Saving the Bagmati

Kathmandu,Nepal

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing water as a human right and , the 10th Bagmati River Festival will wrap up with the incongruous sight of a human flotilla on rafts, parading alongside the daily flotilla of garbage. And among the spectators will be those who have made the riverbanks their home and ironically, are among the furthest from realizing their right to clean water and sanitation. Although little has been said publicly, these informal settlers, or squatters as they are called, are surrounded by controversy; situated alongside one of the most powerful cultural and religious symbols of Kathmandu and the darling of environmental donors, the Bagmati River, and on a very precious commodity – vacant land.

The banks of the Bagmati are not prime residential areas – observers say that if not for Kathmandu’s daily pumping of effluent in the form of sewage, industrial and solid waste into the river, there would be barely any water there at all. So great is Kathmandu’s thirst for water, that we have practically drunk the river dry at its source, leaving the riverbed an open sewer.

The woes of the Bagmati are just the visible effects of a water table that is shrinking faster than it can be replenished. The river’s strong stench is the superficial reminder to those living there of the health hazards posed by this cesspool – especially during monsoon. Much of the Bagmati watershed and its tributaries in the Kathmandu valley are an ‘urban commons’ plundered for sand to feed an insatiable construction craze, and an unlicensed dumping ground and shelter for the homeless.

Red alert

Ilam,Nepal

What started as a women's initiative to conserve red pandas in Jamuna VDC of northern Ilam has brought about an impressive transformation. The Choyatar forest has been restored to its past glory and the village economy is thriving because of tourists that have poured in following a rise in the number of these endangered animals.

Unill two years ago, open grazing and caused uncontrolled logging had caused the destruction of the forest, and a subsequent decline in the number of red pandas in the area. But now the villagers are so keen to protect the forest that people are required to take permits from the women's user group committee even to collect fodder.

Thanks to efforts like these, there are now 15 red pandas in the community-managed forest. The IUCN red-listed species, Ailurus fulgens, has proven to be a major tourist attraction. The user group committee charges Nepalis Rs 500 and foreign nationals Rs 1000 to enter the forest for red panda-watching. A 1.7km road has been constructed from Alebhanjhyang to help tourists reach the forest.

Biogas plants - Saving Nature Naturally

A WWF Nepal climate protection project is treading new ground in the Nepalese lowlands. In order to protect local ecosystems, 7,500 small biogas plants are being constructed and installed for farmers and their families, reducing the demand for non-sustainable firewood and diminishing carbon emissions as a consequence of deforestation. One plant can deliver sufficient cooking energy for a family with at least two cows or buffaloes.

Type of energy: Biogas
Project scale: 7500 household biogas units
Project investment: 2.2 million euros
CO2 savings: 30,000 tonnes 

Stimulate the green race to tackle climate change

Cancun, Mexico

While negotiators in Cancún are struggling to make progress, there is something interesting happening in the world. And, it is good news. Countries have started to recognise and act upon the economic value in meeting the demand for green technology.

As a result there is a 'Green Race' emerging towards a more resource efficient economy. This presents huge opportunities for national and international economies which are recognised not only by businesses but also by countries.

More and more countries are taking note of this Green Race and are beginning to participate with serious ambition. Take for example the recent speech by US Energy Secretary Steven Chu. He labelled the success of China and other countries in clean energy industries a new 'Sputnik Moment', which requires the United States to mobilise its innovation machine to compete in the global race for the jobs of the future.

Green ladies : Eco-friendly initiatives of women groups in Dharan

Dharan,Nepal

"I would mop the house, collect the garbage, and hurl it through the window onto the road or the open space in front of my house, thinking that my house was now clean. These days I collect the garbage from the road as it brings me cash," says Nirmala Shakya, vice president of the Tole Environment Improvement Group in Dharan.

Shakya, a housewife, has been involved in a clean environment campaign for eight years, ever since she received training in waste management and composting. She does not use plastic bags and takes a jute bag with her when she goes shopping. She collects food wrappers to weave them into dhaki, dustbins, bags, and purses. She has dug two pits in her backyard to prepare compost from degradable household waste. Her group, which has 105 members, runs a recycling factory.

ब्याट्रीबाट चल्ने बसलाई झन्झट

Kathmandu,Nepal

पाँच महिनाअगाडि नै उपत्यका भित्रिए पनि ब्याट्रीबाट चल्ने बस सार्वजनिक यातायातका रुपमा सञ्चालनमा आउन सकेको छैन। रुट अनुमति पत्र लिने झन्भटपूर्ण प्रक्रियाका कारण ती गाडी सार्वजनिक यातायातका रूपमा सञ्चालन गर्न अझै तीन महिनाभन्दा बढी लाग्ने नेपाल इलेक्ट्रिक भेहिकल इन्डस्ट्रिज (नेभी)ले जनाएको छ।

नेभीले ब्याट्रीबाट चल्ने एउटा मात्र बन्द ढोकावाला बस, दुइटा खुला ढोका भएको बस र एउटा कार परीक्षणका रुपमा चीनबाट ल्याएको थियो। १४ सिट क्षमताको बन्द ढोकावाला बस सार्वजनिक यातायातका रूपमा सञ्चालन गर्न दुई दर्जनभन्दा बढी व्यक्ति तथा संस्थाले चासो देखाएको नेभीका महाप्रबन्धक नारायणप्रसाद भुसालले बताए।

आर्थिक क्षेत्रमा जलवायु परिवर्तनको असर

Kathmandu,Nepal 

प्रकृतिलाई मात्र नभएर आर्थिक क्षेत्रलाई समेत तहसनहस पार्न सक्छ । नेपाली अर्थतन्त्रको मुख्य आधार प्राकृतिक स्रोतमाथि जलवायु परिवर्तनको असर  पर्न थालेपछि आर्थिक क्षेत्रमा समेत त्यसको परिणाम देखिन थालेको छ । जलवायु परिवर्तनको असर पर्यटन उद्योग, औद्योगिक क्षेत्र, जलविद्युत् आदि  महत्त्वपूर्ण क्षेत्रहरूमा प्ार्ने भएकाले पनि सम्बन्धित व्यवसायमा आश्रति सबैको रोजगारीमाथि प्रश्नचिह्न खडा हुँदै गएको छ ।

हालसम्म कुनै पनि सरकारी तथा गैरसरकारी क्षेत्रले जलवायु परिवर्तनका कारण आर्थिक क्षेत्रमा पर्ने नोक्सानीका बारेमा यथेष्ट अध्ययन-अनुसन्धान  गरिनसकेकाले यसबाट यति नै आर्थिक हानि हुन्छ भन्न कठिन छ, तर हाम्रो जस्तो विकासोन्मुख देश जहाँ सम्पूर्ण क्षेत्र प्राकृतिक स्रोतमाथि नै आश्रति छ,  त्यस्तो ठाउँमा हुने आर्थिक नोक्सानी बढी नै हुने पक्का छ ।

अहिलेकै अनुपातमा पृथ्वीमा तापक्रम वृद्धि हुँदै जाने हो भने सन् २०३० देखि नदीमा पानीको बहाव १ सय ७० प्रतिशतले बढ्नेछ । विभिन्न अध्ययन- अनुसन्धानले पनि बदलिँदो मौसमसँगै हिमतालहरू विस्फोट र विलय भएर जाने निष्कर्ष निकालेका छन् । हालै नेपाल सरकारले २० वर्षमा २० हजार  मेगावाट जलविद्युत् उत्पादन गर्ने योजना अगाडि सारेको छ, तर जलवायु परिवर्तनको समस्यालाई मध्यनजर गरेर योजना निर्माण नगर्ने हो भने  जलविद्युत् उत्पादनको क्षेत्रमा गरिएको लगानी पनि खेर जान सक्ने देखिन्छ ।

Energy demand to go up four folds

Kathmandu,Nepal

Despite yawning economic growth rates, Nepal´s energy demand is projected to increase four folds over the next 20 years, stated National Energy Strategy (NES) 2010. The projected demand, estimated on the assumption that the country´s economic growth will remain at 5.6 percent on average till 2030, might go up if the country achieves higher growth rates, NES underlined.Nepal´s economic growth rate was 3.5 percent last year, much lesser than the projected growth of 5.5 percent.

The strategic policy paper prepared by Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS) aims to meet the growing demand by generating hydroelectricty and reduce the dependence on bio mass and fossil fuels. It has envisioned that by 2030 dependency over bio mass will be reduced by 33 percent. This reduction is likely to decrease the rural households´ reliance on firewood thereby trimming down the detrimental effects on the environment.

At 86 percent, bio-fuel still commands the lion´s share of the total energy demand. Fossil fuel, likewise, consists of 11 percent of the national energy demand. Hydropower and renewable energy make up 1.8 and 1 percentages of energy demand respectively. NES has also projected that the demand for hydropower energy will reach 12,000 MW by 2030. This implies that power generation endeavors will have to make significant strides by the next 20 years.

A mountain of waste

Nuwakot,Nepal

If the stench of the occasional pile of trash on the roads of Kathmandu is too much for you, try standing on an entire hill made of garbage! Thirty km away from Kathmandu, in the lap of Nuwakot’s lush green hills, sits the aforementioned hillock—a landfill site called Aletar. Run by the Ministry of Local Development and managed by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City office, this is the site where all the trash collected from the districts of Lalitpur and Kathmandu is dumped. Massive trucks rumble to and fro, each incoming one carrying anywhere from four to eight tonnes of garbage. Vultures encircle the skies, below which people pick at the mound of garbage, scavenging for reusable and recyclable materials. The garbage pile itself is quite a sight to see: never before has ‘eclectic’ had such a terrible visual effect. But at the same time, it is wondrous to see how many different sources of garbage wind up at this common destination. A film reel runs from the top to the bottom, which on close inspection, is revealed to be of the Bollywood film Om Shanti Om. A little distance away is a patch of empty medicine packets. The most common sight, though, is the unmistakable black polythene bags.

“Polythene is the worst. It makes up most of the volume of trash,” says Hari Sharan Phuyal, who has been overseeing landfill sites for 30 years. “Polythene bags cost Rs. 1. Shopkeepers and consumers throw them away like they cost nothing—but they have no idea how much 50 plastic bags cost the environment.” Indeed, the inability of such plastic to be recycled or degraded makes them a primal component of this mountain of trash. There remains no other solution than to push it under the carpet.

Nepal commits to doubling tiger number by 2022

KATHMANDU,NEPAL

Nepal has expressed a strong commitment to doubling its tiger population by 2022. Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Deepak Bohara on Sunday made this vow while addressing the inaugural session of the International Tiger Conservation Conference that began at St. Petersburg in Russia.

Bohara stressed that Nepal had been successful to accomplish most of the commitments made at the Kathmandu Global Tiger Workshop 2009 in the context of the Global Tiger Initiative mission and the goal of doubling tiger population.

The international forum has brought together the leaders of 13 Tiger Range Countries to discuss what could be the best and last chance to save the wild tiger. The summit featured high-level officials and tiger experts from every major tiger country and conservation institutions, a first in the history of tiger conservation.

The conference is being organized to have a joint commitment to save the big cat after a warning that without major advances, the animal will disappear within the next 20 years from the wild, their existence threatened by habitat-loss and poaching.

Plastic-free Ilam Municipality

Ilam,Nepal

After a month-long campaign and trial period, Ilam Municipality has completely banned the use of plastic bags in the city. People now take a jute bag with them from home when they go shopping. Shopkeepers use either paper or leaves to wrap goods if customers don't have their own bags.

Tea entrepreneurs have agreed to use Nepali paper to package tea. The municipality has planned to maximise the use of paper and ban plastic use, except for readymade goods like noodles and biscuits wrapped in plastic bags.

The municipality recalled polythene bags from all shops and a team led by municipality executive officer Yubaraj Dahal has been monitoring the market. If a shopkeeper sells goods in a polythene bag he will be fined Rs 500, while shoppers will be fined Rs 200 for using them.

Dahal argues that the drastic steps were necessary as plastic was littering an otherwise clean and green Ilam. The municipality has set aside 38 ropanis of land (>19,000 square metres) for processing degradable waste. "Our goal is to develop Ilam as a green city within two years by processing all the waste generated here. The Finnish ambassador has promised support, and has already visited the proposed site."

Cleaners gathering dust

Kathmandu,Nepal 

Cleaning vehicles donated by the Chinese government worth millions of rupees remain unused because of government inefficacy and tardiness. Two months after their arrival, they are still parked in the Kathmandu Metropolitan premises. The arrival of the vehicles was delayed by 10 months because of legal hassles. The Metropolitan complains that the Transport Management Department did not register the buses. The transport office, on the other hand, claims the vehicles weren't brought in for registration.

Chief of the Environment Management Department of Kathmandu Metropolitan, Rabin Man Shrestha, says that all due process had been followed, but the transport office demanded COP (Conformity of Production) documents. "The Chinese companies then sent the documents through email," Shrestha adds, "but the department is now refusing to register without paper documents."

Windfarms Moving Inland

Helsinki,Finland

Surveys have begun to find suitable sites for wind farms away from coastal areas and islands. With the fast development of the technology of wind power generation, new opportunities and new locations are opening up.

Alliances of local government that have banned together to cooperate in regional economic development are looking for sites that are not only windy enough, but also where operations will not disturb local residents and where the environment would not be unduly harmed.

Currently, the focus is on environmental factors, according to Heidi Saaristo, a landscape architect with an alliance of municipalities in the south west of the country.

Earlier Profitability for Wind Power Plants

Research indicates that land-based wind power stations could be profitable sooner than thought, writes the newspaper Turun Sanomat. According to a survey carried out by the Aalto University, wind power stations could be showing a profit in about five years' time.

If the survey prediction proves to be correct, state energy subsidies for new power stations could be reduced from next year onwards and be unnecessary by the year 2015. This would cut state expenditure by hundreds of millions of euros.

Maritime wind farms would be not affected, according to researcher Jani Laine at the faculty of Energy Technology at Aalto University. State aid for such plants couldn't be phased out before 2020 at the earliest.

Legislation on renewable energy is currently being discussed by parliamentary committees. The state has agreed to finance energy subsidies for wind power plants for no more than 12 years.

HAPPY VIJAYA DASHAMI 2067

नेपाली मोडेलको पश्चिम सेती

हालै पश्चिम सेती आयोजनाको कार्यालय बन्द भएको समाचार प्रेषित भयो । यस आयोजनाको इन्टरनेट वेबसाइट पनि बन्द हुनाले के कति कारणले कार्यालय बन्द गरयिो, प्रस्ट छैन । अझ अस्ट्रेलियास्िथत मूल प्रवर्द्धक कम्पनी स्नोई माउन्टेन्स् इन्जिनियरङि् कर्पोरेसन -स्मेक)को वेबसाइटमा समेत यस आयोजना सम्बन्धमा केही पनि उल्लेख नहुनु आश्चर्यजनक छ ।

यस आयोजना सम्बन्धमा नेपाल सरकारले गरेको सम्झौता संविधानको धारा १५८ अनुरूप संसदीय अनुमोदन नगराइएकाले संविधान उल्लंघन हुनाको अतिरत्तिm संसद्को अधिकार पनि हनन् भएको जिकिरका साथ सार्वजनिक सरोकारको रटि निवेदन सर्वोच्च अदालतमा दायर गरएिबाट यस आयोजनाका धेरै शुभेच्छुकहरू हतास बनेका थिए, राष्ट्रघात खोतल्नेहरूले गर्दा आयोजना कार्यान्वयन नहुने चिन्ताले । तर, यस सम्बन्धमा संसदीय अनुमोदन अनावश्यक ठहर्‍याउने त्रुटिपूर्ण फैसला आएपछि यो आयोजना कार्यान्वयनमा जानुको साटो कार्यालय नै बन्द गरयिो ।

यस पंक्तिकारलगायतका अधिकांश आलोचकहरूले यो आयोजना कार्यान्वयन नहोस् भनेर कहिल्यै चाहेका थिएनन्, नगण्य अपवादबाहेक । मुलुकलाई फाइदा हुने नै भए पनि संविधान मिचेर, संसद्को अधिकार कुण्ठित पारेर फाइदाको पछि लाग्नु हुन्न, संवैधानिक प्रक्रिया पूरा गरनिुपर्छ भन्ने मात्र धारणा थियो । अझ यस पंक्तिकारको विश्लेषणमा, सम्पन्न सम्झौता अनुरूप कार्यान्वयन गर्दा देश र जनतालाई तात्त्विक रूपमा लाभ हुने देखिन्न । त्यसैले सुदूर र मध्यपश्चिमाञ्चल विकास क्षेत्रका जनता अनि समग्र मुलुकलाई वास्तविक रूपमा लाभान्वित हुने गरेर निर्माण गरनिुपर्छ भन्ने धारणा थियो र छ पनि । तर, यस सम्बन्धमा सतही रूपमा बुझ्नेहरूले र बुझेर पनि बुझपचाउनेहरूले यस्तो अभिव्यक्ति दिनेलाई विकासविरोधीको बिल्ला भिराउने गरेका छन् । संविधान मिचिएको र संसद्को अधिकार कुण्ठित भएको सन्दर्भमा अरू दलहरूले चासो नदेखाए पनि एकीकृत नेकपा माओवादीले हालै एक विज्ञप्ति प्रकाशित गरेको सराहनीय छ ।

Transforming power : Micro-hydro projects light up homes

Locals of Baluwatar and Naumale, in a remote basin 28 km northwest of the district headquarters Dullu, have seen their lives transformed since a micro-hydro system was installed. CFL bulbs have replaced the hazardous kerosene lamps in their homes, women have been freed from the drudgery of milling grain, and men no longer need to struggle to irrigate their fields.

The micro-hydro project was constructed under the Food for Work scheme of the World Food Programme with the participation of the locals. Although designed to generate 22 KW of electricity, it produces only 11 KW as of now. The project has lit up 145 households of Baluwatar and Naumule villages. A household pays just Rs 70 a month for unlimited use of electricity.

The change is obvious in Naumule basin. In this small developing town, houses have refrigerators, televisions and mobile phones. They also have fax and copier machines. "We could not have imagined this life two years ago," says Ratna Prasad Jaisi, operator of the power plant.

चेपुवामा माथिल्लो कणर्ली

एकीकृत नेकपा माओवादीका भेरी-कणर्ाली इन्चार्ज खड्गबहादुर विकको प्रसंग उठ्नासाथ माथिल्लो कणर्ाली जलविद्युत् आयोजनाका इन्जिनियरहरू हाँस्छन्। गत वर्ष माघ १० गते दैलेखको टुनिबगरमा आयोजित आमसभामा उनले भनेका रहेछन्, "सुरुङ यहाँ खन्दैछन्। पावर हाउस लखनउमा राख्दैछन्। पानी लैजान बहराइचमा नहर बन्दैछ।" लगत्तै सुर्खेत ओर्लेर पत्रकार सम्मेलनमा उनले भनिदिए, "चार दिनभित्र बन्द गराएर भारतीय कम्पनीलाई फिर्ता पठाउने छाँै।"

तर, अब भने आयोजनाका कर्मचारी त्यसरी हाँस्न सक्ने छैनन्। किनभने, त्यसबेला विक र क्षेत्रीयस्तरका केही नेताहरूले मात्रै माथिल्लो कणर्ाली निर्माण अनुमति पाएको जीएमआर नामक भारतीय कम्पनीविरुद्ध जेहाद छेडेका थिए, माओवादीको केन्द्रीय नेतृत्व यसबारे मौन थियो। अहिले भने एकीकृत माओवादीको केन्द्रीय नेतृत्व नै सो आयोजनाको निर्माण रोक्ने मनस्िथतिमा पुगेको छ। यसले आयोजनाको भविष्यमा कस्तो असर पार्छ भन्ने अहिल्यै भन्न नसकिने परयिोजनासम्बद्धहरू बताउँछन्।

फोहोरको संक्रमण

आधुनिक युगको सहरीकरण, औद्योगीकरण तथा नवीन जीवनशैलीको पाश्र्व प्रभावस्वरूप फोहोर व्यवस्थापन ज्वलन्त चुनौती बन्दैछ। अझ विकासोन्मुख राष्ट्रहरू, जहाँ राजनीतिक स्िथरता नागरकि अनुशासनका रूपमा विकास भएको छैन, यस्ता देशका सहरहरू फोहोरको समस्याबाट आक्रान्त छन्।

नौ सय वर्गकिलोमिटर क्षेत्रफल भएको काठमाडौँ उपत्यकाको जनसंख्या करबि ४० लाख छ। काठमाडौँ उपत्यकाको सहरी क्षेत्रमा जनसंख्या वृद्धि ४ दशमलव ७१ प्रतिशत छ, जुन विश्वकै उच्च वृद्धिदर हो। जनसंख्या वृद्धिसँगै भवन निर्माण, सवारीसाधन र उपभोग्य वस्तुको तीव्र विस्तारका कारण वातावरणीय तथा पर्यावरणीय सन्तुलन खल्बलिएको छ। खानेपानीको अभाव, ढल निकासको अव्यवस्था तथा अव्यवस्िथत सहरीकरणले गर्दा हाम्रो राजधानी खत्यन्तै कुरूप तथा फोहोर हुँदै गइरहेको छ।

घरेलु फोहोर, निर्माणजन्य फोहोर, उद्योग तथा व्यापारकि केन्द्रका फोहोर, अस्पतालजन्य फोहोर, विद्युतीय तथा विकिरणजन्य फोहोरले गर्दा काठमाडौँ उपत्यकामा दैनिक तीन सयदेखि चार सय टन फोहोर जम्मा हुने गर्छ। यसमध्ये करबि ७० प्रतिशत जैविक ठोस फोहोर हुने गर्छ, जुन ब्याक्टेरयिाद्वारा कुहिएर आदर््र वा भिजेको रूपमा हुन्छ।

Wealth from Waste

Wind Power Companies Downsizing

Moventas, a major producer of turbines for wind power stations, is cutting staff. The company plans to reduce personnel because of the impact of slow market recovery from the global financial crisis.

At present Moventas employs around 600 people at its plant in Jyväskylä. Its plans call for slashing 150 work/years at the facility. Just two weeks ago, another wind power company, Winwind, dismissed 23 employees in Oulu.

Moventas will keep R&D operations and production of key components in Jyväskylä. However, some assembly and testing will be shifted closer to its major customers in North America and Asia.

The company is one of the world's leading producers of gears for use in wind turbines. Its volume of business last year was around 237 million euros. Worldwide, Moventas employs some 1200 people in eight countries.

Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project in Nepal

Dam site at Lamabagar

Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Limited (UTKHPL) is a subsidiary company of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for survey, design, construction, operation and management of 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project (UTKHEP) including selling of generated power to the grid operator by utilizing national financial and technical resources. The Company has also aimed to develop other hydropower projects in the country. The Company is registered in Company Registrar Office in March 2007 (2063/11/25 B.S.). Before start of the day-to-day operation of the Company, Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectric Project was managed by NEA.

Solar boat launch sets Mediterranean conservation campaign

A catamaran powered exclusively by the sun cast off from Spain’s southeastern coast, starting a journey that is completely free of fossil fuels.

The tired and tested catamaran, the 46ft WWF Solar, which set off on July 14, is part of WWF Spain’s new ‘Embárcate’ (Get on Board) campaign to promote the use of the renewable energies and the conservation of marine ecosystems.

Micro-hydro power

Practical Action promotes small-scale hydro schemes that generate up to 500 kilowatts of power. The micro-hydro station, which converts the energy of flowing water into electricity, provides poor communities in rural areas with an affordable, easy to maintain and long-term solution to their energy needs.

Practical Action has developed micro-hydro systems with communities in Peru, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and Kenya. These systems, which are designed to operate for a minimum of 20 years, are usually 'run-of-the-river' systems. This means they do not require a dam or storage facility to be constructed but simply divert water from the stream or river, channel it in to a valley and 'drop' it in to a turbine via a penstock (pipeline).

WIND ENERGY - THE FACTS

From a European, as well as a global perspective, wind power is undergoing rapid development. Within the past 10 years the global installed capacity of wind power has increased from approximately 2.5 GW in 1992 to a little below 40 GW at the end of 2003, with an annual growth rate of around 30%. However, only at few sites with high wind speeds can wind power compete economically with conventional power production at present.
This section focuses on the cost structures of a wind power plant, including the lifetime of the turbine and operation and maintenance costs. Finally, it analyzes how the costs of wind power have developed in previous years and how they are expected to develop in the near future. Wind power is used in a number of different applications, including both grid-connected and stand-alone electricity production, as well as water pumping. This section analyzes the economics of wind energy primarily in relation to grid-connected turbines which account for the vast bulk of the market value of installed turbines.

धेरै समस्या एउटै समाधान बायोग्यास

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बायोग्यास प्लान्टले समुद्री सतहभन्दा २१०० मिटरभन्दा माथि राम्रोसँग काम गर्दैन भनिन्थ्यो, तर ३८५० मिटरको उचाइमा अवस्थित लाङटाङ उपत्यकाको सबैभन्दा अग्लो बस्ती क्यान्जिङ गोम्पामा प्लान्ट स्थापना गरेर बायोग्यास सहयोग कार्यक्रम -बीएसपी-नेपाल) ले चौंरीगाईको गोबरबाट ग्यास उत्पादन गर्ने सरल उपाय पत्ता लगाएको छ । गाउँमा बायोग्यास प्लान्ट स्थापना भएकोमा खुसी ट्रेकिङ गाइड पासाङ डेम्दी शर्ेपा भन्छन्, "यसले थुप्रै दाउरा जोगाउनेछ र धेरै मानिसले प्लान्ट बनाउने छन् ।" उच्च हिमाली भेगमा प्लान्टको भूमिगत डाइजेष्टरको माथिपट्ट कम्पोष्ट थुपारिदिँदा डाइजेष्टरलाई न्यानो राख्न र ग्यास उत्पादन गर्न मद्दत पुग्छ ।

क्यान्जिङ गोम्पाको होटल याला पिकमा बनेको पहिलो प्लान्ट बाहिरबाट हर्ेदा फोहोरको थुप्रो जस्तै देखिन्छ, तर माथि वाफ उडिरहेको त्यस थुप्रोमुनि प्लान्टको भूमिगत डोम र डाइजेष्टरबाट जाडोमा समेत होटलको भान्छामा मिथेन ग्यास आइरहेको हुन्छ । "हामीले डाइजेष्टरलाई तातो राख्न सोलार हिटरदेखि ग्रीन हाउसभित्र बायोग्यास प्लान्ट निर्माणसम्मका धेरै तरिका अपनायौं । तर ती सबै महँगो समाधान थिए, कम्पोष्ट थुपार्नु सस्तो ठहरियो", बीएसपीका इञ्जिनियर हरिबहादुर केसी भन्छन् । जाडोमा ग्यास कम हुने समस्या भोगिरहेका होचा पहाडी र तर्राई भेगका उपभोक्ताले पनि यही उपायबाट ग्यास उत्पादनलाई यथावत् राख्न सक्ने उनको सुझाव छ ।

Carbon footprint

A carbon footprint is "the total set of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event or product" . For simplicity of reporting, it is often expressed in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide, or its equivalent of other GHGs, emitted.

The concept name of the carbon footprint originates from ecological footprint discussion. carbon footprint is a subset of the ecological footprint and of the more comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

An individual, nation, or organization's carbon footprint can be measured by undertaking a GHG emissions assessment. Once the size of a carbon footprint is known, a strategy can be devised to reduce it, e.g. by technological developments, better process and product management, changed Green Public or Private Procurement (GPP), Carbon capture, consumption strategies, and others.

The mitigation of carbon footprints through the development of alternative projects, such as solar or wind energy or reforestation, represents one way of reducing a carbon footprint and is often known as Carbon offsetting.

Finland's Largest Biomass Plant

The official inauguration of Finland's largest wood-burning biomass power plant was held in Lappeenranta on Friday. Minister of the Environment Paula Lehtomaki was on hand for the event.

Lehtomäki said the plant was a step forward in the use of renewable energy sources and emissions-free energy production. She said she expects more biomass plants to be built in the future.

The plant, which is owned by energy companies Pohjolan Voima and Lappeenrannan Energia, was built ahead of schedule and cost less than the initial estimate of 244 million euros. In total, the plant cost 240 million euros to build.

The power plant, fueled by bark, branches, small wood and peat, is located at the UPM Kaukas' mill complex, and has been fully operational since November.

Worst-Case Scenario: Fighting the Gulf Oil Spill

As an environmental disaster, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico just keeps getting worse. Late on Thursday, April 29, BP — the energy company that operates the sunken Deepwater Horizon rig and is financially responsible for the spill — revealed that oil was leaking from the burst well at a rate of 5,000 bbl. a day, five times faster than previously estimated. That means about 210,000 gal. of oil are now spilling into the Gulf each day, forming a metastasizing oil slick that is 5,000 sq. mi. (13,000 sq km) large and growing by the hour.

Worse, shifting winds and currents are pushing the oil toward the Gulf Coast, where the Coast Guard and other government agencies are already preparing to minimize the environmental impact when the crude washes ashore. "We are being very aggressive, and we are prepared for the worst case," said Rear Admiral Sally Brice O'Hara of the Coast Guard in a press briefing on Thursday.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1986102,00.html

UK Temperature

The UK should expect a 4°C rise in temperature by 2080 according to the most likely results of the experiment.

Heatwaves are on the rise and, by 2080, summer temperatures of 40°C will be common. Winters will also be warmer.

UK rainfall

Summer rainfall is set to decrease and the UK can expect more frequent droughts

Winters will bring less snow and more rain, especially in the north and west. Storms will be more frequent and more severe.

Global changes

Different regions around the world can expect varying levels of warming. New Zealand faces a smaller temperature rise than the UK's 4°C change, while Alaska should prepare for a greater increase

दुइ आँखा चिम्ले मनमा आयो तपाईंको सम्झना, कल्पना गरे केही दिन खोजे भेटाये शुभ-कामना, झर्ना झै चोखो बगिनै रहोस् मन्का ति भावना। फुल झै हर्पल् फुलिनै रहोस्,प्रगति र चहना।। नाम र किर्ति फैलिनै रहोस्,सिद्ध होस् कामना। नव बर्ष २०६७ सुखमय बनोस्, यही छ मेरो शुभ-कामना।।।

solar hot water system

Solar hot water systems use the sun's energy to heat water in liquid-based solar collectors; they are almost always used along with conventional water heaters. Solar collectors for these systems are typically 3–6 m² in area and the systems are sold as a standard package like appliances. A typical solar hot water system can provide about 50% of the water heating energy needs in a home.


How they work

Solar water heating systems include storage tanks and solar collectors. There are two types of solar water heating systems: active, which have circulating pumps and controls, and passive, which don't.

Most solar water heaters require a well-insulated storage tank. Solar storage tanks have an additional outlet and inlet connected to and from the collector. In two-tank systems, the solar water heater preheats water before it enters the conventional water heater. In one-tank systems, the back-up heater is combined with the solar storage in one tank.

Three types of solar collectors are used for residential applications:

• Flat-plate collectors
  
  Glazed flat-plate collectors are insulated, weatherproofed boxes that contain a dark absorber plate under one or more glass or plastic (polymer) covers. Unglazed flat-plate collectors – typically used for solar pool heating – have a dark absorber plate, made of metal or polymer, without a cover or enclosure.



• Batch collectors
  
  Also known as integral collector-storage (ICS) system, these feature one or more black tanks or tubes in an insulated, glazed box. Cold water first passes through the solar collector, which preheats the water. The water then continues on to the conventional backup water heater, providing a reliable source of hot water. They should be installed only in mild-freeze climates because the outdoor pipes could freeze in severe, cold weather.



• Evacuated-tube solar collectors
  
  These feature parallel rows of transparent glass tubes. Each tube contains a glass outer tube and metal absorber tube attached to a fin. The fin's coating absorbs solar energy but inhibits radiative heat loss. These collectors are used more frequently for commercial applications.

Poverty and environmental degradation Formidable challenges

The twin process of poverty and environmental degradation are among the most formidable challenges facing humanity today. The Food and Agriculture Organization has reported that the 10 percent of world population face starvation, 70 per cent of the population live in inadequate sanitary conditions and 1.5 billion people still lack clean drinking water.

This vast majority of people live in the Third World and depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Moreover, the single most important input for agriculture is land and it is here that the situation is most critical. Nearly a thousand million people are either landless or have so little land that cannot produce enough food to feed their households. Thus, limited access to land is undoubtedly a major cause of poverty in the Third World.

Lack of resources is the first element of the local poverty trap. This is especially true in Nepal where the per capita land availability indicates a very tight situation as it has declined from 0.17 hectare in 1985 to 0.09 hectare by 2005. It is estimated that, given the present yields, an additional around 1million hectares of land should be brought under cultivation if the deficit in calorie intake is to be met by increasing the production of food grains. Similarly, grazing pressure is higher than the carrying capacity of the land as the shortage of fodder of the whole country has become as high as 33 per cent. The average hill family maintains four cattle and two buffaloes and requires about 3.5 hectares of uncultivated forest to sustain each hectare of land under cultivation. Fodder shortage translates directly into a lack of manure, declining soil fertility and declining crop yield. As a result Nepal’s agriculture is suffering from low and declining farm productivity.

Inequality in land ownership also has a dramatic effect in environmental degradation. It confines the poor to marginal areas, and intensifies population pressure there. Moreover, the geographical concentration of poverty on inhospitable land is driven partially as people move in, but more so by the heightened population growth rates that poverty itself brings. Land degradation is, thus, now becoming a global problem. But it is becoming more acute in Nepal where due to rapid population growth, peasants in the highland valleys are forced to expand their plots on to steep, forested hillsides where land is less productive and tenure least secure.

The heavy monsoon rainfall often triggers mass wasting and landslide. In this extremely vulnerable region, increased terrace farming often at the peak of the hill, overgrazing and over cutting of the forest have resulted in the problem of degradation and desertification. As a result, Nepal is losing 240 million cubic meters of soil which is well above the maximum limit of acceptable soil level loss. The sediment load in the Nepalese rivers is alarming as river-beds in the Terai are rising 15 cm to 30 cm annually with excessive sedimentation. It is said that in around 200 years the Kosi river has shifted 115 kilometers westwards destroying land which had provided subsistence to 6.5 million people. Similarly, it is estimated that about 10,000 sq. km. in Dolpa and Mustang districts are devoid of vegetation indicating the desertification process.

In all this, the energy sources need focus as it has ramifications on the environment and thereby the status of poverty. The energy consumption rates to a considerable degree characterize the scale and efficiency of any society’s productive forces. While the energy commodities of the affluent are commercial, poor people largely depend on traditional energy.

Traditional forms of energy supply about 90 percent of energy consumption in Nepal; in which the share of fuel wood consumption is about 80 per cent. Because of this the national deficit in fuel is severe in Nepal and forests are declining at a very fast rate. The increasing cost of fodder and fuel-wood provisions are borne by family labor. As forests and pastures became degraded, fodder and fuel-wood must be fetched from increasing distance from less productive sources, using time that could otherwise be spent in income earning activity. Because of this, the working days in the field has shortened, family incomes have fallen, and diets have deteriorated. As a further result of forest depletion, dung is increasingly burnt in poor families as fuel instead of being returned as fertilizer to the soil. It is estimated that 8 million tons of dung are burnt each year.

Poverty should be placed on the environmental agenda as co-operator rather than competitor of those seeking economic and social development. It is also important to be aware of the costs of farmers on environmental measures and to be prepared to compensate them if necessary. In the meanwhile, it is legitimate to consider sustained production and welfare-oriented programs of support to the poor to protect the environment.

Saving the rainforests

The U.N.'s forest carbon scheme which has formed part of the negotiations at the climate talks in Copenhagen has been one of the few areas where countries are broadly in agreement.

The U.N.'s REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries) program is a collaboration between the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Environmental (UNEP) and Development (UNDP) programs.

Yemi Katerere, head of the U.N.-REDD program explained to CNN how the REDD program proposals would work.

"In theory REDD is a system to provide incentives for countries not to cut their forests," Katerere said.

"The incentive system is essentially that your trees are worth more standing than they are cut. You get a reward for not cutting your forests."

The idea is straightforward; If the function of rainforests -- capturing carbon, water catchment, weather regulators and biodiversity -- is recognized their value will rise.

The destruction of the world's rainforests is estimated to contribute to as much as 20 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions.

REDD envisages a situation whereby "different services can be marketed and paid for, boosting the incomes of other wise marginalized communities". Many pilot schemes are already underway.

Back in 1997 when the Kyoto Protocol was adopted, the part rainforests play in carbon storage wasn't recognized. Proposals to reduce emissions from deforestation were first introduced by the governments of Papua New Guinea in December 2005 at the COP11 talks in Canada. Talks at Copenhagen are hoping to build on the progress made since.

REDD say that more than 30 models of how the program should work have been put forward by countries, groups of countries and NGOs. Katerere wouldn't be drawn on the outcome of negotiations at Copenhagen when CNN spoke to him on Thursday.

Critics of the REDD program argue that it allows richer countries to meet -- to buy essentially -- some of their emissions obligations without cutting them at all. Others argue trying to measure what is being preserved and how much carbon is being stored will prove incredibly hard to quantify.

But Katerere said an imperfect program which can be improved is better than none at all.

"We should stop focusing on the negatives issues of REDD and start looking at the positives. In the short term, REDD offers use the greatest mitigation potential at an affordable price and is the most cost effective."

World Future Energy Summit 2010

World Future Energy Summit, the world’s platform for sustainable future energy solutions, provides an ideal networking event for industry leaders, investors, scientists, specialists, policymakers and researchers to discuss the challenges of rising energy demand and actions to achieve a cleaner and more sustainable future for the world

In April 2006, Abu Dhabi took a bold and historic decision to embrace renewable and sustainable energy solutions. As the first major hydrocarbon-producing nation to take such a step, it established its leadership position by launching Masdar, a global cooperative platform dedicated to finding and deploying solutions to some of the mankind’s most pressing issues: energy security, climate change and truly sustainable human development.

Under the patronage of H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Masdar hosted the inaugural World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi from January 21 to 23, 2008. The highly successful debut edition paved the way for an even larger and better attended World Future Energy Summit 2009, also held in Abu Dhabi

The World Future Energy and Environment exhibitions, along with the Summit, covered an area of nearly 40,000 sqm, housing more than 600 exhibitors from 44 countries. Together, the Summit and Exhibitions have created one of the world’s must-attend events in future energy, an unmissable networking and business opportunity for the energy and environment communities.

Reed Exhibitions and Elsevier, the world’s largest exhibitions company and the leading publishers of science information, are proud to announce the World Future Energy Summit 2010, in AbuDhabi from January 18 to 21. The four-day summit will build on the successes of its predecessors, with more than 30 individual conference sessions and more than 200 international influencers addressing future energy strategies, policies and technologies.

Copenhagen climate deal meets qualified UN welcome

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed a US-backed climate deal in Copenhagen as an "essential beginning".

But he said the accord, reached with key nations including China and Brazil, must be made legally binding next year.

After intense wrangling, delegates passed a motion simply taking note of the deal, without formally adopting it.

The pact did not win unanimous support, amid outrage from some developing nations who said it lacked specific targets for reducing carbon emissions।

US-LED COPENHAGEN DEAL

• No reference to legally binding agreement
• Recognises the need to limit global temperatures rising no more than 2C above pre-industrial levels
• Developed countries to "set a goal of mobilising jointly $100bn a year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries"
• On transparency: Emerging nations monitor own efforts and report to UN every two years. Some international checks
• No detailed framework on carbon markets - "various approaches" will be pursued

Clearing the road for eco-cars in Moscow

As Moscow's streets almost literally crack under the pressure of the moving masses, local government says that new, environmentally-friendly public transport is almost ready to hit the roads.

Moscow's roads are full to the bursting point with cars, busses, and trucks all pumping out fumes harmful to both the environment and people.

Read more

As representatives from all over the world gather in Copenhagen to discuss climate change and debate its origins, the scientific and industrial department of the Moscow government seems ready to recognize man's hand in the warming of the Earth and is trying to find a way to tackle it.

“It has been established that global warming is a direct consequence of pollution, and automobile transport or car fuel emissions are the main pollutants in big Russian cities – about 80 percent,” said Evgeny Balashov, Deputy Director of the city’s Department of Industrial Policy. “The only remedy to this problem, as I see it, is a transition to alternative, ecologically clean fuels.”

The plans are ambitious. The city’s government is hoping to make 25% of public transport emission free by 2012. The first vehicles to hit Moscow streets powered by clean fuel will be mini-busses – “marshrutkas,” as they are called in Russia. Some will be solely electric but others will be testing out a new hydrogen fuel cell, which could revolutionize the way people travel round the city.

Balashov outlined the plan: “First of all we are planning to start off this program in Moscow, and hope to spread it to the rest of Russia by the years 2013-2015.”

The revolutionary new engine that is going to be powering the emission free vehicles was created by the Kompomash Corporation in Russia.

“We’ve developed an engine of a new generation which consists of a motor wheel and impulse condensers which first consume the braking energy and then set the engine in motion. That makes the whole cycle much cheaper,” explained the company’s General Manager, Anatoly Dolgolaptev.

As good as the plan sounds to have zero emission vehicles on Moscow's roads, the reality is that recycling and green policies aren't popular among Russians. But while Muscovites might soon be able to breathe more easily, may they also end up paying more. Balashov believes that better education is needed if Russia is to cut its emissions.

“The people, their leaders and the country should have the will to change this approach,” he said. “Society hasn’t yet woken up to this problem. It hasn’t yet realized that we can drive nature to a state when some ecological processes will become irreversible. There is such a will in Moscow. Of course that is not enough in proportion to the rest of Russia. But at least we have a chance to model green technologies in a big city such as Moscow.”

Nina Korobova from the Russian Academy of Sciences notes that the project will require investment into new cars and special stations to recharge the engines. However, the end result may well be worth the price.

“This problem must be tackled,” she said, “because Moscow is one of the most polluted cities.”

With the Russian capital choking under car emissions at the moment, it seems hard to believe that in under just two of years its citizens might see a massive drop in the amount of fuel being put into the air. But if this project goes as planned, this might become a reality.

Finland’s First Solar Energy Plant to Start Producing in 2011

Construction is expected to begin on Finland’s first solar energy plant next year. According to Juha Attenberg, CEO of Sunvoima Oy (Sun Power Ltd), energy production will begin in the spring of 2011.

Energy output from the plant has been set at a modest one megawatt, but capacity can be expanded to meet demand.

The company is currently surveying different coastal areas to determine which has the best exposure to the sun – Kotka is one location that seems to have catching enough rays to attract the plant owners.

Sunvoima officials have begun to sell shares in the plant's output to businesses and households, which can then either be used by the purchasers or sold onwards.

New technology cleans up coal with CO2

The world has taken a step closer to "clean coal," thanks to new technology that actually uses CO2 to make power generation more efficient.

The research by scientists at Columbia University means that millions of tons of CO2 could be prevented from entering the atmosphere and instead used to turn coal, biomass and municipal waste into cleaner fuel.

This remarkable double hit is based on a well-established process called "gasification" that is already used to clean "dirty" fuels by heating them with steam and turning them into a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, known as syngas. In turn, that is then burned in power stations or used to create transport fuels.

But until now this process has demanded very large amounts of energy and water, and produced substantial CO2 emissions.

However, the Columbia researchers have shown that by actually adding CO2 into the mix and replacing some of the steam, the reaction becomes dramatically more efficient and much cleaner.

"We can make efficiency savings of 25 to 30 percent," assistant professor Marco Castaldi, who led the research, told CNN.

"The process is operated in a very similar way to a conventional gasifier, in that we take the biomass and mix it with some steam... But that's where the similarities end, because instead of just using steam, we also used CO2, which serves two major purposes.

"Firstly it reacts with the biomass a little better than steam. Secondly, because it does a good job, it reduces the amount of steam needed, which saves energy and water. It's a two-fold hit."

After the hydrogen is removed from the syngas, the remaining carbon monoxide can be safely burned underground.

This is what engineering does best, developing processes that can extract value from unwanted materials to help make the world a better place
--Marco Castaldi

In an article published in Journal of Environmental Science & Technology in November, Castaldi and his team show that if their gasification techniques was applied to a biomass such as beechgrass, and this was being used to fuel a fifth of the world's transport, 437 million tons of CO2 would be used, the equivalent of taking 308 million vehicles off the road.

Castaldi has led experiments on over 50 different kinds of biomass and achieved broadly similar results and the new gasification process is applicable to almost any high carbon solid fuel -- from bark and pine needles to grass and coal.

"All of these fuels are a high carbon base, and the CO2 is taking that carbon and working on it," he said.

Castaldi is convinced his technique can offer cleaner and more efficient power generation, even when applied in "real world" scenarios.

"The study that was published was based on lab work," he said.

"But we've tested it on a much larger scale, and as we scale it up, we see the same results in terms of better efficiencies and processing...

World Signs Onto Kyoto Protocol

After years of global negotiations and more than a week of round-the-clock meetings in Kyoto, Japan, representatives agreed to a sketch of a climate treaty that came to be known as the Kyoto Protocol. The draft assigned different countries varying responsibilities. Most rich, industrialized nations were supposed to cut their emissions by at least 5 percent by 2012, relative to their 1990 levels.

Many of the problems plaguing this month’s Copenhagen climate meeting, itself an outgrowth of the process that brought us Kyoto, were already in play. Relatively poor countries like China wanted to continue building their carbon-intensive manufacturing industries, and were thus reluctant to commit to emissions reductions. Developed countries’ negotiators were bent on protecting their own established industries, so would only agree to small cuts.

To make the deal work, each developed country got its own specific target, while developing countries signed a general pledge to cut pollution. Further provisions were added to make the deal palatable to other interest groups. The United States insisted on an emissions-trading scheme, and the Clean Development Mechanism was introduced to stimulate carbon-light economic activities in poor countries.

No one claims that the compromise treaty was perfect. Rich countries could buy their way out of emissions cuts, and poor countries didn’t have to do much of anything at all, even as their contributions to global warming continued to grow. The solution didn’t match the scale of the problem.

Even with the deal’s modest goals, the U.S. Senate refused to ratify it, kneecapping what was supposed to have been a global framework. Perhaps with American participation, the Kyoto mechanisms would have worked well in containing the world’s emissions; perhaps they wouldn’t have. The way things went down, we’ll never know.

And that’s too bad, because Kyoto and other global environmental treaties express one of humanity’s strangest and arguably finest qualities: long-term thinking extended beyond narrow national self-interest.

“Rarely, if ever, has humanity made an attempt like this one: to exercise deliberate, collective foresight on a risk whose full impact is unclear and will not be felt for decades,” wrote William Stevens in a 1997 New York Times report to mark the beginning of the Kyoto meeting.

Psychologically, climate change is a tough sell. The dominant metric for measuring the problem is the amount of carbon dioxide, an invisible molecule that is generally good, not bad, for life. While the case for global warming is not dependent just on complex climate models, we are reliant on very long-term projections of the energy and Earth systems to understand how much the big picture problem might affect our small-scale lives.

The global scale, the diffuse bases of responsibility, and the long timescales on which the problem will manifest make it tailor-made for humanity to ignore. Behavioral psychologist Dan Ariel of Duke University put the conundrum like this: “If you said, I want to create a problem that people don’t care about, you would probably come up with global warming.”

Then, as now, the costs of taking action on climate change are as uncertain as the costs of doing nothing.

It just doesn’t seem like there are any good options, so not much at all happens. Right now, the world is not on a path to make the radical cuts to emissions that would be required to keep CO2 concentrations at levels that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says are necessary to avert dangerous derangement of the atmosphere. Until the financial crisis, the world’s emissions had outstripped even the worst IPCC scenarios.

And yet, despite it all, the world’s diplomats are now plugging away in Copenhagen, hoping to use the combined power of Earth science and political acumen to bring the world’s nations together with the common purpose of keeping the climate within the range that humanity has known — and depended on — over the last 100,000 years.

कोपनहेगन पिकनिक

जलवायु परिवर्तनसम्बन्धी कोपनहेगन महाभेलाको सफलता कामना गर्दै काठमाडौं दरबार स्क्वायरमा 'क्लिन इनर्जी नेपाल' नामक संस्थाले पूजा लगाएको छ । पृष्ठभूमिमा हिमालको सुन्दर चित्र छ । अगाडि ब्राह्मण पढाएर 'स्वाहा' गरिँदै छ । खुला ठाउँमा दाउरा बालिएको छ । भुइँभरि अबिरको धूलो छरिएको छ । धूवाँको मुस्लो आकाशतिर उडिरहेको छ । खरानी वायुमण्डलमा मिसिएको छ । पानी पार्ने, मौसम नियन्त्रण गर्ने, वातावरण सफा राख्ने र प्राणीलाई अक्सिजन दिएर बचाउने रूख मासेर ल्याएको काठ ह्वारह्वारी बलिरहेको छ ।

गत वर्ष विश्व हात धुने दिवस नेपालमा पनि धुमधाम मनाइयो । धेरैतिर कार्यक्रम भए । तीमध्ये सरकारी स्तरबाट भएको मुख्य कार्यक्रमका अतिथि र आयोजकले हातै नधोई पोका फुकाएर खाजा खाएका थिए । जलवायु परिवर्तन महाभेलाको सफलता चाहने यो पूजा पनि यस्तै उदाहरण हो । वातावरण सन्तुलनको मुद्दामा लगाइएको यज्ञले नै वातावरण दूषित बनाएको छ ।

जलवायु गडबडीको सम्बन्ध वातावरणसँग बढी छ । नेपालमा वन विनाश बढ्दो छ । सहरहरू दुर्गन्धित छन् । फोहोर उठाउन सकिएको छैन । सडक धुलाम्मे छन् । पर्यटकहरू नाक थुनेर हिँडरहेका हुन्छन् । हिमाली देशको स्वच्छ हावा खान आएका पाहुना अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय विमानस्थलमा उत्रेपछि मास्क र रुमालको सहारा लिन बाध्य छन् । हामी भने सरसफाइ र वातावरण बचाउमा लाग्नुभन्दा फोहोर पारेर 'जलवायु' को पूजा गरिरहेका छौं । विषयको संवेदनशीलताभन्दा नयाँ-नयाँ नाटक सिर्जना गरी आफ्नै प्रशंसा खोज्न पल्केका छौं । के गर्दा 'जलवायुको डलर' बढ्ता र्झछ भन्नेमा यतिबेला धेरैको ध्याउन्न छ ।

जलवायु परिवर्तनको असरलाई नै ध्यानाकर्षण गर्न प्रधानमन्त्रीले अमेरिका भ्रमणका बेला सगरमाथाको ढुंगा उपहार लगेका थिए । कोपेनहेगनमा पनि त्यहींका ढुंगा पुर्‍याइएको छ । उपहारका लागि पटक-पटक चट्टान फुटाउँदा सगरमाथामा पहिरो गई हाम्रो देशको कीर्तिमान भत्कन सक्छ ! त्यसैले बाराक ओबामा र बान कि-मुनहरूलाई सगरमाथाका ढुंगा होइन, वागमतीको पानी उपहार देऊ । त्यसो गर्दा 'जलवायु परिवर्तन' कति भएछ, उनीहरूले पनि थाहा पाउनेछन् । किनकि, बिग्रेको 'जल र वायु' त वागमतीमा पो छ त ! त्यो देखाए पो सहयोगका लागि दुई हात जोड्नुपर्ने थिएन ।

हाम्रो देशमा मौसमीय र वातावरणीय संकट सगरमाथाका कारण होइन, हामी राजधानीवासीको बौद्धिक दरिद्रताले भइरहेको छ । हामी दूषित छौं, त्यसैले डराइरहेका छौं । हामी असभ्य छौं, त्यसैले लजाइरहेका छौं । हाम्रो तापक्रम घटबढ भइरहेको छ, त्यसैले सगरमाथामा थर्मामिटर लगाइरहेका छौं । हामी वातावरण दूषित बनाएर हावापानी बिगारिरहेका छौं र हिमाल खस्छ भन्दै 'डलरको खेती' गरिरहेका छौं । घरको छतबाट फ्यात्त फोहोर फाल्छौं र गाडीको सिसा बन्द गरेर गेटबाट बाहिरिन्छौं । खनेर खानेपानीका पाइप फुटाउँछौं र ढलसँग मिसाइदिन्छौं । दैनिक विष पिएर दूधका गुणबारे भाषण ठोक्छौं । आफ्नो आँगन सफा राख्न नसक्नेहरू हिमालको झोलले बगाउने चिन्ता गर्दै ठूल्ठूला मञ्च ताक्छौं ।

जति बेला सरकार सगरमाथा फेदीमा दलबलसहित पुगेर बैठक गरिरहेको थियो, त्यही समय कैलालीमा 'सुकुम्बासी' ले वन कब्जा गरेका थिए । सरकारले उनीहरूलाई बलपूर्वक लखेट्यो तर उनीहरूका समस्यामा बोल्न चाहेन । बरु जम्बो जन्ती कोपनहेगनतिर पठायो । प्रधानमन्त्रीज्यू, देशको माया छ भने कोपनहेगनमा पिकनिक खान होइन, वागमतीको फोहोर उठाउन ७ सयजना जुटाएर देखाउनुस् । आफूले राज्य गरेको देशको राजधानीमा गाडीको सिसा खोलेर हिँड्ने आँट गर्नुस् । तब पो तपाईंको नाम जताततै लेखिनेछ । कोपनहेगन जानु छ भने एक्लै जानुस्, राज्यकोषबाट किन लावालस्कर लानुहुन्छ ? तपाईंलाई यो देश गरिब हो भन्ने थाहा छैन ?

हुन पनि यति बेला डेनमार्कको कोपनहेगनमा ठूलो मेला लागेको छ । गतिलो भोजभतेर चलिरहेको छ । ठूला, शक्तिशाली र धनी राष्ट्रहरू छरिता टोली लिएर त्यहाँ पुगेका छन् । नेपालबाट भने करिब ७ सयजनाको भिसा लागेको छ । प्रधानमन्त्री, आधा दर्जनभन्दा बढी मन्त्रीसहित धेरै सरकारी अधिकारी राज्यकोष खर्चेर उडेका छन् । अति धेरै प्रतिनिधित्व गैरसरकारी संस्थाबाट छ, जसले नेपालीको हितमा खर्चने प्रतिबद्धता जनाएको रकम उता खन्याएका छन् । प्रधानमन्त्रीले गर्ने जम्माजम्मी ३ मिनेट सम्बोधनमा ताली पड्काउन ठूलो लस्कर लागेको छ ।

मौसम परिवर्तनका कारण खडेरी परेर किसान फत्र्याकफत्र्याक हुँदा सबै एक कानले सुनेर अर्काले उडाइदिन्छन् । जनता पानी पार्न भ्यागुताको बिहे गराउँछन् । सरकार टीभी हेरेर हाँस्दै बस्छ । गरिबका घरबार बाढीले डुबाउँदा वा दुर्गमवासी झाडापखालाको महामारीमा पर्दा सरकारलाई पुग्न हप्तौं लाग्छ । प्रधानमन्त्रीको ध्यान अन्यत्रै हुन्छ । यो फलानो विभागीय मन्त्रीको जिम्मेवारी भनेर एकले अर्कालाई पन्छाउँछ । कोपनहेगन भने 'मेरो विभागको' भन्ने मन्त्रीबीच हारालुछ चलेको छ । त्यहाँ मन्त्रीकै पल्टन लागेको छ ।

एउटा भिखारीलाई चाउचाउ खाँदा कार उपहार परेछ । रेडियो, टीभी र पत्रिकाका पत्रकारले उसलाई घेरेर सोधेछन्- 'तपाईं अब यो कार के गर्नुहुन्छ ?' 'यस्तो पनि प्रश्न हुन्छ ?' झोंक्किँदै उसले जवाफ दिएछ- 'यसैमा चढेर माग्न जान्छु नि !' हाम्रो देशलाई पनि 'जलवायु परिवर्तन' को चिठ्ठा परेको छ । कोपनहेगनमा त्यसैको भोज चलिरहेको छ । कि कसो ?
:: अखण्ड भण्डारी

अफि्रकी माझी र उपभोक्ता अधिकार

दक्षिण अफि्रकामा संविधानसभाको निर्वाचन प्रक्रिया सुरु हुँदा जमिनमा बस्ने अपि|mकीको व्यापक सहभागिता भए पनि समुद्री तटका माझीहरूको थिएन ।माझीहरूको तर्क थियो- 'संविधान जमिनमा बस्नेका लागि हो, मछुवार जो हप्तौं पानीमा रहन्छौं, जमिनको कानुनप्रति हाम्रो सरोकार छैन ।' तर पछि त्यहाँका राजनीतिक दल र नागरिक अगुवाहरूको पहलमा पानीमाथि माझीको अधिकार कायम गराउने सर्तसहित संविधानसभा प्रक्रियामा माझीहरू समावेश भए । सन् १९९६ मे ८ मा दक्षिण अपि|mकाको संविधान जारी हुँदा जमिनमा बस्ने अपि|mकीमात्रै होइन, समुद्री माझीहरू पनि खुसी भए । उनीहरूले मागेका हकमात्र पाएनन्, कुनै पनि नागरिकको मौलिक हक हनन भएमा जोसुकैले उपचारका लागि अदालत प्रवेश गर्न पाउने हकसमेत समावेश

गराए । पछिल्लो अवधिमा दक्षिण अपि|mकी विकासको मूल अधिकार यही समावेशीकरण, राष्ट्र, संविधान तथा कानुनप्रति जनताको अपनत्वलाई मानिएको छ ।

हामी पनि संविधान निर्माणका चरणहरू पार गर्दैछौं । यसैबेला संविधानसभा मौलिक हक तथा राज्यका सिद्धान्त समितिले हाल अन्तरिम संविधानमा भएका मौलिक हकमध्ये खाद्यसम्बन्धी हक, आवासको हक, परिवारको हक, दलितको हक, अपराध पीडितको हक, उपभोक्ताको हक, सम्मानपूर्वक बाँच्न पाउने हक थप गरी जनताको आवाजलाई लेखबद्ध गरेको छ । समितिको प्रस्तावमा उपभोक्ताको हक पनि समावेश छ । दुई उपधारामा विभाजित उक्त हकमा पहिलोमा प्रत्येक उपभोक्तालाई गुणस्तरीय वस्तु तथा सेवा प्राप्त गर्ने हक हुनेछ भन्ने व्यवस्था छ । सो व्यवस्थाको व्याख्यात्मक टिप्पणी नागरिक वा व्यक्ति जोसुकै भए पनि प्रत्येक उपभोक्तालाई प्रत्याभूत गरिएको हक हो । यस हकको विस्तार सरकारी वा निजी जुनसुकै क्षेत्रबाट मूल्य लिई वा नलिई उपलब्ध गराउने वस्तु वा सेवासँग सम्बन्धित छ । प्रत्येक उपभोक्तालाई उपभोग्य वस्तु तथा सेवाको मूल्य, परिणाम, शुद्धता, गुणस्तरबारे सूचना वा जानकारी पाउने, प्रतिस्पर्धात्मक तथा सुपथ मूल्यमा उपभोग्य वस्तु तथा सेवाको छनोट गर्न पाउने, उपभोक्ताको हकहित संरक्षणका सम्बन्धमा उपर्युक्त निकायबाट सुनुवाइ हुने हकको रूपमा प्रस्तावित गरेको छ । उपभोग्य वस्तु तथा सेवाको बारेमा शिक्षा पाउने, आफ्नो जीउज्यान, स्वास्थ्य तथा सम्पत्तिमा हानि पुर्‍याउने उपभोग्य वस्तु वा सेवाको बिक्री-वितरणबाट सुरक्षित हुन पाउने तथा राज्यबाट बजारको प्रभावकारी नियमनको व्यवस्थासहित प्रत्येक उपभोक्तालाई गुणस्तरीय वस्तु तथा सेवा प्राप्त गर्ने हक सुनिश्चित गर्न यो व्यवस्था गरिएको छ भनी उल्लिखित छ ।