Global Voices » Environment

Bangladesh's Planned Coal Power Plant Threatens Sundarbans Mangrove Forest

Rezwan — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:07:55 +0000

A plan to erect a coal-fired power plant in Bangladesh next to the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world which straddles Bangladesh and India, is drawing fire from activists in the country who say it would destroy the world heritage site.

The proposed 1320-megawatt plant, to be built in the area of Rampal in the southern Bagerhat district, was initially put into motion in a bilateral agreement between Bangladesh and India during the Bangladeshi prime minister's tour of India in 2011 before an environmental impact assessment was conducted by Bangladesh's Environment Ministry.

On 20 April, 2013, the Power Development Board of Bangladesh signed [bn] three agreements with India's National Thermal Power Corporation, which made the implementation official. The project, estimated to cost 1.6 billion US dollars, is expected to be completed by 2018.

When the government finally released an environmental impact assessment (download in PDF from here) on the power plant, environmentalists rejected it in a consultative meeting, organized by the Power Division on April 12, arguing that the report did not take into consideration most of the important environmental aspects of the Sundarbans, its ecology, flora, and fauna as well as a large number of local people.

Moreover, the report stated that (page 208) once the proposed site was a part of Sundarbans, but had been evacuated by the settlers later.

Bangladesh's energy infrastructure is known to be quite small, insufficient and poorly managed. Only 40% of the population has access to electricity with a per capita availability of 136 kWh per Annum. So there is a huge pressure on the Government to meet the growing demands of electricity.

The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports urged citizens of both India and Bangladesh to carry out concentrated efforts to stop the power plant on its website.

Environment experts, social workers, and citizens holding banners form a human chain in the capital Dhaka to demand that the Sundarbans, the world largest remaining mangrove forest, be saved. Image by Firoz Ahmed. Copyright Demotix (21/3/2013)

Abdullah Al Imran [bn] pointed out in a Facebook note that India is violating its own laws meant to protect wildlife with its involvement in this power plant:

১৩২০ মেগাওয়াট ক্ষমতার একটা বিদ্যুতকেন্দ্র গড়ে উঠবে বাগেরহাটের রামপালে যা কিনা সুন্দরবন থেকে মাত্র ১৪ কিলোমিটার দূরে। ভারতের ওয়াইল্ড লাইফ প্রটেকশন এ্যাক্ট ১৯৭২ অনুযায়ী বাঘ-হাতি সংরক্ষণ অঞ্চল,জাতীয় উদ্যান এবং জীব বৈচিত্র্যের জন্য গুরূত্বপূর্ণ বনাঞ্চলের১৫ কিলোমিটার ব্যাসার্ধের মধ্যে কোন বিদ্যুৎকেন্দ্র তৈরী করা যায় না।

An 1320 MW plant would be established in Rampal of Bagerhat which is only 14 kilometres away from the Sundarbans. According to the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972, no such power plant should be established within 15 kilometers of a forest which is home to sanctuaries for tigers and elephants and wildlife.

Journalist Kallol Mustafa [bn] summarized on Facebook the environmental impact that the report foresees that the plant will have:

বিদ্যুৎ কেন্দ্র নির্মাণের মালামাল ও যন্ত্রপাতি সুন্দরবনের ভেতর দিয়ে নদী পথে পরিবহন করা হবে। এর ফলে বাড়তি নৌযান চলাচল, তেল নি:সরণ, শব্দদূষণ, আলো, বর্জ্য নি:সরণ ইত্যাদি পরিবেশ আইন অনুসারে নিয়ন্ত্রণ না করা গেলে সুন্দরবনের ইকো সিস্টেম বিশেষ করে রয়েল বেঙ্গল টাইগার, হরিণ, ডলফিন, ম্যানগ্রোভ বন ইত্যাদির উপর ক্ষতিকর প্রভাব ফেলবে বলে ইআইএ রিপোর্টে আশংকা করা হয়েছে।

The building material and equipment for the plant would be transported on the river. So it is stated in the EIA report that the increase in transport of engine ships, oil spillage, noise, light and air pollution, etc. will have an adverse effect on Royal Bengal tigers, deer, dolphins, the mangrove forest and other ecosystems.

Engineer Md. Shahadat Hossain [bn] wrote on the Water Resource Engineers Forum blog:

প্রস্তাবিত রামপাল কয়লা বিদ্যুৎ কেন্দ্রের ইআইএ রিপোর্টের এই সংক্ষিপ্ত পর্যালোচনা থেকে স্পষ্ট যে, [..] সুন্দরবনের পাশে ১৩২০ মেগাওয়াটের এই কয়লা বিদ্যুৎ কেন্দ্রকে জায়েজ করার সর্বোচ্চ চেষ্টা করা স্বত্ত্বেও, এরপরও খোদ ইআইএ রিপোর্টে বিদ্যুৎ কেন্দ্র নির্মাণ, পরিচালানা ও কয়লা পরিবহনের ফলে সুন্দরবনের উপর সম্ভাব্য ক্ষতিকর প্রভাব সম্পর্কে এমন সব তথ্য বেরিয়ে এসেছে যা প্রস্তাবিত কয়লা বিদ্যুৎ প্রকল্পকে পরিবেশগত বিবেচনায় অগ্রহণযোগ্য বিবেচনা করার জন্য যথেষ্ট।

Analysis of the EIA report for the proposed power plant reveals that the building, operation, and coal transport for the 1320 MW coal-based power plant in the Sundarbans would create an adverse effect on the Sundarbans mangrove forest in the coming years, suggesting that it should be scrapped on environmental grounds.

Fishermen prepare to fish before sunset near Karamjal Wildlife Breeding Centre in the East Sundarbans. Image by Firoz Ahmed. Copyright Demotix (26/11/2012)

On community blog Ishtishon, Mahbub Shumon questioned the wisdom of harming the Sundarbans when they protect Bangladesh from natural disasters:

প্রথমত – ঝড় ঝাপটা প্রাকৃতিক দুর্যোগ থেকে থেকে বুক পেতে বাংলাদেশ রক্ষাকারী এই বনের মধ্যে বা কাছা কাছি ক্ষতিকর দূরত্বে এমন কোন প্রকল্প করা উচিৎ কিনা যা জীব – বইচিত্রের আধার এবং প্রাকৃতিক ভারসাম্য রক্ষাকারী, সর্বোপরি দুর্যোগ থেকে রক্ষাকারী এই প্রাকৃতিক দেয়াল ধ্বংস করে দিবে? সচেতন মানুষ মাত্রেই একমত হবেন নাবোধক উত্তরে। এমন বিদ্যুৎ আমাদের দরকার নাই যে বিদ্যুতের জন্য আমাদের দেশটাই ধ্বংস হয়ে যাবে।

দ্বিতীয় জরুরী প্রশ্ন হল- অন্য কোথাও বিদ্যুৎ প্রকল্প করা হলেও আমরা কি কয়লা ভিত্তিক বিদ্যুৎ প্রকল্পের ক্ষতি সামাল দিতে পারব?

First of all, these mangrove forests save Bangladesh from natural disasters. So why would you put a project in the vicinity of this forest that will destroy its wildlife, its flora and fauna? Any concerned person would say no. We don't need such power which will destroy my country's ecosystem.

Secondly, even if the plant is shifted, will we be able to restrict the damaging effects of burning coal for the plant?

Blogger Banglar Hassan [bn] reminded his readers that a similar project had been turned down in Odisha, India as it failed to obtain environmental clearance.

Faisal Caser [bn] asked:

যে বিবেচনায় এনটিপিসি নিজের দেশে বিদ্যুৎ কেন্দ্র নির্মাণ করতে পারেনি সেই একই বিবেচনায় বাংলাদেশে কী তাদের প্রকল্প বাতিল হতে পারে না?

The reason why NTPC could not build a power plant in its own country is not strong enough to stall their similar project in Bangladesh?

Facebook event to save Sundarbans. Image courtesy Omi Hasan.

Facebook events have been created to raise awareness of the planned plant. The dates of offline protests will be announced soon.

Cadmium-Laced Rice Found in China

Abby — Wed, 22 May 2013 01:15:32 +0000

Rice contaminated with high levels of the toxic heavy metal cadmium, dubbed “cadmium rice,” is the latest food scandal in China to trigger public panic and anger among the country's consumers.

The Guangzhou Food and Drug Administration revealed[zh] on May 16 that eight out of 18 rice samples tested in local markets contained excessive levels of cadmium. Most of the polluted rice comes from the southern province of Hunan, China’s top rice producing province.

“Cadmium in rice usually comes from the soil where it grows, and the soil was polluted by mining and chemical wastes,” Fan Zhihong, a food safety expert at China Agricultural University in Beijing, told the state-run Global Times.

The rice joins a growing list of food scares to hit China in recent years. Earlier this month, it was revealed that rat and fox meat was sold as lamb in the Shanghai and Jiangsu.

Contaminated rice has been a problem in China for decades. According to Global Times, a Nanjing Agricultural University research project in 2011 found that around 10 percent of rice sold across the nation contained excessive amounts of cadmium. According to another report, up to 70% of China’s soil is contaminated with heavy metals and fertilizers.

But officials are usually not forthcoming with information about such pollution. Earlier this year, environmental authorities refused a Beijing lawyer's request to publish the soil pollution data in China, saying it’s a “state secret”.

An insider was quoted by communist party newspaper People’s Daily as saying:

Map of China's rice pollution is widely shared on Weibo. (Image from Weibo)

对于含有镉这类“慢性中毒”的食品，一般情况下不会突然引发大的食品安全事故，有关部门负责人迫于经济发展压力，对食品企业违法行为睁一只眼闭一只眼，自身既不易受法律制裁，也能保住“乌纱帽”。

The food that contains cadmium is “chronically poisoned” food, which under normal circumstances will not lead to major food safety incidents. Under the pressure of economic development, some related departments turned a blind eye to food enterprises that broke the rules. They are unlikely to be punished by the law and they can still keep their posts.

In response to the news, the Chinese government's official mouthpiece Xinhua News Agency ran a piece, titled [zh] “Experts Recommend People Should Not Eat Rice from One Region All the Time,” that suggested people should diversify their rice sources to lower the risk.

The advice sparked lots of criticism online. On popular Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo, one netizen “Bolin” wrote [zh] sarcastically:

人民日报告诉我们，中国贩运有毒食品是合法的，有毒食品参杂服用，就不只会死于一种有毒食品

People's Daily tells us that it is legal to sell toxic food. By eating all types of toxic food, we won't die from one kind of toxic food.

Shanghai-based writer “Lei Wenke” echoed [zh]:

就是要均衡各种污染么？

Does it mean [we should] maintain a balance of different types of pollution?

Environmentalist Dong Liangjie posed [zh] a rhetorical question:

在市场上不仅有镉大米、还有铅大米砷大米，有的是两个或三个同时超标；产地不仅是湖南，湖北、江西、广西、广东、河南、河北等都有；数量不是万吨，而是上百万吨。这么多产地和数量，如何轮着吃？体制内专家不追根求源、不谈真相，吃着纳税人给的俸禄，转移焦点，职业道德何在？

Not only cadmium rice, but lead rice and arsenic rice are also in the market; some have two or three excessive chemicals at the same time. [The polluted rice is] not only from Hunan, but also from Hubei, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Guangdong, Henan, Hebei, and other provinces. It's not just tens of thousands of tons, but millions of tons. So much polluted rice from so many places, how do you take turns to eat it? Experts within the system don't track the source of the problem or talk about the truth; they use taxpayers’ money and try to shift people's attention. What's happened to professional ethics?

Online personality and social critic “Xue Manzi” suggested [zh] that labels should list the amount of heavy metals that the rice contains:

鉴于最近大米重金属超标曝光后，大米的污染成了全国人民关注的焦点。为了食品安全，建议在大米白面的外包装上注明其重金属含量。我们实在不希望再重演进口洋奶粉的现象。奶粉还可以背，大米白面实在背不动。印上这个，大家可以放心食用了。大伙儿支持吗?

In view of the recent exposure of rice containing excessive levels of cadmium, rice pollution has become the focus of attention for the whole country. For food safety, I recommend that the packaging of rice and flour all have the amounts of heavy metals in them on the package. We really do not want to repeat the scene of importing foreign milk powder. We can carry the milk powder, but rice and flour are really too heavy to carry back [from abroad]. By printing this information on the package, we can feel safe to eat it. Anyone support my idea?

One user “Beiou jixu mengxiang zhilv” complained [zh]:

当空气、水、粮食均被污染后，我们能做的就不是挑选无污染食品，而是跟有污染食品抗争，看我们中国人体内到底能自我排出多少毒了！

When air, water, and food are contaminated, we can not pick pollution-free food, but fight with contaminated food to see how much poison can be self-discharged from the Chinese people's body!

Caijing Commentator Ye Tan called on [zh] the Hunan government to be more transparent about the food safety issues. However, as it shows on the shared map of China's rice pollution, the problem is not only limited to Hunan, but found in China at large.:

湖南方面应该拿出解决的诚意，公开信息。不公开信息，不承认本地的重金属污染，消费者无法确切地分辨湖南所产大米毒与非毒，最简单的做法是对所有的湖南大米敬而远之。如果公开信息，湖南大米可以被区分为被污染的，与安全的，不公开信息，会让湖南大米出现整体的信用危机，占全国13%的稻田成为废墟。

The Hunan government should sincerely work to solve the problem by making the information public. Without transparent information and recognition of the heavy metal pollution in the soil, consumers can not distinguish poisonous rice from non-poisonous rice produced in Hunan. The simplest approach for them is to turn away from all the rice in Hunan. If information is made public, then Hunan rice can be divided into contaminated and safe rice. If the information is not made public, Hunan will face an overall credit crisis. The land, accounting for 13 percent of the country's rice fields, will become ruins.

Indonesia: Petition to Save the Forest of Aceh

Mong Palatino — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:10:18 +0000

Rudi Putra initiated an online petition asking the Indonesian government to block the expansion of mining and palm oil activities in Aceh and to protect the country's remaining rainforest. More than one million people around the world have already signed the petition:

I live and work in the last place on Earth where endangered orangutans, rhinos, elephants, and tigers still roam together — but it'll be bulldozed to bits unless our President hears our call and steps in to save this unique habitat.

China's Kunming Residents Stage Another Chemical Plant Protest

Abby — Fri, 17 May 2013 02:30:03 +0000

Hundreds of Kunming residents gathered outside city government buildings on May 16, 2013 to protest against plans for a chemical refinery near the southern Chinese city, the second major demonstration against the project after a protest on May 4.

The China National Petroleum Corporation plans to build a chemical plant in the nearby town of Anning to produce 500,000 tonnes of paraxylene (PX) used to make fabric.

In response to the May 4 protest, local government held a series of meetings and promised that the refinery would not endanger the environment and that the public's opinion would be taken into account. The city's mayor Li Wenrong promised that the PX project would be canceled if the majority of residents are against it.

But officials said the environmental evaluation report of the project remains confidential. At the same time, Chinese microbloggers have reported that the government has tried to stop any future attempts to organize protests and ban any further questioning about the refinery. Employees at state-owned companies and students at schools have been asked to promise that they will not participate in protests and will not discuss the project in public.

Banner reads, “Make the environmental evaluation report public. Against pollution.” (Image from Sina Weibo)

However, the government's attempt failed to work as skeptical residents organized this latest protest calling for a stop on the project. Pictures of the protest and discussions about the project are updated on popular Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo.

“Maya Tansuozhe” remains skeptical about the government's claim that it won't affect the environment:

云南省环科院高级工程师周东风称，中石油炼油项目对昆明环境污染影响不大 http://t.cn/zTDtGwj －－看到这则新闻忍不住吐槽，你们把滇池管成那样，还如何相信你们？影响不大是多大？许多环境污染具有不可逆性，到时候后悔都没地儿。一届政府的政绩，100年的治理代价，你负责得了吗？

Senior engineer Zhou Dongfeng from Yunnan Academy of Environmental Sciences said the chemical plant won't have a huge impact on Kunming's environment. After reading the news, I can't help but complain, look at what Dianchi lake is like under your management [pollution is a major problem for the lake nowadays.] How can I believe you again? A lot of environmental pollution is irreversible, it will be too late when you regret it. The performance of the current government will set a precedent for environmental governance in China for the next 100 years, will you be responsible for it?

“Huyan Luanyu” wrote [zh]:

13日，昆明政府就炼油与市民代表召开了表恳谈会，表示要充分听取各界市民对炼油项目的意见建议。可近几天，各院校各单位要求职工学生，不参加不宣传炼油的紧急通知和承诺书却是要民众“沉默”。这样的做法是否会使民众对政府公开信息充分听取市民意见产生怀疑？

On May 13, the Kunming government held an “earnest talk” with the representatives of the public and said public opinions about the refinery project would be taken into consideration. However, in the past few days, the urgent notice sent by schools and companies requesting the employees and students not participate in any protest is meant to ask the public to keep silent. Will the approach make people doubt the government information and their claim of listening to public opinion?

“Shaomai Tuo” from Kunming echoed the same sentiment:

恳谈？一面说充分广纳民意，一面放锦衣卫四处镇压威胁！买口罩印刷宣传品要登记报警；各大企事业单位统统下禁令不许参加游行、不准发表任何意见；违者一律开除。这就是中国式恳谈，啃嗜民主、弹劾民意！

Earnest talk ? On one side, they talk about listening to public opinions, on the other side, they order the police to suppress any threat! Buying masks to print promotional materials has to be registered; major enterprises and institutions all put up the notice to ban any parade or opinion; offenders will be expelled. This is China-style earnest talk, fake democracy, impeachment of public opinion!

“Abu Gougou 911″ wrote [zh]:

没有合理的解释，没有真正的处理态度，民众怎样能够安心

Without any reliable explanation or sincere attitude to solve problems, how can the public feel at ease.

“Lan Qinzi” said [zh]:

据说昆明各部门各事业单位都在要求职工签订保证不去参加16号的散步活动。其实我已经想不出来还有什么比散步这么和平的渠道更好的抗议方式了，不让散步的话，民众还有什么其他的方式让自己的声音被听到吗？

I heard that some departments and institutions in Kunming all request the employees to sign a guarantee not to participate in the march. In fact, I have no idea what is a better form of protest than peaceful marching. If walking is not even allowed, what others ways do people have to make their voices heard?

Director Wang Tingting from Beijing quoted a song from stage musical Les Miserables:

Do you hear the people sing? Singing a song of angry men! It is the music of the people who will not be slaves again! When the beating of your heart, echoes the beating of the drums. There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!

However, in commentary titled “PX protest, useless” by history professor and columnist Ye Tan from the Chinese version of the Wall Street Journal, she detailed [zh] her belief that the local government won't give up the project, a rare chance to speed up GDP growth despite the protest and the cost to the environment:

笔者尊重当地居民的选择权，佩服公民的抗争意识，但对中国的环保现状表示悲观，在产值、财富与青山绿水之间，地方政府的选择不言而喻。昆明翠湖，群鸟飞翔，人鸟共乐，是中国大城市中极少看到的温馨景致，再过十年，这样的情景还能看得到吗？

I respect the option of local residents and admire their awareness to protest as citizens, however, I remain pessimistic about the status quo of China's environmental protection. Between output value, wealth, and beautiful mountains and rivers, the choice of the local government is self-evident. Kunming's green lake and birds is rare scenery in China's major cities, after another decade, will we still be able to see such scenery?

Chinese Officials Attempt to Stem Protests

Abby — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:59:03 +0000

After Kunming's Anti-PX protest on May 4, 2013, local government has tried to stop further protests by sending text messages, “visiting” protest organizers, and censoring information online. East by Southeast has more details.

Save Lhasa, Tibet from Destruction

Oiwan Lam — Mon, 13 May 2013 03:41:36 +0000

High Peaks Pure Earth has published Elliot Sperling's translation of prominent Tibetan writer, Woser's recent blogpost urging the world to save Lhasa from being turned into another tourist shopping mall.

Shanghai Residents Protest Battery Plant Over Potential Pollution

owen — Sun, 12 May 2013 12:05:56 +0000

Hundreds of residents marched along a street on the outskirts of Shanghai on May 11, 2013 to oppose plans for a lithium battery plant, marking the country’s second protest in a week over potential environmental pollution.

Earlier this week, Global Voices reported on a similar protest in the western city of Kunming, where thousands of people gathered in protest of a chemical refinery that the local government plans to build.

Several thousand miles away to the east, in the Songjiang district of China’s financial hub Shanghai, angry protesters ventured out on a weekend with banners in hand, and one goal in mind—to drive out any plant project that could damage their livelihood.

Residents worry the lithium plant would cause heavy metal pollution in an area that provides much of the drinking water to the city of 20 million.

Images circulating on the Twitter-like website Sina Weibo showed a presence of uniformed police and many protesters punching their fists in the air while chanting slogans.

Residents marched along a street on the outskirts of Shanghai on May 11, 2013 to oppose plans for a lithium battery plant. (Image from Sina Weibo)

Prior to the Saturday’s protest in Shanghai, online activism already began to build at the end of last month, resulting in sporadic protests in the city. A Youtube video purportedly shot on May 1, 2013 showed large deployment of police trying to disperse people who gathered on the street. One police officer shouted via loudspeaker that “it’s illegal to demonstrate”.

China’s decades of breakneck economic growth has benefited the growing middle class, but public health is reeling. A study by the Health Effects Institute and several other partner organizations, including the World Health Organization, found that 1.2 million premature deaths in 2010 in China were linked to air pollution.

With environmental problems only getting worse in the country, the affluent and Internet-savvy middle class in China has become more vocal about pollution in their backyards thanks to burgeoning social media on which they air their grievances, despite frequent online censorship.

That means the government sometimes can’t look away in the face of mounting public pressure.

In a move to appease the angry public, the Songjiang district government had issued a notice on its official Weibo account on April 29, saying it decided to cancel all production activity in the plant, despite an earlier announcement that the plant will be safe.

Many netizens, however, remain skeptical. Some consider it as a stalling tactic by the government.

“Wojiao Qinshou Buru” from Shanghai wrote [zh] on Weibo:

#国轩电池厂#什么叫取消生产环节？真当人傻阿？

#Guoxuan battery plant# What does it mean to cancel the production? Do you think we are stupid?

“Mimi Dingdong”, who moved to Shanghai five years ago, vented [zh] her frustration with government indifference:

五年前我为了家庭梦来到这里–上海松江，印象里一直认为上海是个国际化城市，公开公正，只要凭着自己的努力一定可以在这里开始属于自己的美好生活，我努力了，终于实现在上海买一套属于自己的房子，可是天意弄人，房子还没交，得知松江引进了国轩，看着老老小小的民众奔走，政府却无动于衷，特失望！

I came here five years ago for a family dream—Songjiang in Shanghai, in my impression, Shanghai has always been an international city known for its fairness and justice, as long as people work hard, they will have a good life, I've worked hard, and I have bought an apartment in Shanghai, but it's unfortunate that we have learned about the Guoxuan project, even though we haven't got the apartment yet. People young and old took to the street, but government just turned a blind eye, I am very disappointed!

“C Zongzhuang Huoxing” described [zh] the scene of the protest:

“国轩滚蛋，还我绿色松江”今天的松江中山路有数千人在呐喊。真不知道区政府和市政府的领导们听到有何感想。把这么一个毒的厂弄到上海，这是对上海千千万万人民于不顾。这要影响上海几代儿孙啊!

“Guoxuan get out of here, give me back my green Songjiang” Thousands of people chanted on Zhongshan Road of Songjiang, I don’t know how the district and city government will react after they hear this. To build such a toxic plant in Shanghai is to discard the interests of millions of people in Shanghai. It would have repercussions for generations of our grandchildren!

“Gigi Xiaoxiniu” called for [zh] more action from every Shanghai citizen:

大家转起来，国轩滚出上海，滚出松江！

Please repost, everyone, Guoxuan get out of Shanghai, get out of Songjiang!

“Nununi” touched [zh] on family history as a reason to protect the area:

这是我曾祖母和曾外婆小时候生长的地方，经历改朝换代历史冲刷，依旧宁静美丽。我要捍卫它，尽我的绵薄之力! 作为土生土长的松江人，大家团结起来，抵制污染，让任何有潜在污染的企业从这片净土上滚出去! ——回应今天看到的松江区关于国轩电池厂的新闻发布

This is where my great-grandmother and my grandmother spent their childhood, time has gone by but it still retains its beauty and tranquility. I must try my best safeguard it! As Songjiang locals, we need to unite, and boycott pollution, we have to drive out any enterprises that might pollute!—My response to the news briefing on Guoxuan battery in Songjiang district today.

Schools Close in Panama Due to Energy Crisis

Gabriela García Calderón — Thu, 09 May 2013 21:47:08 +0000

Panama is facing an energy crisis that could paralyze the whole country, due in part to the delay in the start of the rainy season.

This is how Prensa Latina [es] starts a report about this drought:

Con un régimen pluvial privilegiado por su condición de istmo favorecido por los dos principales océanos del planeta, en Panamá históricamente llueve nueve meses del año y sus caudalosos ríos y abundantes lagos siempre están saturados.

Sin embargo, el cambio climático se está sintiendo en las cuencas de toda su geografía y pocas escapan a una escasez de lluvias pronunciada, mientras ecologistas y ambientalistas como Raisa Bansfield alertan que a ese fenómeno contribuye la acción del hombre.

With a privileged rain regime due to its condition of isthmus blessed by the two main oceans in the world, historically in Panama it rains nine months per year, and its mighty rivers and plentiful lakes are always full.

Climate change, however, is being felt in the watersheds all along the country's geography and just a few are free from a prolonged lack of rains, while ecologists and environmentalists, such as Raisa Bansfield, warn that human behavior adds to this phenomenon.

The government is trying to avoid scheduled power cuts that could cause losses of up to 3.7 million dollars per hour, as Prensa Latina [es] reports:

La Cámara de Comercio alertó que el sector podría perder 3,7 millones de dólares por cada hora de apagón si se llega a tomar esa medida como resultado de una baja en la generación eléctrica motivada por el descenso del nivel de las aguas en ríos y represas que abastecen a las hidroeléctricas.

The Chamber of Commerce warned that the sector might lose 3.7 million dollars during each hour of the blackout, if this measure is taken as result of a decrease in electrical production due to the drop of water levels in rivers and dams that supply hydroelectric centrals.

The drought has affected the main hydroelectric centrals of the country, motivating authorities to take drastic measures like turning off bright signs, allowing the crossing of two ships at the same time through the canal, or closing supermarkets at 10:00 pm, among other actions.

What has caused more reactions, however, is the closing of private and public schools for three days.

Image widely shared through social networks.
- OK! We need ideas to fight this energy crisis!!!
- Let's close schools…
- … and college…
- … or the malls which consume more.

Ivana Tejada (@IvanaTejada) [es], for instance, believes that authorities have been unable to prevent this crisis and are now reacting when it's too late:

@IvanaTejada Incapaces de prevenir las cosas, esperan que el país esté en crisis para tomar medidas drásticas. A ellos les dimos el poder.

@IvanaTejada [es]: Unable to prevent things, they wait for the country to be in crisis to take such drastic actions. We gave power to them.

Jorge Yau (@mopx) [es] thinks suspending classes is an overkill, and claims that it is possible to study without so many electronics devices:

@mopx: En mis tiempos lo único eléctrico en el salón era el abanico de techo, que usan los chiquillos ahora? iPad, Laptop, WIFI, silla masajeadora?

@mopx [es]: Back in the day, the only electric thing in the classroom was the ceiling fan. What do kids use now? iPad, Laptop, WIFI, a massage chair?

For Mery (@megirom) [es] suspending classes to save energy consumption doesn't make sense, as students will be consuming electricity at home.

@megirom: Claro, porque los estudiantes van a estar en sus casas leyendo bajo la luz de la guaricha. [*En Panamá se le llama guaricha a una fuente rustica de luz artificial, por lo genera un mechón con querosén.]

@megirom [es]: Certainly, because students will be at home reading under the light of a guaricha [*in Panama, a guaricha is a rustic source of artificial light, usually a fuse with kerosene].

Oliver (OliverCh17) [es] agrees and thinks that simple math proves that suspending classes will cause more consumption:

@OliverCh17: Matemática simple, 30 niños juntos en un aula de clases o 30 casas con niños consumiendo + energía. . . GENIOS!!!

@OliverCh17 [es]: Simple math, 30 children together playing in a classroom, or 30 houses with children consuming more energy… GENIUSES!!!

For Tito Herrera (@TitoHerrera) [es] the measure will allow government not only to save energy, but explanations:

@TitoHerrera: Ahorro de Energía según el gobierno: “Cerrando las escuelas también cerramos los cerebros, esto representa un ahorro en dar explicaciones”

@TitoHerrera [es]: Energy saving according to the government: “By closing schools we will also close brains, that means saving explanations”.

What's true is that measures will increase and power cuts have been announced if not enough rain falls in the coming days, as La Prensa [es] reports:

Los cortes programados de energía se aplicarían durante los próximos días si no hay agua de lluvia para los embalses de las hidroeléctricas de Fortuna en Chiriquí y Bayano en Panamá.

Scheduled power cuts will be set during the following days if there is no rain water for Fortuna in Chiriquí and Bayano in Panama hydroelectrial central reservoirs.

Rain in several parts of the country in the morning of Thursday, May 9, 2013, has given Panamanians hope that the crisis will find a natural solution without having to take more extreme measures. TVN [es] explains:

Este jueves amaneció lloviendo en Arraiján y otras comunidades de Panamá Oeste, así como en Chilibre, Panamá Norte y la comarca Guna Yala, lo que llenó de esperanza a los panameños de que entre de lleno la estación lluviosa y se recuperen los embalses de las hidroeléctricas Fortuna y Bayano.

On Thursday, day broke with rain showers in Arraiján and other communities in Western Panama, as well as in Chilibre, Northern Panama and Guna Yala region, giving hope to Panamanians that the rainy season might be about to kick off and the Fortuna y Bayano hydroelectrical central reservoirs might recover [their usual levels].

China Censors Chemical Plant Protest

Abby — Mon, 06 May 2013 00:51:47 +0000

Residents of China’s southwestern Kunming city took to the streets on May 4, 2013 to protest against the potential production of a toxic chemical at a nearby factory.

According to state media, the China National Petroleum Corporation plans to build a chemical plant in the nearby town of Anning to produce 500,000 tonnes of paraxylene (PX) used to make fabric. Close to 3,000 people gathered in the city center to protest against the dangers of a possible PX spill.

China's state media kept the news of the protest quiet, and online censors have aggressively deleted information and photos about the demonstration on popular microblogging site Sina Weibo since May 4, 2013. Many Web users switched their Weibo profile photos to an image of “Kunming PX” crossed-out to show support.

Kunming is well-known for its flowers and plants thanks to its perpetual spring-like weather. It is one of the few Chinese cities that regularly enjoy clear blue skies.

Similar protests had erupted in different cities in recent years. In 2007, thousands of people in China's eastern Xiamen city protested the construction of a PX plant. In the past two years, two large NIMBY protests erupted in Dalian and Ningbo.

Protesters wore symbolic masks and brandished posters warning against the dangers of a paraxylene (PX) spill. (From Sina Weibo)

One Weibo user “Boluocun Yihao” from Kunming called for [zh] more support online:

媒体被控制，手机信号被切断，保卫人民生命安全的警察却没有保卫，＂XX石化炼油厂，滚出昆明！＂我们不要牛奶河，我们不要PM2.5，我们不要PX。希望大家可以接力转载，转发。保护我们的母亲昆明。

Media control, cell phone signals cut off, the police who are supposed to defend the safety of the people didn't protect the people, “XX petrochemical refinery, get out of Kunming!” We do not want milk river[a polluted river in Kunming has turned the color of milk], we do not want PM2.5 [pollution], we do not want PX. Please repost this message. Protect our mother Kunming.

Another Weibo user from Kunming criticized [zh] the media censorship:

那么大一个中国，只有《北京晚报》一家如实报道了昆明昨天发生的事。而且还不是亲自采访的，是引用网易的。据说中新社的采访了昨天的事，但是最后没能发表。新华社，央视更是能躲则躲…..中国已经没有媒体能为百姓说话了，同意的速转.

Such a big country, yet only “Beijing Evening News” truthfully reported what happened in Kunming yesterday. It was not an original report, but quoted from NetEase. It is said that China news agency did the interview yesterday, but was forbidden to publish in the end. Xinhua News Agency or CCTV hide as far away as they can….China has no media to speak for its people. Please repost the message if you agree.

A musician from Kunming “Yinyue Xiaosun” echoed [zh] the sentiment:

Banner reads: “Beautiful Kunming! We need to survive! We want to be healthy! PX—out of Kunming !” (From Sina Weibo)

各位昆明的媒体朋友，我理解你们的工作，就像我们理解今天的警察哥哥，警察叔叔，警察姐姐一样。但是，你们都生活在昆明，都爱自己家乡，都希望自己的孩子呼吸新鲜的空气，不是吗？？不是吗？不是吗？

Media friends in Kunming, I understand your work, just like we understand today's police. But you live in Kunming. We all love our own hometown and want our children to breathe the fresh air, don’t you?? Don’t you? Don’t you?

Weibo user “Kong Batian” recalled [zh] the World Horticultural Exposition in Kunming in 1999:

14年前的今天，在“人与自然，和谐发展——共同迈向21世纪”的口号下，昆明人满怀激动与自豪迎来了中国第一个世博会！而14年后的今天，云南人竟然要为了自己的生存环境走上街头进行抗争！这真是对昆明人民莫大的讽刺！

14 years ago, under the theme of “man and nature, marching into the 21st century”, the Kunming people ushered in the first World Expo in China with pride and excitement! 14 years later, Yunnan people had to take to the streets to fight for the environment! This is the great irony for the Kunming people!

Many Weibo users quoted [zh] a poem written by famous journalist Bai Yansong:

Sign reads “Uncle and aunt, we need clean air!” (From Sina Weibo)

用不了多久，这座城市将慢慢退出人们的视线，沦为历史的鸡肋，美丽的传说将永远成为传说，没有人会对此负责，应该对此负责的人早已离开了这个城市，甚至这个国家，他们的子女早已远居海外，留下的只是一个破烂污染的废城，一方癌症的区域，一群朴实、愚昧的人民，这个城市叫作昆明。

Soon the city will slowly become out of sight and forgotten by history. The beautiful legend will always be a legend. No one will be held responsible because the ones that should be have already left the city, and their children have already immigrated, leaving a tattered and polluted city with innocent people, a cancer area ….. this city is called Kunming.

Trinidad & Tobago: Gem of a Garden

Janine Mendes-Franco — Sat, 04 May 2013 02:17:11 +0000

My Chutney Garden is our guide through Trinidad's Royal Botanic Gardens.

St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Environmental Entrepreneur

Janine Mendes-Franco — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:22:48 +0000

In an era where youth…are seen as being dissolute it is truly heart warming to recognise the drive and talent of this young man.

Abeni salutes Kamara Jerome, a 20-year-old Vincentian entrepreneur, who won the Best Environmental Award in the Caribbean Innovation Challenge.

Bermuda: Bag Tax or Bad Tax?

Janine Mendes-Franco — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:08:21 +0000

Local charities are lobbying the Bermudian Government to institute a bag tax to encourage people to shop with reusable bags and reduce waste – but Vexed Bermoothes insists that “it’s nice to think that you can tax people into living or acting better; it rarely works out that way.”

EU Seal Ban Maims Indigenous Way of Life in the Arctic

Rachael Petersen — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:23:31 +0000

A European Union court in Luxembourg has upheld its ban on the commercial trade of seal products despite a challenge from Canada's Inuit and several Canadian lawmakers that it cripples the indigenous people's ability to make a living.

The court's decision on 25 April, 2013 came after the Inuit Tapirii Kanatami and 20 other Inuit and sealing rights groups petitioned to overturn the seal ban, pointing out the importance of the seal hunt to Arctic dwellers for meat and income, critical in light of the increasingly high cost of living in the north.

The ban, enacted in 2009, prohibits the sale of seal meat, pelt, and oils. Though it includes an exemption for indigenous sealers, critics argue that the exemption has failed because the price of seal pelts has plummeted since the introduction of market restrictions.

Leona Aglukkaq (@leonaaglukkaq), a Conservative Party member of Canada's Parliament, regional minister for the North in Canada, and Inuk herself, slammed the court's decision:

@leonaaglukkaq: “Ban on seal products adopted in the EU was a political decision that has no basis in fact or science #sustainablehunt-http://t.co/ejMOAYIU9E”

Canadian lawmakers are next slated to challenge the seal ban within the World Trade Organization (WTO), proposing that it “amounts to an illegal restriction of trade.” Norway also stated it would confront the WTO on the seal ban.

The seal hunt is one of the most stigmatized hunts in the world, with opponents evoking brutal images of clubbed baby seals. Organizations from the US Humane Society, PETA, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare have launched campaigns against the Canadian industry.

The EU cited concerns that seal hunted methods caused pain and distress to the animals. European leaders who brought the ban into force in 2009 called the seal hunt “cruel, inhumane, and unacceptable.”

Seal ban impact on indigenous communities

Inuit of Nunavut prepare a seal skin for clothing. Photo by Rachael Petersen

However, the seal hunt ban is dealing a terrible blow to Inuit communities, which utilize all parts of the animal for food and clothing.

Canadian Marine biologist Dr. Alan Emery commented on anti-sealing initiatives on his blog over a year ago:

While the intentions of the anti-seal activists are laudable, in at least the case of the Inuit people, the indiscriminate strategy of undermining the market for sealskin has had a profoundly negative impact on the Inuit people who do not really have an option to move to a second income source. This has resulted in an increased loss of income and added to food insecurity for the Inuit people. …The Inuit people have been dealt some very damaging blows: most Inuit families have been forced by government fiat to give up their semi-nomadic lifestyles and instead live in settlements provided by the government. The provided housing is of poor standards and there are relatively few opportunities to make a living in their “modern” settlements so most Inuit families are living a substandard Canadian lifestyle.

The government of the northernmost Canadian territory of Nunavut conducted an analysis of the effects of the EU ban on Inuit. The full study can be downloaded in full here [iu, en]. The report pointed out:

Seal hunting has been a cornerstone of Inuit culture, nutrition and survival in the Arctic for millennia. Since the introduction of the cash economy in the Canadian Arctic, seal hunting has also been an important factor in the socio-economic well-being of Inuit. Seal hunting in Nunavut occurs year-round and is an important part of daily life in every coastal community.

Hunting seal near Igloolik, Nunavut. Photo by Rachael Petersen

The European Bureau for Conservation and Development conducted a study investigating the impact of the EU seal ban on the Inuit of Greenland, concluding similarly that:

the EU seal ban is destroying the sealskin market and undermining the traditional way of life of thousands of indigenous people who depend on marine resources for their livelihood.

Madeline Redfern (@madinuk), the former mayor of Nunavut's capital of Iqaluit and president Ajungi Arctic Consulting, a group of Arctic public policy experts, echoed these sentiments in a series of tweets on 25 April, 2013 following the EU's ruling:

@madinuk: Animal rights target vulnerable minorities, usually indigenous ppls animal byproducts/economies – easier than mainstream products.

@madinuk: Dangerous precedent. EU legislators accepted animal rights agenda based on cultural prejudices~who/what minority product is next?!

@madinuk: EU seal ban isn't just bad for Inuit its bad for any/all animal producer/user b/c based on ‘morality’ not science/sustainability

Social media and sealing rights

Social media has been a powerful tool in bringing to light the reality of traditional hunting practices in the North. Maatalii Okalik (@maatalii), president of Ottawa Inuit Children's Centre, tweeted a photo of Inuit youth from Nunavut promoting the seal hunt on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on 24 April, 2013:

Inuit of Nunavut support sealing on Parliament Hill. Image from Twitter user Maatalii Okalik.

A Facebook group “Nunavut Hunting Stories of the Day,” started by a 36-year-old Inuk in Nunavut, now boasts almost 37,000 members across the Canadian North as well as Alaska and Greenland. Indigenous members post photos and videos – both current and historical – and share stories of trips out on the land in the North. The hope is to create awareness of native hunting rights and to teach young people who may not have the chance to go hunting anymore how their elders and ancestors lived.

A grassroots group called “No Seal No Deal” recently formed to defend native sealing rights. According to their site, the group was founded “by a group of Inuit taking part in a grassroots movement to educate the international community about Inuit seal hunting, the seal skin market, and how Inuit are affected by international trade bans on seal products.”

The group is petitioning Canada to refuse granting the EU observer status to the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum that addresses Arctic issues. The Arctic Council includes member states Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden, and the US. Members of the movement point out the Arctic Council’s 2011 Nuuk Declaration requires observer applicants “demonstrate respect for the aboriginal peoples of the Arctic.” They hold that the EU should be denied entry because of the negative effects of the seal ban on indigenous communities of the North.

No Seal No Deal will submit their petition to Canadian Parliament by 1 May, 2013. You can read more about the movement on their Facebook page.

Chinese Dream: To Become the Father of an American

Oiwan Lam — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 10:17:30 +0000

Seeing Red in China has translated current affair commentator, Jia Jia's Chinese dream. Nowadays, most Chinese middle class want to see their daughters and sons going to the U.S and become Americans.

Chronicler of Saint Lucian History Remembered

Matthew Hunte — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 22:31:03 +0000

Historian and conservationist Robert Devaux was laid to rest this week, having passed away on the morning of April 16th 2013, after a battle with cancer. St. Lucian netizens have been paying tribute to a man many consider to be an environmental hero and national visionary.

A founding member of both the Saint Lucia Research Centre and the Saint Lucia National Trust, where he served as president for many years, Devaux also authored several books on the island's rich history, the last of which was 2012′s “A History of Saint Lucia”.

A biography posted by Tony Williams on the Caribbean Book Blog highlighted Devaux's contribution to to research in Saint Lucia:

Born in Castries in 1934, Mr Devaux devoted most of his life to studying and documenting the history of St Lucia and the island’s natural habitat and ecosystems, as well as its rich and diverse cultural heritage. He was a strong advocate for the preservation of the island’s archaeological sites and its historical relics. Along with other local environmentalists he played a major role in helping to raise public awareness of the importance of environmental conservation and the protection of St Lucia’s unique ecology, wildlife and and landscape.

The post also touched on his archaeological work:

A former field engineer, Mr Devaux was an avid participant in archaeological digs. He is credited with re-discovering numerous historical sites, including the ruins of early Arawak and Carib settlements and the forest hideouts of the Brigands, former runaway slaves considered to be the island’s first freedom fighters because of their resistance and rebellion against the brutal oppression of French and British colonists and planters in the mid to late 18^th century.

The Facebook page for Lighthouse Road Publications, which was established to publish “A History of Saint Lucia”, also included information about Devaux's work:

In 1961, Devaux founded the St Lucia Research Centre (incorporated in 1994), producing dozens of research papers on a wide range of topics, usually following a request by government, corporate or private entities for information on (occasionally obscure) details of St Lucia's past. The decades of meticulous research spent on those papers were put to good use in ‘A History of St Lucia', which Robert co-authored along with Jolien Harmsen and Guy Ellis.

According a tribute posted to Facebook, Devaux worked hard to protect Saint Lucia's heritage, even when it sometimes seemed futile:

Sadly, he spent too much time fighting to be heard. Imagine how much more of our heritage would be preserved for future generations if there were more people like him. He lost some of his hardest-fought battles: when he tried to stop the development between the Pitons, he was relieved of his duties on the board of the Development Control Authority; his proposal to create a wetland at La Tourney was shot down by the Port Authority; and his effort to save the east coast trail (four miles of trail that he built single-handedly) fell on deaf ears when the developers of Le Paradis started talking.

The tribute continued:

He had a vision for St. Lucia – one that put conservation and heritage preservation on par with development. He was a realist: he never tried to prevent development; instead he preached sustainable development. He never rejected a project without suggesting an alternative that would accomplish similar economic goals without compromising the nation’s heritage. He despaired of how much we have squandered, but he would want us to fight for what little is left of our beaches, our rainforests, our wildlife, and our historic sites. He believed that it is our duty to make our little piece of the world a little better. He certainly did that.

Robert Devaux was the recipient of several awards, including being named an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1991.

The thumbnail image used in this post, “Setting Sun – St. Lucia – Pitons – View”, is by Jason Michael, used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic Creative Commons license. Visit Jason Michael's flickr photostream.