Charting the Future for the Arctic’s Fragile Environment

Posted on May 13, 2013 by A. Beh

On Wednesday, May 15, diplomats from eight nations – including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry - are meeting in Kiruna, Sweden to discuss the future of the Arctic and sign an agreement on how to respond to and handle oil spills.

The meeting comes at a critical time for the Arctic, which is warming twice as fast as almost any other region on earth. As it warms, melting sea ice will give people more access to use the Arctic Ocean as a shipping route. It could also mean “greater exploitation of natural resources, such as oil and gas, minerals, and fisheries; and increased tourism” – all of which will present significant challenges for a once remote area, according to a report by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

A warming Arctic will have significant environmental and health consequences for the entire world, including sea level rise, release of stored chemicals and greenhouse gasses into the environment, and impacts on biodiversity…

U.S. Ambassador to Sweden Mark Brzezinski can attest to those changes. He witnessed first-hand the impact that climate change has had on Arctic flora and fauna during a visit to the Abisko Scientific Research Station, located about 90 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Kiruna.

After meeting with Station Manager Christer Jonasson and visiting scientists, Ambassador Brzezinski shared what he learned in his blog:

Christer [Jonasson] explained that scientists have discovered cases where higher temperatures have created ice caps on top of the snow which is making it harder for reindeer herds to access food. Since some of the members of the indigenous Sami are heavily dependent on reindeer, these kinds of findings are extremely important. Christer and his team are working with the Sami to adapt to the changes induced by climate change.

Another recent phenomenon is that the birch forests around Abisko often experience invasions of caterpillars in the spring as it is no longer cold enough to kill off the eggs of those pests.

Ambassador Brzezinski gets a closer look at instruments that measure changes in the local environment.

The Arctic Council is made up of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States, as well as six permanent representatives from Arctic indigenous groups, like the Sami Council and the Russian Association of Indigenous People of the North.

There are 14 countries and organizations seeking “observer status” on the Arctic Council, including China, Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K. and Poland.

Join the Arctic Council meeting live on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at http://goo.gl/H70oq.

UPDATE: On Wednesday, May 15, 2013, members of the Arctic Council agreed to grant observer status to China, Japan, South Korea, India, Singapore and Italy. This status allows the countries to sit in on – but not speak at – the council’s main meetings as it determines future policy in the Arctic region. Observer countries are also allowed to participate in working groups held by the Arctic Council.

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For more on Ambassador Brzezinski’s visit to Abisko, check out his blog. You can also watch a video from the Ambassador’s trip to Abisko on the U.S. Embassy Sweden’s YouTube page.

Coral Reefs and Solar Power

Posted on April 27, 2012 by lathamsa

Below are two stories about exciting environmental projects made possible in part by a grant from the Regional Environmental Office of the U.S. Department of State. One features the work of college students protecting coral reef in Vanuatu, and the other explores a solar power project spearheaded by the University of the South Pacific.

Reef Check Vanuatu: Rural Awareness Program

Reef Check Vanuatu Project

The Malpoa College Reef Check Team advanced its work on a project called “Reef Check Vanuatu: Rural Awareness Program,” with a small environmental award of $13,000 from the Department of State’s Regional Environmental Office (REO) in Suva in November 2010. Reef Check Vanuatu employed college student volunteers in a coral reef preservation project on Tanna Island in Vanuatu.

Coral reefs, now threatened by overfishing, pollution, and sedimentation, are the locus for a great amount of marine biodiversity in the South Pacific. They are essential to the survival of the ecosystem and provide food and shelter for fish and other marine animals. Many Pacific Islanders depend on these fish and other reef dwellers to maintain a living and feed their families.

Reef Check Vanuatu Project participants

Reef Check Vanuatu focuses a large component of its activities on building community awareness of the economic and social benefits of reef preservation. The Reef Check team conducted interviews with local villagers and elders, held a workshop for adults from Louanatom Villages on coral reef biology and the need for marine preservation, and developed a reef-check toolkit, posters and printed materials to promote awareness among government agencies and local NGOs. The volunteers produced and distributed 300 copies of the manual and presented educational dramas to more than 250 elementary school students at six schools on similar topics.

The volunteers also led two reef check surveys for community members, providing them with a first-hand look at the health of their local reefs. The team also led half-day reef planting workshops for reef restoration. An inspection a month after the project was completed showed that the community has been maintaining the coral.

Reef Check Vanuatu Project

University of South Pacific: Solar-Powered “Fales” for Students

The University of the South Pacific (USP) launched a new solar photovoltaic (PV) system at its Laucala Campus in Suva on December 17, 2010. This renewable energy system, designed by the Head of USP’s School of Engineering and Physics, Dr. Atul Raturi, was funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Small Regional Environmental Grants program. The system uses sunlight to provide a sustainable source of electricity for recently built student study areas called “fales” (pronounced “far-lay”) – eco-friendly structures based on traditional Tongan design.

University of South Pacific Solar Photovoltaic Fales Project

Another aim of this project is to spread the knowledge of and build capacity for the use of renewableoff-grid power systems. The Pacific Islands, which currently must import expensive, polluting fossil fuels from outside the region, are increasingly affected by the adverse impacts of climate change. Since 80% of Pacific Islanders have no access to electricity, these types of renewable energy projects are vital to the region’s future.

In its one-year existence, USP’s solar-powered “fales” have increased awareness among studentsand staff about the potentials of renewable energy. They have produced more than one megawatt-hour of electricity savings for the university. (One megawatt can power 1,000 homes in the United States, at the average rate of electricity use, for a year.) The project also reduced USP’s carbon footprint by more than one ton of carbon dioxide. This new solar PV system has become a centerpiece of capacity building efforts at USP’s School of Engineering Physics, where students and technical staff learn about its design, operation, and maintenance.

The success of this renewable energy pilot has also attracted the attention of the EU and a Korean renewable energy research company.

University of South Pacific Solar Photovoltaic Fales Project

International Environmental Projects

Posted on April 25, 2012 by lathamsa

The 42nd anniversary of Earth Day was last Sunday, April 22^nd. Did you do something to celebrate? Around the world people held festivals, seminars, classes, clean ups and other exciting and fun activities to honor the earth.

In honor of Earth Day, we are going to spend the next few days explore some exciting international stories about what people are doing to help conserve the environment! Check out two below!

Conservation International: Kampong Parak Fish Sanctuary, Cambodia

Conservation International Tonle Sap Cambodia Project

Conservation International (CI) received a small grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Regional Environmental Office in Bangkok , in August 2010 to improve the protection and management of the Kampong Parak Freshwater Sanctuary on Cambodia’s Tonlé Sap inland lake.

The Tonlé Sap is actually a combined lake and river system of critical environmental importance to Cambodia and the Lower Mekong Delta. The lake, present only during the season when the river floods, is considered the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia. It is also one of the most productive inland fisheries in the world, providing over three million people with food and income, and accounting for more than 75 percent of Cambodia’s annual inland fish catch. Further, the Tonlé Sap is home to rare endangered species including the Mekong Giant Catfish.

Conservation International Tonle Sap Cambodia Project

Through this small grant, CI provided the Cambodia Fisheries Authority’s (FiA) lake patrol teams with a ranger station, powerful boats, and other equipment needed for efficient patrolling, and trained them in use of MIST – Management Information Systems software designed to help monitor ranger activities and findings. CI also worked with local communities to select six dry season ponds for conservation, as these were identified as key for fish breeding and dry season wildlife refuge. The six ponds were mapped and physically demarcated with signs. Community management plans were then developed.

To create new habitat for breeding fish and as a refuge during the fishing season, CI also created artificial reefs at key sites. The artificial reefs consist of large concrete rings with holes where the fish can hide. The rings will also help to prevent illegal fishing activities, as they damage trawling nets pulled through the area during the peak fishing season when the water levels are low. In consultation with the local communities, 80 units were deployed in two key areas.

Finally, CI prepared a series of awareness and education sessions for Tonlé Sap patrol teams and communities on topics such as the Tonlé Sap ecosystem, use of natural resources, threats to resources, relevant laws, and human health. These were distributed to the target population groups between January and March 2011.

Lower Mekong Initiative Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment Workshop

Lower Mekong Initiative Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment Workshop

The REO team attended the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Train-the-Trainer workshop held at Mae Fah Luang University in Chiang Rai, Thailand from January 23-28. The week-long workshop was another Regional Environmental Office funded small grant program awarded to Thailand’s Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST) which catered to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) educators with the support of the GLOBE program. The GLOBE program focuses on collaboration among student, teachers, educators, scientists, government officials and others around the world to improve education and attain better understanding of the earth system.

The workshop served as a unique opportunity for participants to become officially certified by GLOBE as national trainers qualified to lead teacher training in their respective countries, leading to a collaborative research among students, teachers and scientists on Earth System Science. The workshop qualified 60 trainers and 5 master trainers from Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam. The material covered at the workshop included atmosphere, hydrology, land cover and soil protocols.

Lower Mekong Initiative Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment Workshop

The LMI GLOBE workshop began with an opening ceremony where Rick Switzer, Regional ESTH officer, gave introductory remarks on the importance of science activities as a means for having a sustainable environment. After the welcoming ceremony concluded, participants were split into two groups to begin training on the basic GLOBE protocols. The first two days were dedicated to land cover and soil, while the remaining time was spent on atmosphere and hydrology protocols.

The break-out sessions were particularly useful and entailed several different teaching methods to keep the participants engaged. The instructors utilized computers, textbooks, visual demonstrations and field work to help the participants fully understand the protocols. A large part of the day was dedicated to practicing experiments outside on the beautiful campus. Participants were able to get their hands dirty as they physically practiced the experiments in order to be better able to teach them in the future.

The workshop was deemed to be a success by all involved. As Dr. Sompong noted, “the goal of this program is to get your students to think about their environment in a different way and ask ‘why’.” By instilling curiosity and the desire to learn about the environment in children at an early age, you promote thoughtful communities and help create adults that can make informed decisions. Not only was this workshop a success as each country was able to increase their stock of qualified trainers, but it also served as a platform for LMI countries to network and share ideas.

Let’s Mobilize the Earth for Earth Day 2012

Posted on April 16, 2012 by lathamsa

By Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network

Earth Day 1999 poster created by the State Department's Bureau of International Information Programs.

Earth Day 1999 poster created for the U.S. State Department's Bureau of International Information Programs.

The first Earth Day – on April 22, 1970 – was the birth of the modern environmental movement. Twenty million Americans took to the streets in cities all over the country to demand that something be done about the destruction of the environment. The events of that day led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.

Since then, Earth Day and a global environmental movement have grown exponentially. Today, more than a billion people in 192 countries participate in Earth Day-related activities. It is the largest civic observance in the world.

Back in 1970, the Earth Day movement achieved a rare political consensus, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, urban and rural, business and labor, rich and poor. People recognized that the air we breathe, the water we drink, the environment our kids play in, the continued enjoyment of our natural resources – these are not liberal or conservative issues. And today, Earth Day remains the single best tool to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement.

This year, though, the movement has some work to do.

Environmental issues have largely taken a backseat for world leaders, but the problems our planet faces aren’t going to go away if we just ignore them. Moreover, with so many important elections taking place around the world this year and the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20) happening in June, 2012 will be critical in shaping environmental policies for the next decade. If we are to avert the worst of climate change and protect our planet, if we are to create the new green jobs – jobs of the future – that we need to bolster the struggling economy, we must raise our voices and let world leaders know that we want swift action. That’s why the theme of Earth Day 2012 is Mobilize the Earth™.

Thousands of Mobilize the Earth events will be held all over the world on April 22nd. From Rome to Rio, London to New Orleans, Beirut to Muscat, Kolkata to Jakarta, Beijing to Melbourne – to the flagship event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. – we’ll harness the power of Earth Day and demand that environmental issues become a top priority.

Also for Earth Day 2012, Earth Day Network is inspiring A Billion Acts of Green® to demonstrate the breadth of support for this movement. A Billion Acts of Green is the world’s largest environmental service campaign and is being called a global referendum on the environment. Hundreds of millions of environmental actions have been registered by individuals, governments, businesses, and faith-based and civic organizations. We’re almost there, but we still need your help to make it to a billion.

To learn more about Earth Day 2012 and how you can get involved, go to www.earthday.org/2012 and watch this video:

About Earth Day Network:
Earth Day Network’s mission is to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. As the global coordinator of Earth Day, EDN mobilizes over one billion people in 192 countries on environmental challenges impacting our health, quality of life and the natural world. Year-round, EDN is a U.S. leader on environmental education and green school buildings, providing teachers, parents and children with curricula, lesson plans and many other tools that are necessary for achieving a higher quality of life and an environmentally literate society in an increasingly complex world. EDN also works to expand the emerging green economy and is engaged in protecting natural lands and planting millions of trees worldwide. With the leadership of the founders of the first Earth Day, EDN has grown to 22,000 partners in 192 countries, giving us the strength to tackle the most challenging environmental issues of our time. www.earthday.org

Ambassador Interviews About Greening: Part 2

Posted on February 9, 2012 by lathamsa

Here is the second set of short video interviews with prominent officials from international organizations, Ambassadors, and embassy representatives. For the first group, click here.

Keith Curtis, Senior Energy Advisor, Department of Commerce

(For additional videos of Keith Curtis, check out these links: http://bitly.com/Arjtfo, http://bitly.com/yzAJ3u, http://bitly.com/yLHUrl)

Hartwig Schafer, Director of Strategy and Operations, Sustainable Development Network, World Bank Group

Peter Burian, Slovak Ambassador to the United States

Galit Baram, Counselor for Public and Academic Affairs, Embassy of Israel in the United States

(For another video of Galit Baram, click here: http://bit.ly/A89Wwt)

Simonas Satunas, Representative from the Lithuanian Embassy

Roman Kirn, Slovenian Ambassador to the United States

Ian Bond, Head of Green Team, Embassy of the United Kingdom in the United States

Ambassador Interviews About Greening: Part 1

Posted on February 8, 2012 by lathamsa

Last Tuesday, January 31, 2012, the DC Greening Embassies Forum had their official signing ceremony. During the event, representatives from international embassies here in Washington, DC and the DC government signed a pledge outlining what steps they will take to green their embassies and give back to the city in a sustainable way. We got several short interviews with Ambassadors and embassy representatives, as well as prominent officials from organizations like the State Department, the World Bank, and the United Nations Environment Programme. Today and tomorrow, we will be releasing these videos for you to view here on the blog! Here are a few:

Patrick Kennedy, Under Secretary for Management, U.S. Department of State

Amy Fraenkel, Regional Director (North America), United Nations Environment Program

Shivanti Patel, Representative from USAID

Renee Jones-Bos, Dutch Ambassador to the United States

Arturo Sarukhan, Mexican Ambassador to the United States

Gilles Noghes, Monaco Ambassador to the United States

Check back tomorrow for more!

D.C. Greening Embassy Forum

Posted on January 30, 2012 by lathamsa

The D.C. (District of Columbia) Greening Embassy Forum is a partnership between the Washington, D.C. Government, the U.S. State Department, and foreign embassies located in D.C. The Forum released this statement to describe what they do and their mission:

The District of Columbia ranks among the top 10 greenest cities in the US. With more than 175 Embassies representing nations from around the world, the District of Columbia also enjoys one of the world’s highest densities of foreign missions within its jurisdiction. As the District plans to implement its “Sustainable DC”, its ambitious sustainability program for the District, cooperating with these foreign missions is of great importance. In parallel, many of the District’s foreign missions have asked for ways to work with the city and contribute to the environmental and sustainability goals of their local community – making the District of Columbia even greener.

To kick off the forum officially, the Royal Netherlands Embassy is hosting the signing ceremony and reception for the Mayor of D.C., Vincent Gray, the Under Secretary for Management, Patrick Kennedy, and dozens of Ambassadors and other country representatives. The signatories will sign a pledge stating their intent to work together to make their embassies and the city of D.C. greener and more sustainable. The really exciting part about the Forum is the fact that all of the governments and partners will be sharing their best practices and greening tips for addressing energy and water conservation, recycling, pollution, and a number of other issues. They will also be working with the city to make it more beautiful and give back to its residents, through exciting programs like planting rain gardens to help with storm water runoff and filtration, and working with school children on “edible schoolyards” that allow them to grow their own food and learn how to prepare it.

At the signing event itself, we will be getting interviews with ambassadors and other representatives to find out for you what those embassies are doing to green their facilities and Washington, D.C. We will share photos, quotes and videos with you soon!

The videos below of Pauline Roukens, the facility manager of the Royal Dutch Embassy, tell you a little more about what the embassy, as host to the signing ceremony, is doing to give back to the local community. Check back tomorrow for more videos of Pauline showcasing everything from composting in the kitchen to taking out light bulbs in overlit areas: the actions they are taking to make exciting progress in their greening efforts.

Communities in Latin America Working Together

Posted on November 14, 2011 by lathamsa

Environmental activists call attention to rising sea levels outside the COP16 climate conference in Cancun, Mexico in 2010. (AP Images)

This week the blog will focus on environmental initiatives in Latin America. We will discuss deforestation and logging issues, community programs, energy, water and youth. Today’s post will focus on communities working together to combat climate change.

Are you interested in sustainable forestry management? How about the role of communities in conservation efforts? The Consejo Civil Mexicano para la Silvicultura Sostenible, A.C. (CCMSS) and Rights + Resources produce a comprehensive document called “Sustainable Forest Management As A Strategy To Combat Climate Change: Lessons From Mexican Communities.” The document delves into details surrounding forestry management. Its central aim is to show how community-managed programs “can capture and store more carbon than forest conservation regimes in which wood-harvesting is prohibited.” The paper claims that

The Mexican model of community forest management is based on the devolution and recognition of rights over forest products, including timber, the establishment of community governance within a clear legal framework, and the enabling of community forest enterprises on the basis of forest common property.

This raises an interesting point about the role of ownership, mutual benefits and resource usage in a traditional conservation program. Do you think this community-managed program that allows for some wood production is a more practical –yet conservational- approach to forest management?

If you are interested in more environment and natural resources for Latin America, then look no further than the extensive list provided by the Latin American Network Information Center, which breaks down organizations by region, country, and a larger international section. In Argentina, why not check out AIDIS Argentina, the Asociacion Argentina de Ingenieria Sanitaria y Ciencias del Ambiente (Argentinean Association of Sanitary Engineering and Sciences of the Environment)? Or in Nicaragua, the Ministerio del Ambiente y los Recursos Naturales (The Department of the Environment and Natural Resources)?

We hope you’ll find a variety of resources on Latin America to learn more about environmental issues in those areas, and to find organizations and communities taking steps to combat environmental degradation and climate change!

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