Canadian glaciers face 'big losses'

The glaciers of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago will undergo a dramatic retreat this century if warming projections hold true.

A new study suggests the region's ice fields could lose perhaps as much as a fifth of their volume.

Such a melt would add 3.5cm to the height of the world's oceans. Only the ice of Greenland and Antarctica is expected to contribute more.

The assessment is reported in theGeophysical Research Letters journal.

"This is a very important part of the world where there has already been a lot of change," said lead author Jan Lenaerts from Utrecht University, Netherlands.

"And it is all the more important that we talk about it because it has been somewhat overshadowed by all the news of Greenland and Antarctica," he told BBC News.

The Canadian Arctic Archipelago is a vast area, comprising some 36,000 islands.

Being so far north, much of region - some 146,000 square km - is covered by glaciers and ice caps (a type of ice field where glaciers flow off in many directions).

Current data indicates all this ice is already thinning at a rapid rate. Gravity measurements from space suggest the annual loss since 2003 has been running at about 70 billion tonnes, and it is accelerating.

With snowfall reasonably constant over the period, it appears that melt as a result of the 1-2-degree rise in air temperatures has tipped the ice out of balance.

Arctic amplification

Dr Lenaerts' team wanted to understand how this retreat might progress in the decades ahead if the warming continues.

They developed a climate computer model for the archipelago that was based on a mid-range temperature projection being used for a big upcoming UN global-climate report - the 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

First of all, they ran the model backwards to check that it could accurately recreate conditions seen in the region since the 1960s.

They then ran it forwards to simulate the possible shrinking and growth of glaciers right up to 2100.

What they found was that the annual ice loss by this date would be running at about 145 billion tonnes, with the north of the archipelago, on and around the likes of Ellesmere Island, experiencing the greatest retreat.

Added to the general atmospheric warming in the region, the researchers also describe an amplification process whereby reduced snow cover on the surrounding tundra and less sea-ice in the Arctic Ocean push up temperatures still further.

This is a consequence of darker surfaces absorbing more heat from the Sun rather than reflecting it back out into space.

"What we find is that the processes that are currently ongoing will actually continue and be re-enforced, so the mass loss will increase in time," said Dr Lenaerts.

"Our model estimates that in 2100, we have lost about 20% of the volume of Canadian Arctic Archipelago glaciers, which is a really large amount. It is equivalent to 3.5cm of global sea-level rise."

The Utrecht study was funded by the European Union's Ice2Sea project, which aims to tie down some of the major uncertainties that surround the possible contribution to ocean rise from melting in Earth's cryosphere.

Ice2Sea's project leader is Prof David Vaughan from the British Antarctic Survey.

He said the Canadian Arctic Archipelago was an important region for study because it was not very well mapped, was already experiencing major change and because in some places the ice had "its toes in the water", which meant it was subject to both atmospheric and ocean impacts.

"We've got similar systems in Alaska, in Svalbard, in Patagonia and the Russian high Arctic, and we really need to understand them better," he told the BBC.

From BBC Environment

Australian tree-sitter ends 15-month protest after bushfire

An anti-logging campaigner in Australia who spent 15 months living up a tree has been forced down by a bushfire.

Miranda Gibson held her vigil on a platform attached to a 400-year-old eucalyptus tree 60m (190ft) above the ground.

The teacher, protesting against the logging of native Tasmanian forests, vowed to continue her campaign.

She decided to come down after police and her support crew warned her about the dangers posed by a nearby bushfire.

"It is disappointing to come down under these circumstances," Ms Gibson said. "However, I believe what I have achieved throughout being there for over a year has been absolutely remarkable."

She said that she would continue to highlight the plight of Tasmania's forests.

In addition to isolation and solitude, she would have had to fight the effects of the harsh Tasmanian winter, the BBC's Phil Mercer in Sydney reports.

Ms Gibson said her life was made bearable by solar-powered satellite technology, which she used to address environmental conferences from the tree.

From BBC Environment

Do you know what pellet fuel is ?

Pellet fuel is a renewable, clean-burning and cost stable home heating alternative currently used throughout North America. It is a biomass product made of renewable substances – generally recycled wood waste. There are approximately 1,000,000 homes in the U.S. using wood pellets for heat, in freestanding stoves, fireplace inserts, furnaces and boilers. Pellet fuel for heating can also be found in such large-scale environments as schools and prisons. North American pellets are produced in manufacturing facilities in Canada and the United States, and are available for purchase at fireplace dealers, nurseries, building supply stores, feed and garden supply stores and some discount merchandisers.

In short, pellet fuel is a way to divert millions of tons of waste from landfills and turn it into energy.

Many pellet manufacturers take by-products (like wood waste) and refine them into pencil-sized pellets that are uniform in size, shape, moisture, density and energy content. Why not simply burn raw biomass? First, the moisture content of pellets is substantially lower (4% to 8% water–compared to 20% to 60% for raw biomass). Less moisture means higher BTU value and easier handling especially in freezing situations with green raw biomass materials. Second, the density of pellet fuel is substantially higher than raw biomass (40 lbs. per cubic foot verses 10-25 lbs. per cubic foot in raw material form). More fuel can be transported in a given truck space, and more energy can be stored at your site. Third, pellets are more easily and predictably handled. Their uniform shape and size allows for a smaller and simpler feed system that reduces costs. This high density and uniform shape can be stored in standard silos, transported in rail cars and delivered in truck containers.

UK in court on air pollution levels

The government is facing a case in the UK Supreme Court later over its failure to cut air pollution in line with legal limits.

The government admits that air quality laws will be breached in 15 regions up to 2020

The government admits air quality laws will be breached in 15 regions until 2020.

Londoners will have to wait until 2025 for pollution to enter legal limits.

Pollution levels in affected areas are a health risk to people on many of Britain’s busiest streets, especially those with heart or lung problems.

The government says the laws are unrealistically strict.

The BBC understands that it also believes the European Commission is partly to blame because it did not set proper limits on pollution from diesel exhausts in the first place.

The High Court and later the Court of Appeal refused to take action on the issue, ruling that enforcement was a matter for the European Commission.

An environment charity, ClientEarth, will now argue in the Supreme Court that the national courts must enforce EU environment law in the UK.

About 29,000 early deaths each year in the UK are blamed on air pollution – more than obesity and alcohol combined (although air pollution tends to shorten people’s lives by a shorter time).

Pollution from road traffic, particularly diesel fumes, is the most significant cause of poor air quality in most cities. The pollutants of most concern are tiny airborne particles, "PM10s", and nitrogen dioxide.

Alan Andrews, for ClientEarth, told BBC News: “It’s a disgrace that we won’t achieve compliance by 2020 or 2025 – and it’s made worse that the British government is lobbying to weaken the limits because it claims they are unrealistic."

BBC News understands that the European Commission is encouraging the Supreme Court case because it would prefer to avoid a direct confrontation with the UK, which is objecting to other EU environmental rules.

The timing for the government is unfortunate. This week it was forced to issue a severe pollution warning on air quality in London, with some pollution monitors registering 10/10.

Simon Birkett, Founder and Director of Clean Air in London, said: “If the Supreme Court does not require action, the European Commission must."

A Defra spokesman said: “Our air quality has improved significantly in recent decades and most of the UK meets EU air quality limits for all pollutants. Our plans for nitrogen dioxide set out all the important work being done to meet EU standards in the shortest possible time.”

The government says it has tried to reduce emissions of nitrogen dioxide through tax breaks and subsidies for low emission vehicles. It has invested £75m to support green bus technologies and £560m for local sustainable transport and given around £3m in grants to local authorities every year since 2010 to help them tackle pollution on a local level.

However, the government's drive to reduce CO2 emissions blamed for changing the climate has partly contributed to the problem, by encouraging drivers to turn to diesel vehicles.

From BBC Environment

Deer cull wanted by scientists

It's a real shame! So beautiful, so majestic!

Around half of the UK's growing deer population needs to be killed to 'protect the countryside', a group of scientists says.

The researchers from the University of East Anglia say cull would help protect woodlands and birdlife.

But the RSPCA argue that any cull must be carried out in a humane and controlled way and be supported by "strong science".

There are now more deer in the UK than at any time since the last Ice Age.

There are no natural predators for the UK's deer population meaning numbers are rising.

Researchers say this has led to crop damage and an increase in road traffic accidents.

Britain has a total of six deer species, the most recent newcomer is the Chinese water deer, which became established in the wild in the 1920s.

From CBBC News-Animals

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Polar bear trade ban 'too close to call'

An attempt to ban the international trade in polar bear parts has provoked a heated battle at the Cites conservation meeting in Bangkok.

Pelts and other body parts are exported from bears hunted in the Canadian Arctic

Negotiators are split on the plan, with those in favour saying it is crucial for the survival of the species.

Canada's Inuit say the trade should continue as it is critical to their economic survival.

And some campaign groups are also opposing it, saying the ban isn’t scientifically justified.

There are about 25,000 polar bears left in the world with an estimated 16,000 living in the Canadian Arctic. Canada is the only country that permits the export of polar bear parts.

Each year around 600 polar bears are killed there, mainly by native hunters. According to Inuit representatives, the pelts from around 300 bears are sold for rugs. Other parts including fangs and paws are also exported.

The Inuit say they get an average of $4,850 per pelt. They argue that this is a critical economic resource for a people that don't have much else.

Unsustainable killing

Many countries, including the US, believe the killing of the bears in these numbers is unsustainable. They’ve tabled a proposal at Cites to ban the international trade in bear parts.

This is being supported by former cold war enemy Russia. They argue that the legal export trade from Canada is being taken advantage of by criminals who use false Canadian permits to export the pelts from around two hundred Russian bears each year.

The proposal has been stridently opposed by Canada. Their delegates at the Cites meeting said that trade was not detrimental to the bears and they argue that because they can adjust hunting quotas, the future of the species is protected.

The European Union has attempted to build a compromise - but their proposal has been roundly criticised by those in favour of the ban as a complete non-starter who say it does little more than impose a requirement to publish export quotas.

Speaking at a reception in Thailand, Dan Ashe, the head of the US delegation, called upon all the delegates to reject the EU compromise and asked them to support the American proposal. According to those in attendance he was robustly supported by Russian scientists.

Many campaigners believe that since the US and Russia are against the compromise, the EU might withdraw their proposal and abstain from the vote.

“If the US proposal is voted on and the EU abstains we think there’s a good change that it will succeed,” Mark Jones from Humane Society International told BBC News.

“But it is an uncertain outcome at this point.”

Price hike

Another delegate, Dr Colman O’Criodain from WWF agreed it was difficult to predict what would happen.

“I wouldn’t be betting one way or another at this stage – though we are prepared for either scenario,” he said.

The campaign groups are themselves divided on the best approach to protecting the bears.

Many argue that the prices paid for polar bear skins have increased markedly in recent years. They say that hunting quotas have been raised in response.

As an example they point to the Western Hudson Bay area in Canada and say that hunting quotas were tripled there in 2012 against the advice of the Canadian government.

Mark Jones says that this is an issue that won’t go away.

“It will come up again and again until countries understand you can’t have a sustainable trade in a species that’s expected to precipitously decline over the coming decades.”

But Dr O’Criodain from WWF disagrees. He says the impact of international trade is negligible for the survival of the species.

He believes the main reason for opposing the ban is the credibility of Cites. Too often the convention has put vested interests ahead of science he says. And it is the same thing with the polar bear issue.

“If the vote on polar bears is swayed by what seems politically popular in some countries, it is the same vice, and that is damaging for the credibility of the Convention,” he said.

“We couldn’t be arguing that counties must follow the science on sharks and then saying we ignore it on polar bears.”

The vote in Bangkok has now been scheduled for Thursday.

Fencing off wild lions from humans 'could save them'

Nearly half of Africa's wild lions are facing extinction in 20 to 40 years unless urgent conservation measures are put in place, a report suggests.

Roam free? Conservationists have argued that keeping the lions behind fences could safeguard their future

Writing in the journal Ecology Letters, conservationists have said that the big cats should be better protected from their main threat - humans.

They have proposed that fencing off the carnivores into nature reserves could protect them in the future.

The scheme would be expensive, costing about $500 (£300) per square kilometre.

But the authors of the paper said it would be more cost effective than some of the current projects that encourage humans to live alongside these animals.

Physical barriers

Africa's lions have suffered dramatic declines over the last 50 years.

Their numbers are estimated to have fallen by about 80% - and recent surveys suggest there could be as few as 20,000 to 30,000 of the big cats left in the wild.

Much of this loss has been blamed on humans.

Continue reading the main story

Now conservationists have argued that separating wild lions from humans could be their only hope of survival.They said that fencing off reserves in areas such as the Serengeti and South Africa's National Parks has helped the populations to grow, and now propose extending these schemes across Africa.

They say conserving wild lions in unfenced areas costs $2,000 (£1,300) per square kilometre, compared with an estimated $500 for the same efforts in enclosed regions.

The lead author of the paper Craig Packer, an ecologist from the University of Minnesota, said: "It is clear that fences work and unfenced populations are extremely expensive to maintain."

Managing wild animals in this way is an extreme measure, but conservationists are arguing that radical schemes are needed to save species from extinction.

Dr Luke Hunter, from the big cat conservation organisation Panthera, said: "No one wants to resort to putting any more fences around Africa's marvellous wild areas, but without massive and immediate increases in the commitment to lion conservation, we may have little choice."

From BBC News- Environment

Zambia bans hunting of lions and leopards

Zambia has banned the hunting of lions and leopards because of the rapid decline in its numbers of big cats.

There are thought to be no more than about 4,500 lions in Zambia

Zambia's tourism minister said there was more value in game-viewing tourism than blood sport, which brought in just $3m (£1.9m) last year.

Sylvia Masebo said the country did not have enough cats for hunting purposes.

"Tourists come to Zambia to see the lion and if we lose the lion we will be killing our tourism industry," she told Reuters.

But Chuma Simukonda from the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) said the ban would be bad for tourism.

"The population of cats in Zambia is around 3,400 to 3,500 and with the ban on safari hunting for cats, we are likely to lose on revenue," he told the AFP news agency.

He said about 55 cats were killed by hunters each year.

Neighbouring Botswana is banning all sport hunting from 2014, while Kenya halted hunting for sport decades ago.

From BBC News- Environment

African forest elephants decline by 62% in 10 years

Forest elephant numbers have decreased by 62% across Central Africa over the last 10 years, according to a study.

African forest elephants face extinction if 'drastic measures' are not taken

The analysis confirmed fears that African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) are heading for extinction, possibly within the next decade.

Conservationists said "effective, rapid, multi-level action is imperative" in order to save the elephants.

They are concerned the forest elephants are being killed for their ivory.

Results of the study, undertaken by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and several other conservation organisations, are published in the scientific journal PLoS One.

Over 60 co-authors contributed to the study, which was led by Dr Fiona Maisels, a WCS conservation scientist from the School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, and Dr Samantha Strindberg, also a WCS conservation scientist.

"Although we were expecting to see these results, we were horrified that the decline over the period of a mere decade was over 60%," Dr Maisels told BBC Nature.

Findings also indicated that large areas where the elephants ranged just 10 years ago now have very few elephants remaining.

Elusive giants

• What happens when forest elephants go to war?
• Watch forest elephants snorkel in a safe haven
• See a forest elephant use its tusks to open fruit

Data drive

Scientists surveyed forests in Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Gabon and the Republic of Congo.

Dr Maisels said survey teams spent "91,600 person-days... walking over 8,000 miles (12,875km)" to compile the largest amount of African forest elephant data ever collected.

"For elephants, we can get a standardised measure of their abundance using their dung piles. There were 11,000 dung piles in our dataset," said Dr Maisels.

She said the teams also recorded important "human signs" such as snares and bullet casings during the field missions from 2002 to 2011.

The results confirmed what scientists already suspected.

"Forest elephants were increasingly uncommon in places with high human density, high levels of infrastructure such as roads, high hunting intensity, and poor governance - indicated by levels of corruption and absence of law enforcement," commented Dr Maisels.

"We were also shocked to see that huge parts of the reasonably intact African forests have lost most of their elephants."

The bigger picture

Conservationists suggest that almost one-third of the land where African forest elephants were living 10 years ago has become dangerous for animals, since poachers can access these areas using road networks meant for logging.

Many previously safe areas are now considered to be dangerous for African forest elephants

The paper has been released to coincide with the 2013 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), taking place in Bangkok from 3-14 March.

Dr Maisels explained that research from CITES' Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme, has shown that the increase in poaching levels across Africa strongly correlates with trends in consumer demand in the Far East.

Thailand's prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has already agreed at this year's CITES convention that she will amend Thai laws to ban the legal trade in ivory.

Now conservationists are calling for immediate action in order to protect the remaining forest elephant populations.

"The WCS is advising that CITES review the enforcement gaps and needs - at all points in the trade chain from the field to the marketplace - that have led to the failure of the current ivory trade regulation system," Dr Maisels said.

"Reducing chronic corruption and improving poor law enforcement, which facilitate poaching and trade, are crucial. It is also vital to improve control of import and sales of wildlife goods by the recipient and transit countries of illegal ivory, especially in Asia," she continued.

"The recipient nations, with the international community, should invest heavily in public education and outreach to inform consumers of the ramifications of the ivory trade," Dr Maisels concluded.

From BBC Environment

Huge underwater litter pick in the Lake District

Volunteer divers in the Lake District have joined in what's thought to be Britain's largest underwater litter pick.

Well done!

They've been dredging tonnes of rubbish from the bottom of Lake Windermere, in the north of England.

Collectors found some pretty strange items, including traffic cones, sunglasses, and a child's scooter.

Some of the rubbish found will be used for sculptures in school art projects.

From CBBC News

Charity reaches rainforest goal

Organiser Hannah Scrase says she would now like to see an area the size of Europe protected

A charity founded to save tropical rainforest the size of Wales has achieved its goal.

It has raised £2m in three years to protect over two million hectares of forest, mainly in Africa.

"Size of Wales" was founded by Welsh environmentalists annoyed that their country was often used in the media as a comparator to gauge the scale of rainforest destruction.

Copycat campaigns are now being discussed in Denmark and Ireland.

The project's organisers say ultimately they'd like to see the people of Europe raise funds to protect an area of rainforest the size of Europe.

Many Welsh people appreciated the positive spin placed on typical media phrases like: "A rainforest the size of Wales has been destroyed" or "a rainforest twice the size of Wales has gone". Scotland and England never seemed to merit such attention.

The public chipped in more than £1m and that has been match-funded by a Cardiff-base charitable trust, the Waterloo Foundation.

"Size of Wales" organiser Hannah Scrase, based in Llanidloes, has released the news on St David's Day. "I'm absolutely delighted," she told BBC News. "It's been quite a hard three years but we have got there.

"What we'd really like to see is an area the size of Europe that's being protected by people in Europe as people in Europe have done quite a lot to contribute to deforestation over the century."

The funding will focus on 20 projects securing community land rights; protected areas; and community forest conservation. There will also be limited re-afforestation.

"Size of Wales" will continue operating to keep the land secure and also educate people in Wales about their impact on tropical forests.

"Tropical forest deforestation amounts to as much carbon emissions as the world's transport - people don't realize that," said Ms Scrase. "We have to reduce if we want to keep it to keep climate change to something reasonable."

So far there has been no expression of interest from England or Scotland in following the international lead set in a tiny town in rural mid-Wales by a charity that does not have a phone line and makes all its calls on Skype.

Thailand bans ivory trade

Good news,isn't it?

Thailand's prime minister says she will make trading ivory in her country illegal.

It's already illegal to trade ivory between countries - but ivory taken from elephants in Thailand can be bought and sold within Thailand.

Criminals take advantage of the law and sell ivory from African or Chinese elephants illegally.

Elephants are killed for their tusks which are used to make ornaments

It's thought between 50 and 100 African elephants are killed every day for their ivory which is used to make ornaments and jewellery.

Animal charity WWF says Thailand's ban is a big step forward in the fight to protect the world's elephants.

The WWF told Newsround: "It's obviously a great step forward, but we all have to keep up the pressure for change."

"We need to see a timeline for the ban because elephant poaching is already at crisis levels."

The prime minister's announcement was made at a conference called the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

It's taking place in Bangkok in Thailand and is being held to try and ban the buying and selling of some animal parts, including ivory.

Officials from 178 countries are taking part.

From CBBC News

Polluition affects our health

Number of African rhinos falling

The number of African rhinos are under threat, with one poached every 11 hours.

Nearly 2400 rhinos have been poached across Africa since 2006 and last year 745 were killed because of their horns.
The International Union for Conservation nature is warning that rhinos won't hold out for much longer if it continues.
There are two types of Arican rhinos,TheBlack Rhinoceros is the rarer kind withapopulation of around 5055.
The White Rhinoceros is much more common with aroun 20405 still left in Africa.
The IUCN says the animals are being targeted because of  their horns, which are used in traditional medicine all over Asia and as a symbol of high status.

From CBBC NEWS- Animals

CITES meeting to deal with species 'extinction crisis'

New plans to protect elephants, rhinos and other species will be discussed at a critical meeting that begins in Bangkok on Sunday.

Some species of sea turtle are completely prohibited from trade, CITES says

Delegates will review the convention on the international trade in endangered species (CITES).

Around 35,000 animals and plants are at present protected by the treaty.

But with a global "extinction crisis" facing many species, this year's meeting is being described as the most critical in its history.

The CITES agreement was signed in Washington in March 1973 in an attempt to regulate the burgeoning trade in wild flora and fauna.

It entered into force in 1975 and experts say that legitimate global imports of wildlife products are now worth more than $300bn (£200bn) a year.

The convention works by licensing commercial trade in species.

The process is meant to be governed by the scientific evidence of threat against an animal or a plant.

However, as CITES consists of government delegations, its decision-making is rooted in the political and economic interests of member countries.

In Bangkok, delegates from some 178 countries will face some critical decisions.

From BBCNews

EU introduces illegal timber import controls

 By Mark Kinver Environment reporter, BBC News

At last!

Measures to prevent illegally harvested timber from entering the European Union come into force on Sunday.

                               Illegal logging damages biodiversity and undermines people's livelihoods

Interpol estimates that illegal logging contributes up to 30% of timber in the global market, costing in excess of 15bn euros ($20bn/£13bn) each year.

The EU accounts for 35% of the world's primary timber consumption.

The law, which was adopted by the European Parliament and Council back in October 2010, is only just coming into force because of the measures member states and private companies had to put in place.

'Due diligence'

Operators, which refers to "those who first place a timber product on the EU market" - through a "due diligence" system - are required to "make every effort to ensure that the wood they trade in is legal".

The EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) requires importers or sellers of timber and wood products to keep records of the sources of their supplies.

Interpol estimates that illegal logging contributes up to 30% of timber in the global market, costing in excess of 15bn euros ($20bn/£13bn) each year.

The EU accounts for 35% of the world's primary timber consumption.

The law, which was adopted by the European Parliament and Council back in October 2010, is only just coming into force because of the measures member states and private companies had to put in place.

Read more

100 million sharks killed each year, say US scientists

Around one hundred million sharks are being killed every year, according to scientists in America.

They found that many of the creatures are being hunted for their fins by commercial fishing fleets.

There is a big demand for the fins in Chinese communities, where shark fin soup is a speciality.

Scientists say unless the animals are properly protected some species could become extinct within decades.

Shark fin soup is a luxury Chinese dish

Some countries including Canada, the US and the European Union have already tried to make finning illegal.

Researchers say it's hard to know the exact number of sharks being killed.

Many of the animals thrown back into the sea after having their fins removed.

The number could actually be as high as 273 million.

Click for less

From CBBC News

African elephants extinction fear

This is really outrageous!

The Kenyan government has warned that African elephants are a step closer to extinction.

Campaigners say an increase in poaching and the growing demand for ivory in China and other Asian countries is largely responsible.

The poachers are very dangerous and park rangers are trying to protect the elephants as much as they can.

Conservationists are warning that if more isn't done, African elephants could disappear forever.

Something must be done! Sarting NOW!

From CBBC News- animals