Conserving Life Along China's Yangtze River (Op-Ed)

Nick Conger is former editor of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) blog, On Balance. This article was adapted from his post Conserving Life Along the Yangtze. Conger contributed this article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

In late 2006, researchers from the Institute of Hydrobiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciencesin Wuhan, China returned from a six-week journey on the Yangtze River, dejected.

They had searched far and wide for signs of the baji ? commonly known as the "Goddess of the Yangtze," China's famed river dolphin ? and came up empty. Months later the freshwater species was declared functionally extinct.

Years of rapid industrial growth coupled with unsustainable practices had destroyed its natural habitat. It was the first species of dolphin whose demise was directly attributable to human influence.

Today, World Wildlife Fund and its partners in Wuhan are doing all they can to save the baji's cousin ? the finless porpoise? from the same fate. Estimates suggest that only about 1,000 remain in the wild.

In doing this, we also are working on a much broader goal: conserving the Yangtze itself. In protecting the habitat of the smiley creature, we also are supporting sustainable fishing practices that will enhance the country's food supply and continue to bolster its gross domestic product.

We're using conventional methods, such as reconnecting floodplain lakes with the main stem of the Yangtze to restore seasonal flows ? allowing for migrations between the lakes and the river ? as well as applying some unconventional methods, too.

Conserving the Yangtze is important, regardless of whether you're a businessperson, investor or eco-conscious consumer. The Yangtze River Delta generates more than 70 percent of the fish consumed in China, more than 20 percent of its agriculture and as much as 20 percent of China's gross domestic product. Frontier Economics recently estimated that the river itself could generate as much as 7.8 percent of global GDP by 2050. The river is also the source of copious amounts of minerals, and energy in the form of hydro-electric power.

Paradoxically, the same interests that benefit from the Yangtze are destroying it. CNN recently reported that about 800 million tons of wastewater is dumped into the Yangtze every year. Such pollution combined with overfishing (which, incidentally, threatens food supplies for the finless porpoise, among other species ), jeopardizes the long-term viability of the Yangtze and those who rely on it.

That's why WWF also is using unconventional approaches, working with local fishermen and business. Central to this strategy in China is sustainable aquaculture, the fastest-growing food-producing sector in the world. China is the source of more than 60 percent of the world's aquaculture, most of which stays in-country (about one third of all the animal protein the Chinese eat comes from farmed-raised fish).

WWF and its partners at the Institute of Hydrobiology in Wuhan have helped establish 50 "eco-fisheries" in lakes along the Yangtze, working with fishermen, local government authorities and retailers to source and produce a variety of fish (such as the popular mandarinfish) and crustaceans more sustainably.

While pursuit of the newly established Aquaculture Stewardship Council certification is still an aspirational goal, the project is helping those fisheries secure the coveted organic label in China by phasing out artificial fish feed, eliminating harmful fertilizers and clearing away boundaries between lakes and the river ? all with an eye toward maintaining fish stocks for the future.

In those 50 eco-fishery lakes, Institute of Hydrobiology research professor Liu Jiashou has seen improvements in water quality and biodiversity, not to mention improved economic conditions for the fishermen.

"The traditional practices would result in destroying the environment," Liu says. "But [with increased demand], the farmers cannot stop farming, so the only way we can help is to change the methods. Aquaculture has become the best way to have both intensive production and to control pollution at the same time."

The 50 eco-fisheries will not alone save the finless porpoise. But, there are plans to establish another 300 in the next decade. As eco-fisheries grow, WWF and the Institute of Hydrobiology are confident they will help curtail overfishing, reduce pollution in the water and maintain fish stocks. This will reduce stress on this critical basin upon which economic growth is so dependent.

Lives are at stake ? whether it's marine species, or the people who depend on the river for food and income. We can't afford to come up empty.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This article was originally published on LiveScience.com.

Source: http://www.livescience.com/38559-conserving-life-on-the-yangtze-river.html

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GOP attacks its female deficit in Congress

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Republicans launch drive to attract women candidates for Congress
• Women comprise 8% of Republican House caucus; 29% of Democratic membership
• Martha McSally, a fighter pilot who flew combat patrols, is running for Gabby Giffords' old seat
• Top Democrat recruiter says her party doesn't need special project to attract women

Washington (CNN) -- If you're a Republican woman, the GOP wants you. To run for Congress, that is.

The Grand Old Party holds a majority of seats in the House of Representatives. Yet of 234 Republican members, only 19 are women.

In an effort to boost that number, the House Republican campaign committee is launching "Project GROW," a program largely led by the party's female members designed to bring more women into the fold.

CNN's Chief Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash spoke exclusively with three sitting House Republican female members spearheading the effort, and one GOP woman hoping to score a House seat.

To a person, they recognize that at the very least, Republicans have an image problem-- especially after studying the results of the 2012 election.

According to CNN's 2012 exit polls, 55 percent of women voted for Barack Obama, a stark leap over the 44 percent who voted for Republican candidate Mitt Romney. And Democrats made gains in both the Senate and the House.

"We saw that as Republicans, even though we were talking about the issues that affected America, women across this country felt we were not connecting with them," Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-North Carolina) said.

Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Missouri), serving her first congressional term, said she and her colleagues need to talk to women "in a way that's going to make their life better and easier."

"You know, I told my colleagues close your eyes, say that you're speaking to that 37-year-old single mother of two who's trying to make it to the 15th and the 30th of the month," said Wagner. "What do we have to offer her? How do we make her life easier, better, more manageable? These are the kind of messaging things we need to do and I think we've got ... real opportunities here, both to motivate women in the electorate, but also to motivate women to run for public office."

Indeed, women make up a mere 8% of the Republican House caucus. House Democratic women comprise a staggering 29%, by comparison.

The Republican women agree it boils down to encouraging more GOP women to run.

Curiously, "women who are going to run for office, they almost need to be asked," Ellmers said. "They need to make sure there's a place for them."

Male GOP members, who don't traditionally seem to need such encouragement, are involved in recruiting women as well.

In fact, Project GROW also involves educating elected Republican men "about connecting with women and doing a better job and going out and meeting with women." Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Indiana) said.

"Women business owners, women volunteer organizations-- just doing a better job connecting with where they are, with things they care about," Brooks said.

Martha McSally, an Air Force fighter pilot who flew combat patrols over Iraq and Afghanistan, is running in a rematch for Gabby Giffords' old seat in Arizona, which she just barely lost to Democrat Ron Barber last year.

She is exactly the kind of political recruit these GOP women say they're looking for.

"The Democrats have been effective in attacking us and branding us in a way that's just not accurate," McSally said.

"So in my race ... my opponent, a white man, was trying to lump me in the war on women, she said, pointing to a Democratic attack line during the 2012 election accusing Republicans of waging a "war against women."

"And here I am a pioneering military woman, the first to fly in command in combat. I sued Donald Rumsfeld for making our servicewomen wear burkas over in Saudi Arabia. I mean, I am not a part of the 'war on women.' I've been fighting for women my whole life," she said.

McSally said she doesn't know why women make up only a small percentage of the GOP caucus.

"I can only say that in my experience, running that when I engage with Republican, independent and Democratic women in my community, and you talk about the issues that matter to them," she said. "If we you connect with them, and we're real, and we show our leadership, we show we're solution oriented."

Meanwhile, the top House Democrat recruiter told CNN her party doesn't need a special project to attract women candidates to run with our party."

Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Florida), the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee charged with adding more Democratic members, said Republicans have a "wholly unappealing agenda" that alienates women and discourages them from affiliating themselves with the GOP.

She says Republicans are "wrong" on the economic, healthcare, cultural, and education agendas "that are important to women."

"I think acronyms are nice, but at the end of the day women voters in this country and potential women candidates are going to continue to choose the Democratic party because we value the input and feedback from women, and we're the party that grows leaders," she said.

Republicans have their work cut out for them. Project GROW's website says the effort will focus specifically on recruiting, messaging, polling, candidate training, fundraising, a strong digital presence, and other things "to increase female participation."

At the end of the day, Ellmers believes that, despite appearances, women voters largely lean Republican.

"That's why in Project GROW, we're going to be focusing on listening, and recruiting, and engaging and motivating," she said. "Because we want women across this country to be involved in Republican beliefs. We believe most women are conservative."

Dana Bash and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_latest/~3/P_aZPk1AfGs/index.html

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"Pope Francis on Monday continued to recast the Catholic Church?s image by focusing on its inviting,..."

Pope Francis on Monday continued to recast the Catholic Church?s image by focusing on its inviting, merciful aspects, this time shocking a planeload of reporters by saying of homosexuality: ?Who am I to judge??

?If they accept the Lord and have goodwill, who am I to judge them?? the leader of the world?s 1.2 billion Catholics said in a remarkably candid and off-the-cuff news conference en route to Rome from Brazil. ?They shouldn?t be marginalized.?

The pope?s seemingly casual remark was another example of his approachable style, which was on full display during his visit to Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day. He carried his own bag onto the plane and traveled around Rio in a small Fiat without being shielded by hordes of security. He met with recovering drug addicts in a hospital and condemned inequality in a visit to crime-ridden slums.

He made his comments about gays, signaling that the church looks on them as brothers and sisters, as he fielded questions from reporters for an 80-minute stretch, at times leaning on the back of an airplane seat as if he were just another passenger. With his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, reporters had to submit questions ahead of time, and the Vatican decided which ones the pontiff would answer.

? His predecessor made remarks that many gay Catholics interpreted as hostile. Even though Benedict called on Catholics to show ?great respect for [gay] people,? he oversaw the publication of a church document that called homosexual inclinations ?disordered? and called for men with ?deep-seated? gay tendencies to be barred from the priesthood. He also said same-sex marriage was insidious threat to the common good.

Source: http://inothernews.tumblr.com/post/56836531656

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See the Offensive Map the Palestinian Negotiator Meeting with John Kerry This Week Has on His Facebook Page

In her statement announcing the resumption of peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians this week, State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki on Sunday said that the Palestinians will be represented by Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat and Mohammad Shtayyeh.

Middle East analyst Oren Kessler noticed something interesting about Shtayyeh's Facebook page; that is, that the Palestinian negotiator displays a map of the entire State of Israel - including its internationally recognized borders, plus Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) plus Gaza - emblazoned with the Arabic letters for "Palestine."

Whether by intention or not, the map is also shaded in green, a color traditionally associated with Islam.

Also on his Facebook profile, Shtayyeh displays a photograph of Jerusalem's Dome of the Rock which sits above the Temple Mount - the holiest site in Judaism.

The Palestinian Authority - which Shtayyeh is representing in the talks Kerry is hosting this week -- and the majority Fatah ruling party are considered by the U.S. and European community to constitute the more moderate leadership as compared with Hamas which states flat out that its goal is to destroy the Jewish state.

Shtayyeh-FB

Shtayyeh's Facebook profile images include a map of the entire State of Israel emblazoned with the Arabic script for "Palestine." (Screenshot: Facebook)

Writer Aussie Dave from the pro-Israel blog Israelly Cool captures how the map is being perceived among many Israelis:

Yeah, that's the entire map of Israel covered in the Arabic for "Palestine" (Filastin). In other words [...] "We will pretend to negotiate for peace, but only as a means to an end. The end being the destruction of Israel and, in its place, a palestinian state in the entire land."

So the situation is even worse than we thought. Not only have we agreed to kick-start peace negotiations by releasing over 100 murderous, unrepentant terrorists, but we will be negotiating with someone who is not even hiding his true aim: Israel's destruction.

And the world won't even blink.

Raheem Kassam on Trending Central writes: "Such backhanded tactics are well known within Palestinian circles, and the recognition of the State of Israel is a rarity in the region."

Kerry in his invitation to the peace talks noted the "the courage shown by Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas" in agreeing to restart talks. "Both leaders have demonstrated a willingness to make difficult decisions that have been instrumental in getting to this point. We are grateful for their leadership," Kerry said.

"It seems for one of Abbas's negotiators however, the recognition of the State of Israel is one step too far, and reveals how these peace talks are more than likely to be completely in vain," Kassam adds.

As TheBlaze reported last week, Palestinian Authority Minister of Religious Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash was caught on tape earlier this month hinting that any future peace deal with Israel would secretly be only a short-term arrangement, comparing it to a truce the Muslim prophet Mohammed negotiated only to break two years later.

That statement is but the latest example of Palestinian Authority officials hinting they might not be bound by the terms of any agreement requiring them to give up the hopes of one day securing more territory from Israel.

TheBlaze's coverage of the Israeli government's controversial decision to release 104 Palestinian prisoners from jail, many convicted murderers, can be seen here.

(H/T: IsraellyCool.com)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/see-offensive-map-palestinian-negotiator-meeting-john-kerry-164826352.html

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Greece pleads for Europe to adopt growth policies

ATHENS, Greece (AP) ? Greece's prime minister on Monday urged European leaders to shift economic policies toward generating growth, as the country's bailout monitors complained it was making "slow progress" on key long-term reforms.

Antonis Samaras warned Greece's recession was hurting the government's efforts to reduce debt. It was "worsening problems that we must solve and complicating reforms which we must complete," he said.

But Samaras, who held talks in Athens with Italian Premier Enrico Letta, said a Greek recovery would not be possible unless the group of 17 European Union countries that use the euro emerges from recession.

"Greece, Italy and all of Europe are in need of policies that combine reforms and deficit reduction with growth," Samaras said. "Of course we cannot have growth while Europe is retreating into recession."

The eurozone has been in recession for 18 months, while Greece's economy has been contracting rapidly since late 2008 and remains in serious crisis.

Greece's public finances have been kept afloat since 2010 by a recue loan program funded by eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund set to total 240 billion euros ($319 billion). But austerity reforms demanded in return for the money have triggered a dramatic increase in poverty and unemployment.

In a 234-page report released Monday, the European Commission, the EU executive branch that helps monitor the bailout program, recommended disbursement of a 2.5-billion euro rescue loan payment to Greece in the next couple of days.

And the IMF separately said it has approved release of 1.72 billion euros under the same program. So far, Athens has received some 210 billion euros in bailout payments.

But the European Commission also said Greece was still lagging behind in its effort to reform public administration, its business rules, power utilities, and its generally slow justice system.

"Greece continues to make overall, albeit often slow, progress ... with several important actions being delayed," the report said.

It warned the outlook for this year and next remains highly uncertain. The budget deficit is expected to exceed the official target by 1.75 and 2 percentage points of annual GDP in 2015 and 2016.

To make up for the shortfall this year and next, Greece has agreed to implement a new tax on luxury products, raise court fees for lawsuits, impose a docking fee for leisure boats in October and further cut military spending.

In Washington, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said Greece needed to take urgent steps to make its privatization program more effective. She praised the country for getting its budget and external finances in better shape but said Greece needed to do more on improving tax collection and other structural changes to the economy in order to recover.

"Given the slow progress in public administration reforms, efforts should focus on ensuring exit of unqualified personnel to create room to hire new staff with the relevant skills," Lagarde said.

On the upside, the European Commission report said tourism, a key earner worth about 16 percent of Greece's annual output, is expected to do well this year, with pre-bookings data suggesting arrivals are set to increase more than 10 percent compared with 2012.

Italian Premier Letta appeared to agree with Samaras that bailout lenders were too focused on debt cuts rather than economic growth, and was sharply critical of how Greece's rescue was handled.

"I have no doubts about Greece," he said. "There were serious mistakes made by Europe over these past years, with the wrong tools and the wrong timing ... Fewer European jobs would have been lost if Europe had taken a different position toward Greece from the start."

___

AP Television's Rafael Kominis in Athens, AP writer Costas Kantouris in Thessaloniki and AP writer Marjorie Olster in Washington contributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/greece-pleads-europe-adopt-growth-policies-141050638.html

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