The IUCN Forest Conservation Programme Newsletter Issue 42 2010

Read arborvitae newsletter to know that How sexy are forests? Read here.

IUCN - Watch

IUCN - Watch

IUCN - Did you know?

Read the good and the bad news on forest conservation, learn why we need forests to survive and find out some suprising facts and figures from the world of forests.

Brits to David Cameron: Save Our Forests!

Brits to David Cameron: Save Our Forests! Read my comment here.

Comment on article- The importance of Article 6

Read my comment on the article The importance of Article 6 by : Kirsty Schneeberger of DECC.

Comment on article- Reducing Government emissions … not just about the numbers

Read my comment on the article Reducing Government emissions … not just about the numbers by Kate Hughes of DECC.

Energy: Why Biofuels Help Push Up Food Prices

Energy: Why Biofuels Help Push Up Food Prices. Read my comments on this article.

Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Released in Malaysian Forest

Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Released in Malaysian Forest;Read my comments on this article.

Bangladesh Climate Migration Happening — Now

Bangladesh Climate Migration Happening — Now; Read my comments on this article.

A New Project to Track Animal Diseases Before They Infect Humans

A New Project to Track Animal Diseases Before They Infect Humans; Read my comments on this article.

The Top 10 Most Endangered Forests

The Top 10 Most Endangered Forests; Read my comments on this article.

Forests Vs. Food?

Forests Vs. Food? Read my comments on this article.

Politics: It's Not Just Republicans Who Anger Greens. Obama Can Do It Too

Politics: Not Just Republicans Who Anger Greens. Obama Can Do It Too; Read my comments on this article.

Climate: A New Study Finds That Global Warming Could Dry Out the Southwest

Climate: A New Study Finds That Global Warming Could Dry Out the Southwest; Read my Comment on Time.com article.

How Google Earth Can Save the Earth's Forests

Read my Comment on Time.com article.

IUCN - News

The 9th UN Forum on Forests (UNFF9) is drawing to a close. With just over 24 hours left, negotiators are entering lockdown to get a meaningful declaration in place for Friday's finish.
Stewart Maginnis is IUCN's head of delegation and IUCN's Director for Environment and Development. He explains just where the negotiations are at present.

http://support.edf.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=10570.0

Dear Prabhat,

I'm Lisa Moore, an EDF scientist.



We're in a race against time to mitigate the worst of global warming's impacts by dramatically cutting our emissions.

With your support, we can keep the pressure on the United States to act now to reduce global warming-causing pollution.

I've spent most of my professional career reviewing volumes of scientific studies on the climate crisis and its impact on our natural world. And I can tell you that global warming is without a doubt the biggest environmental threat facing our planet today.

It's not too late to change our course, but we will need to act fast. I hope you'll consider supporting EDF's efforts to reduce the pollution that causes global warming.

Over the past few decades, a warming climate has already led to some very dramatic planetary impacts, including the massive loss of polar and glacial ice around the world.

We could soon reach other critical tipping points including the total disappearance of summer sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, widespread extinctions of the earth's plants and animals, and dramatic changes in entire ecosystems.

The consequences are dire. But there is hope. Right now, we have a historic opportunity to change our course.

Will you make a gift to support EDF's urgent climate work today? Your generous support will help us keep the pressure on the U.S. to act swiftly and reduce global warming-causing pollution.

EDF's goals here are threefold:

Reduce the pollution that causes global warming
Help businesses make low-carbon innovations
Secure an international climate agreement in order to avoid catastrophic climate change.
We're working simultaneously on a number of fronts to achieve these goals.

First and foremost, we're keeping the pressure on U.S. leadership to act quickly and pass comprehensive climate legislation that will curb our global warming pollution and unleash a clean energy economy.

We've also helped launch an unprecedented coalition of business partnerships -- including top US corporations like DuPont and General Electric -- that has jointly called for a reduction in global warming-causing pollution.

EDF's international partnerships extend to countries like China where we are developing pathways to clean growth, and India where we are working with local groups on innovative ideas for clean, sustainable development.

EDF will continue to be a leader in the fight against global warming. I hope you'll consider supporting our urgent climate work at this critical moment.

Sincerely,

Lisa Moore
EDF Scientist

Clip 16 - Marie Michoux (2nd year, IPAC design school, Geneva)

Clip 22 - Melody Pepin (3rd year, IPAC design school, Geneva)

World carbon dioxide emissions data

World carbon dioxide emissions are one way of measuring a country's economic growth too.

And the latest figures - published by the respected Energy Information Administration - show CO2 emissions from energy consumption - the vast majority of Carbon Dioxide produced............ Read the complete story HERE.
[Source: guardian]

WORLD WETLANDS DAY- 2nd Feb 2011

2 February each year is World Wetlands Day. It marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Each year since 1997, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have taken advantage of the opportunity to undertake actions aimed at raising public awareness of wetland values and benefits in general and the Ramsar Convention in particular.
Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests and coral reefs; they are found on every continent except Antarctica and from the tundra to the tropics. Due to typical functions like- wildlife habitat and food chain support, groundwater recharge, water purification, nutrient retention and flood control- wetlands are considered as "biological supermarkets", "nurseries of life" and "the kidneys of the landscape" (Barbier et al. 1997; Mitsch and Gosselink 1993). These are facing threats for existence; major threats are- anthropogenic activities, agriculture activities, deforestation, pesticides pollution, pollution, introduced species threats due to Eichhornia etc. Migrating birds use wetlands to rest and feed during their cross-continental journeys and as nesting sites when they are at home. As a result, wetland loss has a serious impact on these species.
The theme for World Wetlands Day 2011 is Wetlands and Forests and slogan is– Forests for water and wetlands. 2011 is a special year for Ramsar as we are celebrating our 40th anniversary. Best Wishes. Read the Message of Mr Anada Tiéga, Secretary General, Ramsar Convention, by clicking here and for Ramsar Sites in Google Earth click here.
[Source: Ramsar and Red Tape Movement]