Millstone makes deal with environmental groups

Two environmental groups say they have reached an agreement with the state and the Millstone nuclear power complex in Waterford to speed up plans to reduce the plant's effect on Long Island Sound.

At issue is whether Millstone will install a water recycling system that would reduce the amount of water the plant pulls out of Long Island Sound to cool its reactors.

The Connecticut Fund for the Environment says Millstone now pumps more than 2 billion gallons out of the sound every day in a process that kills billions of fish and other sea creatures. The group says a recycling system would reduce the fish kill by up to 98 percent.

Millstone, the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, Soundkeeper Incorporated and the state agreed Monday to speed up the process for updating Millstone's water discharge permit. Environmental activists say the deal will reduce what could have been a 15-year process to three years.

nland rejects pipeline environment plan

HELSINKI, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Finland is not satisfied with Nord Stream's plans for an environmental assessment of its planned gas pipeline project, Finnish national broadcaster Yle said on Friday.

"Finland does not approve Nord Stream's assessment plans for the gas pipeline project's environmental risks," Yle said on its website, citing sources. "Finland wants the Gulf of Finland to be examined as one ecological entity."

But Nord Stream said the company has not received any strong criticism. "Finland proposed some changes," A Nord Stream spokesman said. "These changes would not be different from what we have planned to deliver for Finland to assess."

John McCain walks a fine line on the environment

But by naming Sarah Palin as his running mate, McCain has aligned himself with a Republican whose record as governor of Alaska has drawn scorn from environmentalists, most notably for her denial that humans are causing climate change.

That, combined with McCain's call for opening new stretches of coastline to oil drilling, risks undercutting his standing on the environment.

Global warming has been one of the main issues McCain has used to put distance between himself and his party's tarnished brand. In pursuit of that goal, he and Palin also have cast themselves in recent days as reformers who would shake up Washington.

In a time of war and economic troubles, the environment ranks low on the list of voter priorities. But it carries symbolic value and offers McCain a way to suggest that he would break with the unpopular Bush administration. Given the scant contrasts between McCain and President Bush on Iraq and the economy, anything that helps the Arizona senator distinguish himself could prove crucial.

UN Environment Programme launches online atlas

"If we are to change the hearts and minds of the global public we need to surprise, to excite and occasionally, perhaps, to shock," UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said at the launching yesterday.

"These images, allied to modern computer technology, do all three," he added.

The initiative will showcase images of around 200 of the world's environmental hot spots ranging from remote rain forests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to the glaciers of Greenland and Alaska in 3D.

Before-and-after images, including the loss of biodiversity-rich forests and farms in Madagascar, are also part of the new tool.

"They also show humanity is equally capable of positive, intelligent and empowering change from the reforestation of parts of Niger to a new management plan for the Itezhi-tezhi Dam in Zambia which is helping to restore natural and seasonal flooding," Steiner said.

The UNEP atlas is part of its popular series highlighting the changing environment, which also includes "One Planet Many People: Atlas of Our Changing Environment," released in concert with Google Earth.

African ministers resolve to reduce environmental threats to health

African health and environment ministers have agreed to form an alliance to reduce environmental threats to human health and well-being.

According to the Libreville Declaration, named after the Gabonese capital, where a four-day conference was held, the ministers committed governments in the region to take measures to stimulate the necessary policy, investment and institutional changes so that synergies between health, environment and other fields are maximized.

The text of the declaration received here on Monday was decided after participants concurred that the root causes of environmental degradation can be found in social and economic problems such as poverty, inequality of wealth, the debt burden and unsustainable production and consumption behaviors.

"The signing of this landmark declaration," said Luis G. Sambo, Regional Director of World Health Organization's (WHO) Africa Regional Office, "is the first step towards saving the lives of millions of people from the harmful effects of changes in the environment."