2. Risk Society comes close to Home: All Chickens Killed in Seoul
3. Talk about another 'risk society' example of systemic and potentially catastrophic scale: avian influenza (AI) outbreak in Seoul leads Korean government to order death of all chickens in Seoul. Beck argues of course that until ecological rationalization is part of 'modernization' the risk society context will only get worse. Solutions would be toward smaller scaled forms of chicken raising, or chicken raising integrated into other sources of food instead of 'mass farmed' that leads to disease prevalence expanding quickly.
-------------------------
All poultry in Seoul killed after bird flu outbreak
By HYUNG-JIN KIM – 1 day ago
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean officials said Monday they have killed all poultry in Seoul, the capital, to curb the spread of bird flu following a new outbreak of the disease in the city.
Quarantine officials destroyed 15,000 chickens, ducks, pheasants and turkeys raised in farms, restaurants, schools and homes in the capital, said Kim Yoon-kyu, a Seoul Metropolitan Government official.
The Seoul government said the slaughter was necessary to contain the disease. It said it will now focus on preventing live poultry from being brought into the capital.
The slaughter began Sunday night, hours after authorities confirmed Seoul's second outbreak of bird flu in less than a week.
The slaughter did not affect parrots, parakeets and canaries because they have little chance of spreading the disease, Kim said.
Government tests were under way to determine whether the outbreak was caused by the virulent H5N1 virus, said Kim Chang-seop, an official at the Agriculture Ministry. He said test results would be available as early as Monday night.
Outside Seoul, two outbreaks of the H5N1 virus were reported Sunday in poultry farms in Busan and Ansung, Kim said. He said it was the first time the virus has been found in Busan, the country's second largest city.
They were the 27th and 28th confirmed outbreaks of the H5N1 virus, Agriculture Ministry spokesman Yoon Young-ku said.
Bird flu began sweeping southern parts of the country last month for the first time in more than a year, forcing the slaughter of about 6.8 million birds.
The virus remains hard for people to catch, but scientists worry it could mutate into a form that spreads more easily between humans, with the potential to kill millions worldwide.
Worldwide, at least 241 people have died from bird flu since 2003, according to the World Health Organization. Most human cases have been linked to contact with infected poultry.
2. Food Entitlement Loss in Burma to Cause Famine? Myanmar government ships out rice after their agriculture devastated in the cyclone
3. This recalls Amartya Sen's views about 'food entitlement loss' causing famine, instead of Malthusian claimed 'overpopulation'
------------------------
Burma exports rice as cyclone victims starve
* Ian MacKinnon, south east Asia correspondent * The Observer, * Sunday May 11 2008
This article appeared in the Observer on Sunday May 11 2008 on p1 of the News section. It was last updated at 00:03 on May 11 2008.
Children standing amid the debris of their village, which was destroyed by the cyclone, near the township of Kunyangon, Burma
Burma is still exporting rice even as it tries to curb the influx of international donations of food bound for the starving survivors of the cyclone that killed up to 116,000 people.
Sacks of rice destined for Bangladesh were being loaded on to a ship at the Thilawa container port at the mouth of the Yangon River at the end of last week, even though Burma's 'rice bowl' region was devastated by the deadly storm a week ago.
The Burmese regime, which has a monopoly on the country's rice exports, said it planned to meet all its contractual commitments.
With rice prices hitting a record high after more than doubling since January, the exports are a valuable source of foreign revenue for the junta and its allies. The fear is that with the rice-growing area in the Irrawaddy delta inundated with salt water from the huge tidal wave, Burma may need to import greater amounts of rice this year.
Alarm at the prospect fuelled another spurt in rice prices during the week.
The continuing rice sales looked like just another facet of the Burmese regime's insensitivity to the suffering of its own people as it continues to block international relief to cyclone victims and pressed ahead with the constitutional referendum yesterday. [that supposedly leads toward the military calling democratic elections within a year or so.]
The Burmese leader, General Than Shwe, has urged people to vote 'yes' .
Critics claim the referendum is designed to cement the generals' hold on power as it reserves 25 per cent of the seats in parliament for the military.
They say it should have been postponed because of the disaster.
Many of the cyclone's victims have received little aid. International relief from the UN and other agencies has been blocked [from distributing the items themselves, not the food], and disaster management experts barred from entering even though there has been little evidence that the Burmese military is alleviating the suffering.
A spokesman for the World Food Programme (WFP) said two planes containing humanitarian supplies had 'not been released' by the Burmese authorities after arriving in Rangoon airport yesterday.
The planes contained 'critically needed supplies and equipment' provided by the WFP, UNHCR and other aid organisations. While the sacks of rice for export were being loaded on to the freighter at Thilawa last Friday, cyclone survivors from surrounding villages said they had received only hand-outs of spoiled rice from the port's warehouse, where the storm had soaked 40 per cent of the stored rice.
The cyclone, which hit Thilawa early on Saturday morning, blasted the port so severely that one of the three enormous container cranes toppled and was left crippled.
In the nearby village of Thamalone, just 15 miles from Rangoon, the only aid has come from the Free Family Funeral Association which usually provides coffins for poor families but used its trucks to deliver rice to villagers.
3. Many people tremble with fear due to various events such as AI and mad cow disease. It is surprise that these matters are explained through 'risk society'. Then, how we can overcome our social crisis? I think that some proposal we learned last week such as wise use movement, eco-feminist, corp-environment will be helpful to overcome current social risk.
------------------------ May 17, 2008
The biggest nuclear accident happened at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the former Soviet Union (now Ukraine) in April 1986. Reactor No. 4 exploded, leaking 10 tons of radioactive material. The leak was much stronger than that of the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Afraid of exposing secret information and civilian unrest, the Soviet government kept the accident silent while the damages widened. Nearby countries also were fearful. German sociologist Ulrich Beck, who observed the shock of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, published “Risk Society.” It is a theory on risk that stipulates that industrialization and modernization brings technological development and material prosperity, but also greater risk. Beck’s theory on risk purports that there are not only more calamities, but that calamities are a structural part of modern society. It is a society that encompasses catastrophic disaster in its daily life. The risks include biological calamities, nuclear accidents, unemployment, financial commotion, environmental destruction and global warming. Thus risks are repeatedly produced and our awareness of the dangers become muted, as does their control. As risks become globalized, everyone is affected. As shown in the Taean oil spill, accurate calculation of the damage and compensation are not easy. Beck, who visited Korea in March said, “South Korea, where modernization has been extreme, is at grave risk with many dangers.” His words resonated here, because we had just suffered the Taean oil spill, the Namdaemun arson, the attempted kidnapping of a child caught on CCTV, and the discovery of a rat’s head in shrimp crackers. Those were relatively mild risks. The fear of mad cow disease has driven the people to a near state of panic. On top of that, we have avian influenza spreading in Korea. The earthquake across the border in China doubled our sense of crisis. Beck wrote, “It is important for the state to carefully discuss with the people what risks they can handle and what risks it would first manage and thus come up with an agreement.” If risk society is an inherent characteristic of modern society, the state’s and government’s duty is to manage risk and safeguard its people. This is something the new administration should listen to.
*The writer is a deputy culture and sports editor of the JoongAng Ilbo.
1. Madhabi Bhatta विज्ञान र वागमती (a bygone memory of a old man)
3. This is an article written by Hutaram Baidhya (89) an environmentalist in Nepal. The old man is crying on being unable to save upspring of Bagmati River and its civilization. In this article, he recalled his bygone memory of Bagmati River. He has portrayed how beautiful was his childhood and youthful days as Water in Bagmati was neat and clean. One could drink water directly from river or another could swim any time in the hot summer. In this article he has explained how Bagmati became sick along with modernization in Katmandu. Also the politics of sand is explained. Besides this problem, in recent years there are movements to save civilization of Bagmati. Author praised it with full-scale. And he expressed his single desire to take last breath in the clean water and green bank of Bagmati River. I tried to translate this article informally. But While I translated half part I felt, I can't catch the sentiment well as it is written in strongly in implied and symbolic ways. Anyway the engineer-turned author presented article in very interesting way. When I was in Nepal I didn't read article much of this genuine old man. But this year, as I am taking environmental sociology class I am reading his every piece and found his every peace is valuable. वागमती नदी २०४८ देखि स्पष्ट बिरामी परेको हो । २०२० सालबाट रोग सुरु भयो । यो उपत्यकाको रवाफिलो विकासलाई चाहिने सिमेन्टी, ढलान प्रविधिलाई नभइनहुने बालुवा उत्खनन नै यो रोग हो । नदीको बालुवा पनि समुद्रको पानीजस्तै जति झिके पनि नसकिने अथाह प्राकृतिक स्रोत हो भन्ने गलत धारणा विकास भयो । सरकारले पञ्चायतको आयस्रोत बढाउन बालुवा रोग खुला गरेको हो । अहिले आएर यो रोग समस्त वागमती परिवारमा सरेको छ । त्यो गल्तीले वागमती नदी परिवारको सन्तान वागमती सभ्यता पनि अहिले सिकिस्त बिरामी छ । औषधिमूलो गर्ने डाक्टर, नाडी छाम्ने वैद्य, झारफुक गर्ने झा“क्री, विभूति लगाइदिने जोगी इत्यादिहरू बिरामी भेट्न कोही लागिपरेको देखिएन । बरु अनेक अन्तर्रर्ााट्रय कुबेर आए । माग्नेको कचौरामा डलर खसाले, गए । यी नदी परिवारका कुनै तेह्रदिने बान्धव म हु“, म यो परिवारको हकदार हु“ भनेर कोही बन्धु बान्धव आएको छैन । यो नदी परिवार नै बेवारिसे बन्यो । विस ०५२ सालदेखि अहिलेसम्म अधिकार सम्पन्न वागमती क्षेत्र ढल सुधार कार्यालयलाई नेपाल सरकारले रेखदेखको केही अस्पष्ट जिम्मा दिएको छ । सरकार यसरी अघि सरेको मौकामा मैले यस विषयमा जाने बुझेका केही कुरा वागमतीवादी, यस वागमती उपत्यकाका जनता र सरकारलाई केही जानकारी दिनु मेरो कर्तव्य ठानेको छु कारण म वागमती कालमोचन दोभानको एक नेपाली नागरिक हु“ । योस“ग मेरो धेरै वर्षो उठबस छ, माया लाग्छ । वागमती परिवारको यो दर्ीघरोग निवारण गर्ने ०४८ देखि अहिले विसं ०६४ सम्मको उपलब्धिलाई निष्पक्ष वस्तुस्थितिको जानकारी लिन र दिन अब आवश्यक छभन्दा लाज लाग्छ । मैले वागमती आमैको दर्शन नगरेको दर्ुइ वर्षन्दा बढी भयो । कहा“ के भयो, कसले के गरे, वागमती परिवार र वागमती सभ्यताको पीडा के अवस्थामा छ भन्ने थाहा पाउन गत माघ १७ गते ताम्रगंगा गुहेश्वरी घाटदेखि गौरीघाटसम्म घुम्न गए“ । मेरोे जानकारी र सरजमिनमा देखेका कुरा यहा“ पेस गरेको छु । पा“च वर्षपहिले म अधिकार सम्पन्न वागमती ढल कार्यालयमा कुनै मिटिङमा बोलाइएको थिए“ । मिटिङ सकिएपछि तत्कालीन अध्यक्ष विदुर पौडेललाई योजनाको कार्यक्षेत्र घुम्न अनुमति मागे“ । मलाई उहा“ले नै घुमाउनु भयो । सबैभन्दा पहिले कार्यालयको आ“गन स“गैको ताम्रगंग्ाा कुण्ड क्षेत्रमा लगेर ढल निकास सुरुङको जानकारी दिनुभयो । यसपछि हालै बनेको वागमती वारपार गर्ने गुहेश्वरी झोलुङ्गे पुल योजना र घाट निर्माणको जानकारी दिनुभयो । त्यसताका वागमती सा“गुरो पारिने काम सुरु भइसकेको थियो । नदी किनारामा बैंसका बिरुवा र केही नर्कटघारीको सम्झना छ । उहा“को कार्यालयमा जानुभन्दा पहिले गुहेश्वरीको वागमती नदी कति भासिएछ र यसको प्रभाव त्यहा“को लामा खुड्किलाहरू भएको घाट र भकारीहरूमा के कस्तो असर परेको छ हेरेर गएको थिए“ । वागमती ओर्लिने खुड्किलाहरूको जग खोतलिएको र खुड्किलाहरूको सबैभन्दा माथिको चारपाटे ढुंगाले छोपेको पेटी पूरै चकिएको देखे“ । उहा“स“ग बिदा हुने बेलामा मेरो प्रतिक्रिया चाहनुभयो । मैले यी सुझावहरू दिएको थिए“ - -क) नदीलाई उठाउने बालुवा छेक्ने प्राविधिक बा“धको कोरा नक्सा पौडेललाई टक्र्याए“ । इन्जिनियरले यो कोरा नक्सा बुभmन नसके मलाई बोलाउनुहोला भन्ने मौखिक अनुरोध पनि गरे“ । -ख) यस्तो बालुवा छेक्ने बा“ध एउटा ताम्रगंगामा र अर्को गौरीघाटको सिरानमा बनोस र दुवै ठाउ“को बालुवाको सतह कहिले र के दरले माथि आयो लगतको अध्ययन गर्नुस्, गराउनुस् । मलाई बोलावट कहिले पनि आएन । मैले चासो लिएर पछि लाग्ने कुरा आएन । -ग) गुहेश्वरीको लामो वागमती घाट चर्किसकेको छ । गौरीघाटको बा“धले नदीको सतह माथि उठाउनेछ र घाटको जगमा बालुवा पसेपछि घाट भासिने सम्भावना कम हुनेछ । -घ) वागमती पारिको जग्गाबाट मोटरबाटो बनाउ“दा नदीको पानी बग्ने बाटो मिचिनेछ र कुनै सालको बाढीलाई बग्ने ठाउ“ सांग्रो भएमा नदी रिसाउने हुन्छ, हामीलाई ट्राफिकजाम हु“दा रिस उठेजस्तै । यो अवस्थामा नदीले मानिसले बनाएको छेकालाई ध्वस्त गरेर आफ्नू हकभोग कायम गर्नेहुन्छ । सबै नदीको योे प्राकृतिक स्वभाव हो । कुनै पनि नदीको बाटो मिच्न हु“दैन । प्रकृतिलाई खलबल नगर्नु । होसियारीमा रहनु होला भन्ने सुझाव दिएको थिए“ । दर्ुइ वर्षजति पछि होला गुहेश्वरीको दर्शन गर्न जा“दा गौरीघाट सुरु हुने ठाउ“मा मेरो कल्पनाको बालुवा छेक्ने बा“धबाट पानी झरेको देखे“ । हराभरा बगर देखे“ । म उत्तेजित भएर ताम्रगंगा पुग“े । यहा“ पनि यस्तै पानी बगेको र बालुवा रोकिएको देख्दा मन फुरुङ्ग भयो । तर मेरो नक्सा सिफारिसअनुसार पूरा जलप्रवाह नछेकेकाले मैले आशा गरे जति नदी उठेनछ । अधिकार सम्पन्नले यो वैज्ञानिक उपलब्धिमा चासो राखेन, यसैले मैले पनि राखिन । हालसालै अधिकार सम्पन्न वागमतीबाट १५ मंसिर ०६४मा वागमती सम्मान पुरस्कार हातलागेपछि मलाई फेरि गुहेश्वरीको बा“ध हर्ेन मन लाग्यो । गत माघ १७ गते म त्यहा“ पुग“े । केही नकारात्मक परिवर्तन आएको देखिएन । झोलुङ्गे पुल मुनि संग्लो पानी बगिरहेको थियो । हा“सको एक हूल पानीमा रमाइरहेका थिए । तल गौरीघाटमा थुप्रै महिलाहरू लुगा धुन व्यस्त भएको देखेकाले मेरो बा“ध कल्पना साकार भएको अनुभव भयो । तर घाटको जगमा बालुवा नभरिएकाले विगत वर्षा वषर्ायाममा नदीको बेगले बालुवा बगाएको अनुमान गरे । किन यसो भयो - किनभने नदीको पानी बग्ने बाटो अतिक्रमण भयो । वषर्ाको भेललाई शान्त राख्न नदी चौडाइ, गहिर्राई र त्यहा“को वृक्ष वनस्पतिको महत्त्व र जनसंख्यामा वैज्ञानिक सन्तुलन जुरेन । यो एक घन्टाको मनोरम अनुभवपछि मलाई गौरीघाटको दर्शन गर्न मन लाग्यो । घाटमा दर्ुइवटा कलात्मक पाटी रहेछन् तर स्याहार संरक्षण केही नभएका । घाटमा रमझम केही थिएन । भुताहा जस्तो । गुहेश्वरीबाट गौरीघाटसम्म बगेर आएको पानीमा कहा“ कसरी र कति प्रदूषण र दर्ुगन्ध मिसियो वा थपियो मैले अनुमान गर्न सकिन । त्यहा“को दर्ुगन्धले म र्स्वर्गबाट नर्कमा झरेजस्तो लाग्यो । वाकवाकी लाग्यो । त्रिपुरेश्वर आएर मनतातो नुनपानीले निकैबेर कुल्ला गरे“ । केही सञ्चो भयो । बिजुली लोडसेडिङ भयो । सुत्न कोसिस गरे“ । धेरैबेर भुताहा गौरीघाटले पिरोलिरह्यो । निष्कर्षके त - वागमती नदी परिवार र वागमती सभ्यता जोगाउन ठूलठूला जटिल, खर्चिला र समय धेरै लाग्ने योजना सञ्चालन गर्न नहतारिनु । तत्काल जनताको धार्मिक सांस्कृतिक र सभ्यता भावनामा बाधा नपर्ने योजनाको स्पष्ट जानकारी खास गरी नदी उपभोक्तालाई दिन र लिन अत्यन्त जरुरी हुन्छ र छ । यो लेख यस्तो जानकारी दिने जिम्मेवारी लिएका वा पाएकाहरूलाई र वागमती सभ्यतावादीलाई सजिलो होस् भन्ने मनसायले लेखेको छु । यहा“ लेखिएका कुराहरू मैले विगत पन्ध्र बीस वर्षो वागमती सभ्यता विनास हु“दै गएको र प्रत्येक सालको विनास गति चर्किंदै गएको आधारमा केही कुरा पत्रिकामार्फ जानकारी दिन खोजेको ह“ु । यसै दैनिकमा फागुन ११ गते प्रकाशित विज्ञान र वागमती सभ्यता लेख पनि पढ्नुहोला । चर्को जरो आएको बिरामीलाई तत्काल लगाउन सकिने पानीपट्टीजस्तै सरल चौधवटा सुझाव त्यस लेखमा छन् । मान्नु नमान्नु, गर्नु नगर्नु, मेरो अधिनभन्दा बाहिरको हो । तर सकारात्मक जनचेतना र जनभावना जगाई दिनु, विज्ञान र विकास एकसाथ अघि र्सार्नु भन्ने जानकारी सबैलाई दिनु मेरो लक्ष्मणरेखा भित्रको जिम्मेवारी हो । सकिन्छ भने केही काम नगिचै आएको नया“ वर्ष२०६५ सालको वषर्ात सुरु हुनुभन्दा पहिले सकिने केही जनसहभागिताको कार्यक्रम बनोस् । वागमती सभ्यता ब“ाचिरहोस् ।www.ekantipur.com
3.Once there was time human waste managemnet was depend upon water purification process of natural stream. Sewage treatment and filteration was big advance of water management.
This article is sound abit like "cladle to cladle" because they claim they can make clean water out of sewage which is even cleaner than tap water.Though they are doing it only to solve the water shortage problem. We do have power to bring ecological modernization. We are not choose to do so.
---------------------. Los Angeles Eyes Sewage as a Source of Water Sign In to E-Mail or Save This Print Reprints Share DiggFacebookMixxYahoo! BuzzPermalink
By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD Published: May 16, 2008 LOS ANGELES — Faced with a persistent drought and the threat of tighter water supplies, Los Angeles plans to begin using heavily cleansed sewage to increase drinking water supplies, joining a growing number of cities considering similar measures.
Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, who opposed such a plan a decade ago over safety concerns, announced the proposal on Thursday as part of a package of initiatives to put the city, the nation’s second largest, on a stricter water budget. The other plans include increasing fines for watering lawns during restricted times, tapping into and cleaning more groundwater, and encouraging businesses and residents to use more efficient sprinklers and plumbing fixtures.
The move comes as California braces for the possibility of the most severe water shortages in decades.
Snowfall in the Sierra Nevada, which supplies about a third of Los Angeles’s water, is short of expectations. At the same time, the Western drought has lowered supplies in reservoirs, while legal rulings to protect endangered species will curtail water deliveries from Northern California.
Worsening the problem, Los Angeles is expected to add 500,000 people by 2030, forcing the city to examine new ways to meet demand. One option off the table, Mr. Villaraigosa said, is a repeat of the city’s troubled history, fictionalized in the movie “Chinatown,” of diverting a distant river southward to slake the city’s thirst.
The city, pushed by legal claims, is already paying millions to restore dried-up portions of the river, the Owens.
“There simply are no more holes or straws to pitch,” Mr. Villaraigosa said at a news conference at a water plant.
Many cities and towns across the country, including Los Angeles, already recycle wastewater for industrial uses and landscaping.
But the idea of using recycled wastewater, after intense filtering and chemical treatment, to replenish aquifers and reservoirs has gotten more notice lately because of technological advances that, industry leaders say, can make the water purer than tap water. San Diego and South Florida are also considering or planning to test the idea, and Orange County, Calif., opened a $481 million plant in January, without much community resistance, that is believed to be the world’s largest such facility.
None of the proposals or recycling projects already under way send the treated water directly into taps; most often the water is injected into the ground and gradually filters down into aquifers.
That is what Los Angeles would do, too. But the city abandoned that idea seven years ago in the face of political opposition, and is likely to face some debate about it now.
Fran Reichenbach, a founder of the Beachwood Canyon Neighborhood Association, one of the groups that opposed the plan, said she remained unconvinced the water would be safe.
“I appreciate them trying to save us in a time of water shortage, but the fact remains the kind of toxins and chemicals that are created on daily basis cannot be tested for,” Ms. Reichenbach said, disputing industry claims to the contrary. She said the group would push for independent testing and analysis of the treated water.
But Mr. Villaraigosa and H. David Nahai, the general manager of the Department of Water and Power, said they would push forward.
It will cost about $1 billion to retool the water works to treat the sewage, capture more rainfall and make other improvements. The money, city officials said, will come in part from state grants and fees on polluters, though they have not ruled out increases in water bills as well. The City Council must approve some of the changes. ------------------------ Los Angeles Eyes Sewage as a Source of Water Sign In to E-Mail or Save This Print Reprints Share DiggFacebookMixxYahoo! BuzzPermalink
By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD Published: May 16, 2008 LOS ANGELES — Faced with a persistent drought and the threat of tighter water supplies, Los Angeles plans to begin using heavily cleansed sewage to increase drinking water supplies, joining a growing number of cities considering similar measures.
Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, who opposed such a plan a decade ago over safety concerns, announced the proposal on Thursday as part of a package of initiatives to put the city, the nation’s second largest, on a stricter water budget. The other plans include increasing fines for watering lawns during restricted times, tapping into and cleaning more groundwater, and encouraging businesses and residents to use more efficient sprinklers and plumbing fixtures.
The move comes as California braces for the possibility of the most severe water shortages in decades.
Snowfall in the Sierra Nevada, which supplies about a third of Los Angeles’s water, is short of expectations. At the same time, the Western drought has lowered supplies in reservoirs, while legal rulings to protect endangered species will curtail water deliveries from Northern California.
Worsening the problem, Los Angeles is expected to add 500,000 people by 2030, forcing the city to examine new ways to meet demand. One option off the table, Mr. Villaraigosa said, is a repeat of the city’s troubled history, fictionalized in the movie “Chinatown,” of diverting a distant river southward to slake the city’s thirst.
The city, pushed by legal claims, is already paying millions to restore dried-up portions of the river, the Owens.
“There simply are no more holes or straws to pitch,” Mr. Villaraigosa said at a news conference at a water plant.
Many cities and towns across the country, including Los Angeles, already recycle wastewater for industrial uses and landscaping.
But the idea of using recycled wastewater, after intense filtering and chemical treatment, to replenish aquifers and reservoirs has gotten more notice lately because of technological advances that, industry leaders say, can make the water purer than tap water. San Diego and South Florida are also considering or planning to test the idea, and Orange County, Calif., opened a $481 million plant in January, without much community resistance, that is believed to be the world’s largest such facility.
None of the proposals or recycling projects already under way send the treated water directly into taps; most often the water is injected into the ground and gradually filters down into aquifers.
That is what Los Angeles would do, too. But the city abandoned that idea seven years ago in the face of political opposition, and is likely to face some debate about it now.
Fran Reichenbach, a founder of the Beachwood Canyon Neighborhood Association, one of the groups that opposed the plan, said she remained unconvinced the water would be safe.
“I appreciate them trying to save us in a time of water shortage, but the fact remains the kind of toxins and chemicals that are created on daily basis cannot be tested for,” Ms. Reichenbach said, disputing industry claims to the contrary. She said the group would push for independent testing and analysis of the treated water.
But Mr. Villaraigosa and H. David Nahai, the general manager of the Department of Water and Power, said they would push forward.
It will cost about $1 billion to retool the water works to treat the sewage, capture more rainfall and make other improvements. The money, city officials said, will come in part from state grants and fees on polluters, though they have not ruled out increases in water bills as well. The City Council must approve some of the changes.
Los Angeles Eyes Sewage as a Source of Water Sign In to E-Mail or Save This Print Reprints Share DiggFacebookMixxYahoo! BuzzPermalink
By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD Published: May 16, 2008 LOS ANGELES — Faced with a persistent drought and the threat of tighter water supplies, Los Angeles plans to begin using heavily cleansed sewage to increase drinking water supplies, joining a growing number of cities considering similar measures.
Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, who opposed such a plan a decade ago over safety concerns, announced the proposal on Thursday as part of a package of initiatives to put the city, the nation’s second largest, on a stricter water budget. The other plans include increasing fines for watering lawns during restricted times, tapping into and cleaning more groundwater, and encouraging businesses and residents to use more efficient sprinklers and plumbing fixtures.
The move comes as California braces for the possibility of the most severe water shortages in decades.
Snowfall in the Sierra Nevada, which supplies about a third of Los Angeles’s water, is short of expectations. At the same time, the Western drought has lowered supplies in reservoirs, while legal rulings to protect endangered species will curtail water deliveries from Northern California.
Worsening the problem, Los Angeles is expected to add 500,000 people by 2030, forcing the city to examine new ways to meet demand. One option off the table, Mr. Villaraigosa said, is a repeat of the city’s troubled history, fictionalized in the movie “Chinatown,” of diverting a distant river southward to slake the city’s thirst.
The city, pushed by legal claims, is already paying millions to restore dried-up portions of the river, the Owens.
“There simply are no more holes or straws to pitch,” Mr. Villaraigosa said at a news conference at a water plant.
Many cities and towns across the country, including Los Angeles, already recycle wastewater for industrial uses and landscaping.
But the idea of using recycled wastewater, after intense filtering and chemical treatment, to replenish aquifers and reservoirs has gotten more notice lately because of technological advances that, industry leaders say, can make the water purer than tap water. San Diego and South Florida are also considering or planning to test the idea, and Orange County, Calif., opened a $481 million plant in January, without much community resistance, that is believed to be the world’s largest such facility.
None of the proposals or recycling projects already under way send the treated water directly into taps; most often the water is injected into the ground and gradually filters down into aquifers.
That is what Los Angeles would do, too. But the city abandoned that idea seven years ago in the face of political opposition, and is likely to face some debate about it now.
Fran Reichenbach, a founder of the Beachwood Canyon Neighborhood Association, one of the groups that opposed the plan, said she remained unconvinced the water would be safe.
“I appreciate them trying to save us in a time of water shortage, but the fact remains the kind of toxins and chemicals that are created on daily basis cannot be tested for,” Ms. Reichenbach said, disputing industry claims to the contrary. She said the group would push for independent testing and analysis of the treated water.
But Mr. Villaraigosa and H. David Nahai, the general manager of the Department of Water and Power, said they would push forward.
It will cost about $1 billion to retool the water works to treat the sewage, capture more rainfall and make other improvements. The money, city officials said, will come in part from state grants and fees on polluters, though they have not ruled out increases in water bills as well. The City Council must approve some of the changes. _________________
3. Because we talked of Vandana Shiva last class, this article drew my attention. Many agri-biotech companies are developing genetically engineered crops to resist climate change. Those companies are saying that these crops are for food security. However, farmers are suffering from patents on seeds because they have to purchase new seeds every year for subsequent replantation. Farmers used to save seeds for next plantation according to Shiva. And this is so natural. We are loosing rights to save seeds for our lives instead of keeping food security. Applying patents on seeds cannot be a solution for food security.
--------------------------------
Some of the world's major agri-biotech companies are applying for hundreds of patents on genetically engineered 'climate crops', carrying out what amounts to an "intellectual property grab" in the lucrative market, according to a recent report.
BASF, Monsanto and Syngenta have applied for patents to control almost two-thirds of gene families resistant to environmental stresses that will increase with climate change, according to the Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC) Group, a Canada-based civil society organisation.
About 530 patents have been applied for worldwide, with a few dozen granted and hundreds pending. They include traits such as drought, flooding, high salt level, high temperatures and ultraviolet radiation — all of which endanger food security.
The report says that this move could hinder farmers in the developing world. Patents demand that farmers purchase new seeds every year, rather than saving seeds for subsequent re-plantation.
Control of the seed industry by only a few multinationals may undermine publicly- funded creation of freely available crop varieties, the report says, as well as using the dominance of the crops to tap into previously resistant markets.
Spokespeople from the companies said that they should be acknowledged for developing climate-change resistant crop varieties — which would not have occurred without patent protections.
But others say that both sides have oversimplified the argument. Richard Jefferson, from Cambia, an organisation that helps companies work together on patents, says it's not patents but the lack of competition that is the problem.
"We don't have the economic ecology that lets other companies compete with [the large multinationals]”¦ the big guys end up in a place like a cartel".
A very down to earth* kind of guy. I'm an environmental sociologist interested in establishing material and organizational sustainability worldwide. I'm always looking for interesting materials/technologies, inspiring ideas, or institutional examples of sustainability to inspire others to recognize their choices now. To be fatalistic about an unsustainable world is a sign of a captive mind, given all our options.
*(If "earth" is defined in a planetary sense, concerning comparative historical knowledge and interest in the past 10,000 years or so anywhere...) See both blogs.
6 comments:
1. Mark Whitaker
2. Risk Society comes close to Home: All Chickens Killed in Seoul
3. Talk about another 'risk society' example of systemic and potentially catastrophic scale: avian influenza (AI) outbreak in Seoul leads Korean government to order death of all chickens in Seoul. Beck argues of course that until ecological rationalization is part of 'modernization' the risk society context will only get worse. Solutions would be toward smaller scaled forms of chicken raising, or chicken raising integrated into other sources of food instead of 'mass farmed' that leads to disease prevalence expanding quickly.
-------------------------
All poultry in Seoul killed after bird flu outbreak
By HYUNG-JIN KIM – 1 day ago
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean officials said Monday they have killed all poultry in Seoul, the capital, to curb the spread of bird flu following a new outbreak of the disease in the city.
Quarantine officials destroyed 15,000 chickens, ducks, pheasants and turkeys raised in farms, restaurants, schools and homes in the capital, said Kim Yoon-kyu, a Seoul Metropolitan Government official.
The Seoul government said the slaughter was necessary to contain the disease. It said it will now focus on preventing live poultry from being brought into the capital.
The slaughter began Sunday night, hours after authorities confirmed Seoul's second outbreak of bird flu in less than a week.
The slaughter did not affect parrots, parakeets and canaries because they have little chance of spreading the disease, Kim said.
Government tests were under way to determine whether the outbreak was caused by the virulent H5N1 virus, said Kim Chang-seop, an official at the Agriculture Ministry. He said test results would be available as early as Monday night.
Outside Seoul, two outbreaks of the H5N1 virus were reported Sunday in poultry farms in Busan and Ansung, Kim said. He said it was the first time the virus has been found in Busan, the country's second largest city.
They were the 27th and 28th confirmed outbreaks of the H5N1 virus, Agriculture Ministry spokesman Yoon Young-ku said.
Bird flu began sweeping southern parts of the country last month for the first time in more than a year, forcing the slaughter of about 6.8 million birds.
The virus remains hard for people to catch, but scientists worry it could mutate into a form that spreads more easily between humans, with the potential to kill millions worldwide.
Worldwide, at least 241 people have died from bird flu since 2003, according to the World Health Organization. Most human cases have been linked to contact with infected poultry.
---
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jqd0PwdV581qJ3D48kXRHzrZWxvQD90K0H5O0
1. Mark Whitaker
2. Food Entitlement Loss in Burma to Cause Famine? Myanmar government ships out rice after their agriculture devastated in the cyclone
3. This recalls Amartya Sen's views about 'food entitlement loss' causing famine, instead of Malthusian claimed 'overpopulation'
------------------------
Burma exports rice as cyclone victims starve
* Ian MacKinnon, south east Asia correspondent
* The Observer,
* Sunday May 11 2008
This article appeared in the Observer on Sunday May 11 2008 on p1 of the News section. It was last updated at 00:03 on May 11 2008.
Children standing amid the debris of their village, which was destroyed by the cyclone, near the township of Kunyangon, Burma
Burma is still exporting rice even as it tries to curb the influx of international donations of food bound for the starving survivors of the cyclone that killed up to 116,000 people.
Sacks of rice destined for Bangladesh were being loaded on to a ship at the Thilawa container port at the mouth of the Yangon River at the end of last week, even though Burma's 'rice bowl' region was devastated by the deadly storm a week ago.
The Burmese regime, which has a monopoly on the country's rice exports, said it planned to meet all its contractual commitments.
With rice prices hitting a record high after more than doubling since January, the exports are a valuable source of foreign revenue for the junta and its allies. The fear is that with the rice-growing area in the Irrawaddy delta inundated with salt water from the huge tidal wave, Burma may need to import greater amounts of rice this year.
Alarm at the prospect fuelled another spurt in rice prices during the week.
The continuing rice sales looked like just another facet of the Burmese regime's insensitivity to the suffering of its own people as it continues to block international relief to cyclone victims and pressed ahead with the constitutional referendum yesterday. [that supposedly leads toward the military calling democratic elections within a year or so.]
The Burmese leader, General Than Shwe, has urged people to vote 'yes' .
Critics claim the referendum is designed to cement the generals' hold on power as it reserves 25 per cent of the seats in parliament for the military.
They say it should have been postponed because of the disaster.
Many of the cyclone's victims have received little aid. International relief from the UN and other agencies has been blocked [from distributing the items themselves, not the food], and disaster management experts barred from entering even though there has been little evidence that the Burmese military is alleviating the suffering.
A spokesman for the World Food Programme (WFP) said two planes containing humanitarian supplies had 'not been released' by the Burmese authorities after arriving in Rangoon airport yesterday.
The planes contained 'critically needed supplies and equipment' provided by the WFP, UNHCR and other aid organisations. While the sacks of rice for export were being loaded on to the freighter at Thilawa last Friday, cyclone survivors from surrounding villages said they had received only hand-outs of spoiled rice from the port's warehouse, where the storm had soaked 40 per cent of the stored rice.
The cyclone, which hit Thilawa early on Saturday morning, blasted the port so severely that one of the three enormous container cranes toppled and was left crippled.
In the nearby village of Thamalone, just 15 miles from Rangoon, the only aid has come from the Free Family Funeral Association which usually provides coffins for poor families but used its trucks to deliver rice to villagers.
---
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/11/cyclonenargis.burma2
1. Park Dae-yun
2. Risk management
3. Many people tremble with fear due to various events such as AI and mad cow disease. It is surprise that these matters are explained through 'risk society'.
Then, how we can overcome our social crisis?
I think that some proposal we learned last week such as wise use movement, eco-feminist, corp-environment will be helpful to overcome current social risk.
------------------------
May 17, 2008
The biggest nuclear accident happened at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the former Soviet Union (now Ukraine) in April 1986.
Reactor No. 4 exploded, leaking 10 tons of radioactive material.
The leak was much stronger than that of the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
Afraid of exposing secret information and civilian unrest, the Soviet government kept the accident silent while the damages widened.
Nearby countries also were fearful.
German sociologist Ulrich Beck, who observed the shock of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, published “Risk Society.” It is a theory on risk that stipulates that industrialization and modernization brings technological development and material prosperity, but also greater risk.
Beck’s theory on risk purports that there are not only more calamities, but that calamities are a structural part of modern society.
It is a society that encompasses catastrophic disaster in its daily life.
The risks include biological calamities, nuclear accidents, unemployment, financial commotion, environmental destruction and global warming.
Thus risks are repeatedly produced and our awareness of the dangers become muted, as does their control. As risks become globalized, everyone is affected.
As shown in the Taean oil spill, accurate calculation of the damage and compensation are not easy.
Beck, who visited Korea in March said, “South Korea, where modernization has been extreme, is at grave risk with many dangers.” His words resonated here, because we had just suffered the Taean oil spill, the Namdaemun arson, the attempted kidnapping of a child caught on CCTV, and the discovery of a rat’s head in shrimp crackers.
Those were relatively mild risks. The fear of mad cow disease has driven the people to a near state of panic. On top of that, we have avian influenza spreading in Korea.
The earthquake across the border in China doubled our sense of crisis.
Beck wrote, “It is important for the state to carefully discuss with the people what risks they can handle and what risks it would first manage and thus come up with an agreement.”
If risk society is an inherent characteristic of modern society, the state’s and government’s duty is to manage risk and safeguard its people.
This is something the new administration should listen to.
*The writer is a deputy culture and sports editor of the JoongAng Ilbo.
By Yang Sung-hee [shyang@joongang.co.kr]
---
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2889919
1. Madhabi Bhatta
विज्ञान र वागमती (a bygone memory of a old man)
3. This is an article written by Hutaram Baidhya (89) an environmentalist in Nepal. The old man is crying on being unable to save upspring of Bagmati River and its civilization. In this article, he recalled his bygone memory of Bagmati River. He has portrayed how beautiful was his childhood and youthful days as Water in Bagmati was neat and clean. One could drink water directly from river or another could swim any time in the hot summer. In this article he has explained how Bagmati became sick along with modernization in Katmandu. Also the politics of sand is explained. Besides this problem, in recent years there are movements to save civilization of Bagmati. Author praised it with full-scale. And he expressed his single desire to take last breath in the clean water and green bank of Bagmati River.
I tried to translate this article informally. But While I translated half part I felt, I can't catch the sentiment well as it is written in strongly in implied and symbolic ways. Anyway the engineer-turned author presented article in very interesting way. When I was in Nepal I didn't read article much of this genuine old man. But this year, as I am taking environmental sociology class I am reading his every piece and found his every peace is valuable.
वागमती नदी २०४८ देखि स्पष्ट बिरामी परेको हो । २०२० सालबाट रोग सुरु भयो । यो उपत्यकाको रवाफिलो विकासलाई चाहिने सिमेन्टी, ढलान प्रविधिलाई नभइनहुने बालुवा उत्खनन नै यो रोग हो । नदीको बालुवा पनि समुद्रको पानीजस्तै जति झिके पनि नसकिने अथाह प्राकृतिक स्रोत हो भन्ने गलत धारणा विकास भयो । सरकारले पञ्चायतको आयस्रोत बढाउन बालुवा रोग खुला गरेको हो । अहिले आएर यो रोग समस्त वागमती परिवारमा सरेको छ । त्यो गल्तीले वागमती नदी परिवारको सन्तान वागमती सभ्यता पनि अहिले सिकिस्त बिरामी छ । औषधिमूलो गर्ने डाक्टर, नाडी छाम्ने वैद्य, झारफुक गर्ने झा“क्री, विभूति लगाइदिने जोगी इत्यादिहरू बिरामी भेट्न कोही लागिपरेको देखिएन । बरु अनेक अन्तर्रर्ााट्रय कुबेर आए । माग्नेको कचौरामा डलर खसाले, गए । यी नदी परिवारका कुनै तेह्रदिने बान्धव म हु“, म यो परिवारको हकदार हु“ भनेर कोही बन्धु बान्धव आएको छैन । यो नदी परिवार नै बेवारिसे बन्यो ।
विस ०५२ सालदेखि अहिलेसम्म अधिकार सम्पन्न वागमती क्षेत्र ढल सुधार कार्यालयलाई नेपाल सरकारले रेखदेखको केही अस्पष्ट जिम्मा दिएको छ । सरकार यसरी अघि सरेको मौकामा मैले यस विषयमा जाने बुझेका केही कुरा वागमतीवादी, यस वागमती उपत्यकाका जनता र सरकारलाई केही जानकारी दिनु मेरो कर्तव्य ठानेको छु कारण म वागमती कालमोचन दोभानको एक नेपाली नागरिक हु“ । योस“ग मेरो धेरै वर्षो उठबस छ, माया लाग्छ ।
वागमती परिवारको यो दर्ीघरोग निवारण गर्ने ०४८ देखि अहिले विसं ०६४ सम्मको उपलब्धिलाई निष्पक्ष वस्तुस्थितिको जानकारी लिन र दिन अब आवश्यक छभन्दा लाज लाग्छ । मैले वागमती आमैको दर्शन नगरेको दर्ुइ वर्षन्दा बढी भयो । कहा“ के भयो, कसले के गरे, वागमती परिवार र वागमती सभ्यताको पीडा के अवस्थामा छ भन्ने थाहा पाउन गत माघ १७ गते ताम्रगंगा गुहेश्वरी घाटदेखि गौरीघाटसम्म घुम्न गए“ । मेरोे जानकारी र सरजमिनमा देखेका कुरा यहा“ पेस गरेको छु ।
पा“च वर्षपहिले म अधिकार सम्पन्न वागमती ढल कार्यालयमा कुनै मिटिङमा बोलाइएको थिए“ । मिटिङ सकिएपछि तत्कालीन अध्यक्ष विदुर पौडेललाई योजनाको कार्यक्षेत्र घुम्न अनुमति मागे“ । मलाई उहा“ले नै घुमाउनु भयो । सबैभन्दा पहिले कार्यालयको आ“गन स“गैको ताम्रगंग्ाा कुण्ड क्षेत्रमा लगेर ढल निकास सुरुङको जानकारी दिनुभयो । यसपछि हालै बनेको वागमती वारपार गर्ने गुहेश्वरी झोलुङ्गे पुल योजना र घाट निर्माणको जानकारी दिनुभयो । त्यसताका वागमती सा“गुरो पारिने काम सुरु भइसकेको थियो । नदी किनारामा बैंसका बिरुवा र केही नर्कटघारीको सम्झना छ । उहा“को कार्यालयमा जानुभन्दा पहिले गुहेश्वरीको वागमती नदी कति भासिएछ र यसको प्रभाव त्यहा“को लामा खुड्किलाहरू भएको घाट र भकारीहरूमा के कस्तो असर परेको छ हेरेर गएको थिए“ । वागमती ओर्लिने खुड्किलाहरूको जग खोतलिएको र खुड्किलाहरूको सबैभन्दा माथिको चारपाटे ढुंगाले छोपेको पेटी पूरै चकिएको देखे“ । उहा“स“ग बिदा हुने बेलामा मेरो प्रतिक्रिया चाहनुभयो । मैले यी सुझावहरू दिएको थिए“ -
-क) नदीलाई उठाउने बालुवा छेक्ने प्राविधिक बा“धको कोरा नक्सा पौडेललाई टक्र्याए“ । इन्जिनियरले यो कोरा नक्सा बुभmन नसके मलाई बोलाउनुहोला भन्ने मौखिक अनुरोध पनि गरे“ ।
-ख) यस्तो बालुवा छेक्ने बा“ध एउटा ताम्रगंगामा र अर्को गौरीघाटको सिरानमा बनोस र दुवै ठाउ“को बालुवाको सतह कहिले र के दरले माथि आयो लगतको अध्ययन गर्नुस्, गराउनुस् । मलाई बोलावट कहिले पनि आएन ।
मैले चासो लिएर पछि लाग्ने कुरा आएन ।
-ग) गुहेश्वरीको लामो वागमती घाट चर्किसकेको छ । गौरीघाटको बा“धले नदीको सतह माथि उठाउनेछ र घाटको जगमा बालुवा पसेपछि घाट भासिने सम्भावना कम हुनेछ ।
-घ) वागमती पारिको जग्गाबाट मोटरबाटो बनाउ“दा नदीको पानी बग्ने बाटो मिचिनेछ र कुनै सालको बाढीलाई बग्ने ठाउ“ सांग्रो भएमा नदी रिसाउने हुन्छ, हामीलाई ट्राफिकजाम हु“दा रिस उठेजस्तै । यो अवस्थामा नदीले मानिसले बनाएको छेकालाई ध्वस्त गरेर आफ्नू हकभोग कायम गर्नेहुन्छ । सबै नदीको योे प्राकृतिक स्वभाव हो । कुनै पनि नदीको बाटो मिच्न हु“दैन । प्रकृतिलाई खलबल नगर्नु । होसियारीमा रहनु होला भन्ने सुझाव दिएको थिए“ ।
दर्ुइ वर्षजति पछि होला गुहेश्वरीको दर्शन गर्न जा“दा गौरीघाट सुरु हुने ठाउ“मा मेरो कल्पनाको बालुवा छेक्ने बा“धबाट पानी झरेको देखे“ । हराभरा बगर देखे“ । म उत्तेजित भएर ताम्रगंगा पुग“े । यहा“ पनि यस्तै पानी बगेको र बालुवा रोकिएको देख्दा मन फुरुङ्ग भयो । तर मेरो नक्सा सिफारिसअनुसार पूरा जलप्रवाह नछेकेकाले मैले आशा गरे जति नदी उठेनछ । अधिकार सम्पन्नले यो वैज्ञानिक उपलब्धिमा चासो राखेन, यसैले मैले पनि राखिन ।
हालसालै अधिकार सम्पन्न वागमतीबाट १५ मंसिर ०६४मा वागमती सम्मान पुरस्कार हातलागेपछि मलाई फेरि गुहेश्वरीको बा“ध हर्ेन मन लाग्यो । गत माघ १७ गते म त्यहा“ पुग“े । केही नकारात्मक परिवर्तन आएको देखिएन । झोलुङ्गे पुल मुनि संग्लो पानी बगिरहेको थियो । हा“सको एक हूल पानीमा रमाइरहेका थिए । तल गौरीघाटमा थुप्रै महिलाहरू लुगा धुन व्यस्त भएको देखेकाले मेरो बा“ध कल्पना साकार भएको अनुभव भयो । तर घाटको जगमा बालुवा नभरिएकाले विगत वर्षा वषर्ायाममा नदीको बेगले बालुवा बगाएको अनुमान गरे ।
किन यसो भयो - किनभने नदीको पानी बग्ने बाटो अतिक्रमण भयो । वषर्ाको भेललाई शान्त राख्न नदी चौडाइ, गहिर्राई र त्यहा“को वृक्ष वनस्पतिको महत्त्व र जनसंख्यामा वैज्ञानिक सन्तुलन जुरेन । यो एक घन्टाको मनोरम अनुभवपछि मलाई गौरीघाटको दर्शन गर्न मन लाग्यो । घाटमा दर्ुइवटा कलात्मक पाटी रहेछन् तर स्याहार संरक्षण केही नभएका । घाटमा रमझम केही थिएन । भुताहा जस्तो । गुहेश्वरीबाट गौरीघाटसम्म बगेर आएको पानीमा कहा“ कसरी र कति प्रदूषण र दर्ुगन्ध मिसियो वा थपियो मैले अनुमान गर्न सकिन । त्यहा“को दर्ुगन्धले म र्स्वर्गबाट नर्कमा झरेजस्तो लाग्यो । वाकवाकी लाग्यो । त्रिपुरेश्वर आएर मनतातो नुनपानीले निकैबेर कुल्ला गरे“ । केही सञ्चो भयो । बिजुली लोडसेडिङ भयो । सुत्न कोसिस गरे“ । धेरैबेर भुताहा गौरीघाटले पिरोलिरह्यो ।
निष्कर्षके त - वागमती नदी परिवार र वागमती सभ्यता जोगाउन ठूलठूला जटिल, खर्चिला र समय धेरै लाग्ने योजना सञ्चालन गर्न नहतारिनु । तत्काल जनताको धार्मिक सांस्कृतिक र सभ्यता भावनामा बाधा नपर्ने योजनाको स्पष्ट जानकारी खास गरी नदी उपभोक्तालाई दिन र लिन अत्यन्त जरुरी हुन्छ र छ । यो लेख यस्तो जानकारी दिने जिम्मेवारी लिएका वा पाएकाहरूलाई र वागमती सभ्यतावादीलाई सजिलो होस् भन्ने मनसायले लेखेको छु । यहा“ लेखिएका कुराहरू मैले विगत पन्ध्र बीस वर्षो वागमती सभ्यता विनास हु“दै गएको र प्रत्येक सालको विनास गति चर्किंदै गएको आधारमा केही कुरा पत्रिकामार्फ जानकारी दिन खोजेको ह“ु । यसै दैनिकमा फागुन ११ गते प्रकाशित विज्ञान र वागमती सभ्यता लेख पनि पढ्नुहोला । चर्को जरो आएको बिरामीलाई तत्काल लगाउन सकिने पानीपट्टीजस्तै सरल चौधवटा सुझाव त्यस लेखमा छन् । मान्नु नमान्नु, गर्नु नगर्नु, मेरो अधिनभन्दा बाहिरको हो । तर सकारात्मक जनचेतना र जनभावना जगाई दिनु, विज्ञान र विकास एकसाथ अघि र्सार्नु भन्ने जानकारी सबैलाई दिनु मेरो लक्ष्मणरेखा भित्रको जिम्मेवारी हो ।
सकिन्छ भने केही काम नगिचै आएको नया“ वर्ष२०६५ सालको वषर्ात सुरु हुनुभन्दा पहिले सकिने केही जनसहभागिताको कार्यक्रम बनोस् । वागमती सभ्यता ब“ाचिरहोस् ।www.ekantipur.com
1.Yoonjung Kim
2.public policy and technology
3.Once there was time human waste managemnet was depend upon water purification process of natural stream. Sewage treatment and filteration was big advance of water management.
This article is sound abit like "cladle to cladle" because they claim they can make clean water out of sewage which is even cleaner than tap water.Though they are doing it only to solve the water shortage problem. We do have power to bring ecological modernization. We are not choose to do so.
---------------------.
Los Angeles Eyes Sewage as a Source of Water
Sign In to E-Mail or Save This Print Reprints Share
DiggFacebookMixxYahoo! BuzzPermalink
By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD
Published: May 16, 2008
LOS ANGELES — Faced with a persistent drought and the threat of tighter water supplies, Los Angeles plans to begin using heavily cleansed sewage to increase drinking water supplies, joining a growing number of cities considering similar measures.
Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, who opposed such a plan a decade ago over safety concerns, announced the proposal on Thursday as part of a package of initiatives to put the city, the nation’s second largest, on a stricter water budget. The other plans include increasing fines for watering lawns during restricted times, tapping into and cleaning more groundwater, and encouraging businesses and residents to use more efficient sprinklers and plumbing fixtures.
The move comes as California braces for the possibility of the most severe water shortages in decades.
Snowfall in the Sierra Nevada, which supplies about a third of Los Angeles’s water, is short of expectations. At the same time, the Western drought has lowered supplies in reservoirs, while legal rulings to protect endangered species will curtail water deliveries from Northern California.
Worsening the problem, Los Angeles is expected to add 500,000 people by 2030, forcing the city to examine new ways to meet demand. One option off the table, Mr. Villaraigosa said, is a repeat of the city’s troubled history, fictionalized in the movie “Chinatown,” of diverting a distant river southward to slake the city’s thirst.
The city, pushed by legal claims, is already paying millions to restore dried-up portions of the river, the Owens.
“There simply are no more holes or straws to pitch,” Mr. Villaraigosa said at a news conference at a water plant.
Many cities and towns across the country, including Los Angeles, already recycle wastewater for industrial uses and landscaping.
But the idea of using recycled wastewater, after intense filtering and chemical treatment, to replenish aquifers and reservoirs has gotten more notice lately because of technological advances that, industry leaders say, can make the water purer than tap water. San Diego and South Florida are also considering or planning to test the idea, and Orange County, Calif., opened a $481 million plant in January, without much community resistance, that is believed to be the world’s largest such facility.
None of the proposals or recycling projects already under way send the treated water directly into taps; most often the water is injected into the ground and gradually filters down into aquifers.
That is what Los Angeles would do, too. But the city abandoned that idea seven years ago in the face of political opposition, and is likely to face some debate about it now.
Fran Reichenbach, a founder of the Beachwood Canyon Neighborhood Association, one of the groups that opposed the plan, said she remained unconvinced the water would be safe.
“I appreciate them trying to save us in a time of water shortage, but the fact remains the kind of toxins and chemicals that are created on daily basis cannot be tested for,” Ms. Reichenbach said, disputing industry claims to the contrary. She said the group would push for independent testing and analysis of the treated water.
But Mr. Villaraigosa and H. David Nahai, the general manager of the Department of Water and Power, said they would push forward.
It will cost about $1 billion to retool the water works to treat the sewage, capture more rainfall and make other improvements. The money, city officials said, will come in part from state grants and fees on polluters, though they have not ruled out increases in water bills as well. The City Council must approve some of the changes.
------------------------
Los Angeles Eyes Sewage as a Source of Water
Sign In to E-Mail or Save This Print Reprints Share
DiggFacebookMixxYahoo! BuzzPermalink
By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD
Published: May 16, 2008
LOS ANGELES — Faced with a persistent drought and the threat of tighter water supplies, Los Angeles plans to begin using heavily cleansed sewage to increase drinking water supplies, joining a growing number of cities considering similar measures.
Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, who opposed such a plan a decade ago over safety concerns, announced the proposal on Thursday as part of a package of initiatives to put the city, the nation’s second largest, on a stricter water budget. The other plans include increasing fines for watering lawns during restricted times, tapping into and cleaning more groundwater, and encouraging businesses and residents to use more efficient sprinklers and plumbing fixtures.
The move comes as California braces for the possibility of the most severe water shortages in decades.
Snowfall in the Sierra Nevada, which supplies about a third of Los Angeles’s water, is short of expectations. At the same time, the Western drought has lowered supplies in reservoirs, while legal rulings to protect endangered species will curtail water deliveries from Northern California.
Worsening the problem, Los Angeles is expected to add 500,000 people by 2030, forcing the city to examine new ways to meet demand. One option off the table, Mr. Villaraigosa said, is a repeat of the city’s troubled history, fictionalized in the movie “Chinatown,” of diverting a distant river southward to slake the city’s thirst.
The city, pushed by legal claims, is already paying millions to restore dried-up portions of the river, the Owens.
“There simply are no more holes or straws to pitch,” Mr. Villaraigosa said at a news conference at a water plant.
Many cities and towns across the country, including Los Angeles, already recycle wastewater for industrial uses and landscaping.
But the idea of using recycled wastewater, after intense filtering and chemical treatment, to replenish aquifers and reservoirs has gotten more notice lately because of technological advances that, industry leaders say, can make the water purer than tap water. San Diego and South Florida are also considering or planning to test the idea, and Orange County, Calif., opened a $481 million plant in January, without much community resistance, that is believed to be the world’s largest such facility.
None of the proposals or recycling projects already under way send the treated water directly into taps; most often the water is injected into the ground and gradually filters down into aquifers.
That is what Los Angeles would do, too. But the city abandoned that idea seven years ago in the face of political opposition, and is likely to face some debate about it now.
Fran Reichenbach, a founder of the Beachwood Canyon Neighborhood Association, one of the groups that opposed the plan, said she remained unconvinced the water would be safe.
“I appreciate them trying to save us in a time of water shortage, but the fact remains the kind of toxins and chemicals that are created on daily basis cannot be tested for,” Ms. Reichenbach said, disputing industry claims to the contrary. She said the group would push for independent testing and analysis of the treated water.
But Mr. Villaraigosa and H. David Nahai, the general manager of the Department of Water and Power, said they would push forward.
It will cost about $1 billion to retool the water works to treat the sewage, capture more rainfall and make other improvements. The money, city officials said, will come in part from state grants and fees on polluters, though they have not ruled out increases in water bills as well. The City Council must approve some of the changes.
Los Angeles Eyes Sewage as a Source of Water
Sign In to E-Mail or Save This Print Reprints Share
DiggFacebookMixxYahoo! BuzzPermalink
By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD
Published: May 16, 2008
LOS ANGELES — Faced with a persistent drought and the threat of tighter water supplies, Los Angeles plans to begin using heavily cleansed sewage to increase drinking water supplies, joining a growing number of cities considering similar measures.
Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, who opposed such a plan a decade ago over safety concerns, announced the proposal on Thursday as part of a package of initiatives to put the city, the nation’s second largest, on a stricter water budget. The other plans include increasing fines for watering lawns during restricted times, tapping into and cleaning more groundwater, and encouraging businesses and residents to use more efficient sprinklers and plumbing fixtures.
The move comes as California braces for the possibility of the most severe water shortages in decades.
Snowfall in the Sierra Nevada, which supplies about a third of Los Angeles’s water, is short of expectations. At the same time, the Western drought has lowered supplies in reservoirs, while legal rulings to protect endangered species will curtail water deliveries from Northern California.
Worsening the problem, Los Angeles is expected to add 500,000 people by 2030, forcing the city to examine new ways to meet demand. One option off the table, Mr. Villaraigosa said, is a repeat of the city’s troubled history, fictionalized in the movie “Chinatown,” of diverting a distant river southward to slake the city’s thirst.
The city, pushed by legal claims, is already paying millions to restore dried-up portions of the river, the Owens.
“There simply are no more holes or straws to pitch,” Mr. Villaraigosa said at a news conference at a water plant.
Many cities and towns across the country, including Los Angeles, already recycle wastewater for industrial uses and landscaping.
But the idea of using recycled wastewater, after intense filtering and chemical treatment, to replenish aquifers and reservoirs has gotten more notice lately because of technological advances that, industry leaders say, can make the water purer than tap water. San Diego and South Florida are also considering or planning to test the idea, and Orange County, Calif., opened a $481 million plant in January, without much community resistance, that is believed to be the world’s largest such facility.
None of the proposals or recycling projects already under way send the treated water directly into taps; most often the water is injected into the ground and gradually filters down into aquifers.
That is what Los Angeles would do, too. But the city abandoned that idea seven years ago in the face of political opposition, and is likely to face some debate about it now.
Fran Reichenbach, a founder of the Beachwood Canyon Neighborhood Association, one of the groups that opposed the plan, said she remained unconvinced the water would be safe.
“I appreciate them trying to save us in a time of water shortage, but the fact remains the kind of toxins and chemicals that are created on daily basis cannot be tested for,” Ms. Reichenbach said, disputing industry claims to the contrary. She said the group would push for independent testing and analysis of the treated water.
But Mr. Villaraigosa and H. David Nahai, the general manager of the Department of Water and Power, said they would push forward.
It will cost about $1 billion to retool the water works to treat the sewage, capture more rainfall and make other improvements. The money, city officials said, will come in part from state grants and fees on polluters, though they have not ruled out increases in water bills as well. The City Council must approve some of the changes.
_________________
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/us/16water.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
1. se kyoung, jeoung
2. Agri-biotech firms committing 'intellectual property grab'
3. Because we talked of Vandana Shiva last class, this article drew my attention. Many agri-biotech companies are developing genetically engineered crops to resist climate change. Those companies are saying that these crops are for food security. However, farmers are suffering from patents on seeds because they have to purchase new seeds every year for subsequent replantation.
Farmers used to save seeds for next plantation according to Shiva. And this is so natural. We are loosing rights to save seeds for our lives instead of keeping food security. Applying patents on seeds cannot be a solution for food security.
--------------------------------
Some of the world's major agri-biotech companies are applying for hundreds of patents on genetically engineered 'climate crops', carrying out what amounts to an "intellectual property grab" in the lucrative market, according to a recent report.
BASF, Monsanto and Syngenta have applied for patents to control almost two-thirds of gene families resistant to environmental stresses that will increase with climate change, according to the Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC) Group, a Canada-based civil society organisation.
About 530 patents have been applied for worldwide, with a few dozen granted and hundreds pending. They include traits such as drought, flooding, high salt level, high temperatures and ultraviolet radiation — all of which endanger food security.
The report says that this move could hinder farmers in the developing world. Patents demand that farmers purchase new seeds every year, rather than saving seeds for subsequent re-plantation.
Control of the seed industry by only a few multinationals may undermine publicly- funded creation of freely available crop varieties, the report says, as well as using the dominance of the crops to tap into previously resistant markets.
Spokespeople from the companies said that they should be acknowledged for developing climate-change resistant crop varieties — which would not have occurred without patent protections.
But others say that both sides have oversimplified the argument. Richard Jefferson, from Cambia, an organisation that helps companies work together on patents, says it's not patents but the lack of competition that is the problem.
"We don't have the economic ecology that lets other companies compete with [the large multinationals]”¦ the big guys end up in a place like a cartel".
-------------------------
http://www.enn.com/agriculture/article/36504
Post a Comment