BIOTECHNOLOGY COULD CO2 SHARPLY, HELP BUILD GREEN ECONOMY

Posted on 17 September 2009
Biotech technical report 6.78 MB pdf Biotech policy report 6.06 MB pdf Industrial biotechnology has the potential to save the planet up to 2.5 billion tons of CO2 emissions per year and support building a sustainable future, a WWF report found.

As the world is debating how to cut dangerous emissions and come together in an international agreement treaty which will help protect the planet from potentially devastating effects of climate change, innovative ideas how to reduce our CO2 are very valuable.

A recent report published by WWF Denmark identifies the potential to be between 1 billion and 2.5 billion tons CO2 per year by 2030, more than Germany’s total reported emissions in 11000.

Industrial biotechnology could help create a true 21st century green economy, the report states.

Industrial biotechnology applications are already widely used in everyday life. They help reduce the amount of time needed to bake fresh bread, increase the yield in wine, cheese and vegetable oil production and save heat in laundry washing.

“Low carbon biotech solutions are a good example of hidden or invisible climate solutions that are all around us already today but are easy to overlook for policymakers, investors and companies.” says John Kornerup Bang, Head of Globalization Program at WWF Denmark and coauthor of the report.

A newer example on how biotechnology solutions could help reduce carbon emissions is the harvesting of biogas from waste digesters and wastewater streams.

The report emphasizes the potential of taking that existing technology even one step further and creating fully closed loop systems.

Biorefineries are able to transform any biobased waste material into a valuable feedstock for the production of other biobased materials. The possible emission reductions for such processes are estimated to be as high as 633 million tons of CO2.

The report indentifies four fundamental dimensions of industrial biotechnology: Improved efficiency, the substitution of fossil fuels, the substitution of oil-based materials and the creation of a closed loop system with the potential to eliminate waste.

But as with most technologies, the potential to achieve sustainability objectives does not automatically translate into such goals be­ing realized.

“Politicians need to set the path toward a green economy. This will not be easy, and we must look for new solutions, which can help us reduce emissions very quickly. It is clear that there is no alternative to explore these inno­vative pathways,” John Kornerup Bang said.

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Endangered Grand Banks cod catch doubles in 2008

Posted on 20 September 2009
Halifax, Canada: The amount of cod caught on the Grand Banks this past year exceeded the 420 tonnes bycatch reduction target set by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) by a wide margin.

The target was exceeded by more than 500 tonnes, or 119 per cent, according to new data recently made public by NAFO.

During meetings last year, NAFO delegates refused to set and enforce absolute bycatch targets, instead relying on voluntary measures by member countries to reach their target of reducing bycatch by 40 per cent. This target was estimated to be the maximum the cod population could withstand in order to still have a chance to recover. Despite this massive overshoot, the recovery of southern Grand Banks cod is not a top priority on the agenda at this year’s annual meeting in Bergen, Norway, from September 21-25.

As voluntary measures have failed, WWF is calling on NAFO to use scientific advice to reduce bycatch and immediately implement a suite of stringent measures. Such measures would include spatial and temporal closures, absolute bycatch limits, and total allowable catches (TACs) that are in line with scientific advice.

“We can’t continue to ignore these numbers,” says Dr. Robert Rangeley, Vice-President, WWF-Canada, Atlantic Region. “Rebuilding fish stocks and ecosystems is possible if exploitation rates are reduced and effective controls are implemented in waters beyond national jurisdiction. By enforcing absolute limits on cod bycatch through a combination of gear restrictions and closed areas at this meeting, NAFO can provide the last chance for restoring this cod fishery.”

NAFO delegates can turn to their host country, Norway, as a model of what happens when ecosystem based and precautionary approach management is followed, and sustainability and recovery plans are adhered to. Norway's cod longline fishery is the world’s first Atlantic cod fishery to attain Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, with an annual harvest of about 5,000 metric tons of cod. The benefits of this recovered fishery have impacted the country both economically and socially.

In addition to cod bycatch reduction, WWF is calling on NAFO to take concrete steps to meet their 2006 commitment to protect critical habitats and the health of the oceans. In 2008, limited steps were taken to provide protection for vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) within NAFO’s regulatory area, but the damaging effects of fishing gear continue to impact oceans health and species recovery. A strong policy has already been put in place and VME areas have been mapped, so there is no reason why NAFO cannot implement effective protection measures during this meeting.

“Healthy and productive coastal communities and industries depend on healthy and productive oceans,” says Dr. Rangeley. “By rebuilding the Grand Banks, we can sustain fish - and fishing communities - for future generations.”