The German band Scorpions visited the Amazon with Greenpeace Brasil a few days ago. From this visit came out this beautiful video that I’d like to share. It shows both the beauty and the destruction going on over there - two good reasons to protect forests…
I’m not sure if I should be happy or not. This comes from boston.com:
The European Union and Ghana struck a deal Wednesday to stop exports of illegal timber, aiming to halt rampant deforestation in the West African country.
I haven’t seen that agreement, so I have no idea how enforceable it is but in any case, it’s progress… for Ghana. The problem is, most of illegal logging doesn’t come from Ghana. So, while I’m cheering at the news that somewhere, some progress is made, my optimism is watered down by the knowledge that illegal wood comes from China (not logged there very often, but made legal-looking for sure), Russia and Indonesia. So, as long as we don’t ask wood importers to prove that they are not part of the illegal timber industry, we’ll get nowhere. So, Mr Barroso, when will you stop dragging your feet?
Greenpeace blocked today a ship full of illegally logged wood leaving Papua New Guinea and bound for China. Enforcing logging legislation isn’t easy, and if other states won’t help you do so, it’s hard to get anywhere. Add to that corruption is the logging countries, and you know who ends up suffering - the poorest populations. Unfortunately, Greenpeace can’t be in every harbour around the world checking where the wood comes from. Without a clear illegal wood law in Europe, and commitment on the part of the countries who have been receiving this wood until now, it’s going to be close to impossible to stop illegal logging.
According to a vietnamese newspaper, local authorities in developping countries have more trouble than ever combatting illegal logging.
Mr Barroso, don’t you think it’s time to help them out a bit?
The vote is in a week, let’s not fail them again.
Following environmental news usually brings up more depressing stuff than cheery articles. Today is unfortunately no exception. I’ve just read on treehugger that the Arctic ice has reached the second lowest level ever - and we’re not even yet at the end of the melting season. According to scientists, the permafrost in the Arctic region is holding 66% more greenhouse gases than previously thought - so if the permafrost melts, climate change is going to snowball. You’d think such news would go on newspaper front pages worldwide, but no such luck. We’re destroying our planet faster every day, but Obama’s nomination at the DNC is apparently better news (nothing against Obama, but it’s not like his nomination was completely unexpected - so it doesn’t quite deserve the name of news, and certainly doesn’t deserve entire front pages).
Thankfully, working in an environmental NGO also helps keeping the solutions in mind. Two-thirds of greenhouse gases emissions come from energy use (including power generation and transport). One fifth of greenhouse gases emissions come from deforestation, the rest from agriculture and F-gases used in refrigeration. Separating the causes of climate also help figuring out what we need to do. Change your lightbulbs. Drive less, or even stop driving. Get rid of energy suckers (all these electronic appliances you have on stand-by). Eat less meat. Buy the right fridge and try to see if you really need air conditioning.
Limiting deforestation is a bit less direct. You can check what products you buy. Go for FSC certified wood, buy recycled paper. And you can help stopping deforestation directly, by making sure we don’t log more than is legal. Even once we reach that, it’ll still be too much (hence the FSC certification and the recycled paper), but we’ll have come a long way.
(by the way, thanks for the link, treehugger!)
Links
Last comments
Loading ...
