Global Crisis Explained
Biodiversity, Consumerism, Deforestation, Economics, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Population, Society, peak oil — by Alexander Seton November 22, 2010
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Spreading the White Plague
Biodiversity, Health & Disease, Livestock — by George Monbiot November 16, 2010
The governments of both the UK and Wales could almost be trying to turn bovine TB into a pandemic.
by George Monbiot: journalist, author, academic and environmental and political activist, United Kingdom
It’s one of those issues, like mad cow disease, which begins at the distant margins of public life, then explodes into the centre ground of politics. Anyone can see it coming – except, perhaps, the government.
Comments (1)Facts of Life
Biodiversity, Comedy Break, Health & Disease, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contaminaton & Loss — by Marc Roberts November 11, 2010
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Courtesy: Marc Roberts
This one stems from a DotEarth story about epidemic rises in incidences of deformed beaks amongst the birds of Alaska and elsewhere.
Comments (0)Us and Them – a Better Approach
Biodiversity, Comedy Break — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor November 2, 2010
George Monbiot should stop complaining about our unwillingness to do anything about biodiversity loss and get with the program instead.
 Just another attempt to toy with our emotions… |
The world is getting smaller. Our human population is exploding, and our appetites are growing even faster than our birthrates. Although you may not realise it, this is leading us on to one great final offensive.
Up until now some of us have been willing to acquiesce to the other creatures that inhabit OUR earth — but no more. We cannot let our sensibilities overcome our sense here. There is no longer enough room or resources for both us and them. This is a time to unite, like the true world dominators that we are, for the sake of humanity. Now is the time to take a stand; for one last great and noble human victory — a determined, merciless conquest of species eradication.
Comments (8)A Ghost Agreement
Biodiversity, Economics — by George Monbiot
Everyone agrees that the new declaration on biodiversity is a triumph. Just one snag: it doesn’t appear to exist.
by George Monbiot: journalist, author, academic and environmental and political activist, United Kingdom
“Countries join forces to save life on Earth”, the front page of the Independent told us. “Historic”, “a landmark”, a “much-needed morale booster”, the other papers chorused(1,2,3). The declaration agreed at the summit in Japan last week to protect the world’s wild species and wild places was proclaimed by almost everyone a great success. There’s only one problem: none of the journalists who made these claims has seen it.
Letters from Sri Lanka: Ranjith de Silva – Bastion of Biological Defense
Aid Projects, Biodiversity, Community Projects, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, GMOs, Village Development — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor October 29, 2010
During my time in Sri Lanka, although concentrating on Sarvodaya’s widespread work and influence in the country, I also took a few hours out to visit Ranjith de Silva, a man whose work I applaud.
In 1995 the European Patent Office in Munich granted patent rights to the US Department of Agriculture and the multinational W. R. Grace and Company for an antifungal product derived from the neem tree — a plant referred to by Indian villagers as ‘the village pharmacy‘. This made it possible for the corporation, one with a rather checkered environmental history, to market their ‘Neemix’ bio-pesticide and to hold monopoly over the substance — one that has been used by traditional farmers for thousands of years….
Ranjith de Silva stands in front of his neem tree — now safe from
corporate clutches with the help of his influence.
All photographs © Craig Mackintosh
Three Major Reports
Biodiversity, Deforestation, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Health & Disease, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contaminaton & Loss — by Oyvind Holmstad October 28, 2010
A Viable Food Future
 Download here |
What kind of food production can:
- drastically reduce poverty
- reduce climate change and cool the planet
- restore biodiversity, soil fertility and water resources
- improve livelihoods and provide employment for billions of people
- produce enough, good, and nutritious food for 9 billion people or more?
From the report:
Regulation and transformation of unsustainable large-scale industrialised agriculture, livestock raising and fisheries towards smaller-scale ecological production systems is urgently required if hunger is to be eradicated, an equitable food system established and the environment restored. Small-scale farmers should be recognized for their ability to feed the world, reduce climate change, preserve the natural wealth of agricultural and grazing lands, soil, biodiversity, water and aquatic resources that they use in production. Local food production and small-scale agricultural industries in rural areas have the potential to provide decent jobs, which are of utmost importance especially for rural youth and women, and to revitalise agrarian, pastoral and fisheries-based economies, thereby preventing distress or involuntary migration to cities. It is time to move in the direction of a viable food future.
Download the full report, available in English, Spanish and French.
Comments (3)A Planet in Square Brackets
Biodiversity, Consumerism, Deforestation, Economics, Global Warming/Climate Change, Society — by George Monbiot October 20, 2010
The draft global plan for saving biodiversity contains no firm proposals at all.
by George Monbiot: journalist, author, academic and environmental and political activist, United Kingdom
As the summit begins, I’ve finally got round to reading the draft declaration on biodiversity* the governments meeting at Nagoya in Japan will discuss. It’s 195 pages long. If it were a thesis about the causes and consequences of the decline of the world’s wild species, I would give it a fairly high mark. As an action plan for doing something about this decline, it’s a dead loss.
It begins by reminding us of the comprehensive failure of the last big declaration, in 2002. Then the governments agreed to “achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss”. The new declaration begins by saying this hasn’t been met “in full”. Later, it concedes that it hasn’t been met at all:
Comments (14)“The diversity of genes, species and ecosystems continues to decline, as the pressures on biodiversity remain constant or increase in intensity mainly as a result of human actions.”
Saving Species
Biodiversity — by George Monbiot October 15, 2010
By Guillaume Chapron and George Monbiot, published in the Guardian 4th October 2010
In less than a month, unless we can rouse sufficient public indignation to avert it, a widespread suspicion that humanity is incapable of looking after this planet will be confirmed. The world’s governments will meet at Nagoya in Japan to discuss the catastrophic decline of life on the planet. The outcome is expected to be as tragic and as stupid as the collapse of last year’s climate talks in Copenhagen.
The Aliens Are Coming
Biodiversity — by George Monbiot October 5, 2010
We appear to be incapable of dealing with invasive species while there’s still time.
by George Monbiot: journalist, author, academic and environmental and political activist, United Kingdom
On a dark night last week, a group of animal rights activists in Donegal made their own special contribution to the International Year of Biodiversity. They cut their way into a fur farm and released 5,000 mink. This, within their circles, was considered a clever thing to do. A spokesperson for the Alliance for Animal Rights said “I commend whoever risked their freedom to do this”(1). The Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade announced that “we fully support what has happened.”(2)
Had these people tipped a tanker load of bleach into the headwaters of the River Finn, they would have done less damage. The effects would be horrible for a while, but the ecosystem could then begin to recover. The mink, by contrast, will remain at large for years, perhaps millennia. Like many introduced species, American mink can slash their way through the ecosystem, as they have no native predators, and their prey species haven’t evolved to avoid them. Is there anything the animal lovers in Donegal could have done which would have harmed more animals?
Comments (3)Dirty Oil – the Tar Sands Documentary
Biodiversity, Comedy Break, Economics, Global Warming/Climate Change, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contaminaton & Loss, peak oil — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor September 28, 2010
This documentary is worth a watch. It’s not complete – the website that hosts it calls this their "customized episodic series".
If someone finds the rest at a future date, do tell.
Comments (5)
Adding a Frog Pond to your Garden
Aquaculture, Biodiversity, Land, Plant Systems, Urban Projects — by Christopher Wallis September 23, 2010
A pond in your garden can be very attractive whilst also providing habitat for native amphibians. The sound of frogs in your garden at night is very soothing, but the pond needs to be a reasonable distance from your house and your neighbours’, as the frogs can be quite noisy at times.
It is usually good to choose the lowest part of the garden to ensure a natural setting and water flow but placement can be relatively flexible. Half shade is preferable, with plants around the pond for shelter. A pond that gets no sun will stagnate and lose its inhabitants quickly. Make sure you wait at least two weeks before adding frogs to ensure that any chlorine in the water has evaporated.
Comments (2)Fined Nearly $5,000 for Growing Too Many Vegetables
Alternatives to Political Systems, Biodiversity, Society — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor
I think soon, around about now actually, local councils will need to be looking at public spaces in a new light – rather than using it for pavements, ornamentals and fountains, grass verges, parks and unused lots will have to be turned into community gardens and permaculture demonstration sites.
Whilst approval for this concept might not be in the minutes of most local council meetings as yet, one particular council in the U.S. is not even close to such an epiphany:
I’d encourage people in the U.S. south east to hammer the point home to the DeKalb County officials – we need to transition to relocalised polycultures, or we’re all screwed…. Steve Miller’s stand, if overwhelmingly supported, could become a great opportunity to educate the local council on issues that matter.
Go Steve!
Comments (8)Fruit Flies in a Bottle
Biodiversity, Consumerism, Economics, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Health & Disease, Population, Society, peak oil — by Ernest Partridge September 20, 2010
Copyright 2010 by Ernest Partridge. Published here with permission of the author.
Men at some time are masters of their fates. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves that we are underlings. – William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
I
Place a few fruit flies in a bottle with a layer of honey at the bottom, and they will quickly multiply to an enormous number, and then, just as quickly, die off to the very last, poisoned by their wastes. Similarly, add a few yeast cells to grape juice, seal the bottle, and the cells will consume the sugar and turn it into alcohol. When the alcohol rises to 12.5% it will kill off all the yeast, and the wine will be ready for the table.
Fruit flies and yeast in a bottle are embarked upon suicidal endeavors. They can’t help it. They don’t know any better, lacking the cognitive equipment to “know” anything at all.
Human beings, we are told, are different. Humans can utilize their accumulated knowledge, evaluate evidence and apply reason, and with these skills and accomplishments they can imagine alternative futures and choose among them to their advantage.
Comments (28)Low Lying
Biodiversity, Comedy Break, Global Warming/Climate Change — by Marc Roberts September 17, 2010
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Courtesy: Marc Roberts
Kiribati shows some leadership, as the tiger continues its journey into oblivion.
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