18/05/2007 : Bangkok joins world cities against global warming
Source : Bangkok Post
Governor Apirak Kosayodhin joined the heads of 14 of the world's largest cities in a $5 billion initiative with major banks to retrofit buildings in their cities to save energy. It is the first such enterprise to combat climate change. The initial group of large cities involved in the deal includes Bangkok, Berlin, Chicago, Houston, Johannesburg, Karachi, London, Melbourne, New York, Mexico City, Rome, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Tokyo and Toronto.
Former US president Bill Clinton launched the initiative to coincide this week with a summit in New York attended by mayors and governors from 40 of the world's largest cities to discuss climate change. Clinton's initiative launched on Wednesday called on ABN AMRO, Citi, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase and UBS to provide up to $1 billion each to finance cities and private buildings to retrofit buildings. The amount to be provided by those five groups would double the market for energy retrofit in buildings.
The five banks will work with energy efficiency specialists like Hannon Armstrong and CCI to work out a mechanism to deploy their capital worldwide. Honeywell, Johnson Controls Inc, Siemens and Trane will conduct energy audits and building retrofits to ensure energy conservation. "Climate change is a global problem that requires local action," Clinton said in announcing the programme between the two sides. "The businesses, banks and cities partnering with my foundation are addressing the issue of global warming because it's the right thing to do, but also because it's good for their bottom line."
Large cities worldwide consume 75 per cent of the world's energy and produce 80 per cent of greenhouse gases. Mayors and governors of those cities attended the two-day Climate Summit in New York hosted by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, which ended on Wednesday. Bloomberg unveiled New York's ambitious plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in his city by 30 per cent by 2030, including a controversial plan to introduce a traffic congestion charge in Manhattan.
"This is our blueprint - or should I say greenprint - for making the Big Apple truly the Green Apple," Bloomberg had told his guests from around the world. Bloomberg warned that unless New York authorities act aggressively, carbon dioxide emissions are expected to increase up to 30 per cent above current levels by 2030.
18/05/2007 : More quakes expected: Smith
Source : The Nation
National Disaster Warning Centre (NDWC) Thursday warned people living near fault lines to get prepared for more quakes, as many faults in Asia have apparently become more active following the tsunami-causing, big earthquake in 2004. "Take evacuation drills and ensure that your houses are safe enough," NDWC chairman Smith Dharmasaroja said. He confirmed the Mae Chan fault in Thailand had moved more frequently since that 2004 earthquake in Sumatra.
The Mae Chan Fault was blamed for causing a rather powerful quake on the Burmese - Laos borderline on Wednesday. Measuring at 6.3 magnitude by the US Geological Survey, this quake sent tremors hundreds of kilometres down to Bangkok.
18/05/2007 : AOT spends Bt66 million to compensate for noise pollution
Source : The Nation
Airports of Thailand has paid out a total of Bt66 million to buy four land plots near Suvarnabhumi Airport from the owners who have complained of the noise pollution after the airport opening in September. The compensation is based on the appraisals from independent appraiser SD Con Corp, which is in charge of inspecting 129 structures built before 2001, said Surathat Suthammanas, deputy director of Suvarnabhumi Airport.
He said that the owners of the structures in problems can be put in five categories. First, those who agree to sell their land to AOT unconditionally, accounting for 4 persons who own a combined land of 4 rai. These four signed the deal yesterday for the Bt66 million compensation. Second, house owners who asked for AOT's assistance in reducing noise effects, with the estimated budget of Bt9 million.
Third, owners who opposed the proposed purchase and the conflicts with this group would be handled in court. Fourth, land owners who want to sell the entire land plots, though AOT prefers buying only the affected areas. Fifth, the owners who have not identified themselves. Surathat said that AOT would rush solving the conflicts in the second round of negotiation and that if the round ends without result, the issue would be proceeded to court.
18/05/2007 : 2004 quake activated more fault-lines
Source : The Nation
The National Disaster Warning Centre (NDWC) yesterday said people living near geological fault-lines should be prepared for more earthquakes, as many faults in Asia had apparently become more active following the huge quake that caused the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004.
"Take part in evacuation drills and ensure that your houses are as strong as possible," said NDWC chairman Smith Dharmmasaroj. Smith confirmed that the Mae Chan fault in Thailand had been more active since the Boxing Day 2004 earthquake off of Sumatra. Movement on the Mae Chan fault caused the powerful quake on the Lao-Burmese border on Wednesday afternoon. Measuring 6.3 on the US Geological Survey's instruments, the quake caused tremors that were felt far away in Bangkok.
In Chiang Rai, less than 100 kilometres from the quake's epicentre, buildings suffered cracks, and the top of an ancient pagoda's tiered umbrella collapsed. At press time, officials were still scouring the pagoda compound in search of five missing gems that disappeared during the collapse. They were among nine jewels embedded into the top of the Chomkitti Pagoda's umbrella. Their Majesties the King and the Queen had graciously donated the gems during the pagoda's renovation three decades ago. "We'll search until we find all of the gems," said Chiang Rai governor Amornphan Nimanan.
He said relevant officials were now surveying the damage to local residences. At least 60 homes had suffered some damage. Suwit Busarakul, director of Ban Pong Phrabat School in Chiang Rai's Muang district, said cracks had appeared in the school's classrooms and that lessons were being conducted in the school's library instead. Meteorological Department director-general Suparerk Tansriratanawong said his department was planning to open 30 more earthquake-measuring stations by the end of the year. There are now only 15 such stations in the Kingdom.
"If earthquakes occur, we plan to alert people within five minutes through mass media like television and radio," he said. Suparerk urged people to stay as far away as possible from glass or lamps during an earthquake. "Do not rush out of buildings. Wait until the vibration stops before you evacuate," he added. Mineral Resources Department director-general Apichai Chawacharoenpan advised people to take shelter behind structures and beware of items that could fall on them.
"Residents of high-rise condominiums should keep torches handy," he said. Information and Communica-tions Technology Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom said his ministry was in the process of procuring 1,000 early-warning towers at a cost of Bt388 million. "We plan to install all of them within six months," he said. They would be installed along the coastline and in the North. Thirawat Kullawanich, director-general of the Public Works and Town and Country Planning Department, said he would ask educational institutes to offer design courses for quakeproof structures to engineering students.
18/05/2007 : Lost California whales ignore "go home" siren song
Source : Reuters
Two wounded humpback whales that swam 92 miles up rivers and a man-made canal into California's Central Valley are not responding to recorded whale calls aimed at luring them back to sea, scientists said on Thursday. The roughly 45-foot (13.7-metre) female and her 20-foot (6-metre) calf had swum to California's Port of Sacramento and meandered in the same area on Thursday as rescue officials played recorded sounds from a boat aimed at luring them downstream.
"From what we have seen I don't think it is very successful," said Carrie Wilson, a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game. "It appears that the animals are not responding." Both whales were injured by boats during their journey upstream. The tale of the lost whales is attracting a growing number of visitors to the area near the California state capital and memories of a humpback whale dubbed Humphrey that swam up the Sacramento River 69 miles in 1985 before returning to the ocean in a 26-day saga.
Experts say the current incident is the longest recorded inland U.S. journey for humpback whales. The scientists have been playing sounds of whales feedings rather than love songs. "Because she is with a tending calf we don't think she would be interested in any breeding-related calls at this point," said Joe Cordaro, a wildlife biologist at the National Marine Fishery Service. Scientists said they are likely next to try a new approach of blasting noise from boats on the upstream side in an effort to inspire them to move in the other direction.
Cordaro said scientists were improvising as they sought a solution and would consider anything to get the whales moving toward the ocean. "Maybe even Barry Manilow music, it worked in Panama," he joked, referring to the blasting of the pop singer's music toward the country's dictator who had taken refuge in an embassy. "Nothing's off the table at this point." The whales are believed to belong to a group of humpbacks which migrated from Baja California, Mexico, to spend the summer near the Farallon Islands off the coast of California.
18/05/2007 : Poor Indian Fishermen Threaten to Kill Rare Sharks
Source : www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/
Fishermen along India's western coast are threatening to undo conservation efforts and kill hundreds of endangered whale sharks unless the government gives fuel subsidies promised to them three years ago. About 15,000 fishermen living by the Arabian Sea in the western state of Gujarat say they need help to run their boats and will be forced to hunt the massive yet docile fish and sell its parts for money. "We will kill whale sharks if we do not get financial help to run our motor-boats," said Kamlesh Sodwa of the Veraval Fishermen Association.
The whale shark is the largest fish species and is known as the gentle giant of the sea, feeding mainly on plankton. But the sharks are a threatened species and about one thousand were slaughtered by Gujarat's fishermen between 1990 and 2001, who hunted them for their oil, fins and meat, which fetched high prices on the international market. Since 2001, campaigning by wildlife groups and religious leaders has helped curtail the hunting of the whale sharks -- 1,200 of which migrate across the Indian Ocean to the Gujarat coast from East Africa for breeding every year.
"Five years ago, Gujarat's fishermen had pledged never to kill the gentle ocean giant and have been ripping their nets to release the big fish," said Aniruddha Mukherjee, director of the Wildlife Trust of India. As a result, there have been no recorded killings of whale sharks on Gujarat's coast since 2002, he added. But the fishermen now say they are poor and need the government to fulfil a 2004 promise to provide fuel subsidies. "A 45-foot (14 metres) whale shark had entered into my nets. I wanted to kill the creature to buy food for my children but my wife forced me to release it," said fisherman Nandi Kelva.
"The government does not care for us, so why should we care for the fish?" State government officials said they still plan to give fuel subsidies but did not have a time-frame. They said they would not, however, respond to threats of killing the endangered fish. "There is a ban on killing the whale shark," state forestry official P.N. Roychoudhary said. "If the fishermen find killing as a way for survival, then they are making a mistake."
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