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Climate change depleting oxygen in oceans, says study

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Climate change depleting oxygen in oceans, says study

A reduction in the amount of oxygen dissolved in the oceans due to climate change is already discernible in some parts of the world and should be evident across large regions of the oceans between 2030 and 2040, according to a new study led by the National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

Deoxgenation due to climate change is already detectable in some parts of the ocean. New research from NCAR finds that it will likely become widespread between 2030 and 2040. Other parts of the ocean, shown in gray, will not have detectable loss of oxygen due to climate change even by 2100. Image credit: Matthew Long, NCAR
Deoxgenation due to climate change is already detectable in some parts of the ocean. New research from NCAR finds that it will likely become widespread between 2030 and 2040. Other parts of the ocean, shown in gray, will not have detectable loss of oxygen due to climate change even by 2100. Image credit: Matthew Long, NCAR

Scientists know that a warming climate can be expected to gradually sap the ocean of oxygen, leaving fish, crabs, squid, sea stars, and other marine life struggling to breathe. But it’s been difficult to determine whether this anticipated oxygen drain is already having a noticeable impact.

“Loss of oxygen in the ocean is one of the serious side effects of a warming atmosphere, and a major threat to marine life,” said NCAR scientist Matthew Long, lead author of the study. “Since oxygen concentrations in the ocean naturally vary depending on variations in winds and temperature at the surface, it’s been challenging to attribute any deoxygenation to climate change. This new study tells us when we can expect the impact from climate change to overwhelm the natural variability.”

 

Cutting through the natural variability

The entire ocean – from the depths to the shallows – gets its oxygen supply from the surface, either directly from the atmosphere or from phytoplankton, which release oxygen into the water through photosynthesis.

Warming surface waters, however, absorb less oxygen. And in a double whammy, the oxygen that is absorbed has a more difficult time traveling deeper into the ocean. That’s because as water heats up, it expands, becoming lighter than the water below it and less likely to sink.

Thanks to natural warming and cooling, oxygen concentrations at the sea surface are constantly changing – and those changes can linger for years or even decades deeper in the ocean.

For example, an exceptionally cold winter in the North Pacific would allow the ocean surface to soak up a large amount of oxygen. Thanks to the natural circulation pattern, that oxygen would then be carried deeper into the ocean interior, where it might still be detectable years later as it travels along its flow path. On the flip side, unusually hot weather could lead to natural “dead zones” in the ocean, where fish and other marine life cannot survive.

To cut through this natural variability and investigate the impact of climate change, the research team – including Curtis Deutsch of the University of Washington and Taka Ito of Georgia Tech – relied on the NCAR-based Community Earth System Model, which is funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy.

The scientists used output from a project that ran the model more than two dozen times for the years 1920 to 2100 on the Yellowstone supercomputer, which is operated by NCAR. Each individual run was started with miniscule variations in air temperature. As the model runs progressed, those tiny differences grew and expanded, producing a set of climate simulations useful for studying questions about variability and change.

Using the simulations to study dissolved oxygen gave the researchers guidance on how much concentrations may have varied naturally in the past. With this information, they could determine when ocean deoxygenation due to climate change is likely to become more severe than at any point in the modelled historic range.

The research team found that deoxygenation caused by climate change could already be detected in the southern Indian Ocean and parts of the eastern tropical Pacific and Atlantic basins. They also determined that more widespread detection of deoxygenation caused by climate change would be possible between 2030 and 2040. However, in some parts of the ocean, including areas off the east coasts of Africa, Australia, and Southeast Asia, deoxygenation caused by climate change was not evident even by 2100.

 

Picking out a global pattern

The researchers also created a visual way to distinguish between deoxygenation caused by natural processes and deoxygenation caused by climate change.

Using the same model dataset, the scientists created maps of oxygen levels in the ocean, showing which waters were oxygen-rich at the same time that others were oxygen-poor. They found they could distinguish between oxygenation patterns caused by natural weather phenomena and the pattern caused by climate change.

The pattern caused by climate change also became evident in the model runs around 2030, adding confidence to the conclusion that widespread deoxygenation due to climate change will become detectable around that time.

The maps could also be useful resources for deciding where to place instruments to monitor ocean oxygen levels in the future to get the best picture of climate change impacts. Currently ocean oxygen measurements are relatively sparse.

“We need comprehensive and sustained observations of what’s going on in the ocean to compare with what we’re learning from our models and to understand the full impact of a changing climate,” Long said.

Gambia, Seychelles sign Paris Agreement, signatories now 177

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Gambia, Seychelles sign Paris Agreement, signatories now 177

Two more countries have signed the Paris Climate Change Agreement, bringing the total number of signatories to 177 Parties (176 countries and the European Union) since the agreement was opened for signature at a high-level ceremony in New York on 22 April 2016. The two new signatories are Seychelles, who signed on 25 April 2016, and The Gambia who signed on 26 April 2016.

The Gambia’s low line coastal areas are vulnerable to climate change impact including sea level rise and flooding
The Gambia’s low line coastal areas are vulnerable to climate change impact including sea level rise and flooding

The number of States that have deposited their instruments of ratification remains 15: Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Somalia, State of Palestine, Barbados, Belize, Fiji, Grenada, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Samoa, Tuvalu, Maldives, Saint Lucia, and Mauritius.

Nigeria has neither signed the international treaty nor deposited an instrument of ratification to that effect.

The Paris Agreement will enter into force on the 30th day after the date on which at least 55 Parties to the Convention accounting in total for at least an estimated 55% of total global greenhouse gas emissions have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession with the Depositary in New York.

Kenya burns recovered elephant ivory, rhino horns, seeks to stop poaching

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Kenya burns recovered elephant ivory, rhino horns, seeks to stop poaching

Plumes of smoke filled the air of a muddy Nairobi National Park last Saturday as Kenya’s President Kenyatta presided over the burning of 105 tons of elephant ivory and 1.35 tons of rhino horns to send a message to the world that ivory is worth more on an elephant than it is in the market.

Ivory piles burn at Kenya’s Nairobi National Park, April 30, 2016. Photo credit: J. Craig/VOA
Ivory piles burn at Kenya’s Nairobi National Park, April 30, 2016. Photo credit: J. Craig/VOA

The torching of this stockpile made it the largest ivory burn in history.

“The height of the pile of ivory before us marks the strength of our resolve,” said Kenyatta. “Before you, ladies and gentlemen, is the largest haul of ivory and horn ever to be destroyed in this manner. And our reason is crystal clear. No one — and, I repeat, no one — has any business trading in any ivory, for this trade means death. Death to our elephants, and death to our natural heritage.”

The event marked Kenya’s commitment to stopping the poaching epidemic, which has resulted in tens of thousands of elephants across the continent being killed every year for their ivory tusks.

In total, the ivory at the burn represented tusks from an estimated 8,500 elephants, a Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) spokesman said. KWS said a significant part of the stockpile came from ivory and rhino horn captured from poachers or seized in transit.

Critics have argued that poor countries like Kenya should sell the ivory to improve the lives of their people. The Kenya Wildlife Service has responded that selling these illegal trophies dramatically increases elephant poaching, threatening the animals’ very existence. Living elephants have value, whereas ivory does not, it said.

Heather Higginbottom, U.S. deputy secretary of state for management and resources, attended the event and said that saving elephants helps everyone.

“There are economic benefits to tourism, to ecotourism, and that creates jobs and stability and ensures that there will be more and more demand to see these amazing creatures,” said Higginbottom. “That helps the people of Kenya, as well as the habitat and the animals.”

Poaching has escalated to alarming heights in recent years, as 100,000 African elephants were killed between 2010 and 2012.

James Isiche, East Africa regional director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said such numbers represent a grave threat to elephants everywhere.

“If the killing continues as it is now,” said Isiche, “then we cannot sustain the elephant populations in the next 20 years.”

Kenya has had success in reducing poaching, from 384 elephants killed in 2012 to 96 killed in 2015. But conservationists say that this progress could quickly be reversed if people don’t remain diligent.

But if they do, then Peter Knights, CEO of the wildlife conservation group WildAid, might be right about Kenya’s 2016 ivory burn.

“This might be the image that represents the end of the ivory trade,” he said.

Kenyatta said he would seek a total ban on the ivory trade at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species meeting in September.

By Jill Craig (Voice of America)

Review Great Green Wall operations to correct lapses – Dahiru

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Review Great Green Wall operations to correct lapses – Dahiru

Nigeria loses over 21,000sq km of its arable land annually to desertification which encroaches into the northern region of the country from the Sahara Desert.

The destruction of farmlands in the north and the harsh weather caused by the desert have been blamed for the mass migration of locals down south in search of greener pastures, a situation that has contributed in no small way in fuelling the security concerns in the country.

Of recent, several initiatives have been put in place to check desert encroachment, among which is the Great Green Wall (GGW) programme that entails creating a wall of trees along the desert front-line states, to act as wind break, thus preventing the desert from advancing further.

Correspondent Innocent Onoh spoke with Umar Danladi Dahiru, the Executive Director of the Africa Desertification Control Initiative, who sheds some light on issues related to desert encroachment in Northern Nigeria, including the scale of devastation and practical ways of protecting the region.

Umar Danladi Dahiru
Umar Danladi Dahiru

Can you explain the phenomenon “desertification”?

Desertification, which is defined by United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) as “land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors including climatic variations and human activities,” poses serious threats to economic and social wellbeing of humans and biodiversity in general.

The problem of desertification can only be controlled but can never be stopped as it is the result of the combination of natural and anthropogenic factors.

Natural factors such as poor physical condition of the soil and extreme climatic variability causes desertification in dry lands. Soils in the desert areas (an area which has lost or is losing its biological potentials) are mostly sandy in nature and therefore do not have the capacity to retain moisture and have poor organic matter content to support plant growth. It is also a fact that most areas in the North Eastern and North Western Nigeria record a very low amount of annual rainfall, in some areas it is below 300mm per annum in addition to poor distribution of rainfall.

 

How vulnerable are Nigerians and indeed Africans to the rampaging desert?

A lot of Nigerians and indeed many Africans are highly vulnerable to the devastating effects of this environmental monster called desertification. The desert is fast encroaching agricultural and grazing lands from the Sahara Desert in the Northern part of Africa. Loss of productive land is on the increase, forcing the inhabitants of these areas to migrate to other parts that hasn’t been affected.

This issue has brought about prevalence of diseases, economic, political and social instability in the region.

About 1/3 of the earth’s surface is being threatened by desertification that is about 400 million hectares (Ha) of land or nearly 40 million square kilometres.

So, 12 million hectares of this fragile, non-renewable, common wealth (fertile soil) that provide us with food is lost every year due to desertification.

In Nigeria, various forms of land degradation account for the loss of over 21,000sq km of arable land annually to desertification which encroaches fast into the northern region of the country from the Sahara Desert.

 

At what rate is the desert advancing down South?

To the best of my knowledge, the specific rate at which desert is encroaching Nigerian land is not known, as there isn’t any reliable study to prove that. But, obviously, it is coming at a very fast rate.

It has been practically observed that the desert is encroaching at a very alarming speed in most African countries. The most noticeable causal agents are climate change and human activities in form of indiscriminate felling of trees, bush burning, poor land management practices, etc. The demand for energy and other human needs have made people go beyond the limit of exploiting forest resources. This consequently exposes the environment to agents of denudation like strong winds and running water which further degrade the environment and set the stage for desertification.

 

Is it possible to completely secure Nigeria’s territory from the desert?

It is not possible to secure the Nigerian territory or any other country’s territory from being encroached by the desert. Desertification does not require “visa” to cross from one country to another. It is a natural phenomenon which is also highly influenced by anthropogenic factors.

Natural factors such as poor physical condition of the soil and extreme climatic variability cause desertification in dry lands. Soils in the desert areas (an area which has lost or is losing its biological potentials) are mostly sandy in nature and therefore do not have the capacity to retain moisture and have poor organic matter content to support plant growth. It is also a fact that most areas in the North Eastern and North Western Nigeria record a very low amount of annual rainfall; in some areas it is below 300mm per annum in addition to poor distribution of rainfall.

So you can see that It can never be stopped completely, but can only be controlled.

However, to check it, we should imbibe the culture of planting and maintaining trees and also put a stop to indiscriminate felling of trees, while government on its part should provide simple and affordable alternative sources of energy like the coal stove, solar cookers and improved wood stoves, and at the same time enforce stringent measures to protect our fragile forest resources, all in an effort to mitigate climate change for sustainable development. Looking at the rate at which the desert is encroaching, we encourage people to plant and maintain at least three trees every year in an effort to make the environment better and also combat land degradation for sustainable agriculture.

As we know trees use some of the GHG like carbon dioxide to manufacture food and give out clean oxygen air for use by humans and animals. It is also a known fact that areas with denser forest cover have a higher rate of rainfall than areas with limited tree cover.

 

What is your take on the Great Green Wall programme?

The Great Green Wall initiative is a Pan-African programme that involves the planting of trees from Djibouti to Senegal. It has a lot of rural development components that are aimed at changing the lives of people in these areas because, in the modern techniques of combating desertification, you cannot combat desertification without fighting poverty. They go hand in hand.

In view of this, it is worthy to commend the efforts of the 11 African countries (Djibouti, Eretria, Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Senegal) and African Union (AU) to establish the GGW, which is 7,775 kilometres in length, 15 kilometres wide, covering a total area of 11,662,500 hectares of land. The GGW is aimed at limiting desertification of the Sahel zone from Djibouti in the Horn of Africa in the east, across the continent to Dakar, Senegal, in the west. The Nigerian government flagged-off its component of the Great Green Wall recently at Bachaka Town in Kebbi State and made provision of sourcing and planting 10 million tree seedlings that year in an effort to ensure the success of the programme.

 

Can you attempt an assessment of the GGW’s progress in Nigeria?

The Nigerian component of the Great Green Wall initiative has actually started on a very sound footing. But somewhere, somehow, there are many abandoned projects that are aimed at changing the lives of these people.

 

What then is the way forward?

It is necessary for the Nigerian government to do a review of the GGW initiative, and take urgent steps to address the lapses which has been identified. You cannot fight desertification without fighting poverty. It is therefore my advice to the government and all stakeholders to put hands on deck to tackle this issue.

 

What does the Africa Desertification Control Initiative stand for?

The Africa Desertification Control Initiative is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) established to build the capacity of vulnerable rural Africans living in the desert areas and to also create awareness on the dangers associated with this form of land degradation with a view to finding remediation to the problem as well as to provide professional consulting service to relevant stakeholders. among other objectives.

 

What has been the role of your organisation in checking desert in Nigeria?

To a very large extent, we have sensitised so many Nigerians in this respect, in addition to training of people on the modern techniques of desert combating via locally organised training workshops and seminars. We have also facilitated the training of over 20 Nigerian experts on desertification control in China, Turkey, India and Israel, which has boosted our capacity in dealing with desertification control. Our NGO was also a partner in the UNEP-China-Africa programme on environment. On several occasions we have also raised and distributed tree seedlings to people.

Seven rich cities of the future

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Seven rich cities of the future

Forget New York, London or Hong Kong. Here are seven cities that are racing up the rankings of the world’s richest, and will be among the top 10 by 2025, according to researchers from the McKinsey Global Institute.

Doha, Qatar
Doha, Qatar

Doha, Qatar

Qatar’s Doha is predicted to be one of the rising stars in terms of per capita GDP. The country is already among the richest in the world, and huge investments ahead of the 2022 Soccer World Cup are set to give it extra boost.

 

 

Bergen, Norway
Bergen, Norway

Bergen, Norway

Bergen is the second most populous city in Norway.

It is already at the forefront of the country’s economy, but McKinsey’s researchers predict it will rise to become one of the richest cities globally. It serves as the hub for Norway’s energy industry, shipping, and marine research.

 

Trondheim, Norway
Trondheim, Norway

Trondheim, Norway

Another Norwegian city on the list, Trondheim is the birthplace of mobile tech. It is where the GSM standard was invented in the 1980s.

Since then, the local tech scene has been booming, and now boasts over 550 startups with more than 10,000 employees, according to officials.

 

Hwaseong, South Korea
Hwaseong, South Korea

Hwaseong, South Korea

Hwaseong, although not widely known outside South Korea, is a booming city south of Seoul. It’s home to the global research facilities of Hyundai (HYMTF) and Samsung (SSNLF), as well as flagship plants for Kia and LG Electronics.

The city is investing heavily in new residential real estate in the super modern Dongtan district.

 

Asan, South Korea
Asan, South Korea

Asan, South Korea

Like its neighbour Hwaseong, Asan is home to several large industrial complexes.

It also benefits from being near the port of Pyeongtaek, which is the closest port to east China, and a global shipping hub.

 

 

Rhine-Ruhr, Germany
Rhine-Ruhr, Germany

Rhine-Ruhr, Germany

Rhine-Ruhr is already one of the most successful urban areas in Germany. It’s the third largest in Europe, trailing only Paris and London.

Many powerhouses of German industry and finance are based in the region, including 12 Fortune 500 companies.

 

Macau, China
Macau, China

Macau, China

Macau is an example of how quickly things can change. Tipped to become one of the 10 richest cities in the world by 2025, Macau suffered a huge recession at the end of last year.

Its economy slumped 17% after an anti-corruption drive hurt Macau’s casinos, the main driver of the territory’s economy. Growth is expected to return next year, but experts say Macau must find other sources of income to recover its momentum.

The ranking is based on GDP per capita. McKinsey’s top 10 cities by 2025 also include Oslo (Norway), Yosu (South Korea) and San Jose (California).

By Ivana Kottasova (CNN Money)

Ekiti doctors: FRSC debunks NMA claims, sheds light on crash

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Ekiti doctors: FRSC debunks NMA claims, sheds light on crash

Against the backdrop of the reaction of a member of the Ekiti State Branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to pronouncement made by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) over the root cause of a recent road crash, the FRSC has said that it stands by its statement as, according to the Corps, it is credible.

Scene of the crash
Scene of the crash

Following the crash, which claimed the lives of six medical doctors and a driver, the FRSC attributed the cause of the accident to over speeding. But, a member of the NMA, Dr. Ekundare Folu and a colleague, in a newspaper publication, described FRSC’s claims as unfounded, a submission that has apparently not gone down well with the Corps, which on Thursday attempted “to clear the air and put the facts straight.”

Head, Media Relations and Strategy of the Corps, Bisi Kazeem, while conveying FRSC’s “sincere condolence to the families and friends of the victims of the road crash,” noted that pronouncement made by the Corps on any crash is always based on technical investigation carried out by a unit of safety engineers domiciled in every Command of the FRSC spread nationwide.

His words: “Under the present circumstances, it is unfair for Dr Ekundare to describe the genuine intent of the Corps to establish the remote and immediate causes of the fatal crash, in partial fulfilment of its statutory mandate, as ‘distasteful and derogatory given the helplessness of the victims at the scene of the accident’.”

In a statement released on Thursday, Kazeem explained further: “As the nation’s lead agency on road safety management and traffic administration, the onus lies on the FRSC to immediately investigate any road traffic crash and come up with recommendations which could assist in forestalling future occurrence. It will be recalled that the Corps has undertaken similar exercise after previous road traffic crashes such as the recent fatal crash which claimed the lives of former Minister of State for Labour and members of his family, Mr. James Ocholi.

“Findings from the same fatal crash also threw up the need for the Nigerian motoring public to strictly adhere to road traffic regulations bordering on compulsory use of rear seat belts by occupants of a moving vehicle, in line with the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2016.

“This investigation, which is in line contemporary global standards, seeks to establish some factors such as mechanical status of the vehicle, tyres, road condition and, possibly, the psychological state of the driver prior to the auto crash.

“It is also unfair to assert that the Corps’ operatives arrive late at the scene of the road crash but were also reluctant to take the victims to the hospital. The Corps has always lived up to its resolve to prioritise rescue operations in the event of a road crash. It is also on record that the FRSC has, through its Call Centre, maintained seamless interface with road users and has reduced its response time to road crashes and other traffic-related matters to 15 minutes.

“For avoidance of doubt, our nearest Unit Command to the scene of the crash, Katari Unit, got a distress call about the fatal auto crash on 24th April 2016 at 16.32 hrs ( 6.32pm)  and our rescue team from Katari arrived the scene at exactly 16.42hrs (6.42pm), thus our men arrived there 10 minutes after the crash and was supported by another team at Doka to assist in taking the victims (dead and injured) to St. Gerald Hospital in Kaduna where the Kaduna State Sector Command immediately took over the matter.

“The Kaduna State Sector Commander, Corps Commander Francis Ugboma, also visited the hospital to monitor the status of the injured victims and condole with the bereaved. It was at the hospital that the Sector Commander put a call through to the FRSC Corps Marshal who also spoke to Dr. Akinbote, the Chairman of Ekiti State NMA, and commiserated with the NMA and bereaved families.

“From the words of Dr Ekundare, he was consistently monitoring the acceleration of the driver whenever he hits 110km/hr, ‘I was in the same vehicle, sitting in the row behind the driver and I checked the speedometer from time to time. The bus also makes a beeping sound once the speed exceeds 110km/hr. Let me state categorically that the bus driver was not speeding.’ It is rather unfortunate for him to conclude that a bus which was consistently exceeding the recommended 90km/hr, was not on a high speed.

“Much as we do not wish to join issues with Dr Ekundayo on his submissions, it is instructive to disclose at this juncture that our investigations revealed that while the vehicle was in motion, the right rear tyre which was a Bridgestone brand manufactured in 2008, blew up, indicating that the tyre which has expired since 2012, was not roadworthy. The remaining two tyres were manufactured in 2014 while one tyre was churned out this year. It was also discovered that, out of the three tyres, one had patch marks. It is obvious that the driver’s acceleration rate constituted to excessive speeding, sudden tyre burst and somersault of the bus.

“In the same vein, we frown at Dr Ekundare’s assertion that the FRSC uses road crashes of this nature to further propagate its on-going initiative on the speed limiting device. It is already a global knowledge that speed limiting device plays vital role in reducing road traffic crashes associated with speed limit violation and this underscores the position of the United Nations on the need for concrete but decisive steps to be taken by member nations to address the menace of speed induced road traffic crashes as we march towards realising the UN decade of action on road safety 2011-2020.

“Disturbed by this unfortunate development, the FRSC Corps Marshal had after commiserating with the Ekiti State Executive Governor, convened a stakeholders summit on tyre with a commitment to re-launch a nationwide tyre awareness campaign as part of measures to reinvigorate public consciousness on the tyre care, routine checks, avoidance of tokunbo tyres and to organise training sessions for vulcanisers to further inject order and decorum in their activities.

“While we still commiserate with bereaved families, the NMA and the people of Ekiti State over the unfortunate incident, we wish to reiterate our commitment to enthrone safer road culture for the Nigerian motoring public.”

Workplace heat stifling economies of Nigeria, others – Report

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Workplace heat stifling economies of Nigeria, others – Report

Emerging economies face as much as 10 per cent losses in working hours because of deteriorating thermal conditions in the workplace due to climate change, according to a new report released on Thursday.

Deteriorating thermal conditions in the workplace due to climate change is translating to dire consequences for developing economies
Deteriorating thermal conditions in the workplace due to climate change is translating to dire consequences for developing economies

The estimated losses imply adverse consequences of a similar scale to economic output, or GDP, for a wide range of developing countries, including India, Indonesia and Nigeria, as highlighted by the report.

Strengthening current plans for greenhouse gas emission cuts under the Paris Agreement on climate change would, according to the study, significantly reduce the economic and public health impact of escalating workplace heat.

The findings were presented at International Labour Organisation (ILO) headquarters in Geneva, together with the 43-member Climate Vulnerable Forum, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), ILO, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), UNI Global Union, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), ACT Alliance, and with the support of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The release marked International Workers’ Memorial Day, with the report calling excessive workplace heat a well-known occupational health and productivity danger behind growing risks of heat exhaustion, heat stroke and, “in extreme cases”, death.

The joint study, “Climate Change and Labour: Impacts of Heat in the Workplace”, is based on updated research into labour-related effects for different economies exposed to increasingly extreme thermal conditions because of climate change.

More than one billion employees and their employers and communities in vulnerable countries already grapple with such severe heat in the workplace, the report finds, and the impact of climate change on labour is not being adequately accounted for by international and national climate or employment policies. For one country, the report found that reductions to total available working hours due to climate change had already reached an estimated four per cent by the 1990s, highlighting the current nature of the challenge.

Highly exposed zones include the Southern United States, Central America and the Caribbean, Northern South America, North and West Africa, South and South East Asia, according to the report. Especially vulnerable are Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and emerging economies with high concentrations of outdoor labour and industrial and service sector workers operating in ineffectively climate-controlled conditions.

Even with the stronger 1.5-degree Celsius limit settled on under the Paris Agreement, key regions would face almost an entire month of extreme heat each year by 2030 (2010-2030), the report finds. Such heat reduces work productivity, increases the need for work breaks and elevates risks to health and occupational injuries-effects that also entail lower productive output on a “macro-scale” according to the study.

Speaking at the report’s launch, Cecelia Rebong, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the UN, said the impact of heat in the workplace adds “another layer of vulnerability to developing countries already reeling from the adverse impacts of climate change.” The need to limit global warming was “urgent and critical,” she added.

According to the report, “when it is too hot, people work less effectively out-of-doors, in factories, the office or on the move due to diminished ability for physical exertion and for completing mental tasks.”

“Governments and international organisations have long put in place standards on thermal conditions in the workplace. But climate change has already altered thermal conditions,” and “additional warming is a serious challenge for any worker or employer reliant on outdoor or non-air conditioned work.” Levels of heat are already “very high” even for acclimatised populations, it noted.

Technical development of the joint report was based on research of the High Occupational Temperature Health and Productivity Suppression (Hothaps) programme of the Ruby Coast Research Centre, Mapua, New Zealand, led by Tord Kjellstrom.

Cecilia Rebong, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations: “Excessive heat puts exposed working populations at greater risk from heat-induced stresses and undermines growth by compromising productivity. Vulnerable groups need significant support to tackle rising heat in the workplace, but there are also limits and costs associated with adapting to the heat. All of these underscore the urgent and critical need to limit global warming to the minimum in accordance with the goals, including the 1.5° C goal, set out in the Paris Agreement that 175 nations signed only last week.”

Maria Luisa Silva, UNDP Geneva Director: “We embarked on this report to give recognition to this specific and serious concern, and to begin the conversation on how to respond and deal with it. The challenges have to be addressed by governments, employers, employees and other relevant international organisations if we want to be able to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.”

Philip Jennings, General Secretary of UNI Global Union: “Today on International Workers’ Memorial Day, we pay tribute to workers round the world who have lost their lives on the job. It’s often the poorest workers who pay the ultimate price. Workers who are being exposed to extreme heat need to have access to a cooling environment, shade, water, protective clothing and enough time for rest breaks. This is particularly true for people who do physical work, for example out in the fields, mines and factories. Imagine working in a shoe manufacturer in Vietnam or a clothing factory in Bangladesh when it is 35°C. Governments, and employers have to take this issue of the cauldron of a warming planet seriously and develop some effective policy responses and practical measures to protect workers. We know the challenges and we know what needs to be done to make it happen.”

Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation: “A rise in temperature risks the health of workers and the productivity in work environments where the heat is debilitating – climate action is urgent to protect workers now and in the future. Climate change is real, and action to halt its devastating impact is in our hands.”

Saleemul Huq, Chair of the Expert Advisors Group to the Climate Vulnerable Forum and Director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development: “It is the people of vulnerable countries like Bangladesh who stand to lose the most as the planet warms. Those who work in the fields may ruin their health just by trying to put a meal on the table. If we are to take sustainable development seriously, we have to scale up climate action across the board and fund real ways of adapting communities to these new everyday extremes.”

Moustapha Kamal Gueye, ILO Green Jobs Programme: “The findings of the report highlight the importance of occupational safety and health policies as important dimensions in the responses to climate change.”

John Nduna, ACT Alliance General Secretary: “Climate change impacts all aspects of society, therefore it is through partnership and joint collaboration among all actors, including civil society, that we will reach shared understandings of the issues to be addressed, and subsequently shared solutions.”

Anti-tobacco advocates demand probe into BAT dealings

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Anti-tobacco advocates demand probe into BAT dealings

As BAT celebrates another year of profits, anti-tobacco groups in Nigeria join global day of action to demand an investigation into grey areas

ERA/FoEN Deputy Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi
ERA/FoEN Deputy Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi

On the heels of allegations of questionable dealings in Africa by the British American Tobacco (BAT), the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) on Tuesday joined advocates in Africa, UK and Latin America to demand government action to hold the organisation accountable.

The call comes as BAT convenes its annual general meeting (AGM) in London after months of negative media and the launch of at least one national investigation.

In Lagos, ERA/FoEN organised a press briefing and petitioned the Ministry of Health to demand the Nigerian government to investigate BAT “systematic bribery and blackmail”, which the activists claim is not restricted to East Africa alone, but is widespread even in West Africa and other regions of the continent.

“It shouldn’t take 15 years to pass a law, so in the seven years it took to pass Kenya’s tobacco control act and the eight it took to pass implementing regulations, we have had many reasons to suspect BAT was engaging in illicit activities,” said Samuel Ochieng, Director of Consumer Information Network in Kenya. “Now that we have irrefutable evidence of bribery,” he added, “we will be proud when Kenya is the first country to investigate BAT and hold it accountable.”

Late last year, Paul Hopkins – an employee in BAT’s regional office in Kenya for 13 years – revealed the inner workings of BAT’s systematic bribery and espionage used to obstruct lifesaving laws. The bribes, he alleged, ranged from $3,000 to $20,000 and some were even sanctioned by a regional executive.

“Among the revelations was at least one bribe to a government representative from Burundi to represent BAT’s interests at a World Health Organisation global tobacco treaty meeting. There were multiple bribes to politicians and policymakers to gain access to and obstruct tobacco control policymaking,” ERA/FoEN disclosed in a statement.

In Nigeria BAT is said to be been involved in self-censorship, and not been entirely clear on how anti-tobacco legislations would hamper their business and lead to job and revenue losses.

In addition to Hopkins’ revelations, whistle-blowers in Uganda and South Africa have shed further light on BAT’s actions in those countries. Tens of thousands of people, dozens of organisations, and ten Members of U.S. Congress have already called for governments to investigate BAT and hold it accountable. Kenya’s Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission became the first to launch a formal investigation into BAT, with potential investigations in the UK and the US.

ERA/FoEN and allies on the platform of the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) are equally demanding that the Nigerians government opens investigations into infractions of BAT in the course of formulating anti-tobacco legislations like what happened in Uganda and Kenya.

ERA/FoEN Deputy Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said: “In the course of the torturous process of getting the National Tobacco Control Bill (now Tobacco Control Act) into law, tens of hurriedly-formed BAT front groups were deployed to fight taxation recommendations, ban on Tobacco Advertising Promotion and Sponsorships (TAPS) and other life-saving provisions from getting into the final document that was finally signed by the former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan on May 25, 2015.

“While BAT’s executives toast to deadly profits and generations of addiction, people and governments around the world are organizing to hold them accountable for their abuses,” said John Stewart, Deputy Director at Corporate Accountability International, “Fortunately people and governments have the law on their side and the global tobacco treaty provides a proven roadmap to rein in this abusive industry at every turn.”

In November, over 180 countries will convene in New Delhi to expand support offered by the agreement to protect tobacco control and public health policy from tobacco industry interference. Additionally, a primary focus of the meetings will be to establish guidance to hold tobacco industry legally liable for its costs to society.

List of 175 signatories to Paris Agreement

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List of 175 signatories to Paris Agreement

During the 2016 Opening for Signature of the Paris Agreement, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 22 April, 175 Parties (174 countries and the European Union) signed the Agreement, and 15 States deposited instruments of ratification.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry holds his granddaughter Isabel Dobbs-Higginson as he signs the Paris Agreement on climate change, Friday, April 22, 2016
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry holds his granddaughter Isabel Dobbs-Higginson as he signs the Paris Agreement on climate change, Friday, April 22, 2016

Of the 175 Parties which participated in the Ceremony, 31 participated at the level of Head of State, two participated at the level of Vice President; 24 participated at the level of Head of Government; nine participated at the level of Deputy Prime Minister; 29 participated at the level of Minister for Foreign Affairs; 59 participated at the ministerial level; one participated at the level of former President; and 20 participated at the level of Permanent Representative.

Nigeria is not yet a signatory to the international treaty.

The official UN list below gives details of countries and signatories.

Of the 175 Parties which participated in the Ceremony, 31 participated at the level of Head of State
Of the 175 Parties which participated in the Ceremony, 31 participated at the level of Head of State
Of the 175 Parties which participated in the Ceremony, two participated at the level of Vice President
Of the 175 Parties which participated in the Ceremony, two participated at the level of Vice President
Of the 175 Parties which participated in the Ceremony, 24 participated at the level of Head of Government
Of the 175 Parties which participated in the Ceremony, 24 participated at the level of Head of Government
Of the 175 Parties which participated in the Ceremony, nine participated at the level of Deputy Prime Minister
Of the 175 Parties which participated in the Ceremony, nine participated at the level of Deputy Prime Minister
Of the 175 Parties which participated in the Ceremony, 59 participated at the ministerial level
Of the 175 Parties which participated in the Ceremony, 59 participated at the ministerial level
Of the 175 Parties which participated in the Ceremony, one participated at the level of former President and 20 participated at the level of Permanent Representative
Of the 175 Parties which participated in the Ceremony, one participated at the level of former President and 20 participated at the level of Permanent Representative

Cross River shuns stop-work order, clears forest ahead highway project

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Cross River shuns stop-work order, clears forest ahead highway project

The controversy surrounding the construction of the $3.5 billion super highway has deepened as the Cross River State Government has dared the Federal Government, claiming ownership of its forest.

Bulldozers at work clearing the Super Highway's route passing through parts of Boki
Bulldozers at work clearing the Super Highway’s route passing through parts of Boki

Consequently, the state government despite the stop work order by the Federal Government and protests from impacted communities, national and international organisations including the British government pending the completion of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), has continued bulldozing the forest for the 260 kilometre super highway around Etara and old Ekuri axis.

The state government had without an approved EIA revoked land 10 kilometres on both sides of the highway and moved caterpillars to sites in Ekuri, Okokori, and others which led to massive protests from affected communities and Environmentalists within and outside the country.

The Federal Government is already contemplating a court order on the state government to enforce the stop-work order even as foreign investors and Financial Institutions that indicated interest in the project have deferred interest on the super highway supposed to take off from the Sea port at Essighi in Bakassi and terminate at Gakem in Bekwara Local Government Area the boundary with Vandykkia in

But, not pleased with the position of the Federal Government and other organisations, Governor Ben Ayade, in a statement to a team of UN-REDD consultants in Calabar on the facts and fiction of the superhighway last week, said, “Essentially as a state, it is such a sad thing that people just forget where we are coming from. Cross River State as a sub-national took an institutional policy to preserve and conserve our forest because we want to stay natural.

“By the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, environment falls under concurrent legislation. Therefore, we have exclusive right to manage our environment the way we choose to. As a Government we made a policy to preserve all our forests and therefore dislocated our people from their dependence on our forests.

“That dislocation has caused them pains and agony and it is our responsibility to manage it. REDD+ as currently constituted has in the last three years been more of training, educating people in understanding measurement analysis baselines, safe guards and all of that. It is appreciated, but time has come when you must reflect it on the needs of the people.”

By Anietie Akpan, Calabar (The Guardian)

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