Should water, as a scarce resource, be priced according to its market value?

The Background:

One of my new favorite features on The Economist is the occasional online debates they have on current and controversial issues. Last week they had one focusing on how the US should respond to Russian aggression over Georgia. The Pro side was led by none other than Princeton's Anne Marie Slaughter. Nice to see the Tigers represent. 

Anyway, the current debate statement is, "This house believes that water, as a scarce resource, should be priced according to its market value." Do your homework first and read the debater statements for pro, con, and moderator. Also take a look at the guest contributors for their say.

The Pro side is focusing on the argument that water is a commodity, and just like many other commodities, a market system should be used to efficiently allocate the resource. Oil, electricity, and wheat are all commodities that are heavily influenced by market factors in order to achieve efficient allocation, so why shouldn't oil?

The Con side is countering with the opposite argument that water is actually unlike any other commodity. No other commodity is so vital to life like water is. Water prices should not be dependent on the active hands of greedy investors or the invisible hand of economics. Instead, it should be distributed through responsible regulation and conservation.

The Discussion:

The crux of my argument utilizes my previous work with another recently defined commodity, carbon credits. My senior thesis, "Saving the Green: An Analysis of Hedging Strategies for the EU-ETS Carbon Dioxide Market", analyzed different forms of control mechanisms and their ability to effectively reduce the emission of carbon dioxide in a cost effective way. The lessons learned from this previous research could be useful in analyzing this similar problem regarding water. Although water and carbon credits are different in many ways, I will argue that these two commodities share several traits that are especially relevant in picking an appropriate control mechanism.

1. The supply for both commodities is constrained. A failure to meet this constraint will result in significant public negative externalities
2. Both commodities have the potential for vast improvements through cost effective research and innovation
3. Enforcement must be feasible and all-inclusive to successfully maintain the aggregate target for each commodity

Any attempts to regulate the use of water or carbon credits through control mechanisms should take strong consideration of these three factors. I propose that the most appropriate control mechanism for carbon credits will also be the most appropriate for water due to these considerations. There are of course major differences we will need to address, but this framework will give us a justified foundation. We will discuss potential modifications to account for those differences later.

During my senior thesis research, I considered three general types of control mechanisms that could be used to reduce carbon dioxide emission. I've summarized this research into a general purpose statement for each mechanism, as well as their relative strengths and weaknesses. Keep in mind the three factors discussed above while you read the descriptions and come to your own conclusions on the most appropriate mechanism.

Taxation on carbon emission:

Purpose: Create an artificially high price for high emitting energy sources to encourage consumers to reduce or substitute energy use.

Program advantages:

• Tax rates can be adjusted to achieve necessary targets in the long run, very flexible mechanism
• Ultimately encourages highest emitters to reduce CO2 levels since they face greatest impact from the tax

Program disadvantages:

• Does not strictly determine carbon dioxide emission, targets can be surpassed in the short term
• Highest emitters is not necessarily the most cost efficient target for CO2 reduction
• Harder to enforce than supply side regulation, resulting in higher enforcement costs

Fuel supply regulation and quotas:

Purpose: Set limits on extracting fossil fuels and impose quotas on all energy imports to control how much carbon dioxide is emitted

Program advantages:

• Strictly determine amount of carbon dioxide emitted
• Limited number of energy suppliers make enforcement relatively easy

Program disadvantages:

• Lack of supply puts upward pressure on prices just like a tax
• Windfall of higher prices goes to private suppliers instead of the government who can subsidize new technology

Market mechanism:

Purpose: Set an aggregate quota of CO2 emission and allocate carbon credits to emitters. Then create a carbon dioxide market mechanism that allows firms to choose between reducing emissions in-house or purchasing credits from another firm

Program advantages:

• Gives firms flexibility to achieve carbon target in the most cost efficient manner
• Encourages participation from both low and high emitting firms
• Carbon credit allocation can be adjusted to achieve necessary targets in the long term, very flexible mechanism

Program disadvantages:

• Harder to enforce than supply side regulation, higher enforcement costs
• Difficult for companies to make cost efficient decisions due to price volatility from external market factors such as liquidity and speculation

So which of these control mechanisms is most appropriate for carbon dioxide? And can we extrapolate this to water as well? I'll post my thoughts on this later. In the meantime, send in your comments on the topic.

"Go Green, Get Green" is the slogan and theme song for the national tour which combines a sustainable product expo with a concert, eco-equity symposium and green jobs fair.  The October 25 Harlem launch will focus heavily on green employment opportunities, introduce a green sales and marketing training program, and feature panel discussions on topics including: The Effects of Climate Change on urban America;  Green Building and Infrastructure Development;  Urban Media's role in Promoting the Emerging Green Economy; and Strategies for Going Green in Urban America.

"In addition to promoting sustainability, recycling and carbon footprint reduction in urban America, we focus on what today's under-served urban dwellers really need, jobs and opportunities to make and save money." says Duval Osiris James, founder and CEO of UrbanGoGreen, who created UrbanGoGreen after attending a green collar jobs conference at the United Nations where he was one of few African-Americans in attendance. He says, "If the African-American and Hispanic community does not get in the loop fast on the emerging green economy, we will be left behind yet again, just as in the technology era."  With unemployment rates steadily climbing as a result of the current Wall Street crisis and the emerging green economy projected to generate billions in revenue and create thousands of new jobs over the next ten years, the UrbanGoGreen Tour and Expo could not come at a better time for many in New York and the nation.

Having premiered UrbanGoGreen Magazine and the infectious "Go Green, Get Green" theme song written and performed by tour spokesperson, IHSAN, at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Osiris is making good on his promise to use his media, entertainment and marketing company, UM Media Group (ummediagroup.com) to "popularize the eco-consciousness and sustainability marketplace in the hearts of America's cities."

"Everybody has to get involved if this eco-consciousness movement is going to work. We are presenting green employment and savings opportunities to parents and working adults and using socially responsible hip-hop and pop culture elements to attract and inspire the youth," says Osiris. Culminating in the summer of 2009, the UrbanGoGreen Tour and Expo will visit several of the nation's largest and most under-served urban centers with the "Go Green, Get Green" message including: Newark, N.J., Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, G.A.. The tour will also make several stops on university and college campuses in these cities. Other events injected into UrbanGoGreen Tour along the way include a sustainable fashion show and a celebrity basketball tournament.

The October 25, UrbanGoGreen launch will be presented at the Harlem Armory at 40 West 143 Street in Harlem, N.Y. The event runs from 10am- 6pm and is free for youth under 18 and students with ID and $10.00 for adults.  High school and college students, job seekers, professionals, entrepreneurs, parents and all those interested in learning more about eco-living and the green economy are invited to attend. Attendees are encouraged to bring their resumes to this event as there will be opportunities to apply for jobs on the spot.

I've been in trip-planning daydreams for a few weeks now. Recently, Mr. SensibleKitty and I were talking about a trip to Atlanta but couldn't go because of the aforementioned fuel crises.

This will be helpful when we can afford to get out of town, though. Cost2Drive takes your mileage, gas tank, car make and model into consideration to calculate your total fuel expenses for a trip. I especially like this fun fact plastered right on the front page:

A trip from New York to Los Angeles costs $678 in a Hummer H3 and $219 in a Toyota Prius

Cost2Drive

Do you ever wonder what it costs to drive somewhere? We do and so we created CostToDrive.com to help people quickly and easily discover how much it costs to drive anywhere in the US.

Here's the specs on our -someday-in-the-future trip to Atlanta:

$30.51

• Fuel 18 Gallons
• Average Gas Price $3.38

Just snapped these pix around camp. There were thousands, yes thousands of blackbirds swarming above and around my usually tranquil location. Alfred Hitchcock eat your heart out.

Well maybe not yet.

What all the info out there doesn't tell you is that each of these CFL's contain mercury. According to a Portland Press Herald article (Feb. 26, 2008):

"Mercury is a toxin that affects the nervous system and can harm brain development in young children and fetuses. A compact fluorescent bulb contains only about 5 milligrams of mercury, enough to fit on the tip of a ball-point pen. An old-fashioned mercury thermometer, by comparison, contains about 100 times that amount. But if a bulb breaks, the small amount of mercury can create high levels of vapor in the air, the study showed. The mercury-vapor standard in federal and state safety guidelines is 300 nanograms per cubic meter of air. Broken bulbs created levels that often exceeded that standard and sometimes exceeded 25,000 or even 50,000 nanograms per cubic meter for short periods of time, according to the study."

Light-bulbs break, it's inevitable, now that you have one of these broken bulbs, what are you supposed to do for your clean up, well with an incandescent bulb, I'd sweep it up and throw it in the trash, with my biggest concern being that hopefully either myself, my wife or my dog don't step on a piece of glass shrapnel that I forgot to clean up. With CFL's and according to the EPA there are detailed specifics on how to handle a broken CFL, first and foremost you should evacuate your home, then below you'll find the list of the other clean up steps:

Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room
* Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
* Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
* Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces
* Carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
* Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
* Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.
* Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug
* Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
* Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
* If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
* Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding and Other Soft Materials
* If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.
* You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.
* If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.

Disposal of Clean-up Materials
* Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup.
* Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
* Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.

Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming
* The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.
* Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed."

The last thing, is that all of these CFL bulbs are only built in China, there are no manufacturers in the US or any other nation. After finding all this information, it makes me wonder about the pros vs. con's on these lights, especially since we just converted every bulb in our house to a CFL and we recently just had one of them break. We didn't know this information before our clean up and we just tossed it into the trash like one would with any other light bulb. This information isn't readily available, granted any google search will yield more than enough info, but I wouldn't have known to google it. Below you will find a list of my resources for this article.

Portland Press Herald

Scientific American

National Public Radio

Energy Star

Environmental Protection Agency

Made in China

The world pumped up emissions of the chief human-produced global warming gas last year, setting a course that could push beyond leading scientists' projected worst-case scenario, international researchers said Thursday.

The new numbers, which some scientists called "scary," were a surprise because experts thought an economic downturn would slow energy use. Instead, carbon dioxide output rose 3% from 2006 to 2007.

That amount exceeds the most dire outlook for emissions from burning coal and oil and related activities as projected by a Nobel Prize-winning group of international scientists in 2007.

Meanwhile, forests and oceans, which suck up carbon dioxide, are doing so at lower rates, scientists said. If those trends continue, the world will be on track for the highest predicted rises in temperature and sea level.

The U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that an increase of between 3.2 and 9.7 degrees Fahrenheit could trigger massive environmental changes, including melting of the Greenland ice sheet, the Himalayan-Tibetan glaciers and summer sea ice in the Arctic.

Corinne Le Quere, professor of environmental sciences at the University of East Anglia and the British Antarctic Survey, said the prediction that current emissions put the planet on track for a temperature rise of more than 11 degrees means the world could face a dangerous rise in sea level as well as other drastic changes.

Richard Moss, vice president and managing director for climate change at the World Wildlife Fund, said the new carbon figures and research showed that "we're already locked into more warming than we thought."

"We should be worried -- really worried," Moss told the Washington Post. "This is happening in the context of trying to reduce emissions."

The new data also shows that forests and oceans, which naturally take up much of the carbon dioxide humans emit, are having less impact. These "natural sinks" have absorbed 54% of carbon dioxide emissions released since 2000, a drop of 3 percentage points compared with the period between 1959 and 2000.

The pollution leader was China, followed by the United States, which past data show is the leader in emissions per person in carbon dioxide output. And although several developed countries slightly reduced output in 2007, the U.S. churned out more.

Still, it was large increases from China, India and other developing countries that spurred the growth of carbon dioxide pollution to a record high of 9.34 billion tons of carbon. Figures released by science agencies in the U.S., Great Britain and Australia show that China's added emissions accounted for more than half of the worldwide increase. China passed the U.S. as the No. 1 carbon dioxide polluter in 2006. ...

Continue reading.

Now there are certain things that need no explanation in life. Like my interest in MMA female fighters, and my other Achellies Heel...Monkeys. Imagine if you can, a combination of the two. No, not like The Island of Dr. Moreau or anything like that, but a bar. Which would include my other pass-time of drinking. Let me set the scene. A bar at which you can see live Chick Fights all while having a monkey take your order. Is this not the best idea you've ever heard of? Japan already has trained monkey waiters in a couple of restaurants. There are also several dive bars with chick fights, foxy boxing, or mud wrestling. I'm talking about combining beer, boobs, and monkeys. I'm gonna call it Rooster Cockburn's. Although no roosters will be mentioned in the advertisements, there will be cock fights after 2am.

This is the Genesis of a Utopian wonder land. Drinkin', Kay-Y Jelly fights, monkeys serving you, rock-n-roll, cock fights, pool, darts, a live band every Tuesday-Friday, bikini models in cherry pie fights. If this is what you have longed for to reclaim your manhood, then I...I am your revolutionary smut captain. The first one to join me will Colonel Taint.

When the girls get old we'll just haul them out to Jersey. When the monkeys start getting slow we'll have monkey knife fights. When the roosters get die in the ring we'll have free chicken night. And when I die have my body treated like Han Solo's bronze full body bust. Have the heir to the Playboy mansion have his girls throw flowers on my bronzed casket, and wipe it clean with their tears and hair.

After the glory days are gone I'd like a children's book written about my exploits and adventures. I have spoken.

Traps will be bought and the buggers will be killed.

I'm glad my cold weather gear was in the wash because it was actually pretty warm out there and this just added to the perceived effort. In this month's Runner's World Magazine it mentions trying to have a quieter footfall, so I listened carefully and was pleased to find that I do in fact have a light pitter patter...but people turn to see who's coming when they hear my laboured breathing and heavy panting.

It was rather windy out there and we stood watching the leaves blowing around for a while and delighted in the amazing array of colours. Autumn is truly lovely.

Time: 36.26

Distance: 3.52 miles

Average Pace: 10.21

Best Pace: 8.51

Calories: 414

photo credit

Sightline Daily | Northwest News That Matters

Top Picks of the Day

10. Views: I-985: Look Under the Hood -- It Won't Run
Tim Eyman's initiative-of-the-year, I-985, takes micromanagement far beyond the point of absurdity. I-985 would raid existing revenue streams (or nearly run them out of business, in the case of traffic cameras). The money involved -- something over $120 million a year -- would hardly dent the state's real congestion problems. What drivers would chiefly see from I-985 are traffic jams from the measure's unintended consequences and greater threats from speeders and red-light runners. Tacoma News Tribune 10/07/2008

…we want the government to.

For example, opposition leaders are taking easy aim at the Athabasca Tar Sands in Alberta for two reasons:

1) Let’s face it, the tar sands are not an organic broccoli farm.

2) The East has always been jealous of the perceived wealth of the West, and that instinct is being used against Ontario and Quebec voters.

The problem with Canada’s pollution “problem” is not Shell, PetroCan, or SynCrude. It is you and me.

As I look out my office window, the parking lot must be 75% SUV’s, the rest midsize sedan’s and one scooter. To that person, I salute you! Yet if polls are any indication, about that same number who own guzzling vehicles also want the government to do “something” about the environment.

What a typical load of Canadian moose pass-the-buck crap. Same goes for you Americans as well.

I’m not saying government has no role…because it does. But do not wipe your hands like Pontius Pilate thinking it will make you innocent…because it doesn’t. We’re killing our planet and our bodies every day just by going to the McDonald’s drive-thru and not for one second considering the consequences of our “freedom of choice”.

And Liberal environmental policy is simply a convenient load of bull the public wants to believe in order to be absolved of guilt. People, people…CARBON is not the problem…METHANE is. You know, the air that comes out of your fat liberal ass after you’ve had your third Quarter Pounder with extra Cheese in a row, all the while complaining about why the government doesn’t save the world…that gas. Methane is 20 times more powerful, and a far bigger problem.

So the big talk amongst the Liberals, NDP and Green’s isn’t so much a smokescreen as much as it is a blatant 5-bean chili beer fart in your face.

But know this…if by some sick joke from God the Green Party ever won a majority government, things would not change. The gas for your car, power for your home, and the oil required to make the endless plastic garbage for little Jimmie’s Christmas toys has to come from somewhere.

Governments make policy, but reality always wins…no matter what the politicians tell you. The government simply follows your lead.

We start to see this notion of a scientific materiality, applied to the more imaginative realm of language and literature (at least as conventionally viewed) when she refers to "material metaphors" and at the end of chapter 2 to medial ecology. Elsewhere, Hayles builds in compelling ways on this analogy from ecology and refers to the relationship between media and humans, machine intelligence and human intelligence, in terms of symbiosis. Her use of the word environment continues this thinking.

She writes: "computers are simulation machines producing environments" (48). No dobut you have experienced that in the simulation of a computer game, or have consdiered that in terms of virtual reality--even if only glimpsed from the vantage point of The Matrix (could that in some way, by the way, be considered a proto-Frankenstein film?). But what about boring and utterly familiar word processing, microsoft word? This, too, is the production of a writing and reading environment. So is all writing and reading an interaction through (hence the word medium, in the sense of a middle, a conveyance) an environment of some sort of mediation. So, what if we think more specifically and deliberately about the environment in which we read and write? Can we not, should we not, take an environmental perspective? For Hayles, an environmental perspective recognizes the specificity of the literary/media environment, just as an ecological perspective understands the specificity of relation. In ecology, generalizing yields disregard for the complexity of a system in which (as she reminds us) a change somewhere is a change everywhere. In literary ecology, failure to be specific with our environment and our tools renders flat text--the ones we write and the ones we wish to write about.

So, a lesson from Hayles and her own example of media specific analysis, carried into the third writing project (and, of course, beyond): we can learn to be more specific as writers and readers by giving more attention to the specificity of our writing medium. The medium matters. How does the medium in which you are writing (and thinking) inform your writing and your thinking? Consider this as you use your blog, or shift to handwriting in your notebook, or to Word on your computer. We can learn for our writing, from our writing.

Combat arms, published by Nexon, is a free to play (FTP) First Person Shooter game released on July 10^th, 2008.  Though their concept of a FTP team-based shooter is nothing new, the robust features and low system requirements make this appeal to a lot more people. 

After 2 hours of shooting, fragging, and purchasing new weapons, our team came away pleasantly surprised.  Combat Arms’ core is nothing like a game of a stature as Call of Duty 4 was- it lacks the diversity of squad-based action nor next-generation tactics or health generation and bullet-penetration.  Many would be surprised that this actually helps the game feel like a throwback to games such as Counter Strike. 

It was easy to quickly select and join a server, and only took about 2 minutes from the time I launched the game to the time that I had maneuvered throughout the games simple menu into a pre-made server. 

With everyone online mostly utilizing rifles such as the M16, many of the battles in the games’ unique environments are interesting.  It requires precision and stability to complete feats including headshots or laying down a line of perfect shots for a second as you wipe out your enemy, but once you’re being attacked by users armed with anti-tank warfare, you know it’s time to upgrade.

A collection of high-powered and wide variety of weaponry is essential to any good shooter, and Combat Arms’ doesn’t disappoint at all.  The guns are modeled, designed, and sound excellent with sounds of the burst stalls the victim with fear.  The guns’ sounds feel so realistic, and it seems as though the character you control is right beside you with its realism.

Furthermore, the selection of weaponry that the user can obtain is widespread.  Your character in the game can carry one primary weapon, along with one secondary and one melee weapon, alongside the user’s grenades.  Each weapon has its traits, much of it in regards to distance, instead of power, although that also comes into play often.  This would allow for easy tactical decisions if characters did not have the option to purchase a backpack to hold two additional primary weapons at the same time.

Although some users will stray off into 1on1 firefights, the game encourages players to use teamwork to their advantage through radar and how areas are designed, and it is eminent in many levels.  Many of the stages you battle through, you must use teamwork to get to the other team’s base with ease, as much of the time there will be enemies guarding their base, making it impassible by one.

Thrown weaponry and anti-tank missiles help the odds against multiple enemies, as each has its own abilities.  For example, the smoke grenade is helpful for cover, while gas grenades cover an area where users will quickly flee.  The only downsides to these thrown weapons are their disappointing blast radiuses, as well as the lack of grenades that could be primed, along with the annoying visible trip mines.     

At release, Nexon primed its first downloaders with approximately 9,000 credits, which is surprisingly enough to purchase about half of the game’s usable guns, while modifying scopes, buying a backpack and new armor- but all of this could only be used for one single day.  Hopefully soon Nexon will make the change and reduce the prices, although users can purchase weapons for longer than a single day, for significant discounts.  As of now, weapons cost about 1,000 credits per day, and an average player will make a mere 100 credits per day.

While the variety and fantastic weaponry stand out, the character models and animations are not impressive.  The animations are jerky, and few in number in many situations.  It’s difficult to tell if your enemy is taking damage until they fall to the ground defeated, due to the lack of wound animations.  Especially in close-quarters combat, planned ambushes can go terribly wrong as it may seem as though you are hitting them, although you may not be any close, and there’s no visible way to tell.

There is nothing in Combat Arms that is anything new in terms of graphics, as the environments and character models look sub-par compared to other games of today.  Though these don’t damage the user, some maps have steam pipes that will release steam into the users face, temporarily obscuring their vision, whilst bullet holes will glow for the first few moments before they fade, and weapons will reflect light depending on their defining aspects.  But with this sub-par graphics, come extremely low system specifications, so the game can be ran on an older PC and still hold a strong 60 FPS (frames per second).

All-in-all, this game looks very strong from the beginning, despite its graphical issues.  Although this scours the game now, updates are coming weekly on many aspects of the game, so you can expect most bugs to be solved in minimal time.  The Gameplay is more than adequate, and the planned community features that Nexon is planning to release will make this game one to get- and it’s free.

Expect stage 2 of the review, Analysis, coming soon within this month. 

The new McBush aka. McCain is only going to make things worse, not better. There will be no CHANGE for America or Americans, just more of the same of what we have had over the past eight years. PEOPLE WAKE UP and smell the stink. Vote for the one that stands for the ISSUES, not who you like based on skin color, military status or whether or not lipsticked and big on BIG OIL. VOTE intelligently. It's time for change, it's time to get rid of the idiots and pray that the next President will again be of the people, for the people and by the people.

IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. It supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world and brings governments, non-government organizations, United Nations agencies, companies and local communities together to develop and implement policy, laws and best practice. Eight new natural sites have been added to the World Heritage List this year, following IUCN’s recommendations. The new sites include the Socotra Archipelago in Yemen, Canada’s Joggins Fossil Cliffs, the French Lagoons of New Caledonia (see picture above), Saryarka in Northern Kazakhstan, Mount Sanqingshan National Park in China, Surtsey in Iceland, the Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona, and the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico.

“These eight stunning natural sites are amongst the best of what nature has to offer,” says David Sheppard, Head of IUCN’s Protected Areas Programme. “Each site has been carefully inspected by IUCN and thoroughly deserves a place on the prestigious World Heritage List.”

The Socotra Archipelago has been dubbed the Galápagos of the Indian Ocean. It is especially rich in flora and fauna. About 37 percent of Socotra’s plant species, 90 percent of its reptile species and 95 percent of its land snail species cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Canada’s Joggins Fossil Cliffs have been termed the “coal age Galápagos” and are the world reference site for the Coal Age, which is about 300 millions year ago. The site bears witness to the first reptiles in Earth’s history, which are the earliest representatives of the amniotes, a group of animals that includes reptiles, dinosaurs, birds, and mammals.

“This is a fascinating site where you can literally see a slice of history,” says Tim Badman, World Heritage Advisor of IUCN’s Protected Areas Programme. “The Joggins Fossil Cliffs contain the best and most complete known fossil record of terrestrial life in the iconic Coal Age. You can actually see the remains of the first reptiles in the Earth’s history, as well as fossil trees, animals and plants.”

The tropical lagoons and coral reefs of New Caledonia form one of the three most extensive reef systems in the world. They are home to an exceptional variety of coral and fish species and have intact ecosystems with healthy populations of big fish and top predators.

Saryarka is a largely undisturbed area of Central Asian steppe and lakes in the Korgalzhyn and Naurzum State Nature Reserves. These are key stopover points for globally threatened species and provide feeding grounds for up to 15-16 million birds. They are also home to the critically endangered saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica).

Mount Sanqingshan National Park was recommended for its outstanding natural beauty. Its forested and fantastically-shaped granite pillars and peaks can be appreciated by visitors from suspended walking trails.

Surtsey is a new island and was formed by volcanic eruptions in 1963-67. It has been legally protected from its birth and, as such, provides the world with a pristine natural laboratory, free from human interference. It has provided a unique scientific record of the process of colonisation of land by plants and animals.

The Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona, which includes the Glarus Overthrust, shows how mountains were formed through continental collisions and it has been studied since the 18th century.

The three core zones of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve protect eight overwintering colonies of the monarch butterfly in the oyamel fir forests of central Mexico. Perhaps a billion monarch butterflies overwinter here in close-packed clusters every year after a 3,500 to 4,500 km journey. Witnessing this unique phenomenon is an exceptional experience of nature.

]]> http://planetpalin.wordpress.com/?p=777 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:39:05 +0000 Rags http://planetpalin.ar.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/sarah-and-the-bears/ [/caption]

It is very sad and difficult to imagine these animals drowning from exhaustion as they attempt to swim, sometimes over 200 miles to reach the distant ice where they hunt for food. Still Sarah's mantra continues....drill, baby, drill!!!

Now John McCain's running mate in the US election has picked a fight with Washington over the polar bears. In her capacity as governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin has mounted a legal challenge against the decision to put polar bears on the ESA list.

You can read the article here.

"We challenge the governor to expose and persecute big-time loggers and corrupt politicians instead of going after poor communities doing small-scale logging in her province. She has the authority and responsibility to do this. In addition, statistics and studies have shown that the major denuders of forest are the big-time legal commercial loggers who are also the ones the main financiers and buyers of illegal logging in the country," Kalikasan-PNE National Coordinator Clemente Bautista Jr.

According to a study made by Center for Environmental Concerns, an environmental education and research NGO, legal or government-sanctioned logging accounts for 68% of the total forest cover loss from 1981 to 2002, while illegal logging accounts only for 2%.

"Facts show that the big-time commercial loggers in Isabela are the ones who cleared vast tracts of forest and even up to now are the main culprits of forest destruction in the province. In 2006, one logging company in Isabela was allowed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to log 25,887 hectares of forest; this is already way more than the declared forest reserve in the province. Also, in 2006, there were 7 logging companies which have Industrial Tree Plantation Agreement (ITPLA) which allow them to exploit a total of 62,266 hectares of forest areas. This reflects how the policy of Arroyo government and the DENR favors commercial logging over forest conservation and rehabilitation," explains Mr. Bautista.

Based on the data from Forest Management Bureau (FMB), the total forest lands in Isabela is 411,804 hectares in 2003. In 2006, there is only one forest reserve in the province which is Tumauini Watershed Forest Reserve covering 17,670 hectares of forest lands in the Isabela.

"Gov. Padaca and other local government officials with forests in their area of jurisdiction should strike at the root of forest denudation and this is the licensed operations of big-time loggers. They should use their legitimate power and to cancel the permit of destructive logging operations and hold the big-time loggers accountable. At the same time, communities involved in small-scale logging should be assisted and provided with alternative livelihoods," Mr. Bautista explains.###  (Kalikasan)

The "reason" for this ridiculous policy is to prevent the buildup of germs and bacteria around the tap. So all other food establishments who don't leave their tap running constantly are just havens for bacteria? Starbucks has claimed to attempt other methods for remaining sanitary but nothing to their satisfaction. It just doesn't make any sense. Sanitize the tap a couple of times per day and you're set.

Cost must have factored into their decision somehow. Is it cheaper to run water all day then the occasional use of a dishwasher? Dishwasher aren't known for making the most efficient use of water or electricity but surely there are models available that are better than others. There is electricity required for running water as well. Constant running water means that water needs to be treated and pumped which dramatically increases the carbon footprint of their whole operation.

This practice has got to be stopped now. And I suspect that it will. This news story just broke today and I feel it will gain momentum like a snowball rolling down a hill. Hopefully that's not just wishful thinking on my part. If not, this is a boycott worthy issue to me but seeing as I never go to starbucks that probably won't have much of an impact.

It makes me think there is no reason that every person on this planet shouldn't have enough water to drink every day. We have such an abundance of freshwater in Canada that we should absolutely share with other nations who just don't have the natural resources. In the news article it says that the amount of water wasted every day by starbucks is enough to solve the water shortage in a small african nation. So lets give it to them instead of pouring it down the drain.

The final draft is not yet available on the Peak Park Website but it should be on-line by the end of this week with the Agenda & Reports for this meeting.  Presumably it will be much as previously circulated with the amendments outlined in our earlier post of 8th August.

Do add your thoughts and comments below.  Once the Committee adopt it, it will be taken into account for future planning recommendations and policy decisions.  Members of the public may arrange to speak to the Committee by contacting Democratic Services by telephone on 01629 816362 or 01629 816382 or email democraticservices@peakdistrict.gov.uk by midday on Wednesday 15th October.

If you want the Parwich Village Action Group to speak at the meeting leave a comment below or contact Peter T on tel. 287.  The village's biggest concern so far has been that the Officers strongly oppose extending the Area to include all the village.

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I want to spread the non-rumor that Palin is the real terrorist, an animal killing, global warming encouraging  ' not accepting just gay 'tolerating', foreign experience lacking, non-female reproductive rights supporting ,  politically inept debating (due to lack of any actual real experience and education on politics), and therefore unqualified to run our country in ANY way.  Thus, she becomes a  threat to our well being, and therefore defines my view of a TERRORIST.

Sure, this is an alarmist reaction, but so is saying that Barack Obama hangs out with terrorists.  First off the guy who Obama is friends with is not a current 'terrorist'. Secondly, he lead the Weather Underground um... 40 years ago! Thirdly, the WU was not a terribly reputable organization, but it was the off shoot of a movement that was rampant at the time. These people were young and idealistic about how their government should be run, and although I do not agree with violent attacks on anyone let alone my own government, (and perpetuating conspiracy theories)   they were not attacking civilians. I am sure that after 40 years, this man has moved his passion elsewhere and has learned from his youthful mistakes. It seems as though he was anti-government before, but with age and wisdom he is now supporting politics and see Obama and someone who can help his country thrive. Remember what he was fighting for- and that was for his freedom, and for patriotism. Something the McCain/Palin camp cherish. Funny, how if it is expressed in any way which isn't paying taxes, or fighting for your country, or for your freedom to tote arms or 'pick your own health insurance', then you must be  un-patriotic and un-American.  Never mind wanting a government that is open minded, tolerant, and takes care of it's people by giving them health care, while still having freedoms.  Why is it so black and white the issue of health care? Why can't you get health care from your government, or pay for it on a sliding scale? I think that health care has NOTHING to do with my freedom of speech, or how I choose to spend my money. In fact if you provide me with health care, then I am pretty sure I will have MORE MONEY to invest in the economy.

ANYWAY...Sarah Palin's comment is so totally blown out of proportion.  She and her whole campaign love to feed into the hype of fear, and if you listen to that nonsense than you have got to wake up.  You are no better than a lamb in a flock of sheep, and you are what's holding the country back.

I don't know about you but she is sparking TERROR and FEAR in me.  Her existence in this world threatens the balance that this country is trying to strike. I am sorry but Evangelicals, and people with family values WILL NOT SUFFER under an Obama/Biden administration.  Most families taxes will NOT be higher but LOWER. The people getting taxed higher will be among the 5% of people in this country  who are wealthy. They either own their own business or are independently wealthy.  Corporations will be taxed higher, but NOT THE AVERAGE AMERICAN.  Not the common people who may live in any kind of home or neighborhood whether it be low income or higher income.   Obama's economic plan we leave most of the people living in this country OUT of the any kind of tax hike! This is a fact. No one is going to take your livelihood from you, or ruin you, or curtail your beliefs if you vote for Obama.  You can STILL KEEP YOUR MONEY, and your RELIGION, (and your belief that there is no such thing as evolution).  YOU WILL NOT BE AFFECTED. I get the feeling that many people associate the Democrats with some kind of attack on their wallet on their core beliefs. Like if we have a Democratic President that this coutnry will turn into some hippy orgy of love, disease, and atheism. I think some people really need to get a grip. Watch Jesus Camp, and you will see that there are some out there who think everything that isn't within their frame of reference is an attack on them and their belief system.  Like the American government doesn't respect them for their decision to be Evangelical?

However, if you are liberal, or any kind of thinker who doesn't fall in line with the moral and religious beliefs of the McCain/Palin institution how could you feel comfortable? How could you relax knowing that the VP of the USA believes the Roe vs. Wade should be overturned, and that is the ONLY Supreme Court judgment that she knows about because it's probably the only issue she would like to see tackled? This is narrow mindedness.  I want an open minded, educated leader in both my President and VP.

What is good for one is not what is good for all.

WE NEED A LEADER WHO WILL PROTECT THE VALUES OF ALL TYPES OF PEOPLE.

Not just the right-wing conservatives.

WHY would a liberal person who wants their own freedoms TAKE THEM AWAY OR CHANGE THEM for any one else? These people who think they need to protect their family values are living in a warped society. In this country you can believe in BOTH EVOLUTION AND GOD IF YOU WANT TO. Or you can CHOOSE NOT TO BELIEVE IN ANY OF IT. That is the beauty of this country.

Also understand this people- If we were allowed to come to this country, DRIVE OUT THE NATIVES AND THEIR INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS, and sit here and say "I don't believe in the power of England, or it's religion, or it's politics", than it is that same right to FREEDOM and that right to REBELLION that created this country and allows ALL AMERICANS TODAY to have a right to say "I will believe in any religion that I want to, and I will choose what to do with my body and NO ONE, not even my government can tell me what to do."  Don't Republican and folksy people like Palin go by that very principle? So isn't it fair to let me have my abortion choices? (And if I was apart of this community) to have a choice over marrying someone if I were gay? What about the choice that I am currently making right now to leave my Catholic background behind and go towards Buddhism? Isn't that my choice? Why would any of my personal decisions be a problem to you?

This freedom of choice is what the Republican Party stands on. It calls for us to bring America 'back' to where were came from which makes no sense!! It is bogus and it's bullshit.  Think about this in your economically conservative beans- for- brains:  if you think that we should tax the middle class more, and let the Free Market and the riches from the upper class trickle down to help the rest of us, but that no one should be have their hard earned money taken away by the government then YOU ARE CRAZY HYPOCRITE! You are insane. Let me point out how you are WRONG.

1. Trickle down economics have not worked. We have been saying this should work since 1980, and it hasn't worked once.

2. You can't be a sane middle-class American and say "Yes, I fully volunteer to be taxed more by the Republican Party, and then HOPE that the Rich people who are making more than me spread their joyous wealth down into the economy so I can reap the benefits of their riches." Do you honestly believe that? If you sat down at a craps table in Las Vegas you would have more luck.  You are agreeing to give more money to the government that you hate , ( the government that supposedly threatens to regulate your freedoms, and  to most people money is freedom), and you in turn support those that are making you poorer because they the rich do not trickle down. They hold onto their wealth with a tight fist, and if they are in spending in a time of Recession then that is BAD FOR US. REPEAT IF RICH PEOPLE SPEND THEIR $ IN A TIME OF RECESSION THEN THAT IS BAD FOR ALL OF US. SEE BELOW.

3. Free market sort things out? HA!  DO YOU SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING ON WALL ST. RIGHT NOW? BAILOUT IS NOT WORKING, and it's because not event the government can help out this paddywacks and all the bullshit they caused.  We need some regulation in our market because apparently Wall Street cannot be trusted with OUR MONEY. Yes, Wall St. runs off of EVERYONE'S money, not just private business and stock holders. We are all somehow involved. If you own a house, if you have money in a bank, then you are involved!***

Free Market can be GREEDY AND CORRUPT, and will do things like buy and sell credit defaults with out the fine print spelled out, which thus, in short, turned this economy into garbage. Now we are in a fucking crisis. Funny how PALIN says "Let's end the greed in corruption on Wall St." YEAH HOW? Apparently, she is not going to do it by FIXING the actual problem. She still wants a free market, and she and McCain still want to tax the people who are worse off  (middle class) and then let the Free Market and the rich just keep doing what their doing.

If you're rich you will continue to spend your money no matter what the crisis and according to the basic principles of economics, this will  INCREASE the inflation rate, which doesn't help middle America!!!!*** Especially, if we are being more heavily taxed.   The McCain/ Palin camp wants to LEAVE EVERYTHING ALONE AND TAKE AWAY MORE FROM THE AVERAGE PERSON.  Sounds like a slippery slope into a Depression and into a vast pool of fucking bullshit.

What makes me even more sick is that Sarah Palin thinks that killing off a beautiful creature like the Alaskan Wolf is a great way to let other animal populations thrive. Why would we want deers, moose, and caribou to thrive- OH! BECAUSE SHE WANT TO EAT THEM?  Is it all about us 100% of the time Sarah?! NO ITS NOT. Has she ever sat through a science class? Has she ever even observed the beautiful balance of life and nature? Has she ever witnessed the cycle of life, like the ocean's tides clearing away the shore, or a bee pollinating a flower,  birds nesting in a tree, or even an ant colony living off the remains of a cadaver? We need all kinds of animals and life to survive in this planet. We need a balance in our ecosystem so that we can ALL EXIST. Humans are nothing without the vast splay of life that support us.

Don't even get me started on the Polar Bears. I will end up breaking my keyboard.

I am fuming, and fuck yeah I am an 'angry'  lefty. This level of douchebaggery is out of control and rampant. Our country is not doing so hot, and no one wants to be in this war. I am sick and tired of all this bullshit, and everyone is so freakin' complacent.  Get off your asses, open you eyes. If Obama doesn't win this election I am rebelling. I am not gonna be a cop out that says "I am moving to Canada". HA! Like they are gonna let you in! Listen, we care this much because we love our country, and we want to see it be a better place. We're a new generation and we can improve upon our quality of life here. We can learn from the mistakes from our parent's generation, and we can show the world that we can think for ourselves. We need to take command of the advantages written into our Constitution, and we need put the democracy and freedom back into our government. I won't stand to see my country fall to such low depths of corruption and misery any longer....

DONATE HERE TO STOP THIS TERRIBLE PRACTICE!

http://actionfund.defenders.org/site/PageServer?pagename=c4akwolf_homepage

This site is dedicated to enjoying what you eat and enjoying your life as a result!  Having a plant-based diet is the single best thing you can do for your health!  All of the vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to be healthy are readily available and provided by the Earth.  Need some vitamin D? Look to the sun! Need some b12? Look to the sea(weed)! Need some protein? Look to plants!  

A VEGAN lifestyle is a dramatic change from the traditional lifestyle of Americans.  It is dramatic, positive, healthy, rewarding, and a lifestyle that truly gives back to society!  Being VEGAN means you're taking care of yourself, you're taking care of animals, and you're taking care of the environment!

So, what?  Aren't all VEGAN and VEGETARIAN people just freaks? Hippies! Rebels! Dummies!  Yes, I've heard it all and no!  People with a plant-based diet aren't freaks!  No matter the reason you are VEGAN or are considering being VEGAN, whether it's for your health, the environment, or to help animals, you've got your head in the right place and you aren't a freak!  You are a wise person!

Before my VEGAN conversion, I was already healthier than the average American.  Which isn't necessarily saying much when you think about what qualifies as 'average' American diet.  I didn't exercise my brains out, but I ate a fairly well rounded and balanced diet.  Because moderation is the key to everything, right?  Not anymore! I am no longer interested in eating any animal product moderately... or at all!  From me to you, personally, I cannot tell you how much better I feel and how much better my family feels!

During the transition of becoming VEGAN from being only VEGETARIAN, I dabbled in the occasional cheese or conventional dessert(with dairy and eggs in it).  And let me tell you, it made a HUGE difference!  If I hadn't had cheese in two weeks and then I had some queso or a nice cube of aged gorgonzola... man did I regret it afterwards!  Up all night with stomach aches, spending too much time in the bathroom taking alka-seltzer...if you KNOW what I'm sayin'!  

And no, it's not 'just because'!   It's not because 'hey, it's happens to us all...we all get a little indegestion'... blah blah!  The MAJORITY of ADULTS are lactose intolerant and just don't realize it!  What are the symptoms?  Gas. Bloating. Indigestion. Diarrhea. Stomach Cramps. And you know what?  The severity of symptoms vary.  Some people have severe reactions and some people mild ones.  So the next time you get gas after your HUGE  bowl of ice cream... you may want to wonder WHY you're body is reacting that way.  

If you are truly convicted to going VEGAN, I'm afraid you're not in for a ride on easy street!  There are people out there who are referred to as 'Junk Food Vegetarians'!  These folks are those who do not partake in meat but they don't make it a point to consume the amount of fruits, veggies, and whole grains that they need to!  Eating like a TRUE VEGAN means you don't do any animal product (dairy, beef, pork, poultry, fish, eggs) and you make a daily conscience EFFORT to get the nutrients you need through FRUIT, VEGGIES, WHOLE GRAINS, and LEGUMES!  So, if you eat Fruit Loops for breakfast, Sushi for lunch, and pasta for dinner... don't be fooled!  Just because you didn't eat meat doesn't mean you got all of your nutrients in! So what is it that really matters, then, to YOU?

And what do you think makes you FEEL GOOD?  We all want to feel better don't we?!!?  Let's suffer from less DEPRESSION, let's feel HAPPIER, let's lose WEIGHT, let's help the ENVIRONMENT, let's be an example!  FOOD!  We all are in control of what we put into our bodies.  Some people put too much alcohol, processed food, nicotine, or drugs into their bodies and become addicts.  They live unhappily and unhealthily.  Some people don't put enough whole foods into their bodies and suffer from disease.  They live unhappily and unhealthily.  Some people put a moderate amount of the WRONG types of foods into their bodies and live unhappily and unhealthily because of that as well.  We are all RESPONSIBLE for ourselves.  We are responsible to learn for ourselves and take care of ourselves and if you have a family you're responsible to take care of them too.  All anyone can ask of us is that we do our best! I am trying to do my best and to do my best for my family! After all, if you don't have your health...well, you don't have anything!

So, the essence of this web site is not to rant, rave, or convert!  This is mostly a site for sharing stories, sharing ideas, and for sharing recipes!  That's right, people, food food yum yum!!  I will be posting my efforts in the kitchen and I will be inviting those would like to chime in!  Please feel free to comment or email me if you have any questions or concerns.  If you would like to know something about a cooking technique or nutritional value...just let me know.  We all need to help encourage, support, and educate each other!

Share your story, share your recipes, share your dinner!

MANILA, Philippines -- Climate change and irresponsible mining in the country could prove to be a deadly combination in coming years, a legal policy research and advocacy organization said on Tuesday.

Members of the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC) said miners' inability to predict the weather and amount of rainfall could prevent them from implementing safety measures properly.

“These mining companies say they are able to contain mining toxic wastes in what they call tilling ponds or dams,” Ronald Gregorio, LRC campaigns paralegal, said in an activity held in Quezon City in observance of the Anti-Mining Solidarity Week.

However, the tilling ponds and dams -- where hazardous wastes such as mercury and cyanide are dumped -- are known to spill over and pollute the surrounding land or watershed whenever the miners miscalculate the amount of rainfall.

“Climate change has blurred the divide between summer and the rainy season. Summer now does not mean that there would be no rains or even typhoons,” Gregorio said.

He added that mining might not be suitable for a disaster-prone country such as the Philippines.

“Typhoons and earthquakes would only worsen the situation, with the consequent spillage of toxic wastes leading to death of biodiversity and food scarcity,” Gregorio said.

He added that the number of mining companies operating in the Philippines only painted a bleaker picture for the environment, especially with an undermanned Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Gregorio likened the DENR to the Bureau of Food and Drugs, which he said lacks the capacity to monitor all dairy products in the country amid the melamine scare.

“With so many mining corporations operating in the country, it is impossible for the DENR to monitor them all,” he said.

LRC documents show 30 companies with exploration permits in the country and 262 companies with mineral production sharing agreements.

He called the government's mining revitalization program “reckless and unfair to land owners, especially farmers.”

“The government's mining policies do not jive with the people's rights,” LRC’s Ana Muhi stressed.

She said “these policies do not take into consideration human rights, biodiversity, water, agricultural, displacement and starvation costs.”

Gregorio said the group has been planning to push for an alternative mining bill, which would stipulate that the industry should have a link with “downstream industries.”

“This means the creation of local industries such as metal processing and machinery plants that would turn the minerals into finished products without exporting them,” Gregorio said.

He added the creation of such industries would regulate the extraction of minerals and prevent the use of toxic chemicals such as mercury and cyanide.

“There would be no use for such destructive chemicals because the miners would not be pressured to sell the minerals for a higher rate abroad,” Gregorio said.

“The Philippine Mining Act should be scrapped and replaced with a more patriotic law,” he said. (PDI)

A study conducted by the Saint Louis University College of Engineering showed that the Abra River is polluted.

The study entitled “The Abra river system water quality monitoring” by Josephine Aries Dulay came out in the Northern Luzon Research Journal published in 2007 which is an inter-university publication for applied research and development studies.

Data sampling for the research was started in October 2004. The sampling was performed on a quarterly basis.

“Water samples taken from different sites along the length of the Abra River system were analyzed in terms of physic-chemical characteristics which include temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, biochemical oxygen demand, nitrates, lead, mercury, chromium, and cyanide concentrations,” reads the study’s abstract.

The samples were taken from the headwaters in Guinaoang as control sample, then going down stream at the mill outlet, tailings dam spillway, Lepanto Bridge, Kayan, Gitlangan, Bulaga, Patungkalew, Banoen, Manabo, Bucay, Bangued, Banaoang, Caoayan, and Santa.

“It was found that except for temperature, all parameter readings exceeded allowable limits or did not meet minimum required concentrations set forth in DAO 34 for the rivers to be classified AA (public water supply class I), Class A (public water supply class II), or Class B (recreational water class I),” the study reads. “This means that the river is polluted and is no longer suited for domestic use.”

“During samplings at the mill outlets and tailings dam spillway, no life forms in these parts of the river were observed,” the researcher noted.
Also alarming to note is the presence of toxic substances such as high nitrate concentrations, heavy metals, and cyanides.

The nitrates could be attributed to fertilizers, domestic and industrial effluents, and animal manure.

Heavy metals present are lead, mercury, and chromium in concentrations much higher than acceptable limits. Although these metals are naturally present in the environment, “if found in excessive amounts, they are most likely due to industrial discharges,” the study reads.

Cyanide has also been found to be in concentrations above the acceptable limits, “especially at the mill outlet and the mine tailings spillway,” the study reads. “Cyanide is the most common chemical used to extract gold from ore despite the fact that leaks or spills of this chemical is extremely toxic to fish, plant life, and human beings.”

Cyanide can break down with sunlight and oxygen, but the low amount
of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water hinders it from breaking down.
The low DO also means the water cannot support aquatic life.

“Due to the pollution, the river may no longer be able to fulfill its productive and life-sustaining functions, as the river’s assimilation and self-purifying capacity is greatly impaired,” the researcher stated.

Abra River stretches from Mountain Province passing through Ilocos Sur and Abra. It used to be rich in aquatic resources supporting the needs of the communities it traverses.

Growth in population, urbanization, technological advancement as well as mining, the study mentioned, have contributed to the river’s pollution.

The abstract of the study reads, “The evidence gathered suggests that much of the pollution in the river originate from the corporate mining operations.”

The study shows that deforestation and slash and burn activities in the upland area, illegal logging and tunnel shoring in mining areas causing soil erosion and river siltation, and use of chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers by the farmers nearby also cause river
pollution.

While the research may hurt, the researcher’s objective in doing the study is to assess the river’s capacity to receive waste discharge and later recover from the disturbance, to classify the river according to guidelines set by Department Administrative Order 34 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

It was, however, stated that the river has the capacity to regenerate if proper management of waste disposal is met.

The author suggested that dredging, like what Marcopper in Marinduque did, can be done to be able to bring back the ecological system of the river beds. Oxidation to destroy cyanide molecules can also be done.

Mining operations and environmental protection going together, the author said, is realizable, but “radical changes in mining practices and stricter government implementation of environmental laws” must be done and “mining companies [should] utilize available technologies for the treatment of contaminated fresh surface water, efficient on-site reduction of metal and the control, storage, and beneficial utilization of mine tailings.” (BaguioMidlandCourier)