Russia set to ratify Kyoto pact

Ratification is a certainty after parliamentary speaker Boris Gryzlov, quoted by Interfax news agency, said the dominant, pro-Kremlin party in the State Duma would back it.
“We understand that without Russia’s participation in the protocol, it cannot begin to work,” he said last week.

Russian ratification will push the 126-nation U.N. accord, aimed at battling global warming, over the threshold of 55 percent of developed nations’ greenhouse gas emissions needed to make it internationally binding after a U.S. pullout in 2001. Continue reading →

ABOUT THE CHANGING THE FUNCTIONAL ZONING OF THE DANUBE BIOSPHERIC RESERVE BY THE GOVERNMENT OF UKRAINE

It has become known, that on October 25 the Ukrainian government is going to present UNESCO the new zoning plan and the Project of the territory organization and protection to the natural complexes of Danube biospheric reserve.

The given changes in the functional zoning of the Danube biospheric reserve was conducted pursuant to the Council Of National Safety And Defense of Ukraine decision of June 6, 2003 and to fixed it the Decree of the Ukraine President of June 10, 2003 “About the Council Of National Safety And Defense of Ukraine decision of June 6, 2003 “About a condition of fulfilment of the Decree of the Ukraine President of August 10, 1998 N 861 “About creation of the Danube biospheric reserve ” and prospect of the shipping way Danube-Black Sea construction”. It was called by The Ukraine Transport Ministry aspiration to build the navigation channel Danube-Black Sea just through the Bystre estuary, Danube biospheric reserve. Continue reading →

Vote on new European Commission postponed

Was postponed on Wednesday in a bid to avoid direct defeat from the members of the European Parliament (EP), as the lawmakers were threatening to vote down the entire designated EU executive team. The incoming Commission?s mandate was supposed to begin on 1 November, but the decision has now been postponed for several weeks while Barroso must find a compromise or make changes in his team. MEPs were especially incensed over the nomination for the justice portfolio of Italian Rocco Buttiglione, whose controversial comments two weeks ago on gays, single mothers, and marriage disgusted Socialist and Liberal parliamentarians. ?I have come to the conclusion that if a vote is taken today, the outcome will not be positive for European institutions or for the European project. Continue reading →

WWF: Human Ecological Debt Now Too Great to Repay

The WWF’s Living Planet Report 2004 shows that humans are now consuming 20 percent more natural resources than the Earth can produce. As a result, other species are being crowded out of existence.

The Living Planet Index, which tracks trends in populations of more than a thousand species, shows that half of all populations of freshwater species have disappeared between 1970 and 2000, and populations of terrestrial and marine species have dropped by 30 percent. Continue reading →

Environmentalist Sue Over Changes

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, seeks to reinstate a 1982 rule that required the Forest Service to ensure that “viable populations” were maintained of wildlife species that are not endangered, such as elk, Appalachian brook trout and river otters. Continue reading →

Disaster Toll Tripled in 2003 Amid Quakes, Heatwave

An earthquake that killed 31,000 people in the Iranian city of Bam and a heat wave in Europe that killed 35,000, accounted for the higher toll, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said.

In all, a quarter of a billion people were affected by drought, floods and earthquakes, which caused at least $56 billion in damage in 2003, twice the cost of the previous year, the Federation said in its annual “World Disasters Report.” Continue reading →

RNP Romsilva a receptionat 4,6 kilometri drumuri noi, in judetul Arad

De la inceputul anului 2004 si pana in prezent, RNP- Romsilva a receptionat 78 kilometri de drumuri forestiere noi, dintre care 31 au fost ?inantati in contrapartida cu masa lemnoasa pe picior. Pana la sfarsitul acestui an vor fi receptionate drumuri forestiere noi, in lungime totala de 317 kilometri.

Putin-s party backs Kyoto Protocol

United Russia supports President Vladimir Putin and has a majority of seats in the State Duma, the main chamber of the Russian parliament.

The presidium of the United Russia faction approved a proposal from the Duma’s Ecology Committee to consider ratifying the Kyoto Protocol when the Duma meets in plenary session Friday, Interfax said. Continue reading →

First Biennial Central & Eastern European Environmental Health Conference International Health Sciences Solving Common Problems

Environmental conditons in many parts of the United States, as well as Central and Eastern Europe, have improved dramatically in recent years. However, in certain areas of each of these regions hazardous chemicals persist in the environment. Most of these sites are a legacy of many decades of industrial development, mining, manufacturing and military activities. There is considerable uncertainty about the health risks of these sites, such as a lack of understanding about the spectrum of health effects that could result from exposure to hazardous substances. While there are many differences between the regions, there are also great similarities. Continue reading →

Econnect – Czech NGO presentation

The group of ecological organisations had been considering mutual co-operation and exchange of information since 1989 and finally turned to Econnect to fulfill their needs. From the very beginning Econnect wanted to cover all areas of the Czech and Slovak Republic and in order to do this it created a network consisting of ten organisations based in the big towns. The selected networking organisations were considered to be the most prominent supporters of the ecological movement at the time when many of the organisations had just been founded. Continue reading →

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Monthly Archives: December 2004