Information is Beautiful: Which fish are good to eat?

Over-exploitation. Destructive fishing techniques. Polluting fish farms. How do you know which fish are fine for your fork?

In an age of over-fishing and crashing marine stocks, it's difficult to keep track of which fish are ethically kosher. Here I've pooled and visualized the latest consensus and data from the Marine Conservation Society (PDF), Greenpeace and the SeaFood Watch.

The Guardian published a guide and information on ocean-fish friendly fish. Read more here

Oceans on brink of catastrophe - report by The Independent

Marine life facing mass extinction 'within one human generation' / State of seas 'much worse than we thought', says global panel of scientists

By Michael McCarthy, Environment Editor

The world's oceans are faced with an unprecedented loss of species comparable to the great mass extinctions of prehistory, a major report suggests today. The seas are degenerating far faster than anyone has predicted, the report says, because of the cumulative impact of a number of severe individual stresses, ranging from climate warming and sea-water acidification, to widespread chemical pollution and gross overfishing.

Read full report here

Just do it - at The Ritzi in Brixton on 15th July

Exciting news! Just Do It- a tale of modern-day outlaws from acclaimed film maker Emily James, will be opening at the Ritzi in Brixton on July 15th. In the making of Just Do It, Director Emily James spent over a year embedded in activist groups Climate Camp, Climate Rush and Plane Stupid. With unprecedented access, the film gives a fun but earnest glimpse into a community of people who refuse to sit back and allow the destruction of their world. Just Do It introduces a powerful cast of mischievous and inspiring characters who put their bodies in the way. They super-glue themselves to bank trading floors, blockade factories and attack coal power stations en-masse all despite the very real threat of arrest. Putting aside the doom and gloom of many environmental documentaries, Just Do It  will leave audiences empowered rather than overwhelmed.

For us on the Just Do It team, this is a film intended to inspire people to take action on climate (along with the rest of our world's social and environmental issues) and we plan to show it to as many people as possible to meet that end.

With much hurrah, Just Do It will be at The Ritzi in Brixton at 8.45pm along with a sure to be rousing Q&A from Director Emily James.  You can nab tickets here.  Click here to watch the trailer. And please spread the word! If you bring along five people to the screening, we will give you a complimentary ticket.

Vote YES to YOUR Health Rights!

ARE YOU AWARE that your right to choose to heal yourself and your loved ones with herbs is seriously threatened?

ON THE 30TH APRIL 2011 (YES, it's happening right now) this EU directive comes into place dissallowing certain herbs to be sold in the European Union, including in the UK.

If you haven't heard much about it, then that's because it's been very cunningly brushed under carpets, hidden from public view, but that's changing...

We urge you to watch this short video which will explain why and how many of the herbs you are used to finding in your health food shops will simply vanish from the shelves from the 30th April.

THIS IS REALLY SERIOUS AND WE STRONGLY OPPOSE MANY OF THESE CHANGES...PLEASE DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON YOUR RIGHTS.

SIGN THE PETITION NOW!

Neurotoxic corn seed treatments kill bees!!!

read more at http://bee-life.eu/en/article/8/

Austrian / German article at http://www.imkereizentrum.at/

Defra Launches First White Paper on the Natural Environment in Twenty

A detailed programme of action to improve the quality and increase the value of the natural environment across England.

Defra has published The Natural Choice: Securing the Value of Nature, a White Paper setting out its vision for the natural environment over the next 50 years. The Paper includes a detailed programme of action, which aims to improve the quality of the natural environment across England, halt the decline in habitats and species, and strengthen the connection between people and nature.

Plans in the Paper are directly linked to the groundbreaking research in the National Ecosystem Assessment that showed the strong economic arguments for safeguarding and enhancing the natural environment.

The natural environment will be incorporated into economic planning which will support the growth of the green economy and expand business opportunities. Chapter 3 of the White Paper identifies action to support businesses along the supply chain to understand and manage their global and local environmental impacts.

The White Paper also acts on the recommendations of Making Space for Nature, a report into the state of England’s wildlife sites, led by Professor John Lawton and published in September 2010, which showed that England’s wildlife sites are fragmented and not able to respond to the pressures of climate change and other pressures put on the land. The Government has published its response to the Lawton Review alongside the White Paper.

Key measures in the White Paper, which also takes forward recommendations contained in Making Space for Nature, include:

Reconnecting Nature

New Nature Improvement Areas (NIAs), transforming rural and urban areas and providing bigger, connected sites for wildlife to live in and adapt to climate change. With a £7.5 million fund for 12 initial NIAs to demonstrate just what can be done. Professor Sir John Lawton has agreed to chair the panel to allocate funding.
Biodiversity offsetting – new way for developers to ensure wildlife sites are not lost and make them better by making and improving other sites.
New Local Nature Partnerships to strengthen joined-up action across local agencies and organisations, with a £1 million available this year.
Phasing out peat – working with the horticulture industry to phase out peat use, which will help to protect and restore peatlands, which are valuable carbon sinks, habitats and part of the ecological network. A task force to consider all options to phase out use of peat in the supply chain will be chaired by Dr Alan Knight OBE.
Connecting People and Nature for Better Quality of Life

Green Areas Designation allowing local communities to give protection to areas that are important to them for recreation, the view or their importance for wildlife.
Better urban green spaces for the benefit of cities and towns. Support for parks, gardens, and tree planting which benefit people and nature alike.
More children experiencing nature by learning outdoors, through practical support to schools and reducing red-tape for outdoor learning.
Strengthening local public health activities which connect people with nature for better health.
New environmental volunteering initiative “Muck in 4 Life” to improve places in towns and countryside for people and nature to enjoy.
Capturing and Improving the Value of Nature

Natural Capital Committee – an independent body to report to the Government’s economic affairs committee chaired by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. This body will put the value of nature at the heart of the Government’s economic thinking, and advise Government about the best way of securing natural assets for the future.
An annual statement of green accounts for UK Plc – showing where the economy has withdrawn from the value of nature’s bank balance, and where it has invested in it. This will help measure green growth alongside GDP.
A business-led Task Force chaired by Kingfisher Group Chief Executive Officer Ian Cheshire, to expand the UK business opportunities from new products and services which are good for the economy and nature alike.
Caroline Spelman, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said:

“The natural environment matters to us all – not just because it makes us feel good when we stumble across a bluebell wood or spot a pair of goldfinches, but because we are now all able to see the terrible price we would pay if we lost what we have or neglected to care for it. Nature belongs to us all, and we’ve all got a vested interest in protecting it.

“That’s why the true value of nature should be built in to the decisions we make – as individuals, organisations, businesses and governments – so that we become the first generation to leave the environment in a better condition than we found it. This is what ‘The Natural Choice’ will help us all achieve.”

Full details of the White Paper are available here (opens new window).

Source: Defra, 08/06/11

Climate Policies Boost the Economy

Studies show that strong climate policies boost the economy by
stimulating investment in clean technologies, new infrastructure and
creating green jobs. One report found that a 30 percent emission
reduction target for Europe could increase GDP by more than EUR600
billion by 2020

A study from March 2011,commissioned by the German Ministry for the
Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and conducted by a
consortium of researchers from six leading universities and institutes
from across Europe found that a target of 30 % domestic emission
reductions by 2020 (compared to 1990 levels), if accompanied with
adequate and consistent policies, could: Boost European investments from
18 % to up to 22 % of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), create up to 6
million additional jobs, by 2020 increase European GDP by 620 billion
Euros ($847.4 billion), or by 6 percent above business as usual trends,
improve energy security, save fuel costs, help European industry to
maintain and enhance its competitiveness. For more information go to
http://www.newgrowthpath.eu

Universal Declaration for the Rights of Mother Earth.

On April 20, 2011 the UN General Assembly hosted an Interactive Panel Debate on sustainable development in harmony with nature including the Universal Declaration for the Rights of Mother Earth. The webcast of the complete is included at "Universal Declaration for the Rights of Mother Earth"

Preamble

We, the peoples and nations of Earth:

considering that we are all part of Mother Earth, an indivisible, living community of interrelated and interdependent beings with a common destiny;

gratefully acknowledging that Mother Earth is the source of life, nourishment and learning and provides everything we need to live well;recognizing that the capitalist system and all forms of depredation, exploitation, abuse and contamination have caused great destruction, degradation and disruption of Mother Earth, putting life as we know it today at risk through phenomena such as climate change;

convinced that in an interdependent living community it is not possible to recognize the rights of only human beings without causing an imbalance within Mother Earth;

affirming that to guarantee human rights it is necessary to recognize and defend the rights of Mother Earth and all beings in her and that there are existing cultures, practices and laws that do so;

conscious of the urgency of taking decisive, collective action to transform structures and systems that cause climate change and other threats to Mother Earth;

proclaim this Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth, and call on the General Assembly of the United Nation to adopt it, as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations of the world, and to the end that every individual and institution takes responsibility for promoting through teaching, education, and consciousness raising, respect for the rights recognized in this Declaration and ensure through prompt and progressive measures and mechanisms, national and international, their universal and effective recognition and observance among all peoples and States in the world.

Article 1. Mother Earth

1. Mother Earth is a living being.

2. Mother Earth is a unique, indivisible, self-regulating community of interrelated beings that sustains, contains and reproduces all beings.

3. Each being is defined by its relationships as an integral part of Mother Earth.

4. The inherent rights of Mother Earth are inalienable in that they arise from the same source as existence.

5. Mother Earth and all beings are entitled to all the inherent rights recognized in this Declaration without distinction of any kind, such as may be made between organic and inorganic beings, species, origin, use to human beings, or any other status.

6. Just as human beings have human rights, all other beings also have rights which are specific to their species or kind and appropriate for their role and function within the communities within which they exist.

7. The rights of each being are limited by the rights of other beings and any conflict between their rights must be resolved in a way that maintains the integrity, balance and health of Mother Earth.

Article 2. Inherent Rights of Mother Earth

1. Mother Earth and all beings of which she is composed have the following inherent rights:

a) the right to life and to exist;

b) the right to be respected;

c) the right to regenerate its bio-capacity and to continue its vital cycles and processes free from human disruptions;

d) the right to maintain its identity and integrity as a distinct, self-regulating and interrelated being;

e) the right to water as a source of life;

f) the right to clean air;

g) the right to integral health;

h) the right to be free from contamination, pollution and toxic or radioactive waste;

i) the right to not have its genetic structure modified or disrupted in a manner that threatens it integrity or vital and healthy functioning;

j) the right to full and prompt restoration the violation of the rights recognized in this Declaration caused by human activities;

2. Each being has the right to a place and to play its role in Mother Earth for her harmonious functioning.

3. Every being has the right to wellbeing and to live free from torture or cruel treatment by human beings.

Article 3. Obligations of human beings to Mother Earth

1. Every human being is responsible for respecting and living in harmony with Mother Earth.

2. Human beings, all States, and all public and private institutions must:

a) act in accordance with the rights and obligations recognized in this Declaration;

b) recognize and promote the full implementation and enforcement of the rights and obligations recognized in this Declaration;

c) promote and participate in learning, analysis, interpretation and communication about how to live in harmony with Mother Earth in accordance with this Declaration;

d) ensure that the pursuit of human wellbeing contributes to the wellbeing of Mother Earth, now and in the future;

e) establish and apply effective norms and laws for the defence, protection and conservation of the rights of Mother Earth;

f) respect, protect, conserve and where necessary, restore the integrity, of the vital ecological cycles, processes and balances of Mother Earth;

g) guarantee that the damages caused by human violations of the inherent rights recognized in this Declaration are rectified and that those responsible are held accountable for restoring the integrity and health of Mother Earth;

h) empower human beings and institutions to defend the rights of Mother Earth and of all beings;

i) establish precautionary and restrictive measures to prevent human activities from causing species extinction, the destruction of ecosystems or the disruption of ecological cycles;

j) guarantee peace and eliminate nuclear, chemical and biological weapons;

k) promote and support practices of respect for Mother Earth and all beings, in accordance with their own cultures, traditions and customs;

l) promote economic systems that are in harmony with Mother Earth and in accordance with the rights recognized in this Declaration.

Article 4. Definitions

1. The term “being” includes ecosystems, natural communities, species and all other natural entities which exist as part of Mother Earth.

2. Nothing in this Declaration restricts the recognition of other inherent rights of all beings or specified beings.

motherearthrights.org

therightsofnature.org

Save the natural herbs of Europe! - Please sign petition!

Save natural remedies in Europe. Keep your freedom of choice. The European Union has approved under THMPD Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive, which will come into force on the 30th of April 2011, to stop our right to use alternative medicine as free choice.


The aim is to secure billions of Euros of profits for the pharmaceutical industry for years to come by obliging patients to use their drugs instead of alternative natural medicine. Plants that have been used by herbalists for thousands of years would need approval which would be very costly ranging around £100,000 per herb and obviously totally impossible to afford by the individual herbalists, ensuring the monopoly of the market for big pharmaceutical corporations.


Please watch the video and sign the petition at http://www.savenaturalhealth.eu


Thank you!

"Songs of the Humpback Whale." (1970)

The use of underwater microphones called hydrophones showed that not only can whales communicate, but they do so with beauty and complexity. Frank Watlington and Roger Payne, among others, made these unique recordings. The haunting sounds on "Songs of the Humpback Whale," along with Payne’s liner notes for CRM Records, helped turn the tide of U.S. public opinion against whaling. In addition to the album’s aesthetic and political significance, it can also be considered historically valuable: whales change their songs over time so these recordings document a cetacean performance practice of a time gone by.

Image Caption: Humpback whale; Image Credit: Photo by Peter Tyack, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution under National Marine Fisheries Service permit #184, issued to Roger Payne, Ocean Alliance.

Green The Film

Watch "Green The Film" here

Deforestation

(To the best of my knowledge the information below is true, please report any errors)

Indonesia has one of the world’s worst deforestation rates, averaging at around 2 million hectares a year. In 1950 the forest cover of Indonesia was about 160 million hectares, today less than 48 million hectares are left.

Massive deforestation of Indonesia began in the 1970s with the expansion of the timber industry. Then came the pulp and paper industry followed by the palm oil industry. Today, the major driving force behind Indonesian deforestation comes from the international demand for palm oil to make biofuels. An October 2009 report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) found that: “95 per cent of the increased production of palm oil in Malaysia and Indonesia was driven by the growing demand for biodiesel”, and that “two-thirds of the current expansion of palm oil cultivation in Indonesia is based on the conversion of rainforests”.

This demand comes essentially from India, Europe and China who are all promoting palm oil biodiesel as tomorrow’s best renewable “green”energy to combat climate change. But reports show that converting forests into oil palm plantations for biofuel actually worsens climate change. Palm oil bio-diesel is not really about combating climate change, it is just about making money.

Stop consuming products made of Indonesian deforestation

Stop investing your money in companies and banks involved in deforestation of Indonesia

Donate to reliable NGOs and individuals who are presently protecting the forest and saving the orangutans on the field.

Avoid having a car which runs on bio-diesel.

Avoid consuming paper as much as possible.

Avoid consuming products with palm oil.

Avoid consuming all tropical hardwoods.

Green The Film

Living Jungle

Patrick Blanc, Vertical Garden interview in Paris

ORIGINAL Elephant Painting

Willie Smits: Saving Rainforests

Endangered animals - orangutans face extinction in Borneo due to defores...

We can Re-Forest the world

The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second-best time is now. – African Proverb The problem: 39 million sq km of our planet is degraded, due to intensive agriculture, overgrazing and desertification.

Permaculture reforestation involves planting pioneer trees and covering the soil with mulch, and this will bring moisture back into the ground. And only then can a vast diversity of indigenous species be planted, returning biodiversity and fertility to the area.

WeForest plants many types of indigenous trees, including 10% agro-forestry seedlings around its new forests these directly and quickly benefit the local population. The 90% balance consists of true reforestation seedlings designed to restore the natural environment of the region.

Sustainable forestry, which plays a vital role in ensuring the stability of our planet. Trees support ecosystems, maintain the integrity of our soil and habitats, and provide food, employment, and shelter for local people.

Trees make clouds. Clouds cool the earth. Clouds reflect sunshine back into space, thus cooling the earth. Planting 20 million km2 of forests would create enough clouds to halt global warming in its tracks.

WeForest was founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Liao and is a non-profit in both Switzerland and Belgium. It supports projects across the world. "We don't care who plants the trees as long as they are planted in a sustainable way." www.weforest.org

Radio Senate debated the risks of dams in Chapada dos

Radio Senate debated the risks of dams in Chapada dos

Senate Radio - The construction of 22 dams threatens the Chapada dos, Goias, classified by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as world natural heritage. The warning was made by researchers from the fauna and flora, which are against the construction of power plants in the belief that many animal and plant species may be destroyed. Moreover, they argue, the main economic activity in the region - ecotourism - is also in danger.
They discussed the matter as a board member of Environmental Defense Alto Paraiso de Goias and the National Environment Council - CONAMA, Alvaro De Angelis, a professor of Forestry at UNB, Reuber Brandão, the coordinator of implementation Centers for Advanced Studies in the Cerrado Chapada dos UnB, Nina Paula Laranjeira, and environmentalist Peter Midkiff. (Photo: Pedro Barbosa)

Days left to stop mass extinction

Dear Friends of the Whale,

Many whales are among the 1/3rd of all life on the planet that is being driven to extinction. World governments are meeting this week to consider a bold plan to protect 20% of the world's oceans and lands by 2020. We have 4 days left, and a global public outcry could tip the balance. Click to sign the petition for the 20/20 plan and forward this email:

There are only 300 northern right whales left, and 99% of blue whales have been wiped out. These majestic giants are endangered species, and their case is being played out across the world, time and again. In fact, one third of all life forms on the planet are on the brink of extinction.


The natural world is being crushed by human activity, waste and exploitation. But there is a plan to save it -- a global agreement to create, fund and enforce protected areas covering 20% of our lands and seas by 2020. And right now, 193 governments are meeting in Japan to address this crisis.


We have just 4 days left in this crucial meeting. Experts say that politicians are hesitant to adopt such an ambitious goal, but that a global public outcry could tip the balance, making leaders feel the eyes of the world upon them. Click to sign the urgent 20/20 petition, and forward this email widely -- the message will be delivered directly to the meeting in Japan:


http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_end_of_whales/?vl

Ironically, 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity. By now, our governments were supposed to have "achieved a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss." They have failed, consistently caving to industry when given a choice between narrow profit and protecting species. Our animals, plants, oceans, forests, soils, and rivers are choking under immense burdens from over-exploitation and other pressures.


Humans are the primary cause of this destruction. But we can turn it around -- we've saved species from extinction before. The causes of biodiversity decline are vast, and stopping them is going to require a move away from empty piecemeal promises with no clarity on who will pay, to a bold plan with strict enforcement and serious funding. The 20/20 plan is precisely that: governments will be forced to execute strict programmes to ensure that 20% of our earth is protected by the 2020 deadline, and massively scale up funding.


It has to be now. All over the world the picture is beginning to look bleaker -- there are only 3,200 tigers left in the wild, our oceans are running out of fish, and we're losing unique food sources to large mono-plantations. Nature is resilient, but we have to give it a safe place to bounce back. That's why this meeting is key -- it's a watershed moment to accelerate action based on clear commitments that protect nature's capital.


If our governments feel overwhelming public pressure right now to be courageous, we can jolt them to commit to the 20/20 plan at this meeting. But it's going to take every one of us to get that message to echo around the convention in Japan. Sign this urgent petition below, then forward it widely:


http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_end_of_whales/?vl


Already this year Avaaz, members have played a critical role in protecting elephants, defending the whale-hunting ban, and securing the world's largest Marine Protected Area in the Chagos Islands. Our community has shown that we can set ambitious goals -- and win. This campaign is the next stage in the essential battle to create the world that most of us everywhere want -- where natural resources and species are valued, and our living planet is protected for future generations.


http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_end_of_whales/?vl


With hope,


Alice, Iain, Emma, Ricken, Paula, Benjamin, Mia, David, Graziela, Ben, and the rest of the Avaaz team


Sources:


The Times: "Third of all animals and plants face extinction"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7120676.ece


The Guardian: "Public awareness of the biodiversity crisis is virtually non-existent"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/sep/16/public-awareness-biodiversity-crisis


Sydney Morning Herald: "UN calls for immediate action to save life on earth"
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/un-calls-for-immediate-action-to-save-life-on-earth-20101018-16qnv.html


IUCN: "Why is biodiversity in crisis?"
http://www.iucn.org/iyb/about/biodiversity_crisis/


More on the Convention of Biodiversity meeting
http://www.cbd.int/cop10/

Herbal and mineral supplements to be saved!

The EU has passed a directive that comes into full-force in April 2011: that all herbal and mineral supplements are to be banned,  all teaching of alternative healing methods will be banned, and homeopathic colleges dissolved.....etc. As of this summer it is now forbidden to sell books about using plants and minerals.
Please  help  circulate this email, 35 million signatures are needed!!http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/joininghandsinhealth/

Earthwatch - An environmental mascot for Britain

The Bumblebee came out on top in the run up of the vote on an environmental mascot for Britain.

It was close to the oak, followed by the coral, thrush and bluebell.