Tell Papua New Guinea and British Royalty:Climate Solutions Have No Place for Continued Industrial Primary Forest Destruction!

ACTION ALERT PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY!

Tell Papua New Guinea and British Royalty: Climate Solutions Have No Place for Continued Industrial Primary Forest Destruction

By Ecological Internet's Rainforest Portal with Rainforest Rescue
http://www.rainforestportal.org/
& http://www.regenwald.org/international/englisch/

July 6, 2009

TAKE ACTION HERE NOW:
http://www.rainforestportal.org/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=png_redd_logging


Knighting of illegal logger and carbon market corruption plague Papua New Guinea's (PNG) attempts to receive carbon money for protecting rainforests. Let Prime Minister Somare, and England's Queen and Prince of Wales, know PNG climate and biodiversity protection under UN REDD carbon markets requires an immediate end to industrial primary rainforest destruction by logging and oil palm. And certainly no royal knighthood for criminal loggers.

TAKE ACTION NOW:
http://www.rainforestportal.org/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=png_redd_logging


DISCUSS THIS ALERT:
http://www.rainforestportal.org/issues/2009/07/alert_tell_papua_new_guinea_an.asp

OLD FORESTS REDD RAGE AND NEARTH REVOLUTION

Earth and her humanity need old forests to exist. And all enabling their destruction, including potential carbon markets paying for 'sustainable forest management' in primary forests, are legitimate targets for an Earth Revolution.
By Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological InternetEarth Meanders come from Earth's Newsdesk, http://www.ecoearth.info/newsdesk/http://www.ecoearth.info/earthmeanders/
For too long those feeding upon the trough of "sustainable" forestry have been perpetuating the myth that primary and old growth forests can and should be harvested using "Sustainable Forest Management" (SFM) techniques. Old Forests are key to ecosystem, biodiversity, human and the Earth System's survival. Along with other intact natural terrestrial, aquatic and marine habitats; old forests are the internal organs of the Planet and regulate the Earth System to maintain conditions conducive to life. Primary forests logged for the first time are permanently ecologically damaged in terms of composition, structure, function and dynamics.I am stunned, dumfounded and enraged at the wholesale selling out of the climate and forest, led by big environmental NGOs (BINGOs). The latest positive idea for an ecologically sustainable Earth -- Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Diminishment (REDD) -- to pay for ancient forest protection with carbon monies, is at this very moment being watered down to mean business as usual first time logging of primary forests that forever destroys ecosystems and habitats. Like "sustainable development" and "certified forestry", the REDD concept of paying for protection of old forests' carbon stores, biodiversity and ecosystem is being taken over by industry.Current thinking is that REDD will not primarily pay for avoided deforestation -- that is keeping and benefiting locally from standing old forests -- but instead pushes long-failed and mythical "sustainable forest management" in the world's remaining dwindling primary forests. Latest REDD proposals as part of the UN climate policy process focus upon paying for everything but keeping old forests standing. I am absolutely appalled at the environmental movement for rolling over on climate offsets in general, and their tolerance or promotion of "sustainable forest management" for the world's remaining primary forests, rather than strict protection. I am enraged and indignant. Well known NGO's obstinate support for Forest Stewardship Council's certification of first time primary forest logging as "well-managed", while implying sustainability, has set the stage for industrial logging to be falsely marketed as a climate change solution. On the back of NGO greenwashing, first time industrial logging of primary forests is now claimed to be beneficial to climate, never mind that most timber products are in the landfill decomposing within years, and that current and future forest carbon stores are reduced for millennia. Nothing fills me with such rage as the selling out of ancient life giving forests by greens and BINGOs. Under REDD+ UN climate proposals, sustainable forest management, clearing of primary forests to be replaced by plantations, and selective logging of never before industrially harvested forests, could all be granted carbon credits. To solve climate change, your tax monies are to be used to pay to log the last primary and old growth forests which hold and remove unbelievably vast amounts of carbon. This is like being against slavery and committing to treating your slaves better at the same time. Old forests make Earth habitable. The fact that such an ecological ignorant and ludicrous notion as logging old forests with carbon monies for alleged climate benefits is being entertained illustrates clearly the failure of Western democratic consumption system. Along with other political signals, such as ridiculously low carbon emission reduction targets being set by rich industrial economies, emerging economies refusal to reduce emissions, as well as a clear lack of understanding how these targets will be met within the dominant economic growth paradigm, all indications are that current prevailing economic and government systems are inadequate and are unable to respond to looming ecological collapse and end of being.Old forests are our home. We and many species have evolved there or nearby, and are utterly dependent upon their carbon storage, biodiversity, soil, water, wildlife, rain and other ecosystem processes they provide. Earth is faced with an unprecedented emergency as its surface is scoured of life and the ecologically cumulative biosphere collapses. Nothing impacts climate, water or oceans more than denuding natural forests. To advocate cutting down the last bits of old forests that allow us to live, to be paid for by money to address climate change, is an outrageous crime against humanity that cannot go unchallenged. I am absolutely appalled at the environmental movement for rolling over on demanding sufficient climate policy. The forest movement has been piddling about with certified forests, once off protests, demonstration projects and market campaigns for decades. Specifically, their promotion of industrial scaled "certified" or "sustainable" forest management of old forests, rather than strict protection and local community eco-forestry, illustrates the death of ecological science based free thinking adequate to solve the Earth crisis on hand. And meanwhile Earth continues to be scraped of its forest skin. The degree of corporate collaboration (including by BINGOS) to find ways to profit financially from ecological Armageddon is sickening. It is this desire for endless profit that has brought us to the edge of global ecocide. Any organization, individual, company, government, BINGO or other espousing industrial first time logging of remaining primary and old growth forests is a criminal and liable. They do not understand the imperatives of ecological science, and that our way of life is destroying the ecosystems required for our and all life. And as such they are legitimate targets for protests of many sorts. I have come to believe the only way to bring about global ecological sustainability will be an Earth Revolution to overthrow the whole stinking and unsustainable system of growth in economy, population and inequitable consumption. We are failing to maintain Earth's ecological infrastructure, and it is now time to seriously raise our game and only pursue what is necessary to ensure humanity and Gaia's shared survival. Human survival depends upon paying local peoples and governments to protect and restore old forests, while helping local peoples and governments benefit from them remaining standing. If REDD is not gotten right at Copenhagen (and ambitious short term emissions reductions targets set), than the only manner to achieve global ecological sustainability will be to overthrow the industrial growth machine. Any such Stewardship Revolution would be well advised to focus upon those that continue antiquated processes of burning and cutting Earth to death. Those scouring the Earth of biological life must no longer go unpunished. Whatever it takes, old forest logging and other industrial destruction must end now.Failure at Copenhagen and immediately after to protect old forests, put in place immediate emissions reductions, and urgently address over-population and inequitable consumption will mean our only chance of ecological survival is revolutionary action. If international efforts to address climate change instead intend to clear the last remnants of an intact global ecosystem, they will need to be resisted using all means necessary. We may or may not choose to wage war upon those we know are destroying being, but failure at Copenhagen will make violent revolution THE only way to save a habitable Earth populated by complex life including humans. For life and Earth, it is time to revolt.

CLIMATE CHANGE IS GREATEST HUMANITARIAN CHALLENGE FACING THE WORLD

Climate change is greatest humanitarian challenge facing the world as heatwaves, floods and forest fires become more severe
by John Vidal
Global Warming is already responsible for 300,000 deaths a year and isaffecting 300m people, according to the first comprehensive study of thehuman impact of global warming.
It projects that increasingly severe heatwaves, floods, storms and forestfires will be responsible for as many as 500,000 deaths a year by 2030,making it the greatest humanitarian challenge the world faces.
Economic losses due to climate change today amount to more than $125bn ayear - more than the all present world aid. The report comes from former UNsecretary general Kofi Annan's thinktank, the Global Humanitarian Forum. By2030, the report says, climate change could cost $600bn a year.
Civil unrest may also increase because of weather-related events, the reportsays: "Four billion people are vulnerable now and 500m are now at extremerisk. Weather-related disasters ... bring hunger, disease, poverty and lostlivelihoods. They pose a threat to social and political stability".
If emissions are not brought under control, within 25 years, the reportstates:
€ 310m more people will suffer adverse health consequences related totemperature increases
€ 20m more people will fall into poverty
€ 75m extra people will be displaced by climate change.
Climate change is expected to have the most severe impact on water supplies. "Shortages in future are likely to threaten food production, reducesanitation, hinder economic development and damage ecosystems. It causesmore violent swings between floods and droughts. Hundreds of millions ofpeople are expected to become water stressed by climate change by the 2030.".
The study says it is impossible to be certain who will be displaced by 2030,but that tens of millions of people "will be driven from their homelands byweather disasters or gradual environmental degradation. The problem is mostsevere in Africa, Bangladesh, Egypt, coastal zones and forest areas. ."
The study compares for the first time the number of people affected byclimate change in rich and poor countries. Nearly 98% of the peopleseriously affected, 99% of all deaths from weather-related disasters and 90%of the total economic losses are now borne by developing countries. Thepopulations most at risk it says, are in sub-Saharan Africa, the MiddleEast, south Asia and the small island states of the Pacific.
But of the 12 countries considered least at risk, including Britain, all butone are industrially developed. Together they have made nearly $72bnavailable to adapt themselves to climate change but have pledged only $400mto help poor countries. "This is less than one state in Germany is spendingon improving its flood defences," says the report.
The study comes as diplomats from 192 countries prepare to meet in Bonn nextweek for UN climate change talks aimed at reaching a global agreement toreduce greenhouse gas emissions in December in Copenhagen. "The world is ata crossroads. We can no longer afford to ignore the human impact of climatechange. This is a call to the negotiators to come to the most ambitiousagreement ever negotiated or to continue to accept mass starvartion, masssickness and mass migration on an ever growing scale," said Kofi Annan, wholaunched the report today in London.
Annan blamed politians for the current impasse in the negotiations andwidespread ignorance in many countries. "Weak leadership, as evident today,is alarming. If leaders cannot assume responsibility they will failhumanity. Agreement is in the interests of every human being."
Barabra Stocking, head of Oxfam said: "Adaptation efforts need to be scaledup dramatically.The world's poorest are the hardest hit, but they have donethe least to cause it.
Nobel peace prizewinner Wangari Maathai, said: "Climate change is life ordeath. It is the new global battlefield. It is being presented as if it isthe problem of the developed world. But it's the developed world that hasprecipitated global warming."
Calculations for the report are based on data provided by the World Bank,the World Health organisation, the UN, the Potsdam Insitute For ClimateImpact Research, and others, including leading insurance companies andOxfam. However, the authors accept that the estimates are uncertain andcould be higher or lower. The paper was reviewed by 10 of the world'sleading experts incluing Rajendra Pachauri, head of the UN'sIntergovernmental Panel On Climate Change, Jeffrey Sachs, of ColumbiaUniversity and Margareta Wahlström, assistant UN secretary general fordisaster risk reduction.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2009
27 Comments so far
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
© Copyrighted 1997-2009www.commondreams.org

Activists on Homemade Rafts Block World’s Largest Coal Port

Activists on Homemade Rafts Block World’s Largest Coal Port

Written by Alex Felsinger



About 500 activists blocked coal shipments into Australia’s Hunter harbour yesterday by paddling kayaks and homemade rafts made from milk crates and innertubes into the water.
The action, which lasted 11 hours, is the fourth successful blockade against shipments of coal into Australia. More coal is received at that particular harbor than any other in the world.



“These people sent a serious message that the government, if they are going to be serious about climate change, they must address the coal industry,” said Greens parliamentarian Lee Rhiannon. “It’s the fourth time this blockade has been held and each time it attracts plenty of support and we will continue with future peaceful actions if we think it’s necessary.”

While the coal industry said their shipments continued unimpeded by the protest, the activists say they achieved their goal of gaining publicity for the anti-coal movement.

“We would like to show a strong message to the Government that everyday Australians are sick of politely asking for change,” said Carly Phillips, one of the many protesters. “We’d like to see a just transition away from the coal industry towards a renewable energy future.”

Photo courtesy of Greenpeace

MONTH-LONG HUNGER STRIKE STOPS HIMALAYAN DAM CONSTRUCTION!

A well-respected Indian scientist nearly died after a 38-day hunger strike in protest of construction on a hydropower dam on a tributary of the Ganges river.
vote nowBuzz up!AD Agarwal, a 77-year-old former professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi at Kanpur, began his strike last month when the Indian government refused to study the impacts of the dam before beginning work. The Ganges river’s free-flowing abundance is sacred in Hindu culture.



While construction on this dam has stopped for now, it is only one of thousands planned in the Himalayas region, and the non-profit International Rivers says very little environmental investigation has been performed on any of them. One particular concern is that global warming would overwhelm the dams with excessive silt and water, resulting in disastrous breeches.

“The impact of global warming is already being felt much more in the Himalayas than in other parts of the world,” reads a report from the organization. “This is resulting in the accelerated melting of glaciers and the depletion of the massive water store of the region. There are real fears the snow-covered mountains [will turn] into bare, rocky mountains. As glaciers melt, water in the rivers will rise, and dams will be subjected to much higher flows, raising concerns of dam safety.”

COAL KILLS-TIME FOR PEOPLE POWER TO PROTECT THE CLIMATE!TAKE ACTION NOW!

ACTION ALERT PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY!

Coal Kills -- Time for People Power to Protect the Climate

By Ecological Internet's Climate Ark project
http://www.climateark.org/
March 1, 2009

TAKE ACTION HERE NOW:
http://www.climateark.org/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=coal_kills

The use of coal must end if we are to maintain an
operable atmosphere, human civilization and all the
Earth's complex life

BRIEF BACKGROUND:
The growing and powerful climate movement has, based upon
climate science, already shown conclusively that climate
change is real and deadly. Now we must urge politicians,
industry and individuals to immediately act and transform
themselves if we are to survive. Finally, a mass protest
against coal -- whose plants are "factories of death" --
is to occur in America, reflecting the urgency and depth
of the one most important, sufficient climate response
through non-violent civil disobedience.

Coal generates the highest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
per unit of energy obtained, and large reserves remain
that must not be burned if we are to survive. Continued
reliance upon coal, without immediate phasing-out of
plants that emit into the atmosphere, is incompatible
with any scenario to reduce atmospheric GHGs to a safe
level in time to avert irreversible and catastrophic
climate change.

Ecological Internet wholeheartedly endorses the Capitol
Climate Action -- the largest mass civil disobedience for
the climate in U.S. history. On March 2, you are urged to
join thousands of people in protesting at the Capitol
Power Plant in Washington DC, a plant that powers the
U.S. Congress with dirty energy. We encourage you to
consider marching and getting arrested to make the point
that the age of coal is over, and/or to show your support
for the brave protestors and the end of coal by sending
the message below.

TAKE ACTION NOW:
http://www.climateark.org/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=coal_kills

REVOKE BUSH'S PLAN TO DRILL IN "POLAR BEAR SEAS"TAKE ACTION NOW!

CLICK THE TITLE TO LINK TO THE ORIGINAL PAGE AND SEND THE MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT OBAMA!
The icy waters of the Beaufort and Chukchi seas, north of Alaska, are home to 20 percent of the world's remaining polar bear population. Thanks to George Bush, these waters might also become home to a massive and dangerous network of oil rigs and pipelines. On his way out of Washington, Bush proposed the largest block yet of Arctic Ocean waters for drilling – right in the heart of threatened polar bear habitat. Oil spills are a certainty in that harsh climate and no technology exists to clean them up. Drilling is simply not worth it.

President Obama recently asked Americans to usher in a new era of responsibility. The Bush plan is still pending, presenting the new administration an important opportunity to demonstrate responsible stewardship of our natural heritage. Send a public comment today: Call on the government to halt all new drilling in the Polar Bear Seas. It's the only responsible path.
http://www.capwiz.com/alaskawild/issues/alert/?alertid=12497916&external_id=10396.-1001336

DESTRUCTION OF OLD FORESTS MUST STOP NOW!

RELEASE: Ancient Forests Absorb 20% of Human's Carbon, Logging and Other Industrial Destruction of Old Forests Must Stop Now


- The myth that primary and old growth forests should be
"sustainably" managed is dealt a mortal deathblow. Members
and funders of RAN, FSC and others greenwashing ancient
forest logging called upon to withdraw support in protest
(Seattle, WA) -- Ecological Internet welcomes the
emerging science published today in "Nature" indicating
tropical trees in undisturbed forest are absorbing nearly
a fifth of the CO2 released by burning fossil fuels[1].
This is in addition to the long-term carbon sequestered
within old trees' wood and soils. This is the most recent
of several major scientific studies indicating the need
to fully protect all remaining primary and old growth
forests as a keystone response to global climate,
biodiversity and water crises.

"This is huge -- not only do ancient rainforests reliably
store massive amounts of carbon, as we have known for
sometime, but they continue to remove enormous amounts of
carbon every day they remain standing and are non-
degraded. The study partially solves the mystery of where
human carbon pollution has been going, and in so doing
supports the need for avoided deforestation payments,"
said Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet's President.

It was found that remaining tropical forests remove a
massive 4.8 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions from the
atmosphere each year. This includes a previously unknown
carbon sink in Africa, which mops up 1.2 billion tonnes
of CO2 a year. Over the past 40 years, each hectare of
intact African forest was found to have annually trapped
an extra 0.6 tonnes of carbon. This builds upon last
year's studies that found old-growth forests are "carbon
sinks" and continually absorb carbon dioxide, and that
their first time logging releases 40 percent of their
carbon[2].

"We are receiving a free subsidy from nature," says Dr.
Simon Lewis, a Royal Society research fellow at the
University of Leeds, and the lead author of the paper.
"Tropical forest trees are absorbing about 18% of the CO2
added to the atmosphere each year from burning fossil
fuels, substantially buffering the rate of climate
change."

Dr. Lee White, co-author on the study, said "to get an
idea of the value of the sink, the removal of nearly 5
billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by
intact tropical forests, based on realistic prices for a
tonne of carbon, should be valued at around £13 billion
($USD 18.7 billlion) per year. This is a compelling
argument for conserving tropical forests."

### MORE ###

The findings critically demolish claims by groups as
diverse as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), World
Bank, Rainforest Action Network (RAN), Greenpeace and WWF
that "well-managed, responsible and low-impact" logging
in the world's dwindling ancient forests can ever have
environmental benefits. Over the past two years, each has
been the target of Ecological Internet's campaign to end
old growth forest logging, which is "certified" by FSC as
being "green".

Late last year RAN agreed to review their long-time
support for first time industrial logging of ancient
forests[3]. When Lafcadio Cortesi, RAN's new rainforest
campaigner, was asked to comment upon the Nature report,
he replied it is a "bit of a stretch and certainly
premature to link... the nature paper findings with RAN
and the FSC." He refused to answer the question "how does
logging 500 year old ancient trees protect rainforests
and the climate," continuing two years of RAN
stonewalling on the most basic of questions regarding
their support for FSC ancient forest logging.

EI President, Dr. Glen Barry, said "the science has never
been clearer: global ecological sustainability depends
critically upon protecting and restoring old forests. How
much longer can RAN and the world dither? Our demand of
RAN remains the same: either use your membership to get
FSC to eliminate their sourcing of certified timbers from
ancient forests, or resign immediately from FSC in
protest. Sadly, our campaign resumes after failure by RAN
to keep their earlier promises."

"We call upon RAN members to resign, and their funders to
stop their support, in protest of America's leading
rainforest group supporting -- against a growing body of
ecological science -- first time industrial destruction
of primeval forests. EI will be taking further protest
action at a place and time of our choosing."

### ENDS ###

[1] Nature, "Increasing carbon storage in intact African
tropical forests", February 19, 2009, Vol 457.

Study press release:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090218135031.htm

[2] Old-growth forests as global carbon sinks. Nature
455, 213-215 (September 11, 2008).

Green Carbon: The role of natural forests in carbon
storage. ANU E Press (July 2008).

[3] "Ancient Forest Victory, as Rainforest Action Network
Yields, Commits to Review FSC Support",
http://www.rainforestportal.org/issues/2008/10/release_ancient_forest_victory.asp#more

STOP ROGUE GERMAN SHIP FROM DANGEROUS EXPERIMENTS IN THE OCEAN

Stop Rogue German Ship from Fertilizing Southern Ocean in Dangerous Geo-Engineering Experiment
TAKE ACTION! Many seek to "geo-engineer" a global solution to climate change; that is, modify the Earth's biosphere at a planetary scale. Is humanity so resistant to change that we will seek to construct a "Frankensphere", with dramatic unknown consequences, rather than reducing emissions, consumption and population?

A rogue science ship is poised to carry out risky experimental fertilization of the Southern Ocean. This is likely the first of many coming attempts to begin "geo-engineering" [search] the biosphere as a solution to climate change. RV Polarstern, a German research ship, is to dump twenty tons of iron sulphate over 300 square kilometres of the Scotia Sea, off Chile's coast, near the Antarctic Peninsula. The chemical cargo -- normally used to treat lawns and sewage -- is likely to provoke a massive algal bloom big enough to be seen from outer space. German and Indian scientists are hoping the experiment will show that such manmade algae blooms can provide a quick fix to climate change by absorbing carbon into the sea. Please write to the German government demanding that the RV Polarstern turn around and return to port. Insist that Germany agree to a permanent ban on large-scale geo-engineering experiments and implementation, until all other options are exhausted, and until global geo-engineering protocols are in place. TAKE ACTION!
http://www.climateark.org/blog/2009/01/alert-stop-rogue-german-ship-f.asp