20140827 BBC_Brazil dismantles 'biggest destroyer' of Amazon rainforest

The group is accused of logging and burning large areas of public land in the Amazon

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The authorities in Brazil say they have dismantled a criminal organisation they believe was the "biggest destroyer" of the Amazon rainforest.

The gang is accused of invading, logging and burning large areas of public land and selling these illegally for farming and grazing.

In a statement, Brazilian Federal Police said the group committed crimes worth more than $220m (£134m).

A federal judge has issued 14 arrest warrants for alleged gang members.

Twenty-two search warrants were also issued and four suspects are being called in for questioning.

The police operation covers four Brazilian states, including Sao Paulo.

Five men and a woman have already been arrested in Para state in the north of the country, Globo news reported.

'Impunity'

The BBC's Wyre Davies in Rio de Janeiro says details are still sketchy, partly because the police operation is focused on one of the most remote and inaccessible parts of the Amazon region.

Political and police corruption is still rife in Brazil's interior, our correspondent adds.

That problem coupled with alleged ineptitude on the part of the federal government means that loggers and illegal miners are able to operate with impunity, he says.

The Amazon rainforest is home to half of the planet's remaining tropical forests

The police announced the operation in a statement: "The Federal Police carried out today Operation Chestnut Tree designed to dismantle a criminal organisation specialising in land grabbing and environmental crimes in the city of Novo Progresso, in the south-western region of Para.

"Those involved in these criminal actions are considered the greatest destroyers of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest."

'Fifty years'

The group members face charges of invading public land, theft, environmental crimes, forgery, conspiracy, tax evasion and money laundering.

They could be sentenced to up to 50 years in jail, although the maximum length that can be served by law in a Brazilian prison is 30 years.

Last year, the Brazilian government said the rate of deforestation in the Amazon increased by 28% between August 2012 and July 2013, after years of decline.

It made a commitment in 2009 to reduce Amazon deforestation by 80% by the year 2020.

Brazil is home to the biggest area of Amazon rainforest, a vast region where one in 10 known species on Earth and half of the planet's remaining tropical forests are found, according to the leading conservation organisation WWF.http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-28961554

20140826 BBC_California drought: Drilling deeper in the hunt for water

Taps are running dry in California's Central Valley as the worst drought in more than a century forces farmers to drill ever deeper underground for water.

In the rush to grab groundwater for agriculture, shallow household wells are drying up and those who can't afford to dig deeper are facing a future without running water.

Working out of a warehouse, Elva Beltran is handing out bottled drinking water and helping families in the town of Porterville, where hundreds of people have lost their water supply.

"Ten or 12 new families are coming in every day - some have been without for three or four months," say Beltran. She's the director of the Porterville Area Coordinating Council, which is a local government agency run by volunteers.

Hundreds of residents rely on bottled water after their taps ran dry

Hundreds of groundwater aquifers prop up California's Central Valley - one of the most productive agricultural areas on the planet - but nobody knows how much water they contain, or how much is being taken out.

For many years rainfall, reservoirs and irrigation canals have allowed this sunny expanse in California to produce half of America's fruit, nuts and vegetables.

But after three extremely dry years, the farmers are turning to groundwater to keep their crops and their precious trees alive.

There's a water-rush as drilling companies are burrowing ever deeper - and there's no restriction on how many wells can be sunk underground.

"Think about the groundwater supply in the Central Valley as a giant milkshake glass, and each well as the equivalent of a straw in the glass," said Robert Glennon a professor at the University of Arizona College of Law.

"What California law permits is a limitless number of straws in the glass, and eventually all the water is sucked out. You are seeing that as the water table is dropping precipitously."

Workers hired by a farmer drill a new well for his crops

Business is booming for the drilling companies

In some parts of the Central Valley, the water level has dropped more than 20m in less than a year, but the most compelling evidence for the loss of groundwater comes from space.

Two identical Nasa satellites orbiting the earth 220km apart can measure tiny changes in its gravitational field - flooding increases the pull, and the loss of water from the land allows the satellites to drift slightly further into space.

"We can see the groundwater is being depleted quite rapidly in the Central Valley," said Jay Famiglietti, senior water scientist at the Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory in southern California.

"During these periods of drought there are excessive amounts of groundwater depletion.

The historic drought has scorched the earth in the Central Valley

"There is a very, very heavy reliance on groundwater - we are seeing the signs of that on the ground through subsidence, through wells going dry, through people having to fold up their farming activities."

He's found that the wettest period of 2014 is drier than the driest periods of every previous recorded year.

Another report estimates the western US has lost 63 tn gallons of water in 18 months - and 80% of California's water is used for agriculture.

A large mechanical hand grabs and vigorously shakes the trunk of a tree until it rains almonds.

Almonds fall from the tree after a shaker knocks them loose. California produces 80% of the world's almonds.

Other machines drive up and down the long, straight groves of trees, brushing then sucking up the nut harvest for cracking, sorting and packing.

Only certain parts of the world can grow almonds, which are a high-value crop, and California's Central Valley is one of them - but the nuts need a lot of water.

More are being planted, and unlike hay or cereal fields, farmers can't leave them fallow in times of drought - they need watering for every one of the 20 or 30 years a tree is productive.

"It is not sustainable," said Dave Phippen who grows, sorts, packs and ships almonds around the world.

"We know we are extracting more groundwater than can be replenished, but when a grower can't have deliveries of surface water, his only option to keep his orchard is to use his groundwater wells."

He uses drip irrigation and says he uses water far more efficiently than his grandfather did.

Water in California's reservoirs is well below half the usual levels

This year, for the first time, farmers in many parts of the Central Valley have received no rainwater or runoff allocation for their crops from the water district.

Dave Phippen blames population increases and believes more reservoirs are the solution - to capture more rainwater in times of plenty - as long as this drought is just the usual cyclical weather pattern.

"If this drought situation is the new normal we are going to have to completely re-think how much food we can grow - and a lot of people depend on California for growing food," he said.http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-28930485

20140611 BBC_China media: White paper on Hong Kong

Media in China give full support to an official document reaffirming total control over Hong Kong, while papers in the special administrative region express pessimism over the future.

The Chinese central government released a white paper on Tuesday reiterating that the "one country, two systems" practice in Hong Kong was "a basic state policy".

The former British colony became a special administrative region of China in 1997, when Britain's 99-year lease of the New Territories, north of Hong Kong island, expired.

Hong Kong is governed under the principle of "one country, two systems", under which China has agreed to give the region a high degree of autonomy and to preserve its economic and social systems for 50 years from the date of the handover.

However, the white paper says the Beijing government has "comprehensive jurisdiction" over Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

"As a unitary state, China's central government has comprehensive jurisdiction over all local administrative regions, including the HKSAR," it adds.

Supporting the white paper, the People's Daily reminds that "patriotism to the country" should be important for Hong Kong's residents.

"Hong Kong can maintain prosperity and stability for a long time only when the policy of 'one-country, two systems' is fully understood and implemented," it says.

The Global Times' Chinese edition warns that the central government will not allow chaos in Hong Kong and it has "a lot of resources and leverage" to prevent such situation to take place.

"The oppositions in Hong Kong should understand and accept that Hong Kong is not an independent country. They should not think that they have the ability to turn Hong Kong into Ukraine or Thailand," it says.

'Turning point'

Meanwhile, media outlets in Hong Kong are less optimistic over the state of democracy and political freedom.

The South China Morning Post notes that the white paper was released about two weeks before pro-democracy Occupy Central activists hold an unofficial referendum on options for the Chief Executive election in 2017.

The organiser of Occupy Central, Benny Tai Yiu-ting, tells the daily that Beijing is "trying to scare Hong Kongers into silence".

The Ming Pao daily says that the "one-country two-system" concept has become an "empty shell" and Hong Kong is likely to turn into an "ordinary Chinese city".

"Hong Kong has arrived at a historical turning point once again, but this time we are unable to see any positive element in it. Negative points are too many to record. The situation is worrying," it says.

Elsewhere, papers support China's decision to distribute a document outlining its historical claims in the South China Sea region at the UN.

Wang Xiaopeng, maritime expert with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, tells the Xinhua News agency that Vietnam had sent similar documents to the UN and China has only "reciprocated". 　　

"This is also to show countries such as the US, Japan and the Philippines that they have no opportunity to take advantage of the dispute between China and Vietnam," he says.

20140630 BBC_Why did Hong Kong hold unofficial democracy referendum?

Banners have been put up around Hong Kong urging people to vote

Hundreds of thousands in Hong Kong have voted in an unofficial referendum on the city's democratic development, which is not recognised by the local or Chinese governments. The BBC examines the reasons behind the ballot.

What's driving the vote?

Pro-democracy campaigners want Hong Kong people to be able to elect their leader.

The Chinese government has promised direct elections for the leader, known as the chief executive, by 2017.

However, voters will only have a choice from a list of candidates selected by a nominating committee, and Beijing has said all candidates must be "patriotic".

Activists fear China will use the committee to screen out candidates it disapproves of.

A pro-democracy group called Occupy Central organised the unofficial referendum which was held from 20 to 29 June. Voters were asked to choose among three proposals for the 2017 election, all of which involve allowing citizens to choose who to nominate as a candidate.

A total of 792,808 voters cast their ballots online and at polling stations.

Hong Kong residents could vote in polling stations or online

Is that a high turnout?

The turnout has exceeded expectations - more than one in five voters took part. Organisers had previously said they would be happy with 100,000 votes. Hong Kong has seven million residents.

Experts say turnout may have been boosted by a recent white paper in China that appeared to emphasise its authority over Hong Kong, and news of a cyber attack on the official voting site.

What is Hong Kong's relationship with China?

Hong Kong, a former British colony, was handed back to China in 1997 following a 1984 agreement between China and Britain.

China agreed to govern Hong Kong under the principle of "one country, two systems", where the city would enjoy "a high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defence affairs" for 50 years.

As a result, Hong Kong has its own legal system, and rights including freedom of assembly and free speech are protected.

How is Hong Kong's leader currently elected?

The chief executive is currently elected by a 1,200-member election committee. A majority of the representatives are viewed as pro-Beijing.

Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, says that "the ultimate aim" is to elect the chief executive "by universal suffrage", but the candidates would need to be nominated by "a broadly representative nominating committee".

What does China say?

China has indicated it will not budge, and has called the unofficial vote a "farce".

In its June 2014 white paper, China said some have a "confused and lopsided" understanding of the "one country, two systems" model.

It stressed that while Hong Kong has a "high degree of autonomy", it is "not full autonomy". China still has "comprehensive jurisdiction" over the city.

The white paper sparked criticism in Hong Kong, with some interpreting the document as China asserting its authority over the city.

The Hong Kong Bar Association, which represents the city's barristers, expressed concerns that the white paper threatened the judiciary's independence.

What is the Hong Kong government's stand?

The Hong Kong government has said Occupy Central's referendum has no legal standing.

It has welcomed the Chinese government's white paper, saying that Hong Kong has benefited from the "one country, two systems" model since the handover.

Hong Kong's current chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, is viewed widely by locals as a Beijing loyalist.

Is all of Hong Kong united against China?

Not quite. A group called the Silent Majority for Hong Kong has criticised Occupy Central for "endangering Hong Kong", while another called Caring Hong Kong Power says the referendum is "illegal".

Business leaders have also opposed the protests.

A recent survey by Hong Kong University showed more Hong Kong residents view China positively than negatively.

Pro-China legislators have argued that Beijing's proposals are an improvement on the current system.

Meanwhile some moderates within the pro-democracy camp have criticised Occupy Central for giving voters too few choices, which could turn off residents who do not want confrontation with China.

Critics of the referendum point out that Hong Kong law requires a nominating committee to pick the candidates.

Occupy Central is one of several pro-democracy groups pushing for electoral reform in Hong Kong

What happens next?

Occupy Central has warned that if the Hong Kong government does not come up with a proposal for the 2017 election that meets international standards for democracy, it will mobilise 10,000 people for a sit-in protest in the city's financial district.

The Hong Kong government, which had earlier held a consultation on electoral reform, is expected to release its plans for the election later this year.

Businesses have expressed concern, saying the protest could deal a blow to the economic development of Hong Kong and the mainland.

20140630 BBC_Hong Kong democracy 'referendum' draws nearly 800,000

A total of 792,808 voters took part in an unofficial referendum on universal suffrage in Hong Kong, organisers said.

The 10-day poll was held by protest group Occupy Central.

Campaigners want the public to be able to elect Hong Kong's leader, the chief executive. The Hong Kong government says the vote has no legal standing.

About 42% of voters backed a proposal allowing the public, a nominating committee, and political parties to name candidates for the top job.

Beijing has pledged that the Hong Kong public can directly choose its chief executive in the 2017 election, but only from a list of candidates selected by a nominating committee.

Activists fear China will use the committee to screen out candidates it disapproves of.

Occupy Central organised the vote for the public to decide which of three proposals - all of which involve allowing citizens to directly nominate candidates - to present to the Beijing government.

The winning proposal, put forth by the Alliance for True Democracy, allows candidates to be nominated by 35,000 registered voters, or by any political party which secured at least 5% of the vote in the last election for Hong Kong's legislative committee.

The proposal also allows a nominating committee to name candidates, and the formation of this committee should be "as democratic as it can be", reported the South China Morning Post.

Supporters of the referendum have been urging Hong Kong residents to vote in the unofficial poll

The voting, in polling stations or on the popvote.hk website, began on 20 June. The deadline was originally set for 22 June, but was later extended after what organisers claimed were several cyber attacks on the website.

Popvote.hk was designed by the University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Polytechnic University to measure support for Occupy Central's campaign.

'Critical juncture'

Chen Jianmin, sociology professor at the University of Hong Kong and one of the founders of Occupy Central, praised the turnout and declared the referendum a success.

"It is very unexpected. It is a very encouraging sign," he said.

"I believe that people feel that our autonomy has been threatened and is going to be threatened even more by Beijing. People feel outrageous [sic outraged] and so they want to make their voice heard."

Hong Kong residents had several days to cast their ballots in the unofficial poll

The BBC's Juliana Liu in Hong Kong says the large turnout - about one in five registered voters - sends a strong message that a significant part of the Hong Kong public is unhappy with the Chinese government's plans for reform.

Pro-Beijing groups have opposed the referendum, with one group marching through the Causeway Bay district with orange balloons urging people not to vote and handing a petition with 30,000 signatures to police.

The vote is seen as a prelude to a campaign of dissent that could shut down Hong Kong's financial district, our correspondent adds.

Prof Chen said the protests could turn violent.

"We have been witnessing more and more physical confrontation during protests and I believe that more young people are willing to go to jail or even to confront the police and the government with their own bodies," he said.

"As a professor, as a parent we want to protect our young generation, that's why we believe we are now in a very critical juncture of our history."

Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997 following a 1984 agreement between China and Britain.

China agreed to govern Hong Kong under the principle of "one country, two systems", where the city would enjoy "a high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defence affairs" for 50 years.

As a result, Hong Kong has its own legal system, and rights including freedom of assembly and free speech are protected.

The other two proposals in the referendum allowed only the public and a nominating committee to name candidates.Jump media player

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20140701 BBC_Hong Kong crowds rally for democracy

The demonstration brought large parts of Hong Kong to a standstill

Tens of thousands of protesters are taking part in what organisers say could be Hong Kong's largest pro-democracy rally in more than a decade.

The annual rally, marking the day Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997, is to demand full electoral freedom.

It comes after an unofficial referendum on how to choose Hong Kong's next chief executive drew close to 800,000 votes.

China says it will introduce universal suffrage for the 2017 vote - but wants the final say over who can run.

The Hong Kong government said the 10-day referendum had no legal standing.

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Organisers are hoping more than half a million people will attend, as Juliana Liu reports

Organisers expect more than half a million people to join the rally from Victoria Park to the city's Central district. Roads around the park were closed off and footage showed key roads jammed with marchers.

Several campaign groups have also indicated that they will stage peaceful overnight vigils after the march, which kicked off at 15:00 local time (07:00 GMT).

Reports said protesters were still in the park as the first marchers arrived in Central four hours later, giving an idea of the scale of the rally.

A rally in 2003 drew half a million people, who demonstrated against proposed anti-subversion laws which were later scrapped.

Activists called for greater democracy in Hong Kong

Protesters filled Victoria Park, where the march began

The rally comes days after 800,000 people voted in an unofficial referendum on universal suffrage

Security was expected to be tight, with around 4,000 police officers on patrol.

'Stability, prosperity'

Speaking earlier at a ceremony to mark the 17th anniversary of the former British colony's return to China, Hong Kong leader CY Leung said that the government was trying hard to forge a consensus on political reform.

"Only by maintaining Hong Kong's stability can we sustain our economic prosperity. Only by sustaining Hong Kong's prosperity can we improve people's livelihood," Mr Leung said.

Beijing has said it will hold elections for the role of chief executive in 2017, but the public will only have a choice of candidates selected by a nominating committee.

Campaigners want the public to be able to elect Hong Kong's leader directly and believe that Beijing will use the committee to screen out candidates it disapproves of.

The unofficial referendum, organised by campaign group Occupy Central, allowed the public to decide which of three proposals - all of which involved allowing citizens to directly nominate candidates - to present to Beijing.

Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997 following a 1984 agreement between China and Britain.

China agreed to govern Hong Kong under the principle of "one country, two systems", where the city would enjoy "a high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defence affairs" for 50 years.

As a result, Hong Kong has its own legal system, and rights including freedom of assembly and free speech are protected.

20140609_內地毒霧攻港 空氣污染爆燈

【晴報專訊】臭氧毒霧籠罩全港，北風吹來污染物，本港昨日受臭氧襲搫，全港十五個空氣監測站，十三個錄得空氣質素健康指數「爆燈」超標，達10+嚴重級別。有環團直言，港府忠告在10+時避免到該區，即是「昨天處處都不用去。」

本港昨日空氣污染嚴重，維港兩岸兩邊亦灰濛濛一片。根據環保署數字，除塔門及大埔監測站外，三個路邊監測站及十個一般監測站的空氣質素健康指數（AQHI）自中午開始，一直錄得最嚴重的10+水平，其餘兩個監測站的AQHI亦徘徊於8-10的甚高水平。

十五監測站 十三個達最嚴重

環保署表示，本港昨受較高的區域臭氧污染影響，因而令健康風險級別上升，同時微弱的風勢亦不利污染物擴散，特別於路邊，較高的臭氧水平亦加速了二氧化氮的形成。

天文台亦解釋，昨早吹微弱北風，令內地的懸浮粒子帶來本港，加上本港風力弱，令污染物進一步難於擴散。

綠色力量科學及自然護理總監鄭睦奇表示，昨日全港污染的情況，是由於天氣及內地與本地污染造成。他解釋，昨日的低壓槽將風匯聚在香港附近，原本風應向上衝，形成雨雲，不過昨日形成雨雲的條件差，令污染物一直壓着，擴散不了。

「昨天那樣 處處都不用去」

鄭認為本港與內地的污染都有份造成昨日的情況，上周本港吹南風，令本地污染物北上，香港空氣質素佳，昨日轉風向亦有影響，致北方污物南下。

被問及本港耗大量公帑改善污染，緣何污染情況仍繼續「望天打卦」，鄭直言不認為港府做了很多事。「這是區域性的污染，香港應該更進一步收緊污染源，政府要想辦法，而香港做好自己，就有本錢要求對方做好。」

對於港府忠告在10+時避免到該區，鄭說：「像昨天那樣，那即是處處都不用去。」

10+嚴重級別 健康風險增兩成

運作將近半年的新空氣質素健康指數（AQHI），分1至10級及10+級，反映低、中、高、甚高及嚴重五個健康風險級別。當達至10+的嚴重級別，健康風險增加近兩成，即入院人數由本來10人，增至12人，建議一般市民盡量減少戶外活動，而心肺疾病患者、兒童及長者更應避免在戶外逗留，但是否停課或停工，則由校方及僱主自決定。

按照教育局指引，10+嚴重級別下，所有幼稚園及中、小學學童避免在戶外逗留，亦不建議學校舉行所有戶外活動。

口罩難阻 加重呼吸系統負擔

面對毒霧，港大醫學院胸肺內科臨床副教授何重文表示，即使使用口罩也未必有效，無法阻隔可進入人體下呼吸道的微細污染物如PM2.5，反而會加重呼吸系統負擔。

中大呼吸系統學講座教授許樹昌表示，在空氣污染嚴重的日子，患鼻敏感、哮喘、慢阻肺病、肺氣腫、心臟病患者，均較易發病。許提醒，長期病患者在空氣污染嚴重的日子，最重要記得定時用藥，例如哮喘病人要定時用舒張劑，及避免在戶外逗留及不要做劇烈運動。