Green Options » rainforest http://greenoptions.com/tag/rainforest Posts tagged 'rainforest' Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:17:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en World’s Rarest Lemur Discovery in Madagascar http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/09/world%e2%80%99s-rarest-lemur-discovery-in-madagascar/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/09/world%e2%80%99s-rarest-lemur-discovery-in-madagascar/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:17:02 +0000 Jace Shoemaker-Galloway http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/09/world%e2%80%99s-rarest-lemur-discovery-in-madagascar/ Greater Bamboo Lemur

Good news for the world’s rarest lemur!  A scientific survey has revealed that the Greater bamboo lemur, Prolemur simus, exists in more locations than previously recorded.   Less than 100 Greater Bamboo Lemur were known to exist in the wild.  But a scientific expedition into the rainforests of Madagascar has revealed the rare primate exists in twice as many locations as once thought. 

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/09/world%e2%80%99s-rarest-lemur-discovery-in-madagascar/feed/ Ginormous Rats, Grunting Fish and Fanged Frogs Found in Remote Rainforest http://ecoworldly.com/2009/09/07/ginormous-rats-grunting-fish-and-fanged-frogs-found-in-remote-rainforest/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/09/07/ginormous-rats-grunting-fish-and-fanged-frogs-found-in-remote-rainforest/#comments Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:07:26 +0000 Jace Shoemaker-Galloway http://ecoworldly.com/2009/09/07/ginormous-rats-grunting-fish-and-fanged-frogs-found-in-remote-rainforest/ Rat

A team of biologists and filmmakers have discovered new species of rats, spiders, fish and frogs on a recent expedition deep inside the jungle of Papua New Guinea.  The team discovered many exotic creatures, including a ginormous rat, while filming the BBC’s Lost Land of the Volcano.  

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/09/07/ginormous-rats-grunting-fish-and-fanged-frogs-found-in-remote-rainforest/feed/ Don’t Like Biofuels? Bet You Can’t Beat Retaliation by Blowpipe! http://gas2.org/2009/09/01/dont-like-biofuels-bet-you-cant-beat-retaliation-by-blowpipe/ http://gas2.org/2009/09/01/dont-like-biofuels-bet-you-cant-beat-retaliation-by-blowpipe/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:32:20 +0000 Nick Chambers http://gas2.org/2009/09/01/dont-like-biofuels-bet-you-cant-beat-retaliation-by-blowpipe/ Native Malaysian tribespeople are taking to traditional methods of battle — including the use of blowpipes — to combat the destruction of their homeland to satisfy the exploding worldwide demand for palm oil.

The rate at which virgin tropical rainforests are currently being cleared to plant palm plantations to supply the ravenous growth of worldwide palm oil demand is staggering: In Indonesia alone 4.4 million acres of rainforest disappear each year. Given that one American football field is roughly one acre, that’s just about 4.4 million football fields. Truly staggering.

Together, Malaysia and Indonesia account for 80% of worldwide palm oil production, but they also contain more than 80% of the remaining virgin rainforests in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, the only remaining lands in Southeast Asia that are also the best for palm oil production are these vast swaths of virgin rainforest.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/09/01/dont-like-biofuels-bet-you-cant-beat-retaliation-by-blowpipe/feed/ World’s Largest Bat — “Flying Fox” — Threatened with Extinction, Largely Due to Hunting http://ecoworldly.com/2009/08/26/worlds-largest-bat-flying-fox-threatened-with-extinction-largely-due-to-hunting/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/08/26/worlds-largest-bat-flying-fox-threatened-with-extinction-largely-due-to-hunting/#comments Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:20:18 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://ecoworldly.com/2009/08/26/worlds-largest-bat-flying-fox-threatened-with-extinction-largely-due-to-hunting/
Around 22,000 “large flying foxes” — the largest fruit bat in the world — are legally killed every year in Peninsular Malaysia by hunters. At this rate, scientists say the bat could go extinct in the near future.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/08/26/worlds-largest-bat-flying-fox-threatened-with-extinction-largely-due-to-hunting/feed/ Greenpeace Praises Brazil http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/30/greenpeace-praises-brazil/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/30/greenpeace-praises-brazil/#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:29:06 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/30/greenpeace-praises-brazil/

Brazil soya traders agreed to extend a moratorium on buying soya linked to Amazon destruction this week and Greenpeace was quick to give them a big thank you from the world.

International companies such as McDonald’s are happy, and companies like Nike, Wal-Mart and Carrefour are asking for more.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/30/greenpeace-praises-brazil/feed/ Nike Stops Use of Amazon Leather After Damning Greenpeace Report http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/23/nike-stops-use-of-amazon-leather-after-damning-greenpeace-report/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/23/nike-stops-use-of-amazon-leather-after-damning-greenpeace-report/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:53:53 +0000 Andrew Williams http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/23/nike-stops-use-of-amazon-leather-after-damning-greenpeace-report/

Nike has stopped all imports of leather from the Amazon region of Brazil, after a Greenpeace report claimed that its shoes and trainers could be speeding up the destruction of the world’s largest rainforest and contributing to global warming.

The report, published last month, revealed how cattle hides from deforested areas were entering the supply chains of global brands including Nike, Clarks, Adidas and Reebok.

According to the NGO, deforestation for cattle ranching in Brazil alone is now the biggest driver of deforestation anywhere in the world.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/23/nike-stops-use-of-amazon-leather-after-damning-greenpeace-report/feed/ What’s the Global Problem with Palm Oil? It’s in most Local Supermarket items. http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/15/whats-the-global-problem-with-palm-oil-its-in-most-local-supermarket-items/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/15/whats-the-global-problem-with-palm-oil-its-in-most-local-supermarket-items/#comments Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:10:45 +0000 Lucille Chi http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/15/whats-the-global-problem-with-palm-oil-its-in-most-local-supermarket-items/ So what is the problem with palm oil? Take a peek at this short video explaining:

To recap, palm oil is in many common supermarket products such as snacks, candy, and even soaps and detergents. Rainforest Action Network has created a site to educate consumers on the how destructive palm oil is to our global environment. Palm oil destroys vital ecosystems, contributes to global climate change, results in the displacement of Indigenous people and small family farmers, and is produced through exploitative labor practices.

Please help educate grocery shoppers about these facts and take action in anyway possible. RAN tells us: “Palm  oil  plantations  are  expanding  into  the  planet’s  most biodiverse  ecosystems,  including  rainforests,  grasslands  and  peat swamps in South America, Southeast Asia, the Pacific and Africa. These regions are home to millions of plant and animal species, including highly endangered orangutans, clouded leopards, and sun bears.”

Big palm oil companies pay to have important oxygen providing rainforests clear cut for their palm crops and painfully push out the native people that rely on the land. This endangers the plants, animals and waterways that entire communities have thrived on forever.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/15/whats-the-global-problem-with-palm-oil-its-in-most-local-supermarket-items/feed/ 100-200 New Amphibians Discovered in Madagascar http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/05/05/100-200-new-amphibians-discovered-in-madagascar/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/05/05/100-200-new-amphibians-discovered-in-madagascar/#comments Tue, 05 May 2009 18:56:20 +0000 Jake Richardson http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/05/05/100-200-new-amphibians-discovered-in-madagascar/ madagascar frog

A recent study documented the discovery of 100-200 new amphibian species in Madagascar.

One of the researchers, Dr. Miguel Vences, stated: “People think that we know which plant and animal species live on this planet. But the century of discoveries has only just begun – the majority of life forms on Earth is still awaiting scientific recognition.”

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/05/05/100-200-new-amphibians-discovered-in-madagascar/feed/ Brazil Set to Flood Rainforest, Displace Thousands http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/20/brazil-set-to-flood-rainforest-displace-thousands/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/20/brazil-set-to-flood-rainforest-displace-thousands/#comments Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:33:17 +0000 Jerry James Stone http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/20/brazil-set-to-flood-rainforest-displace-thousands/

The Xingu River — home to some 600 species of fish — is one of the largest tributaries running through the Amazon. But not if the Brazilian state power company has their way.

What would be the world’s third largest dam, called the Belo Monte, would flood over 200 square miles of tropical rainforest; about the size of Tucson, AZ. It would also flood the homes of 19,000 people.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/20/brazil-set-to-flood-rainforest-displace-thousands/feed/ Canada to Protect 15 Million Acres of British Columbia Forest http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/06/canada-to-protect-15-million-acres-of-british-columbia-forest/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/06/canada-to-protect-15-million-acres-of-british-columbia-forest/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:24:12 +0000 Gavin Hudson http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/06/canada-to-protect-15-million-acres-of-british-columbia-forest/ British Columbia great bear rainforestThe Canadian government has made good on a promise to protect 15.8 million acres of unique British Columbia rainforest–an area more than twice the size of the entire country of Belgium.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/06/canada-to-protect-15-million-acres-of-british-columbia-forest/feed/ Brazil to Build 7-Mile Wall Around Poor Neighborhood to Halt Deforestation http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/05/brazil-to-build-7-mile-wall-around-poor-neighborhood-to-halt-deforestation/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/05/brazil-to-build-7-mile-wall-around-poor-neighborhood-to-halt-deforestation/#comments Sun, 05 Apr 2009 11:41:44 +0000 The Guardian Environment Network http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/05/brazil-to-build-7-mile-wall-around-poor-neighborhood-to-halt-deforestation/ Dona Marta Favela, RioThe Rio state government will build concrete walls around some of the city’s biggest slums (pictured on the hillside above) in an attempt to halt deforestation of the surrounding jungle, officials said.

Seven miles of walls, reaching a height of three metres (10ft) will be built around sections of at least 11 slums this year, Icaro Moreno, the president of the state’s public works department, said.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/05/brazil-to-build-7-mile-wall-around-poor-neighborhood-to-halt-deforestation/feed/ Plant A Tree — Even Wall Street Agrees http://cleantechnica.com/2009/04/03/plant-a-tree-even-wall-street-agrees/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/04/03/plant-a-tree-even-wall-street-agrees/#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2009 23:00:13 +0000 Alan Smith http://cleantechnica.com/2009/04/03/plant-a-tree-even-wall-street-agrees/

A new way to treat wood has trees back in the limelight: a hardwood’s reliability that even a rain forest mahogany tree can love.

The above picture is of the world’s first heavy traffic road bridge made from Accoya® wood. The bridge, located in Sneek in the Netherlands, is “the first wooden bridge in the world that can support the heaviest load class of 60 tons”.  At this week’s Wall Street Green Trading Summit, a panel on forestation introduced a new way of thinking about how to deal with destruction of the rain forest.

>> More from the recent Wall Street Green Trading Summit:   Opening, Carbon Markets, Weird Investments and Solar Panels for All.

I think we can all agree that planting trees is a good way to go environmentally green (they capture carbon like crazy), but lets take a look at that other green for a moment: the green of cash.  Forestation can turn a profit quickly, given that it is one of the few industries in the United States that we know for sure will be cross marketable as a carbon offset industry. 

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/04/03/plant-a-tree-even-wall-street-agrees/feed/ The Prince’s Rainforests Project Declares: “Deforestation Causes Climate Change In Any Language” http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/03/21/the-princes-rainforests-project-deforestation-causes-climate-change-in-any-language/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/03/21/the-princes-rainforests-project-deforestation-causes-climate-change-in-any-language/#comments Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:42:16 +0000 Lucille Chi http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/03/21/the-princes-rainforests-project-deforestation-causes-climate-change-in-any-language/

“The Prince’s Rainforests Project works with governments, business, NGOs and individuals to increase global recognition of the contribution of tropical deforestation to climate change and to find ways to make the rainforests worth more alive than dead.”- Project mission statement

The Rainforest Declaration is admirable and their site details show the rainforest nations they are trying to protect. The project includes free resources for schools, student competitions, and an awards celebration coming up this Spring at Cannes 2009.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/03/21/the-princes-rainforests-project-deforestation-causes-climate-change-in-any-language/feed/ Should Obama Send $16 Billion to Bail Out the Amazon? http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/18/should-obama-send-16-billion-to-bail-out-the-amazon/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/18/should-obama-send-16-billion-to-bail-out-the-amazon/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:04:34 +0000 Gavin Hudson http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/18/should-obama-send-16-billion-to-bail-out-the-amazon/ President Obama meets with Brazil\'s President Lula da SilvaDepending on how you look at it, Obama’s meeting with Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva this past weekend could be interpreted as either a first step toward cooperating on biofuel trade or a missed opportunity to protect the Amazon rain forest.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/18/should-obama-send-16-billion-to-bail-out-the-amazon/feed/ Stop Saving the Rainforest? Migration to Tropical Cities Revitalizing Secondary Forests http://ecoscraps.com/2009/02/01/stop-saving-the-rainforest-migration-to-tropical-cities-revitalizing-rainforests/ http://ecoscraps.com/2009/02/01/stop-saving-the-rainforest-migration-to-tropical-cities-revitalizing-rainforests/#comments Sun, 01 Feb 2009 23:17:09 +0000 Jennifer Lance http://ecoscraps.com/2009/02/01/stop-saving-the-rainforest-migration-to-tropical-cities-revitalizing-rainforests/ secondary rainforests thriving from migration to citiesNew “secondary” forests are emerging in Latin America, Asia and other tropical regions rapidly as land that was once farmed is abandoned as people move into the cities.

In fact, it is estimated that for every acre of rainforest that is cut down, 50 acres of forest is revitalized areas that were once farmed, logged, or destroyed by natural disasters.

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]]> http://ecoscraps.com/2009/02/01/stop-saving-the-rainforest-migration-to-tropical-cities-revitalizing-rainforests/feed/ Smuggler Caught With Heads of 353 African Gray Parrots http://ecoworldly.com/2009/01/25/smuggler-caught-with-heads-of-353-african-gray-parrots/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/01/25/smuggler-caught-with-heads-of-353-african-gray-parrots/#comments Sun, 25 Jan 2009 08:33:02 +0000 Dave Harcourt http://ecoworldly.com/2009/01/25/smuggler-caught-with-heads-of-353-african-gray-parrots/ A new trade in parrot heads and tail feathers is adding to the pressure on the world’s wild population of African Grey Parrots, which is confined to the tropical forest area of West and Central Africa.

African Grey Parrot

This is highlighted by a recent post by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) from Cameroon, which reports on a suspect arrested by game rangers who was found to be carrying 353 parrot heads and 2000 tail feathers. The suspect stated that he had collected the material for a witch doctor who was treating his mentally ill brother.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/01/25/smuggler-caught-with-heads-of-353-african-gray-parrots/feed/ Scientists: We Need More than Google Earth to Fight Deforestation http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/01/12/scientists-we-need-more-than-google-earth-to-fight-deforestation/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/01/12/scientists-we-need-more-than-google-earth-to-fight-deforestation/#comments Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:40:26 +0000 Alex Felsinger http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/01/12/scientists-we-need-more-than-google-earth-to-fight-deforestation/

While deforestation is clearly visible from satellite imagery, selective logging of rainforests is much harder to track. A team of some of the best scientists across the world have developed estimates of the severity of human logging in tropical regions, but say they really have no idea how accurate they are.

At today’s symposium “Will the Rainforests Survive? New Threats and Realities in the Tropical Extinction Crisis” at the Smithsonian Institution, Gregory Asner from the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global Ecology explained the results of an extensive study on the extent of rainforest destruction worldwide.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/01/12/scientists-we-need-more-than-google-earth-to-fight-deforestation/feed/ Why is Brazil Doubling its Military Protection in the Amazon Rainforest? http://ecoworldly.com/2009/01/06/why-is-brazil-doubling-its-military-protection-in-the-amazon-rainforest/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/01/06/why-is-brazil-doubling-its-military-protection-in-the-amazon-rainforest/#comments Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:11:28 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2009/01/06/why-is-brazil-doubling-its-military-protection-in-the-amazon-rainforest/ Brazil owns the single largest area of the Amazon RainforestBrazil’s government has announced plans to increase their soldiers in the Amazon Rainforest from 17,000 to 30,000 over the next 9 years, as well as build new forts and improve others. Why have they chosen to invest $488.6 million in this plan?

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/01/06/why-is-brazil-doubling-its-military-protection-in-the-amazon-rainforest/feed/ Tees That Save Trees: Supporting Education, Fair Trade, and Eco-Friendly Production in the Rain Forest http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/12/11/tees-that-save-trees-supporting-education-fair-trade-and-eco-friendly-production-in-the-rain-forest/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/12/11/tees-that-save-trees-supporting-education-fair-trade-and-eco-friendly-production-in-the-rain-forest/#comments Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:27:26 +0000 Jennifer Lance http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/12/11/tees-that-save-trees-supporting-education-fair-trade-and-eco-friendly-production-in-the-rain-forest/ organic fair trade Andira Rain Tee collectionI am really excited about the Rain Tee Collection by Andira International!

Not only are these organic tees stylish, organic, fair trade, and beautiful, they were designed by children surrounded by the destruction of their rainforest.

These t-shirts were inspired by children themselves.  Andira International donated school supplies to children living in endangered rainforests in South and Central America.  The children were asked to illustrate what they saw occurring around them. The result is the Rain Tee Collection.

My Rain Tee Collection shirt is the “Tree of Life”. This tree is crying leaves that symbolize tears. It was designed by an 11-year-old girl living in Peru named Mariela.  According to Andira:

The illustrations we feature, such as “Cut Down Trees” (left) are only part of the powerful message given to us by youth living with environmental destruction.

These children are teaching us that we are all connected. What happens in their home absolutely affects what occurs in ours.

For every Andira Rain Tee sold, a child in Costa Rica participating in Kids Saving the Rainforest will receive a tree to plant in an area of their forest that has been destroyed. The statistics on the destruction of the rainforests of Costa Rica are alarming:

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/12/11/tees-that-save-trees-supporting-education-fair-trade-and-eco-friendly-production-in-the-rain-forest/feed/ Fungi Discovered in Patagonia Rainforest Could Be Used to Make Biodiesel http://gas2.org/2008/11/03/fungi-discovered-in-patagonia-rainforest-could-be-used-to-make-biodiesel/ http://gas2.org/2008/11/03/fungi-discovered-in-patagonia-rainforest-could-be-used-to-make-biodiesel/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:44:00 +0000 Andrew Williams http://gas2.org/2008/11/03/fungi-discovered-in-patagonia-rainforest-could-be-used-to-make-biodiesel/

American scientists have discovered a fungus deep in the Patagonian rainforest that makes biodiesel as part of its natural lifecycle. The fungus is the only organism that has ever been shown to produce such an important combination of fuel sources.

According to team member Prof. Gary Strobel of Montana State University, “The fungus can even make these diesel compounds from cellulose, which would make it a better source of biofuel than anything we use at the moment.”

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/11/03/fungi-discovered-in-patagonia-rainforest-could-be-used-to-make-biodiesel/feed/