World-News

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/business/worldbusiness/31biofuel.html


Informant: binstock



http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Palm+Oil

25.01.07

Nach Angaben der Umweltschutzorganisation Greenpeace will das indonesische Forstwirtschaftsministerium über eine Million Hektar Urwald versteigern. Es handele sich um zehntausend Quadratkilometer, was etwa elfmal der Fläche Berlins entspreche. "Damit beginnt quasi der Schlussverkauf", so Greenpeace. Schon jetzt seien 72 Prozent der ursprünglichen intakten Urwälder des Landes zerstört. Nirgendwo sonst seien so viele Tier- und Pflanzenarten akut bedroht, so Greenpeace. Die Arten verlören mit dem Wald ihren Lebensraum.

Die ganze Nachricht im Internet: http://www.ngo-online.de/ganze_nachricht.php?Nr=15194

http://www.rainforestportal.org/alerts/send.asp?id=brazil_reserve
http://www.rainforestportal.org/issues/2007/01/brazil_approves_deforestation.asp

Please forward alerts widely!

ACTION ALERT

Europe Must End Their "Deforestation Biofuel" Energy Policy

Rainforest Portal, a project of Ecological Internet, Inc.
http://www.rainforestportal.org/
January 3, 2007

TAKE ACTION Industrial biofuels threaten Rainforests and European land sustainability
http://www.rainforestportal.org/alerts/send.asp?id=europe_biofuel

There exist serious concerns regarding the production of plantation crops on lands cleared of ancient rainforests for production of biodiesel in Europe in particular. For example, remaining natural orangutan habitat and their rainforest ecosystems in Southeast Asia are threatened by the unsustainable harvesting of palm oil for the use of biofuels. The campaign to stop Europe's "Deforestation Biofuel" Energy Policy is now at an important decision point, as the European Commission is expected to finalize the "Biomass Action Plan" policy by January 10th for biofuels sourced from plantations cleared from ancient rainforests. Earlier the European Parliament voted for rapid market expansion before safeguards are put in place. Please tell the European Commission now that they must prevent biofuels from causing ever greater deforestation, biodiversity losses, and evictions and impoverishment of local communities both in tropical rainforests and Europe. Unrestrained industrial biofuel expansion will accelerate, not slow down, climate change; as peatlands, rainforests, forests and croplands across the world are converted to energy crop monocultures and release their carbon in the process.

TAKE ACTION NOW at: http://www.rainforestportal.org/alerts/send.asp?id=europe_biofuel

Discuss this alert at: http://www.rainforestportal.org/issues/2007/01/alert_europe_must_end_their_de.asp

A leading German utility has abandoned plans to convert a British power station to run on palm oil, in a blow to the promotion of biofuels in Europe. The company halted production because it was unable to secure sufficient supplies without risking damage to tropical rainforests.

http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/010207EB.shtml



http://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Palm+Oil

Snapshot of the view of logging in Tasmania.
Photo: Google Earth

http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/satellite-images-unlocks-extent-of-logging/2006/12/13/1165685727367.html#

Asher Moses December 13, 2006 - 12:32PM

Australian anti-logging groups are using Google Earth to show the impact of forest clearing.

At least two groups - the Tasmanian arm of The Wilderness Society and the Victorian Rainforest Network (VRN) - have created Google Earth "overlays", which can be downloaded from their websites.

An overlay adds a layer on top of the basic Google Earth satellite map, and can be used in this case to add specific information about logging campaigns beside the relevant geographical area.

The Wilderness Society's overlay provides details on Forestry Tasmania's logging plans for the coming year based on information publicly available on its website, says Vica Bayley, a forest campaigner with The Wilderness Society.

These details include the outline of logging zones, as well as pop-up text boxes that provide further information and images on individual logging areas.

Mr Bayley said Google Earth allowed the group to more effectively convey the impact of logging, which had been difficult to do previously as many Tasmanian forest areas were closed off to the public.

"For those people who don't go out to the forest a lot, it basically unlocks the gates," he said.

"Many of these areas are hidden in more remote catchments where people can't get in, can't get a look, and can't see for themselves what's going on."

Paul Oosting, a spokesman for The Wilderness Society, added in a statement: "These images highlight the close proximity of logging operations to the Tasmanian wilderness World Heritage area."

While The Wilderness Society has a national presence, its Google Earth campaign is limited to Tasmania.

This is because other states "don't have a government department, such as our Forestry Tasmania, that produces maps and plans of exactly what they're going to clear", Mr Bayley said.

He said logging in NSW was "not as forwardly planned as it is here in Tasmania", so there wasn't sufficient data available for a NSW overlay.

In Queensland, it was mainly "rogue landowners that are clearing", which also meant data on proposed logging plans was sparse.

But the VRN has managed to acquire sufficient information for a Victorian overlay, and provides similar information to the Tasmanian version, including past and future logging plans, and how close these are to national parks and water catchments.

Environmental groups say logging causes habitat loss, water degradation and climate change.

"Logging is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gases and climate change in Tasmania - more than the entire transport sector," Mr Bayley said.

"Not only are you destroying huge and globally important carbon sinks [the trees], but you're actually releasing vast, vast amounts of that stored carbon back into the atmosphere through huge forestry burns in autumn, [and] through broad-scale woodchipping."

-- Tim Hermach
Native Forest Council
PO Box 2190 Eugene, OR 97402
541.688.2600
541.461.2156 fax
web page: http://www.forestcouncil.org


Informant: Scott Munson