making it the largest such plantation in the world,” Miguel said.

And if planting trees wasn’t enough, a medical practitioner went one step ahead and did what a lot of liquor savvy Goans would pat him on the back for. Dr John Carmo Rodrigues, invented a technique where Kokum juice could be converted into wine.

“Dr. John Carmo Rodrigues was inspired by events at the KFF to perfect the procedure to make Kokum wine,” Miguel said, adding that exposure by the KFF to two indigenous varieties of mangoes, the Malcurada and the Hilario, are now being researched on by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore.Miguel, a botanist and the president of the Botanical Society of Goa said that fruits grown in the Konkan region had suffered from lack of proper marketing over the years, but claimed that the tide had turned for the better.

“The Jack fruit is going places as fried chips. Seedless Karvandam (Indian Cherry) selections and jumbo Jamun (with diabetes reducing properties) are gaining importance. They may well be to the Konkan what Seabuckthorn is to the Himalayan areas,” he said.

The Konkan Fruit festival, started first in 2002, is one such initiative to brand and market horticultural produce from the Konkan region.

What needs to be done to promote horticulture in the rich, tropical Konkan region? Miguel claims that fruit farmers need infrastructural support to produce and store fruits, which are a seasonal and a perishable product.

“Ripening houses, Carbon dioxide controlled cold storage units or even sorting and grading centres can go a long way in assisting farmers to get good prices for their fruits. Goa has a great market because of tourism,” he said.

A smoke spewing auto rickshaw in Kolkata, India.

NEW DELHI: A green move to convert the petrol guzzling autos switch to the cleaner liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fuel has hit a roadblock less than four years after it was launched in the eastern metro city of Kolkata.

Over 5,000 autos are yet to convert to LPG, but the transport department has barred purchase of new vehicles to replace the old ones.

Besides Kolkata, other cities of the West Bengal State like Hooghly, South and North 24-Parganas, Howrah and some areas of Nadia have also replaced the polluting two-stroke three-wheelers with newer versions using green fuels.

Vehicle-caused pollution is a big turn-off in most Indian metros and cities. In fact some years ago, the national capital, New Delhi had the dubious distinction of being the most polluted city of the world, and it was cited as the main reason why several world leaders put off visits there.

Green activists Kolkata, meanwhile, are aghast over the State transport department’s unofficial embargo on purchase of new vehicles ostensibly to curb overcrowding of autos in the cities.

Subhas Datta, a reputed environmentalist in Kolkata has shot off a letter to the Transport Minister protesting the department’s regressive move.

According to the auto drivers’ unions, many of their members have been waiting for over three years for their new vehicles.

“It’s for the government to act. We can’t have members waiting endlessly for their new vehicles without plying their old ones. If the government is keen to prevent pollution it should re-start the process of replacing old vehicles with new ones,” Kishore Ghosh, of the Kolkata Auto-Rickshaw Operators’ Union said.

The State Transport Minister, meanwhile claimed he has already asked the Transport secretary to call a meeting to work out a solution.

John E. Scanlon (right), CITES Secretary-General, presents Certificate of Commendation to Yin Hong, Vice Administrator of State Forestry Administration in China. Photo: CITES

The head of the United Nations-backed convention on endangered species today hailed the efforts of a Chinese organization that carried out two nationwide operations this year to successfully combat wildlife crime.

The National Inter-Agency CITES Enforcement Collaboration Group (NICECG) of China was awarded a Certificate of Commendation by the Secretary-General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), John E. Scanlon.

Over 100,000 enforcement officers were mobilized in the offensive against wildlife crime carried out by the group, which was set up in December 2011 to facilitate the collection and exchange of intelligence, enhance capacity building, and coordinate joint enforcement activities, according to a news release issued by CITES.

During the Forest Police Operation, more than 700 cases of illegal wildlife trade were uncovered; 7,155 illegal wildlife stalls and shops as well as 628 illegal online wildlife shops were shut down; 520 websites believed to sell illegal wildlife were closely monitored; and 13 wildlife-related criminal networks were dismantled, among other achievements.

Meanwhile, the Customs Authorities Operation led to the arrest of 13 suspects and the seizure of large quantities of ivory, red sandal wood, yew timber and antelope horns.

“The sheer scale, extent of coordination, and level of success of these intelligence-driven operations exemplify the coordinated enforcement effort that is required at the national and sub-national levels to combat wildlife crime successfully,” said Scanlon, who presented the Certificate of Commendation at a CITES meeting in the Chinese city of Guangzhou.

CITES, which is administered by the UN Environment Program (UNEP), noted that the Chinese organization serves as “a model at the provincial level,” with five CITES enforcement inter-agency groups being set up.

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A renewable energy project in Tokelau, supported by UNDP, converts solar-generated power to electricity. UN Photo/Ariane Rummery

Twenty small island developing nations announced new actions to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and end poverty, as they wrapped up a sustainable energy conference organized by the United Nations and the government of Barbados.

The “Barbados Declaration” calls for universal access to modern and affordable renewable energy services, while protecting the environment, ending poverty and creating new opportunities for economic growth, according to a news release issued by the UN Development Program (UNDP).

The declaration – adopted ahead of next month’s UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) – includes an annex with voluntary commitments of 20 small island developing States (SIDS) to take actions toward providing universal access to energy, switching to renewable energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

It emphasizes that there are commercially feasible options in many SIDS for providing energy such as wind, solar, geothermal, and oceans energy.

“However, these technologies must be made accessible, affordable and adaptable to the needs and particular circumstances of SIDS communities,” stated the declaration.

“In this regard, we strongly urge the international community, particularly developed countries, to ensure the provision of financial resources, technology transfer and capacity building to SIDS.”

The host country announced its plan to increase the share of renewable energy in Barbados to 29 percent of all electricity consumption by 2029. Among other commitments, the Maldives plans to achieve carbon neutrality in the energy sector by year 2020, while Seychelles will seek to produce 15 percent of its energy supply from renewable energy by 2030.

The declaration also recognized the importance of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative, launched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last September, which seeks to ensure universal access to modern energy services, double the rate of improvement in energy efficiency and double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix, all by 2030.

The two-day conference, which ended yesterday, brought together more than 100 Heads of State, ministers, leading development experts, civil society activists, business executives and UN officials from 39 SIDS.

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Solar power panels.

CAIRO: The Saudi Arabian government has announced an ambitious plan to boost solar power in the country, aiming to install 41 gigawatts of solar power by 2032, the governments of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy announced.

According to the government, the ultra-conservative Gulf kingdom is planning to place more focus on renewable energy generation. In addition to more solar power, it intends to add wind, geothermal, waste-to-energy and nuclear plants to its energy mix in the future. The program, said to be worth tens of millions of dollars, aims to “catapult Saudi Arabia into the group of global leaders in renewable-energy development.”

Of the 41 GW of solar, photovoltaics is expected to comprise 16 GW, while concentrated solar power (CSP) will encompass 25 GW.

“The CSP plants, with their higher capacity factor than PV, are foreseen as a bridge between base-load technologies (including geothermal, waste-to-energy and nuclear) and PV, which will provide coverage for daytime demand,” explained Apricum, a strategy consulting and transaction advisory firm specialized in renewable energy.

KA-CARE announced its plans to turn Saudi Arabia into “the Kingdom of Sustainable Energy” at the Saudi Solar Energy Forum in Riyadh, yesterday, May 8. In a statement released, Apricum said, “The main objectives of the program are a reduction in oil burned for power production as well as the establishment of a local solar industry and the creation of jobs.”

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Abu Dhabi opening bids for water and power.

CAIRO: Abu Dhabi’s government will invite bids for a new t water and power project, its ninth facility, by September as it boosts capacity to meet rising demand in this vital sectors, sources told reporters on Wednesday.

“Advisors for the project will be appointed first and the process of prequalifying companies will start in about three to four months,” said an unnamed source.

“The existing plants are likely to be removed because they are not reliable,” added another source.

The gulf emirate last month approved Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority’s plan to build a new plant at Mirfa, about 160 km along the coast from the United Arab Emirates’ capital city.

Power capacity at Mirfa after this project will be carried out will be at least 1500 MW and the desalination plant will produce about 60 million gallons per day.

Abu Dhabi’s electricity demand last year was 7683 MW, up 12 percent on the previous year of 2010, with forecasts that demand will grow at 11.3 percent annually in Abu Dhabi up to 2015.

Abu Dhabi is also exploring other forms of energy including solar, wind and nuclear to find another clean source for a fast-growing town, that aims at being one of the most important cities in the world.

The first nuclear power plant is scheduled to be operational in Abu Dhabi in summer of 2017.

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Kerala’s mainstream churches, impeded by hurdles to acquire land, including high real estate prices for the conventional cemeteries, have begun shifting to reusable graves and tombs that are environment-friendly.

First, bodies of the dead are banned from being placed in coffins, generally made of wood, by many of the churches. Instead, well designed stretchers will be used.

Building tombs of concrete at the cemeteries has also been banned in some other churches of Kerala.

Now, grasses and lawns will replace tomb-stones to mark the grave areas after burials. Also, items unfriendly to the environment such as flowers of plastic material, fashionable fabrics and footwear made of leather will no longer adorn the bodies during burial.

Clergymen at Ernakulam’s St Mary’s Cathedral, suggested the radical changes were forced by space constraints at existing burial grounds. The Cathedral’s authorities, sidestepped the conservatives’ resistance to order replacement of coffins for burial with the vault system.

According to Fr Jose Chramel, a former vicar of the parish, the Christian community in Ernakulam district comprises approximately 2,000 families. The cemetery there however, holds just 500 graves and is almost full to capacity. Therefore, since March this year, a newly built cemetery with 180 vaults, is in use.

Expecting resistance to the changes in how they would treat the corpses of their near and dear ones, the Church authorities first launched awareness drives before imposing the changes.

Fr Jose Chramel claimed he had personally experienced instances where leather shoes remained intact in graves even two decades after the burial.

The rich, who generally exercise the option of buying permanent family graves, too are being imposed restrictions on this privilege. Many churches have banned purchase of plots for family graves in cemeteries and Church premises. Others have hiked prices over 100 times.

Fr Jose Chramel is also of the belief that cremation could be the next option, but he opined it’s a measure that is seen as radical by most of the laity although some families are already exercising the option for their departed relatives.

Fr Jose Chramel said the Christian laity generally believes that the Church is opposed to cremation although the Vatican has allowed it for nearly half a century.

Low carbon emissions are a priority for all.

had announced plans to lower the number of base transmission stations that run on diesel and to reduce the use of fossil fuel in its sites by 2013.

Michael Okwiri, VP and Corporate Communications Head of Airtel Africa, said that Bharti had over the past year cut the number of sites running purely on diesel in favor of renewable power.

Nzioka Waita, Corporate Affairs Director at Safaricom Kenya, said that there are 126 other sites running on generators but the firm plans to use green energy on 58 of these and connect 68 to the national power grid.

He added: “We will phase out 24/7 generator powered sites, in compliance with the Environmental Management and Coordination Act, 1999 and introduce energy efficiency measures at all our operations. We will also introduce handset and general e-waste recycling.”

YuMobile have contributed to this by implementing paperless top-up systems.

Willis Angira, PR and Corporate Affairs Manager at Essar Telecom Kenya commented that the move was due to the need to protect the environment.

Angela Ng’ang’a-Mumo, Head of Corporate Affairs at Orange Kenya commented:

“We have put up 14 hybrid base transmission stations using solar and wind to conserve the environment and will add more in future.”

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International Youth Forum on Biodiversity – photo supplied.

CAIRO: “We are your own children. You are deciding what kind of a world we are growing up in. Parents should be able to comfort their children by saying ‘Everything is going to be all right, it’s not the end of the world, and we are doing the best we can’. But I don’t think you can say that to us anymore. Are we even on your list of priorities?” By these words, Severn Suzuki, 12 in 1992, grabbed attention of many people around the globe who share the same concern of survival from a global environmental crisis. Yet 18 years after, the world has witnessed no change to the status quo of the governments favoring short-termed economic advantages to environmental sustainability. The efforts for promoting global environmentally-friendly policies always took place far away from the actual scene of decision making. The effective parties in this process usually are: the governments and the international organizations, funded by the governments, which always suggest with no obligation just to show to the global community that there is some officially-looking entity that actually cares. The missing part in this process has been always those who are affected from these decisions, the Youth.

Every round of international environmental conferences held by the UN hopefully to agree on global environmental policies that prevent us from facing a disaster that can take the human race centuries back in time always fail to take real actions. However, to show that the Youth are represented, they choose couple of young people who are interested in environment to show up there talking about their dreams about the future in a Utopian fairy tone faced by deaf ears of the governments’ representatives; simply because they are representing their countries’ policies driven by economic advantages not to “hold hand in hand to save our world”. In 2010, the world youth decided that this is going to change and that the world youth shall be heard as a major partner in the decision making process affecting the world that they are about to face. Thanks to the government of Japan, the International Youth Conference on Biodiversity (IYCB) was held in August 2010 gathering young researchers and environment activists from 100 countries –including myself as a representative of Egypt, ranked the 60th on Yale university’s global Environmental Performance Index of 2012- where we shared our thoughts, insights and solutions to the most critical problems facing the planet Earth. These major efforts resulted in the “World Youth Biodiversity Statement”.

In October 2010, 6 young people from different countries, including myself, were chosen to form the Official World Youth Delegation before the UN’s convention on Biodiversity, but only as stakeholders’ representatives that officially have no say in whatever processes taking place in the convention. It was our turn to be those who cry before the world leaders hoping that they recognize our efforts towards shaping a better world for us to live in. But this time we decided to take a stand and stop this sequence. We agreed that youth should take their opportunity to have an input in the decisions that shape their future in a way or another, that’s when we started “Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN)” and our two demands were straight and clear.

The first of which was to pass a global protocol to limit the destructive actions towards the environment taking action from next October. The second –and the most important- was for our youth network to be guaranteed a permanent seat in this convention. We ought to coordinate young people’s thoughts and demands from around the globe and express them officially to the world leaders. “We are not here to beg you to save our world, we are here to take our rights from you and work together to save the world” that was the context of our message to the convention’s high level segment. Working, negotiating, speaking and issuing statements, we helped passing the (Nagoya Protocol) achieving our first demand. We got the support of the UN and many governments to become the World Youth’s official representatives. Next August, GYBN is kicking off in Germany with young people from many different countries preparing for Rio +20 the following December. This shows that this is the time when Youth shall be respected as a political force and to be involved in the decision making processes for the resources and skills they acquire. Recent examples like the Arab Spring movement show that youth can actually take down whole dictatorships and GYBN promises to take the world youth power to pressure the world politicians to save our world.

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India is taking measures to protect environment.

MUMBAI: In a bid to ingrain green accountability, the union government is now mooting an ‘environment friend rating’ for states.

India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests, a ministry of the Central government has drawn up an Environment Protection or Performance Index (EPI) that is expected to be ready and finalized by next year, 2013.

The EPI has been based on the existing Human Development Index (HDI), and in a similar manner will rate states especially on three parameters, besides others — their management of coastal pollution, solid waste, sewerage, water and the rise in sea level in the corresponding waters.

“With population increasing by the day and the growth of industrialization in the state, we feel the need for EPI for Maharashtra. This will help us analyze the areas we need to improve upon. We will be able to gauge how much we are conserving the environment,” Minister of state for environment Sachin Ahire told Bikyamasr.com.

Several states have been not in the good books with the central MoEF, for cases of illegal mining, violations of coastal environments as well as scant regard for waste disposal norms.

Sources in the Union Ministry say that the guidelines and subsequent rating would be dependent on India’s 2020 projections on climate change effects drawn up by Director-General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Nobel Laureate Dr R K Pachauri.

Environmentalists especially in India’s ore rich states have long being crying hoarse against the huge environmental effects of mining, which they say tramples on traditional people’s rights besides being in gross violation of all environmental norms.

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Low carbon emissions are a priority for all.

LAGOS: According to a recent report by the Broadband Commission for Digital Development, it was revealed that broadband can help the world transit from high-carbon economy to a low-carbon economy and address the causes and effects of climate change.

The theme: The Broadband Bridge: Linking ICT with Climate Action, is the result of work conducted by the Broadband Commission Working Group on Climate Change.

It was chaired by President and CEO of Ericsson, Mr. Hans Vestberg, and comprised of several members of the commission, representing industry, international organizations, and Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

The aim of the report is to raise awareness of the pivotal role that information and communication technology (ICT), particularly broadband networks has in helping creating a low carbon economy of the future.

This report further highlights the importance of public private partnerships in accelerating change.

It is solely based on interviews, case studies and supporting material from more than 20 leaders and experts in the field.

ITU Secretary-General, Hamadoun Touré stated, “Addressing climate change implies completely transforming our way of life, the way we work, the way we travel, shifting our model of development to a fairer, more sustainable model to ensure our survival. We need to put at stake all the resources available to us, and mobilize the political will to turn discussions and negotiations into agreements and actions.”

This recent report emphasized the kind of transformative solutions that were enabled by broadband, based on the agreements achieved at the 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-17).

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India is taking measures to protect forests.

NEW DELHI: A new government panel could put virgin forests, wildlife sanctuaries, river basins, bio-diversity hotspots under a protective cover, making them out of reach for the rampaging mining industry in India.

The union ministry for environment and forest (MoEF), the custodian of India’s green cover, wants the panel to set up “parameters for no-go areas, though this time it is rechristened as inviolate and pristine forests”.

“The committee will comprise of wildlife officers, forest survey agencies as is going to be chaired by the secretary MoEF,” officials said, adding that the primary task of the agency was to establish ‘no go’ zones in forest areas for mining purposes.

India’s forests are spread over 78.29 million hectares and the country’s national forest policy envisions an investment $ 26 billion by the year 2020, with a goal of increasing the country’s green cover from a 20percent density to 33 percent.

Over the last decade India’s increasing energy needs had hastened the steady degradation of forest cover, which was sacrificed on the altar of India’s obsession with development.

India State of Forest Report, 2011, which was released by the MoEF recently has also warned that in the last few years, India’s forest cover had been depleted by 367 sq kms.

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India's green cover not in the pink of health.

NEW DELHI: India’s forests are not as healthy as the government claims they are, experts who have questioned the government’s definition of a forest have said.

The experts, who have raised the issue over the methodology said the government has been indulging in jugglery to paint a rosy picture.

According to the definition of ‘forest cover’ used by the Forest Survey of India since 2001, if tree canopy covers more than 10%of a 1-hectare plot, it is classified as a forest. For purposes of its survey FSI divided the country’s land into 1-hectare plots (100 meters by 100 meters) and looks at their satellite images.

“It’s an expansive definition. Under it, tea and coffee plantations, orchards, parks and timber plantations, among others, qualify as forests,” Harini Nagendra, a researcher studying how forests in India are changing said.

The experts contention that even public parks, which have trees at their fringes and cricket grounds with trees at the periphery, would get classified as ‘forests’.

But experts believe that this in the strict sense should not be a forest. “Native forests-as opposed to urban trees and plantations-are complex, natural eco-systems that evolved over millions of years. They are intricately woven into our lives,” he said.

The Forest Survey of India had recently released its biennial report on forest cover, in which it declared that India’s forests had grown by 1,128 sq km, or 0.16%, in the last two years and well on track to achieve the target of 33%. India currently has 692,000 sq km of forests making up 23% of area, according to FSI figures.

India’s forests are home to a huge biodiversity and native species of flora and fauna as well as 140 million scheduled tribals, mainly located in central India whose livelihoods revolve around resources from the forests.

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Gateway of India

NEW DELHI: India paid tribute to Earth Hour on Saturday by joining 5000 other cities across the world by symbolically switching off lights for an hour in solidarity of environment conservation.

Co-ordinator of Earth Hour 2012 Ravi Singh, chief executive officer (CEO) of World Wide Fund (WWF) said that Earth Hour was observed across the world on the last Saturday of March and in India it stretched from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

“Earth Hour 2012 aims to encourage cities to collectively shift towards sustainable development and to urge citizens to reduce the growing environmental impact of urban lifestyles,” he said.

Two of India’s iconic, illuminated monuments including the Gateway of India in Mumbai, an archway near the sea from where the last of the colonial British troops retreated from India and the India gate in New Delhi slipped into darkness for an hour at the appointed time.

The Earth Hour movement has been spurred on to new heights with the roping in of ace cricket Sachin Tendulkar as a brand ambassador for the global event in India.

Park Hotels, a leading chain of hotels in India has also committed to switching off lights across all its properties in India as their bit towards observing Earth Hour.

The United Nations headquartered in its landmark building in New York, will join hundreds of other landmarks around the world by switching off its lights for an hour.

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Wind energy becoming a plausible source of power.

LAGOS: Enugu State government has committed to lend support to an local who has developed a wind turbine that generates 24 kilowatts of electricity at 10 meters per second wind speed.

Patricia Arum, the state’s Commissioner for Science and Technology, stated that the government would collaborate with the fabricator to diversify its energy sources.

The creator, Sabastine Omeh, the Managing Director of Hybrid Micro Machines Products Ltd said the turbine was the result of two years of research, which he solely financed.

Arum praised the fabricator for his ingenuity and said the state government was willing to partner with him to fulfill his objective to industrialize the state. She said the project was indigenous and was in line with the mandate of her ministry to harness human and natural resources in the state for sustainable development.

She admitted that that so many industries find it hard to cope because the country faces serious challenges in electricity production.

The commissioner added, “That is why even in this state, we don’t want to depend on one source of energy, so we want to encourage him. And I know our state governor will be happy to partner with him because it is part of his four-point agenda. He wants to transform the state, he wants to empower the people of Enugu State.”

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Mitsubishi launches new eco car.

KUALA LUMPUR: The lot is filled with vehicles, large and small, but off in one little corner is a small red car, unassuming. Detak Ahmad, the manager of the lot in Malaysia’s capital, says that is the future for the country.

“Electric is where we want to go and the government seems ready to make it happen,” he tells Bikyamasr.com. “I think we all can agree that electric cars save money and are great for the environment. Plus they are small.”

And Malaysia’s government agress, announcing an ambitious plan this week to have some 15 percent electric vehicles on the road by 2020.

Minister of Energey, Green Technology and Water Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui said that the government has begun the Fleet Test Vehicles (FTV) Program and hopes to set requirements for the production of new electric vehicles.

He said that 120 EV’s will be on the road in Putrajaya and Cyberjaya by year-end.

“The result of the implementation and data compiled in the FTV Program will become the input for the development of the Electric Vehicle Masterplan in Malaysia.

“If the result shows a positive reception to the EV in the country, its percentage will increase and our investment into infrastructure such as the charging stations will also go up.

“We have a ballpark figure. We hope to achieve between 10-15 percent of our motor vehicle population, in an effort to reduce the carbon dioxide emission by 2020,” he added.

Chin said 9 EVs, that is three from the Saga electric and 6 of the Exora Range-Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV) models, had been tested around Putrajaya and Cyberjaya since last year.

“Seven recharging stations have now been set up,” he added.

The FTV Program is a collaboration between Chin’s Ministry, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and Proton.

Other than Proton, Chin said Nissan and Mitsubishi had also made ready 10 EVs to undertake another pioneer project around Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur, and expected to begin in June this year.

“It is hoped that the implementation of the pioneer project in a congested area such as Bukit Bintang, will provide input for my ministry in developing the Electric Vehicle Masterplan and encourage the use of such vehicles in the country,” he added.

And for Malaysians, it is an optimistic move that hopes to set a new path for the country toward environmental security and better economic practice.

Residents are excited, they tell Bikyamasr.com. “I am certainly looking forward to when they are affordable and accessible, because it will be great to save money and save our planet,” said one car shopper in Kuala Lumpur.

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