Land seizures, rampant logging and oil palm expansion have decimated Sarawak's forests. But now an invigorated reform movement is fighting back - accusing the government and its chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud of duplicity. Alex Joseph reports
… part of Malaysia, Sarawakians are battling to unseat a new, thoroughly post-colonial type of … by dapper double-breasted blazers, sunglasses and a prominent diamond ring. He is chauffeured around in a cream Rolls-Royce and resides in a …
It could reduce the pressure on native forests but the rapid expansion in bamboo plantations is in danger of making it the latest in a long line of tarnished 'wonder crops'
… Some of the world’s most impoverished countries are realising the potential of this … projects are already repairing shattered communities in countries like earthquake-prone Haiti – but its …
One of Africa's last remaining tropical forests, Mabira is home to precious wildlife and is an eco tourist attraction. But it is now under threat from sugarcane production. Esther Nakkazi reports
… is an eco tourist attraction. But it is now under threat from sugarcane production. Esther … President Yoweri Museveni took the opportunity to try to convince the public that the … increase sugar production and save the country foreign exchange to the tune of $20-$25m …
An Ecologist cover story in 2005 prompted the making of an epic documentary, Up in Smoke, about slash and burn farming. Now the film finally airs on More4 on September 27th... Matilda Lee reports
… wrangling amongst editors revolved around to what extent the cover image of the Inga … between 250 and 500 million farmers around the world. In the tropics, … the technique - overcoming a lack of funding, support and the farmer's initial …
Brazil claims to have clamped down on slash and burn tactics, slave labour and links to deforestation as it seeks to gain foothold in Europe’s lucrative biofuels market
… Sugarcane producers have, in the past, been found guilty of using slave labour on … it to the displacement of indigenous communities . An Institute for European Enviroment … worldwide. In Brazil, 90 per cent of the country’s new cars can run on either gasoline or …
From deforestation to fertiliser; our taste for coffee has left some of the world’s most precious eco-systems in a precarious state. George Blacksell looks at how the coffee industry is cleaning up its act
… that the 100 million people growing coffee around the world have been excluded from the huge … a combination of price reductions and undercutting has left them exposed to the … environment as well, with monocropping and sun grown coffee now the norm. And given that …
Nicola Peel's new film Blood of the Amazon tells the story of the world's largest environmental lawsuit and investigates how the oil industry threatens a fragile rainforest environment. By Jan Goodey
… - it's all the more impressive when you encounter someone who's prepared to go that ‘extra … catchment systems for families whose groundwater is contaminated from the oil … industry; while at the same time filming the unfolding ecocide for her latest documentary, …
Brazilian government urged to start paying farmers to protect Amazon land as it pushes on with plans to scrap historic forest protection laws
… largest variety of plant and animal life, is under serious threat . Hit by rising rates of … that wasn't enough, the Brazilian government, under pressure from industry is pushing … partially abandon its Forest Code, an almost unique law in the world requiring landowners …
Back in 2009 it was heralded as a potential model for REDD+ and reducing rates of deforestation but Norway's deal with Guyana appears to have made little progress
… once the posterboy for an international community eager to play up its dedication to … his – tucked into a corner of the Amazon jungle between Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname – … saviour of rainforest-rich developing countries. His government offers nothing but a …
An Ecologist investigation reveals how the largest coal power plant to be awarded UN carbon credit funds is displacing poor communities and destroying forest in India. Luke Starr reports from Madhya Pradesh
… UN-backed coal power station linked to … Luke Starr | 29th November 2011 News India Un Carbon Credits Climate Change Deforestation … the largest coal power plant to be awarded UN carbon credit funds is displacing poor …
REDD+ type projects to protect rainforests face many obstacles but we should not give up on market-based solutions, says Ben Caldecott from the investment bank Climate Change Capital
… Carbon markets are the best way to raise funds to pay for forest conservation, argues … to be authenticated and then paid-for by countries, companies and individuals. The … number of outstanding issues, particularly around the best way to actually pay and finance …
Just as biofuels have gobbled up farmland that should have been growing food so the push on biomass by Monsanto, Cargill and others will see an 'unprecedented' grab on land, plants and biodiverse-rich forests
… by Monsanto, Cargill and others will see an 'unprecedented' grab on land, plants and … struggling to carry out the ecological functions needed to stablise the planet, such … to perform vital ecosystem services. 'Unlike coal or petroleum, biomass already has …
'Land grab' report highlights growing interest from speculators in ‘flex’ crops like soya, palm oil and sugarcane that can be used for biofuels or food
… that can be used for biofuels or food The amount of land acquired for biofuels globally is … ‘Europe’s appetite for land is already unsustainable, reaching well beyond its … says many investments were failing because of unrealistic targets and an underestimation of …
Globally, meat consumption has increased by 20 per cent in the last decade despite concerns about its environmental impact. So, asks Laurie Tuffrey, can going vegetarian really help the earth?
… provides ample food for thought. The United Nations Food and Agriculture … 70 per cent of all agricultural land, just under a third of the earth’s entire land … is used for rearing farm animals. The amount of water needed to produce one kilogramme …
Tension is mounting in one of the remotest regions in the Peruvian Amazon over plans to build a highway through the country's biggest national park
… Amazon 'uncontacted' tribes at risk from new highway … Frankfurt Zoological Society) Tension is mounting in one of the remotest regions in the … over plans to build a highway through the country's biggest national park The Alto Purus …
Our love affair with shrimp has fuelled the destruction of the 'rainforests of the sea' - mangroves - whose biodiversity and carbon-storing capacities are much undervalued. The author of 'Let Them Eat Shrimp', Kennedy Warne, talks through his alarming findings
… and carbon-storing capacities are much undervalued. The author of 'Let Them Eat … tropical rainforests aren't exactly fun places to be, with their torpid heat, abundance of bugs, high rainfall and other …
The £700 million trade is 'one of the best kept secrets', say campaigners, with consumers largely unaware they are buying illegally felled timber
… say campaigners, with consumers largely unaware they are buying illegally felled … However, with the onus on individual countries to enforce the rules and loopholes … so much both directly and indirectly from countries with illegal felling problems, such as …
With only 6,600 left in the wild, the Sumatran orangutan is critically endangered. Campaign group Sumatran Orangutan Society has organised a celebrity auction to raise money to protect them and their rainforest habitat
… them and their rainforest habitat Today a Jungle VIP Auction launches in support of the Sumatran Orangutan … Great Ape species to become extinct. The Jungle VIP Auction launches at …
Greenpeace's undercover investigation accused Asia Pulp and Paper's of flouting the logging ban on ramin trees in Indonesia, threatening the remaining population of Sumatran tigers. Greenpeace calls on you to urge companies to boycott APP products
… Endangered Species 2gp03pu9.jpg Greenpeace's undercover investigation accused Asia Pulp and … ramin tree species has been protected under Indonesian law, as well as the … stop the ivory trade. However, Greenpeace's undercover filming of 2011 has revealed, the …
Is biomass really a low-carbon, sustainable energy source? Industry group Back Biomass say yes while watchdog group Biofuelwatch says no
… Biofuelwatch of promoting myths and misunderstandings about biomass in a recent … power stations have a carbon intensity of around 440 kg CO2 per MWh - much lower than the … the CO2 is still aloft in the atmosphere, accounting rules treat it as non-existent. …
Mangroves are the unsung heroes of the biosphere, says Kennedy Warne in his comprehensive study. So why are we so ready to rip them up in pursuit of tropical golf courses and all-you-can-eat shrimp?
… Food And Farming jacket.jpg Mangroves are the unsung heroes of the biosphere, says Kennedy … humid coastlines support thousands of communities worldwide. For the Indian and …
The veteran campaigner talks to the Ecologist about the ongoing struggle to secure indigenous land rights and how he successfully took the Colombian government to court
… hectares, that's about the size of the United Kingdom. I would say that's the … to recognise indigenous governance, we found that a bit difficult. We began campaigning … they call a ‘security zone' in the Amazon, until the proper studies have been done, both …
The Environmental Investigation Agency's forestry campaigner Faith Doherty welcomes a new report by the World Bank calling for stronger action to stop forestry corruption, but says more support is needed to help activists follow the money trail
… was the opening statement of a new report launched in Washington DC by the World Bank. … to combat illegal logging recognises that funds generated by illegal logging are 'unregulated, untaxed and often remain in the …
From shrinking seas to devastated rainforests, a new app, Fragile Earth, is helping to chart humanity’s trail of destruction while challenging us to do something about it
… - Collins Geo at HarperCollins. ‘The swipe function allows users to compare photographs on … While the images are beautiful, the layering function makes it heartbreakingly easy to see … £1.99, is available to purchase from the iTunes app store READ MORE... GREEN LIVING …