Mohsen Ansari

Deputy Commander of Traffic Police Brigadier General Mohsen Ansari said the government had to phase out 400,000 dilapidated vehicles annually as of next year (to begin March 21).
Speaking at the Conference on Substituting Dilapidated Vehicles, Ansari criticized a recent ratification to offer discount commercial profit rates for phasing out only 20,000 dilapidated vehicles, adding, "This indicates that the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance attaches more significance to revenues rather than to public health, safe transport and clean air."
Ansari said there are 650,000 dilapidated cars (aged 30-36) in seven polluted cities.
"As per the fourth development plan (2005-2010), all dilapidated cars should be phased out by March 2010 which means between 350,000-400,000 rundown cars need to be substituted annually. And the recent ratification aimed at only 20,000 cars evidently falls short of meeting that goal," he noted, adding some 1,500 dilapidated taxis, 2,500 buses and 10,000 motorcycles had been phased out in the current year.
He further called on the Majlis to allocate the required credits for phasing out 400,000 cars annually from the Forex Reserve fund and the state revenues, adding the banks and the Fuel Conservation Organization could also provide help in this regard.
Meanwhile, head of the Department of Environment Masoumeh Ebtekar said at the inaugural ceremony of the Fourth International Quality Management Conference recently that all domestic carmakers were capable of manufacturing/assembling cars that can meet European standards.

A group comprising 144 environmentalists, veterinarians and biotechnologists in a letter addressed to President Seyyed Mohammad Khatami called for a full assessment of the possible dangers of introducing genetically modified products into the country's biological sphere.
Part of the letter reads, "One of the most remarkable developments of the 20th century has been the use of modern biological technologies. As a result, genetic engineering has emerged to create genetically modified plants which are higher in nutrition quality, more resistant to pests and less dependent on chemical pesticides."
It went on, "Along the same line, the 20-year national perspective document on biotechnology, endorsed by the cabinet ministers, predicts that production of genetically engineered plants in Iran would equal 0.2 percent of the global area under cultivation in the short run and 0.5 in the long run.
"As has been experienced, almost all modern technological advancements and scientific initiatives involve their own risks, with genetic engineering being no exception."
In order to ensure the safety and prevent probable side effects of GM products, they undergo detailed examinations worldwide, they wrote, calling on the chief executive to order ministries, manufacturers and importers of genetically modified organisms to conduct reliable quality assessments before they enter the domestic market.

Construction of 15 Khordad and Qarachai dams over the Qomroud River in Qom province has changed the indigenous ecosystem, head of the provincial Department of Environment Masoud Alikhani told IRNA.
"Qomroud originates further south in Isfahan province and is fed by several tributary streams in Markazi province," he said, regretting that the seasonal river has gone dry as a result of the two dams.
"This has caused indigenous plants which used to grow in the area to be gradually replaced by salt-tolerant plants," he stated.
The official also noted that disruption of the river's natural flow had caused 880,000 hectares of farmlands to dry up.
Alikhani recalled that formerly there were 20 indigenous mammal species in the region including wolves, jackals, goats, deer, crocodiles, as well as toxic and nontoxic snakes, most of which have now migrated to other regions.
Qomroud is stretched along 270 kilometers, one-third of which runs through Qom province.
He then pointed to emission of industrial sewage into the river as another environmental concern, warning regional ecosystem would be further destroyed unless the current situation is rectified.
"Dry winds, proximity to desert, sparse vegetation and soil erosion have further exposed the local ecosystem," he concluded.

Each year on the brink of Christmas, a large number of pine trees are cut down for sale.

On the eve of the new Christian year, Tehran's Department of Environment called on Christian citizens and officials to help prevent unbridled felling of pine trees used in Christmas celebrations.
As reported by ILNA, every year on the brink of Christmas, a large number of pine trees are cut down and lined up along the streets for sale.
Therefore, it seems necessary to modify the culture, discourage the felling of pines especially in regions poor in vegetation and prevent further destruction of forests and green areas.
The report proposed that the Christian citizens either use pine saplings planted in flowerpots or extra branches of pine trees pruned in gardens as Christmas decorations in an effort to preserve the natural ecosystems.

Persian Gulf coasts in Bushehr, Hormuzgan province (Photo by Mohsen Shahrnazdar)

The first gallery of taxidermy butterflies from Iran and the world is now open to public at the Biodiversity Museum of Pardisan Park.
Director of the park, Iraj Heshmati, told Fars news agency that experts would brief visitors on information pertaining to butterflies at the exhibit.
"The gallery also features butterflies whose wings are used for printing dollar banknotes," he explained, adding most of the species on display come from East Asian countries.
Iran Biodiversity Museum is located in Pardisan Nature Park in Hemmat Highway. The exhibit will be open to public 9 to 17 Sundays through Wednesdays and 9 to 19 on Thursdays and Fridays for a period of one month.

Flamingos start migrating to Miankaleh in early autumn.

Flocks of flamingos have been sighted in the Miankaleh wildlife shelter in Mazandaran, director of Iran Ecotour Center for education programs told IRNA.
Afsaneh Ehsani added a variety of bird species including grebes and cormorants have also come to spend winter in Miankaleh.
"According to expert observations, flamingos are so large in number that they have created a pink halo around the lake," she said, noting migratory birds need an atmosphere of silence and serenity so they can feel secure.
Ehsani pointed out that the region is covered by pomegranate trees, providing a natural habitat for pheasants.
She warned that livestock breeders and construction projects made the area an unsafe place for the waterfowls.
Flamingos start migrating to Miankaleh in early autumn. From there, they move to Bakhtegan Lake and onward to the Persian Gulf coasts. Afterward, they head for Orumiyeh Lake in northwest Iran, where they hatch in June.
Inhabitants of Ghazmarz, an area near Miankaleh, are aware of the value of the migratory species and have formed volunteer teams to preserve them.
Miankaleh wildlife sanctuary is not only a permanent home to a large number of indigenous waterfowls, but it also plays host to about one million migratory birds every year. The majority of bird species, migrating to Iranian wetlands in autumn and winter, come all the way down from Siberia, north Russia and Kyrgyzstan in North Asia.
With the cold season in, the birds have difficulty finding food and should therefore migrate to warmer regions for survival. They commence their migration southward and toward the equator with the first winter snow.

Luxury gifts such as turtle shell hair clips, ivory bracelets or even a pet tiger should be crossed off Christmas lists to give the environment some festive cheer, the conservation group WWF said on Tuesday.
It highlighted 10 items that should either be left on the shelf or purchased with caution, urging present-buyers to check the label of environmentally sensitive products to ensure, for example, that the reptile behind a pair of snakeskin cowboy boots was bred on a farm rather than in the wild.
"It's about being aware what you buy, and the impact it can have on species and the environment," said Dr. Susan Lieberman, director of WWF's global species program.
Among the items that Father Christmas should avoid this year are any tiger products because, with only 5,000 of the striped cats left in the wild, all international trade of tiger goods is illegal.
"Owning a tiger as a pet, as well as tiger skin rugs and coats is gaining kudos in some elite circles," WWF noted in a statement released from its headquarters in Gland, Switzerland.
Ivory goods are also a big no as conservationists struggle to clamp down on elephant poaching. "The continuing existence of illicit ivory markets, particularly in Africa and Asia, remains one of the greatest threats to elephants today, particularly in West and Central Africa," warned the environmental group.
In addition, WWF urged the beauty conscious to resist turtle shell hair clips and bracelets, noting that six out of the seven species of marine turtles are either endangered or critically endangered.
All international trade in the animal is banned.
It also black-listed Shahtoosh--a high fashion scarf woven from the hair of the endangered Tibetan antelope, which has to be killed as a result.
"Though some traders may tell you the wool can be collected from bushes which the animal has brushed against, that's false," the group said.
Anyone planning to buy coral jewellery or crocodile and snake skin accessories as a gift should make sure they are certified with a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) label.
Red coral found only in the Mediterranean has become locally extinct due to over-harvesting, while the wild populations of crocodiles and snakes are at critical risk, WWF noted.
Similarly black caviar, the epitome of luxury food, should only be bought from shops and only in sealed jars that carry a CITES label, the group said.
Illegal plundering of fish eggs in the Caspian Sea has put the sturgeon that make caviar at risk of extinction.
Also facing tough times due to illicit fishing are cod in the North Sea, Irish Sea and waters west of Scotland.
Consumers should only buy the fish this Christmas if it was caught around Iceland and the Barents Sea, where stocks remain healthy, WWF instructed.
The group also sounded a warning about giving a cactus as a present because a flourishing illegal trade, particularly in Mexico, is wiping out the prickly plant. Cacti grown in a nursery are safe but people should keep their eyes open for any that have been imported. "If in doubt, check the paperwork," WWF advised.
Away from animals and plants, electronic presents such as televisions and stereos are also potentially hazardous for the environment.
The conservation organization recommended that people purchase products that can be switched off and not just left on standby mode, which uses up to 40 percent of the energy required when it is on.

Male fish that are growing eggs have been found in the Potomac River near Sharpsburg, a sign that a little-understood type of pollution is spreading downstream from West Virginia, a federal scientist says.
The so-called intersex abnormality may be caused by pollutants from sewage plants, feedlots and factories that can interfere with animals' hormone systems, The Washington Post reported.
Nine male smallmouth bass taken from the Potomac near Sharpsburg, about 60 miles upstream from Washington, were found to have developed eggs inside their sex organs, said Vicki S. Blazer, a scientist overseeing the research for the US Geological Survey.
Authorities say the problems are likely related to a class of pollutants called endocrine disruptors, which short-circuit animals' natural systems of hormone chemical messages.
Officials are awaiting the results of water-quality testing that might point to a specific chemical behind the fish problems, Blazer said.
"It certainly indicates something's going on," Blazer said of the new findings in Maryland. "But what, we don't know."
The Potomac River is the main source of drinking water for the Washington metropolitan area and many upstream communities. It provides about 75 percent of the water supply to the 3.6 million residents of Washington and its Maryland and Virginia suburbs.
Blazer, who works at a federal fish lab in Leetown, W.Va., said she found the latest abnormalities last week while examining tissues from fish taken from the river near Sharpsburg.
The same symptoms had previously been found about 170 miles upstream, in the South Branch of the Potomac in Hardy County, W.Va. Blazer and other scientists discovered the problem there last year while investigating a rash of mass fish deaths.
US Fish and Wildlife Service researchers are seeking money for a much larger study across the Potomac watershed.
Endocrine disruptors comprise a vast universe of pollutants capable of driving a hormone system haywire. Some are hormones themselves--such as human estrogen from women taking birth-control pills or animal hormones washed downstream with manure--that can pass through sewage plants untouched.
In Hardy County, officials were especially concerned about chicken waste from poultry farms.
Other endocrine disruptors are hormone "mimics"--industrial chemicals or factory byproducts which confuse the body because they are chemically similar to natural hormones.
These pollutants are often found in very low concentrations, so until recently no equipment could detect them. But the first nationwide survey, in 1999 and 2000, found hormones in about 37 percent of streams tested.
Many scientists are concerned that people, as well as other animals, might be affected. "It's not good news that there's something that feminizes male fish in your water," said Gina Solomon, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council.