17 Sep 2008
- A milestone in the protection of the oceans
was reached today as a global ban on tributyltin
(TBT) - one of the most toxic chemicals
deliberately released into the sea - entered
into force.
The International Convention
on the Control of Harmful Antifouling Systems
for Ships obliges its signatories to ensure
that no vessels using hull paint containing
TBT and other so-called organotin chemicals
go under their flag or call at their ports.
"This is a tremendous
victory for the marine environment, but
one that is long overdue. It has been over
forty years since TBT's negative effects
were first identified and seven years since
the legislation to ban organotins was agreed,
yet we have only now achieved a global ban,"
says Dr. Simon Walmsley, Director of WWF-UK's
Marine Programme.
Take-up of the agreement
has been slow, with many of the large shipping
states having yet to sign and implement
the agreement into their national legislation.
Whereas WWF is applauding the commitment
of the 34 states that have ratified the
agreement so far, the conservation organization
urges all 168 member states of the International
Maritime Organization (IMO) to ratify as
soon as possible.
TBT is often used in
marine antifouling paint, as it swiftly
kills organisms such as barnacles, algae
and mussels which naturally attach themselves
to hard surfaces, including ship hulls,
thus reducing the drag effect and lowering
fuel consumption.
The problem is that
TBT leaks out from the paint and into the
surrounding water, affecting marine life
and seeping into the food chain where it
accumulates and eventually reaches humans
through fish consumption.
Heard of sea snails
changing sex, or oysters seeing their shell
being deformed? These are but two known
adverse TBT effects on marine species. The
decline of commercially harvested oysters
along the Atlantic coast of France and the
UK has been attributed to TBT contamination.
TBT has also been found far from shipping
lanes in albatrosses, whales and fish.
But we have probably
only begun to see the long term effects
of TBT and other organotins on marine ecosystems,
as the poison is stored in sediments for
many years and can re-enter the food chain
when the sea bottom is stirred up by passing
vessels in ports and shallow areas, or even
by storms and dredging activities.
“TBT belongs not in
the sea but in the poison cupboard, and
this agreement will help put it firmly back
there,” says Stephan Lutter, International
Policy Officer with WWF Germany.
WWF has been lobbying
for the ban of TBT for more than a decade.
At the end of the 11000’s, WWF, together
with some leading shipping companies and
paint manufacturers, initiated the 2003
Group, whose members voluntarily banned
the use of TBT on their vessels and developed
toxics-free alternatives.
Scandinavian Wallenius
Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) banned the use
of TBT in hull paint on all vessels in 2000.
“There are better alternatives
which balance the need for antifouling with
environmental stewardship. It is our responsibility
to use them,” says Melanie Moore, WWL’s
Global Head of Environment.
WWF continues to advocate for all vessels
to apply biocide-free non-toxic alternatives.
+ More
Abandoning wine corks
risks screwing up landscape in Portugal
16 Sep 2008 - Abandoning
wine corks for screw tops and plastic substitutes
is not only flying in the face of tradition,
it is also damaging to the environment.
It is a point being
made in “Save Miguel”, an online campaign
by the world’s leading cork maker Amorim
Corticeira, which follows a WWF report detailing
how traditional cork forests are holding
back desertification in Portugal.
In the campaign video
American comedian Rob Schneider travels
to Portugal on a mission to “Save Miguel”,
an oak tree in the heart of the cork-growing
region.
The WWF report, “The
Cork Oak, a Barrier Against Desertification”,
urges Portugal to expand its cork forests
to prevent growing desertification caused
by global warming.
“Portuguese forests
may face an environmental and economic crisis
that will move the desertification border
in Portugal north, unless we act now and
adapt to the climate changes,” said WWF
Forest Officer Luis Silva.
Portugal is the world’s
largest producer of cork used in wine bottles
but the density of trees in cork forests
has fallen in recent years.
Because cork trees are
not cut down and water is retained in the
forests because of falling leaves they are
uniquely environmentally sustainable. The
bark of individual trees is cut for cork
only every nine years.
The report finds that
if Portugal were to expand its current cork
forests by just 20 per cent, desertification
could be effectively stopped by the year
2020.
The Amorim Corticeira
campaign is aimed at young users of popular
websites such as Facebook and YouTube. It
also blends pro-environment and sustainability
ideas with humour.
“The cork industry in
general is under attack from alternative
wine bottle closures,” said Carlos de Jesus,
Amorim marketing director. “If cork growers
lose the cash interest, they will plant
something else, jeopardizing the sustainability
chain.”
+ More
Lights out campaign
lights up marketing awards
18 Sep 2008 - WWF’s
“Earth Hour”, which encouraged consumers
around the world to switch off their lights
for 60 minutes, again blazed its way into
the spotlight as Asia’s most effective marketing
campaign for 2008 yesterday.
Earth Hour took home
the Platinum award, the leading prize of
the Asian Marketing Effectiveness Awards
2008 which took place in Macau, having earlier
won four gold awards.
The win caps a remarkable
year for Earth Hour, which also took home
honours from the Spikes and Cannes awards.
Millions of people on
six continents in more then 400 major cities,
including Chicago, Copenhagen, Manila, Tel
Aviv, Bangkok, Dublin and Toronto, used
the simple action of turning off their lights
for one hour on 29 March to deliver a powerful
message about the need for action on global
warming.
Icons like Sydney Opera
House, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge
and Toronto's CN Tower going dark meant
world-famous city skylines disappeared for
an hour, while celebrities like Nelly Furtado
hosted acoustic concerts for fans.
The campaign supporting
the event, created by Leo Burnett Sydney,
included a strong interactive element with
a website offering tools for consumers to
download to help spread the word.
“Earth Hour is WWF’s
global event which was started to encourage
businesses, communities and individuals
to take the simple steps needed to cut their
emissions on an ongoing basis," said
Andy Ridley, the man who came up with the
idea and now the International Director
of WWF’s Earth Hour.
“It is about simple
changes that will collectively make a difference
– from businesses turning off their lights
when their offices are empty, to households
turning off appliances rather than leaving
them on standby.
“By Earth Hour 2009,
on March 28 we expect more people will have
incorporated simple energy efficient solutions
into their homes and workplace. It’s important
we keep the momentum going for a greener
and sustainable future.”
