The Environment Chronicle

COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 666/2013 of 8th July, 2013 implementing Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to ecodesign requirements for vacuum cleaners came into effect from 1st September, 2014. As of 1 September only vacuum cleaners with a wattage of less than 1600 may be made available for sale. The aim is to further reduce households' power consumption and to prevent consumer fraud. After 1 September 2017 the maximum allowable power consumption for vacuum cleaners is 900 watts. The requirements apply to new products on the market. Devices which are already on the market may continue to be sold. There are already devices available on the market which comply with the standards for 2017. When compared to the current trend, the EU guidelines will result in a savings of about 18 billion kilowatt hours by 2020, which is the equivalent output of roughly five power stations. The new regulation requires producers to provide proof that their vacuum cleaners are fully functional. The EU Ecodesign Directive therefore not only stipulates minimum requirements for energy consumption, it also addresses dust pick up on carpets and hard floors and imposes limits on noise emissions. To extend the device's service life, the operational motor lifetime must be greater than or equal to 500 hours, and its hose must meet specific requirements as concerns durability.

One of the rarest birds in the world, the Madagascar Pochard Aythya innotata was thought to be extinct until a small population was found in 2006. The first ever study of the Madagascar pochard has revealed that 96% of its chicks die before fledging. The conclusion is that the last remaining population will never expand without outside help. Just 25 pochards remain in the wild, restricted to one wetland in northeast Madagascar – a complex of lakes near Bemanevika. The study, published online on 26 August 2014, in Bird Conservation International, found that the level of mortality actually increases as the chicks get older, peaking when they are between two and three weeks old. The researchers conclude that most chicks slowly starve to death once they’re old enough to dive for food, because the water is too deep for them.

On 25 August 2014, a new atlas, providing the most thorough audit of marine life in the Southern Ocean, was published at the Open Science Conference in Auckland, New Zealand by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Leading marine biologists and oceanographers from all over the world spent the last four years compiling everything they know about ocean species from microbes to whales. 147 scientists from 91 institutions across 22 countries combined their expertise and knowledge to produce the new Biogeographic Atlas of the Southern Ocean. More than 9000 species are recorded, ranging from microbes to whales. Hundreds of thousands of records show the extent of scientific knowledge on the distribution of life in the Southern Ocean. In 66 chapters, the scientists examine the evolution, physical environment, genetics and possible impact of climate change on marine organisms in the region. It’s the first time that such an effort has been undertaken since 1969 when the American Society of Geography published its Antarctic Map Folio Series.

New research led by Colorado State University has revealed that an estimated 100,000 elephants in Africa were killed for their ivory between 2010 and 2012. The study shows these losses are driving population declines of the world's wild African elephants on the order of 2 percent to 3 percent a year. This study provides the first verifiable estimation of the impacts of the ongoing ivory crisis on Africa’s elephant populations to date, solidifying speculation about the scale of the ivory crisis. An average of 33,630 elephants per annum are calculated to have been lost over those three years, with preliminary data indicating unsustainable levels continued in 2013. To quantify the poaching death toll, researchers drew on data and experience from a continent-wide intensive monitoring program. The most thoroughly studied site was Samburu in northern Kenya where every elephant birth and death over the past 16 years has been recorded. The intensive population study was conducted in a project founded by George Wittemyer of Colorado State University with Save the Elephants, and in association with the Kenya Wildlife Service. The research paper, "Illegal killing for ivory drives global decline in African elephants," was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States on 18 August, 2014.

On 17 August 2014, the United Nations Watercourses Convention, the first global framework on fresh water and the world’s only global framework for transboundary cooperation endorsed by the General Assembly of the United Nations, officially entered into force.

On 15 August 2014, the starting gun was fired in Brazil for the construction of the climate measurement tower ATTO. Representatives of the Max Planck Society, the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), the Universidade do Estado do Amazonas (UEA), and the Brazilian Ministry for Research poured the foundations for a 325 meter high measuring tower, in the middle of the Amazon rain forest. The Amazonian Tall Tower Observatory, ATTO for short, should provide groundbreaking knowledge and the principles for improved climate models, and will be outfitted with measurement equipment for measuring greenhouse gases, aerosol particles, and collecting weather data. The tower will stand in the largest continuous rain forest in the world, and is therefore of great significance to climate researchers. With its height of 325 meters, the ATTO measurement tower makes it possible to investigate the transport and alteration of air masses through the forest over a distance of several hundred kilometers. In addition, measurement instruments mounted high on the tower will reach into stable air layers, in which for example the carbon dioxide concentration is not exposed to the day - night changes due to plants.

On 6 August 2014, a new paper appeared in the journal Nature and provides the first direct calculation of mercury in the global ocean from pollution based on data obtained from 12 sampling cruises over the past 8 years. The work, which was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the European Research Council and led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) marine chemist Carl Lamborg, also provides a look at the global distribution of mercury in the marine environment. Analysis of their results showed rough agreement with the models used previously—that the ocean contains about 60,000 to 80,000 tons of pollution mercury. In addition, they found that ocean waters shallower than about 100 m (300 feet) have tripled in mercury concentration since the Industrial Revolution and that the ocean as a whole has shown an increase of roughly 10 percent over pre-industrial mercury levels.

On 30 July 2014, the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) pressed for speedy regulation of fracking technology, on the occasion of the presentation of UBA's new, 600-page export Fracking II report in Berlin. The Federal Environment Agency recommends a comprehensive risk assessment of all fracking projects for the purpose of gas and oil extraction and for all testing measures. These assessments must become an integral part of an environmental impact assessment which is standardised according to the core principles put forward by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB). The UBA – like the BMWi and BMUB – continue to adhere to placing a ban without exception on every form of fracking in water protection areas and medicinal spring protection zones as well as other sensitive areas such as the drainage areas of lakes and river dams, nature conservation areas and Habitats Directive sites.

Australia's biggest coal mine, the $16.5 billion Carmichael Coal and Rail Project in Queensland's Galilee Basin, has been given federal approval. Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt said the project proposed by Indian company Adani could go ahead, subject to 36 "strict" conditions focused on conserving groundwater. The mine project west of Rockhampton would be one of the biggest in the world, covering 200 square kilometres and producing about 60 million tonnes of coal a year.

On 22 July 2014, European Commission proposed a higher energy savings target for 2030. The proposed target goes beyond the 25% energy savings target which would be required to achieve a 40% reduction of CO2 emissions by 2030. At the same time the framework on energy efficiency put forward today aims to strike the right balance between benefits and costs.

CO2 emissions from coal power plants in the EU are undermining climate efforts, reveals the “Europe’s Dirty 30” report, released on 22 July 2014, by CAN Europe, WWF, the European Environmental Bureau, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and Climate Alliance Germany. The “Europe’s Dirty 30” report exposes the top 30 CO2-polluting power plants in the EU, with Germany and the UK ranking joint first, with nine of the dirtiest coal plants each.

The carbon tax was repealed by the Australian senate on 17 July 2014.

As part of the Antarctic Ocean Alliance’s (AOA) proposal to designate marine protected areas (MPA) and marine reserves across 19 regions around Antarctica, the AOA launched on 17 July 2014, its new report titled Antarctic Ocean Legacy: Towards Protection of the Weddell Sea Region. The findings of the report aim to contribute towards ongoing scientific and policy work – currently led by Germany and Russia – on the region, which is located south of the Atlantic Ocean. The Weddell Sea region is renowned for having one of the most intact ecosystems left on earth and for being a major engine of global ocean circulation.

On 11 July 2014, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) of the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL) in Belgium jointly published the ‘Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes 1970-2012,' which describes the distribution and impacts of weather, climate and water-related disasters, and highlights measures to increase resilience. The Atlas indicates that from 1970 to 2012, 8,835 disasters, 1.94 million deaths and US$ 2.4 trillion in economic losses were reported as a result of hazards, such as droughts, extreme temperatures, floods, tropical cyclones and related health epidemics. The ten worst reported disasters in terms of lives lost occurred primarily in least developed and developing countries, while economic losses mainly took place in developed countries. The Altas highlights the importance of historical, geo-referenced information about deaths and damages to estimate risks prior to the next disaster so that decisions on reducing potential impacts can be taken. The Atlas was published ahead of the First Session of the Preparatory Committee Meeting for the Third UN World Conference on DRR, and aims to inform the debate on the post-2015 framework for DRR and sustainable development.

The European Commission is urging Germany to take stronger measures to combat water pollution caused by nitrates. The latest figures submitted by Germany in 2012 showed worsening nitrates pollution problems in groundwater and surface waters, including eutrophication of coastal and marine waters, especially in the Baltic Sea. Despite the worsening trends, Germany has not taken sufficient additional measures to reduce and prevent nitrate pollution as required under EU law. On the recommendation of Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik, the Commission is sending a reasoned opinion to ask Germany to comply with EU law in this area. If they fail to do so within two months, the Commission may refer the case to the EU Court of Justice.

Germany’s first UNESCO Water Institute is about to start operating. The new UNESCO Water Institute aims to strengthen global cooperation in policy, research and education about water resources and global change. The treaty was signed in Berlin on 9 July 2014 by the representatives of the German Federal Government and the UNESCO. The Institute has its headquarters at the Federal Institute of Hydrology in Koblenz. It cooperates with the German National Committee for the Water Research programs of UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization. Worldwide, there are now 27 UNESCO Water Institutes and Germany now operates one of them.

On 8 July 2014, the World Biodiversity Council IPBES officially opened its Secretariat in the Federal City of Bonn on the Rhine river. The Federal Government has provided office space in the UN Tower (Langer Eugen). On behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety Parliamentary State Secretary Florian Pronold attended the opening ceremony.

On 2 July 2014, NASA successfully launched its first spacecraft dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) raced skyward from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket. Approximately 56 minutes after the launch, the observatory separated from the rocket's second stage into an initial 429-mile (690-kilometer) orbit. OCO-2 will take NASA's studies of carbon dioxide and the global carbon cycle to new heights.

In accordance with last year’s EU Ecodesign Directive, new minimum energy efficiency requirements have been applying to PCs, laptops and servers since 1 July.

On 11 April 2014, the Permanent Representatives Committee of the Council of the European Union (COREPER) acknowledged the agreement reached by Member States on the Commission's proposal to amend the 2009 Nuclear Safety Directive. This agreement follows the supportive opinion adopted by the European Parliament in April 2014. The Council still needs to formally adopt the new Directive. The new Directive builds on the lessons learned from Fukushima and the nuclear stress tests and is based on the latest international standards.

The European Wilderness Society have published a new European Wilderness Quality Standard and Audit System. This is a standardized and applicable wilderness standard that serves as a basis for effective wilderness protection, designation, restoration, and promotion initiatives across a range of geographic and cultural circumstances in all European Countries.

On 27 June 2014, in Cascais (Portugal), the OSPAR Commission adopted a landmark Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter along with measures to protect 16 vulnerable species and habitats. The Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter will enable OSPAR countries to substantially reduce marine litter in North-East Atlantic. The Plan will address litter from both land and sea based sources and will result in a reduction in marine litter on coasts and beaches. The Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter will enable OSPAR countries to substantially reduce marine litter in North-East Atlantic. The Plan will address litter from both land and sea based sources and will result in a reduction in marine litter on coasts and beaches.

El Hierro, the smallest of the Canary Islands, became the world’s first 100 percent renewable island on 27 June 2014, when it inaugurated a hydro-wind power plant that will be the island's new energy production system.

The Wadden Sea World Heritage is now complete! On 23 June 2014, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided to extend the Wadden Sea World Heritage site with the Danish part of the Wadden Sea and an additional German offshore part. The Wadden Sea World Heritage property now covers an area of some 11,500 km2 and constitutes the world´s largest tidal barrier island system.

The European Chemicals Agency has added cadmium chloride, a phthalate and two boron substances to the Candidate List, which now contains 155 substances.

On 17 June 2014, President Obama announced a commitment to protect some of the most precious U.S. marine landscapes. The Administration will immediately consider how it might expand protections near the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument in the south-central Pacific Ocean, which contains some of the most pristine tropical marine environments in the world. Obama's proposal would expand the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument in the central Pacific from around 87,000 square miles to nearly 782,000 square miles (225,000 to 2 million square kilometers).

The Rhön biosphere reserve is part of the German central upland range and includes a mountainous region formed as a result of volcanic activity in the Tertiary era. With the extension of 58,113 hectares, the biosphere reserve will comprise a total surface of 243,323 hectares. In 2010, the biosphere reserve had over 135,000 permanent residents, the majority living in rural settlements. As a result of the extension, the population is now over 225,000.

An agreement announced on 11 June 2014 between SOCO International PLC and World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) could prevent oil drilling in a national park in Africa where 200 endangered mountain gorillas live. A joint statement by SOCO International PLC and WWF said there will be no exploratory drilling in Congo's Virunga National Park, which is Africa's oldest, unless the government and the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO agree it would not threaten the park's world heritage status.

On 11 June 2014 the European Commission continued its action to fight illegal fishing worldwide by warning the Philippines and Papua New Guinea that they risk being identified as countries it considers non-cooperative in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The decision highlights that these countries are not doing enough to fight illegal fishing. It identifies concrete shortcomings, such as lack of system of sanctions to deter IUU activities or lack of actions to address deficiencies in monitoring, controlling and surveillance of fisheries.

On 10 June 2014, the European Commission hosted the launching ceremony and first working session of the EU platform on Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores. In an effort to solve the social and economic problems that sometimes result from the new expansion of Europe's brown bear, wolf, wolverine, lynx, the European Commission has launched a platform where farmers, conservationists, hunters, landowners and scientists can exchange ideas and best practices on sharing the same land with large carnivores.

Cross-border trips with oversized lorries remain banned. This was specified by the EU transport ministers on 5 June 2014, in Luxemburg. The Council thereby followed the European Parliaments position which earlier also rejected border crossing journeys proposed by the European Commission. Instead the ministers agreed to the proposal to make trucks more safe and aerodynamic – without increasing the loading space.

On 5 June 2014, the Shark Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released a global strategy to prevent extinction and promote recovery of sawfishes, which have been devastated worldwide by overfishing and habitat loss. The strategy is being launched at the Sharks International conference in Durban and coincides with announcements that two West Africa countries -- Guinea and Guinea Bissau -- are proposing the listing of sawfishes under the Convention on Migratory Species in November, which could significantly boost protections.

A new initiative by governments and the private sector aims to achieve a noticeable increase in the level of private investments in climate action and adjustment in developing countries. The "Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance" is taking up its duties in London, started on 3 June 2014. This new kind of public-private joint platform is being built up by the governments of Germany, USA and United Kingdom.

On 10 May 2014, the Knowledge Platform „Earth and Environment – Earth System Knowledge Platform“( ESKP) went online. Under www.eskp.de scientists from eight centres of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres present their latest research results as well as scientifically sound background knowledge on the topics of “Impact of Climate Change”, “Natural Hazards” and “Spread of Pollutants in the Environment”. ESKP is an information pool and a focal point for the general public. The existing knowledge of the Helmholtz-Centres participating in ESKP will be made available for the respective target groups (including public authorities, politics, decision makers, press, and the general population). The broad supply of information includes texts, interviews, real-time data, graphics, photographs and film material. References to peer-reviewed publications but also to general brochures complete the range of material on offer. Experts from the respective centres are also available to answer any further questions.

On 29 May 2014, the Spanish government gave oil giant Repsol the green light to explore for oil and gas off the coast of the Canary Islands. The environment ministry said the exploration would take place around 60 kilometres from the shores of the archipelago.

Greenpeace International activists from eight countries have scaled a Statoil contracted oil rig to protest the company’s plans to drill the northernmost well in the Norwegian Arctic, close to the Bear Island nature reserve.

The Chinese government announced on 26 May 2014, the country will eliminate 6 million high-polluting vehicles before the end of 2014 in a move to bring down air pollution. The mandatory rule applies to vehicles that do not meet exhaust emissions standards.

On 26 May 2014 a group of 30 activists in the Dutch port of IJmuiden occupied the GSP Saturn, a rig contracted by Russia’s state owned energy company Gazprom on its way to the remote Pechora sea. They were removed after five hours and six activists remain under arrest.

On 26 May 2014 the European Commission presented a revised list of Critical Raw Materials. The 2014 list includes 13 of the 14 materials identified in the previous list of 2011, with only tantalum moving out of the list (due to a lower supply risk). Six new materials appear on the list: borates, chromium, coking coal, magnesite, phosphate rock and silicon metal bringing the number up to 20 raw materials which are now considered critical by the European Commission. The other 14 raw materials are: antimony, beryllium, cobalt, fluorspar, gallium, germanium, indium, magnesium, natural graphite, niobium, platinum group metals, heavy rare earths, light rare earths and tungsten (MEMO/14/377). The list should help to incentivise the European production of critical raw materials and facilitate the launching of new mining and recycling activities. Furthermore, the list is being used by the Commission to help prioritise needs and actions.

Fishing for Litteris an initiative based on cooperation with fisheries associations, in which fishermen bring ashore, voluntarily, the litter that is collected in the nets during the normal fishing operations. Fishermen are not financially compensated for their engagement, just the disposal logistics are for free. In 2011 NABU adopted the KIMO approach developed in year 2000 by launching first 2 harbours in Schleswig-Holstein Germany and therefore in the entire Baltic region. Today 9 harbours and more than 75 fishermen have joined the scheme.