CLIMATE NEWS NETWORK AFRICA

By Charles Ogallo World Governments have unveiled a historic treaty to tackle pollutant heavy metal Mercury that is threatening Marine Ecosystem. The Global treaty on the poisonous pollutant mercury was agreed by environment ministers at the end of the UN Environment Programme's (UNEP) Governing Council held from 16th -20th in Nairobi ,Kenya. The landmark decision, taken by over 140 countries, sets the stage for the lifting of a major health threat from the lives of hundreds of millions of people especially those living along the coastlines. Governments unanimously decided to launch negotiations on an international mercury treaty to deal with world - wide emissions and discharges of a pollutant that threatens the health of millions, from fetuses and babies to small - scale gold miners and their families. Achim Steiner, UN Under - Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, said: "UNEP has, for some seven years, coordinated and contributed to an intense scientific and pol

By Charles Ogallo The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has urged world environment ministers meeting this week from February 16-20 in Nairobi, Kenya to adopt a strategy to curb the use of the highly toxic metal mercury. Mercury is a heavy metal whose highly toxic compounds propagated notably by the production of coal, certain kinds of plastics and improper disposal of fluorescent light bulbs -- poison millions of people worldwide. According to Achim Steiner, the UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, the world's environment ministers will use the Nairobi meeting take a landmark decision to lift a global health threat from the lives of literally hundreds of millions of people. Fish-eating is the first source of exposure to toxic metal Mercury among humans. The effects of mercury ingestion include damage to the brain, kidney and lungs. Steiner said a policy framework drafted after seven years of extensive research would be submitted to the ministers. &qu

An International Federation of Journalist (IFJ) report has revealed that one hundred journalists around the globe were killed in the course of their duty last year. According to the report the number had decreased from 175 deaths recorded in 2007 as the International Federation of Journalists warned that this year could be the deadliest yet for journalists. IFJ said the international community still needs to step up to confront the challenge of impunity in the innocent killing of journalists. “We often see politicians, even in democratic countries showing callous indifference to the threats posed by attacks on journalists and media. That must end,” said IFJ secretary Aidan White in the report released yesterday. In its latest report on journalists working conditions, Iraq remains the most dangerous country despite a substantial drop of media casualties from 65 in 2007 to 16 last year. The other dangerous zones were Mexico and India with 10 deaths each recorded. Kenya has recorded one d

By Charles Ogallo. Kenyan environmental activists seem to be dissatisfied with how the Kenya Government is planning to undertake proposed second port in Lamu. Many of them have allayed fear over massive destruction of marine ecosystem when and after the Port is completed. Led by Rashid Athman, a local environmentalist, a number of them said the Government needs to conduct a thorough environmental impact assessment study on the proposed project and the final report made public before any work begins. Others among them Fishermne also argued that pollutions from the port which many experts believe will be of great economic benefits to local communities and Kenya in general may on the other hand endanger the marine environment."For years m Lamu people have depended on this Ocean for fishing, how sure are they that when this port comes our facing activities will not be interrupted? we need to be told." said Ali Juma Mondhar , a long time fisherman. Rashid also claimed that fishi