BONJOUR L'ESTONIE

Deaths from air pollution rise

Four Australians a day are dying because of air pollution, an international report has found, which puts the cost to the country at almost $6 billion a year. The OECD research into the economic costs of air pollution found Australia is one of 14 nations where deaths from poor quality air have increased over recent years.

In Australia's case, 882 people died from ambient air pollution in 2005. By 2010, this had increased to 1483. Only one other OECD member nation, Estonia, had a bigger increase in air pollution-related deaths than Australia.

The lift in deaths has also led to an increase in the number of "life years" lost in Australia to air pollution. The OECD estimates Australians collectively lost 20,631 life years in 2010. The ultimate cost to the country because of air pollution, from increased use of medicines to people too sick to do what they would like, is now estimated to be $6.25 billion.

The Department of Environment Regulation said air quality in Perth was rated "poor" on three days last year. A spokeswoman said the Perth Air Quality Management Plan directly targeted vehicle emissions and smoky wood heaters. The Diesel National Environment Protection Measure also assisted with managing diesel engine emissions.

Associate Professor Ben Mullins of Curtin University's School of Public Health said Perth's air quality was generally good.

Estonia : Waste not want not

Most countries are struggling to deal with the waste they create, stretching themselves to find ways to recycle or dispose of the increasing amount of rubbish they produce. Dealing with waste is a burden for government officials and a concern for environmentalists, a balancing act that always leaves somebody disappointed. It therefore seems absurd that somewhere would be looking to import waste from abroad.

A new waste to energy incineration plant in Iru, Estonia, however, is doing exactly that. Completed in June 2013, the plant has the capacity to process 220,000 tonnes of waste into energy a year. This energy is then used in the national grid to supply the Tallinn and Maardu areas. The unit could process over half of Estonia’s household waste and convert it into power, but this would still fail to take advantage of the plants full capabilities.

The plant’s operators Eesti Energia submitted the winning bid to process the waste from the Turku municipality in Finland. An average of eight truck loads of waste have been shipped every day to the plant in Estonia since last autumn. The argument is that the emissions from transporting the waste are lower than processing it in Finland or burying it in a landfill. One might argue this a case of the Turku authorities “dumping their dump” — shifting the waste disposal burden elsewhere to protect their own environment, but there are benefits for Estonia.

Estonia starts to shelve shale

On the 28th of February authorities began the dismantling of the above-ground buildings at the Viru mines facility. Located in Ida-Viru County in the north-east of Estonia, the mines had been active for 48 years before their closure last June. The complicated project is forecast to create over 50,000 tons of building waste, making it one of the biggest of its kind in the country. Hopefully it will prove to be one step in a broader change in the country’s energy generation and consumption.

In 2012, 70% of Estonia’s total primary energy supply came from oil shale, with 80% of that going towards electricity production. In total the country is home to 17% of Europe’s total shale reserve. Put simply, oil shale has been pivotal to Estonia, the core of its energy producing independence and a driving force of its economy.

Unfortunately, it is also terrible for the environment. The oil shale from Estonia, whether burnt directly or processed into shale oil, emits more carbon dioxide than any other fossil fuel. The extraction process for oil shale has also taken its toll on the environment. In 2011 Kaisa Kivila, the then Chief Specialist of the Water Department of the Ministry of the Environment said: "Due to long term mining of oil shale, the ground water problems in Ida-Viru County are the worst in Estonia."

The groundwater in the area had to be constantly monitored to check for pollutants from the mines. The problems then continued once the mines started to close, as the movement and levels of underground water began to change.

Renewable energy in the European Union

Bulgaria, Estonia and Sweden have reached in 2012 their 2020 targets for share of renewables in their energy consumption, which are respectively 16% for Bulgaria, 25% for Estonia and 49% for Sweden, Eurostat data show.

The largest increase of renewables for the period 2004-2012 is registered in Sweden, Denmark and Austria, respectively Sweden from 38.7% in 2004 to 51.0% in 2012, Denmark from 14.5% to 26.0%, Austria from 22.7% to 32.1%

Estonia and the environment : Something to hide ?

The European Commission is taking Estonia to the European Court of Justice over the systems it has in place for public access to environmental information. The Commission submitted a report to Estonia in April 2013 explaining what it believed to be shortcomings in the country’s legislation and procedures. The Commission believes these issues have not yet been rectified and has therefore decided to bring the matter to a higher authority.

EU laws created to achieve the standards of the Aarhus Convention state that citizens are entitled to information about the state of their environment and the holders of that information are obliged to make it available. This is a vital process in the quest for transparency on environmental issues. It is believed that these laws will engender greater public participation in the discourse on the environment by making the necessary information readily available.

Some of the information that should be made available includes that relating to the current state of the environment, information on policies that may affect the environment and data relating to health and safety when it could be affected by environmental conditions.

Estonia wants less plastic bag usage to save environment

The Estonian Riigikogu European Union affairs committee decided to support, with some conditions, the European Union draft directive that changes the currently valid package and package waste directive, in order to reduce the use of thin plastic bags, Public Broadcasting reports.

"We are for the reduction of the use of plastic bags but the measures to be implemented have to be reasonable and cannot cause additional problems for consumers or retailers. If for example, thin plastic bags meant for fruits and vegetables were replaced with paper bags, it may be a bigger burden for the nature than plastic bags," committee chairman Arto Aas said.

In Europe, an average of 189 plastic bags per capita a year are used while the European Commission claims that Estonia used 466 plastic bags per capita in 2010. Estonian Retailers Union analysis claims that Estonian people use 38 plastic carrier bags for which they pay and 171 free packaging plastic bags a year.

"Currently the statistics of using plastic packages isn’t trustworthy enough and the scope of implementing the directive needs to be more detailed. Before the directive comes in force, we must know, the use of which plastic bags we restrict, how many of them are in circulation now and what the alternative to plastic bags is," said Aas.

He added that Estonia needs at least three years for transition while the current draft directive prescribes two years. Aas added that the problem doesn’t so much lie in plastic bags but them becoming garbage that is dangerous for environment and if the plastic bags were collected and recycled, the ecological footprint could be reduced.

Estonia will buy 20 new trams from Spain for pollution quota

The Estonian government is planning a law amendment that would enable to use the pollution quota finances that have been left over from the contracts concluded so far to buy four new trams more from Spain, LETA/Public Broadcasting reports.

According to a procurement signed already, 16 new modern trams will be bought from Spain for revenues from selling excess pollution quota.

Money was gained for the purchase of additional 4 trams from residues of contracts concluded with Spain that emerged in connection with the change of investment plans, environment ministry spokeswoman Berit-Helena Lambi said.

The new trams, produced by the Spanish CAF company, will ride in the 3rd and 4th tram lines in Tallinn.

Before the new trams are introduced, the tramways of these lines will be reconstructed this and next year. In addition to trams, three new city buses operated by natural gas will be bought and these go to Pärnu.

There are nearly 500 empty or half empty apartment buildings in Estonia

A study conducted at the request of the Estonian economy ministry indicates that there are nearly 500 empty or half-empty apartment building in Estonia, LETA/Public Broadcasting reports.

The aim of the study was to map the state of problematic apartment buildings. Apartment buildings that have three or more apartments and where at least 25% of apartments are empty were considered problematic.

The poll was conducted in 72 towns and parishes. The amount of such buildings is the biggest in the South East Estonian town Valga and in North Eastern Lääne-Virumaa county. The study recommends supporting local municipalities financially to move people in the buildings that are in a better state and demolish the empty buildings. The state could help renovate the buildings where people move to.

Economy ministry construction and housing department head Margus Sarmet said that the biggest problem is that all apartments are privatised and thus it is difficult for local municipalities and the state to make changes.

Eesti Päevaleht puts the number of such buildings at 476 and says that the study recommends demolishing around a half of them and renovating the rest. The study also makes a proposal to pay a compensation of a thousand euros to people who agree to move out of the half-empty buildings so that they could be demolished.

A new use for orange peels : squeezing oil from the Utah desert

A boom in oil production Utah has increased the state’s output to the highest level in 25 years, but that rising tide also is giving a lift to more exotic plays:  petroleum trapped in sand and hard shale rock.

Eastern Utah has the largest oil sands formation in the U.S. as well as extensive oil shale rock resources—not to be confused with the shale oil extracted from the Bakken formation astride the North Dakota and Saskatchewan border. These have never been economically viable in the U.S., but a combination of advances in technology and higher crude prices has led to several new proposals for open pit mines in and around the sagebrush-covered Uinta Basin.

Among the most aggressive proponents are Calgary–based US Oil Sands Inc. and Enefit American Oil, the U.S. unit of Estonia’s state-run utility. But both companies’ projects have triggered fierce opposition from environmental groups and a healthy dose of skepticism from critics who doubt their viability.

MAN delivers 40 city buses for Estonian capital Tallinn

MAN is supplying 20 MAN Lion's City LE solo buses and 20 Lion's City GL articulated buses to the Estonian capital's public transport company, Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS (TLT). With effect from November 2013, the new vehicles supplement TLT's fleet of around 420 buses. Service and maintenance of the buses will be carried out by MAN importer Keil M.A. A fully-developed service concept ensures short delivery times for wear and spare parts. Downtimes for the buses is reduced thanks to particularly efficient, time-saving servicing.

The 20 MAN Lion's City solo buses with an overall length of 12 metres are the low-entry variant. They are driven by 290-hp diesel engines complying with the EEV standard (Enhanced Environmentally-friendly Vehicle) and take 85 passengers. The low-floor variant of the 320-hp, 18.75-metre long MAN Lion's City GL has space for 166 passengers. With four double doors, the flow of passengers is rapid. All the buses are equipped with double-glazing and a special heating package for countries in northerly climes. Thanks to their wheelchair ramps and kneeling function, the MAN buses also offer mobility-challenged passengers a high level of comfort. The driver benefits from an ergonomic cockpit with air-sprung seat, which makes for effortless driving.

This is the second major order for MAN from Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS in the space of the last two years. In addition to the high quality and reliability of the vehicles, TLT is very satisfied with the low fuel consumption of the MAN city buses.

This week's weather : cold November rain

Conditions over the coming days are expected to be reminiscent of a classic Guns N' Roses track. When we look at the week's forecast, what we see is cold, cold rain.But since winter's around the corner most would predict the same.

The weekend sun didn't last forever and a low-pressure font is on its way. And the Meteorology and Hydrology Institute predicts cold November rain. While Estonia's weather might not always be as romantic as “Cold November Rain,” this week might be perfect for sitting around a fireplace and drinking hot chocolate.

A low-pressure system will bring cold rain from Monday night until at least Thursday evening, if not longer. As temperatures are hovering only slightly above zero, the rain could quickly turn into sleet.

Daytime temperatures will be around 6C, rising to 8C on Wednesday, after which they will drop again. Winds will continue to be around 60 kilometers per hour on the islands and coastal areas, calming slightly as the week progresses.

Thursday night could bring bigger changes as the low front weakens and rain clouds may move towards the east, bringing drier but cooler weather.

Plastic bag proposal a "Step in the right direction"

Estonian environmental activists say the European Commission's plans to reduce the use of thin plastic bags is on the right path, but politicians say a tax may be too complicated and other approaches should also be considered.

If approved, the proposals would give EU countries the option of banning or taxing thin plastic bags at grocery stores, reported ERR radio. Similar measures have already been successfully implemented by some EU countries such as Ireland and Denmark.

"Maybe in Estonia we don't really notice this because garbage collection is managed for us and the plastic bags are not yet that visible in the landscape. But in the world's seas there are trash islands, largely made up of plastic bags, that are larger than natural islands," said Estonian Nature Fund head Silvia Lotman.

Measures for reducing the use of plastic bags have been proposed in Estonia previously, but have failed.

MP Jaanus Tamkivi, a former environment minister, said there might be more efficient alternatives to a tax, such as switching to paper bags, which are considered less damaging to the environment.

Estonia places 29th in global aging index

A first ever index measuring the financial security, health and lifestyle of the elderly has placed Estonia's seniors 29th out of 91 nations.

According to the report by AgeWatch International, Estonia scores high in employment and education (8th), with 53.8 percent of the population aged 55 to 64 active in the job market. Income levels are 35th in the ranking.

In health and environment categories Estonia fares far worse, coming in 58th and 62nd respectively.

The best places to be elderly are Sweden (1st), Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and Canada, while Afghanistan (91st), Tanzania and Pakistan are at the bottom.

As usual in socioeconomic indexes, Finland scored more than Estonia (15th), while Latvia (45th), Lithuania (50th) and Russia (78th) are all below Estonia in the ranking.

City of Tallinn offers a slum in Kopli to Scandinavian and Russian investors

The Tallinn City Government has given up hope to find a developer in Estonia who could turn the rundown area known as Kopli Liinid into a new residential area and is going on a roadshow in Scandinavia and Russia, writes ERR.

In the first half of October, the city will organize a roadshow in Helsinki, Stockholm, St. Petersburg and Moscow, hoping to find a developer for a notorious slum area that has 17 hectares of land including 6 ha for residential development.

According to the detailed plan, developers will be able to build residential houses with a total of 527 apartments plus 38 one-family houses on the area. The aim is to find a developer to construct a new residential area and update infrastructure.

The area, running parallel to tram tracks on the Kopli peninsula, is mostly known for its abandoned buildings, occasionally inhabited by the homeless. In winter, many of the squats catch fire, as the down-and-out people of Tallinn try to warm themselves, often with deadly consequences.

According to Deputy Mayor Ega Võrk, while at first the city tried to hand out building leases, it now plans to sell the properties. The starting price of the area is EUR 1.5m.

Toomas Hõbemägi

Estonia becomes self-sufficient on shale gas boom

The Baltic tiger of Estonia is the world’s first country to meet all its power needs from shale, with enough left over for neighbours and fuel exports for the shipping industry. “We are the most energy independent country in the European Union, and we will not compromise our energy security. We have a large neighbour,” said Juhan Parts, the economy minister.

It is the same story wherever you go across Eastern Europe: the fuel debate comes down to Vladimir Putin’s Russia, and Gazprom’s stranglehold on gas supplies. Global warming inevitably plays second fiddle. “Estonia is not rich enough to experiment with immature technologies,” said Mr Parts. “Even if we had to invest in new power plants today, shale would still be cheapest. Russian gas costs 1.8 times as much; onshore wind 2 times as much; and offshore wind 2.5 times as much.”

“I am a right-wing person and I am not a supporter of the war on fossils. We must look after the competitiveness of our industries. We must respect European environmental regulations of course but I am sceptical about these climate issues.” Oil shale is a combustible rock containing kerogen, and releases oil when heated. It is different from the shale oil and gas in America’s Marcellus or Barnett fields, or Britain’s Bowland Basin, obtained by hydraulic fracking deep underground. The word order is reversed, a source of confusion.

EU may adopt electric car connector standard incompatible with Estonia's brand new network

European Commissioner of Transport Siim Kallas has said that a proposal he introduced would standardize electric car chargers in the European Union to work with the Combo type connector.

That may have disappointed Estonian officials, who have just finished building nationwide charging network that uses the CHAdeMo connector. The project cost 5 million euros and switching out the system could cost just as much, reported Delfi.

Fortunately, the electric cars purchased by the government a few years ago, which are used by some government workers and a rental service, will still compatible.

"Whether the current charging infrastructure should be equipped with new connectors or not will become clear in a few years at the earliest, since currently the decision-making process is in the proposal stage and it must in the end be confirmed by the European Parliament,” said Martin Miido, a representative for the Ministry of Economic Affairs. "It is too early to talk about the costs.”

Free public transport barely increased number of passengers in Tallinn

A fresh study indicates that introduction of free public transport in Estonia's capital Tallinn barely increased the number of passengers, while special bus lanes and busier bus schedules had a more noticeable effect on the passenger number, Eesti Päevaleht writes.

Eesti Päevaleht writes that Swedish Royal Technical University scientist Dr Oded Cats and his two colleagues completed a study on the use of free public transport in Tallinn and it shows that free public transport has attracted a minimum amount of new passengers. The number of them grew most in the Lasnamäe city district, over 10%.

The 12 million EUR of deprived ticket income has yielded just 1.2% increase in the number of bus passengers. Special bus lanes and busier bus schedules have yielded 2.8% of new passengers, the study indicated.

Tallinn introduced free public transport this year, reported LETA.

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Tallinn hosts conference on free public transport

Tallinn City Government is currently hosting an international conference on free public transport, writes ERR.

Tallinn plans new housing developments in high-risk areas

The disctrict government of North Tallinn sees nothing wrong in allowing developers to build new apartment houses in areas in Kopli peninsula that are marked as high-risk areas, writes Eesti Päevaleht.

The city has approved plans that allows to build 527 apartments and 38 single-family homes in the area, totalling more than 48,000 new residents. Some of these new residential areas are labelled as especially dangerous in the risk assessment.

The main risk comes from Estonia's largest ship repair and ship building company BLRT Group that has large shipyards in the area and stores and handles, among others, large stockpiles of ammonium nitrate which can be a major fire risk and may also detonate.

Among others, ammonium nitrate was suspected as the explosive responsible for the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas USA on April 17, 2013. It exploded following a fire that began in the plant's office. At least 15 people were killed, more than 160 were injured and more than 150 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Investigators have confirmed that ammonium nitrate was the trigger for the explosion, but the cause of the initial fire is as yet unknown.

Toomas Hõbemägi

Study proposes fixes for Pirita's smelly beach

The Ministry of the Environment has pledged to use up to 5 million euros in EU funds to eliminate a foul odor that has for years annoyed locals and tourists strolling alongside Tallinn's main coastal promenade in Pirita.Close to Kadriorg Palace and the Song Festival Grounds, the coastline at hand stretches four kilometers from the Russalka monument to the suburb of Merivälja.

The stench is created by deteriorating seaweed fed by sewage waste entering the sea that contains nitrate, phosphorite and nitrogen, according to the interim report of an 80,000-euro study presented yesterday. Three potential solutions were suggested by the study's team, led by the Tallinn University of Technology senior researcher Ants Erm.

The most efficient and costly would be to clean the inland water flowing into the sea. A second option would be to clear the seaweed from shallow areas, but this can't be done everywhere as some areas are too rocky. A third solution would be to lengthen the sewage pipes running into the sea, thereby disposing of the waste deeper and farther out in the sea.

The study is scheduled for completion next spring.

Swedish report urges Estonia to give up oil shale energy

A climate change report of the Swedish Air Pollution and Climate Secretariat calls on Estonia to drop oil shale energy, emphasizing that the emerging green economy must offer work to released miners and other oil shale sector employees in the northeastern Virumaa region, the Estonian Renewable Energy Association reports.

"The report singles out Estonia as the biggest per capita polluter in the region," the head of the association, Rene Tammist, says in his blog.

The document calls the Estonian oil shale complex the dirtiest industry in the Baltic Sea region and voices concern that contrary to the European Union's climate and energy policy directions Estonia continues developing its oil shale industry.

According to the report, the jobs to replace those lost through the gradual closure of the oil shale complex must be created in green economy and also be located in the northeast. This would avert mounting of social problems and ethnic tensions, the report says.

The report that surveys eight countries says that carbon dioxide emissions in the Nordic and Baltic region should be reduced by 70 percent by 2020 and by 95 percent by 2030 through efficient use of existing technologies.

It puts emphasis on energy saving in buildings and transport, and suggests giving up the use of coal, oil shale and peat to produce electricity and heat, cutting back drilling for oil and gas in Norway and concentrating on clean energy production.

Toomas Hõbemägi