This is a list of notable events relating to the
environment
Environment most often refers to:
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* Natural environment, all living and non-living things occurring naturally
* Biophysical environment, the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism or ...
in 2012. They relate to
environmental law,
conservation
Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws.
Conservation may also refer to:
Environment and natural resources
* Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...
,
environmentalism
Environmentalism or environmental rights is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seek ...
and
environmental issue
Environmental issues are effects of human activity on the biophysical environment, most often of which are harmful effects that cause environmental degradation. Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment on t ...
s.
Events
*A list of
the world's 100 most threatened species
The World's 100 most threatened species is a compilation of the most threatened animals, plants, and fungi in the world. It was the result of a collaboration between over 8,000 scientists from the International Union for Conservation of Nature Spe ...
- a compilation of the most threatened animals, plants, and fungi - was published.
*The first period emission reduction commitments under the
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol was an international treaty which extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that (part ...
expired at the end of 2012. A second commitment period was agreed to at the
2012 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
January
*Armed commandos will be ordered to
protect endangered
tigers
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on un ...
in India's
Bandipur
Bandipur () is a hilltop settlement and a Rural municipality (Nepal), rural municipality in Tanahu District, Tanahun District, Gandaki Province, Gandaki province of Nepal. Bandipur is primarily known for its preserved, old time cultural atmosphe ...
and
Nagarhole national parks.
*The
Guangxi cadmium spill contaminated the Guangxi Longjiang river and water supply.
February
*The
Atlantic sturgeon
The Atlantic sturgeon (''Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus'') is a member of the family Acipenseridae and along with other sturgeon it is sometimes considered a living fossil. The Atlantic sturgeon is one of two subspecies of '' A. oxyrinchus'', ...
is classified as an endangered species by the US
National Marine Fisheries Service
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), informally known as NOAA Fisheries, is a United States federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that is responsible for the stew ...
.
March
*
Protests in Ecuador
A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one.
Protests can be thought of as acts of coopera ...
in opposition to the copper mining concessions in the province of Zamora-Chinchipe begin with a series of demonstrations by indigenous peoples.
*As a result of
Deepwater Horizon litigation
The civil and criminal proceedings stemming from the explosion of ''Deepwater Horizon'' and the resulting massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico began shortly after the April 20, 2010 incident and have continued since then. They have includ ...
BP agrees to pay out $7.8 billion to plaintiffs affected by the 2010
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The ''Deepwater Horizon'' oil spill (also referred to as the "BP oil spill") was an industrial disaster that began on 20 April 2010 off of the coast of the United States in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect, considere ...
.
*The formation of
Limmen National Park
Limmen National Park, announced in 2012, is the third largest national park in the Northern Territory, after Judbarra / Gregory National Park, with an area of approximately . Located about 600 km south-east of Darwin on the Gulf of Carpenta ...
in Australia's Northern Territory is announced.
April
*Protests are held at the site of the proposed
Baram Dam
The Baram Dam, also known as Baram 1 Dam, (Baram Hydro-electric Dam Project) is a proposed gravity dam on the Baram River in Sarawak, Malaysia. The site of the dam is inland from Miri, the second largest city in Sarawak. The dam is part of the Sa ...
in the Malaysian state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo.
*The Sustainable Biofuels Bill, introduced into the New Zealand Parliament by the Green Party, was defeated on its second reading.
May
*The
Mokihinui Hydro
The Mokihinui Hydro was a proposed hydroelectric dam and power station planned for conservation land on the Mōkihinui River on the West Coast of New Zealand. The project by Meridian Energy was expected to cost $300 million.
In April 2010, reso ...
project in New Zealand is cancelled. There had been opposition on the basis that it would result in changes to recreation and flooding of historic sites and high value conservation land.
June
*The
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), also known as Rio 2012, Rio+20 (), or Earth Summit 2012 was the third international conference on sustainable development aimed at reconciling the economic and environmental goals ...
is scheduled to be held 20–22 June in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a follow-up to the ground-breaking 1992 Rio Summit.
*The
Jardim Gramacho
Jardim Gramacho (Gramacho Gardens in English) is a neighborhood in the city of Duque de Caxias and the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Landfill
Jardim Gramacho was the site of one of the largest landfills in the world. It closed in June 2012 after 34 ...
landfill in the Brazilian city of Duque de Caxias closed after 34 years of operation. It was one of the largest landfills in the world.
*"Lonesome George", possibly the last remaining
Pinta Island tortoise
The Pinta Island tortoise (''Chelonoidis niger ''), also known as the Pinta giant tortoise, Abingdon Island tortoise, or Abingdon Island giant tortoise, was a subspecies of Galápagos tortoise native to Ecuador's Pinta Island.
The subspecies wa ...
, dies in captivity. It is thought to have lived for 100 years.
July
*Planning for the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
has included environmental policies such as conservation measures, renewable energy options and biodegradable packaging.
*The
Qidong protest
The Qidong protest was an environmental protest against a proposed waste water pipeline in the Chinese city of Qidong province. The protest took place on 28 July 2012. The pipeline, which would have dumped industrial waste water into the sea, w ...
against a proposed waste water pipeline occurred in the Chinese city of Qidong, Jiangsu province.
*The
Shifang protest occurred in the southwestern Chinese city of Shifang, Sichuan province, against a copper plant that residents feared posed environmental and public health risks.
November
*At the
2012 United Nations Climate Change Conference it was decided to extend the Kyoto Protocol though to 2020. Wording adopted by the conference incorporated for the first time the concept of "loss and damage", an agreement in principle that richer nations could be financially responsible to other nations for their failure to reduce
carbon emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and larg ...
.
See also
*
List of protected areas established in 2012
Below is a list (in the form of a (statistical) table) of all of the protected areas that were officially established as such in the year of 2012. The table contains each place's/park's/monument's name, country in which the corresponding place/par ...
*
Human impact on the environment
Human impact on the environment (or anthropogenic impact) refers to changes to biophysical environments and to ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural resources caused directly or indirectly by humans. Modifying the environment to fit the need ...
*
List of environmental issues
This is an alphabetical list of environmental issues, harmful aspects of human activity on the biophysical environment. They are loosely divided into causes, effects and mitigation, noting that effects are interconnected and can cause new effects. ...
References
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