Home/Posts Tagged ‘deforestation’
Posts Tagged ‘deforestation’
Conservation, Politics, May 19th, 2011,
Half of the Earth’s forests have already been cleared or degraded. A lot of this former forestland is used for growing food, but much is unused or underused. All the while more deforestation is taking place in order to feed a growing global population and to increase economic development. A new study argues that these degraded forests could be either reforested or put to productive use, instead of cutting down more virgin forest. In Brazil, reports show that deforestation rose immensely in recent months, in sharp contrast to government studies released last December claiming that Amazon deforestation had fallen to…
Tags: amazon, Brazil, deforestation, development, food prices, Indonesia, population, soy
Conservation, Videos & Documentaries, May 10th, 2011,
Depending on how you measure wealth, Costa Rica could be considered one of the world’s richest nations. The Central American republic is home to only 4.25 million people and is considered the oldest Latin American democracy. Though not particularly rich monetarily speaking, Costa Rica compares well with other countries of similar incomes, in terms of human development and environmental issues. According to the 2010 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) it ranked 3rd in the world and 1st in the Americas. The New Economics Foundation’s Happy Planet Index puts Costa Rica at number one. But this tropical treasure trove of biodiversity (Costa…
Tags: biodiversity, Climate change, Conservation, Costa Rica, deforestation
Climate Change, Nature, Politics, Dec 7th, 2010,
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez blames the West for the deadly casualties that resulted from heavy rain showers in Venezuela and Colombia last week. “Criminal capitalism”, so the President said, is responsible for climate change and in turn for the death of 32 people and the loss of the homes of another 70.000 people in Venezuela. President Chavez called the natural disaster his country is facing the “unfair and cruel paradox of our planet”, blaming “the developed nations for irresponsibly shatter the environmental order, in their desire to maintain a criminal development model, while the immense majority of the earth’s people…
Tags: blame game, Climate change, Climate conference UN, cop16, deforestation, Hugo Chavez, South American countries, Venezuela flooding
Climate Change, Nature, Science & Technology, Dec 6th, 2010,
Last week, at the beginning of the COP 16 Climate Conference in Cancun, Google launched its Google Earth Engine, a new tool by Google.org (the technology-driven philanthropic part of the gigantic organization). The Engine, a planetary-scale platform for environmental data & analysis, merges the world’s satellite imagery (more than 25 years of data good for trillions of scientific measurements) and makes it available online. The purpose of the tool is to help scientists, conservationists, environmentalists and independent researchers to track changes in the Earth’s environment and to map trends and quantify differences to the Earth’s surface. Possible applications include mapping…
Tags: Climate change, cloud computing, cop16, deforestation, Earth's environment, environment, Google Earth Engine, Google.org, REDD
Climate Change, Green living, Nature, Politics, Nov 24th, 2010,
“REDD Alert: Protection Money”, an extensive report issued by Greenpeace last Tuesday, claims that the Indonesian government has plans to use the billion dollars the country will get from the U.S., Norway and the U.K. under the REDD program to cut down 37 million acres of rainforest. Greenpeace’s findings are based on leaked documents from the ministry of Agriculture, Energy and Forestry. The report states that Indonesia’s greenhouse gas reduction proposals may create perverse incentives to clear forests and peat lands, create opportunities for corruption and actually drive an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. According to the leaked documents Indonesian…
Tags: Climate change, deforestation, forests, Greenpeace, Indonesia, natural forests, palm oil industry, pulp & paper, REDD Alert: Protection Money
Climate Change, Conservation, Politics, Oct 8th, 2010,
The international effort to halt the destruction of rainforests and biodiversity loss is considered to be far behind the fight to stop or mitigate man-made climate change. Since the later has been more or less a total failure so far, how can we hope for the former? Representatives at the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan will attempt to put a price tag on the preservation of natural resources such as forests, coral reefs and wetlands. What is hoped for is to achieve a deal for ‘equitable sharing’ of the benefits of such resources to prevent what is being…
Tags: biodiversity, Climate change, deforestation, forests, Nagoya, rainforest
Conservation, Nature, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Sep 16th, 2010,
Today’s Creature Feature takes us to the rainforests of the Philippines, where we will find a very noisy bird with a rather unique appearance. The Rufous-headed Hornbill (also known as the Visayan Wrinkled Hornbill, Walden’s Hornbill, or the Writhed-billed Hornbill) is a Critically Endangered species that can be found on the islands of Negros and Panay. They are omnivores, preferring to feed on animal matter, figs and other fruits. They make their nests in the hollows of tree trunks and tend to live in small groups, so you can imagine the kind of noise they might create. Despite their nesting…
Tags: Creature Feature, critically endangered, deforestation, Negros, nest poaching, Panay, Philippines, Rufous-headed Hornbill, Visayan Wrinkled Hornbill, Walden's Hornbill, Writhed-billed Hornbill
Climate Change, Conservation, Videos & Documentaries, Sep 10th, 2010,
The Prince of Wales’ has launched the Size of Wales initiative, with the aim of protecting or reforesting an area in Africa the size of the country of Wales. Because he’s Prince of Wales, get it? The Size of Wales charity will raise money and send Welsh volunteers to help with deforestation programs. Climate change and deforestation have long been issues close to the future king’s heart. From an article in the Telegraph: The people of Wales will be the first in the world to mobilise such a national response to the problem of tropical deforestation and climate change. It…
Tags: Africa, Charles, Climate change, deforestation, Prince, project, rainforest, Wales
Climate Change, Conservation, Jul 23rd, 2010,
Much of the feed for British livestock comes from soybeans imported from South America – mainly Brazil and Argentina. According to an article in the Telegraph, 350,000 hectares of rainforest is being cut down to grow soy for UK animal feed. Environmental group Friends of the Earth (FoE) has published a report entitled ‘Pastures New’ detailing how the British meat and dairy industry indirectly causes rainforest destruction in South America. The report incorporates new research by the Royal Agricultural College stating that only 8% of the UK’s agricultural land is used to grow animal feed. FOE urged the government to…
Tags: amazon, animal, beans, Brazil, British, dairy, deforestation, Earth, farmers, feed, FoE, Friends, meat, rainforest, South America, soy, UK
Climate Change, Conservation, Politics, Jul 11th, 2010,
European Parliament has voted in favor of new regulations to insure that timber imported into the EU comes from legal sources. Similar legislation was adopted in the US in 2008, though in the case of Europe, enforcing the new regulations will be the responsibility of individual member states. If properly implemented, the rules could have a significant effect in reducing deforestation. From a piece in The Ecologist: While the EU has spoken out against illegal timber, a major driver of deforestation worldwide, it has up until now remained one of the trade’s biggest markets. Europe currently consumes around 12 per…
Tags: deforestation, EU, Europe, European, illegal, parliament, regulations, rules, timber, vote, WWF
Climate Change, Conservation, Politics, Jul 6th, 2010,
A proposed reevaluation of forestry codes in Brazilian law could have catastrophic consequences for the Amazon rainforest. The issue of keeping Brazil’s strict forestry laws intact or legally opening up more forest for economic development pits environmentalists against Ruralistas, who claim that current laws are stifling economic growth and keeping peasants in poverty. So why is this important? Brazil is a powerhouse for agricultural and commodity exports. However, it is also home to some of the world’s richest areas of biodiversity. Brazil’s future depends on the balancing of these two interests. Environmental legislation is therefore as important to Brazilian development…
Tags: amazon, Brazil, Brazilian, deforestation, Europe, forest, forestry, law, laws, rainforest, rules
Climate Change, Conservation, Politics, Jul 1st, 2010,
Tackling climate change through forest restoration is the theme at this year’s Commonwealth Forestry Conference, currently taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. 40 countries are represented at the conference, all from the vestiges of the once great British Empire, upon which the sun used to never set. The Prince of Wales has even addressed the conference – albeit by video – blaming agribusiness for ‘alarming’ deforestation rates. According to a report in The Scotsman, the secretary general of the Commonwealth, Kamalesh Sharma, referred to deforestation as ‘environmental vandalism’ and stressed that the time to act was now. He is quoted in…
Tags: Climate change, Commonwealth, conference, deforestation, forest, forestry, Prince of Wales
Climate Change, Nature, Politics, May 28th, 2010,
At a UN climate conference in Oslo, Norway this week, nations agreed on an increase in aid from rich to poor countries to protect the Earth’s forests and curb global carbon emissions. UN figures state that deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for 17% global emissions. Preserving forests is widely regarded as the least expensive way to cut these emissions. From a Reuters report: The Oslo Climate and Forest Conference, attended by representatives of 52 countries, agreed on a non-binding framework to funnel aid promised by the rich world and set up monitoring standards to ensure money flows are based…
Tags: agreement, carbon, climate, conference, deforestation, degradation, emissions, forest, forests, global, IndonesiaI, Norway, Oslo, plan, REDD, UN
Climate Change, Nature, Wildlife & Flora, Apr 8th, 2010,
Deforestation continues to happen around the world at an alarming rate. However, one international company is on a mission to slow deforestation, while also earning carbon credits—but their site of choice for a tree plantation may surprise you. ECO2 Forests Inc. plans to grow up to 3 million trees over the next 7 years in the high desert of northern Nevada. The trees will be planted at irrigated tree farms and will cover up to 21 square miles north of Reno (about the size of Bermuda). The company and land owners (collectively named Jaksick Entities) have already acquired the water…
Tags: carbon credits, deforestation, desert, ECO2 Forests, Kiri trees, Nevada, tree plantation project
Climate Change, Nature, Wildlife & Flora, Mar 26th, 2010,
Forests are vanishing at an alarming rate in some countries – most notably parts of Africa and South America – according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010. But on the positive side, the overall global rate of forest loss has slowed down considerably over the past ten years. The countries with the largest losses during the past decade were Australia (mostly due to droughts) Indonesia and Brazil, the latter two because of their massive logging industries. Fortunately, deforestation is slowing in both countries. From a BBC News report: Both Brazil and Indonesia are…
Tags: Brazil, deforestation, FAO, forest, forests, global, Indonesia, UN
Nature, Wildlife & Flora, Mar 21st, 2010,
Many products contain catchy jingles and slogans in their advertising schemes. Some are extremely well-known, such as those by Oscar Meyer, McDonald’s, Hershey’s, and Geico. However, one company’s catchy commercials may end up costing them dearly. Nestle’s KitKat jingles have embedded it into our brains that if we want a break, we need a piece of one of their candy bars. But what if that break is a product of environmental destruction? Do we really need it then? According to Greenpeace, no, we really don’t. Why? The palm oil used in the candy bars (and other Nestle products) comes from…
Tags: campaign, deforestation, environmental destruction, Greenpeace, Indonesia, Kitkat, Nestle’s, orangutans, palm oil
Climate Change, Nature, Politics, Wildlife & Flora, Mar 9th, 2010,
Although a global treaty on climate change is not likely to happen this year either, we may at least see a decent amount of effort put into stopping deforestation. During the COP-15 event, along with the “accord”, 6 nations also pledged a total of 3.5 billion dollars towards helping developing nations fight the ongoing deforestation problem—a main cause of global warming. One key nation fighting the deforestation issue would be Indonesia—the world’s 3rd largest carbon emitter, thanks to the destruction of their forests. The good news is, Indonesia plans to protect at least 3,000 square miles (800,000 hectares) of Borneo’s…
Tags: Climate change, deforestation, Indonesia
Climate Change, Nature, Wildlife & Flora, Mar 3rd, 2010,
Sumatra: A large, Indonesian island that is home to over 200 mammal and nearly 600 bird species, including critically endangered animals such as the Sumatran tiger, rhino, and orangutan. It’s also the target of a new environmental initiative launched by Australia and Indonesia. Yesterday, those 2 nations announced a multi-million dollar plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by deforestation and forest degradation on Sumatra. Named the Sumatra Forest Carbon Partnership, immediate action will be taken against threats to forests in Jambi province. According to Neil Scotland, coordinator of the Indonesia-Australia Forest Carbon Partnership: “The partnership in Jambi is a…
Tags: australia, deforestation, emissions, global warming, Indonesia, Sumatra, Sumatra Forest Carbon Partnership
Climate Change, Nature, Videos & Documentaries, Feb 20th, 2010,
![]( "<!--:en-->Can carbon trading save Indonesia")
' src='http://gf0.statico.be/wp-content/themes/greenfudge/thumbnails/7522.jpg' alt='can-carbon-trading-save-indonesias-forests' class='art-teaser' width='95' height='95' /> According to Greenpeace, Indonesia had the fastest rate of deforestation in the world between the years 2000-2005. This rampant destruction – both illegal and legal – is fueled by the worldwide demand for palm oil, paper and tropical wood. Deforestation of Indonesia’s rainforest and peatlands contributes to rising greenhouse gases in multiple ways, including eliminating carbon sinks, releasing CO2 trapped in peat and from slash and burn methods of agriculture. Political journalist Andre Vltchek describes the dilemma in Indonesia – heedless environmental wreckage against a backdrop of desperate poverty – in his story ‘In the Tropical Forests of Sumatra: Notes…
Tags: carbon, deforestation, forest, Indonesia, investors, peatland, preserving, REDD, sinks, trading
Climate Change, Nature, Videos & Documentaries, Wildlife & Flora, Jan 23rd, 2010,
Deforestation is one of the main, direct causes responsible for Global Warming, habitat destruction, and loss of ecosystems. The Swedish branch of Greenpeace released a very important video (shown to the left here) that shows the effects of deforestation and how quickly it can happen. The text you will see in the movie basically states that: Every 2 seconds, an area of rainforest the size of a football field disappears. Reasons for deforestation have included: agriculture, logging, urbanization, globalization, overpopulation, and the corruption of government institutions. Several severe environmental problems also stem from deforestation (apart from global warming and habitat…
Tags: Climate change, deforestation, forests, global warming, Greenpeace, habitat loss, old growth, rainforest, Sweden, trees, video
