Constantine Alexander's Journal

New study to examine ecological tipping points in hopes of preventing them

A healthy kelp forest, photographed near San Clemente Island in California. Credit: Ron H. McPeak/UC Regents*

Predation by otters keeps urchin populations in check, allowing kelp –– a favorite food of urchins –– to flourish. But what if otters were harvested to near extinction for their fur? The resulting overabundance of urchins would decimate the kelp forest, leaving little food or shelter for fish and invertebrates. And so it may go, as declines in these species are likely to affect others.

Such is the potential trickle-down effect on the food chain of even subtle shifts in a single species –– tipping points that can induce wholesale, sometimes irreversible change to entire ecosystems. Examples of these ecological thresholds and unintended consequences are many –– the otter-urchin scenario occurred in Alaska and California –– but solutions are few. Some UC Santa Barbara researchers hope to change that.

A new project of scientists at UCSB's National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) and partners aims to synthesize existing research on tipping points in marine ecosystems and conduct case studies to devise a set of early warning indicators and management tools that may help to predict, even prevent, threatened systems from falling off the precipice.

"We know that thresholds in marine ecosystems can lead to rapid changes in their ability to support activities and services that people value, but we seldom have information about how human actions are affecting these things –– and how close we might be to those tipping points," said Carrie Kappel, associate project scientist and lead principal investigator (PI) on the study.

The NCEAS team of Kappel and co-PIs Ben Halpern and Kimberly Selkoe –– with partners at Stanford's Center for Ocean Solutions, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) –– have been awarded $3.1 million from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for the soon-to-launch study, "Ecosystem Thresholds and Indicators for Marine Spatial Planning."

"This is an ambitious project that addresses really critical issues in natural resource management and protecting and managing our oceans effectively," said Halpern, director of UCSB's Center for Marine Assessment and Planning. "We're looking at how natural ecosystems respond to changes in human pressure, or to climate change, and what the effects are on the human community. I think people sometimes forget that we are managing these systems not just for the sake of creating bureaucracy and regulations. We have an interest in keeping ecosystems healthy and sustainable not just for nature's sake, but because we, as humans, fundamentally value and depend upon them."

Among the core focuses of the four-year project is identifying advance indicators of threshold shifts, which could include water quality, an abundance or lack of certain species, and even rates of disease, according to co-PI Selkoe, a marine ecologist and NCEAS associate scientist. Ascertaining such early warning signals, she said, will improve the monitoring capabilities of ecosystem managers and potentially enable them to prevent threshold shifts –– or at least be better prepared.

"We may or may not be able to really know how fast we're approaching a threshold shift, but if managers are conscious of these shifts they can be more prepared and cognizant of the possibilities," Selkoe explained. "There may be a lot of cases of climate change combined with ocean cycle changes that nothing people can do will prevent. There's a lot beyond our control, which probably means we need to manage more conservatively. The marine resource management world is moving toward these strategies, toward incorporating big picture thinking and comprehensive approaches that will require coordination across sectors –– managers need more tools to operate at that scale."

An urchin barren, pictured, is the result of unchecked population growth among sea urchins, causing destructive and widespread grazing of kelp forests. Credit: Ron H. McPeak/UC Regents*

While the first phase of the project will be centered on existing data and models, the second phase will involve a more in-the-trenches approach. Deep-dive case studies and engagement with active marine managers and policy makers are intended to "get the folks on the ground involved from the very beginning, so that the tools we develop can be as useful as possible to the people who are actually doing this work," said Kappel. "We want to give managers tools that help them to maximize the delivery of benefits to people, while protecting the ecosystem and minimizing the risk that it will be tipped into a different state.

"Our coasts and our oceans are becoming increasingly crowded, and more and more people depend upon them," she added. "Inevitably, there's this problem of increasing competition for limited ocean resources. We need to be able to proactively plan for how we're going to use those resources and do it in a way that allows them to be sustainable for the long run. If we are unaware of the potential cliffs you can fall off in the ecosystem dynamics, we run the risk of diminishing benefits to people and of changing ecosystems forever."

Other researchers on the study include Larry Crowder and Meg Caldwell at Stanford's Center for Ocean Solutions; Rod Fujita at EDF; and Phil Levin, with NOAA.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, established in 2000, seeks to advance environmental conservation, patient care, and scientific research. The goal of the Marine Conservation Initiative is to achieve healthy marine ecosystems in North America that support sustainable use. 

*Acquisition and digitization of the Ronald H. McPeak collection was made possible with funding from the National Science Foundation to the Santa Barbara Coastal Long Term Ecological Research project.

Contact: Shelly Leachman
[email protected]
805-893-8726
University of California - Santa Barbara

 

 

Agriculture & food production contribute up to 29 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions

Amid population growth and escalating food demands, 2 global analyses determine climate change mitigation and adaptation equally critical for global food security

Feeding the world releases up to 17,000 megatonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually, according to a new analysis released today by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). But while the emissions "footprint" of food production needs to be reduced, a companion policy brief by CCAFS lays out how climate change will require a complete recalibration of where specific crops are grown and livestock are raised.

Together, Climate Change and Food Systems (published in the 2012 Annual Review of Environment and Resources) and Recalibrating Food Production in the Developing World: Global Warming Will Change More Than Just the Climate (published by CCAFS), shed new light on the intertwining evolutions of climate change and the world's food system and their potential impact on humanity's relationship with food.

"Climate Change mitigation and adaptation are critical priorities. Farmers around the world, especially smallholder farmers in developing countries, need access to the latest science, more resources and advanced technology. This research serves as an urgent call for negotiators at the upcoming United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Doha," said Bruce Campbell, CCAFS's program director.

“We are coming to terms with the fact that agriculture is a critical player in climate change. Not only are emissions from agriculture much larger than previously estimated, but with weather records being set every month as regional climates adjust and reset, there is an urgent need for research that helps smallholder farmers adapt to the new normal.” said Frank Rijsberman, the CEO of the CGIAR Consortium.

While previous studies have looked at the contribution of agriculture to emissions, Climate Change and Food Systems assesses the entire food system's emissions "footprint"—in total somewhere between a fifth and third of the greenhouse gases emitted by people on this planet. This figure accounts for every aspect of food production and distribution—including growing crops and raising livestock, manufacturing fertilizer, and storing, transporting and refrigerating food. Agriculture accounts for around 80 percent of these emissions, but the combined contribution of transport, refrigeration, consumer practices and waste management is growing.

"The food-related emissions and, conversely, the impacts of climate change on agriculture and the food system, will profoundly alter the way we grow and produce food. This will affect different parts of the world in radically different ways, but all regions will have to change their current approach to what they grow and eat," said Sonja Vermeulen, the head of research at CCAFS and the lead author of Climate Change and Food Security.

Determining what crops grow in which places

Yields of the three biggest crops in terms of calories provided—maize, rice and wheat—will decrease in many developing countries as temperatures rise and rainfall becomes more unpredictable, according to Recalibrating Food Production in the Developing World. The analysis, which studies the potential effects of climate change on 22 of the world's most important commodities, highlights the impending transformations of the agricultural landscape.

By 2050, climate change could cause irrigated wheat yields in developing countries to fall by 13 percent. Irrigated rice is these same countries could tumble 15 percent. In Africa, many farmers of maize, which is not that well suited to increased temperatures, could lose 10 to 20 percent of their yields.

Additional calorie and protein sources will also suffer in many places. The cost of feeding livestock with maize and grain will become more expensive. And the availability of fish—which are particularly susceptible to higher temperatures and higher ocean salinity—will become increasingly constrained.

Vegetable sources of protein will not fare much better. Soybeans have great difficulty withstanding higher temperatures. Even heartier crops, such as millet, lentils and cowpea—"the poor man's meat"—can wither under too much heat stress.

Higher temperatures and unpredictable rainfall impact more than just crop yields. These changes also alter the underlying ecosystems that support agriculture. Freshwater resources, already strained is several regions across the globe, will become even less reliable as rain becomes less predictable.

"Ecosystem changes due to climate change may spawn shifts in the intensity of pests and diseases, including potato blight and beetles, that will further limit food production. Indeed, even if crops could withstand increased temperatures and decreased rainfall, their yields could drop because of these scourges," said Philip Thornton, the author of Recalibrating Food Production and a theme leader at CCAFS.

Climate impacts beyond the farm

The impact of climate change also hits before and after harvest. Every step of the food chain—from the seed to the farm to the cooking pot—is at risk. Increased temperatures and flooding, which exacerbate challenges to food storage and distribution, may cause more outbreaks of food-borne illnesses. This spread of diarrheal diseases, which already kill 1.9 million people a year, and livestock-related diseases, which include zoonoses, infectious diseases transmitted from livestock and other animals to humans, will hit the poor in low-income countries hardest.

"So far, the climate change discussion has focused on the need to reduce emissions and sustainably boost crop yields, but it is crucial also to include food safety in our foresight and planning," said Vermeulen.

As farmers and food producers adapt and recalibrate their responses to climate change and its many challenges, the culture of food and what is eaten will need to adjust or change completely as different crops are raised to compensate for new growing conditions.

"The problems that climate change produces in the fields will be tackled in industrialized countries. It is the smallholder farmers in Africa and South Asia and the urban poor who spend too much of their wages on food; these are the people who will have less to eat in the near future unless we adapt at a much faster pace," said Robert Zougmoré, CCAFS' regional program leader for West Africa.

The challenges laid out in these research papers—lowering the emissions footprint of food production and adapting food systems to changing climates—must be confronted as the world population grows to an estimated nine to ten billion people by 2050. Feeding this many new people—the equivalent of two additional Indias—will not only require substantial increases in production, but better access to a nutritious diet as well.

"The good news is that if farmers and food producers start to adapt now, they can stave off some of the dour food production and distribution scenarios laid out in this research. But they can't face these complex, interrelated problems, which vary from crop to crop and region to region, alone. They need support from the highest levels," Thornton said.

The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) is a strategic partnership of the CGIAR and the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP). CCAFS brings together the world's best researchers in agricultural science, development research, climate science and Earth System science, to identify and address the most important interactions, synergies and tradeoffs between climate change, agriculture and food security. 

Contact:

• Dan Klotz
  301-280-5756
• Michelle Geis
  301 2805712

 

 

Ducks flock to Extremadura thanks to its ricefields

The Northern Pintail (Anas acuta). Credit: Doviende

Four new reservoirs linked to rice cultivation built in the middle basin of the Guadiana river in the middle of the 1990's have allowed various migratory dabbling duck species to significantly increase in number during the winter. Researchers at the University of Extremadura propose that Vegas Altas del Guadiana is turned into a new Special Protection Area for Birds.

Many aquatic migratory bird populations are in decline and the loss of natural wetland is one of the main causes. A study at the University of Extremadura financed by the Guadiana Hydrographic Confederation has analysed the migratory patterns of this type of bird both before and after the construction of these reservoirs in the area of Vegas Altas del Guadiana.

"Between 1991 and 1994 around 25,277 ducks spent the winter in the large reservoirs of Guadiana. This number increased to 46,163 between 2007 and 2010 and the vast majority was to be found in the four new reservoirs that are a lot smaller than those in the Guadiana middle basin. On the other hand, the large reservoirs saw an overall decline in their populations during the same two periods," as explained to SINC by Juan G. Navedo, lead researcher of the study published in the 'Bird Conservation International' journal.

According to the scientists, the development of ricefields (also considered as wetlands) is key to the study since the presence of this crop nearby probably ensures that these birds do not experience significant changes in their winter migration patterns.

The researcher emphasises that "the birds only rest on the reservoirs during the day and then flee in mass at dusk to feed in the nearby ricefields. Seeing the ducks take flight is a true spectacle."

Biogeographic populations of these species show a general downward trend. It is estimated that the birds that now spend their winter in Extremadura are probably from Southwest Europe (mainly the Doñana Nature Reserve) or Northwest Africa, where the population of migratory dabbling ducks has also been in decline in recent decades.

Natural versus manmade wetlands

In the 1960's, various large reservoirs were construction for crop irrigation in Extremadura. Then, the relatively small reservoirs were built from the 1990's onwards near the ricefields.

For the purposes of the study, the team first designed and carried out monthly boat trips at specific times with the help of the Guadiana Hydrographic Confederation. In the case of the medium and small sized reservoirs, the birds were counted from the land at places were the whole wetland could be seen.

"We are by no means advocating the construction of new reservoirs to conserve migratory dabbling duck populations. Natural wetlands, in this case the tributary headwaters of the Guadiana River and its flood lands, are vital for biodiversity conservation. They also play a key role in the conservation of aquatic flora and fauna, especially some plants and invertebrate species as well as other aquatic bird species dependent on the marsh habitats of lake and damns," outlines the researcher.

The area making up these four 'new' reservoirs (Sierra Brava, Gargáligas, Cubilar and Ruecas, along with the associated ricefields) is home to an average of more than 1% of Western Europe's biogeographic populations of dabbling duck species such as the Northern Shoveller (Anas clypeata), the Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) and the smallest duck in Europe, the Common Teal (Anas crecca).

"According to numerical criteria established by the Ramsar Convention and adopted by the EU Birds Directive regarding the nomination of Wetland of International Importance (a place that regularly shelters at least 1% of the different biogeographic population), the four reservoirs and the nearby ricefields should become a new Special Conservation Area for Birds (ZEPA), named Vegas Altas del Guadiana," conclude the researchers.

Reference: Juan G. Navedo, José A. Masero, Juan M. Sánchez-Guzmán, José M. Abad-Gómez, Jorge S. Gutiérrez, Esther G. Sansón, Auxiliadora Villegas, Emilio Costillo, Casimiro Corbacho y Ricardo Morán. "International importance of Extremadura, Spain, for overwintering migratory dabbling ducks: a role for reservoirs" Bird Conservation International 22 (3): 316 -327, septiembre 2012.

Contact: SINC
[email protected]
34-914-251-820
FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology

 

 

Faster and simpler access to EU funds

Faster and simpler access to EU funds for European businesses, towns, regions and scientists

Following the recent entry into force of the new Financial Regulation the Commission has adopted its new detailed Rules of application. The delivery of EU funds to businesses, NGOs, researchers, students, municipalities and other recipients will be improved as of 1 January 2013 thanks to simplified procedures. The new legislation increases transparency and introduces higher accountability for anyone dealing with EU finances. It includes wider possibilities to use lump sums and flat rates for smaller amounts, eliminates the need to fill in the same details every time you apply for EU funds and introduces on-line applications as well as many other new features.

“This new regulation brings significant improvements to all beneficiaries of EU funding. We succeeded in reducing administrative burden for recipients of Union funds, which translates into easier access and a shortened time span for getting funding from the European budget. The new rules pave the way for a more effective use of EU resources. It is important for any European citizen as in the times of crisis the EU budget plays an important role in boosting jobs and growth. Making EU funds more accessible and increasing the accountability of those who manage these funds is one of the major tasks of my mandate” said Janusz Lewandowski, European Commissioner for budget and financial programming.

Simplification

The revised Financial Regulation contains numerous improvements which will make the life of recipients of Union funds easier. The period between calls for proposals and the conclusion of grant agreements and payment deadlines will be shortened. The emphasis of the grant system will be shifted from reimbursing cost claims to payments for the delivery of results through a greater use of lump sums, flat rates, unit costs. A greater use of prizes, paid to the winner of a contest for developing the solution to a pre-defined problem ('inducement prizes') will also contribute to simplify administration and strengthen the result-orientation of EU funding. Beneficiaries of EU funds will no longer be obliged to open separate interest bearing bank accounts. Furthermore, even if interest is generated, it will not have to be returned to the EU Budget and neither will it be counted as revenue of the project. This addresses a major concern of grant beneficiaries and other stakeholders, in particular from the research and the NGO community, that was brought up during the public consultation of 2009 preceding the Commission's proposal of 2010.

More accountability and protection for European citizens

The new rules will increase the accountability of those managing EU taxpayers' money. This includes the Member States, which implement a large proportion of the EU budget, including the EU's regional policy. In future, Member State authorities managing EU funds will have to sign and submit to the Commission annual declarations certifying that EU funds have been used correctly.

Mechanisms for financial corrections in cases of irregularities committed by beneficiaries and discovered through audit have been strengthened: as a deterrent, the Commission will publish decisions imposing sanctions for misuse of EU funds.

Enhancing the effectiveness of EU funds through innovative funding mechanisms

In the future, various financial instruments, such as loans, equity or guarantees will be used to enhance the effectiveness of EU funds and thus multiply their financial impact. New possibilities are created for a more flexible implementation of public-private partnerships ('PPPs') which reflects the calls of European industry stakeholders who are the partners in such PPPs.

In the area of external action, the EU will be able to create EU trust funds pooling its own resources with those of its Member States and other donors in order to better coordinate and deliver external aid and increase its visibility.

Commission determined to push the simplification agenda further

Simplifying rules and processes will not stop after the adoption of the new Financial Regulation. The Commission will continue to pursue its multiple simplification proposals so that they are firmly anchored in the new generation of programmes (2014-2020), currently under negotiation in the Council and the European Parliament.

Background

The Financial Regulation is the core of EU financial rules. It sets the principles of the EU budget and governs the way the EU funds are spent. The present version was adopted in 2002 and most recently amended in 2010 to cover the creation of the European External Action Service. The legislative procedure of this more substantial revision was initiated by the Commission in December 2010, when the Commission's proposal on the review of the Financial Regulation addressed the main concerns raised by beneficiaries of EU funds. The new rules will focus on simpler and faster access to funds, while strengthening accountability of those managing EU taxpayers' money.

After the formal adoption of the Financial Regulation on 25 October and its publication in the Official Journal of the EU, the Financial Regulation entered into force on 27 October 2012.

Following this the Commission adopted today the new Rules of application for the new Financial Regulation which contain detailed rules for financial management and complement the Financial Regulation. Within the next two months, the European Parliament and the Council can express objections or give their comments to these Rules of application as proposed by the Commission. After the publication in the Official Journal and entry into force at the end of December 2012 the new Rules of application will start to be applied as from 1 January 2013 together with new Financial Regulation.

Why was it necessary to change the budgetary and spending rules in the Financial Regulation?

A new Financial Regulation for the EU finances: What's new, why and how does it work

The Commission continuously assesses the way it manages EU funds, taking into account lessons learnt from the past, feedback from end users and other stakeholders, as well as new challenges posed by the need to modernise financial rules. There is also a formal requirement to review the Financial Regulation and its Implementing Rules at least once every three years. This update is already the second following the adoption of the Financial Regulation in 2002.

Furthermore, the challenge to overcome the economic crisis leads to considerations on how EU funds can be used in a simpler, more accountable, effective and efficient way.

Finally, the modifications introduced come well in time for both the recipients of Union funds and the funding authorities before the launch of the expenditure programmes under the next Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020, which is currently under discussion.

What are the goals of this review?

The EU is modernising its financial procedures in order to better serve the achievement of the objectives of Europe 2020. Broadly speaking, the changes focus on three areas:

1. Simplification: cutting red tape, speeding up procedures and shifting the focus from paperwork to performance;
2. Accountability: ensuring enhanced sound financial management and the protection of the EU's financial interests;
3. Innovation: introducing financial mechanisms which will enable the mobilisation of third-party funds as leverage on EU funds.

How to simplify procedures by cutting red tape and shifting the focus from paperwork to performance?

Shorter payment deadlines

Beneficiaries will be entitled to receiving money due to them within the deadlines of 30, 60 or 90 days depending on how demanding it is to test delivered results against contractual obligations. While at present the Commission voluntarily applies similar deadlines, the new provisions will mean that missing a deadline will create an entitlement to late-payment interest for the beneficiary.

Time-to-grant target and indicative deadline

Calls for proposals will indicate the date when communicating the evaluation results to applicants. Normally this date must fall within six months of the closure of the call. It will also indicate the date for concluding the grant agreements (or notifying the grant decisions) to successful applicants. Normally this date must fall within three months following the communication of the evaluation results.

The Commission official in charge (referred to in the Financial Regulation as the "authorising officer by delegation", typically the Director-General) has to provide justification in case the maximum indicative deadlines were not respected and, if necessary, propose remedies in his/her annual activity report to the College of Commissioners. These provisions will speed up the evaluation and contract conclusion phases of projects.

Multi-annual work programs

Work programs are plans published in advance of how and on what EU funds will be spent in the near future. From now on, they can be multi-annual as opposed to just annual. This will give potential applicants for EU funds more transparency and predictability in terms of EU spending in the short to medium term. At the same time, this provision should not make EU expenditure programs rigid and unable to react to emergencies and new developments.

Abolishing the obligation to generate interests on 'pre-financing' and to return the interest

There will no longer be an obligation to generate interest on pre-financing paid to grant beneficiaries to provide them with cash for the action. Even if interest is generated, it is not due to the EU, neither is it counted as revenue of the project.

With this, an administrative burden will vanish that was frequently criticised by grant beneficiaries and stakeholders during the public consultation held in 2009 preceding the Commission's proposal of 2010, in particular by the research and NGO communities.

Shifting the emphasis of the grant system from reimbursing cost claims to payments for the delivery of results: lump sums, flat rates, unit costs

In most cases, EU grants are reimbursements of a share of the actual costs incurred by the beneficiary, which implies time consuming paperwork both for the beneficiary, who must itemise all expenditure, and the Commission, which then has to check the project not only against the delivery of the results, but also against the eligibility of all the costs claimed.

The simplification concerns mainly the alternatives to actual costs, i.e. lump sums (payments against delivery), flat rates (percentages to cover certain categories of costs) and unit costs (rates per unit, such as per person per day):

• the maximum threshold per lump sum payment (currently EUR 25,000) will be abolished; instead, the Commission will set the amounts depending on the nature of the programme;

• it will be possible to agree with beneficiaries that lump sums, flat rates and unit costs are calculated on the basis of the beneficiaries' own historical data or usual accounting practices. This is in particular the approach to the so-called average personnel costs in research funding;

• for entities such as owners of small and medium enterprises (SME) or self-employed people, who do not receive a regular salary, unit costs can be established (e.g. a rate per day) as a basis for payment.

• The increased use of these simpler forms will shift the focus from justifying the costs to demonstrating the agreed results of the activity on which contributions from EU budget are used.

Lighter administrative requirements for a larger group of low-value grants

Beneficiaries applying for grants of up to EUR 25,000 are already exempt from submitting certain documents. This threshold will be raised to EUR 60,000.

No guarantees on pre-financing can be asked for such grants; legal status of the beneficiary as well as the financial and operational capacity will have to be demonstrated by a declaration of honour without the necessity to provide supporting documents, and no certification will be required that the beneficiary is not in an exclusion situation. Also, for such grants, the non-profit principle does not apply.

These amounts apply per beneficiary, which may be relevant for actions with multiple beneficiaries working by way of a consortium.

Further simplification and flexibility in the grant rules

At the moment the so-called cascading grants (or sub-granting, i.e. grants awarded by a grant beneficiary) are capped by a maximum threshold for the total grant amount that can be sub-granted, thus limiting the scope for taking on board partners with specific expertise who had not been identified at the beginning. This cap will be abolished.

The current rule that VAT can be made eligible if it is not recoverable under VAT legislation is, in principle, kept. In addition, public bodies will be allowed to include VAT as eligible in actions in which they do not engage as public authorities.

The definition of profit in a grant is clarified, taking into account discussions with stakeholders. Profit is defined as the surplus of receipts of an action over its eligible costs. The Commission will only recover the share of the profit that corresponds to the EU's share in funding the action.

The rules on in-kind contributions, which can be used to demonstrate co-financing, are rendered more usable, in particular for grants below EUR 60,000.

As regards operating grants, they will no longer have to be gradually decreased. Also, building up a reserve by a beneficiary of an operating grant will not be counted for the calculation of profit.

Procurement

The procurement rules are generally based on the EU Procurement Directives. Therefore, the scope for changes is rather limited:

• Guarantees will not be required across the board; instead, it will depend on a risk assessment;

• The procedures below the thresholds of the EU Procurement Directives are simplified;

• Joint procurement will not only be possible with Member States, but also with EFTA and candidate countries where foreseen in an international agreement.

IT tools

Communication with beneficiaries and other authorities should increasingly take place by electronic means. A number of concrete provisions have been added, for example in the context of grants and procurement.

Good administration and redress

Good administration, as expressly provided now in the new Financial Regulation, implies that proposals or tenders where documents are missing or are unclear should not be rejected right away. The applicant is given the opportunity to supply the missing pieces or provide clarifications. However, this may not lead to a modification of the proposal or tender.

An act of the funding authority which adversely affects a citizen will have to contain information on the possibilities to seek redress for challenging such an act.

How to make the control system of EU funds more effective and efficient?

Member States to take more responsibility for their management of EU funds

Article 317 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU obliges Member States to cooperate with the Commission in implementing the EU budget. Up to 80% of the EU budget expenditure is managed by Member States under so-called shared management in areas such as agriculture, growth and employment aid to EU regions (structural funds). In agriculture, national paying agencies give formal assurance for the EU money they spend through annual management declarations. This has helped to reduce the scope for errors.

Under the new rules, national fund managers for structural and other EU funds under shared management will also have to issue annual management declarations that will be subject to independent audit.

Further measures to strengthen accountability, sound financial management and protection of EU financial interests

Provisions on indirect management where Member States' national agencies, third countries, international organisations or other authorised bodies implement EU funds will be harmonised and streamlined.

When designing control measures, the Commission will take into account the costs of control, but also the potential to simplify the rules and hence to decrease error rates.

Where it is expected that errors discovered through checks of certain actions performed by a beneficiary can be found in other similar actions by the same beneficiary, the findings on such errors can be applied to these similar actions as well. This can lead to further recoveries and provides a stronger incentive to comply with EU funding rules.

Provisions on conflict of interests and whistle-blowing are adjusted.

EU claims will receive the same treatment as equivalent claims of Member States in bankruptcy proceedings.

In order to further deter the misuse of EU funds, decisions on penalties for such misuse can henceforth be published.

What are the innovative financial mechanisms allowing for the leverage of EU funds?

Leveraging EU funds by financial instruments

Financial instruments, i.e. support measures in the form of loans, equity participations including risk capital or guarantees, exist and contribute significantly to the EU's policy objectives.

The new Financial Regulation provides a solid harmonised framework for them. Their increased use will also give EU funds a multiplying effect with a view to making them more effective. The new rules will also facilitate partnerships with the European Investment Bank group.

Prizes

Prizes, until now treated as grants sui generis, will receive greater attention. They will be awarded by the Commission following the evaluation of entries in a contest. Whereas traditional prizes reward contributions to EU policies which have already been made, inducement prizes could be used to a greater extent to induce and stimulate activity in a given area, with the aim to obtain creative and innovative solutions to specific problems. Such prizes have the potential to leverage funding in areas where more private investments are urgently needed as for example in research and development. Besides, the strict output orientation of a prize scheme guarantees value for money and greatly simplifies administrative procedures (no input controls necessary, such as checks on cost statements).

Public-private partnerships (PPPs)

The experience in implementing Joint Technology Initiatives, PPPs in the research area in the form of Joint Undertakings, has identified weaknesses due to a certain lack of flexibility of the EU's budgetary and financial rules. This has led to a proposal to create new possibilities for the implementation of PPPs. On the one hand, special PPP bodies governed by financial rules based on the model financial regulation can be set up. On the other hand, PPPs can be implemented by private-law bodies under indirect management.

EU Trust Funds

Trust funds in external action are funds pooled from a number of donors, in particular the EU, its Member States, third countries, international organisations or private donors such as citizens to provide support to agreed objectives. These can have a thematic, e.g. relating to the fight against a certain disease, or geographic orientation. They can also focus on providing relief in cases of urgency, such as a natural disaster.

The new Financial Regulation will allow the EU to establish such trust funds. They will be managed by the Commission and implemented at accountability standards as high as those applicable to the EU budget. They will be governed by a constitutive act reflecting the agreement of the donors on the objectives and management of the EU Trust Fund.

The new possibility of EU Trust Funds will increase European coordination of financial support in external action and will also enhance the visibility of EU and Member States' external aid.

Which way did the Commission proposal have to go until the final adoption?

The legislative procedure was initiated by the Commission proposal COM(2010)815final of 22 December 2010 after a public consultation which preceded the Commission proposal and started on 19 October 2009, resulted in 235 contributions of all type of stakeholders implementing or receiving Union funds and was closed on 18 December 2009. The publication in the Official Journal of the EU took place on 26 October and the new Financial Regulation entered into force today. In parallel, the Commission will adopt by the end of this year the Rules of Application, a delegated act under Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which provides the details and contributes further to the objectives of the review. The bulk of the rules in this package will apply as from 1 January 2013.

Has the simplification process ended with the adoption of the new Financial Regulation?

No, in order to underline the importance of the simplification process in the framework of the whole MFF 2014-2020 and the Commission position on it, the Commission launched a special initiative for monitoring the legislative process concerning sector specific rules (e.g. for research or trans-European networks) in the Council and the European Parliament: This process is going to be implemented through the regular publication of a Scoreboard, tracking simplification measures proposed by the Commission.

For more information about simplification, see the First Simplification Scoreboard.

Contact : Patrizio Fiorilli (+32 2 295 81 32)

 

 

Uncertainty of future South Pacific Island rainfall explained

Storms in the South Pacific on 8 Feb., 2012. Image courtesy Digital Typhoon, National Institute of Informatics.

With greenhouse warming, rainfall in the South Pacific islands will depend on two competing effects – an increase due to overall warming and a decrease due to changes in atmospheric water transport – according to a study by an international team of scientists around Matthew Widlansky and Axel Timmermann at the International Pacific Research Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa. In the South Pacific, the study shows, these two effects sometimes cancel each other out, resulting in highly uncertain rainfall projections. Results of the study are published in the 28 October online issue of Nature Climate Change.

The largest rainband in the Southern Hemisphere – the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) – is the main source of rainfall for South Pacific island nations. Changes in this rainfall band would have severe consequences for the vulnerable island nations already having to adapt to accelerating sea level rise. Yet, very little is known about how this 8,000-km-long climate feature will respond to greenhouse warming.

"One reason why the SPCZ projections are so elusive is that many climate models are notoriously poor in simulating this important rainband, even under present-day climate conditions," says Postdoctoral Fellow Widlansky at the International Pacific Research Center. "We were able to overcome some model shortcomings in simulating South Pacific climate by removing model deviations from observed sea surface temperatures."

With the resulting improvements in climate model performance, Widlansky, Timmermann, and colleagues could identify two competing mechanisms affecting rainfall trends in the South Pacific.

"We have known for some time that rising tropical temperatures will lead to more water vapor in the atmosphere," explains Timmermann, professor of oceanography at the International Pacific Research Center and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. "Abundant moisture tends to bring about heavier rainfall in regions of converging winds such as the SPCZ." Scientists refer to this as the "wet gets wetter" climate change mechanism.

"Nearly all climate change model simulations, however, suggest the equatorial Pacific will warm faster than the SPCZ region. This uneven warming is likely to pull the rainband away from its normal position, causing drying in the Southwest Pacific and more equatorial rainfall," Timmerman goes on to say. The study refers to this as the "warmest gets wetter" mechanism.

Widlansky adds, "When we evaluated the latest climate change experiments being conducted by international climate modeling groups, we saw that these competing mechanisms are the cause for uncertainty in the SPCZ rainfall projections."

The scientists found that depending upon the degree of tropical warming expected this century, one or the other mechanism is more likely to win out. With moderate warming, weaker sea surface temperature gradients are likely to shift the rainband towards the equator, potentially causing drying during summer for most Southwest Pacific island nations. For much higher warming possible by the end of this century, the net effect of the opposing mechanisms is likely a shift towards more rainfall for the South Pacific islands.

"To be more definite in our projections, however, we need more extensive observations in the South Pacific of how clouds and rainfall form and how they respond to such climate phenomena as El Niño. Before we have more confidence in our calculations of the delicate balance between the two climate change mechanisms, we need to be able to simulate cloud formations more realistically," says Timmermann.

Citation: Widlansky, M. J., Timmermann A., Stein K., McGregor S., Schneider N., England M. H., Lengaigne M., & Cai W. (2012): Changes in South Pacific rainfall bands in a warming climate. Nature Climate Change. [DOI: 10.1038/NCLIMATE1726]

Funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, US National Science Foundation, and the institutional grants of the International Pacific Research Center (JAMSTEC, NASA, and NOAA).

Contact: Gisela Speidel
[email protected]
808-956-9252
University of Hawaii ‑ SOEST

 

 

Efforts to mitigate climate change must target energy efficiency

Much more must be done to develop energy efficient cars, buildings and domestic appliances to address climate change – according to new research from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia

Much more must be done to develop energy efficient cars, buildings and domestic appliances to address climate change – according to new research from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia.

A report published today in Nature Climate Change shows that twice as much effort is being spent on developing energy supply technologies - such as new power stations - than is spent on improving the efficiency with which energy is used.

The research shows that efficient end-use technologies have the potential to contribute large emission reductions and provide higher social returns on investment - so the imbalance in current innovation efforts must be redressed to mitigate climate change.

Dr Charlie Wilson, of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at UEA and an affiliated researcher with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), led the study with an international team of scientists from Austria and the USA.

They found that innovation efforts directed by public institutions, policies, and resources allocated overwhelmingly favour energy supply technologies. But this is at the expense of efficiency in energy end-use where the potential gains are higher.

Dr Wilson said: "About two-thirds of all public innovation efforts are directed toward energy supply technologies. It is vital that innovations in renewable energy supply continue, but the imbalance in spending needs to be redressed urgently to mitigate climate change. Evidence strongly suggests that energy end-use and efficiency currently stand as the most effective ways to mitigate climate change."

The new study assesses energy technology innovation systematically and quantifies the relative emphasis placed on energy supply technologies versus the end-use of energy.

The researchers considered three desirable outcomes of energy innovation - the potential for greenhouse gas emission reductions, broader social, environmental and energy security benefits, and the potential for technological improvements.

They found that efficiency in energy end-use outperforms supply technologies in all three areas. They occupy a greater share of energy system investments and capacity, and engage higher levels of private sector activity, they offer higher potential cost reductions, and they provide higher social returns and higher emission reduction potentials.

But the study shows a disproportionately high focus of effort invested in innovation in energy supply technologies – right across the energy research and development sector.

Study co-author Prof Arnulf Grubler, of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and Yale University, said: "Efficiency gets short shrift in both public energy research and development, and in private market investments alike.

"In contrast, improvements in technologies like domestic appliances and more energy-efficient transport are underrepresented given their potential for mitigating climate change."

According to the International Energy Agency, the total public sector research and development spend for all energy end-use and efficiency innovations from 1974 was around $38 billion.

"This is less than the $41 billion spent on nuclear fusion alone - a single, and highly uncertain energy supply option which is still to make any contribution to a low carbon future," added Prof Grubler.

Meanwhile subsidies for fossil fuels, estimated at around $500 billion, dwarf innovation investments of around $160billion into non-fossil fuel energy.

Dr Wilson said: "Directed innovation efforts are trying to push energy supply technologies to mitigate climate change into a market that's already heavily occupied by subsidised incumbents.

"The multitude of small-scale innovations that improve end-use efficiency often go unnoticed because they don't have the glamour of solar panels and wind turbines, and they don't benefit from the well-established institutions, powerful market interests, and political influence that support supply technologies such as fossil fuels, nuclear, and wind and solar power. Yet end-use efficiency innovations have more potential and provide higher social returns on investments."

'Marginalization of end-use technologies in energy innovation for climate protection' was published in Nature Climate Change . The study was conducted by an international team of researchers including Charlie Wilson from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, at UEA (UK), Arnulf Grubler from IIASA (Austria) and the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University, (USA) Kelly Sims Gallagher from the Fletcher School at Tufts University (USA), and Gregory Nemet from the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin (USA). It builds on a collaboration and research carried under the auspices of the Global Energy Assessment (GEA).

Contact: Lisa Horton
[email protected]
44-016-035-92764
University of East Anglia

 

 

The Convention on Biological Diversity brings focus to the remote ocean

Tropical. Credit: IUCN/© Rafael Rojas

Last week the 11th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Hyderabad, India (8-19 October) took an important step for the global ocean commons, the largest habitat for life on Earth. The 193 Parties to the Convention agreed to send key scientific information to the United Nations describing specific places of “ecological or biological significance” in the open ocean and deep sea, including the high seas and seabed Area beyond national jurisdiction.

This information was compiled and selected by intergovernmental experts at two workshops in the Western South Pacific and the Wider Caribbean and Western Mid-Atlantic.  For the first time, scientists worked together to reveal predictable habitats for whales, tuna and other highly migratory species in the open ocean as well as fragile ecosystems such as hydrothermal vents in the deep sea. The results of these two CBD-facilitated workshops were reviewed by the CBD’s science advisory body in May. The reports reveal richly diverse and productive places like the Sargasso Sea, the Tonga Trench and unique oceanic seamounts with cold-water coral reefs. Many of these areas transcend national boundaries. Over the next two years, workshops will cover all ocean basins.

However, the areas described by the scientific experts do not trigger any automatic protection. And unlike national waters, there is currently no international framework for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the ocean beyond national jurisdiction.

To address this gap, many governments are calling for a new legal instrument under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.  The Law of the Sea Convention provides the overarching legal framework for marine activities, but was developed years before the concepts of biodiversity, ecosystem-based management or the precautionary principle even existed.

The need for a new agreement under UNCLOS was hotly debated at Rio+20 in June of this year, and governments finally agreed to take a decision on whether to proceed with a new instrument by 2014 at the latest.

In the absence of such an agreement, it is up to the national authorities and international bodies responsible for managing fisheries or shipping or seabed mining to adopt measures that reflect the special significance of these areas. Unfortunately, many of these international organizations have yet properly to address biodiversity conservation beyond national jurisdiction through measures such as impact assessments, marine protected areas, no-take areas, gear restrictions, or discharge controls.

Other potentially valuable tools adopted by COP 11 are voluntary guidelines on environmental impact assessments and strategic environmental assessments for marine and coastal activities and environments.  For the first time they provide specific guidance on how to assess plans, policies and projects that may undermine marine biodiversity including in areas beyond national jurisdiction. However, as with the new information on significant areas, these guidelines provide no mechanism for global scrutiny or reporting on progress that could serve to stimulate their implementation.

The United Nations General Assembly now has the opportunity to welcome these tools and to signal their commitment to managing our global ocean commons for the benefit of present and future generations.  While forging ahead with discussions on a possible new agreement, we need to urge governments and international bodies to use the powers, information and tools we have today.

Contact: Kristina Gjerde, Senior High Seas Advisor, IUCN Global Marine and Polar Programme.

 

 

 

Small marine organisms' big changes could affect world climate

Warmer future oceans could cause phytoplankton to thrive near poles, shrink in tropics

Plankton (diatoms) among crystals of annual sea ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Credit: NOAA

In the future, warmer waters could significantly change ocean distribution of populations of phytoplankton, tiny organisms that could have a major effect on climate change.

Reporting in this week's online journal Science Express, researchers show that by the end of the 21st century, warmer oceans will cause populations of these marine microorganisms to thrive near the poles and shrink in equatorial waters.

"In the tropical oceans, we are predicting a 40 percent drop in potential diversity, the number of strains of phytoplankton," says Mridul Thomas, a biologist at Michigan State University (MSU) and co-author of the journal paper.

"If the oceans continue to warm as predicted," says Thomas, "there will be a sharp decline in the diversity of phytoplankton in tropical waters and a poleward shift in species' thermal niches--if they don't adapt."

Thomas co-authored the paper with scientists Colin Kremer, Elena Litchman and Christopher Klausmeier, all of MSU.

Blooms of phytoplankton off the coast of New Zealand in October, 2009, form sea-swirls. Credit: NASA

"The research is an important contribution to predicting plankton productivity and community structure in the oceans of the future," says David Garrison, program director in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Ocean Sciences, which funded the research along with NSF's Division of Environmental Biology.

"The work addresses how phytoplankton species are affected by a changing environment," says Garrison, "and the really difficult question of whether adaptation to these changes is possible."

The MSU scientists say that since phytoplankton play a key role in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and therefore global climate, the shift could in turn cause further climate change.

Phytoplankton and Earth's climate are inextricably intertwined.

"These results will allow scientists to make predictions about how global warming will shift phytoplankton species distribution and diversity in the oceans," says Alan Tessier, program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology.

"They illustrate the value of combining ecology and evolution in predicting species' responses."

The microorganisms use light, carbon dioxide and nutrients to grow. Although phytoplankton are small, they flourish in every ocean, consuming about half of the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere.

When they die, some sink to the ocean bottom, depositing their carbon in the sediment, where it can be trapped for long periods of time.

Water temperatures strongly influence their growth rates.

Phytoplankton in a dark sea; countless numbers drift through the world's oceans. Credit: NOAA

Phytoplankton in warmer equatorial waters grow much faster than their cold-water cousins.

With worldwide temperatures predicted to increase over the next century, it's important to gauge the reactions of phytoplankton species, say the scientists.

They were able to show that phytoplankton have adapted to local temperatures.

Based on projections of ocean temperatures in the future, however, many phytoplankton may not adapt quickly enough.

Since they can't regulate their temperatures or migrate, if they don't adapt, they could be hard hit, Kremer says.

"We've shown that a critical group of the world's organisms has evolved to do well under the temperatures to which they're accustomed," he says.

But warming oceans may significantly limit their growth and diversity, with far-reaching implications for the global carbon cycle.

"Future models that incorporate genetic variability within species will allow us to determine whether particular species can adapt," says Klausmeier, "or whether they will face extinction."

Contact: Cheryl Dybas
[email protected]
703-292-7734
National Science Foundation

 

 

Traditional fisheries management approach jeopardizes marine ecosystems worldwide

Fisheries expert and executive director of Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook University presents assessment of current fisheries management in the journal Science

Cape Gannets Diving for Sardinnes, South Africa.

In a Perspectives article, "The Risks of Overfishing," published today in the journal Science, Dr. Ellen K. Pikitch, executive director of the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science and professor at Stony Brook University, cautions against continuing traditional fisheries management. According to Dr. Pikitch, current and recent studies demonstrate the need for "a more precautionary approach to fisheries management, in which fishing is restricted to those places and amounts where it can be conducted safely and with minimal risk of jeopardizing the integrity of marine ecosystems."

Commenting on a study published in the same issue by Costello et al., which found that globally, the abundance levels of fish populations are well below those recommended by conventional fisheries management guidelines, Dr. Pikitch writes, "Of even greater concern, most species are on a continuing trajectory of decline."

Menhaden Catch. Credit: NOAA

Costello et al. found that fisheries that represent 80 percent of the world's catch are in worse shape than those than those on which global status reviews have been conducted. Dr. Pikitch writes, "Costello et al.'s findings are even more alarming in the context of the evolving understanding of fishing and its ecological effects." Dr. Pikitch explains that traditional fisheries management focuses on obtaining maximum sustainable yield (MSY), which is a single-species approach that does not take into consideration the effects of the fishing on the entire ecosystem, including declines of other fish and marine animal species.

The findings of a recently published report, "Little Fish, Big Impact: Managing a Crucial Link in Ocean Food Webs," by the Lenfest Forage Fish Task Force, found that moving away from a single-species management approach toward an ecosystem-based approach requires more precautionary management. The task force, of which Dr. Pikitch is the chair, determined that the amount of information available about the ecosystem and the fishery should establish the level of precaution managers should apply, requiring a shift in the burden of proof for fisheries management. In the Perspectives article, Dr. Pikitch writes "[This shift] is justified not least because the risks of continuing fishing when it results in serious negative consequences are generally much greater than the risks of curtailing fishing when it does not have a deleterious impact."

The Institute for Ocean Conservation Science at Stony Brook University is dedicated to advancing ocean conservation through science. The Institute transforms real-world policy while pursuing serious science, both of which are essential for ocean health.

Contact: Cindy Yeast
720-542-9455
The Institute for Ocean Conservation Science

 

 

 

Fishing for answers off Fukushima

Japan fisheries data provides a look at how the ocean is faring 18 months after the worst accidental release of radiation to the ocean in history

WHOI senior scientist and marine chemist Ken Buesseler (foreground) checks a CTD sampler prior to deploying the instrument to collect data and water samples from the ocean off the coast of Fukushima, Japan. Credit: Ken Kostel, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Japan's "triple disaster," as it has become known, began on March 11, 2011, and remains unprecedented in its scope and complexity. To understand the lingering effects and potential public health implications of that chain of events, scientists are turning to a diverse and widespread sentinel in the world's ocean: fish.

Events on March 11 began with a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, the fourth largest ever recorded. The earthquake in turn spawned a massive 40-foot tsunami that inundated the northeast Japanese coast and resulted in an estimated 20,000 missing or dead. Finally, the wave caused catastrophic damage to the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, resulting in the largest accidental release of radiation to the ocean in history, 80 percent of which ended up in the Northwest Pacific Ocean.

In a Perspectives article appearing in October 26, 2012, issue of the journal Science, WHOI marine chemist Ken Buesseler analyzed data made publicly available by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) on radiation levels in fish, shellfish and seaweed collected at ports and inland sites in and around Fukushima Prefecture. The picture he draws from the nearly 9,000 samples describes the complex interplay between radionuclides released from Fukushima and the marine environment.

In it, Buesseler shows that the vast majority of fish caught off the northeast coast of Japan remain below limits for seafood consumption, even though the Japanese government tightened those limits in April 2012. Nevertheless, he also finds that the most highly contaminated fish continue to be caught off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture, as could be expected, and that demersal, or bottom-dwelling fish, consistently show the highest level of contamination by a radioactive isotope of cesium from the damaged nuclear power plant. He also points out that levels of contamination in almost all classifications of fish are not declining, although not all types of fish are showing the same levels, and some are not showing any appreciable contamination.

As a result, Buesseler concludes that there may be a continuing source of radionuclides into the ocean, either in the form of low-level leaks from the reactor site itself or contaminated sediment on the seafloor. In addition, the varying levels of contamination across fish types points to complex methods of uptake and release by different species, making the task of regulation and of communicating the reasons behind decision-making to the fish-hungry Japanese public all the more difficult.

"To predict the how patterns of contamination will change over time will take more than just studies of fish," said Buesseler, who led an international research cruise in 2011 to study the spread of radionuclides from Fukushima. "What we really need is a better understanding of the sources and sinks of cesium and other radionuclides that continue to drive what we're seeing in the ocean off Fukushima."

To help achieve this, Buesseler and his colleague Mitsuo Uematsu at the University of Tokyo are organizing a scientific symposium in Tokyo on November 12 and 13 to present the most current findings available about how radionuclides from Fukushima Dai-ichi have affected the ocean, marine life, seafood, policy decisions, and media coverage to date. The event will also include a free public colloquium in Tokyo on November 14 to help spread information about the lessons learned to the broadest possible audience.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Mass., dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930 on a recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences, its primary mission is to understand the oceans and their interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate a basic understanding of the oceans' role in the changing global environment.

Contact: WHOI Media Relations Office
[email protected]
508-289-3340
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution