Posts Tagged ‘ecology’
Japan is hosting the representatives of 193 States that signed the 1992 treaty for preserving biodiversity in Rio de Janeiro’s “Summit Earth”. It was agreed in that summit in 1992 for protecting 10% of natural spaces in every signatory State in order to diminish the rate of extinction of species. The Indian economist Pavan Sukhdev estimates that $3 trillion could be saved each year if the rate of deforestation is reduced by half.
The vast Brazil atlantic forest has been reduced to 10% for demographic expansion; many animal species are not able to survive on these remaining patch work virgin spaces. Reforestation will be financed out of the CO2 credits.
So far, funds allocated to protecting biodiversity have dropped to less than $3.3 billion in 2008 from almost $4 billion in 2007. However, surface dedicated to sustainable forests has climbed to 4 million square kilometers in 2010 from almost nil in 1995. Earth lands occupied by protected species has increased to over 25 million square kilometers in 2010 from almost nil in 1970.
Norway has set aside one billion dollars to rehabilitating humid tropical forest in northern Indonesia. Fractions of that aid will be paid out as the Indonesian government show concrete realizations in preserving the ecosystem. Indonesia hosts 10% of vegetable species, 17% of reptiles and birds, and 12% of mammal species.
San Diego Zoo is freezing specimen of skin species doomed to extinction so that to reconstitute the species later on using cell stump techniques.
The most promising activities are coming from private enterprises. The new motto is to prove to people that they can make profit protecting species instead of just forbidding hunting. For example, the poor and vast country of Namibia (Africa) is generating huge profit from “Hunting Sport” of the well-to-do; Namibia is employing 250,000 citizens protecting wild life population that increased 60% since 1960.
Africa is reaping $200 billion from hunting sport activities that are turning to luxury safaris costing $1,400 per night (excluding all other expenses). Tourism revenue from visitors to the preserved land of Camp Selinda (Botswana) climbed to $3 billion. The private South African association African Parks Network is administering national parks in Africa; for example the reserves of PN Garanba (Rep. Dem. Congo) and Ol Pejeta Park in Kenya.
The US and Russia signed a treaty for a project to reserving the strategic lands on both sides of Bering Straight in the arctic. infrastructure will be developed to encouraging tourism and thus, protecting whales and polar bears.
The Pentagon spends 56 million to preserving the 15 million hectares of virgin lands used in the various military training grounds. For example, commanders are trained to applying the “Endangered Species Act” in the training centers of Fort Stewart and Townsend Range (Georgia); Eglin in Florida; Island San Clemente and Twenty-Nine Palms in California.
It appears that virgin lands in Africa are ideal for relocating extinguished species living in zoos: There is no way of measuring the “spiritual value” of intact virgin lands still in existence. The greatest hope relies on the rich Chinese and Indian investors for protecting natural life in Africa.
It appears that the Nagoya conference was not a success. No specific regulations were demanded on particular countries and the final resolution paper was delayed for publishing several days. Only two third of the 200 States sent representative of lower echelons; only five small State Presidents showed up. If the conference was related to banking or finance you would have witnessed all world Presidents hurrying up to have their photos taken.
Any good news in and out?
Posted December 7, 2008
on:After Iraq: Any good news in and out? (December 7, 2008)
Let me offer new facts and then older facts that were not disseminated; then I will ask the question “Why the Bush Administration needed a major war?” then the follow up question “Why Iraq specifically?” then the resolution question “What where the results of this pre-emptive war and what after Iraq?”.
Since the Wall Street crash the USA has lost over 550,000 jobs and as many in the developed States and there is no end to that trend. In 1989, the world experienced a nasty financial crash that destabilized the Asian markets and then Latin America and its ripple effect hit the US as Bush was being inaugurated. Thus, before the Twin Tower disaster the US was financially unstable and the joblessness rate was very high and increasing. After the 9/11 attack the stock market in the US hit its lowest and the rate of decrease was about 36%, almost as bad as today. The major difference was that the financial disaster then was not publicized and the whole affair turned to the necessity of preventing further terrorist activities and defending the “Nation”.
The US needed badly a major war; first, to absorb the unemployed, especially the Latinos, and second, to divert attention from acute economical and financial problems that the Republicans were not equipped to handle under their free, non controlled capitalist policies.
Why Iraq then? Afghanistan was a non entity and very poor to launch a major war and invest so much on it. Iraq had no Qaida elements within its territory, simply because Dictator Saddam Hussein was a Sunni leader and would not permit other Sunni organizations to eat from his own dish. Iraq had no nuclear weapons; the Nuclear Control Agency said so; the European leaders said so; the UN said so and refused to support this foolish pre-emptive war. The Bush Administration went solo against the World community. Why?
Iraq was a State with the highest reserve in oil and second to Saudi Arabia in potentials for production. Iraq was strategically located amidst the oil producing countries in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is a staunch ally to the US. Iran is too big to swallow. Iraq was about right since it had been seriously weakened after 10 years of economical embargo by the Bush Father and Clinton. (Over 2 million babies died in Iraq in that period of embargo for lack of powder milk and basic medicines). The neighboring Arab States were easy prey for frequent financial blackmail to invest in Treasury bonds and other financial gifts such as purchasing redundant military hardware at the highest prices. For the long term, the US planned to blackmail powerful China, avid of oil, by controlling directly the distribution and production of oil.
When the US forces entered Baghdad, Bush Junior declared “Victory”. Two years later Bush Junior revised his declaration “Victory was way premature”. Recently, Bush Junior was begging the Iraqis to accept the “Security Agreement” to save face for the retreat of his troops. What would you expect from an Iraqi government, appointed by the US forces, but to obey its Masters?
What were the results of this long pre-emptive war?
First, over one thousand Iraqi scientists in all fields have been systematically assassinated by the CIA and the Israeli Mossad. The names and professions of these scientists and professors are published on the internet. Israel was greatly relieved: The huge brain potential of the Iraqi people was a nightmare for tiny Israel; and backed by huge oil reserves and fertile lands and prosperous industries. It is said that the Egyptians write books, the Lebanese publish and the Iraqi read the books. For over ten years now the “Arabs” have not been reading their published books!
Second, a catastrophic ecological situation has befallen Iraq: the oil that could not be processed or distributed was re-directed to be dumped in valleys; vast areas are lost for ever and ever to any reclamation.
Third, over one million Iraqi civilians died and three fold that number crippled.
Fourth, oil production never reached the level of ten years ago.
Fifth, the US has stolen, highway robbery, the oil produced in Iraq with nothing to show for it but destruction, miseries, and sectarian warfare. Security in Iraq is the last thing in the mind of the Bush Junior Administration; the Iraqis can go to hell and why? Why?
Sixth, China re-directed its investment for oil fields toward Africa and the US is totally impotent.
Seventh, China has struck deals with Russia and India and the oil pipelines are almost finished and freed from maritime transport and US blackmailing tactics.
Eight, the hatred and animosities against the US policies in the Arab and Moslem people has reached the zenith and no public image gimmicks would do.
Nine, Russia has checked the US-NATO expansion toward its borders.
Tenth, the US is totally bankrupt and humiliated economically, financially, and militarily. Shall I go on?
The cycle is back from where we started. The financial conditions are worse than in 2001 and unemployment rate even worst. What then? Which country is now ripe for another pre-emptive war in order to suck in the jobless population and blackmail the Arab State for financial secure? Saudi Arabia is ideal: nobody like this savage, ignorant, narrow minded Wahabi sect of this theocratic monarchic family. The world can do without this hotbed of terrorist, salafist, wahabit sect which is the source of the Al Qaida and its numerous branches; except the USA obviously.
Don’t you hate this hypocrite of a monster claiming that he was against war but the CIA lied to him?
The case is to be handled by the International Tribunal of war crimes and perpetrators of genocides on a wide scale. If the International community fails its duty towards this massacre of the decade and persists in acting biased toward the developed nations then the underground organizations will take over in the name of justice and for a long, long time.