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Environment
Tides Save
Karachi Turtles from Tar Balls, Other Threats Remain
KARACHI,
Pakistan, July 25, 2000 (ENS) - High tides and monsoon rains have washed
away part of the tarry, oily mess that covered the nesting beaches of endangered
green and olive ridley turtles near Karachi just at the start of nesting season.
The culprits
responsible for sending masses of bitumenous tar balls up on the Karachi beaches
of Hawks Bay and Sandspit two weeks ago may go scot-free as they have not been
identified.
"The tar
balls would now be sent to any private or government laboratory for chemical
analysis," Shahid Lutfi, the deputy director of the Pakistani Environmental
Protection Agency told ENS. "Once the analysis is done, the source of the
tar balls would be known," he added.
Lutfi, who was
entrusted with the task of investigating the matter, has heaved a sigh of
relief. Thanks to the onset of monsoon, the tar balls are no longer visible on
the beach front, he says. "We went to the site but the tar balls were no
longer to be seen," Lutfi said.
He said the EPA has sought the help of the World Conservation Union
(IUCN), and said he had proposed "random spade digging at the beaches to
clear the remainder of the hydrocarbon mess."
But he
conceded that the identification of the source of the contamination may not be
possible. "There could be many contributing factors to the beach pollution,
including ship breaking at nearby Gadani, and Karachi's own shipyards and
fisheries."
Most sources
say that the Gadani ship breaking yards where old ships are brought to be
dismantled may be responsable for release of the oily mess. There have been
reports in the past that ships containing hazardous chemicals have been brought
to this yard.
A source at
the Marine Pollution Control Board, who spoke to ENS on the condition that he
not be named, said the Board is in touch with the other relevant agencies to
create a common line of action to prevent any such occurrence in the future.
"We wrote
to the Environmental Protection Agency, Balochistan, for help in the
investigations and they have advised us to get in touch with the Beach
Development Authority which is closest to the affected site," said the
source. He said that a meeting of agency officials is being set up, and there
are plans to visit the tainted beach next week.
Meanwhile
Pakistan's turtle lady, Fehmida Ghori, said that in addition to the huge losses
caused by the tar ball spill, poaching and nest destruction by hooligans is
killing the endangered sea turtles.
Far Eastern travelers are even today busy in collecting the eggs of
the endangered species. "I caught a Korean party and recovered 500 eggs
from them," the turtle lady said.
Ghori, who is
in charge of the marine Turtle Conservation Project of the Wildlife Department
in the Pakistani state of Sindh, said she suspects that the six poorly paid game
wardens may themselves be involved in the turtle egg poaching racket.
"On
Saturday nights," she said, "Beach revelers come close to the nesting
grounds driving at full speed, with the car headlights on. The turtle hatchlings
become disoriented because of the light. Instead of going to the sea they come
onto the roads and are crushed under the wheels of the cars."
There have
been cases when revelers have beaten up and killed mother turtles just for the
heck of it, she said.
Both turtle
species - green and olive ridley - are found on the 20 kilometers (12.5 miles)
of Hawks Bay and Sandspit beaches near Karachi. At this site, green turtle nests
are laid throughout the year, but most nesting occurs between July and December.
Olive ridley nesting at Hawkes Bay and Sandspit occurs between March and October
with a peak between July and September.
The aim of environmental education and training is not only to develop awareness, but also to encourange problem – solving skills and sensitivity to the link between environment and developmnet. Education which draws on the latest findings of science and technology has played a leading role in creating a better understanding of eviromnetal problums. Environ mntal studies is now regarded as a subject in itself in many schools and universities. Universities and research centres all over the world offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in environmntal or training programmes on specific environmental issues.
The environmental threats
facing the world are so great and so universal that no country, or group of
countries, can hope to tackle them alone. They compel us to act together as a
world community. They require us to forge a global partnership.
We now realize that unless
development is guided by environmental, social,cultural and ethical
considerations,much of it will continue to have undesired effects, to provide
reduced benefits or even fail altrogether. Such unsustainable development will
only exacerbate the environmental problems that arise where basic human need are
not met can erase the resource base from which man must inevitably gain his
sustenance.the destruction of forests, the loss of arable soil, the loss of
productivity through disease and malnutrition and the increasing pressure on
fragile ecosystems which so often result from proverty are as significant as the
pollution created by industry, technology and over-consumption by the
affluent.in their quest for survival and development, human beings have had a
radical imact on the envirnment –the physical and biological system within
which they and other organisms live. By increasing the output of food,fibre,
fuel and other useful products, these changes have often been crucial to the
growth,security and quality of life of our species.but human activities have
also damaged the environment. As a result soil erodes, cropland and forests
disappear, species die out, pollution spreads-and millions
During ancient times, people
learned that their actions could undermine the natural resources on which they
depended . therefore,some early civilizations created reserves to protect
wildlife or natural areas. Historical records show that religious taboos and
sanctions protected some species of animals and some forest groves and plants.
Practices were developed to maintain the fertility of the soil and prevent
erosion. Technological advance the first half of the 20th century
raised fundamental questions about whether the globle coud continue to support
its rapidly growing population-and about whether the technology itself was
appropriate. These questions were first debated in scientific circles, but soon
caught the attention of the public. By the 1960s, environmentalism had turned
from concentrating on the natural environmentalism had turned from concentrating
with human beings. Before long, environment alone to looking at its
interrelation with human beings.before long, environmental issues began to
appear on the political agenda.
INDUSTRIAL CHEMICAL POLLUTION
We are exposed to
industrial chemicals all the time - through factory pollution but also through
the products we use and contaminants in our food.
In most circumstances, it is not clear how these chemicals are going to affect you and your family. The vast majority of chemicals have simply not been tested for health hazards, and we are discovering long-term subtle hazards, which were not even imagined a few years ago. We think that reducing our exposure to these chemicals makes sense, but industry is allowed to release chemicals even though the consequences may be uncertain.
Even when we do know about some
of the health hazards of a particular chemical, it is still difficult to predict
a person's exposure and reaction. And although we might now know how much of a
substance is released in a year, we are unlikely to know whether it was all
released in just one short period during the year, or whether it traveled a long
distance or was broken down very quickly. On the whole, there is very little
monitoring of chemicals in the environment. Also remember that hazardous
chemicals can be present in the finished products of the industry, the ones we
buy and use in our home or office. We think there should be more information
about these sources of exposure too.
What is Global Warming?
Global warming refers to an expected rise in global average
temperature due to the continued emission of greenhouse gases produced by
industry and agriculture which trap heat in the atmosphere. Higher temperatures
are expected to be accompanied by changing patterns of precipitation frequency
and intensity, changes in soil moisture, and a rise of the global sea level.
Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere act like the glass in the greenhouse: they
are transparent to sunlight, which warms the Earth, but they prevent some heat
from escaping into space, keeping Earth warmer than it otherwise would be. A
majority of this greenhouse effect is natural, maintaining Earth's average
temperature at about 60ºF (15ºC). Without the natural greenhouse effect,
Earth's average temperature would be closer to 0ºF (-18ºC).
General Information/Facts
The atmospheric concentrations of several greenhouse gases are rising
as a result of human activity. Carbon dioxide, the most important human-made
greenhouse gas, is released primarily by the burning of fossil fuels like coal,
oil, and natural gas. Its concentration has risen by nearly 30% over its value
in pre-industrial times. Concentrations of other greenhouse gases have also
risen; methane levels have more than doubled and nitrous oxide levels are
increasing as well.
There is a world-wide consensus among climate scientists that global average
temperature will rise over the next 100 years if the release of greenhouse gases
from human activity continues to grow. Assessments by the U.S. National Academy
of Sciences and the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) project that Earth could experience the fastest warming in the history of
civilization during the 21st century. Specifically, according to the IPCC, Earth
may warm by 1.8ºF to 6.3ºF by the end of the next century, potentially making
it warmer than at any time since the evolution of modern humans.
Such a global temperature rise would be associated with significant climate
change. The difference in global average temperature between modern times and
the last ice age -- when much of Canada and the northern United States were
covered with a thick ice sheet -- was only about 9ºF. A temperature rise of
similar magnitude could have serious, potentially devastating effects on society
and ecosystems.
While the pace and magnitude of future climate change are still uncertain, there
is widespread agreement among scientists and government officials on the key
aspects of global warming. This consensus led to negotiation and signing of the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at the 1992 Earth Summit
held at Rio de Janiero. The treaty embodied a voluntary commitment by industrial
countries to return their emissions to 1990 levels by year 2000. The treaty was
strengthened in 1997 by addition of the Kyoto Protocol which calls for mandatory
reductions of emissions by industrial countries (e.g., 7% below 1990 levels for
the U.S. based on average emissions for the period 2008-2012).
Environmental Organizations
Listed below are some Environmental Organizations that are involved in efforts
to stem global warming as well as address other important environmental issues.
Click on any to find out more about what they do and to get more information on
global warming.
The ozone layer, the fragile shield of gas which protects the earth from the harmful rays of the su, is being damaged by chemicals released on the earth. This carries serious risks for mankind.the ozone layer blocks out most of the sun’s UV-B radiation – which causes skin cancer and cataracts in people,stunts plants, including food crops,and kills the tiny organisms which form the base of the marine food chain.
The main chemicals involved in depleting in depleting
stratospheric ozone are chiorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used in refrigeration,
aerosols and as cleaners in many industries, and holons used in fire
extinguishers. The damage is caused when these chemicals release highly reactive
forms of chlorine and bromine. In a complex chain of reactions, a single atom of
chlorine can destroy up to 100,000 molecules of ozone.
The first evidence of damage came in the early 1980s, when
scientists discovered a vast hole in the ozone layer above the
antarctic.ozone-monitoring stations in antarctica have detected average losses
of 30-40 percent in the total ozone over the region during the spring; at some
altitudes the loss may be as high as 95 percent.
Recent NASA satellite data indicate that total-column
ozone has been decreasing at an average of some 0.26 percent peryear from the
arctic circle to the antarctic circle.North of 35 N (about the latitude of
memphis, crete and kyoto) springtime ozone depletions of 3-5 percent are
indicated.in winter, depletion at 45N (Ottawa and Belgrade) may reach 9 percent
. scientists estimate that if CFCs sontinue to be emitted as freely as they were
in 1980, the ozone layer could be reduced by about 3 percent over the next 70
years; if emissions double, up to 12 percent could disappear.
Each 1 percent reduction in ozone is likely is likely to
raise UV-B radiation by about 2 percent .worldwide, this could lead to 100,000
more people going blind every year and 50,000 extra cases of non-melanoma skin
cancer.incidence of the most deadly form of skin cancer,melanoma, may also rise.
PROTECTION OF OCEANS AND COASTAL AREAS
Seventy-one percent of the earth’s surface is covered by sea. Throuth their interactions with the atmosphere, lithospere and bioshere, the oceans have helped to shape the condition which make life possible. They provide a habitat for a fast arry of plants and animimals and supply humanity with food, energy and mineral resources.
About 60 percent of the world’s population live within 100km of a shoreline. Most of the wastes created on land end up in the sea and remain trapped near the shore, poisoning the marine environment. Coastal waters contain many vital ecosystems and provide about 95 percent of the living harvest of the seas.every year, the world’s rivers deliver about 35 trillion tonnes of water to the oceans, containing 3.9 billion tonnes of dissolved matter and from 10 to 65 billion tonnes of suspended particulates. Much of the 6.5 million tonnes of litter which find their way into the sea every year are plastics and other long –lasting synthetic materials. In many areas, sewage and agricultural run – off have caused massive algal blooms, poisoning marine life . athough oil concentrations in the sea are normally too low to threaten marine organisms, acciental oil spills, especially in coastal areas, can cause serious damage.
Coral reefs-home to a third of the world’s fish species – are gradually being destroyed by pollution and overexploitation. So are the mangrove stands, another vital nursery for fisheries and wildlife. With them goes not only a source of food, but also a bulwark against coastal erosion.
The living creatures of the sea have long supplied humanity with food, oils and useful materials. Overfishing –as in the noth –east atlantic where cod and herring catches have plummeted – and pollution threaten these resources.
About 160 species of mammals live in the world’s oceans. For centuries indigenous communities have hunted them on a sustainable basis, but advanced hunting methods are now taking their toll. Several species of great whale, all species of sea cow and some species of seal, dolphin and otter are endangered. Hudreds of thousands of marine mammals are also killed accidentally, when they become entanglad in fishing nets.