The Environment Chronicle

On 14 April 2015, the Fukui District Court in Japan decided to accept the petition for a provisional disposition order seeking an injunction against the operation of Units 3 and 4 of Takahama Nuclear Power Station.

On Saturday 11th April 2015, Maltese citizens lost the opportunity to put an end to the controversial spring hunting of birds in their country during a national referendum. A decision that will have consequences for bird conservation across Europe and beyond.

On 1 April 2015, the German Federal Cabinet introduced a set of stringent fracking regulations. The legislative package contains bans to protect drinking water, health and nature in certain regions and also far-reaching restrictions on fracking in shale, clay, marl and coal seam rocks. In addition, the package contains supplementary, stricter regulations on conventional natural gas and crude oil extraction.

On 1 April 2015, Gov. Jerry Brown issued mandatory water restrictions for the first time in California history. Brown's executive order will require the state water board to implement reductions in cities and towns to cut water use by 25 percent.

The European Commission is taking Germany to Court over its failure to apply the requirements of the Habitats Directive in relation to the authorisation of a coal power plant in Hamburg/Moorburg. The project in question risks having a negative impact on a number of protected fish species including salmon, European river lamprey and sea lamprey, which pass near the power plant when migrating from the North Sea to some 30 Natura 2000 sites on the Elbe, upstream of Hamburg. The species are harmed by the water abstraction process used to cool the power plant. When authorising the plant, Germany failed to carry out an appropriate assessment as required by the Directive, and to assess alternative cooling processes which could avoid the killing of the protected species concerned.

On 23 March 2015, Paris authorities halved the number of cars on the road by banning all vehicles with licence plates ending in odd numbers and made public transport free. Commercial, electric or hybrid cars are all exempt, as are those carrying at least three people. The ban came after a strong prevalence of particles with a diameter of less than 10 microns, or PM10.

On 20 March 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the herbicide glyphosate ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’(Group 2A).

During 2000 and 2012, an average of one football pitchof forest was illegally cleared every two minutes to supply the EU with beef, leather, palm oil and soy used for groceries, animal feed, leather shoes and biofuels, according to a study released on 17 March 2015. It finds that the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, France and the UK are by far the largest consumers of illegally sourced commodities flowing into the EU, which, as a whole, imports 25% of all soy, 18% of all palm oil, 15% of all beefand 31% of all leather in international trade stemmingfrom illegal tropical forest destruction.

On 17 March the UN Development Programme (UNDP) announced a new 10-year global programme in support of country efforts to reduce the risk of disasters. Announced during a special breakfast session entitled 'the power of partnerships', held on the sidelines of the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, the Programme is intended to help countries achieve the goals of the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Called ‘5-10-50’, the programme will support countries and communities to deliver better risk-informed development, and targets 50 countries over 10 years, with a focus on five critical areas: risk awareness and early warning; risk-governance and mainstreaming; preparedness; resilient recovery; and local/urban risk reduction. Disasters have killed more than 1.3 million people and cost over US$2 trillion during the last two decades. UNDP’s new programme will help partners address capacity gaps, and is building on a decade of work and nearly US$2 billion of investments in DRR.

On 9 March 2015 the solar-powered airplane Solar Impulse 2 successfully started its round the world trip.

On 10 March 2015, the European Parliament gave its final approval to new EU rules for safer and more eco-friendly lorries (Directive 2013/0195), put forward by the Commission. These rules will allow manufacturers to develop more aerodynamic lorries which will reduce fuel consumption by 7-10%, cut emissions of greenhouse gases, and also enhance road safety.

On 7 March 2015, the European Commission decided the withdrawal of 73 pending legislative proposals, with the adoption of the Commission's Work Programme for 2015 on 16 December 2014. The list of withdrawn proposals has now been published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

German green power supply company Greenpeace Energy is taking legal action against the European Commission because it has approved State aid worth billions for the building of new nuclear plant Hinkley Point C in the UK. As soon as the Commission’s State aid approval is published in the EU’s Official Journal and the period prescribed for bringing an action begins,Greenpeace Energy will file a plea for annulment at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. An expert opinion commissioned by Greenpeace Energy from analysts Energy Brainpool shows that Hinkley Point C will lead to a shift in price levels in the European electricity market.

On 2 March 2015, the Council of European Union gave final approval to reduce the use of lightweight plastic bags. According to new rules, EU countries are permitted to introduce extra taxes on plastic bags or even ban single-use plastic bags on national level.

Under the Dome is a 2015 self-financed, Chinese documentary film by Chai Jing, a former China Central Television journalist, concerning air pollution in China. The film was released online on 28 February 2015. Under the Dome garnered more than 155 million hits in the first 24 hours. On 6 March 2015, the film was no longer available on popular Chinese mainland video sites.

On 26 February 2015, the negotiating text for the Paris Climate Agreement was officially issued by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The text was agreed at the UN Climate Change Conference in Geneva earlier this month, and covers the substantive content of the new agreement including mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology, capacity building, and transparency of action and support.

Santander just pledged to stop financing the paper company APRIL. Santander has agreed that APRIL will get no more money until it stops destroying the Indonesian rainforest. After receiving thousands of queries and complaints, the bank announced on 26 February 2015 'Banco Santander has decided to not renew the current funding to APRIL and will not be extending further funding at this stage. Any future loans will be conditional on APRIL implementing new sustainability measures which address its involvement with deforestation.'

The Bureau of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) agreed on Tuesday, in accordance with its procedures, to designate Vice Chair Ismail El Gizouli as Acting IPCC Chair. The designation of El Gizouli follows the decision by Rajendra K Pachauri, PhD, to step down as Chairman of the IPCC effective on 24 February 2015. The decision to name El Gizouli was taken at a Session of the Bureau ahead of the 41st Session of the IPCC, which is being held on 24 - 27 February 2015.

Urban Green Energy (UGE) announced on 24 February 2015, that it has fitted two turbines at the site capable of delivering 10,000kWh of electricity annually, equivalent to the power used by the commercial areas on the Eiffel tower’s first floor.

On 24 February 2015, President Barack Obama fulfilled his promise to veto legislation that would remove the President’s responsibility to decide whether a pipeline that crosses an international border is or is not in the national interest and give that power to Congress. The bill sent to his desk by Congress, S. 1, the Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act, authorizing the proposed TransCanada pipeline was pushed through the Republican-controlled Congress.In his brief veto letter to the Senate, President Obama said, "I am returning herewith without my approval S. 1, the "Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act." Through this bill, the United States Congress attempts to circumvent longstanding and proven processes for determining whether or not building and operating a cross-border pipeline serves the national interest. The Presidential power to veto legislation is one I take seriously. But I also take seriously my responsibility to the American people. And because this act of Congress conflicts with established executive branch procedures and cuts short thorough consideration of issues that could bear on our national interest -- including our security, safety, and environment -- it has earned my veto." (BARACK OBAMA)

Shell has shelved plans for a major new tar sands mine in Canada, the largest project yet to fall victim to low oil prices. On 23 February 2015, Shell announced , it is withdrawing its regulatory application for the proposed Pierre River Mine north of Fort McMurray, Alberta to focus attention on its existing oil sands operations.

Six scientists from the Arthropoda Department of the Museum Koenig in Bonn (Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig – Leibniz-Institute for Animal Biodiversity) in Bonn have described over 1,000 new species during the last ten years. Their new species come from all over the world and include mainly beetles, spiders, millipedes, flies, and butterflies. Many specimens have been collected during recent expeditions by the scientists themselves, whilst others come from the museum in Bonn and from other institutions. In these “treasure chests”, many species wait for decades until they are scientifically described.

The application for Dogger Bank Creyke Beck offshore wind farm has been given development consent by the Department for Energy and Climate Change. Dogger Bank Creyke Beck is the first stage of Forewind’s offshore wind energy development of the Dogger Bank Zone (Zone 3, Round 3). The decision announced on 17 February 2015. Dogger Bank Creyke Beck, which has a total generating capacity of 2.4GW, comprises two separate 1.2GW offshore wind farms, each with up to 200 turbines installed across an area of around 500km2. The wind farms will be located 131 kilometres from the UK coast and will connect into the existing Creyke Beck substation near Cottingham, in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

On 16 February 2015, the European Commission and the European Investment Bank launched two new financial instruments to drive investment in energy efficiency, efforts to preserve natural capital, and adaptation to climate change. The Natural Capital Financing Facility (NCFF) is a financial instrument that combines EIB financing and European Commission funding under the LIFE Programme, the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action. Private Finance for Energy Efficiency (PF4EE) instrument is a joint agreement between the EIB and the European Commission which aims to address the limited access to adequate and affordable commercial financing for energy efficiency investments. The instrument targets projects which support the implementation of National Energy Efficiency Action Plans or other energy efficiency programmes of EU Member States.

On 13-14 February 2015, thousands came together for the first ever Global Divestment Day to demand institutions and individuals divest from fossil fuels. Through 450 events in 60 countries, campaigners called for organizations that serve the public good such as governments, educational and religious institutions, to freeze any new investment in fossil fuel companies – and divest from direct ownership that includes fossil fuel public equities and corporate bonds within five years. As a result, 181 cities and universities committed to divest.

On 20 May 2015, 100 environmental NGOs across Europe launched a joint online action to save European nature from Commission President Juncker’s deregulation agenda. An internet action called Nature Alert allow citizens across the 28 EU countries to participate in the European Commission public consultation.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is launching a pilot measure concerned with Microplastics in Marine Systems together with eleven other research funding organizations from nine European countries under the framework of the European Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans Joint Programming Initiative (JPI Oceans).

The European Commission has adopted measures to control wildlife trade that come into force on 5th February 2015. The measure concerns the import of hunting trophies and is designed to ensure that any such imports are legal and sustainable. The species concerned are African lion, polar bear, African elephant, Southern white rhinoceros, hippopotamus and argali sheep. In the past, there was no systematic scrutiny by scientific authorities in the Member States to ensure that trophies from these species imported to the EU were the result of sustainable hunting. The new measures address these problems by introducing a requirement for an import permit guaranteeing that the origin of the trophy is legal and sustainable. The permit will only be delivered once the EU is convinced that the import meets criteria demonstrating that it is sustainable. If the criteria are not met, the import will be banned.

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory, a mission with broad applications for science and society, lifted off at 6:22 a.m. PST (9:22 a.m. EST) on 31 January 2015 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket. About 57 minutes after liftoff, SMAP separated from the rocket's second stage into an initial 411- by 425-mile (661- by 685-kilometer) orbit. The mission will help improve climate and weather forecasts and allow scientists to monitor droughts and better predict flooding caused by severe rainfall or snowmelt -- information that can save lives and property. In addition, since plant growth depends on the amount of water in the soil, SMAP data will allow nations to better forecast crop yields and assist in global famine early-warning systems.

On 29 January 2015 the U.S. Senate voted for the first time to force U.S. approval of the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. Proposed by TransCanada, the pipeline would carry diluted bitumen from the Alberta tar sands to TransCanada’s existing pipeline in Nebraska for transfer to refineries on the Gulf Coast. President Barack Obama has said he will veto the legislation when it reaches his desk. The measure passed 62 to 36, which means there are not enough votes in the Senate to override his veto.

On 29 January 2015 marine conservation organisation OceanCare launched the “Emergency Call from the Maldives” international protest campaign. The Maldives National Oil Company (MNOC) is planning to search for crude oil around their country’s atolls, a move which would affect one of the last largely intact underwater habitats.

On 28 January 2015, the Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing announced that there is to be a moratorium on granting consents for unconventional oil and gas developments in Scotland whilst further research and a public consultation is carried out. The decision comes days after the UK Government voted against a moratorium. On 4 February 2015 the Welsh government voted to block the method of shale gas extraction until it is proven safe from environmental and public health standpoints.

For the very last time, the Berne Declaration and Greenpeace Switzerland bestowed their notorious award of shame on 23rd January 2015. The award was given out in the ultimate category: The Public Eye Lifetime Award. The announcement of the winner was made by Verena Mühlberger, Co-Executive Director of Greenpeace Switzerland. Amazon Watch, the organization that nominated Chevron for the Lifetime award, accepted the award and confirmed its intention to hand it over to Chevron as soon as possible.

The government has started the main construction of the Yamba Dam in eastern Japan, marking a milestone 63 years after a proposal for the controversial project was first put forward. A consortium comprising Shimizu Corp., Tekken Corp. and IHI Infrastructure Systems Co. launched blasting work on 22 January 2015 to expose the bedrock for building the foundation of the dam’s main structure.

Ecopreneur.eu is an association of European business associations whose common aim is a new economic framework in which sustainability is promoted, the environment respected and ecological principles are followed. Founding members of Ecopreneur.eu are UnternehmensGrün in Germany, Grüne Wirtschaft in Austria and Entreprendre Vert in France.

EFSA’s comprehensive re-evaluation of bisphenol A (BPA) exposure and toxicity concludes that BPA poses no health risk to consumers of any age group (including unborn children, infants and adolescents) at current exposure levels. Exposure from the diet or from a combination of sources (diet, dust, cosmetics and thermal paper) is considerably under the safe level (the “tolerable daily intake” or TDI). Although new data and refined methodologies have led EFSA’s experts to considerably reduce the safe level of BPA from 50 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day (µg/kg of bw/day) to 4 µg/kg of bw/day, the highest estimates for dietary exposure and for exposure from a combination of sources (called “aggregated exposure” in EFSA’s opinion) are three to five times lower than the new TDI. Uncertainties surrounding potential health effects of BPA on the mammary gland, reproductive, metabolic, neurobehavioural and immune systems have been quantified and factored in to the calculation of the TDI. In addition, the TDI is temporary pending the outcome of a long-term study in rats, which will help to reduce these uncertainties.

On 20 January 2015, the Philippine Government received from the U.S. government the full requested amount of $1.97 million as compensation for the damage caused to Tubbataha Reef by the grounding of the USS Guardian. The compensation will be utilized for the protection and rehabilitation of Tubbataha Reef Natural Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Portions of the fund will also be used to further enhance capability to monitor the area and prevent similar incidents in the future. In addition to the compensation received, the US government is also providing additional assistance to the Philippine Coast Guard to upgrade the PCG Substation in Tubbataha.

Repsol has completed the exploratory well, which began on 18 November 2014 in the Atlantic Oceana bout 60 kilometres from Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, to analyse the possible existence of hydrocarbons. The analysis of samples obtained showed the presence of gas (from methane to hexane) but without the necessary volume nor quality to consider future extraction. On 11 January, a total depth of 3,093 metres (882 metres of water depth and 2,211 metres of subsoil) was reached and the collection of data on the traversed geological formations was completed.

New legislation to allow EU member states to restrict or ban the cultivation of crops containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on their own territory, even if this is allowed at EU level, was passed by Members of European Parliament on 13 January 2015. The legislation, informally agreed by Parliament and Council in December 2014, was originally tabled in 2010 but was then deadlocked for four years due to disagreement between pro- and anti-GMO member states. The new rules would allow member states to ban GMOs on environmental policy grounds other than the risks to health and the environment already assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Member states could also ban GMO crops on other grounds, such as town and country planning requirements, socio-economic impact, avoiding the unintended presence of GMOs in other products and farm policy objectives. Bans could also include groups of GMOs designated by crop or trait. Before a member state may adopt such measures, the legislation provides for a procedure enabling the GMO crop company to consent to such restrictions on its marketing authorisation. However, if the company disagrees, the member state may impose a ban unilaterally.

The third meeting of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) will take place at the Secretariat's headquarters in Bonn from 12 to 17 January 2015.