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FSM Vulnerability Assessment | Regional | Solomon Islands News

2010-09-21T10:14:00.000-04:00

FSM Vulnerability Assessment | Regional | Solomon Islands News

FSM Vulnerability Assessment

BY SECRETARIAT OF THE PACIFIC COMMUNITY

The government of Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) has carried out climate vulnerability assessments on 14 atoll islands in the states of Pohnpei, Chuuk and Yap.

A total of eight survey teams covered the areas of marine environments, soils, pests and diseases, forests, trees and vegetation, agriculture and land use, water, response management, and socio-economic factors.
This was done to fulfill United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) requirements for the preparation of national communications from non-Annex I Parties (developing countries).

Mr Jaleso Mateboto, Community Forestry Technician with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community's Land Resources Division, led the forest & vegetation survey team.

'Non-Annex I Parties should provide a description of their national and regional development priorities, objectives and circumstances, on the basis of which they will address climate change and its adverse impacts.''This description may include information on features of their geography, climate and economy which may affect their ability to adapt to climate change and mitigate its effects, as well as information regarding specific needs and concerns arising from the adverse effects of climate change and/or the impact of the implementation of response measures,' Mateboto said.

He noted that information on national circumstances provides the opportunity for detailing the national or regional development priorities, objectives and situations that serve as the basis for addressing issues relating to climate change.

'Information provided on national conditions is critical for understanding a country's vulnerability, its capacity and its options for adapting to the adverse effects of climate change, as well as its options for addressing its greenhouse gas emissions within the broader context of sustainable development.

'Parties could also include information on the linkages between the activities and policies relating to climate change and those of other conventions, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on Combating Desertification.'

The FSM government, through its Climate Change Project, requested assistance (technical and financial) from international and regional organisations to assist in this vulnerability assessment.

In responding to the need and the request of the FSM government on vegetation survey assistance, the Forests and Trees (FAT) programme of SPC's Land Resources Division assisted in the design of the survey/monitoring plots, survey coordination and carrying out the actual field survey on the 14 atolls.

The teams lived on the ship MV Caroline for 22 days in March and April to complete the task.

FAT, in collaboration with SPC staff based in Pohnpei and Noumea, assisted FSM in collecting information in the following areas:
. Geographical characteristics, including climate, forests, land use and other environmental characteristics.
. Population - growth rates, distribution, density and other vital statistics.
. Economy, including energy, transport, industry, mining, tourism, agriculture, fisheries, waste, health and the services sector.
. Education, including scientific and technical research institutions.

In using the agreed design for monitoring, assessment, reporting for sustainable forest management, strips of 100 m x 10 m were established and assessed. The survey work also served as a capacity building exercise for FSM as Forest Officers from all four states worked with the SPC FAT officer for 22 days.

Governor Asks Coral Reef Task Force for Help With Buildup

2010-09-17T10:11:00.000-04:00

Governor Asks Coral Reef Task Force for Help With Buildup

Guam - Governor Felix Camacho addressed the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force in Saipan Wednesday.

The task force was created by Presidential Executive Order in 1998 to coordinate federal government actions to better preserve and protect coral reef ecosystems.

Read the Governor's Speech

In his address, Governor Camacho asked the task force to assist our island in the following areas related to the impending Guahan build-up: (1) the need of our local natural resource agencies to build capacity; (2) to urge the Department of Defense to seriously consider the comments submitted for the Final Environmental Impact Statement; and (3) to help local departments and agencies develop mitigation strategies and techniques for our coral reefs.

“Our ability to manage our resources and infrastructure during the build-up and beyond will affect our island and our families for generations to come,” said Governor Camacho. “Our efforts will be wasted if the build-up is not handled in a manner that respects the people of Guahan and the natural resources we rely on.”

Additionally, Governor Camacho spoke on the importance of the Micronesia Challenge in anticipation of the build-up.

“For Guahan, our natural resource partners have been focusing on more complete approaches to conservation – working with land-based pollution sources, fishermen, developers, and the community to address the issues we face today,” said Governor Camacho. “The key to the Micronesia Challenge, and conservation in general, is to ensure that these steps are effective.”

The Micronesia Challenge, co-founded by Governor Camacho in 2006, has committed to the conservation of at least 30% of the near shore marine and 20% of the terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020.

For additional information, please contact Charlene Calip at 475-9304 or 788-0589, or you may e-mail charlene.calip@guam.go

Saipan Tribune

2010-09-16T08:59:00.000-04:00

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Islands brace for military buildup's impact on reefs

By Haidee V. Eugenio
Reporter

Island nations and partner U.S. agencies have made some progress in protecting their coral reefs in recent years but they are faced with yet another challenge: how to minimize or prevent a massive military buildup from impacting the marine ecosystems not only of Guam, but also that of the CNMI, Palau, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, and other islands.

This was among the key issues in yesterday's opening of the two-day 2010 U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Meeting at the Saipan World Resort in Susupe.

The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force is one of the foremost policy groups guiding national and international coral reef conservation.

Task Force co-chairs Eileen Sobeck of the Department of the Interior and Andrew Winer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration joined representatives of federal agencies and governors of U.S. territories and affiliate members at the meeting, which showcased coral reef conservation work, watershed restoration projects, and climate change adaptation strategies, among other things.

Guam Gov. Felix P. Camacho said the military buildup “is the largest threat to coral reefs on this island.”

The military buildup involves the relocation of some 8,600 U.S. Marines and their 9,000 dependents from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam.

It also involves the construction of facilities and infrastructure to support training and operations on Guam and Tinian for the relocated Marines.

“I stress that our ability to manage our resources and our infrastructure during the military buildup and beyond will affect our island and our families for generations to come. The efforts of local natural resource managers will be wasted, if the military buildup is not handled in a manner that respects the people of Guahan [Guam] and the natural resources we rely on-for sustenance, for economic viability, for our culture, and for our way of life,” Camacho said.

One of three major projects related to the military buildup in Guam is a deep-draft wharf for transiting aircraft carriers.

The U.S. Navy earlier chose the Polaris Point in Guam's Apra Harbor as its preferred site for a carrier berth.

This would require some extensive dredging of sand and coral to accommodate the 1,325-foot wharf, designed for the larger Nimitz-class carriers, a “turning basin” in the harbor, and a widened ship channel.

Mitigation strategies

Camacho, in his remarks, asked the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force to help Guam come up with the best possible mitigation strategies for its coral reefs during this time of immense change and growth in the island.

“The members have the ability to direct resources to this important and urgent task, and techniques and strategies developed for Guahan could have future uses in other locations facing major development as well,” he said.

Capt. Peter S. Lynch, commanding officer of the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, said yesterday that the Record of Decision on the Final Environmental Impact Statement related to the buildup will not reflect a final decision on the location for a carrier berth because there's no consensus yet about the location.

Lynch, one of the presenters at the task force meeting, said the Department of Defense will defer a decision until after getting additional resource data.

He said DOD has identified funding to conduct additional studies that will take place in fiscal year 2011. Lynch said a decision will be based on data and studies that everybody agree on.

But Lynch pointed out that coral reefs are impacted by a lot of things, including runoff from a construction site or wastewater treatment that's not properly treated and could create algae plumes.

“There are the things we need to do regardless of whether we put the carrier here or there,” he added.

The Record of Decision on the Guam and CNMI Final EIS, which Lynch said could only be about 160 pages, will be released on Sept. 20, instead of the earlier schedule of Sept. 10.

The Navy said the delay is necessary to ensure that all comments received on the Final EIS are fully considered in the Record of Decision. In addition, the consultation processes under the National Historic Preservation Act and Endangered Species Act are still ongoing.

Economic benefits

Just like Guam, other islands look to economic benefits of increased military presence in the region but are at the same time bracing for its impact on the environment, including their coral reefs, which help sustain their economy and way of life.

Palau House of Delegates Speaker Noah Idechong said Palau expects to have increased number of soon-to-be Guam-based military personnel and their dependents visiting the island nation for diving and snorkeling, but he said “the downside is the impact on coral reefs.”

“It's a challenge for us,” he told Saipan Tribune in an interview during a break at the meeting.

Idechong said Palau has been investing in educational campaign on protecting coral reefs.

Palau also started collecting in November 2009 a so-called “green fee” from visitors, to be used for preserving protected areas.

The CNMI is also looking forward to increased military training on Tinian, as well as increased visits from military personnel and dependents for rest and recreation.

Climate change

American Samoa Gov. Togiola Tulafono said preparing for and mitigating climate change is the greatest global challenge facing the world today.

He said in American Samoa alone, the challenge is to protect resilient corals that are most likely to survive in the face of climate change.

Tulafono has also established a Climate Change Executive Order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and a Climate Change Local Action Strategy that integrated the climate change goals of the national Coral Reef Conservation Program with the local level.

'We're denied FEMA aid'

A tsunami hit the Samoan archipelago in September last year, killing people, destroying properties, displacing residents, and impacted the reefs.

“What some of you may not know is that our coral reefs suffered a second blow due to inadequate relief. Following the tsunami, large amounts of debris littered our reefs. Removal of the larger debris items is beyond the capacity of the American Samoan government, both in the expertise and the limited capacity of our landfills,” Tulafono said.

He said American Samoa repeatedly asked FEMA to directly assist NOAA by obtaining supplemental funding to remove the debris by activating Emergency Support Functions of the National Response Framework.

“However, we have been consistently denied on multiple accounts due to the loose interpretation of the ESFs by FEMA. Ladies and gentlemen, let me be frank. While it may sound like that this is about our last disaster and our issues with FEMA, they are not. This is not just about American Samoa. Anyone of our jurisdiction can experience a disaster such as our tsunami of 2009, and suffer the same consequences as us,” he said.

Tulafono asked the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force two things.

The first is the need to provide a formal U.S. position that coral reef health is indeed a public health issue for the people of American Samoa and the other insular jurisdictions.

“This would enable the Stafford Act to provide FEMA funding for coral reef restoration activities to address damage caused by natural disasters,” he said.

The second is the FEMA response requirement that differs for jurisdictions outside of the continental U.S., requiring a natural disaster declaration while there is an automatic response initiation for natural disasters occurring within the continental U.S.

“In conclusion, I am confident about the future of the work of this task force. And together, we can continue to enhance conservation strategies and limit threats to coral reef ecosystems, as already demonstrated by the USCRTF and Coral Reef Conservation Program,” he added.

Micronesian Challenge

CNMI Gov. Benigno R. Fitial said while the region has made great strides in the past decade, there continues to be considerable challenges ahead, particularly in coral reef protection efforts and the impact of climate change.

“Today, we will place considerable attention on the Micronesia Challenge-a commitment by the governments of the CNMI, Guam, FSM, RMI and Palau-to address the very issues of coral reefs and climate change,” he said.

The Micronesia Challenge calls for the protection of 30-percent of the islands' marine resources and 20-percent of terrestrial resources by the year 2020.

“The actions we take now to protect, restore and sustain our coral reef ecosystems will undoubtedly play a significant role in shaping the future of our Micronesian region, both economically and culturally. While it is clearly impossible for us to stop the forces of nature, we must remain firm in our commitment to be adequately prepared for what is to come long before it arrives. At the end of the day, it is people who make the difference,” he added.

Vangie Lujan, chair of the U.S. All Islands Coral Reef Committee, said island territories now have more access to federal agency assistance when it comes to coral reef protection.

Saipan Tribune

2010-09-09T09:46:00.000-04:00

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Coral Reef Task Force preps for upcoming confab

By Clarissa David
Reporter

The Coral Reef Task Force of the CNMI's accomplishments and programs to protect the islands' marine life was the highlight of last Tuesday's membership meeting of the Rotary Club of Saipan at Giovani's Restaurant at the Hyatt.

“Since the Task Force has started, they have passed more than 60 resolutions,” CNMI Coral Reef point of contact Fran Castro told Rotarians.

The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force was established in 1998 by former President Bill Clinton through Presidential Executive Order 13089.

Twelve federal agencies and seven states, territories, and commonwealths were tasked to lead efforts to preserve and protect coral reef ecosystems.

Among these resolutions, Castro said, the biggest one is the Puerto Rico resolution “which calls for local action strategies to be developed in each of the local core jurisdiction.”

When the Puerto Rico resolution passed in 2003, Castro said the CNMI Coral Reef Task Force had a workshop for all stakeholders and resource agencies to identify focus threat areas or action strategies for the islands.

Through the workshop, Castro said they were able to identify land-based sources of pollution, fishery management, lack of awareness and public involvement, and recreational use and misuse as areas that need to be addressed through the Coral Reef Conservation funding.

Castro said the task force has received over $3 million since 2003to deal with these threats.

She said the CNMI Coral Reef Program was formed under the Governor's Office, comprising a policy committee, the point of contact for coral reef matters, a science advisory committee, and a coordinating committee.

The policy committee is composed of the directors of the Division of Environmental Quality, the Division of Fish and Wildlife, and the Coastal Resources Management.

The advisory committee deals with all the ongoing monitoring efforts while the coordinating committee prioritizes the projects needed to protect coral reefs.

Castro said the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force will hold its meeting on Saipan from Sept. 15 to 16 at the Saipan World Resort.

The meeting, which is hosted by the governments of Guam, CNMI and the Federated States of Micronesia, will focus on the Micronesia Challenge initiative signed in 2006.

“It's an initiative signed by the governments of Guam, CNMI, Republic of Palau, Republic of Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. Our goal is to protect or effectively conserve 30 percent of our marine resources and 20 percent of our terrestrial resources,” said Castro.

To achieve this goal by its 2020 target date, Castro said they have taken a watershed approach by concentrating on Laolao Bay, Garapan, Tachogna, and the northeast Tinian coast watersheds.

Programs

Publication and outreach coordinator Lisa Eller said they have various programs that address these conservation efforts, which include the Ridge to Reef Eco Camps, the Coral Reef Internship, the First Friday Film Series, and coastal cleanups.

Through Ridge to Reef, Eller said they are able to foster environmental friendly actions from fourth to sixth graders by taking them to conservation areas and helping them experience the importance of conservation during a weeklong summer camp.

For the Coral Reef Internship program, Eller said they provide opportunities to college students to work on coral reef management projects to build local capacity and deal with natural resource management issues.

Eller said the First Friday Film Series is a partnership with the National Park Service and aims to engage people in addressing issues documented in the films being shown every first Friday of the month at the American Memorial Park.

Eller also said the International Coastal Cleanup on Sept. 25 aims to draw volunteers from the CNMI to participate in the worldwide cleanup of beaches and coastal areas.

Micronesia grapples with increasing water salinity

2010-04-21T09:41:00.004-04:00

even though it seems the effects of global warming and ocean-rise are still far away, they are already being felt. avc

[from Deutsche Welle, DW-WORLD.DE]

Micronesia grapples with increasing water salinity

Soon a thing of the past? - the pristine Palau islands in the Pacific

Rising sea levels threaten to submerge Pacific island nations such as Micronesia. But early signs of disaster, like increasingly saline groundwater and dwindling freshwater reserves, are already visible.

Last fall, island nations made a dramatic appeal to industrialized countries: "My country is on the verge of being submerged," Emanuel Mori, the president of Micronesia, told representatives of the European Union at the time. He demanded that western countries finally rethink their climate policies.

Island states like Micronesia have been hit particularly hard by global warming, primarily through rising sea levels. There are real fears that the country could disappear from the world map in the not-too-distant future.

Rising water levels are threatening Micronesia's coastlines

The signs of the looming disaster are already there: rising sea levels have mixed salt water with the groundwater in several areas. That, in turn, is shrinking drinking water reserves and making it harder to irrigate agricultural land. The high level of salinity has poisoned the ground and made it infertile for years.

"It's a particularly tough situation for small island nations," Juergen Kropp of the Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research said. He added that these nations already had limited groundwater reserves.

Island states not the only ones affected

But it's not just places like Micronesia that are grappling with the problem of increasing salinity in the groundwater. Many other regions with long coastlines, for instance the Gaza Strip, are faced with similar problems.

The Gaza Strip is one of the most crowded places in the world, and that dense population puts great pressure on the region's water supply. Experts say it is another important cause of saline groundwater.

"Sea water can only intrude in places where water has been drained previously," Kropp said. If groundwater turns saline, he said, it shows that more groundwater was used than can be replaced.

More demand for water can lead to rising salinity in groundwater

Philip Magiera of the state-funded GTZ development organization in Germany said there are two ways to tackle the issue - either by increasing the existing water supply, or by limiting demand for it. "I'm a big fan of water efficiency," Magiera said.

There are lots of examples of how water usage can be reduced, he said, particularly in the agricultural sector. In many regions, up to 70 percent of the groundwater is used to irrigate fields. But with systems such as drip irrigation, it's possible to save large quantities of water.

Water wastage a major problem

Often, a lot of water is simply wasted on the way to the end consumer. Many countries struggle with leaky piping systems. In such cases, experts say, it makes more sense to first fix the leaks before more water is pumped into the system.

"Even in households, there are often possibilities to save water," Magiera said.

Effective use of water can also be achieved through economic measures such as regulating water prices.

If all water-saving measures are exhausted, then increasing fresh water reserves is the only option. If water cannot be imported, then the sea water must be desalinated.

"Technically, that's not a problem anymore today," said Kropp. Sea water desalination is practiced in countries such as Israel or Saudi Arabia. The United Arab Emirates are almost entirely dependent on desalinated sea water.

The UAE meets its needs for freshwater through desalination plants

But one of the problems that can crop up is that desalination plants are highly energy-intensive. And that energy is largely achieved in the Middle East by burning fossil-based fuel. That releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and in turn accelerates climate change.

Traditional solutions

Desalination plants have been set up in places like Micronesia. But these are mostly small plants with very low capacities. Bigger installations are too expensive. And there's a lack of energy reserves to power them.

Magiera said that in this case, the answer would be to turn to traditional measures - such as harvesting rainwater - instead of high-tech solutions.

Author: Philipp Bilsky (sp)
Editor: Jennifer Abramsohn

RMI President Speaks to UN

2009-09-29T10:27:00.002-04:00

Click here to listen to RMI President Litokwa Tomeing address the UN General Assembly about the effect of Climate Change on the islands of the Marshalls:

http://www.un.org/ga/64/generaldebate/MH.shtml

Pacific Island Leaders Plea for UN Climate Action

2009-09-29T10:20:00.005-04:00

Island Nations in the Pacific are Reaching Out to the Countries of the World, Requesting That We All Do Our Part to Help Save Their Lands.

Many spoke at the UN yesterday:

President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands Litokwa Tomeing
Prime Minister of Vanuatu Edward Natapei
Deputy Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Fred Fono
Tonga's Prime Minister Doctor Fred Sevele
President Marcus Stephen of Nauru
President Johnson Toribiong of Palau
Fiji's interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama
Emmanuel Mori, the President of the Federated States of Micronesia
Kiribati President, Anote Tong

Worldchanging: Bright Green: Momentum Grows to Limit Climate-Warming Chemicals

2009-09-22T14:38:00.002-04:00

FSM, leading the way...

Worldchanging: Bright Green: Momentum Grows to Limit Climate-Warming Chemicals

Ben Block, 21 Sep 09

The United States, Canada, and Mexico issued a joint proposal last week to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the short term by phasing out a chemical previously favored in efforts to heal the ozone layer.

When world leaders reached an agreement in 1987 to shrink the ozone hole growing in the atmosphere above Antarctica, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) were chosen as a cost-effective replacement for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other ozone-depleting substances found in refrigerators, foams, and flame retardants.

HFCs have since been identified as greenhouse gases with global warming potentials as much as 11,700 times greater than carbon dioxide. Short-term emissions reduction targets could quickly be met, however, if vehicle air-conditioning units and other HFC-emitting technologies were required to become more efficient or to use alternative chemicals.

The three North American countries are proposing that all countries reduce their HFC consumption and production, noting that industrialized nations would need to lead the effort.

"Phasing down consumption and production of HFCs will send an important signal about the need for alternatives that pose no problem either for the ozone layer or for the climate system," a U.S. State Department statement said.

The proposal is identical to a suggestion that the island nations of Mauritius and the Federal States of Micronesia have submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The two countries propose that the Montreal Protocol, the international agreement developed to limit ozone depleting substances, be expanded to limit HFCs.

"With the joint proposal by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, we now have the muscle to move the Montreal Protocol amendment," said Yosiwo George, the Micronesian ambassador to the United States, in a prepared statement.

The two proposals could generate policy changes as early as November, when governments meet in Port Ghalib, Egypt, to negotiate future requirements of the Montreal Protocol. Leaders will convene again in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December to form a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol, which limits greenhouse gas emissions.

As demand for air conditioning and refrigeration increases globally and as countries accelerate their efforts to phase out ozone-depleting substances, producers of cooling equipment will turn increasingly to HFCs unless suitable alternatives can be identified.

Scientists from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated earlier this year that by 2050, HFCs could contribute as much as 12 percent of the warming effect of greenhouse gas emissions. HFCs currently contribute less than 1 percent to climate change.

The ozone layer limits harmful solar radiation from entering the lower atmosphere serving as a crucial safety net for life on Earth. Scientists discovered in the early 1980s that industrial chemicals, mainly CFC refrigerants and solvents, were being released into the atmosphere where they triggered a chemical reaction that consumed ozone, weakening the protective ozone layer.

The Montreal Protocol is considered one of the most successful multilateral environmental agreements to date. By December, it will have effectively retired nearly 100 ozone-depleting substances. The Antarctic ozone hole, which currently spans some 24 million square kilometers, is expected to be smaller in 2009 than last year, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

The Montreal Protocol also recently became the first environmental agreement to receive worldwide participation. Timor-Leste became the final signatory when Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão announced on Wednesday that his country would ratify the protocol.

Several world leaders greeted Timo-Leste's participation, which occurred on the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, as a positive sign for reducing ozone-depleting substances and HFCs.

"I very much welcome the news that the Montreal Protocol has finally achieved the universal recognition it deserves," said European Union Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, in a statement.

"The progress the protocol has achieved in protecting both the ozone layer and the global climate shows that worldwide consensus on exceptionally important environmental issues is achievable."

Ben Block is a staff writer with the Worldwatch Institute. He can be reached at bblock@worldwatch.org.

This article is a product of Eye on Earth, Worldwatch Institute's online news service.

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Getting HFCs out of the Montreal Protocol

2009-09-16T10:14:00.000-04:00

North America backs plan to cut greenhouse gases

By JOHN HEILPRIN (AP) – 14 hours ago

UNITED NATIONS — Small island nations gained North America's powerful backing Tuesday for a plan to convert the U.N. ozone treaty into a tool for phasing out some of the globe's most powerful climate-warming gases.

The Obama administration announced the United States, Canada and Mexico now support using the treaty to require cuts in powerful greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs. The treaty, called the Montreal Protocol, was signed by 195 nations to fix the globe's ozone layer.

In its current version, the treaty encourages using HFCs in refrigerators and air conditioners to replace ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, which have now been virtually eliminated.

But in April, Micronesia and Mauritius proposed formally amending the treaty to phase out use of the coolants. They argued that other chemicals would be better for the climate while still helping the ozone layer.

The U.S. State Department called that plan Thursday "a significant down payment" on efforts to reach a new global climate pact in Copenhagen, Denmark in December. President Barack Obama is attending a U.N. climate summit next week to build momentum.

"Once adopted, the proposal would make great strides to achieve President Obama's call to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050 as well as contribute to multilateral efforts to reduce global emissions 50 percent by 2050," the State Department said.

The U.S. said the proposal "calls on all countries to take action to reduce their consumption and production of HFCs, although developed countries would take the lead in this effort, as they have consistently under the Montreal Protocol."

Nations will consider whether to alter the Montreal Protocol at a meeting in Egypt in November.

Though HFCs account for only about 2 percent of the globe's climate-warming gases, their share is expected to grow by up to a third of all greenhouse gases by mid-century — mainly because of their promotion under the ozone treaty.

A global fund affiliated with the treaty has invested billions in creating new markets for HFCs and other chemicals that do not harm the protective ozone layer above the earth.

But Micronesia has called that promotion "irresponsible," since HFCs, like CFCs, are powerful climate-warming chemicals — up to 10,000 times more so than carbon dioxide — other climate and ozone-friendly alternatives are available for use.

The Associated Press first reported in early May that the Obama administration considered HFCs "a very significant threat" to climate change and probably would seek to use the ozone treaty to dramatically reduce HFCs, but not phase them out entirely.

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry applauded the Obama administration Tuesday and described the decision as a sign of things to come from the U.S.

"Anyone who doubted the intentions of the new administration should pay close attention to this announcement and to those of us in the Senate who urged this ambitious action under the Montreal Protocol," Kerry said. The proposal, he said, "sends another clear signal to the global community that the United States will not remain on the sidelines and will lead efforts to achieve a strong agreement in Copenhagen.'"'

It is uncertain whether the Senate will pass climate legislation in time for the Copenhagen climate talks, but Kerry said the ozone treaty was another appropriate tool for tackling the urgency of planetary overheating.

In April, Kerry and another leading Democrat, Senate Environment Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer wrote Obama calling for using the ozone treaty to phase down HFCs by 85 percent by 2030.

"The growth projections of HFCs alone better be a wakeup call to anyone still left in Congress who doubts the urgent need to address climate change," Kerry said. "If allowed to grow, this extremely potent greenhouse gas could counteract global efforts to reduce carbon dioxide."

Experts discuss enhancing coral resilience

2009-08-28T17:04:00.000-04:00

Coral reef managers and scientists from across Micronesia are gathered in Guam this week to learn about building resilience into reef management and the tools available for addressing the impacts of climate change. Corals are vulnerable to climate change impacts, such as increases in temperature and ocean acidification.

During the 1997-98 El Nino event, reefs in Palau, the Great Barrier Reef, and other locations experienced wide scale coral bleaching due to increased water temperatures. In some of these places, the reefs have started to recover, but other reefs have not. The participants in the Reef Resilience and Climate Change Workshop are meeting to discuss the factors that helped reefs recover and incorporate those into coral reef management.

Managers will learn how to use tools to predict coral bleaching events developed by NOAA's Coral Reef Watch, discuss factors that helped reefs recover during past bleaching events, learn about ecological and socioeconomic monitoring, and develop strategies for reef management that will help the region's reefs be more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

Reef managers around the world are engaged in activities to help coral reefs survive climate change. This workshop will also help integrate managers from this region into a network of global practitioners working to incorporate resilience at their sites.

The Guam Reef Resilience and Climate Change Workshop is part of a series of resilience and climate change workshops that haves been running for the past five years and is sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Government of Guam, The Nature Conservancy, the University of Guam Marine Laboratory and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. (PR)

Islanders live in daily fear of weather - The National Newspaper

2009-08-10T10:06:00.003-04:00

Islanders live in ‘daily fear’ of weather

Phil Mercer, Foreign Correspondent

Last Updated: August 08. 2009 8:16PM UAE / August 8. 2009 4:16PM GMT

CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA // Fearing the destruction of their land and culture, small island nations in the South Pacific have pleaded with developed countries to slash their carbon emissions to stave off the worst effects of climate change.

At a regional summit in the Queensland city of Cairns, delegates have called on Australia and New Zealand to almost halve the amount of greenhouse gases they emit by 2020.

Tuvalu, a tiny island north of Fiji with a population of just 12,000, has found itself on the front line of potentially catastrophic environmental upheaval that residents firmly believe is the result of man-made pollution.

“We are witnessing the gradual death of our identity as a people,” said Tafue Lusama, the chairman of the Tuvalu Climate Action Network. “Tuvalu will be the first country to face the impacts of climate change and my concerns are that we have been ignored for far too long by the industrialised countries and the international community,” he said during a visit to Cairns

Tuvaluans are at the mercy of an ecological cocktail of rising sea levels, warmer temperatures and increasingly unpredictable weather events.

“It is very frightening. We literally see the impacts daily. We are living in it and every day we see the islands being eroded by the sea during high tide. We are losing our lands. We’ve already lost our underground water supply because it has been contaminated by salt water,” Mr Lusama said.

“Every time I look at my children and imagine any time anything can happen; a storm surge will just come in suddenly and I won’t be able to protect my family.”

Islanders worry about the fragile health of the coral reefs that protect their homes from large ocean waves and as the earth warms there are growing concerns that the delicate ecosystems will be destroyed, leaving low-lying areas open to inundation.

“If the temperature of the sea increases our coral bleaches and dies. These corals are the houses for the fish. So, our fish stocks either move well into the ocean or they just simply die,” Mr Lusama said.

Although climate change is widely blamed for such disruption, experts have stressed that other factors could also be at work, including El Nino weather patterns and seismic activity as well as deforestation and the removal of sand for building work.

A sense of panic has spread across the vast South Pacific Ocean. In the Federated States of Micronesia, which sits between Hawaii and the Philippines, the effects of a shifting climate have been blamed for forcing islanders from their homes.

“The people who live on those low-lying atolls have experienced extreme weather events such as storm surges, king tides and typhoons in the last five or six years,” said Marstella Jack, a lawyer and former attorney general of the Federated States of Micronesia.

“The water washes over the land, seeps into our soil, intrudes into our vegetation and also our fresh water supplies. It fundamentally affects our daily life. King tides are destroying the outer islands. The next 10 to 20 years are critical for the survival of those very small atolls. People are already starting to leave.”

Increasingly the displaced are compelled to move to other overcrowded parts of the archipelago or take the monumental step of seeking a fresh start in the United States.

“I see the injustice in all of this. We’re victimised by factors beyond our control. I think that governments need to start looking at options that are available to do something about this,” said Mrs Jack, who also took a swipe at Canberra’s response to the climate emergency. “Australia is taking a very weak attitude towards carbon reduction.”

Officials meeting in Cairns at the Pacific Islands Forum, the region’s pre-eminent political body, have urged Australia and New Zealand to take a bolder approach to greenhouse gas pollution and also help vulnerable communities adapt to environmental turmoil.

Scientists have predicted that the sea that surrounds the Pacific islands will rise by about half a metre by the end of the century. Given that half of the islands’ population lives within 1.5km of the coast, such gloomy calculations could affect the lives of millions of people.

Edward Natapei, the prime minister of Vanuatu, said his corner of the South Pacific was already under siege. “Vanuatu is located on what they call the ring of fire, where we have cyclones, earthquakes, volcanic eruption and tsunamis. About two years ago we had to relocate an entire village in the northern part of the country further inland because the original site went underwater,” he said.

While the Australian prime minister, Kevin Rudd, has promised “maximum action” to address these ecological challenges, islanders believe that their culture and identity are at serious risk of extinction.

“I would invite climate change deniers to come to live in Tuvalu and experience the reality of what is happening and see if they feel the fear we face every day,” Mr Lusama said.

pmercer@thenational.ae

Click to see original article:

Islanders live in daily fear of weather - The National Newspaper

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Pacific islanders speak out about climate change

2009-08-05T09:35:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, 5 August 2009, 1:29 pm
Press Release: Oxfam

Voices of the Vulnerable: Pacific islanders speak out about climate change

Communities in the Pacific islands are among the world’s most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. On Saturday August 8, people from Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Federated States of Micronesia will tell New Zealanders that tackling climate change is not just a matter of taking care of the environment, but of saving the lives of people who played almost no part in causing the problem.

This weekend Te Papa hosts Voices of the Vulnerable, a challenging discussion in which Pacific islanders speak out about climate change as it is affecting them today. The panel, chaired by Dr Claudia Orange, will include speakers from Kiribati; Tuvalu; and the Federated States of Micronesia as well as climate change scientist Jim Salinger and New Zealand-based development experts.

Panellist, Ms. Pelenise Alofa Pilitati of Kiribati said, “The future of Kiribati is in our hands. We want our children to love their country and love to serve their people. But what is the future of our children when our country is being threatened by global warming?”

New Zealand’s greenhouse gas pollution per capita is fourth highest in the developed world. Rich industrialised countries are overwhelmingly responsible for the climate crisis, contributing around three quarters of the world’s greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In contrast 100 countries, with a total population of around 1 billion people, are responsible for just 3 per cent of global emissions. The great injustice is that it is the poorest people who suffer most from the effects of climate change.

“There is still time to avert the worst impacts of runaway climate change, but it’s going to take a tremendous effort. The New Zealand government is hinting at an emissions reduction target of 15 per cent by 2020, which would sound the death knell for our Pacific Island neighbours, whose histories and cultures could end up as artefacts in museums,” said Susi Newborn, Oxfam New Zealand’s Climate Change Campaign Coordinator.

“The recent public consultations heard a unanimous call across the country for a 40 per cent reduction. How can the government justify turning a blind eye to the needs of our Pacific region and a deaf ear to what the average Kiwi wants them to do about climate change?” Newborn added.

Ms. Pilatati summed up her passion for preserving her homeland: “Some of my friends have migrated to Australia and New Zealand looking for greener pastures, but I refuse to migrate. I choose to return to Kiribati and to stay in the Pacific so that I could help my people. And if helping my people means speaking to all the leaders of the Pacific, then I count that my privilege. If it means talking to the whole world, I will gladly do it. If I have to shout it, I will shout the loudest.”

Climate change a present threat to Pacific nations

2009-08-03T09:33:00.001-04:00

Stewart Shuker, Brisbane, & Sue Bolton, Me

2 August 2009

Speakers from Micronesia, Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Torres Strait Islands described how climate change affects their everyday lives at meetings of 180 people in Brisbane on July 28 and 170 people in Melbourne on July 30

Climate change has meant tidal surges now breach high sea walls, coast lines are being steadily washed away and staple crops and underground water sources are lost to rising sea levels. Diseases such as Dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis have returned to many Pacific islands.

Pelenise Alofa Pilitati from Kiribati said her people might be displaced by rising sea levels. “This is the last night you can help your brothers, now, right now, today. What will you do for your brother, for your Pacific family?” she asked. Pilitati said Pacific Islanders did not want relocation; they wanted the global warming problem fixed.

Pilitati comes from the Barnaba Island in Kiribati. The Barnaban people have been relocated twice before — once by the Japanese during World War II, and a second time by the Australian and New Zealand governments, which wanted the island for phosphate mining.

In the second relocation, all Barnaban people were relocated to Fiji. Still today, the Barnaban people want to return.

At the Melbourne meeting, Reverend Tafue Lusama from the Tuvalu Climate Action Network showed a slide of a community hall which was originally built on dry land. Now it is half underwater at high tide. People must plan festivals to coincide with low tide or paddle to the community hall.

Marstella Jack, the former attorney-general of Micronesia, said a recent tidal surge wiped out Micronesia’s entire food and cash crops. Many Pacific Islanders don’t have a regular income so they rely on what they grow. Many islands did not receive emergency food supplies for three months.

“Why did we come here? It is human nature to turn to your neighbours for help”, said Jack. “Present funding ends up in the pockets of consultants. We need funding for sea walls, for adaptation. We need funding that ends up in our communities.”

The speakers made an impassioned plea for the world’s governments, including Australia, to set binding emissions reduction targets, with a minimum 40% cut in CO2 emissions by 2020.

In Brisbane, Greenpeace’s Trish Harrup said: “Shareholder profits are being placed above Pacific Nation survival, and it is not good enough, not good enough from a nation that thought it was voting for real change in climate policy. All it will take for entire Pacific Nations to disappear is for good people to do nothing.”

The meeting was part of a speaking tour, titled Voices from the Frontline: Climate change and the Pacific, co-organised by Oxfam and Greenpeace.

Friday Reminder

2009-07-24T14:34:00.003-04:00

I do not pray for success. I ask for faithfulness.

- Mother Teresa

www.sojo.net

Rainbow Warriors & Presidents

2009-07-23T09:42:00.001-04:00

Here are a couple of articles about people - both in government and out - working to save the islands in the Pacific from submersion:

Political inaction threatens Paradise | Greenpeace International

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The Eneko Communiqué Contents from the 9^th Micronesian Presidents' Summit

http://www.fsmgov.org/press/pr072109.htm

My second home will be gone unless...

2009-07-17T09:32:00.000-04:00

Micronesian states appeal for help on rising sea levels

(AFP)

MAJURO — Leaders of Micronesian states have appealed for international help to avoid being wiped out by rising sea levels.

"We will all be drowning in our own backyards if leaders of developed nations do not take swift action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Federated States of Micronesia President Emanuel Mori said.

He was speaking at a meeting of presidents and governors from United States-affiliated islands in the north Pacific at a summit held in the Marshall Islands capital of Majuro that ends Friday.

Although the summit had a broad agenda -- including tourism, health, energy and telecommunications -- the pressing issue of climate change and its potentially devastating impact took centre stage.

The mood reflected the recent World Ocean Conference in Indonesia where island countries expressed fears that entire nations could be wiped off the map.

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted in 2007 that up to 150 million people could be displaced by the effects of climate change by 2050.

Those effects include sea level rises of as much as 59 centimetres (23 inches).

Mori urged summit leaders to back the Micronesia Challenge, a regional conservation program, as a first step towards continued survival.

"How do we explain to the world (we need action) if we don't protect our oceans and lands" (through the Micronesia Challenge), he said.

The summit involves leaders from the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Character List

2009-04-15T20:30:00.000-04:00

To begin, these are the animals you'll learn about here:

Buford - Buff Orpington Hen - lays brown eggs
Clifford - Australorp Hen #1 - lays brown eggs
Ghost Marley - Australorp Hen #2 - lays brown eggs
Greenhouse - Barred Rock Hen - lays brown eggs
Wy-Girl - Ameraucana Hen - lays pale green eggs

Likatu "Pretty Girl" in Marshallese - female Boxer/Lab
Rocky Canon - male Boxer/Lab

bees....coming soon.

For the Love of Ebeye

FSM Vulnerability Assessment | Regional | Solomon Islands News

FSM Vulnerability Assessment

The government of Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) has carried out climate vulnerability assessments on 14 atoll islands in the states of Pohnpei, Chuuk and Yap.

Governor Asks Coral Reef Task Force for Help With Buildup

Saipan Tribune

Saipan Tribune

Micronesia grapples with increasing water salinity

even though it seems the effects of global warming and ocean-rise are still far away, they are already being felt. avc

Micronesia grapples with increasing water salinity

Rising sea levels threaten to submerge Pacific island nations such as Micronesia. But early signs of disaster, like increasingly saline groundwater and dwindling freshwater reserves, are already visible.

RMI President Speaks to UN

Pacific Island Leaders Plea for UN Climate Action

Worldchanging: Bright Green: Momentum Grows to Limit Climate-Warming Chemicals

Getting HFCs out of the Montreal Protocol

Experts discuss enhancing coral resilience

Islanders live in daily fear of weather - The National Newspaper

Islanders live in ‘daily fear’ of weather

Pacific islanders speak out about climate change

Climate change a present threat to Pacific nations

Friday Reminder

Rainbow Warriors & Presidents

The Eneko Communiqué Contents from the 9th Micronesian Presidents' Summit

My second home will be gone unless...

Character List

The Eneko Communiqué Contents from the 9^th Micronesian Presidents' Summit