Archive for March, 2010

The Brazilian Government is the largest single buyer of condoms in the world and a new programme they have just implemented could boost rubber tapping and reduce deforestation.
Brazil’s government imports approximately 1 billion condoms each year and promote them using high profile adverts at a range of outlets designed to reach potential at risk groups. [...]

Timber Companies Form a Coalition

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

By rebuilding their economy from the bottom up a collection of 11 companies operating along Highway 16 are forging a new type of forestry in north-western BC. Called the Northwest BC Forest Coalition they are marketing their individual timber resources as one giant pool of available timber. This has come about due to a [...]

Becoming a Farmer of Forests

Monday, March 29th, 2010

To meet its carbon emission reduction targets it is a sure bet that Australia will look to carbon storage through reforestation (bio-sequestration). In the future carbon storage in trees could be a major potential income for farmers but great care will be needed in exercising any plans to commit to a qualifying carbon sink forest.
So [...]

A Growing Business in Biomass

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Growing biomass and producing energy from it is big business these days with the world actively searching for ways to speed up the synergy in bioengineering from biomass. However, bio-energy from biomass will only speed up when the business becomes more profitable. Because of this research is being developed throughout the entire supply chain from [...]

The Second All Africa Carbon Forum

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

The second all African Carbon Forum took place earlier this month at the United Nations Gigiri complex in Nairobi, Kenya. The Nairobi Framework partner UN agencies and the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) initiated the forum with the aim of building on the growing interest in the Kyoto Protocol’s [...]

Fighting for the Accord

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

The European Commission has proposed that the European Union continue to argue for a tough and legally binding global agreement, which would involve countries worldwide in real climate action. As well as beginning last December’s Copenhagen Accord by providing financial assistance to developing countries. Despite these proposals the European Commission has admitted that the world [...]

Giving a Kick-Start to REDD+

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

At a meeting in Paris last Thursday hosted by French President Nicola Sarkozy the first steps were taken to kick start a global REDD scheme to put an end to deforestation and build on the progress in Copenhagen. A ten nation steering group has been established to drive the implementation of a global avoided deforestation [...]

Expanding the US Climate Bill Forestry Aid

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

The US Senate is currently being urged by environmental groups to expand a climate change bill in order to help foreign countries pay for enforcing laws they already have in place for protecting forests.
Last year global warming legislation was passed in the US House of Representatives and will set up financial incentives to encourage new [...]

Giving Trees a Treat

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Imagine waking up to discover that all the trees and lamp poles in town had been covered in jumpers. Well this is exactly what happened to residents in a New Jersey shore town.
The West Cape May resident has been dubbed the Midnight Knitter and so far his or her identity has remained a [...]

Canada Keeps Their Lumberjacks Happy

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Last week $100 million was given to the forestry industry in Canada for new green energy technologies. This makes it the only industry in the federal budget to receive targeted money from Ottawa. As well as this injection of cash initiatives have been introduced, such as accelerating write offs in green-energy investments and broadening the [...]

How do you value a forest?

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Depending on our own personal perspectives we, as a society, place a variety of different values of forests. The first that comes to my mind is to value the forest in terms of its value as timber. Beyond this forests have a value as a biological reserve, recreational resource, as a spiritual touchstone and as [...]

From Farmer to Plantation Owner

Friday, March 5th, 2010

In 2009 the national farm income in Ireland was down 25% on 2008 and the year on year fall in product prices coupled with cuts in farm schemes has provoked renewed interest in forestry.
Forestry provides an attractive alternative to farmers faced with challenging times ahead as it contributes to the bottom line from the very [...]

Canadian Timber in China

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

According to Tony Hu, managing director of Toronto’s Monarch Corp. in Shanghai developers are raising less than 600 wood framed houses each year and few of the approximate 1.3 billion people living in China have the luxury of calling a house with a garden their home.
“What I’m talking about is 100 per cent two-by-four housing [...]

Forests of the Ocean

Monday, March 1st, 2010

When talking of the forests of the ocean you might be forgiven for thinking that I am talking about coral. But it is whales that are referred to as forests of the ocean due to their ability to store large amounts of carbon in their bodies. Much like when a tree is cut down, whales [...]