Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 18.9. 2007

Ecologists criticize government due to territorial development policy

According to non-governmental organizations Atelier pro životní prostředí (Atelier for environment), Arnika, Ekologický právní servis (Ecological legal service) and Zelený kruh (Green circle) the Czech Republic does not have created a territorial development policy which a new building act requires. Due to the government which according to them overslept with elaboration of the territorial plan Czech landscape is in a menace of damage. Therefore the organizations called upon the premier Mirek Topolánek and the Minister of Environment Martin Bursík so that the government would work out the missing document.

Pattern in returnable bottles? For Bursík it is Sweden

In Sweden people returned 90 percent of big PET bottles last year, 72 percent of small plastic bottles and 85 percent of beverage cans. The Ministry of Environment would like the Czech Republic, where people return for recycling about a half of PET bottles meanwhile, to set off in Sweden way. “Just in Sweden system we are looking for inspiration; we consider it as the most efficient of all systems which we had possibility to get to know”, says Daniel Vondroš, a chief of ministry consultant of Martin Bursík, who wants to prepare a draft of amendment of act on covers by the end of year according to which advance payment for plastic bottles and most likely also for beverage cans would be introduced.

China confirmed a centre of bird flu near Kanton

China confirmed an outbreak of bird flu infection in the dangerous form H5N1 in surrounding of Kanton, the city of the province Kuang-tung in south of the country. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture informed in the night for today that the infection spreads among local raisings of ducks. According to this source already 36 130 ducked have been killed. Laboratories had confirmed that the infection is cased by one of subtypes of the virus H5N1 which is dangerous also for people.

Global warming and agriculture

Organization for foods and agriculture of United Nations (FAO) organized in Roma (Italy) on the 10th-12th September 2007 a special meeting where they discussed an impact of change of climate on world security of foods. Experts mention that if industrial emissions will further increase as it is supposed, raising temperatures, increased rainfalls, a period of drought and floods as a result of global warming will endanger and affect systems of agricultural production in the whole world whereas developing countries will probably fall out worst.