 In the beginning of January the foundation of the first tank of the ammonia storehouse, situated near Volna settlement (Temruk district of Krasnodar region, on the South of the European part of Russia) has cracked. This storehouse is included in the industry complex on transhipping of liquid ammonia, built by the company "Tolyattiazot" on Taman peninsula. |
 During transportation of the hydraulic dredge "Balkhash" from Vysotsk to Pionersky port on Baltic Sea the vessel has sunk. The oil has begun to flow out of the dredge, at least two big oil patches are found near the coast close to Donskoye settlement. According to the press service of "Ecodefence!" ecological group, no actions to liquidate the consequences of the oil spill is made. |
 The International Socio-Ecological Union (ISEU) was founded 24 December 1988 in USSR. Today we celebrate our 15th Anniversary. The ISEU today unites more than 200 collective members from the countries of CIS and other. The members of ISEU are located on all the continents except Australia, South America and Antarctica. |
 Vladimir Putin does not support practical application of genetic engineering (GE) in agriculture. In his live interview on TV to the citizens of Russia on 18 December the President of Russia made it clear to all the world that Russia will develop its own agricultural policy based on the experience of Russian selectionists. |
 All 100 reserves and 35 National Parks of Russia were shocked with receiving telegrams from the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia last Friday. The telegrams contained stunning statement: the ministry declares their existence is "inexpedient". |
 Russian State Duma has passed the law on amendments to the Forest Code of Russia in the third reading on the session on November, 21. And the Federation Council (the higher chamber of parliament of Russia) on repeated voting on November 26, has approved these amendments, which allow to transfer reserve forest lands into other categories of land for their further selling. |
 The "spy" case opened by Federal Security Service (FSC) of Russia against environmental organization "Baikal Ecological Wave" and scientific and technical enterprise "Sosnovgeos" in Irkutsk (East Siberia) was closed after more than a year investigation for lack of components of crime. |
 According to non-official information, the oil terminal belonging to LUKoil company on Visotsky island in the center of Vyborg gulf (Leningrad region, near Saint Petersburg) has begun its work on 1st December 2003. The new port is going to export oil products of LUKoil to Europ and to the petroleum station of the company in USA. |
 An official reply to the letter of several NGOs anxious with situation around construction of ammonia terminal on Taman was received earlier in November the representative of the organization "Non-commercial Initiative "Economic Programs Moscow". |
 Ukraine energy producer - Energoatom company has stopped export of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) to Russia because of rise in price for their transportation by Krasnoyarsk mining and chemical complex, said the president of Energoatom Sergey Tulub. According to him, the nuclear waste from Ukraine will not be sent to Russia in 2003. |
 The Ministry of Natural Resources has realized complex check-up of activity of LUKoil-Kaliningradmorneft company during which several considerable infringements were revealed, on which criminal case was initiated. But the data of the checkup are closed from public access. |
 Syrian hunters for falcons poaching on the territory of Pribaikalsky National Park near Baikal lake again. Their illegal activity is catching and exportation of falcons to the markets of the Middle East. These rare species of birds of prey - Saker Falcon and Gyrfalcon (Falco cherrug and Falco rusticolus) - are included in the Red Book of Russia. |
 Participants of the Campaign on protection of forests conducted by the Ecological Forum of NGOs of Kazakhstan has recently sent the open letter to N.Nazarbayev, the President of Kazakhstan. The environmentalist ask him to expedite taking the decision on implementation of moratorium for cutting of forests of main use and widening of works concerned with restoration of forests of Kazakhstan. |
 November 10, 2003 the Russian citizens have registered a claim against 240 parliamentarian deputies of the State Duma (lower chamber of Russian parliament), who voted for import of spent nuclear fuel to Russia in 2001. Three months earlier the letters containing these questions: are they going to propose their candidatures on forthcoming elections? and are they intend to disregard opinion of the voters in future too? - had been sent to each of the parliamentarians voted for "pro-nuclear" law. |
| On 22 October, 2003, in birthday of the Azerbaijan Society for the Protection of Animals the government of Azerbaijan has presented a surprise. This day Azerbaijan has joined the European Convention for Protection of Pet Animals. |
| This year has demonstrated that school students are able to express their civil protest against ecological infringements on a par with "adult" environmental NGOs, say the members of "Living Sea" coalition and "BROK" (Primorsky Territory, Russian Far East). |
 Recently the President of Ukraine Leonid Kouchma met the President of European Bank for Reconstruction and development (EBRD) Jean Lemmiere on the issue of participation of EBRD in financing of completion of the 2nd power unit of Rovno nuclear power-station and 4th power unit on nuclear station in Khmelnitsk. |
| Officials of the state nuclear controlling body of Russia consider that construction of South-Urals nuclear power station is economically unsound, but at the same time they say that it could be financed for account of environmental programs. | |
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| A lot of legends already were created around the Aral Sea. Part of them was born during Soviet time but there are already new ones arrived recently. Those legends became to be the barriers to solve the problem. There are also barriers specified by status quo mentality of local authorities. But the mutual understanding is the biggest problem among countries shared water resources. It is suggested to create "Ecological Economics Unit of the Biosphere" (EEUB) managed by executive body not affiliated to any country. Despite of the borders EEUB should unite the economics of neighborhood countries to protect the nature. |
| Approximately 289 million hectares (26 percent of the forest zone) remain as large, intact forest landscapes in Russia. Approximately 5 percent of the intact forest landscapes are in areas with special protection at the federal level. |
| Forest Club Newsletter on current events related to Russian and CIS forests and forestry |
| SEU Newsletter Issues Archives 1999 - 2002 |
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