Increasing tree mortality in a warming world
ScienceDaily Source:: Tropical Trees. Author: Paul Hamilton. Trees in the tropics, especially important for the planet, face increasing threats. More here.
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The exceptional value of intact forest ecosystems
Nature Ecology & Evolution Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba. PinP photo. As the terrestrial human footprint continues to expand, the amount of native forest that is free from significant damaging human activities is in precipitous decline. There is emerging evidence that the remaining intact forest supports an exceptional confluence of globally significant environmental values relative to degraded forests, including imperilled biodiversity, carbon sequestration and storage, water provision, indigenous culture and the maintenance of human health. Here we argue that maintaining and, where possible, restoring the integrity of dwindling intact forests is an urgent priority for current global efforts to halt the ongoing biodiversity crisis, slow rapid climate change and achieve sustainability goals. Retaining the integrity of intact forest ecosystems should be a central component of proactive global and national environmental strategies, alongside current efforts
Carbon Loophole: Why Is Wood Burning Counted as Green Energy?
YaleEnvironment360 A loophole in carbon-accounting rules is spurring a boom in burning wood pellets in European power plants. The result has been a surge in logging, particularly in the U.S. South, and new doubts about whether Europe can meet its commitments under the Paris accord. Story here. PinP photo PinP photo.
Tropical forests may be carbon sources, not sinks
Nature Combination of satellite images and on-the-ground data enables more complete tracking of forest carbon flows. Story here. Peruvian rainforest. Roosevelt Garcia at English Wikipedia
World's Biggest Brands Are Pushing Indonesia's Endangered Wildlife to Extinction
EcoWatch An ancient Indonesian rainforest, home to elephants, orangutans, tigers and rhinos, is being destroyed by industries which extract products such as palm oil. Story here. A Sumatran tiger. Dick Mudde.
Stand up for Greenpeace, our great forests and free speech
SumOfUs Greenpeace and Stand.Earth (formerly Forest Ethics) are getting sued for $300 million by Canada’s largest logging company to make them shut up. Details here.
Trees in eastern US head west as climate changes
nature Trees like the magnolia will likely be affected. Photo credit - Wikipedia. Breaking from the general poleward movement of many species, flowering trees take an unexpected turn . Story here. Related: Canada’s forests in a changing climate
Warming earth threatens to release huge amounts of carbon – UN agency
UN News Centre Rising temperatures could release massive amounts of carbon trapped in the Earth's soil, the United Nations agricultural agency today reported. Details here.
World’s Last Intact Forests Are Becoming Increasingly Fragmented
WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE Clearing in the boreal forest, Canada. PinP photo. Intact forest landscapes (IFLs), or vast stretches of unbroken forest wilderness, are some of the most important ecosystems in the world. And they are under threat. Story here.
Tribute to the Trees - a Manitoba Video!
Call Of The Forest - DIANA BERESFORD-KROEGER from Jeff McKay / Edgeland Films on Vimeo .
Ontario Environment Officials Concerned That Clear-Cut Logging Releases Mercury. (They Allowed it Anyway!)
thestar.com Another example of clearcutting. This one in B.C. Wikimedia Commons. A new scientific report says adding more mercury to the area near Grassy Narrows First Nation is “irresponsible” and “shameless” Story here.
Rare Lowland Old-Growth Forest at Risk – Logging Preparations East of Vancouver
Ancient Forest Alliance News Road-building is scheduled to begin this week and preliminary logging surveys of the old-growth redcedars are underway by Echo Lake, an extremely rare, lowland old-growth forest about 2 hours east of Vancouver between Mission and Agassiz. Story here.
Coral With Leaves: Millions of Trees Joining the List of Climate Change Casualties
inside climate news Mass die-offs in California, the Southwest and Europe are not only tied to global warming by new studies, they will add to it. Story here.
Norway Becomes the First Country to Ban Deforestation
Nation of Change A clearcut in BC. Wikimedia Commons. The Norwegian Parliament has pledged to be deforestation-free. They are the first country in history to ban deforestation. Story here .
'Volatile' Forest Fires Along Manitoba-Ontario Border Force More Evacuations
CBC News 2,800-hectare fire still spreading; 50,000 hectare fire north in Nopiming Provincial Park rages on. Story here.
Researchers Say Only Way to Guarantee Enough Food in 2050 Is if the World Turns Vegan
Eco Watch It is possible to produce enough food to feed a growing population without another tree being felled, according to new research. But there’s a catch. More here.
Stop a Logging Assault On Quebec's Boreal Forest
Natural Resources Defense Council Clearcut logging in BC - Photo by TJ Watt Canadian logging companies are pushing a plan that could destroy some 3 million acres of pristine wilderness in Quebec's Broadback River valley, one of the largest and last remaining untouched stretches of the boreal forest. More here. RELATED: SAVE the BROADBACK " Only “Heroic Efforts” Will Spare Earth’s Mighty Boreal Forest From the Worst Ravages of Climate Change - Experts."
Who’s Still Trashing Forests For Palm Oil? Big Names!
Greenpeace Canada How 'clean' is the palm oil used by major brands around the world? Today, we're releasing the results of our investigation into which companies are keeping promises to stop deforestation in Indonesia for palm oil. Take a look now to see who's keeping up - and who's lagging way behind. More here.
When Planting Trees Hurts the Environment
THE NATION In Paris this week, policy-makers are considering an ambitious new plan to cover 50 million acres of South American land with trees. That might not be a good idea. More here.