How palm oil cultivation in Borneo is threatening the ecosystem everywhere

The Washington Post

Ahead of the Paris Sustainable Innovation Forum, COP21, taking place this month, In Sight spoke with wildlife photographer and filmmaker Mattias Klum, who will be among the many conservationists and activists speaking on environmental issues that threaten the Earth’s ecosystem. Klum has traversed the world as a photographer and filmmaker for National Geographic, documenting ecosystems from the Galapagos to the Okavango Delta in Botswana. But he believes that one of the Earth’s most pressing environmental concerns is palm oil cultivation in Indonesia and Malaysia, illustrated here in his stunning series of photographs. More here.

New Platform Reveals How Much Carbon Is Locked in Tropical Forests – and How Much Was Lost

WRI

Between 2001 and 2013, greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation across the world’s tropical forests were, on average, larger than Russia’s economy-wide emissions in 2012. That’s 2,270 million metric tons (Mt) of carbon dioxide every year. More here.

Genetically Modified Mustard is Unsafe for Us. Stop potential approval of its cultivation

change.org Vandana Shiva

This ‘new’ mustard in our kitchen could soon be harmful to us. More here. 

The World Mourns One of its Greats: Maurice Strong Dies, His Legacy Lives On.

MauriceStrong.net

" This is not just a technical issue. Everybody's actions are motivated by their inner life, their moral, spiritual and ethical values. Global agreements will be effective when they are rooted in the individual commitment of people, which arises from their own inner life." More here.

Exxon Targets Journalists Who Exposed Massive Climate Cover Up

CommonDreams

'We’ve often wondered if Exxon actually hates our children because they so consistently stand in the way of safeguarding their future,' campaigner said, 'it turns out they apparently hate good journalism as well.' Story here.

Outsmarting Nature?

etc

   GROUP

Many of the world's largest agro-industrial corporations are pushing forward the poorly-defined idea of "Climate-Smart Agriculture"(CSA) to re-market industrial agriculture as 'climate-ready'. This report uncovers how some advocates of CSA are embracing the extreme genetic engineering tools of synthetic biology ("Syn Bio") to develop a set of false solutions to the climate crisis. More here.

EPA Pulls Registration for Dow’s Enlist Duo Herbicide Citing High Toxicity Levels

Centre for Food Safety

Toxic pesticide banned on genetically engineered crops. More here.