This story can not go without comments from people who are so concerned with the strategies we are putting in place as Malawians on climate change. The recognition by the world body on steps taken by our counry on climate change just shows how committed as Malawians both government and individuals we are to fight this war on climate change.
It is not true to say tha Malawi does not cotribute to green house gases, but its only affected by the developed countries. As log as we are building dual carriage Masauko Chipembere Highways, then we are in the same wagon of producing green house gas by our cars traveling on those roads, let alone the high taste of 4 X 4 s by our cooporate and elite society.
I recommend the government for tracking the disposed of HCFCs refrigerators and giving a figure of remaining 15 % to deal with the problem. This just shows we are in control.
Read on the good news..
Hastings
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Read the story as reported BY CHARLES MPAKA 11:39:06 on 29 September 2007.
The Montreal Protocol, an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out of ozone depleting substances, has awarded Malawi for its strides in controlling the concentration of the gases in the country. Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Khumbo Chirwa announced this Thursday in an interview.Chirwa, who had just returned from a conference on climate change in Montreal, Canada, said the meeting recognised Malawi, alongside Nigeria and Mauritius, for its efforts in reducing levels of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), methyl bromide and other substances.
HCFCs, which are used in refrigerators and air conditioners, are said to be 10,000 times more potent to greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide, and therefore contribute immensely to global warming. According to Chirwa, Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has played a part in checking levels of the substance in the country through inspection of refrigerators and related equipment being smuggled into the country.
The minister said Malawi had so far reduced about 85 percent of the levels of the substances. The Montreal Protocol previously suggested complete phase out of HCFCs by 2030 but according to Chirwa, the deadline was not realistic considering large volumes of the substances being used in industrialised countries. “On our part, we still have to fight off the remaining 15 percent.
We are getting there but we need to accelerate our efforts. Various stakeholders have worked together for this achievement but we need to involve communities more,” Chirwa said. In 2006, Malawi developed the National Adaptation Programme of Action (Napa), a plan intended to identify priority activities that respond to her urgent and immediate needs with regard to adaptation to climate change.
The plan highlights the need to involve rural communities in vulnerable areas of the country. Sam Kamoto, Programme Manager for Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (Wesm) said Malawi was being heavily impacted upon by greenhouse gases from industrialised countries, despite itself not contributing towards global warming.
The environmentalist said a coordinated and enhanced participation of local communities and civil society would help a great deal in tackling issues of climate change. Malawi was the first country in the world to phase out methyl bromide, another ozone depleting substance, in 2004.
The Montreal Protocol had recommended the phase out of the substance in developing countries by 2015. Malawi was then the second largest user of the chemical after Zimbabwe because of the tobacco industry, a major forex earner for both countries.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Crocs Found to Swim Up to 24 Miles Daily
ANDREA THOMPSON
FROM: LIVE SCINCE DOT COM
Known for their lethargy, crocodiles weren't suspected to be top long-distance travelers, but a new study shows that they can cover up to 24 miles a day and find their way home from enormous distances.
To test crocodile swimming skills, researchers relocated three crocs between 32 and 80 miles (52 and 130 kilometers) away from their homes just north of Queensland, a state in the northwest of Australia, and set them free to see how well they could find their way back.
The study technique was largely put into practice by the efforts of the late Steve Irwin. Specially-designed transmitters attached to the back of the reptiles' heads allowed scientists to monitor progress, with some astounding results: the crocs swam between 6 and 24 (10 and 39 kilometers) a day, much farther than scientists previously thought they could.
One crocodile even swam around the northern tip of the Cape York Peninsula (which juts northward out from Queensland toward Papua New Guinea) to reach home, covering more than about 250 miles (400 kilometers) in 20 days.
"We often thought crocodiles tired very quickly, but here we show very clearly that they are capable of moving long distances for days on end," said study leader Craig Franklin of the University of Queensland.
Franklin says that the crocs, like birds, probably use many factors to navigate, including the position of the sun, magnetic fields, sight and smell.
"Crocodiles are more closely related to birds than they are any other reptile, so they are possibly using navigation systems similar to birds," Franklin said.
The data from the satellite tracking study, detailed in the online journal PLoS ONE, show that estuarine crocodiles are capable of moving phenomenal distances over prolonged periods of time in the ocean.
FROM: LIVE SCINCE DOT COM
Known for their lethargy, crocodiles weren't suspected to be top long-distance travelers, but a new study shows that they can cover up to 24 miles a day and find their way home from enormous distances.
To test crocodile swimming skills, researchers relocated three crocs between 32 and 80 miles (52 and 130 kilometers) away from their homes just north of Queensland, a state in the northwest of Australia, and set them free to see how well they could find their way back.
The study technique was largely put into practice by the efforts of the late Steve Irwin. Specially-designed transmitters attached to the back of the reptiles' heads allowed scientists to monitor progress, with some astounding results: the crocs swam between 6 and 24 (10 and 39 kilometers) a day, much farther than scientists previously thought they could.
One crocodile even swam around the northern tip of the Cape York Peninsula (which juts northward out from Queensland toward Papua New Guinea) to reach home, covering more than about 250 miles (400 kilometers) in 20 days.
"We often thought crocodiles tired very quickly, but here we show very clearly that they are capable of moving long distances for days on end," said study leader Craig Franklin of the University of Queensland.
Franklin says that the crocs, like birds, probably use many factors to navigate, including the position of the sun, magnetic fields, sight and smell.
"Crocodiles are more closely related to birds than they are any other reptile, so they are possibly using navigation systems similar to birds," Franklin said.
The data from the satellite tracking study, detailed in the online journal PLoS ONE, show that estuarine crocodiles are capable of moving phenomenal distances over prolonged periods of time in the ocean.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Study: Wrong fish used to save species
By JUDITH KOHLER, Associated Press Writer Wed Sep 5, 9:12 PM ET
DENVER - A 20-year government effort to restore the population of an endangered native trout in Colorado has made little progress because biologists have been stocking some of the waterways with the wrong fish, a new study says.
Advances in genetic testing helped biologist discover the error, which was called a potential black eye, but they said there is still hope for restoring the greenback cutthroat trout.
The three-year study, led by University of Colorado researchers and published online in Molecular Ecology on Aug. 28, said that five of the nine populations believed to be descendants of the endangered trout were actually the more common Colorado River cutthroat trout, which look similar.
The study said the results imply that the effort has "failed to improve the species' status."
Lead author, Jessica Metcalf, who recently completed her doctorate in ecology and evolutionary biology at the university, was optimistic about the ongoing restoration program because four populations have been identified as "pure greenback cutthroat trout."
Bruce Rosenlund of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is leading the recovery effort, said the agency is reviewing the study.
"The report is just a continuation of different expert input provided to the team for consideration for restoration," Rosenlund said.
Colorado and federal biologists have a goal of 20 self-sustaining populations of at least 500 fish each. The cost of the program was not available.
Greenback cutthroat trout were historically found in the drainages of the Arkansas and South Platte rivers in Colorado and a small part of Wyoming. They were declared extinct in 1937 because of overfishing, pollution from mines and competition from nonnative fish.
Researchers said remnant populations were found in the 1950s in tributaries and provided brood stock for fish raised in federal and state hatcheries and released in their native habitat.
The fish was added to the federal endangered species list in 1978.
The greenback were believed to be in 142 miles of waterways, including in Rocky Mountain National Park, Rosenlund said.
The new study, based DNA test results, found the greenback cutthroat trout's range is only 11 miles of streams.
The research results are a setback but state biologists believe the program will succeed over the long term, said Tyler Baskfield, Colorado Division of Wildlife spokesman.
"We've been moving fish around in the state since the late 1800s, and now the new science comes in and all of a sudden it's a different playing field," Baskfield said.
University of Colorado professor Andrew Martin, the study's principal investigator, said that while the findings might give the recovery program a "black eye," the hope is that biologists and agencies will move ahead on recovering the species before it goes extinct
DENVER - A 20-year government effort to restore the population of an endangered native trout in Colorado has made little progress because biologists have been stocking some of the waterways with the wrong fish, a new study says.
Advances in genetic testing helped biologist discover the error, which was called a potential black eye, but they said there is still hope for restoring the greenback cutthroat trout.
The three-year study, led by University of Colorado researchers and published online in Molecular Ecology on Aug. 28, said that five of the nine populations believed to be descendants of the endangered trout were actually the more common Colorado River cutthroat trout, which look similar.
The study said the results imply that the effort has "failed to improve the species' status."
Lead author, Jessica Metcalf, who recently completed her doctorate in ecology and evolutionary biology at the university, was optimistic about the ongoing restoration program because four populations have been identified as "pure greenback cutthroat trout."
Bruce Rosenlund of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is leading the recovery effort, said the agency is reviewing the study.
"The report is just a continuation of different expert input provided to the team for consideration for restoration," Rosenlund said.
Colorado and federal biologists have a goal of 20 self-sustaining populations of at least 500 fish each. The cost of the program was not available.
Greenback cutthroat trout were historically found in the drainages of the Arkansas and South Platte rivers in Colorado and a small part of Wyoming. They were declared extinct in 1937 because of overfishing, pollution from mines and competition from nonnative fish.
Researchers said remnant populations were found in the 1950s in tributaries and provided brood stock for fish raised in federal and state hatcheries and released in their native habitat.
The fish was added to the federal endangered species list in 1978.
The greenback were believed to be in 142 miles of waterways, including in Rocky Mountain National Park, Rosenlund said.
The new study, based DNA test results, found the greenback cutthroat trout's range is only 11 miles of streams.
The research results are a setback but state biologists believe the program will succeed over the long term, said Tyler Baskfield, Colorado Division of Wildlife spokesman.
"We've been moving fish around in the state since the late 1800s, and now the new science comes in and all of a sudden it's a different playing field," Baskfield said.
University of Colorado professor Andrew Martin, the study's principal investigator, said that while the findings might give the recovery program a "black eye," the hope is that biologists and agencies will move ahead on recovering the species before it goes extinct
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