Tiempo Climate Newswatch

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA), released March 30th 2005, reports that "any progress achieved in addressing the goals of poverty and hunger eradication, improved health, and environmental protection is unlikely to be sustained if most of the ecosystem services on which humanity relies continue to be degraded." The likelihood of abrupt changes, such as the emergence of new diseases and dead zones along coasts and the collapse of fisheries, is increasing. "Only by understanding the environment and how it works, can we make the necessary decisions to protect it," said Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General, launching the report. "The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment is an unprecedented contribution to our global mission for development, sustainability and peace."

The MEA's four main findings are that:

• humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively in the last 50 years than in any other period;
• ecosystem changes that have contributed substantial net gains in human well-being and economic development have been achieved at growing costs in the form of degradation of other services;
• the degradation of ecosystem services could grow significantly worse during the first half of this century and is a barrier to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals; and,
• the challenge of reversing the degradation of ecosystems while meeting increasing demands can be met under some scenarios involving significant policy and institutional changes - however, these changes will be large and are not currently under way.

More information

• Seattle Times
• OneWorld United States
• EDIE News Center
• EMEA News

• Press release, MEA
• Synthesis report, MEA

Use of wood as a household fuel could lead to ten million premature deaths in sub-Saharan Africa by the year 2030 and contribute significantly to climate change. This conclusion results from a study led by Daniel Kammen of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory at the University of California Berkeley, in the United States. Children are most at risk, with eight million predicted to die of pulmonary disease by 2030.

Kammen calls for the adoption of safer and less polluting fuel supplies across the African continent. He advocates a combination of sustainable forest management with more efficient means of making charcoal and stoves. Increased use of charcoal would reduce the number of deaths, but would boost greenhouse gas emissions. In contrast to lower carbon emitters such as kerosene, charcoal would, however, be within the economic reach of the bulk of the population.

More information

• allAfrica
• Charcoal production and use, RAEL

Australian states and territories are taking action on climate change and developing a national programme. The scheme will cap greenhouse gas emissions and allow permit trading. "In the absence of Commonwealth action, New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria have spearheaded the development of a state- and territory-based emission trading scheme," said Bob Carr, NSW Premier.

Ian Campbell, Federal environment minister, attacked the scheme, saying it would be "incredibly inefficient and ineffective and see very important investment diverted away from where the best technologies are for reducing greenhouse gases." According to opposition spokesman, Anthony Albanese, state governments had to act because "the Howard Government is sleeping through the unfolding crisis" of climate change.

More information

• News.com.au
• Sydney Morning Herald

• Federal government strategy, Newswatch