News
Microsoft puts price on carbon, buys credits from forest conservation project
9 May 2013
Microsoft is 'offsetting' some of its greenhouse gas emissions by buying credits generated by a forest conservation project in Kenya.
New UN report gives Indonesia low marks in forest governance
9 May 2013
A new UN report exposes serious flaws in Indonesia’s forest governance, serving as a wake up call to policy makers aiming to conserve forests in the country, which boasts the third largest area of tropical forest coverage in the world. On Monday, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) together with the Government of Indonesia launched a comprehensive forest governance index, which evaluates forest governance at the central, provincial and district levels and offers policy...
Brazilian monitoring and law enforcement prevented over 59,500 sq. km of Amazon deforestation
9 May 2013
Brazil’s efforts to better monitor forest clearings and enforce laws prevented the clearing of over 59,500 km2 of Amazon forest area from 2007 through 2011, according to a new study by Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), DETERring Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Deforestation observed during this period totaled 41,500 km2 – 59% less than would have occurred in the absence of the policy change.
The deforestation rate in the Brazilian Amazon decreased sharply in the second half...
Vietnam will be the country with no forest?
9 May 2013
Vietnam has 13,118,773 hectares of forests, including 10,348,591 hectares of natural forests and 2,770,182 hectares of planted forests. In September 2010 alone, 1,553.68 hectares of forests were devastated and 5,364 hectares were burnt to the ground. Lam Dong province alone witnesses 1,000 deforestation cases every year. In Loc Tan commune of the province alone, 16 hectares of forests were reportedly devastated within just two days in February 2011.
The Vietnam National Television some...
Brazil's satellite monitoring reduced Amazon deforestation by 60,000 sq km in 5 years
9 May 2013
Brazil's advanced satellite monitoring system, coupled with increased law enforcement, was responsible for nearly 60 percent of the 101,000 square kilometer-drop in deforestation observed between 2007 and 2011, argues a new study published an international think tank.
The Emerging Interlocking Climate Solution
8 May 2013
Ecosystem Marketplace: The hula-hoop first caught on in the US state of California, as did crack cocaine. For better or worse, that's where trends originate before they sweep the nation and, often, the world. So it's apropos that California is closely engaging with the Governors' Climate and Forests Task Force (GCF) , which links the state up with 18 other "sub-national' governments, from Illinois in the US to Chiapas in Mexico to Cross River in Nigeria. But the GCF isn't the only one....
Debate heats up over California's plan to reduce emissions via rainforest ...
8 May 2013
These groups say that offsets generated under the so-called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) mechanism, will undermine efforts to cut emissions as home, while potentially leading to abuses abroad. However supporters of ...See all stories on this topic »
satellite to monitor Earth's forests
7 May 2013
Scientists will use Biomass to calculate the amount of carbon stored in the world's forests, and to monitor for any changes over the course of the five-year mission. The satellite's data should help researchers understand better the role trees play in ...See all stories on this topic »BBC News
Indonesia launches forest governance index to strengthen REDD+
7 May 2013
As the two-year moratorium on deforestation faces expire, Indonesia has launched its first forest governance index to address the current state of forest protection and management of central and...
Villagers demand involvement in forest reserves
7 May 2013
The Lindi District Council owns the 1120ha Makangala Forest Reserve while the central ... “From the REDD project, we received 12.6m/- which helped us build ...