2007 WED Magazine

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY SPECIAL EDITION Message from EFF National Coordinator to all the school children and young people of Papua New Guinea It is good to be back again for another time of celebration being echoed all around the world at this year’s World Environment Day. Indeed this is an opportunity for us to once again join our hands and observe this important even with much celebration. Many interesting activities and celebrations happen all over the world at this time. While it is good to see more and more people being involved each time in the World Environment Day celebrations, we also need to ask ourselves, why is this event an important one. This event is special because it marks a time for all humankind to pause for a moment and think about the importance and the usefulness of the environment to our living. Our life depends on the environment around us for life essentials like food, water, and oxygen. Most of these basic essentials to life come from the forests, seas, rivers, and the land. This year’s theme is, ’Melting Ice - A hot topic? This theme is very relevant to today’s situation where studies and general observations continue to prove that the ice in the north and the south polar regions continue to thaw out as a result of global warming. Our earth is no longer what it used to be. Continuous emissions of harmful gasses into the air above us from all kinds of human activities absorbs and traps the heat from the sun causing warming which causes the melting of ice in the earth’s polar regions and expands the oceans water resulting in rising sea-levels. The term now frequently used to describe this situation is ‘Global Warming.’ The massive polar regions of the earth make up about 30 per cent of the earth’s surface composition. Though this region is home to some living creatures who are endemic to the environment, it is not inhabited by human beings. The Question we can ask ourselves today is, ‘so what do we do now?’ We humans are responsible for this situation. The indirect effect of global warming is very evident also on our own shores in PNG. The rising sea level is actually hitting our coastal shorelines and the islands, which are now being covered by the ocean everyday. Our very own islands like the Carteret's in the North Solomon’s and the Krangket in Madang, are among those that are now facing eminent danger as a result of rising sea level caused by melting ice. Given these experiences, we all now need to be environmentally conscious and work together to minimize the level of pollution. A part from that we must also act and do things responsibly to ensure this world is environmentally safe for us to live in. In conclusion, I would appeal to us all to be environmentally conscious, responsible and observe this day with respect as we all celebrate. Thomas Paka PNG Eco-Forestry Forum About World Environment Day 2007 Local Theme: Sea Level Rising - A Hot Topic International Theme: ‘Melting Ice - A Hot Topic What is the World Environment Day? World Environment Day is celebrated each year on the 5th of June to campaign for world wide awareness on environmental issues and gain political attention and action. The day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on Human Environment. Celebrating Today In Papua New Guinea we will be celebrating this day by planting a variety of at least 1000 trees. This includes trees like mangroves, fruit trees and other common trees that we see around us. • • • • Plant trees (If you cut down 1 tree then plant 2 trees) Use a bilum instead of plastic bags Stop the habit of burning kunai grass Don’t dump your household wastes in Mangrove forests Mangrove Replanting at Tahira— Ela Beach Clean up - World Lobbying for Forest Pro- Green House Effect The theme for World Environment Day 2007 focuses events around “Melting Ice” and global Sea Level Rise (SLR). Massive sheets of ice in both the Artic and Antarctic as well as on mountain tops like Africa’s highest mountain, Mt Kilimanjaro, and huge ice sheets in countries like Greenland, are melting due to the atmosphere becoming warmer. This is referred to as Global Warming. Global warming is caused by what is called the Green House Effect. Green House Effect is a state of the Earth’s atmosphere where the Earth’s atmosphere absorbs more infra-red radiation than it re-radiates to the space. In its natural state the atmosphere balances the absorption of solar radiation by emission of infrared radiation to space. However with increased human activities the world around, major green house gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons’ and ozone are released into the atmosphere causing the atmospheric system and the surface temperature to warm up. This means that the infra-red radiation gets trapped in the Earth’s surface and further enhances the Green House Effect. Green House Gases like Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, Ozone, Carbon Monoxide, Chlorofluorocarbons and Sulphur Dioxide are released into the atmosphere through human activities such as burning of fossil fuels, land use change (deforestation), burning vegetation, fertilizers, plant emissions, industrial production coal burning. Figure 1.1: The Green House Gases in the atmosphere reflects the infrared radiation from the Earth, causing it not to go out into space but return back to Earth resulting in Global Warming. • http://epa.gov/climatechange/effects/coastal/SLRLandUSE.html, http://www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/ climat/greenhs/e_grnhse.htm Sea Level Rise As a result of the atmosphere warming up, sea levels will rise due to two main reasons. Firstly, ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland as well as mountain glaciers will melt or slide into the oceans causing sea levels to rise. Secondly, the warmer temperatures will cause sea level to rise due to a thermal expansion of sea water. A warmer world will have a higher sea level because as the land and lower atmosphere of the world warm, heat is transferred into the oceans. When materials are heated they expand (thermal expansion). So the heat that is transferred causes sea water to expand, which then results in a rise in sea level. Potential Impacts of Climate Change & Sea Level Rise on Human Life: a) Economic Impact: Over half of the human population lives within 100 kilometers of the sea. Most of these people live in urban areas that serve as sea ports. A measurable rise in sea level will have a severe economic impact on low lying coastal areas and islands, for example, flooding homes and increasing the beach erosion rates along coastlines and rising sea level displacing fresh groundwater for a substantial distance inland. b) Agricultural Impact: Experiments have shown that with higher concentrations of Carbon Dioxide, plants can grow bigger and faster. However, the effect of global warming may affect atmospheric global circulation and alter the global rainfall pattern as well as changing the soil moisture contents over various continents. Since it is unclear how global warming will affect climate on a regional or local scale, the probable effects on the biosphere remains uncertain. c) Effects on Aquatic Systems: The loss of coastal wetlands could certainly reduce fish populations, especially shellfish. Increased salinity (amount of salt) in estuaries could reduce the abundance of freshwater species but could increase the presence of marine species. However, the impact on marine species is not known. d) Effects on Hydrological Cycle: Global precipitation is likely to increase. However, it is not known how regional rainfall patterns will change. Some regions may have more rainfall, while others may have less. Furthermore, higher temperatures would probably increase evaporation. These changes would probably create new stresses for water management systems. • http://epa.gov/climatechange/effects/coastal/SLRLandUSE.html…..http://www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/greenhs/e_grnhse.htm…..http:// news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/04/0420_040420_earthday.html Carbon Trading Carbon is an element stored in fossil fuels such as coal and oil as well as in trees and in soil. When these fuels are burnt carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere and acts as what we call a ‘greenhouse gas.’ What is Carbon Trading? Carbon trading is an idea that came about in response to the Kyoto Protocol, signed in Kyoto, Japan, by some 180 countries in December 1997. The Kyoto Protocol calls for industrialised countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions between the years 2008 to 2012 back to 1992 levels. The idea behind carbon trading is similar to the trading of products and services in a market place. Carbon would be given an economic value, allowing people, companies or nations to trade off its carbon emissions by buying and preserving stored carbon somewhere else. If a nation bought carbon, it would be buying the right to burn it. The value of the carbon would be based on the ability of the country owning the carbon to store it or to prevent it from being released into the atmosphere. The better you are at storing it: for example; , by preventing trees from being cut down, the more you can charge for it. This basically means that the better you are at conserving and sustainably using your rainforests, the more you can charge for storing carbon. With most of our natural rainforests untouched, PNG will be able to enter into the Carbon Trade Deal where it will charge Industrialized countries for storing carbon. However, with the current rate of timber harvest we will lose much of our natural rainforest and will not be able to enter into the Carbon Trade Deal. • http://epa.gov/climatechange/effects/coastal/SLRLandUSE.html, http://www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/greenhs/ Lake Kutubu, WWF KiKori Forest Timber Harvest e_grnhse.htm Carbon Cycle The Carbon Cycle The carbon cycle is the process through which carbon is cycled through the air, ground, plants, animals, and fossil fuels. Forests play an important role in the carbon cycle. As forests grow, they absorb atmospheric carbon into their tissue via photosynthesis. Once a tree is cut and dies it cannot absorb any more carbon. When the timber is burned the carbon is released into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. The UN estimates that 20 – 25 percent of green house gas emissions come from the destruction and degradation of forests. Large amounts of carbon exist in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO2). Carbon dioxide is cycled by green plants during the process known as photosynthesis to make their food. Animals do the opposite of plants--they release carbon dioxide back into the air as a waste product from respiration. Carbon is also stored in fossil fuels, such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas. When these are burned, carbon dioxide is also released back into the air. Volcanoes and fires also release large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. Carbon is stored in soil and when forests are disturbed or land is disturbed, carbon is released in to the atmosphere. Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere Respiration in Decomposers Combustion Death Carbon in fossil fuels Respiration Photosynthesis Organic Compounds in animals Carbon compounds in dead organic matter Feeding Fossilization Death Organic Compounds in green plants • http://epa.gov/climatechange/effects/coastal/SLRLandUSE.html, http://www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/greenhs/ e_grnhse.htm Pictorial Pictorial Fact Sheet Papua New Guinea Europeans first arrived in Papua New Guinea in the 16th century, and it was subsequently settled in the 19th century by both the Germans and British. Long governed by Australia in modern times, it finally gained its full independence in 1975. Papua New Guinea includes the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, the islands of the Bismarck Archipelago, and the island of Bougainville The central core of the main island is mountainous with deep, green valleys dotted with mysterious and remote villages. There are over 700 different languages spoken among various native tribes. The Planet Earth Surface Area of the Planet (510,066,000 sq km) Land Area on the Planet (148,647,000 sq km) 29.1% Ocean Area (335,258,000 sq km) Total Water Area (361,419,000 sq km) 70.9% Type of Water (97% salt) , (3% fresh) To convert sq km (kilometers) to sq miles, multiply kilometers by: 0.386102 OCEANS The planet is approximately 71% water and contains (5) five oceans, including the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Southern. Their borders are indicated on the world image (right) in varied shades of blue. For many years only (4) four oceans were officially recognized, and then in the spring of 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization recognized the Southern Ocean, and determined its limits. Those limits include all water below 60 degrees south, and some of it, like the Arctic Ocean, is frozen. Oceans by size: 1 Pacific - 155,557,000 sq km 2 Atlantic - 76,762,000 sq km 3 Indian - 68,556,000 sq km 4 Southern - 20,327,000 sq km 5 Arctic - 14,056,000 sq km • worldatlas.com Greatest depths in the oceans ,by ocean Mariana Trench, Pacific 35,827 ft Puerto Rico Trench, Atlantic 30,246 ft Java Trench, Indian 24,460 ft Arctic Basin, Arctic 18,456 ft Southern Ocean (greatest depth in dispute) Crossword Puzzle P C A R B O N T R A D I N G W X B M R D A H B Z W R U O N T Y Z I K L A O C J Q C N O F A G P X B I O R N R E H T U O S I B W T X S Q R V Z C W H S Q P B F W X F C Z N O I T A I D A R J O T Z L I C P I V U P K S B C F H J E K C W S M Q S D C B M D O W Y P Q M F I V X G B E J H N E N Q R B C X N W R E C N E R T L R U W W O C V N R E C T B S A J P B F T N O L F I L P U Q J A G H M L R N V C I W Q F Q T X D L C F R H X E G K T W I N E D Z P A V F N S Z B Q T P S O L I D G M B R R R S G A M R O F B C J I Q A C I X C V U I A Z I D C N K J N I H S T P C O R S Z P Q E D S F C T Y L F T E D X E B T M W S J C N Z O Y M B V X C N S F H D Q Z D E G A I R Q C X D Z M K F A R E Y I O A R E Q A I H L Q W R B V C Z L Z X S A E C O L Z C M E A C N S F Q M Y T K W V O I H N B V D P Z B Q L E X J L B A D F • • • • • • • • Artic Atlantic Carbon Cycle Carbon Trading Coal Coral Forest Glacier • • • • • • • • Indian Melting Ice Oceans Pacific Photosynthesis Radiation Respiration Southern Glossary of Terms • Carbon Cycle - Is the process by which carbon is absorbed or reduced from the air, ground, plants, animals and fossil fuels. • Carbon Trading - An idea where carbon will be given an economic value and be traded like goods and services in a market. • • Carcass - the dead body of an animal Combustion - a chemical reaction in which a substance reacts rapidly with oxygen with the production of heat and light. • Decomposers - an organism that obtains energy from the chemical break down of dead organism or animal or plant wastes, eg: bacteria and fungi. • Forest Degradation - Reduction/loss of the natural value of the forest to a much lower standard. • Global Warming - The atmosphere becomes warmer due to the green house effect causing massive ice sheets to melt and sea level to rise. • Green House Effect - When the atmosphere absorbs more infrared radiation than it reradiates to the space. This is caused by the presence of green house gases such as carbon, methane, chlorofluorocarbons, and ozone in the atmosphere • • Green House Gases - This refers to Carbon Dioxide (CO2). Photosynthesis - The chemical process by which green plants use carbon dioxide, water and sunlight to make their food. • • Protozoan - single celled animals. Thermal Expansion - Expansion of sea water particles due to high atmospheric temperatures. Acknowledgements: The Eco-forestry Forum (EFF) and its members would like to thank the following sponsors for their support towards the World Environment Day : • Rural Development Bank (RDB) • Coral Sea Hotels • Crown Plaza Hotel • Theodist Stationery • Trukai Industries • Boroko Motors • Steamships • Peter Allan Lowing Lawyers • Super Value Stores • NCDC Parks and Gardens • Barrick (PNG) Limited • Telikom PNG • Brian Bell We would also like to thank the Motupore Island Research Centre, especially Thomas Maniwavie and Eddison Silas for the Mangrove Replanting Program, Dianne Deane of Port Moresby Rotary Club, Jada Wilson for the World Environment Day Logo, Pati Potts Doi for his performance and environmental songs. We would also like to thank the schools that participated in tree planting and especially Don Bosco Technological Institute being the host school of 2007. Many thanks as well to the World Environment Day Committee for their tireless effort towards the success of the day. They are Naus Kamal of Eco-Forestry Forum (EFF), Philip Lahui of Conservation International (CI), Nina Bulina of Green Peace Australia Pacific, Lydia Kaia and Jennifer Baing of World Wilde Fund for Nature (WWF), Barbara - Liri Masike and Susan Ewen of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Heroda Taumayauna of Centre for Environmental Research and Development (CERD), Lillian Bago of Partners with Melanesians (PWM), Nancy Lagdom and Roland Kendino of Conservation Melanesia (CM), John Niles of Centre for Environmental Law and Community Rights (CELCOR), and Philip Lahui of Conservation International (CI). Editorial, Layout and Design by Nancy Lagdom of Conservation Melanesia and Lillian Bago of Partners With Melanesians Partners with Melanesians THE PNG ECO-FORESTRY FORUM Maintaining the Dance” Conservation Melanesia MOTUPORE ISLAND MARINE BIODIVERSITY UNIT Environmental Calendar JANUARY Su 6 13 20 27 Mo Tu We 7 14 21 28 1 8 15 22 29 2 9 16 23 30 Th 3 10 17 24 31 Fri Sat 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 Su 3 10 17 24 FEBRUARY Mo 4 11 18 25 Tu 5 12 19 26 W 6 13 20 27 Th 7 14 21 28 Fri 1 8 15 22 29 Sat 2 9 16 23 Sun Mo 30 2 9 16 23 31 3 10 17 24 MARCH Tue We Thu 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 Fri 7 14 21 28 Sat 1 8 15 22 29 APRIL Su Mo Tu We 1 6 13 20 27 7 14 21 28 8 15 22 29 2 9 16 23 30 Th 3 10 17 24 Fri Sat 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 Su Mo Tu MAY W Thu 1 7 14 21 28 8 15 22 29 Fri 2 9 16 23 30 Sa 3 10 17 24 31 Su 1 8 15 22 29 Mon 2 9 16 23 30 JUNE Tu 3 10 17 24 We 4 11 18 25 Th 5 12 19 26 Fri 6 13 20 27 Sat 7 14 21 28 JULY Su Mo Tu We Th 1 6 13 20 27 7 14 21 28 8 15 22 29 2 9 16 23 30 3 10 17 24 31 Fri 4 11 18 25 Sa 5 12 19 26 AUGUST Su Mo Tu We Th 31 3 10 17 24 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 7 14 21 28 Fri Sa 1 8 15 22 29 2 9 16 23 30 7 14 21 28 2S 1 8 SEPTEMBER Mo Tu 2 9 16 23 30 We 3 10 17 24 Th 4 11 18 25 Fri 5 12 19 26 Sat 6 13 20 27 15 22 29 OCTOBER Su Mo Tu We Th 1 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 7 14 21 28 8 15 22 29 2 9 16 23 30 Fri 3 10 17 24 31 Sa 4 11 18 25 NOVEMBER Su Mo 30 2 9 16 23 3 10 17 24 4 11 18 25 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 7 14 21 28 Tu We Th Fri Sa 1 8 15 22 29 6 13 20 27 Su Mo 1 7 14 21 28 DECEMBER Tu 2 8 15 22 29 We 3 9 16 23 30 Th 4 10 17 24 31 Fri 5 11 18 25 Sat 5 12 19 26 • • • • • • • • • • 2 February—World Wetlands Day 21 March—World Forestry Day 22 March— World Water Day 23 March– World Meteorological 22 April– Earth Day 22 May– International Biodiversity 5 June- world Environment Day 8 June—World Oceans Day 1 October– World Habitat Day 11 December– International Mountain