Archive: Nature | Ecology Ecology
Environment minister scales back controversial plans in battle against bark beetle
The Environment Minister Tomáš Chalupa has changed plans by the head of
Šumava National Park on how to battle the bark beetle, issuing a decision
on Thursday that will still allow the manual felling of trees in the
park’s most environmentally-sensitive and protected areas but will ban
the use of heavy machinery or chemicals. Proposed intervention to fight
devastation by the bark beetle in the national park had been at the
forefront of a highly public battle between the park’s director, Jan
Stráský, and former colleagues, scientists and specialists who formed a
shadow council to express opposing views. More
Environmentalists up in arms over plans for Šumava National Park
The Šumava National Park – a protected nature reserve in southern
Bohemia –is at the centre of a row between scientists, environmental
activists and the park’s new management. The park’s new director,
former prime minister Jan Stráský, is proposing a radical remedy for the
parks bark-beetle infestation problem –a combination of logging and
effective insecticides. Critics are up in arms saying the proposed strategy
would do irreversible harm to the valuable ecosystems and biotopes in the
nature reserve and lower the non-intervention areas in the park from the
present 33 to 22 percent, which goes against the general principles of
nature reserve protection. Environmental activist Vojtěch Kotecký says
the new management is about to throw the baby out with the bathwater. More
Fierce argument erupts over state forestry giant contracts
A fierce battle has pitted environmentalists against plans for the long
term management of the country’s biggest forestry company. Environmental
groups say the plans basically give a blank cheque to big timber companies
to exploit large areas with no real regard for nature preservation or the
future of forests. More
Ozone layer may be on the mend
Recent research findings by European scientists suggest that man’s
efforts to protect the environment are beginning to pay off. Ozone data
collected by a number of satellite stations indicate that the ozone layer
is gradually beginning to recover. More
A bear-faced lie: Czech environmentalists fall for a prank
Czech environmentalists were celebrating last week after they discovered
bear tracks in a rail underpass in the north-east of the country. The
tracks were deemed proof that the recently-built underpass, designed to
allow animals to safely cross the railway line, was actually working. But
it soon turned out that the bear track was faked, and that
environmentalists had fallen for a prank. More
Šumava National Park director steps down amidst concerns about its future
The Czech government wants to implement a radical change of direction in
the management of the Šumava National Park in southern Bohemia. On Monday,
the director of the country’s largest nature reserve, František
Krejčí, stepped down – as he put it – in order to facilitate
negotiations between the authorities and the local communities on the
planned changes. But Czech environmentalists are concerned the director’s
resignation will open the way for firms who want to increase logging in the
park. More
Green group launches ambitious proposal to increase tenfold amount of Czech territory given over to wilderness
An environmental organisation this week launched an ambitious new proposal
to increase greatly the amount of land in the Czech Republic given over to
untamed nature. In fact, the Czech branch of Friends of the Earth wants to
see a full 3 percent of the country covered in wilderness – ten times as
much as now. I asked the group’s Vojtěch Kotecký why they were pushing
for what would be a considerable change.
More
Environment minister wants change of policy on bark beetle devastation
The new environment minister, Pavel Drobil, went to the Šumava National
Park at the weekend to get a firsthand look at a problem that has literally
plagued the forest for decades – the damage caused by bark beetle
infestations. After viewing some of the worst-affected areas he declared
the current strategy of leaving nature to clean up after itself untenable,
to the dissatisfaction of environmental groups and others, who fear
increased logging.
More
Ministry dismisses criticism of impact study for new blocks at Temelín nuclear plant
The Czech Environment Ministry dismissed on Friday criticism voiced by a
number of Czech NGOs over an environmental impact report for the
construction of two new blocks at the Temelín nuclear power plant in
southern Bohemia. Critics say that the study is incomplete, but most
importantly, that the environmental impact assessment process is in breach
of EU law.
More
Climatologist: Homes in danger areas need to be moved to safer ground
Over the last decade, floods of varying intensity have hit the country
almost every year, leading to the destruction of property and in the worst
case loss of life. A little earlier I discussed possible reasons for the
increase in flood frequency with respected geologist and climatologist
Václav Cílek, asking him which factors contributed to the rise in
flooding.
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