|
At the beginning
of our work on the site we decided to collect all the news and
events connected with our topic happening during project time in
our regions.
Ants
reserved?
Existence of
the only in region ant reserve 'Berezovskij' is in danger. One
and half hectare of forest has been cut down and more than ten
anthills died. And further cutting is planned on the territory
of the reserve. Ecologists and scientist are worried. Reserve
is located near village Barishevo, on the left hand of the river
Taganicha and its main mission is to preserve the unique population
of little forest ants. The total amount of ant's accounts of
millions. Such colonies are rare but are of great value. Little
ants eat larva of harmful insects so they protect forests. The
reserve is situated in a suburb area where usage of chemicals
is prohibited. And it was planned that ants would be settled
in other forests of the region. The reserve was made in 1989
for ten years and it was mentioned that decision of abolishment
should be taken only with consultation with specialists of biological
institute of SBRAS. But scientists and ecologists forgot to enlarge
the term. So, as a result, forest department began to cut down
the trees. Special committee consisted of biologists, ecologists
and representatives of Ministry of natural resourses examined
the situation and advised to stop cutting the trees immediately
and addressed the local government for support. But response
hasn't been done yet.
‘Vechernij
Novosibirsk’ 7.11.03
Conference
31 October,
1 November. Novosibirsk State University was a venue for international
ecological students conference under name 'Ecology of Russia
and neighbourhood territories. The organizers are NSU and committee
of environment protection. The main goal of a conference is to
involve students in research work connected with solution of
actual ecological problems. The following sections worked: modern
technologies of rational nature usage; medico-biological aspects
of pollution and others. The students from Kazakhstan, Belarus,
Ukraine took part. All the reports were published in a special
book.
‘Regiony’ 2.11.03
Four more
reserves
Four more reserves
appeared recently in Novosibirsk region. These are ‘Tailokovsky’, ‘Kuchum’,
and two lake territories near Ubinsk. All man activities there
are prohibited by law.
The question of taking five more territories under authority protection is
being discussed.
Radio announcement,
Uniton 100,7 FM, 70,88 UKV
The climate summit
in Milan (Italy)
1-12 december
2003
Last December 2003, in Milan (Italy) has taken place the Climate Summit or
COP 9. Governmental and non-governmental representatives from 180 countries
were attending the summit.
The conference would promote stronger national action on climate change.
The year 2003 was one of the warmest on record in many parts of the world,
since accurate weather statistics started being recorded in 1880.
The WWF
warns that if global temperatures rise by four degrees over this
century, most of the world's glaciers will disappear. As a result
billions of people will be without water, as glaciers contain
70 per cent of the world's freshwater reserves. In addition,
rising sea levels will destroy coastal communities. The rise
in temperature will also have negative consequences on the biological
equilibrium of the ecosystems, some of them already recorded.
Scientists are convinced that greenhouse gases are responsible for global warming.
The main greenhouse gas is the carbon dioxide, produced mainly by cars, trucks
and other forms of transportation and in the energy sector.
The national communications revealed that the emissions of the highly industrialized
countries (mainly Europe, Japan and the United States) could grow by 8 % from
2000 to 2010 and to about 17% over 1990 levels, despite domestic measures taken
to limit them.
The most important agenda item was to convince Russia to ratify the Kyoto Protocol
designed to combat global warming. This protocol has been ratified by 119 countries,
but the USA refused to sign it. The Kioto protocol entry into force depends
on the ratification by the Russian federation, that has the intention to ratify
it, but has delayed its signature.
One of the few meeting's results is the decision to support projects to "sequester" from
the atmosphere the carbon dioxide.
Forests are considered the most efficient means of taking carbon out of the
atmosphere and storing it for long term.
A lot of side-events
looked at issues such as intelligent transport policies and the
responsibility of the developed world to generate clean electricity.
Deeply discussed was the question if the rich economies of the
world need to change their life-styles in order to reduce greenhouse
gasses, or whether technological solutions such as fuel-cell cars
are the answer.
International
project
Since 2001 complex investigations
have been lead on lake Chany, within the international project “Preserving
of water – swamp territories and their inhabitats in the West Siberia” The
participants are scientific institutions and specialists from Holland
and Romania. Recent years the ecological situation became worse, so it’s
needed to find the most valuable territories and protect them. Lake Chany
is of great importance as it’s home for many species of birds and Scientists
reseach modern ecological situation and work out measures on rational
usage of it’s resourses and protection of endangered species. It was
a meeting last week where representatives of envoironmental organisations
and Biology teachers odf a district took part. They discussed how to
combine interests of people and preserving of biodiversity.
Vedomosty, 6.12.03
Parrots
in Paradise
For the first time in history, ten captive-bred endangered Puerto Rican
parrots were released to join the last 40 parrots existing in the wild.The
release into the Caribbean National Forest of Puerto Rico is the result
of a 32-year combined effort of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the
U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, and Puerto Rico's Department
of Natural and Environmental Resources, to help bring this species back
from the brink of extinction.
Source: southeast.fws.gov/prparrot/
News
on Leatherback Turtle
Current Status:
Adverse impacts from coastal development and poaching continue
to threaten the leatherback sea turtle in Puerto Rico.
Achievements:
Monitoring of nesting beaches and relocation of nests are being
conducted cooperatively by the Fish and Wildlife Service, Puerto
Rico Department of Natural Resources,
University of Puerto Rico, and Earthwatch. The Puerto Rico Department of Natural
Resources has a hatchery project for the turtle, and patrols beaches at Vieques,
Humacao, and Pinones. Additionally, the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources
is making efforts to acquire and protect the coastal area adjacent to a leatherback
nesting beach near Fajardo.
|
