Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 11.10. 2007

Forests waste away, improvement does not come

Health state of Czech forests does not improve and is worse than in most of European countries. An alarming information is published in a report on state of environment in the Czech Republic in 2006. Trees still have not recovered from acid rains which hit them in seventieth and eightieth years. “Especially older trees are afflicted. The younger don't suffer so much but a high content of sulfur in land remains”, Jakub Kašpar from the Ministry of Environment says. Just owing to pollution from last years 57 percent of trees is from more than quarter affected by defoliation. Despite of reduction of harmful emissions drying up still continues in Pilsener, Central-Bohemian, Olomouc and Pardubice regions.

Christmas dinner will be more expensive this year

Fishermen from Olomouc are forced to increase price of Christmas carps as much as by seven crowns. This information was brought by Olomouc daily. It was caused by rise in prices of feeding cereals, fuels and energies. Jiří Zahradníček from Fishery Tovačov in Přerov region estimates the price increase maximally by three crowns. Kilogram of their carp of first quality should cost 72 crowns, selective fish by ten crowns more. More significant rise in price is assumed by fishermen from Nová Dědina in Olomouc region. Here the price for kilogram should increase by five to seven crowns. Local fisherman Zdeněk Horák said to Olomouc daily that price has not been raised for about 15 years.

Veterinarians within checks did not let 50 tons of honey to Czech market

The State Veterinary Administration (SVS) during summer inspections stopped, returned or ordered to liquidate 50 tons of objectionable honey which was imported in the Czech Republic from Poland, Slovakia and Spain. It was dealt with mixtures of honeys from the European Union and countries outside EU. The spokesman of State Veterinary Administration Josef Duben said it to ČTK today. From the second half of July to half of September SVS examined 185 samples from which 21 did not stand because they contained disallowed additives or remains of veterinary medicaments, Duben added. According to him no objectionable honey got on counters in shops. Inspectors within checks aimed directly to bee-keepers, in buy-out shops, stores, honey-filling rooms and in converting plants.

Scientists: Cows wintering out at grass worsen green-house effect

Free-feeding cows and cattle wintering out at grass can contribute to worsening of green-house effect. Not only animals during rumination commonly produce a considerable amount of gasses which burden the world climate but South-Bohemian experts from the Academy of Sciences revealed that also micro-organisms from excrements share in green-house effect. For two years scientists together with Bavarian colleagues have researched influence of excrements of ruminants from foothill meadows on soil and they founded out that micro-organisms leaving a body are in optimal temperature and soil humidity a great resource of methane and nitrogen monoxide. These gasses belong together with carbon dioxide among the biggest causers of global warming.