Book: Environmental Transformations A Geography of the Anthropocene (24 April 2014)

Environmental Transformations A Geography of the Anthropocene By Mark Whitehead Description: From the depths of the oceans to the highest reaches of the atmosphere, the human impact on the environment is significant and undeniable. These forms of global and local environmental change collectively appear to signal the arrival of a new geological epoch: the Anthropocene. This is a geological era defined not by natural environmental...

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Hong Kong: Environment chief opens green exhibition (27 April 2014)

Environment chief opens green exhibition March 27, 2014 Out of sight:  Secretary for the Environment KS Wong inspects the waste automatic collection system in Areia Preta. Secretary for the Environment KS Wong today led a delegation to open the 2014 Macau International Environmental Co-operation Forum & Exhibition. He toured the exhibition booths to see business opportunities brought by modern environmental technologies...

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Book: Planning and Installing Micro-Hydro Systems (24 April 2014)

Planning and Installing Micro-Hydro Systems A Guide for Designers, Installers and Engineers By Chris Elliott Routledge – 2014 – 256 pages Description: An essential addition to the Earthscan Planning & Installing series, Planning and Installing Micro-Hydro Systems provides vital diagrams, pictures and tables detailing the planning and installing of a micro-hydro system, including information on the maintenance and economics...

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Book: The Politics of Knowledge and Global Biodiversity (24 April 2014)

The Politics of Knowledge and Global Biodiversity By Alice B.M. Vadrot Routledge – 2014 – 320 pages Series: Routledge Studies in Biodiversity Politics and Management Description: The establishment of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) points to the crucial role attributed to science and knowledge for the successful implementation of biodiversity politics by both scientists and policy-makers....

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Hong Kong: Green summit urges less waste (27 April 2014)

Green summit urges less waste April 11, 2014 Public participation is crucial in achieving the "use less, waste less" vision, Acting Chief Executive Carrie Lam said today. She was speaking at the Go Green, Waste Less summit, organised by the Environmental Campaign Committee and the Environmental Protection Department. About 180 representatives from District Councils, local community groups and schools joined. Mrs Lam thanked them for their efforts to promote community participation and environmental work. Secretary for the Environment...

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Hong Kong News: Park photo competition opens (27 April 2014)

Park photo competition opens April 15, 2014 The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department launched a country park photography competition today. The event is to promote country park visits and nature conservation. The department encourages participants to share their country park experiences by taking photographs capturing the seasonal beauty and rich biodiversity in Hong Kong’s country parks. Entries should be emailed to cpphotocomp2014@gmail.com during specified periods in each season. source : http://www.n...

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Book: Complexity and Sustainability (23 April 2014)

Complexity and Sustainability By Jennifer Wells Routledge – 2012 – 345 pages Description: Complex dynamic system studies have been studied explicitly in the natural sciences, and most only implicitly throughout other fields. Yet much great social theory and philosophy is in fact based in complexity, and important concepts like postmodernism, risk, and collapse all stem from complexity. Six key terms are explored: nonlinearity, feedbacks,...

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Hong Kong: 25 pollution convictions recorded (27 April 2014)

25 pollution convictions recorded April 15, 2014 The Environmental Protection Department recorded 25 convictions for pollution offences in March. Six were for air pollution, seven for noise, and 12 for waste disposal offences. The heaviest fine for the month was $80,000, assessed against a company that used powered mechanical equipment not complying with permit conditions. source : http://www.news.gov.hk/en/categories/environment/html/2014/04/20140415_161557.shtm...

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China News: Tap water chief apologizes over contamination (23 April 2014)

Tap water chief apologizes over contamination The chief of a tap water supplier embroiled in scandal after a contamination affected more than 2.4 million people in a northwestern Chinese city apologized to the public on Tuesday. Yao Xin, chairman of the Lanzhou Veolia Water Company, bowed and expressed his apology at a news conference organized by the government of Lanzhou City, capital of Gansu Province, after the company reported excessive levels of carcinogenic compound benzene in its water on April 10. Yao said the reason he had not apologized...

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World News: UN urges more efforts on sustainable development (23 April 2014)

UN urges more efforts on sustainable development The United Nations observed the International Mother Earth Day on Tuesday with senior officials appealing for greater efforts to promote sustainable development and use of renewable energy sources. Desertification in Namibia. [Photo/UNEP] In his message for the day, marked annually on April 22, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged worldwide changes in attitude and practice to curb the negative...

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Taiwan News: 水質監測資訊化 掌控廢水護河川 (22 April 2014)

                                水質監測資訊化 掌控廢水護河川 保護家園河川水環境，除了靠環保單位對污染源的稽查管制及熱心志工巡守河川外，為強化對廢水排放的監控，環保署透過科學工具掌握污染排放資訊，積極推動大型排放源的廢水水質水量自動監測與即時連線，目前已有8處工業區提前完成設置，為污染源的管控跨出了一大步。經由監測發現排水道水質異常，環保局與工業區服務中心已合作查獲4家偷排業者，顯示廢水自動連續監測確實發揮監控警示的功能，有效阻止污染物的非法排放。         環保署表示，以往水污染管制需靠稽查人員到現場採樣，送至實驗室檢驗後才知道是否超過標準，不僅耗時費力，而且受限於時間人力，無法加重稽查頻率，讓不法業者有機可趁。設置自動連續監測設施，環保機關可藉由科學工具，進一步主動連續掌控並記錄污染源排放狀況，發掘不法及異常情形，嚇阻污染的發生。依照法令規定，應於7月14日前完成設置的36處工業區，目前已有桃園觀音工業區、新北產業園區、南投南崗工業區、彰濱工業區（鹿港區）、雲林科技工業區、高雄臨海工業區（臨海廠）、新竹科學工業園區及南部科學工業園區（臺南園區）8處超前完成，其餘28處現正進行測試，另有60家業者應該在今年12月底前完成設置作業。以桃園觀音工業區為例，今年1至3月，自動監測發現4次雨水下水道水質酸鹼值異常，服務中心發揮委託查證權，協助環保局查獲區內4家廠商違法排放廢水至雨水下水道，即為水質自動監測成效的展現。         環保署強調，全民共同監督參與為水質保護工作重要的一環，102...

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China News: China facing severe environmental challenges (23 April 2014)

China facing severe environmental challenges China continues to face severe challenges in energy conservation and emission reduction, a senior lawmaker in charge of environment-related legislation said on Tuesday. With only two years left to achieve targets set in the country's 12th five year plan (2011-2015), China needs to step up efforts to cut energy consumption per unit of GDP by 16 percent by the end of 2015, said Lu Hao, director of the National People's Congress (NPC) Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee. "This...

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World News: Earth Day: Last places with their original looks (23 April 2014)

Earth Day: Last places with their original looks April 22 is World Earth Day. Environmental problems have long been seen as serious topics and many parts of the planet have lost their true colors and natural landscapes. Following are some of the places which still manage to preserve their original characteristics. Ruunaa hiking area, Finland. source : http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2014-04/23/content_32179101.htm ...

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China News: China's five-year plan to boost environment protection (23 April 2014)

China's five-year plan to boost environment protection China's next five-year plan will further boost ecological progress, said Xu Lin, a department head at the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top economic planner, on Wednesday. People are paying much more attention to quality of life and have higher demands and the 13th Five-Year Plan will not ignore this, said Xu, who is head of the commission's department of development planning. Most sectors have been doing well in meeting targets set by the 12th Five-Year...

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China News: China's underground water quality worsens (23 April 2014)

China's underground water quality worsens Nearly 60 percent of monitored areas of China had "very poor" or "relatively poor" underground water quality last year, a new report showed on Tuesday. Nearly 60 percent of monitored areas of China had "very poor" or "relatively poor" underground water quality last year. Among 4,778 spots in 203 cities monitored by the Ministry of Land and Resources, underground water quality was ranked "relatively...

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Taiwan News: 全民複式動員檢查 清除登革熱病媒蚊孳生源 (20 April 2014)

全民複式動員檢查　清除登革熱病媒蚊孳生源 梅雨季節即將到來，除易造成積水，氣溫也回暖，形成孳生病媒蚊的有利條件。為防範登革熱疫情，環保署與衛生福利部於今(22)日共同召開「103年第一次登革熱流行疫情處理協調會報」，環保署環境衛生及毒物管理處處長袁紹英表示，將於4月底至6月推動全國登革熱孳生源複式動員檢查，請民眾動手清理居家戶內外孳生登革熱病媒蚊的容器及場所，各機關及地方政府持續以「清除再清除，檢查再檢查」方式，落實巡查清理，對於戶外未落實清除孳生源者，將依「廢棄物清理法」相關規定予以處分。         環保署表示，環保單位依據衛生福利部「登革熱防治工作指引」，以「清除孳生源為主，緊急噴藥為輔」防治原則，協助衛生機關辦理病媒蚊孳生源清除及噴藥工作。統計103年1月至3月地方環保機關動員孳生源清除達28萬人次，清除容器87萬餘個，空地清理8千4百餘處，廢輪胎清理1萬9千餘個，告發225件。為因應本年度登革熱疫情，環保署持續辦理複式動員計畫，透過村里互檢及地方環保局複查，動員村里民眾及志義工進行家戶內外孳生源清除，加強宣傳登革熱防治，並辦理不預警抽查，督促各直轄市、縣（市）環保局執行登革熱病媒蚊孳生源清除，並加強稽查處分，以落實公權力執行。         為強化孳生源清除，環保署籲請全民動員維護我們的家園清淨，對於可清理的登革熱病媒蚊孳生源則立即清理，難以清理之處，可至環保署「清淨家園顧厝邊綠色生活（EcoLife）網」通報，或撥打全國免付費公害陳情專線0800-066666檢舉，政府將派員儘速清除及查處，對於未落實清除登革熱孳生源者，依「廢棄物清理法」相關規定予以處分。 source...

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China News: Wild panda photos captured again in Sichuan (23 April 2014)

Wild panda photos captured again in Sichuan Photos of a wild panda were captured for the second time by infrared cameras at Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area in Sichuan Province. The photo is the first one recording a wild panda eating. [Photo/Chinanews.com] Photos captured by infrared cameras at Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area in southwest China's Sichuan Province show a wild panda sighting in the area, the...

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Event: Public Forum of the Study on the Action Plan for Livable Bay Area of the Pearl River Estuary (26 April 2014)

Public Forum of the Study on the Action Plan for Livable Bay Area of the Pearl River Estuary  Event Date: 26 Apr 2014 Event Time: 10:30 am - 1:00 pm  Venue: Multi-Purpose Hall, 3/F, City Gallery, 3 Edinburgh Place, Central, Hong Kong  Email: sppd@pland.gov.hk Website: www.prdbay.com  BEC is pleased to support the Public forum for the “Study on the Action Plan for Livable Bay Area of the Pearl River Estuary” that organised by Planning Department of the HKSAR Government.   About the Public Forum   Planning...

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Event: Business Strategy and Social Responsibility (25-28 April 2014)

Business Strategy and Social Responsibility (4 days) Date:Friday, 25 April 2014   -  Monday, 28 April 2014 Location:Bangkok Course Overview: This module will concentrate on strategies to demonstrate how CSR can be an agent for change. The course additionally examines available frameworks, standards and guidelines including ISO 26000 and the Global Reporting Initiative. The lectures and interactive sessions will...

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India News: CBI takes over tiger poaching probe (10 April 2014)

CBI takes over tiger poaching probe NAGPUR: Eight months after it was approached to investigate poaching of tigers in the region, the Central Bureau of Investigation, took over the on Friday.The state government had written to CBI director Ranjit Sinha on July 26, 2013 requesting for probe in the poaching of tigers. State notification to this effect was published in August last week. The CBI started collecting relevant papers from September."Finally, the probe has been handed over to the CBI officials from Navi Mumbai who were in the city on...

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India News: Gautala sanctuary to get cameras for tracking animals (9 April 2014)

Gautala sanctuary to get cameras for tracking animals AURANGABAD: The Gautala Autrumghat wildlife sanctuary in Aurangabad district, a 250 sq km expanse of dense forest, will be first in the Marathwada region to get cameras to track the movement of animals and to keep a hawk eye on poaching activities.The wildlife division has sent a proposal seeking 12 trap cameras for the sanctuary, which will also help in the bi-annual animal census activity. The trap cameras will have motion sensors and night vision to capture the image of any wildlife passing...

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