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The Fortnight
South Asia
Issue Date: Jun 15, 2008
Pakistan introduces daylight saving time to battle power shortage: In a bid to reduce load shedding, the Pakistani government on May 14 announced that the country will forward its clock by an hour from June 1 for the next three months. The plan will also force commercial centres to close by 9 pm. The other measures that the government announced include shutting down air conditioners in government offices, including secretariats, between 8 am and 11 am; lighting up 50 per cent of the street lights; and installing a million CFL bulbs in the country.
Brazil launches carbon reporting programme
Issue Date: Jun 15, 2008
The Brazilian government has launched a Greenhouse Gas Proto-col Program, under which 12 major companies in the country have committed to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas (ghg) emissions.
Rare pygmy hogs released into wild
Issue Date: Jun 15, 2008
After over 10 years of captive breeding, scientists have released 16 wild pygmy hogs--the world's smallest wild pig with a height of 25-30 centimetres--into the grasslands of Sonai Rupai wildlife sanctuary in Assam.
Alaska off the hook
Issue Date: Jun 15, 2008
In a reversal of its earlier plan, the Bush administration now wants to keep Alaska's potentially oil-rich wetlands off-limits to oil and gas drilling.
The Bureau of Land Management has proposed a 10-year leasing moratorium for 174,000 hectares wetlands near Teshekpuk Lake in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, saying that the region is ecologically sensitive. The area is potentially rich in oil and gas as well as a critical habitat for migrating birds and caribou. Green groups and local Inuits have hailed the decision.
Indonesian forests to be traded on carbon market
Issue Date: Jun 15, 2008
The government of the Indonesian province, Papua, has signed a deal with a Sydney-based firm to establish a forestry-based carbon finance project.
In Court
Issue Date: Jun 15, 2008
pollution liability: Several oil majors in the US have agreed to pay up US $423 million in what is billed as the largest settlement over drinking-water contamination involving 153 public water utilities in the country.
China on high alert over deadly virus
Issue Date: May 31, 2008
Chinas ministry of health has issued a high alert over a deadly virus causing hand-foot-mouth disease among children.
By the second week of May, the outbreak had claimed 26 lives and infected over 11,000 people. Health authorities say the highly contagious disease is triggered by enterovirus 71 and affects children aged between two and six.
A new river dolphin identified in Bolivia
Issue Date: May 31, 2008
Researchers have identified a new species of river dolphin in the Bolivian Amazon.
Locally known as bufeo, the Bolivian river dolphin (Inia boliviensis) is smaller and lighter in colour than the Amazon pink river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) found widely in the Amazon and Orinoco rivers.
Australian miner asks government to test carbon trade
Issue Date: May 31, 2008
The Australian mining giant, Rio Tinto, has warned that the government must road-test carbon emissions trading before introducing it, or face economic risk.
In its submission to the governments climate change review committee, the mining company said that the country needs more time to prepare for emissions trading. The government wants to implement the emissions trading system in 2010, saying that the global greenhouse gas emissions will almost double by 2030.
Fuel prices delay emissions trading in New Zealand
Issue Date: May 31, 2008
In the face of skyrocketing petrol prices, the New Zealand government has said that it would delay the introduction of a new petrol rates under the emissions trading scheme (ets) for two years.
