Could Ecosystem Service Payments Save the Amazon?
Wednesday, February 11th, 2009From WWF: Amazon could prosper thanks to emission payments, be lost without Global payments for ecological services rendered by the Amazon such as the carbon retaining in its forests could go a long way to preserving them, a new study has found. Keeping the Amazon forests standing: a matter of values, carried by the Copernicus […]
Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon Drops
Friday, January 23rd, 2009Brazil’s Environment Minister, Carlos Minc, just announced at a press conference that the pace of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell 82% in the last five months of 2008 compared to a similar period in 2007. Minc attributes the drop to two factors: policies put into place by the federal government and regional authorities, and […]
Using Community Mapping to Combat Deforestation / Utilizando mapeamento participativo para combatir o desmatamento
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009Temas Observation: I have long stressed the importance of good data-gathering and diagnosis as the basis for sound action, and advocated getting individuals, civic groups and communities involved in such work. Hence I applaud this effort led by Greenpeace. As their press releases point out, combating deforestation in the Amazon is difficult in part because […]
A Unique GEO for MEROSUR
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008Last month a GEO for the Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR or MERCOSUL) was finally unveiled with much fanfare by representatives of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the meeting of MERCOSUR Environment Ministers. What’s a GEO? It’s probably the best known type of comprehensive environmental diagnosis available. “GEO” was the acronym for “Global […]
Minas Seeks to Lead in Environmental Policy / Minas Pretende Ser Lider na Política Ambiental
Monday, December 29th, 2008Minas Gerais is seeking to take the lead among Brazilian states in environmental protection, and they want everyone to know it! [Look out, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo!] At year-end the state environment secretary José Carlos Carvalho released a report card on mineiro environment policy achievements and plans for 2009. He particularly […]
A New Strategic Framework on Forests and Climate Change / Un nuevo marco estratégico sobre bosques y cambio climático
Thursday, December 11th, 2008From the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): Forestry takes on the climate change challenge Global organizations team up to ensure contribution of forests To ensure that sustainably managed forests play a key role in mitigating the negative effects of climate change, a new strategic framework is being launched jointly by 14 international organizations* known […]
LAC Legislators Lay Out Common Position on Climate Change / Legisladores de ALC establecen posición común sobre el cambio climático
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008Seventy senior legislators from across the Americas, meeting last week in Mexico City under the aegis of GLOBE International, agreed on a number of key points about climate change that they will take back to their respective legislatures and promote in the context of international negotiations for a post-2012 global climate change regime. Among other […]
Targeting Key States in Brazil’s Battle vs. Amazon Deforestation
Monday, November 24th, 2008The Norwegian government is funding, and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) is administering, a US$4.3 million pilot project by Brazil’s Environment Ministry (MMA) and the governments of three states — Acre (AC), Mato Grosso (MT) and Pará (PA) — to combat deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. As I’ve noted here in the past, MT and […]
Brazil Will Monitor All Its Biomass by Satellite
Thursday, November 20th, 2008Synopsis in English: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is financing a project by the Brazilian Environment Ministry (MMA) and environment agency (IBAMA) that will expand satellite monitoring to detect deforestation from just the Amazon region (which has been underway since 1988) to all its biomass. Thus monitoring will be added for the Cerrado, Caatinga, […]
Paraguay Extends Its Zero Deforestation Law
Thursday, November 20th, 2008From WWF: Paraguay moves closer towards zero net deforestation Paraguay’s Congress has today unanimously voted to extend the country’s “Zero Deforestation Law” by another five years. The law, which came into force in December 2004 and was effective in slashing deforestation rates massively, was due to expire at end 2008. Three commissions — Energy and […]
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