· September, 2012

Stories about Environment from September, 2012

Peru: Activists Begin “Civic Crusade” in Defense of the Nanay River

  27 September 2012

In our first post in this tree-part series we briefly introduced some water-related issues in Iquitos, and later presented the controversy generated by the transnational Conoco Phillips and their exploration and search for hydrocarbons in the Nanay River basin. In this post we continue addressing the issue and discuss how organizations like the Water Committee are fighting this problem.

Guinea-Bissau: Impact of Tourism in the Bijagós Islands

  26 September 2012

Tourism doesn't always mean wealth and development for the Southern countries. The statement comes from a report [pt] on “Dynamics and impacts of the expansion of tourism in the Bijagós islands”, a protected sea area in Guinea Bissau. Cape Verdean blog Morabeza shares [pt] the study by CETRI (Centre Tricontinental)...

Africa: Mountain Gorilla Conservation Data

  25 September 2012

Over 5,000 days of Mountain Gorilla conservation data in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo: Fifteen years ago, ranger-based monitoring (or RBM for short) was initiated as a tool in the conservation of mountain gorillas. Whether patrolling the park for law enforcement or tracking mountain gorillas for health...

Peru: Hydrocarbons Exploration Threatens Iquitos’ Water

  24 September 2012

The amazonian city of Iquitos, strategically located on the banks of three rivers and blessed with a tropical weather with copious rainfall, shouldn't have problems with the drinking water supply. However, the reality is quite different. In this first part in a series of three posts we will look at how hydrocarbons exploration threatens Iquitos' water supply.

Japan: Citizens Respond to New Nuclear Power Policies

  24 September 2012

Individuals with vested interests in nuclear power have been named to lead a regulatory commission of the Japanese government that will play crucial role in determining whether to phase out nuclear power during the 2030s and how. While environmental groups welcome the government's statement of intent to end nuclear power, citizens are calling for commission members with a conflict of interest to be declared ineligible.

Malaysia: New Lacewing Species Discovered with Online Help

  23 September 2012

Malaysian photographer Guek Hock Ping blogged and posted photos of a lacewing species he found in Selangor, Malaysia. Readers saw it in his blog and Flickr page and eventually scientists confirmed that it's a new species of lacewing. It's now called Semachrysa jade

Environment: World Rhino Day

  22 September 2012

22 September 2012 is World Rhino Day. Currently there are an estimated 4,800 black rhinos and 22,000 white rhinos in Africa.Current poaching levels could see both species extinct in the wild by as early as 2025! Here is an animated clip about the rhino horn trade.

Mozambique: Photos of Bike-Taxis in Quelimane

  20 September 2012

A photo album by António Silva on Sapo illustrates the widespread use of bicycles as taxis in the flat city of Quelimane, in Mozambique, a place where there the lack of public transports has opened the path for a healthier environment.

Madagascar: How a Tiny Island Can Explain the Root of the Crisis

  20 September 2012

Lalatiana Pitchboule published a two-part detailed investigative report [fr] on what is at stakes when it comes to the appropriation of the tiny island of Juan de Nova (4.4 km2) off the west coast of Madagascar in the Mozambique Channel. In short, The legal fight over the possession of  the Juan de Nova...

India: Hurrah For Hornbills – Defence Project Stalled in Narcondam

  19 September 2012

A proposal from the Indian Coast Guards to install coastal surveillance equipments in the Narcondamm Island in the Andaman Sea, has been stalled by the Indian government. This news, coming after months of intensive campaigning against the proposal, has been welcomed by birders, ornithologists, ecologists, conservation activists and wildlife enthusiasts.

France: Study Shows GM Corn Fed Rats Display Higher Tumors Levels

  19 September 2012

Guillaume Malaurie reports that [fr] a team of French researchers led by Pr. Gilles-Eric Séralini found that laboratory rats fed with a steady diet of Monsanto genetically modified corn displayed higher levels of tumors and multiple organ damage than those of control rats.  The researchers worked in quasi-clandestine conditions [fr] to prevent...

China: Cancer Villages

  19 September 2012

Shelley Jiang from Tea Leaf Nation blogs about the painful cost of development in China – the increasing number of cancer villages all over the country: Officially and unofficially, the Chinese media have reported 459 “cancer villages” throughout China… Once a rare disease, cancer is now the biggest killer in...

Chile: Reforesting Patagonia through Social Media

  14 September 2012

Reforest Patagonia has managed to plant 100,000 native-species trees thanks to its creative social media donation campaign, ”Create Your Own Forest.” […] Reforest Patagonia’s main campaigning tool is its online platform, i.e. its virtual forest, which lets individuals and companies plant trees in Patagonia thanks to a small contribution. Anna Heim from The...

China: The Million Tree Project

  14 September 2012

Jonah Kessel introduces a NGO called Shanghai Roots & Shoots which carried out the Million Tree Project in Kulun Qi of inner Mongolia by working with the national and regional Chinese government.

Ecuador on Alert over Forest Fires

  14 September 2012

Ecuador is in a state of emergency due to forest fires that have been burning since June. As soon as the warning signal was given by citizens and authorities, the hashtag #incendiosforestales (forest fires) became a local trending topic in Ecuador.

India: Koodankulam Nuclear Plant Starts Amidst Protests

  14 September 2012

The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, India started operations recently despite protests to stall it. Police cracked down on some 8,000 people from nearby villages who assembled at the beach and stood in sea water to protest moves to load uranium fuel in one of the two reactors of the plant.

China: Hulunbuir Grassland Destroyed by Coal Mining Activities

  13 September 2012

Hulunbuir Grassland, one of the most beautiful landscapes in inner Mongolia, is eroding as a result of coal mining near the surface of the ground. A Chinese blogger has pointed out that the mining activities are not only a destruction of the natural environment, but also a cultural invasion.