Home/Posts Tagged ‘rainforest’
Posts Tagged ‘rainforest’
Climate Change, Conservation, Politics, Jan 2nd, 2012,
A combination of individuals and corporations, along with local, regional and national governments, has raised enough cash to temporarily halt the drilling of oil from the Yasuní National Park in Ecuador. The collection of money is being facilitated by the UN Development Group in a ‘crowdfunding’ project called the Ecuador Yasuní ITT Trust Fund. So far $116m (€89.5m) has been raised to help preserve this 722 square mile area of Amazonian rainforest. From the Guardian: The park, which is home to two tribes of uncontacted Indians, is thought to have more mammal, bird, amphibian and plant species than any other…
Tags: amazon, Ecuador, rainforest, Yasuni
Climate Change, Conservation, Politics, Jul 18th, 2011,
Around 35% of Ecuador’s residents live below the poverty line. The economy of this South American nation depends overwhelmingly on its natural resources and agriculture. Half of the area of Ecuador is covered by the Amazon rainforest. The Ecuadoran Amazon is one of the richest, most bio-diverse place on the planet and the “lungs of the Earth”, supplying crucial oxygen and taking in vast amounts of CO2. However, beneath this extremely important carbon sink and treasure of natural life that the entire world benefits from is a huge amount of oil – $7bn worth. From a piece by Johann Hari:…
Tags: amazon, Ecuador, oil, rainforest
Conservation, Jun 6th, 2011,
A few years ago I changed my browser’s homepage to blackle.com because the search engine claimed to save energy by using a black background and mostly grey text as opposed to Google’s stark white backdrop and blue text. At the time of writing this Blackle counts “2,518,394.132 Watt hours saved”. I don’t really know exactly what that means in terms of real benefit, but it sounds a heck of a lot better than zero hours saved. However, Blackle’s claims are disputed. Techlogg did some tests and concluded that a black background did not reduce energy consumption when using LCD screens…
Tags: Blackle, Brazil, Ecosia, energy consumption, rainforest, search engine, Techlogg
Pollution, Feb 15th, 2011,
An Ecuadoran court has found oil giant Chevron guilty of contaminating the South American country’s Amazon basin. A judge in an Ecuadoran court levied a fine of $8bn (€6bn) against Chevron for deaths, illnesses and monetary losses sustained by the local inhabitants of the rainforest from spills of toxic waste and crude oil. The spills are estimated by a Swedish University study to total 30bn gallons (113bn liters). This amount dwarfs the 205m gallons spilt by BP in the Gulf of Mexico. Though the suit is being touted as a hard fought victory for the indigenous people of Ecuador, the…
Tags: amazon, Chevron, court, Ecuador, Ecuadoran, oil, Pollution, rainforest, spill, TOXIC
Nature, Politics, Jan 31st, 2011,
Peruvian loggers who are illegally stripping the Amazon of timber are a threat to an isolated tribe living in a Brazilian part of the rainforest near the border with Peru. Brazil’s government is pressuring Peru to prevent the loggers, but so far nothing significant has been done to stop their advancement into the uncontacted indigenous tribe’s territory. Brazilian Indian leader Davi Kopenawa Yanomami: The place where the Indians live, fish, hunt and plant must be protected. That is why it is useful to show pictures of the uncontacted Indians for the whole world to know that they are there in…
Tags: amazon, Brazil, illegal logging, indigenous, isolated tribe, loggers, Peru, rainforest, survival international, uncontacted tribe
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
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
Conservation, Nature, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Aug 30th, 2010,
Many companies are trying to do something to help the environment these days. Maybe their factories are all solar powered. Maybe their workers help to restore wildlife habitat. Or maybe their delivery trucks are making the switch to EV. Whatever the case may be, it’s a growing phenomenon (and hopefully not the latest passing trend). Jumping on the green wagon this time is Tropicana Juice. The company has already made great effort in recycling and reducing their carbon footprint. Now, their latest mission to save the earth requires your help. If you’ve bought any Tropicana Juice lately, you’ve probably noticed…
Tags: Ashaninka Corridor, Conservation, CoolEarth, environment, Juicy Rewards, Orange Juice, Peru, point system, points, rainforest, redeem, Rescue the Rainforest, trees, Tropicana
Climate Change, Politics, Wildlife & Flora, Aug 19th, 2010,
In advance of a major UN meeting for the Convention on Biological Diversity, the organization’s secretary-general, Ahmed Djoghlaf, recently warned of the threats posed against the natural world – and life itself – by population growth, urbanization, agriculture and climate change. Despite these increasing threats and an ongoing mass extinction in the natural world, which is almost 1,000 times the normal ‘background’ rate, governments are simply not acting to preserve biodiversity and the overall health of the planet. No country has met its targets to protect nature. We are losing biodiversity at an unprecedented rate. If current levels [of destruction]…
Tags: Ahmed, biodiversity, biological, change, climate, convention, diversity, Djoghlaf, Nature, rainforest, threats, UN
Conservation, Pollution, Jul 25th, 2010,
As gold prices climb, the poor of Peru flock to the country’s rainforest in search of wealth. Check out the below video report from Al Jazeera English on Peru’s illegal gold mining and how it is impacting both the rainforest and the poor of this South American nation. Along with the unregulated digging comes a trail of deforestation and chemical contamination that is damaging one of the most biodiverse regions on earth. –Al Jazeera English Peru poverty drives illegal mining Graham Land Additional resources: Peru: President Garcia will not negotiate with wildcat miners unless they stop protests.
Tags: chemical, gold, illegal, mining, Peru, poor, poverty, rainforest
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
Conservation, Jul 14th, 2010,
A recent study published in the scientific journal Nature found that quality is more effective than quantity when it comes to nature conservation strategies: Replacing the least cost-effective 1% of Australia’s 6,990 strictly protected areas could increase the number of vegetation types that have 15% or more of their original extent protected from 18 to 54, of a maximum possible of 58. This approach to conservation may seem businesslike or even Darwinian, but human beings have already, in a manner of speaking, ‘won’ in terms of outcompeting the rest of the world’s species. However, if humanity’s successes go too far,…
Tags: australia, biodiversity, Conservation, Philippines, rainforest, species
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, Nature, Wildlife & Flora, Jun 23rd, 2010,
In January of 2007, in an article entitled ‘UN climate panel shamed by bogus rainforest claim’, the London Sunday Times blasted an IPCC report that referenced a WWF report on Amazon rainforests. The Times article characterized the referenced report – which claims that up to 40% of the Amazon is at risk due to climate change – as inaccurate, unsubstantiated and the work of activists rather than scientists. From the Green blog in the New York Times: The London newspaper The Sunday Times described the authors of the W.W.F. report as “green campaigners” with “little scientific expertise” in an article…
Tags: amazon, apology, article, bogus, Climate change, IPCC, Lewis, rainforest, report, science, scientific, Sunday Times, WWF
Climate Change, Green living, Nature, Jun 5th, 2010,
Palm oil has made its way into countless processed foods, soaps and cosmetics. It is also used to make ‘biofuel’ and even napalm – the gelled gasoline used to horrifying effect during the Vietnam War. Now palm oil is engaged in another war – a war of the environment. Palm oil cultivation often destroys vital natural resources via the utilization of slash and burn agriculture and rainforest clearing in Indonesia and Malaysia. This type of cultivation not only results in the loss of habitats for many species including vulnerable Sumatran tigers and orangutans, but the burning of the forests releases…
Tags: co2, cosmetics, environment, forests, Lush, oil, palm, palm oil, plantations, rainforest, soap, UK, war
Climate Change, Nature, Videos & Documentaries, May 31st, 2010,
Environmental activist group Greenpeace has successfully used the Internet and in particular social media to drum up support for its campaign against the use of palm oil by food giant Nestlé. The palm oil industries in Indonesia and Malaysia have received attention and criticism for their part in the destruction of vital rainforests, which are home to vulnerable species including the orangutan. Rainforest destruction is also considered by scientists to be a major cause of climate change. From a CNN Eco Solutions report: Palm oil is used in a variety of consumer products, from chocolate to washing powder, and is…
Tags: CNN, destruction, Greenpeace, Nestle, orangutan, palm oil, rainforest, social media
Climate Change, Nature, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Apr 23rd, 2010,
A giant stick insect, a lungless frog and a slug that shoots ‘love darts’ are among the 123 new species recently discovered in Borneo’s rainforest. From the Guardian: Conservationists say the weird and wonderful creatures were discovered thanks to a pioneering deal between three governments to protect and conserve 220,000 square kilometres of lush rainforest on the island. The ‘Heart of Borneo’ is a 220,000 square km area of protected rainforest on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo, the third largest island in the world. Borneo is politically shared between the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei and considered extremely…
Tags: biodiversity, borneo, discovered, forests, frog, Heart of Borneo, island, Nature, palm oil, rainforest, species, WWF
Climate Change, Nature, Feb 19th, 2010,
In several gold producing countries, recent increases in the value of the mineral have resulted in disastrous environmental consequences.A BBC News report highlights how gold mining in the south east of Peru– much of it illegal and therefore unregulated – is resulting in rainforest deforestation, mercury contamination and the illegal trafficking of women. Close to 200 sq kms (77 sq miles) of jungle have been lost in the evocatively named Madre de Dios (Mother of God) region. –BBC News Mercury – cheap and easy to obtain – is used to extract gold. As is the situation in Venezuela, Peru’s gold…
Tags: environmental, gold, Honduras, mercury, mining, Panama, Peru, poisoning, rainforest
Nature, Wildlife & Flora, Feb 18th, 2010,
![]( "<!--:en-->Full disclosure: Multinational corporations")
' src='http://gf2.statico.be/wp-content/themes/greenfudge/thumbnails/7465.jpg' alt='full-disclosure-multinational-corporations-feed-us-rainforests' class='art-teaser' width='95' height='95' /> A new report by the Forest Footprint Disclosure initiative discloses how global business is destroying the one of the world’s most valuable resources: its rainforests. A UK government backed project, Forest Footprint Disclosure’s aim is to inform investors and the public about how organizations contribute to deforestation. The results are not good: the beef, soy, palm oil, biofuels and lumber industries all significantly cause rainforest destruction – and they are all big moneymakers. In the current economic model, cold hard cash is worth a lot more than natural capital. Despite pockets of growing awareness, this model of heedless, irresponsible consumption…
Tags: BBC, Brazil, Brazilian, Business, companies, food, Forest Footprint Disclosure, investor, multinational, rainforest
Climate Change, Nature, Politics, Feb 15th, 2010,
I guess that learning on the job is better than not learning at all. According to a piece in the New York Times, European countries may rethink their biofuel policies based on a newly completed study by the European Commission. The results of this study factor in the greenhouse gas emissions of land clearing – when land is deforested or converted from food agriculture to biofuel production. Hopefully the study also factors in slash and burn agriculture and other kinds of indirect ways which certain biofuels create greenhouse gas emissions in addition to what comes out of cars’ tailpipes. European…
Tags: biofuel, commission, destruction, emissions, Europe, European, factor, gas, greenhouse, New York Times, rainforest
