Newslet – Small Pieces, Big News

France to quadruple solar capacity by 2011

French Minister of Ecology Jean-Louis Borloo plans to see some 300 MW of solar power installed by 2011, across the entire nation. Total investment in the projects would be €1.5 billion ($2.04 billion). Bidding for construction of the projects was opened on May 15.

France gets nearly 88% of its electricity from nuclear power. It currently trails behind Germany, Spain, and Italy in terms of total solar power capacity with a mere 69 MW installed.

Orangutan Population in Borneo National Park Declines 90% in 5 years

In what is a tragically graphic example of deforestation and political corruption combining to devastate an ecosystem, a new report from the Centre for Orangutan Protection shows that orangutan populations in Kutai National Park on the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo have declined 90% in the past five years:

In 2004 there were about 600 orangutans living in the park; today that figure is somewhere between 30 and 60, park officials said. The reason: deforestation and hunting enabled by state-sponsored colonization of the region.

The Kutai National Park has been changing into a city, complete with an airport, gas stations, marketplace, BTS towers, a bus terminal, and prostitution complex. Only time will tell, whether orangutans can survive in the area.The root of the problem with the Kutai National Park is a breach of duty committed by officials to get political and financial advantages. They gave away land spaces to people to win their votes in the local administration elections. They also mobilize people to seize the national park area. Their strategy to win people’s hearts by giving away the land seemed successful.

- Yon Thayrun, Centre of Orang Utan Protection

US Senate Reauthorizes Tropical Conservation for Debt Relief Bill Through 2012

The Senate reauthorized the Tropical Forest and Coral Conservation Act, which in the last incarnation provides $115 million in debt relief to tropical countries over the next three years, in return for conservation commitments:

Under the program, first authorized in 1998, eligible countries—Bangladesh, El Salvador, Belize, the Philippines, Panama, Guatemala, Columbia, Paraguay, Botswana, Costa Rica, and Jamaica—will be able to avail themselves of $25 million in debt relief in 2009 and $30 million each year from 2010 through 2012.

Deforestation is a significant driver of global climate change, and we must pursue a variety of efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation in tropical and sub-tropical nations. This innovative program has provided critical support to developing countries in conserving their forest landscapes while reducing their debt burdens…

- Sen. John Kerry

Democratic Republic of Congo: 60% of Logging Contracts Cancelled by the Government

image: Google Earth layer showing rates of deforestation

In an effort to deal with rampant corruption and rising deforestation, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has reviewed and canceled some 60% of logging contracts in the country. After six months of study, backed by the World Bank, only 65 contracts were found to still be viable. These remaining contracts account for about 10 million hectares of forest that can continue to be logged.

Congo environment minister Jose Endundo was quoted by Reuters as saying,

I will proceed within the next 48 hours to notify those applicants having received an unfavorable recommendation from the interministerial commission through decrees canceling their respective conventions. Upon notification of the cancellation decision, the operator must immediately stop cutting timber.

Forests The Size of Massachusetts Cut Each Year
Currently Congo exports about 200,000 cubic meters of timber. In 2002, when much of the country was in rebel control less than 100,000 cubic meters were officially exported. Deforestation rates in the country are over 800,000 hectares per year.

Source: Reuters

Deforestation
New Google Earth Layer Shows Global Deforestation
Brazil Announces Plan to Slow Amazon Deforestation by 70%
Read Green Initiative Aims to Cut Deforestation, Trash Creation

Sheepdogs Used to Guard Troubled Penguin Colony

Photo via marcmc

Sheepdogs have helped to guard a colony of fairy penguins, and proven themselves to be very good at their job. So good, in fact, that conservationists are pondering what other threatened animals these K9s can protect.

A colony of fairy penguins on Warrnambool’s Middle Island off the south coast ofAustralia has dwindled dramatically due to attacks by foxes and wild dogs. However, their numbers are rising again thanks to their new bodyguards – two Maremmas, an Italian breed of sheepdog that bonds with the flock or herd of animals it is protecting.

‘We’re now starting to see some great results,’ said Middle Island Maremma Project manager Ian Fitzgibbons. ‘We’ve had our best penguin count since we began in 2006 with over 80 birds counted in one night and I think we have about 26 chicks on the island too.’

Using the dogs to protect this penguin colony was just an experiment, but it’s proven to be a successful one. Now, researchers of various other threatened animals can scratch their heads and ponder if a couple of Maremmas might just help our their own efforts.

via Earth Times

More on Protecting Animals:
California Voters Say Yes to Animal Rights
Scientists Say Great Migrations Need Protection
Supermarkets Join Forces with Humane Society to Protect Seals

Ecotourism in the Philippines

Source: “Ecoutourism in the Philippines”, treehugger.com, Travel & Nature, Josh Peterson, 6th December 2008

photo by preetamra

The Philippine Department of Tourism’s hat has been thrown into ecotourism game for awhile now. They’ve made it part of their plan for economic development. The country’s ecotourism program strives to install processes and procedures that are economically beneficial, socially responsible, ecologically sustainable and advantageous to the local communities by creating jobs and improving living conditions overall. Palawan is the second biggest province in the country in terms of land area and has been recommended by the tourism department as the top eco-destination in the country.

 

The Ethics of Ecotourism in the Philippines
Around thirty percent of the people in the Philippines live in poverty, and there are 85 million people who live there. That’s nearly 25.5 million impoverished and suffering people. In 1991, the The World Trade Organization, the United Nations Development Program along with various organization in the Philippines worked to make the the nation a bastion of ecotourism. It wasn’t until 1999, however, that an executive order was passed that helped structure the development of ecotourism.

The Executive Order:

“The State shall develop and promote sustainable tourism while enjoining the participation of the Filipino people in enhancing the growth and competitiveness of the Philippine economy; and,

The State shall ensure the sustainable use, development, management, protection and conservation of the country’s environment and natural resources and cultural heritage for the enjoyment of the present and future generations.”

 

That executive order lead to the development of the National Ecotourism Strategy. The outline of this strategy includes spreading the wealth to the very impoverished rural areas, the conservation of cultural sites, promotion of conservation awareness, educational programs and more.

Eco-Friendly Adventures in the Philippines
There are a variety of eco-friendly activities available for the ecotourist to enjoy: Swimming with whale sharks in the their natural environment or getting out the binoculars and watching for the rare Philippine Eagle or 600 other varieties of birds. A traveler can also go to a jungle environment survival training camp where he or she can be taught to drink from a water vine, cook in a bamboo steamer and dine off a bamboo plate.

Eco-friendly Resorts
The Department of Tourism Recommends The El Nido, Lagen and Miniloc Island Resorts, Club Noah Isabelle and the Bohol Bee Farm. These hotels all carry out environmentally friendly practices: Coastal clean ups, prohibiting the gathering of shells and coral, eco-safe cleanser and many others.

More of EcoTourism
Eco-Tourism in Japan
Eco-Tourism Index for Latin Americar
Ecotourism and Responsible Tourism in China : TreeHugger

Rising Biofuel and Food Demands Threaten Wetlands

Demand for biofuels could lead to wetlands being converted to farmland

The recent surge in demand for food and biofuel has increased the risks facing the world’s wetlands, warn scientists.

A declaration by 700 scientists said the habitats faced a growing risk of being converted into farmland.

It also stated that the current knowledge of the extent of the world’s wetlands was “unacceptable” and called for a global inventory to be set up.

The document was produced at the end of a UN-convened major scientific conference in Cuiaba, Brazil.

In their statement, the scientists highlighted other activities that were degrading the habitats, such as peat extraction and the construction of hydro-electricity dams.

“It is time to recognise the incalculable value of wetlands to all species – including ours,” said Paulo Teixeira, co-chairman of the 8th Intecol International Wetlands Conference.

“If we don’t plan and invest properly now, the cost to recreate artificially the services wetlands provide will dwarf the cost of preserving and protecting them in the first place.”

In their declaration, the scientists called on the 158 countries that were party to the international wetlands agreement, known as the Ramsar Convention, to adhere to the global framework.

“Some countries have high standards for wetlands management, restoration and protection; however, many others are far behind,” it said.

Fuelling the problem

They also warned against increasing farmland that encroached on the habitat, which caused damage through sediment, fertiliser and pesticide pollution.

There has been a boom in the number of farmers planting corn

“Biofuel production has led to a large loss of wetlands in the US already,” explained Eugene Turner from Louisiana State University.

“They are now growing as much corn to produce biofuels as they used to export out of the country.”

Professor Turner told BBC News that the surge in demand for the crop had resulted in agreements to conserve areas on the margins of farmland being broken.

“It is more profitable now to farm right up to the edge of a stream, so we are losing wetlands in the US from this alone.”

“Of course, there are knock-on effects,” he added. “If you do not grow the corn while the price is high, then somebody else is going to produce it – maybe on a key wetland site.

“This is an example of how interrelationships are not considered when we make decisions.”

Carbon concerns

Another topic that was high on the conference agenda was the role the landscapes played in the global carbon cycle.

“Although that they may be 3-5% of the terrestrial surface, wetlands store about 20% of all terrestrial carbon, which amounts to 500-700 gigatonnes,” explained Professor Turner.

“We are releasing, on a net basis, about 3.5 gigatonnes into the atmosphere, so any small change in the carbon from wetlands going into the atmosphere has a big impact.”

He added that the future well-being of wetlands in the Arctic region was of particular concern.

“The places where it is going to proportionally warm the greatest is towards the Arctic; that region has an awful lot of wetlands.

“You put food in a refrigerator at home to keep it cool; if you don’t, it begins to rot.

“The same thing applies in the Arctic,” he explained. “The carbon is stored under the permafrost, meaning it is permanently frozen.

“The ice is receding, so the carbon that is stored there is going to be released and that is a problem.”

Source:

“Rising demands threaten wetlands”, BBC News Online, Science & Nature, Mark Kinver, 25th July 2008