CONGO, RWANDA, UGANDA PROTECT GORILLAS

JOINT EFFORT TO SAVE ENDANGERED GORILLAS

For the first time, Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have launched a joint effort to protect the mountain gorillas that roam between the three nations. Mountain gorillas are considered one of the world's most endangered species.

The volcanic Virunga mountains that straddle Rwanda, Uganda and Congo are home to the gorillas. An estimated 380 mountain gorillas – more than half of the world's population – live in the Virunga national park and surrounding region. More than 300 also live in southwest Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest reserve, which is included in the conservation effort. Wars, poaching and spreading human settlements have become grave threats to these great apes.

Gorilla numbers across the region fell to a low of 370 in the 1980s. But renewed conservation efforts, along with the gorillas' growing value as tourist attractions (visitors pay as much as $500 a day for tracking permits), have seen numbers recover. Bwindi has seen a 12 percent population growth over the last decade.

The tri-country, 10-year conservation project will focus on greater security and ways of discouraging local communities from destroying the region's forests. As part of the project, the operations of each country's national parks rangers will become integrated to safeguard the gorillas. It will also give communities a share of the money made from gorilla-trekking permits. The first four years of the project are being funded by the Dutch government at a cost of US$6 million.

As well as the mountain gorilla, there are 26 other primate species and 40 different ungulates living in the parks. Scientists estimate that 50 per cent of all bird species identified on mainland Africa are found in this region, as well as 30 per cent of mammals, 19 per cent of amphibians and 14 per cent of reptiles.

Shoutout to the governments of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo for co-operating on this very important project. Shoutout to the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN), the Office Rwandais du Tourisme et des Parcs Nationaux (ORTPN), the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), and Fauna & Flora International (FFI), the agencies who put it all together. Shoutout to the park rangers who protect the gorillas every day.

Sources, resources, discourses:

1. Telegraph.co.uk – article
2. WWF – article
3. Planet Ark – article
4. BBC News - article

VIRGIN MAKES VIRGIN BIOFUEL FLIGHT

LONDON TO AMSTERDAM ON COCONUT OIL

This is from Thomas Wagner at The Associated Press:

Virgin Atlantic carried out the world's first flight of a commercial aircraft powered with biofuel on Sunday in an effort to show it can produce less carbon dioxide than normal jet fuels.

Some analysts praised the jumbo jet test flight from London to Amsterdam as a potentially useful experiment. But others criticized it as a publicity stunt and noted scientists are questioning the environmental benefits of biofuels.

"This breakthrough will help Virgin Atlantic to fly its planes using clean fuel sooner than expected," Sir Richard Branson, the airline's president, said before the Boeing 747 flew from London's Heathrow Airport to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.

He said the flight would provide "crucial knowledge that we can use to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint," he said.

Sunday's flight was partially fueled with a biofuel mixture of coconut and babassu oil in one of its four main fuel tanks. The jet carried pilots and several technicians, but no passengers.

Virgin Atlantic spokesman Paul Charles predicted this biofuel would produce much less CO2 than regular jet fuel, but said it will take weeks to analyze the data from Sunday's flight.

Read the full article here.

I’m not a big fan of biofuels and I have tried to avoid posting about it, but this story is too hard to ignore. Despite all the potential negative drawbacks of biofuels (and there are plenty – check out this ENN article for a taste), I am breaking my boycott on biofuel posts because this story demonstrates that it may be possible to fly commercial aircraft with low greenhouse gas emissions. At the very least, the data gathered from the flight will help inform the debate over biofuels. Shoutout to Sir Richard Branson for shelling out the Euros for this experiment.

Sources, resources, discourses:

1. The Associated Press – article and photo
2. ENN - article

SCOTLAND’S EMISSIONS AMBITIONS

SCOTLAND PROPOSES WHOPPING

80% EMISSIONS CUT BY 2050

The Scottish government has announced plans for an 80% cut in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 to help prevent global warming. If passed, the Scottish Climate Change Bill will be the most ambitious climate change commitment in the world.

With this proposal, the governing Scottish National Party (SNP) has announced it’s intention for Scotland to become a world leader in climate change. All of Scotland's 32 local authorities have formally signed the Climate Change Declaration. A consultation on the proposal will run until April 23, and the government is hoping to introduce a draft bill to the Scottish parliament by autumn.

A strong proposal, but will it get watered down through the political process? Few countries have set emissions targets above 25% - the European Union, for example, has set emissions targets at only 20% by 2020. The Scottish Climate Change Bill has the potential to be an important piece of legislation, a benchmark for developed countries concerned about climate change. As concerned citizens, we can send an e-mail in support of the Scottish Climate Change Bill.

Shoutout to the Scottish government for proposing this bold legislation. Shoutout to all 32 local authorities in Scotland who have signed the declaration. Shoutout to everyone who sends an e-mail endorsing this visionary plan.

¡VIVA LA REVOLUCIÓN!

Sources, resources, discourses:

1. BBC News – article
2. The Scottish Government – press release
3. The Scottish Government – press release
4. Scotland’s Climate Change Declaration – website
5. AFP – article
6. WWF – campaign

BANGALORE IS FOR THE BIRDS

BIRD CONSERVATION SPOT

TO ATTRACT BIRDS BACK TO CITY

Bangalore, India has turned a city park into a “bird conservation spot” to increase the city’s bird numbers.

Artificial nests have been built in trees, sand bathing areas and artificial ponds have been built, and grain has been put out to entice birds back into the city. More than 200 varieties of birds have disappeared from the city, as the city has been converted into a concrete jungle with increasing air and noise pollution.

If the bird conservation spot is successful, similar spots will be built throughout the city.

Shoutout to the Forest Cell of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for building the spot, and to the bird lovers of Bangalore for making it happen.

Sources, resources, discourses:

1. The Hindu – article
2. Mangalorean.Com - article

BISPHENOL A UPDATE

CANADIANS RACE TO GO BPA-FREE:

STORE SHELVES EMPTYING OF ALTERNATIVES

Earlier this month I reported on Canada’s quest to ban bisphenol A from store shelves. Like many of the good news stories I publish here, I had to dig deep to find relevant details, because feel-good environmental stories are not easy to come by in the mainstream press. I was under the impression that the bisphenol A story was buried deep in the “Science and Technology” section of a few scattered newspapers, and that the story hadn’t really reached a mass audience here in Canada. Boy, was I wrong.

This is from Carly Weeks at the Globe and Mail:

Canadian parents have been emptying store shelves and bombarding manufacturers with orders in the past week as they scramble to stock up on baby bottles made without bisphenol A, a potentially harmful and increasingly controversial chemical common in many plastics.

The overwhelming demand has resulted in shortages across the country and backlogs at many distributors, making it difficult for some parents to get their hands on BPA-free bottles.

"There's definitely been a surge in the last week or so throughout Canada," said Ron Vigdor, president of Florida-based Born Free Inc., one of the only major companies that specialize in BPA-free bottles. "We've been told a lot of shelves are empty today."

Read the full article here.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a hormone disruptor that has been linked to cancer and reproductive problems. BPA can be found in many everyday products including food cans, plastic water containers and baby bottles. Studies have shown that people can be exposed to Bisphenol A when it leaches out of these products.

BPA is currently under review by Health Canada (and other agencies around the world), but I think it’s great to see people taking action without waiting for governments to make the decision for them. In fact, why not help make Health Canada’s decision a whole lot easier: sign Toxic Nation’s petition to ban BPA

¡VIVA LA REVOLUCIÓN!