https://mongabay.com

Mongabay - Conservation NewsMongabay seeks to raise interest in and appreciation of wild lands and wildlife, while examining the impact of emerging trends in climate, technology, economics,and finance on conservation and development.Mongabay - Conservation News Features Videos Podcasts Specials Articles Shorts Donate English Español (Spanish) Français (French) Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian) Brasil (Portuguese) India (English) हिंदी (Hindi) Videos Podcasts Articles Short News Feature Stories The Latest Explore All About Team Contact Donate Subscribe page Submissions Privacy Policy Terms of Use Advertising Wild Madagascar Selva tropicales Impact For Kids Mongabay.org Tropical Forest Network Latest Feature story Reporter who revealed deforestation in Cambodia now charged with deforestation Gerald Flynn, Nehru Pry 27 Sep 2024 Eminent Nepali conservation NGOs demand repeal of controversial law Abhaya Raj Joshi 27 Sep 2024 ‘We need white men to save the Amazon,’ 92-year-old Indigenous Chief Raoni says Carla Ruas 26 Sep 2024 Police murder Guarani man as Brazil struggles with Indigenous land demarcation Maxwell Radwin 26 Sep 2024 Feature story Do Indigenous peoples really conserve 80% of the world’s biodiversity? Latoya Abulu | Aimee Gabay | Sonam Lama Hyolmo 26 Sep 2024 At Climate Week and beyond, investing in community conservation pays big dividends (commentary) Resson Kantai Duff 26 Sep 2024 All news Top stories Reporter who revealed deforestation in Cambodia now charged with deforestation Do Indigenous peoples really conserve 80% of the world’s biodiversity? Latoya Abulu | Aimee Gabay | Sonam Lama Hyolmo 26 Sep 2024 Why the Maxakali people are calling on their spirits to recover the Atlantic Forest Xavier Bartaburu 25 Sep 2024 As logging intensifies forest fires, Wet’suwet’en fight to protect old growth Erica Gies 23 Sep 2024 Mining activities threaten honey production in the Caatinga biome Rafael Martis 20 Sep 2024 Subscribe Stay informed with news and inspiration from nature’s frontline. Newsletter We’re a nonprofit Help us tell impactful stories of biodiversity loss, climate change, and more Donate News and Inspiration from Nature's Frontline.VideosArticlesPodcasts Special issues connect the dots between stories Consumed To wipe or to wash? That is the question Abhishyant Kidangoor, Sandy Watt 31 May 2024 Toilet paper: Environmentally impactful, but alternatives are rolling out Petro Kotzé 15 Mar 2024 Rolling towards circularity? Tracking the trace of tires Abhishyant Kidangoor, Sandy Watt 12 Jan 2024 Getting the bread: What’s the environmental impact of wheat? Ashoka Mukpo 22 Aug 2023 Consumed traces the life cycle of a variety of common consumer products from their origins, across supply chains, and waste streams. The circular economy is an attempt to lessen the pace and impact of consumption through efforts to reduce demand for raw materials by recycling wastes, improve the reusability/durability of products to limit pollution, and […] Consumed series More specials 7 stories Chasing Deforestation 7 stories Congo Peatlands 5 stories Sateré-Mawé Free and open access to credible information Learn more Listen to Nature with thought-provoking podcasts A future where we might ‘get climate right’: A conversation with Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Mike DiGirolamo 24 Sep 2024 Watch unique videos that cut through the noise Mining activities threaten honey production in the Caatinga biome Java activists risk jail for exposing shrimp farm pollution crisis Basten Gokkon, Nanang Sujana, Sandy Watt 16 Sep 2024 Itaituba: Brazil’s gold capital resists government crackdown Fernanda Wenzel, Fernando Martinho 9 Sep 2024 Sylvia Earle on the greatest threat to our oceans Romi Castagnino 9 Aug 2024 Youth leaders revive Indigenous seafood harvesting heritage Matthew Reichel, Robyn Huang 6 Aug 2024 We’re a nonprofit Help us tell impactful stories of biodiversity loss, climate change, and more Donate In-depth feature stories reveal context and insight Feature story Philippines hydro boom rips Indigenous communities Michael Beltran 18 Sep 2024 Feature story How the Brazilian military sabotaged protection of Indigenous people in the Amazon André Schröder 16 Sep 2024 Feature story How the Zai farming technique is transforming soil fertility in North Cameroon Leocadia Bongben 11 Sep 2024 Feature story Resilient and resourceful, Brazil’s illegal gold capital resists government crackdown Fernanda Wenzel 9 Sep 2024 } Quickly stay updated with our news shorts Brazil cracks down on illegal gold mining, sparking anger in the Amazon Shanna Hanbury 27 Sep 2024 Brazil has ramped up efforts to quell illegal gold mining over the last two years. Police raids in the Brazilian Amazon’s gold capital have destroyed mining machinery, leaving miners angry and struggling to keep their operations running, Mongabay’s Fernanda Wenzel reports. Federal agents destroyed 150 backhoes and 600 dredgers used in illegal mining in 2023, cutting deforestation from mining by 30% compared with the previous year. Almost all efforts were concentrated in the Itaituba municipality in Pará state, which produces 75% of Brazil’s illegal gold. The crackdown has sparked protests and frustration in Itaituba, where most people rely on gold mining for income, culminating in a 10-day protest in April, Wenzel writes. Rampant gold mining has caused widespread environmental destruction in the Amazon Rainforest, including polluted rivers, mercury contamination, large-scale fish deaths and deforestation. But most clandestine miners, or garimpeiros, are frustrated with the government’s actions. “[They] burned my excavator and broke everything with no mercy,” mine owner Carlos Mendes Moares told Mongabay. For many, gold mining is their primary source of income. José Maria Silva de Souza, another clandestine mine boss, lost two backhoes valued at 1.5 million reais ($272,000 now) but is determined to continue. “I’m not thinking of giving up,” he said, and is now using less efficient methods to keep his illegal operation running. The war on illegal gold mining marks a shift since President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in January 2023, following his vows to reverse the environmental damage caused during the administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who openly opposed environmental regulations. Lula’s government has also tightened rules on gold sales, requiring more checks on the source of gold, which has made it harder to sell gold in Itaituba, where much of the trade is illegal. State legislator Wescley Tomaz, a key supporter of the miners, argues that the government should focus on legalizing operations. “What is irregular can be made regular,” he told Mongabay. Legalizing a clandestine mine involves National Mining Agency approval and an environmental license, which requires miners repair damage caused by their activities. A license costs approximately 50,000 reais (about $9,000 now) and takes about six months to process, Tomaz said. Mines located within Indigenous territories or fully protected conservation units are outright forbidden, though 10% of mined land in the Amazon — totaling 25,000 hectares (62,000 acres) — is on Indigenous lands. Miners in Itaituba remain defiant, calling for legalization as their livelihoods hang in the balance. As enforcement ramps up, the political struggle between preserving the environment and supporting local economies in the Amazon continues. (This is a summary of “Resilient and resourceful, Brazil’s illegal gold capital resists government crackdown” by Fernanda Wenzel.) Banner image:  A miner in the Creporizinho village of Itaituba displays two chains: one with a large nugget shaped like Brazil and the other, which he had custom-made, featuring the essential tools for artisanal mining — a shovel, pick and pan. Image by Fernando Martinho. Biodiversity still a low consideration in international finance: Report Shreya Dasgupta 27 Sep 2024 Biodiversity-related projects have seen an increase in international funding in recent years, but remain a low priority compared to other development initiatives, according to a new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The report found total official development finance (ODF) for such projects grew from $7.3 billion in 2015 to $15.4 billion in 2022. That’s still less than what the nearly 200 governments that signed the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) in December 2022 agreed would be needed to halt biodiversity loss: at least $20 billion annually by 2025, and $30 billion annually by 2030. Government funding made up the bulk of the ODF for biodiversity-related projects in the OECD report, which is welcome news, Campaign for Nature (CfN), a U.S.-based advocacy group, said in a statement. “We welcome the increase in international biodiversity finance reported in 2022 but that good news is tempered by a range of concerns,” Mark Opel, finance lead at CfN, told Mongabay. One concern, CfN notes, is that funding specifically for biodiversity as a principal objective declined from $4.6 billion in 2015 to $3.8 billion in 2022. CfN reviewed hundreds of projects from 2022, which formed the source for the OECD’s report, and found that many either had vague descriptions or focused on other policies like agriculture but were counted toward protecting or restoring nature. “We need to see more emphasis on funding with a primary focus on biodiversity,” Opel said. “So-called ‘principal’ funding that has biodiversity as its primary goal continues to be down since its 2015 peak. Increases in this type of funding are essential to meet the goals of the GBF … These goals cannot be met through funding with biodiversity as only a ‘significant’ goal that mainstreams biodiversity into projects with other primary goals like humanitarian aid or agriculture.” The report also found that funding for biodiversity-related activities represent just 2-7% of the total ODF portfolio. “It is concerning that biodiversity considerations still represent a relatively low share of the total official development assistance,” Markus Knigge, executive director of Germany-based nonprofit foundation Blue Action Fund, told Mongabay. He added it was also problematic that most funding came via loans, which have to be repaid, rather than grants, which are often more appropriate for conservation finance. CfN says grants are preferable to loans because they don’t add to the debt burden of low-income recipient countries. At the same time, development funding from major donors such as Germany, France, EU institutions, the U.S. and Japan have been cut in recent years. “We have seen minimal announcements of new international biodiversity finance since [the GBF signing],” Opel said. “We estimate that only the equivalent of $162 million annually has been pledged since [then], which doesn’t come close to filling the $4.6 billion gap between the $15.4 billion in 2022 and the $20 billion commitment in 2025.” Banner image: Javan lutung by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay. Carbon credit land grab dispossesses Global South communities: Report Shanna Hanbury 26 Sep 2024 Communal lands the combined size of Portugal have been taken over by corporate interests for carbon offsetting schemes across the Global South, according to a new report that warns of a “new form of land grabbing.” The report by GRAIN, a nonprofit supporting small farmers, identified 9.1 million hectares (22.5 million acres) of land, more than half of it in Africa, that had undergone such a change since 2016. In most of the 279 carbon projects surveyed, foreign companies acquired large tracts of land, traditionally used by local communities for grazing or farming, and converted them into plantations of fast-growing trees like eucalyptus, acacia or bamboo. The idea is that these plantations then draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, storing it in the vegetation and soil. For each metric ton of CO2 sequestered this way, the project managers issue a credit that other companies can buy to compensate for CO2 emissions in other parts of their operations. While a touted benefit of carbon trading is to help fund projects like reforestation or renewable energy, ideally creating a financial incentive to reduce global emissions, the reality is that many of these projects are displacing local communities, leading to what the report’s authors say is a form of “carbon colonialism.” “It’s a transfer of land that could be used for local livelihoods, but it’s now prioritizing the interests of corporations,” Devlin Kuyek, a researcher at GRAIN, told Mongabay by phone. “This is just the beginning of something much larger. The scale and spread we’re already seeing, with some major players involved, is a worrying indication.” The study identified 279 large-scale carbon projects, half of them in China, India, Brazil and Colombia. However, Africa hosted the largest expanse of such projects, covering more than 5.2 million hectares (12.8 million acres). The largest project identified, covering 2.2 million hectares (5.4 million acres) in Niger’s semiarid Sahel region, also gave Nasdaq-listed African Agriculture Holdings the rights to local underground water. Carbon markets have tripled in value over the past three years. However, Kuyek said these projects don’t offer real climate solutions. “It’s a solution in name only,” he said. “It’s just a transfer of pollution. It’s not actually doing away with emissions.” Major players buying carbon credits to offset their emissions include Meta, Microsoft, Rabobank, Amazon, BP and TotalEnergies. The financial stakes are huge: just the Verra and Gold Standard carbon registries are expected to generate around $25 billion worth of carbon credits over the lifetime of projects. As communities begin facing violence for resisting carbon projects, the GRAIN report sounds a warning: “It is therefore becoming increasingly urgent to share information and experiences about the carbon grabs … so we can put a stop to them,” it said, adding, “This is only going to escalate.” Banner image: Land under community management is being transferred to large corporations for carbon credit projects. Image © Marizilda Cruppe/Greenpeace. Fears of big, bad wolves behind India attacks are without evidence, experts say Mongabay.com 26 Sep 2024 Bahraich district in north India has seen a troubling spate of wild animal attacks over the last several months. Ten people, mostly children, have been killed, and another 35 have been injured. Village residents and forest officials say wolves are to blame, but scientists say there isn’t enough evidence to support this assertion, report Arathi Menon and Nikhil Sahu for Mongabay India. The forest department has attributed the attacks to the Indian gray wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) based on descriptions and drone footage of a pack of six wolves in the area. Following the footage, officials captured and removed the pack, Menon and Sahu write. Not long after this, however, two children and a woman were attacked on Sept. 11. Conservationists and ecologists say there’s currently no evidence to confirm that Indian wolves are to blame. “There is no DNA evidence, no photographs, and not even pugmarks indicating wolves as the culprits,” carnivore conservationist Y.V. Jhala, told Mongabay India. Without confirmation from genetic tests, it is “irresponsible to label wolves as ‘killers’ or use inflammatory language to describe them,” said Abi Tamim Vanak, an ecologist at the Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE). The Indian wolf is an endangered subspecies, with only 3,000-odd individuals estimated in the wild. The canid favors India’s dry savanna grasslands, which have largely been replaced with farms, so wolves often subsist on livestock away from view. Vanak said any action against wolves could be a death sentence for an already dwindling population. However, the attacks in Bahraich district have caused panic, and unable to differentiate between different canid species, people there have retaliated against feral dogs, jackals and wolves. Sensational media coverage that followed, showing wolves as bloodthirsty creatures, has worsened the situation, write Menon and Sahu. Ecologists aren’t convinced. Since the 1990s, there haven’t been any recorded instances of healthy wolves attacking humans in the region. There have only been a few cases involving rabid wolves. Even if the attacking animal is a wolf, ecologists speculate that it could either be a rabid wolf or a disabled animal that can no longer hunt. Another hypothesis is that the attackers could be wolf-feral dog hybrids “that are inherently bolder and fearless around humans,” the Mongabay India report notes. “In some parts of India such as Maharashtra and Karnataka [states], we have observed the presence of hybrids in wolf packs,” said Iravatee Majgaonkar, an ecologist at ATREE. The identity of the attacking animal(s) is yet to be determined. However, the recent incidents point to the need to understand and better manage human-wildlife interactions outside protected areas, experts told Mongabay India. This is a summary of “Operation Bhediya reveals gaps in human-wildlife conflict mitigation” by Arathi Menon and Nikhil Sahu. Banner image of Indian gray wolf by Shiv via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Earthshot Prize announces 15 finalists solving urgent environmental challenges Bobby Bascomb 25 Sep 2024 Prince William’s Earthshot Prize has announced its 15 finalists at the Earthshot Innovation Summit held Sept. 24 in New York. Launched in 2020, the prize is given annually to encourage and sustain innovative solutions to the most serious environmental problems facing the planet. “The passion of these Finalists is a testament to what can be achieved when we tap into the enormous creativity, ingenuity, and optimism of communities around the world,” Prince William, founder and president of the Earthshot Prize, said in a statement. “Representing every corner of the globe, these Finalists are leading the way in solving some of the most urgent environmental challenges. Their groundbreaking work is inspiring hope and action as we work to create a sustainable future for generations to come.” The finalists, shortlisted from 2,500 nominees submitted for the prize from 75 countries, will each receive support to help accelerate the growth of their work. Five winners will be selected from the finalists working toward Earthshot’s five goals: protect and restore nature, clean our air, revive our oceans, build a waste-free world and fix our climate. Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance, based in Ecuador, is one of the finalists. It is a group of 30 Indigenous nations working together to protect 35 million hectares (86 million acres) of Amazon Rainforest, an area the size of Germany. “Our alliance supports these communities through programs and projects that provide alternative livelihoods, promote restoration and ensure conservation,” Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai, president of the governing board for the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance, told Mongabay.  “This is our solution to empower Indigenous peoples to scale their efforts in protecting and restoring their territories.” In the U.K., finalist NatureMetrics is collecting tiny bits of environmental DNA, eDNA, from water and soil to monitor biodiversity. “By turning nature into data, we can inform management decisions for better outcomes, tell compelling stories to drive engagement and create accountability for businesses and their impact on nature,” Kat Bruce, founder of NatureMetrics, told Mongabay. Another finalist, the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, is a global organization of 119 countries, which aims to protect 30% of the Earth’s land and oceans by 2030. The group engages with political leaders to keep the 30 by 30 goal on international agendas, like the U.N. Global Biodiversity Framework, where it was adopted in 2022. It also provides technical support and resources for member countries. “You can think of us as an octopus, connecting our member countries with organizations that specifically focus on the 30 by 30 initiative,” Rita El Zaghloul, director of the coalition, told Mongabay. The final five winners will be awarded a prize of 1 million pounds ($1.3 million) at a ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa, in November. Banner image: courtesy of Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance Meta to buy 3.9 million carbon credits from controversial tree plantations Shanna Hanbury 25 Sep 2024 Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, recently closed a deal to buy 1.3 million carbon removal credits from commercial tree plantations in Latin America, with an option for an additional 2.6 million credits through 2038. The agreement, called “one of the largest of its kind,”  was struck with Latin America’s largest investment bank, BTG Pactual. The Forests & Finance policy assessment platform rates BTG Pactual’s environment policies at a 0.9 of 10 due to billions invested in beef and pulp companies with links to deforestation. The Meta deal with BTG was struck through its forestry project, the Timberland Investment Group (TIG). TIG does not publicly disclose the locations of its farms. However, a 2023 Mongabay investigation found TIG had opened new offices in the Brazilian Cerrado at the heart of the paper and pulp industry as well as eucalyptus expansion in the region. The carbon credit reforestation project involves buying up huge swaths of pastureland in Brazil’s Cerrado savanna region and turning them into eucalyptus plantations, which are exacerbating drought conditions. The Cerrado regulates 40% of Brazil’s freshwater and is facing its worst drought in 700 years. The high water consumption of eucalyptus monocultures, 30-60 liters (8-16 gallons) of water daily per tree, is worsening drought conditions linked to climate change and extreme weather. TIG’s work in the Brazilian Cerrado and other places can make money on several fronts: Trees are sold to the paper and pulp industry, the bank speculates on the new rural land acquired and forestry funds like TIG are also sold as a financial product in investment portfolios. Now, the company can also make money through carbon credits. Conservation International, a U.S.-based nonprofit, serves as TIG’s impact adviser. “Meta is sending a message to the rest of the private sector: A sustainable future need not be austere; it can be abundant,” M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International, said in a TIG press release. However, Mongabay has identified potential conflicts of interest: BTG Pactual’s founder and de facto director sits on Conservation International’s board while BTG Pactual’s co-head of environmental, social and governance is the president and chairman of Conservation International Brazil’s Deliberative Committee. When asked about a possible conflict of interest in June 2023, TIG replied of Conservation International: “Their role is entirely independent. Our investment process is based entirely on the assessments of their conservation science teams.” Critics argue that these plantations are a land-grab and not a real climate solution. “Because it’s sold as something green, when people hear about it, they believe it’s good for the environment,” Devlin Kuyek, a researcher at the nonprofit GRAIN, told Mongabay by phone. “But it’s not a solution, it’s a form of greenwashing. And it distracts us from the real need to dramatically reduce fossil fuel consumption and transform our food systems.” Banner image: Eucalyptus trees cut down before being transported to a pulp mill for processing. Image © Daniel Beltrá/Greenpeace.  Share Short Read Full Article Share this short If you liked this story, share it with other people. Facebook Linkedin Threads Whatsapp Reddit Email Page link Subscribe Stay informed with news and inspiration from nature’s frontline. Newsletter News formats Videos Podcasts Articles Specials Short news Feature Stories The Latest About About Contact Donate Newsletters Submissions Terms of Use External links Wild Madagascar Selva tropicales For Kids Mongabay.org Tropical Forest Network Social media LinkedIn Instagram Youtube X Facebook RSS / XML Mastodon Android App Apple News © 2024 Copyright Conservation news. Mongabay is a U.S.-based non-profit conservation and environmental science news platform. Our EIN or tax ID is 45-3714703. you're currently offlineenusen-US1729231261https://mongabay.com

Ahitsio ny tranokalanao?

Manao inona ianao?