Human Impacts
Will ice sheets collapse in a warming world? – probably not
Collapsing ice sheets and rising sea levels are often described as a feature of a warming world and many climate scientists predict that this will happen thanks to climate change. But a recently published study could quite literally blow those predictions out of the water. One of the ways to look to the future is [...]
Indonesian courts orders land ownership back to tribes
In 1999 a new law was bought into effect in Indonesia which saw vast swathes of forest taken into state ownership. That law was over-ruled yesterday by the Constitutional Court and following its judicial review, the land ownership was ordered to be returned to local indigenous people. The move will have major impacts for development in [...]
Sir Simon ‘two house’ Jenkins finally goes into denial over housing need
It appears that Sir Simon Jenkins, chairman of the National Trust and owner of at least 2 homes, has finally gone into denial over the housing crisis that is impacting the UK. In an interview on Channel 4′s news series Green and Pleasant Land he said that just because new households – or more accurately [...]
Ghana Forest Commission sees 62 of its rangers killed since 2011
The Forest Commission in Ghana has lost 62 of it’s forest rangers since 2011 mainly to illegal loggers and miners. The attacks by criminals on their rangers has led to the commission setting up a specialist rapid response team that can quickly move in to provide extra support to rangers on the ground and investigate [...]
Court decision threatens urban green space
Last weeks decision by the UK Court of Appeal against a community group in London trying to save their local park from development could threaten urban green space across the country. The courts decision to back a £67 million development of luxury flats on the Crystal Palace Park could mean that developers throughout London and [...]
Why the rural environment must take its fair share of housing
More and more studies are looking at the green infrastructure of cities and towns and inevitably concluding that green space in the urban environment is not just good for wildlife but beneficial for health and well-being of the city human population. Ensuring that people have access to parks, gardens and green space makes life in [...]
Time to tear down planning regulations not sustainable low impact homes
Planning regulations in the UK are causing massive problems for people who are trying to do something as simple as put a roof over their heads and have a minimal impact on the environment in which they live. Regulations make it almost impossible to build on land that you own, pushes up house prices and [...]
Its time to break the stranglehold of greenbelt on cities
Yet more evidence has just been published about the value of green space within the cities and town in regard to residents health and well-being. More green space in the urban area is also beneficial for wildlife. The time has come for the UK to really consider the value of preserving vast swathes of barren [...]
Who says housing and wildlife can not co-exist, just the NIMBYs
Bit by bit and step by step there appears to be movement in getting homes built both within the towns and also in rural environments. More and more well planned and wildlife friendly housing estates are being built and developed and shows that only those with vested interests and NIMBY attitudes use wildlife as an [...]
Cameroon wildlife reserves to succumb to oil drilling
Cameroon has announced plans to auction off the exploitation licenses for 5 blocks of it’s territory that it believes to contain oil. 3 of the blocks are off-shore but 2 or on-shore and will contain wildlife reserves and some of the most biodiverse regions of the nation. A spokesman of the state oil company has [...]
1,000 new rangers announced for Kenya Wildife Service
Now the elections are over the government has announced plans to boost the fight against the poachers. In an announcement today Government spokesman, Muthui Kariuki, said Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) would have another 1,000 rangers made available to them. The ranger service would also be modernised with more effective weapons and new training to make [...]
Are planning laws killing our wildlife?
Gardens are essential for many British wildlife species. The green spaces attached to many homes are emergency sanctuaries for birds and other animals during extreme weather. The multitude of micro-habitats in a normal garden together with positive help and action to attract wildlife that many gardenersundertake means that urban gardens are some of the most biodiverse [...]
Highlights of CITES week 1
The first week of CITES in Bangkok has come to an end and there was some interesting highlights to look back on. It was an ambitious week for the delegates with lots of meetings to attend and decisions to be made. For me the most notable highlights of the week were: 1. Secret ballots stay. [...]
10 points to understanding CITES on the eve of CoP16
While the west african manatee may be threatened there is little international trading and so the species is unlikely to make Appendix I listing. With just a few hours to go before the start of the Conference of Parties 16 in Bangkok here is a quick 10 point outline of what CITES is and what it is [...]
Maldives aim to be world’s first biosphere nation
The Maldives has set itself a tough target to be the world’s first UNESCO Biosphere reserve nation and it aims to win the accolade by 2017. The Indian Ocean nation has put together an implementation plan to run between 2013 and 2017 that will see more than half of the nations island atolls implementing the [...]
Families living in Bed and Breakfast surge 800% under coalition
Housing policy has gone from bad under the Labour government to appalling under the Conservative – Liberal Democrat coalition. Not only has house building dropped to levels last seen in the 1920′s but families forced to live long-term in bed and breakfast accommodation has surged 800% in the two years that the coalition has been [...]
Shanghai to boost promotion of wildlife protection
Senior officials from Shanghai and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) yesterday signed a series of agreements on the environment that will see Shanghai boost its investment in the green economy, wildlife protection and youth engagement. As part of the co-operation agreements with UNEP the city authorities will allow its large outdoor screens to promote [...]
100 wildlife traffickers arrested in Chinese led crackdown
The Chinese State Forestry Administration has released details about a month long multi-national wildlife smuggling operation. The operation called Cobra involved 22 countries across Asia and Africa. Over 100 criminals were arrested and a wide range of wildlife merchandise confiscated. Forest Administration spokesman, vice director Yin Hong, said that this operation – the first wildlife [...]
Newts, Police and wildlife conservation gone mad
Has the time come to take a close look at the wildlife laws and organisations in the UK? There’s little doubt that something has gone wrong with either the law or the interpretation of the law by Natural England when you take a look at the case of the solitary newt and the new police [...]
Anti poaching used as front for DR Congo rebel training and supplies
Rebel forces are using anti-poaching patrols as a cover for training and supplies. 19 Congolese rebels have appeared in court in South Africa accused of trying to overthrow the DR Congo government. The accused were caught trying to use the cover of being an anti-poaching force to gain military training and high calibre weaponry including [...]