Environment Posts
#StandWithForests
For the first time in history, a climate agreement, signed in Paris, commits nearly every country in the world to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And forest loss, which contributes about 11 percent of global emissions, was a central focus of the discussions.
Indigenous Peoples ‘Paddle to Paris’ for COP21
Hundreds of indigenous peoples from the major tropical forest regions of Latin America, Africa and Indonesia traveled to Paris for COP21, hoping to be heard above the cacophony of voices shaping the long-awaited climate agreement.
Can We Chop Deforestation in Half?
Halving deforestation would result in the storage of 1.135 billion tons of carbon. A new study provides evidence that it can be done if forest nations follow the lead set by Brazil.
What Happens When Cartoonists Get Serious
Kenyan cartoonists are getting serious about putting an end to land grabs. Read on to learn (and see!) how they're doing it.
What Do Drought, Ice Cream and Bird Flu Have in Common?
The U.S. agriculture sector faces many problems these days. Take the ongoing California drought that threatens more than one-third of our country’s vegetables and two-thirds of our fruits. Or have you eaten Blue Bell ice cream recently? Blue Bell recalled ALL of its ice cream products because of Listeria contamination, causing three deaths and 10 hospitalizations. Or check out the avian flu, which killed more than 48 million chickens and cost the USDA more than $500 million since mid-December.
The Pope’s Climate Change Role Models
The Pope’s environment and climate change encyclical exploded on the scene this week, unleashing debate about humanity’s relationship to the planet. While the document, entitled Laudato Si, was generally critical of the way people have treated the planet, it praised one group for its respect for the earth: indigenous people.
In Bonn, Forest Peoples Share Their Stories
Indigenous leaders from Africa, Asia and the Americas came together in Bonn to share their experiences at the frontlines of an often deadly battle to guard tropical forests. A recent report suggests these conflicts kill at least two people every week.
Why Mexico’s Climate Pledge Makes the Grade
A handful of countries worldwide—from the United States to Gabon—have submitted pledges to the United Nations outlining what they’ll do to slash greenhouse gas emissions, the leading cause of global warming. So far, experts have given most of the submissions to date, which represent 36 of a total of 150 countries, lukewarm reviews, warning they won’t do enough to stave off a dangerous rise in the planet’s temperature.
Forests Are the New Farms
What would we eat if we ran out of room for farmland? A new report released by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) at the United Nations Forum on Forests last week argues that forests and trees would provide plenty to snack on.
Red Tape Cripples Global Sustainable Forestry Model
Although the last 25 years have seen significant strides in the development of community forestry in Mexico, a new study by the Mexican Civil Council for Sustainable Forestry reveals that a web of burdensome rules and regulations are preventing these communities from legally and sustainably harvesting their forests.
