Tiempo Climate Newswatch

Thailand hosted a three-day conference to discuss the lessons learned from the Indian Ocean tsunami last week. The meeting was organized by the World Health Organization (WHO). Opening the conference, WHO director-general Lee Jong-wook reported that the tsunami had affected over ten countries in Asia and Africa and killed 270,000 people. "This heavy loss has made the world realize that something must be done to prepare ourselves for future disasters," he said.

The conference ended with the WHO and other groups calling for a fundamental change in crisis response. "What we're proposing is radical. If we don't change things then more lives will be unnecessarily lost," said Mukesh Kapila, a senior WHO adviser. One of the main problems discussed at the meeting was how to manage more effectively the many offers of assistance in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami. Barbara Butcher, director of investigation for New York City, stressed the need for improved aid for the survivors. "Death is not the end of suffering. People left behind still suffer a great deal from the loss," she said.

More information

• Boston Globe
• Bernama
• BBC

• Conference purpose, WHO

Antarctic fish may be more adaptable than previously thought, according to a study led by Bill Davison of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. In a series of aquarium experiments, bald rock cod swam through a tunnel as the temperature was varied. If allowed to acclimatize, the fish swam effectively in waters up to 8°C. Fresh from the ocean, effectiveness dropped as the temperature rose over 2°C.

The bald rock cod has been grouped with the stenotherms, characterized as being limited to a particular environmental temperature. The research shows that the fish change their cardiovascular physiology and the enzymes that power swimming as the environment alters. "This research is extremely exciting as it shows that Antarctic fish are much more flexible than was previously thought," said Davison.

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• Scoop

• Discovery

European carmakers are not reporting how they intend to meet a 2008 deadline for carbon emissions reductions, according to a report from the World Resources Institute and the Sustainable Asset Management Group. The deadline is enshrined in the voluntary agreement between the European Union and the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) "It is unacceptable that, with only three years left to comply with the ACEA agreement, auto companies have done little to disclose in their annual reports to investors how they plan to meet this voluntary target," commented Amanda Sauer, an author of the report.

"The lack of disclosure around the ACEA agreement means investors cannot make informed decisions because they do not know the relative cost exposure of the automakers," commented co-author Fred Wellington. "Without information on these costs - as well as their potential effect on profit margins - market valuations could be distorted." The ACEA target is to reduce emissions to an overall fleet average of 140 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre.

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Background

• World Resources Institute

• Report, WRI/SAM
• Monitoring of ACEA commitment (0.6 Mb download), ACEA