*[Enwl-eng] 🌏CAN EECCA Newsletter: Nuclear dispute in Kazakhstan, Equador bans oil drilling, Floods Kill 13 In Tajikistan
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Tue Aug 29 18:47:26 MSK 2023
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Regional Climate News
Flash Floods Kill 13 In Tajikistan
At least 13 people were killed in Tajikistan following flash floods triggered by heavy rains, the Emergencies Committee of the Central Asian nation said on August 28. The deaths occurred in Vahdat and Rudaki districts, east and south of the capital, Dushanbe, which were hit by storms and heavy rains, authorities said, adding that the flash floods also damaged roads. The committee said that the risk of landslides remained high. President Emomali Rahmon sent condolences to the victims' families, his office said.
How to Increase Green Finance Inflows in Central Asia
The region needs more investment in the development of new generation capacity, including hydro power plants, solar and wind power plants, the construction and upgrade of water treatment facilities, and so on. Climate finance instruments provided by multilateral development banks (MDBs) for adaptation and mitigation could further boost the low-carbon transformation of the region. Aside from financing, the MDBs may also help develop climate projects and assess climate risks and opportunities. They can arrange syndicated loans, provide technical assistance, share the expertise required for feasibility studies, mitigate risks or offer guarantees for their reduction, and this will encourage private investment in green projects.
Moldova: ENERGEl summer camp, run by Gutta-Club
They were participants in the ENERGEl summer camp, run by Gutta-Club with the support of the programme “Addressing the impacts of the energy crisis in Moldova”, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP Moldova. The camp took place in two shifts: 29 July – 8 August and 11 – 21 August. Students are now equipped to adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle, saving energy, recycling waste and urging their family and friends to do the same. The camp programme included a visit to Moldova’s largest photovoltaic park—a $4 million investment in the Criuleni district, and a sanitation activity in Răculești village. The children calculated their own climate footprints and put on a climate-themed show. They also took part in practical workshops on reusing objects.
Kazakhstan: Atomic Bombs And Nuclear Power Plants
Kazakh officials are moving forward with plans to build the country’s first nuclear power plant, although unsurprisingly, there is public opposition. On August 29, 1949, the Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb over an area in northeastern Kazakhstan. Over the next 40 years, there were 455 more tests in the same area and the effects of the radiation continue to cause suffering today. Joining host Bruce Pannier to talk about Kazakhstan’s nuclear legacy is Togzhan Kassenova, author of the widely acclaimed book Atomic Steppe: How Kazakhstan Gave Up the Bomb.
Thought leaders series: Real time monitoring and control of water systems
Real-time monitoring and control of urban water systems is an approach aimed at optimizing the management of water systems within cities. By integrating advanced technologies such as sensors, data analysis, and automation, this approach enhances the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of our urban water services. This webinar will explore the potential for real time monitoring and control that can be used in urban stormwater management. In particular, we look at how real time monitoring and control can be used to protect ecosystems, deliver fit for purpose alternate water supplies, and even potentially reduce nuisance flooding.
Central Asia: Quiet flows the natural gas from Eurasia to China
Official customs data shows that China imported 13.4 billion cubic meters of natural gas (bcm) during the month of June, a 19 percent increase over the import level during the same month in 2022. Global imports arrived in China via pipelines and in liquefied form. Overall, 5.785 bcm of gas was imported via pipelines in June, a slight increase over the previous month’s totals. The main suppliers via pipelines were Turkmenistan (2.69 bcm), Russia (1.9 bcm), Kazakhstan (610 million cubic meters) and Uzbekistan (370 mcm).
Uzbekistan Increases Commitments Under Paris Climate Agreement
The Deputy Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan, Bobur Usmanov, has announced that Uzbekistan has increased its commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement by 200%. This is a significant increase in ambition, and it shows that Uzbekistan is serious about taking action on climate change. Usmanov made the announcement at a press conference in Tashkent on Tuesday. He said that the increase in commitments is part of Uzbekistan’s “nationally determined contributions” to the Paris Agreement. These contributions are a set of targets that countries set for themselves to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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World Climate News
Ecuador Will Keep Some Oil in the Ground
Ecuador voted overwhelmingly on Sunday to halt oil drilling in one of the most biodiverse places on earth. With almost all ballots counted, 59 percent of voters sided with the young activists who spent a decade fighting for the referendum, as we wrote last week. It is widely considered to be the first time a country’s citizens voted decisively to leave oil in the ground. In a separate referendum, Ecuadoreans also voted to block mining in a biosphere reserve. “The answer from the Ecuadorean people suggests to us that the people are proposing a different way to live,” Monserrat Vásquez, an anti-mining activist, told reporters after the victory was announced.
Portuguese wildfires and eco-anxiety spurred children to start a major European court battle
Dismayed at what they see as government inaction over climate change, six young people from Portugal are taking 32 European countries to court. A month away from being heard by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), they hope their legal battle will inspire others to demand environmental justice worldwide. The case - filed in September 2020 against the 27 EU member states as well Britain, Switzerland, Norway, Russia and Turkey - seeks a legally binding decision that would force the governments to act against climate change. It is one of the first such cases to be heard before the court, where citizens say inaction has violated their human rights. It could result in orders for governments to cut carbon dioxide emissions faster than currently planned.
Rich Collectors Are Converting Classic Cars to EVs
The idea of converting gasoline-powered cars into electric vehicles (EVs) is nothing new. The modern EV movement, to a large extent, was born in the garages and workshops of early 2000s tinkerers obsessed with slapping batteries and jerry-rigged electric drive systems into old cars. JB Straubel, the co-founder and original head of technology at Tesla, got his start in that electric hobbyist scene, getting his hands on a beat-up 1984 Porsche, cramming it with bulky, heavy lead-acid batteries, and drag racing it in competitions. Even Tesla’s original offering, the Tesla Roadster, was to some extent just a more advanced version of one of those projects: a chassis from a Lotus Elise sports car, redesigned to accommodate lithium-ion batteries and electric motors.
US aims to limit loss and damage fund
When countries adopt a global fund for climate disaster losses and damages at the Cop28 climate talks, the USA will be arguing to limit its use, according to U.S. officials. Developing nations successfully demanded at last year’s Cop27 climate summit funding for loss and damage caused by climate change, including a dedicated fund, which countries will adopt this year. In climate negotiations, “loss and damage” refers to existing costs incurred from climate-fueled weather impacts, such as last year’s devastating Pakistan flooding.
Study shows biosolar rooftop system benefits power output
A study, led by researchers from the University of Technology in Sydney, suggests that a ‘biosolar’ rooftop system – one that combines a solar system installed on a roof that is partially or completely covered with vegetation – provides significant improvements in panel efficiency and energy production. “As solar panels heat up beyond 25℃, their efficiency decreases markedly,” the researchers said. “Green roofs moderate rooftop temperatures so we wanted to find out could green roofs help with the problem of heat reducing the output of solar panels.”
Scientific journal retracts article that claimed no evidence of climate crisis
One of the world’s biggest scientific publishers has retracted a journal article that claimed to have found no evidence of a climate crisis. Springer Nature said it had retracted the article, by four Italian physicists, after an internal investigation found the conclusions were “not supported by available evidence or data provided by the authors”. Climate sceptic groups widely publicised the article, which appeared in the European Physical Journal Plus in January 2022 – a journal not known for publishing climate change science.
Drought less severe than 2022, but groundwater levels still alarmingly low
Europe is recovering from last year's severe drought thanks to this spring's rain. But under the ground, aquifers are still at a very low level. Despite the heatwave currently hitting much of Europe, the soil's water status has been improving - but only on the surface, not underground. On the wane since mid-June, drought has been at its lowest level since early 2022 in Europe and along the entire Mediterranean coastline, according to the latest data from the European Drought Observatory (EDO). At the beginning of August, some 28% of Europe and the Mediterranean coasts of the Near East and North Africa were affected by drought, the lowest level since January 2022.
Can fast fashion kick its dirty habits?
By 2030, it wants textile products imported into the EU market to be “long-lived and recyclable, to a great extent made of recycled fibres, free of hazardous substances and produced in respect of social rights and the environment”. It is part of what the EU describes as a “circular economy” in which the bloc consumes and discards less overall. The EU hopes its legislation will encourage policymakers around the world to adopt similar measures and force brands to rethink their business practices with benefits for every market where they sell their clothes. Achieving this, however, involves changes to existing legislation, awareness campaigns and a new proposal to require producers — whether manufacturers, importers or distributors — to pay for the treatment of waste textiles.
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