Biodiverse grassland, biofuels and bioliquids
Consultation period: 14/12/2009 – 08/02/2010
The sustainability requirements of the Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources establish that raw materials used for the production of biofuels and bioliquids may not be produced on land that had the status of highly biodiverse grassland in or after January 2008. The objective of the consultation is to seek views on possible approaches to define the criteria and ranges of highly biodiverse grasslands. This will feed into the drafting of a Commission Decision on the establishment of criteria and ranges of highly biodiverse grasslands for the purpose of Directive 2009/28/EC.
via Energy: Public consultation – European commission.
But the problems facing Uganda – and Katine – are almost certain to be exacerbated rather than solved by oil. Last month, the campaigning group PLATFORM published three of the production sharing agreements PSAs the government has spent years keeping a closely guarded secret. The deals point towards a resource extraction programme designed for profit, not development, and contain a series of provisions that undermine any hope of changing course
via Uganda oil contracts give little cause for optimism | Katine | guardian.co.uk.
“Senegal is ready to offer them parcels of land – even an entire region. It all depends on how many Haitians come,” Mr Bemba Ndiaye said.
“If it's just a few individuals, then we will likely offer them housing or small pieces of land. If they come en masse we are ready to give them a region.”
via BBC News – Senegal offers land to Haitians.
Long of little interest to outsiders, African land has been rarely associated with financial reward.
But for investors like Susan Payne, the chief executive of Emergent Asset Management, farmland in sub-Saharan Africa is a hot bet.
Population increase, changes in eating habits and demand for bio-fuels are putting farmland at a premium worldwide.
“And African farmland prices are the lowest in the world,” she says.
Her fund is in the process of buying or leasing a total 50,000 hectares, equal to roughly 80,000 football pitches, in several African countries including Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Angola, Swaziland and the Democratic Republic of Congo
via BBC NEWS | Business | Africa investment sparks land grab fear.
By John Njiraini
Cement maker, Athi River Mining (ARM) will build a Sh3.7 billion coal power plant to reduce energy costs.
The 30 MW plant to be ready by December 2011, is expected to save the company Sh450 million in energy costs annually.
ARM chairman Rick Ashley, said the company would utilise 11 MW and sell the remaining 19 MW to the national grid.
“As demand continues to grow, we want to ensure we manufacture cement in a cost effective way. With this plant, we expect to save 25 per cent of our energy needs,” he said.
Industry statistics indicate that cement demand stands at 6.2 million tonnes and is expected to increase to 14 million tonnes by 2014.
via The Standard | Online Edition :: ARM to invest in Sh3.7b coal plant.
A picture showing the destruction in the Mau forest.PHOTO/FILE
Politics around settlement in Mau Forest complex and prosecution of post-election violence suspects have conspired to box the most enigmatic Kenyan politician into a corner.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who is perceived as a politician with an indomitable spirit, has walked into a risky political mire from which he will be lucky to come out unscathed.
What transpires over the next few months will inform the future of the Orange Democratic Movement party, which he leads and his baton to the 2012 presidential contest.
On the issue of impunity, the more he pushes for prosecution of the violence suspects, the more he is reminded that youths — particularly those from the Rift Valley — fought because they were bitter over his “stolen victory.”
By calling for the trial of perpetrators of the violence — some of them believed to be senior ODM members — Mr Odinga is accused of “betraying” his supporters.
Events in the Tuesday Cabinet meeting capture Mr Odinga’s dilemma.
DAILY NATION - Mau evictions and trial for chaos suspects tests for Raila.
Nominated MP Rachael Shebesh said on Tuesday that the Ministry of Planning had accepted to include disaster risk reduction focusing on climate change in the ambitious plan.
“You know planning is everything. You cannot have a Vision 2030 that doesn’t incorporate the risk factor. What if we don’t have a good crop. What if we have locusts invading our farms, or any other disaster,” Ms Shebesh who is also the Chairperson of an Africa Parliamentarians Group on Climate Change posed.
She said inclusion of the disaster risk reduction strategy would allow Kenya to survive any disaster caused by climate change.
The legislator added that Kenya had been selected as one of the five African countries that would present the continent’s agenda at the high level climate change meeting to be held in Copenhagen in December.
via .: Capital News :..
SMS Obama:
The White House has set up local SMS short codes for people to send their messages:
• Ghana – 1731
• Nigeria – 32969
• South Africa – 31958
• Kenya – 5683
Elsewhere, the numbers are: 61418601934 and 45609910343.
Barack Obama, the first African-American president, has arrived in Ghana on his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as US leader.
Ghana was chosen because of its democratic track record and Mr Obama is expected to use the trip to promote democracy across the continent.
He is due to visit a former slave fort as part of his 24-hour visit.
Posters of Barack and Michelle Obama dot the capital, Accra, where their arrival was eagerly awaited.
via BBC NEWS | Africa | Historic African trip for Obama.
“We welcome the commitments made by countries represented at L’Aquila toward a goal of mobilizing at least $15 billion over three years,” the statement said.
“We are committed to increase investments in short, medium and long-term agriculture development that directly benefits the poorest and makes best use of international institutions,” it added.
It said the combined effect of longstanding underinvestment in agriculture, price volatility and the economic crisis had led to increased poverty and hunger in developing countries.
The United Nations says the number of malnourished people has risen over the past two years and is expected to top 1.02 billion this year, reversing a four-decade trend of declines.
The statement said the G8 summit kept a strong commitment to ensure adequate emergency food assistance, but its focus on agricultural investments reflects a U.S.-led shift toward longer-term strategies to fight hunger.
The United States is the world’s largest aid donor of food — mostly grown domestically and bought from U.S. farmers.
via G8 summit to pledge $15 billion to boost food supply | Green Business | Reuters.
