A succession of mega-corporations that have been driving rainforest destruction in Indonesia have recently announced 'no deforestation' policies. Bill Lawrance asks: is it too good to be true?
… And to make things worse, APRIL's new sustainability commitments won't be applied to …
What's needed to pull the world's economy out of recession? According to the G20, it's a massive wave of 'infrastructure' development worth as much $70 trillion, writes Bill Laurance. But all the roads, mines, dams, pipelines and 'development corridors' will inflict massive damage on wildlife populations and natural havens, not to mention local communities that stand in the way.
Roads to ruin: the G20's ecocidal infrastructure rampage Bill Laurance | 16th March 2015 News Development Transport Mining Ecocide Forests elephant-skull-bill-lawrance-cut.jpg What's needed to pull …
Roads, mines, dams, power lines, pipelines and other infrastructure projects are fast eating into the world's 'core forests', writes Bill Laurance. These rare and precious places where wildlife and ecological processes can flourish undisturbed must come before the evanescent gains of 'development'. To save what's left, governments and funders must learn the word 'No!'
… that an added bonus of development is greater sustainability, because impoverished people …
Tropical forests are valuable for their biodiversity, carbon and water functions even after logging. But they are also highly vulnerable to fire and conversion to other uses. A new focus is needed on saving tropical forests after the bulldozers have left.
… so a greater priority is promoting the sustainability of logging. Many tropical … to one more oriented toward long-term sustainability. The area of logged tropical …
It's fine for 'green' groups to plant trees, or rescue baby flying foxes, write Susan & Bill Laurance. But when they campaign for the environment, right wing politicians see red, Moves are now afoot to strip advocacy groups of their charitable status, reflecting a broader clamp down on eco-activism across the Asia Pacific region in China, Cambodia, Lao and India.
Australia prepares tax penalty attack on environmental advocacy groups Susan Laurance Bill Laurance | 13th June 2014 News Australia Campaigning Politics jellyfish-cut.jpg It's fine for 'green' groups …
The destruction of the world's wilderness is accelerating with a new clutch of mega projects from dams, roads and mines to large scale agriculture, write James Watson, Bill Laurance, Brendan Mackey & James Allan. It's cost-effective to put a stop to it right now for the carbon value of wilderness alone - never mind the biodiversity and indigenous peoples it safeguards.
Wilderness needs immediate protection for climate - and much more James Watson Bill Laurance Brendan Mackey James Allan | 16th September 2016 Comment Climate Change Forests Wilderness Conservation …
A new WWF report puts eastern Australia among the world's deforestation hotspots, write Martine Maron & Bill Laurance - estimating that 3-6 million hectares of native forest will be cleared there over the next 15 years. Queensland's new Labor government could reverse the destructive policies - but will it turn a new leaf?
… bring? Or will we sacrifice environmental sustainability for short-term gains, as …
The sudden shift from 'Least Concern' to 'Vulnerable' status for all four species of giraffe is a red flag for their survival, writes Bill Laurance. Hunted down by poachers with automatic weapons for their 'trophy' tails, their range fragmented by roads and mines, and their woodland habitat cleared for farms or burnt for charcoal, giraffes need our help, fast.
It's time to stand tall for imperilled giraffes Bill Laurance James Cook University | 15th December 2016 Comment Africa Giraffes Extinction Development 2-giraffes-cut.jpg The sudden shift from 'Least …
New development financiers like China's Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank are driving a global attack on the environment, writes Bill Laurance. With their fast track 'no questions asked' procedures, they are financing a wave of destructive mega-projects, giving the World Bank and other lenders the excuse to lower their already weak safeguards.
New development banks propel environmental 'race to the bottom' Bill Laurance James Cook University | 8th April 2016 Comment Finance Development Ecocide China aiib-cut.jpg New development financiers …
Africa is facing an unprecedented surge in road and railway building with 33 huge 'development corridors' planned that threaten 2,400 of the continent's protected wildlife areas, writes Bill Laurance. We must block the most destructive plans and limit avoidable impacts on natural areas - before it's too late.
Massive road and rail projects threaten thousands of Africa’s wildlife reserves Bill Laurance James Cook University | 4th January 2015 Comment Africa Conservation Transport Development Protected …
Roads are responsible for massive environmental damage around the world, writes Bill Laurance - yet they also bring huge benefits. His solution? A new atlas that shows where the 'goods' of roads outweigh the 'bads', so that developing countries can harness the prosperity new roads can bring, without the destruction.
A global plan for road expansion that doesn't cost the earth Bill Laurance | 28th August 2014 News Transport Forests Natural World central-africa-road-map-cut.jpg Roads are responsible for massive …