EU proposes new environmental legislation – pests beware

Today, the European Union (EU) proposed new environmental legislation in hopes of managing the growing threat of pests that have migrated north, thanks to global warming. Over 12,000 invasive species are wreaking havoc throughout Europe, disrupting ecosystems and causing ripple effects across the global economy.

Is there any stopping them?

These pests are causing an estimated €12 billion worth of damage each year. Crops. Trade. Water wells. Europe’s historic, rural communities are at risk of dying out.

From an ecological standpoint, invasive pests can force the extinction of some indigenous species, crippling food-chains that are vital to maintaining balance in nature.

But animals aren’t the only ones in danger. One sting from a tiger mosquito or an Asian hornet, and you’re done for. Think about that the next time you hear something buzzing around your head.

Ultimately, pests become about politics. Members of the EU have already thrown millions of dollars at the problem. They’ve spent substantial resources, too. But until the issue is approached from a unified stance, and not left up to individual nations, then the pest infestation will continue to spread, until one day, the entire planet’s consumed.
Don’t believe me? Think I’m exaggerating?

Consider the Japanese knotweed, which is literally strangling buildings to the point of causing structural damage. Or how about the giant hogweed in Belgium, which, even if the country is successful in eradicating it, may simply cross the border, and start ravaging French crops! (If only traveling was so easy…)

"Combating invasive alien species is a prime example of an area where Europe is better when working together,” says Janez Potočnik, Environment Commissioner of the EU. “The legislation we are proposing will help protect biodiversity and is targeted to allow us to focus on the most serious threats. This will help improve the effectiveness of national measures and achieve results in the most cost-effective way. I look forward to working with Member States and the European Parliament to put this legislation in place and step up our efforts to tackle this serious problem right across Europe."

Potočnik is calling for a ban on select species, meaning it will be illegal to “import, buy, use, release or sell them” anywhere within the EU. The legislation encourages a transition towards a more preventive approach to pests and global warming, which should increase recognition efficiency and lower damage costs.

What’s the best way to prevent global warming? Eliminate carbon emissions. How can we do that? End our dependence on dirty fossil fuels like coal. How can we do that?

That’s the question NRGLab has been asking for years now, and we think we’ve come up with some pretty creative solutions. From a portable, polycrystalline electric generator, to a more efficient gasification turbine – see how you could be paying as little as $0.03 per kWh by visiting nrglab.asia.

Help us ensure a greener future for all.

Global warming, pests, and poverty - how they're interconnected

Think of all the under-privileged people living in the world. The sick. The starving. Sure, every once in a while you might donate to a charity. You might even send a child you sponsor in Africa ten cents a day for basic necessities. It’s a shame to think that so many people continue to struggle to make ends meet despite advancements in technology and an expanding global economy. Medicine, 3 meals a day, warmth, shelter – things we take for granted can literally save lives.

Global warming, unfortunately, is only complicating matters.

Did you know that we already lose between 10% and 16% of our annual global crop production to pests like bacteria, fungi, viruses, worms, and other insects? That loss alone could feed 8.5% of the world’s population!

Want to put an end to world hunger? Kill all the pests!

Yet, according to a new study out of England, hundreds of species of pests are slowly migrating away from the tropics “at a rate of nearly two miles a year.” Rising surface temperatures across the planet are making more ecosystems inhabitable for these dangerous, sometimes microscopic, organisms.

British scientists looked at data collected over the last 50 years and discovered an average annual shift towards the north and south poles of approximately 2.7 km (1.7 miles).

"If crop pests continue to march pole-wards as the Earth warms, the combined effects of a growing world population and the increased loss of crops to pests will pose a serious threat to global food security," claims Professor Dan Bebber of Exeter University, who led the research team.

Take the mountain pine beetle, for instance. Warmer weather has driven the beetle to the U.S. Pacific north-west, where it continues to be a major deforestation threat. Another example would be the rice blast fungus, a devastating pest that’s destroying wheat crops in over 80 countries, most notably Brazil.

"Renewed efforts are required to monitor the spread of crop pests and to control their movement from region to region if we are to halt the relentless destruction of crops across the world in the face of climate change," says Professor Sarah Gurr, also from the University of Exeter and co-author of the study.

So if we really want to make a difference in the lives of the under-privileged, let’s start working together to halt global warming. NRGLab believes the way to accomplish this is by developing cost-effective, clean, and renewable sources of energy.

For more information on NRGLab’s slate of innovative green energy projects, visit nrglab.asia, and read up on our biofuel turbine, our polycrystalline electrical generator, and much, much more!