Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 14.1.2008

Big firms contaminated water; they will pay million fines

Big firms get in problems due to emission of harmful substances in rivers. Czech inspection of environment punished for this trespass with a million fine to the company Unipetrol and Synthesia. The imposed fines belong with their height belong the highest at all which the Inspection have imposed for emission of pollution in rivers and streams in twelve last months. Even higher fine, 3 million crowns, was given only to the company Severočeské vodovody a kanalizace.

Attack on wallets ends. Milk products cheapen

After a dramatic growth of prices of milk products in last quarter last year the situation turns not only abroad but also in the Czech Republic. Official price statistics as well as dairy-men themselves confirm it. According to a secretary of a Czech committee of the International Dairy Federation Oldřich Obermaier, last year's growth of milk prices, e.g. on German market, stopped and prices decrease on the contrary. Though not in all dairy works meanwhile. In his opinion, the reason is a significant fall of sale of milk products.

Do you know how to reduce pollution of CO2? You can win competition

If you have an idea by means of what concrete measures emissions of the most important greenhouse gas CO2 could be reduced, for one and half moths you have a chance to enlist in a competition “What do you think about it?” (CO2 Vy na to?) which was announced by the Foundation Partnership and British Council under the auspices of the Minister of Environment Martin Bursík. A sense of the competition is to suggest measures which will reduce amount of CO2 emissions in daily life - in jobs, in schools or at home. The competition is opened for individuals as well as small teams to five people in age of 20 - 35. A special commission will divide a sum 150 thousand crowns among the best three projects. Interested people can send proposals till the 29th of February 2008.

Renewal of Czech forests in present rate will last several centuries

If you want to live to see a time when Czech forests are healthy and have a natural composition, you are unlucky. If scientists don't find out a miraculous elixir of youth, you will not live to see it nor your children or grandchildren. An overwhelming majority of growth consists of artificial unnatural pine monocultures. Leafy trees return in the growth only slowly. “Last year's annual accrual was 0,2 percents. In last ten years it was more than two percents”, Ondřej Veselý from the Ministry of Agriculture said to Deník. Leafy trees in the Czech Republic create 24 percents of all growths, coniferous trees 76 percents.