Biodiversity
Environmentalists Agree to the Eucalyptus
Historically, there has been a rejection of the environmental movement of eucalyptus plantations in areas where trees were allochthonous, that is brought from other regions, non-native. This rejection was based primarily on planting a tree that did not belong to a particular ecosystem could harm, negatively affecting both fauna and other trees. Eucalyptus is imposed on other plant species because it grows fast and very high, and resource-land. In a few years, the landscape changes. But, friend, all consume paper. Even members of environmental groups. Even today, with new technologies.
But finally, ecologists have accepted that the eucalyptus will be part of the Spanish landscape, though in part not to your liking. You do not ask eucalyptus forests disappear. But if you set limits to its expansion. Greenpeace believes it would benefit the environment by limiting the eucalyptus trees in regions with humid climates of the Iberian Peninsula, a climate conducive to this kind of tree, and that, in general, are the Atlantic coast.
The head of Greenpeace Forests of Spain, Miguel Angel Soto has said that is as simple as limiting where and how many can be planted eucalyptus trees and remove them from the protected natural areas so they do not harm them. In short, nothing new, responsible management by the government.
Greenpeace presented a report which reviews the conflict caused by eucalyptus trees in the Iberian Peninsula for more than a century, when the first specimens were planted in the province of Lugo. The bottom line is this request to make this tree physical boundaries by law.
The pulp that gives the wood is already part of the production system, said Miguel Angel Soto, author of the report. Thus, while the continued use of paper, you should do is to reach an agreement between the public sector, private sector and environmental groups to agree on legislation that balances the interests of the bins with the needs of the environment. In the Principality of Asturias, without going further, it has limited its expansion.
The Ministry of Environment recognizes that eucalyptus acreage has increased in recent years, reaching a total area of ??760,000 hectares. The main peninsular plantations of this tree were made from the sixties to bring economic performance of its rapid development. Since then the number of hectares occupied Spain and Portugal has grown.
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Tags: environment, eucalyptus, humid, landscape, the eucalyptus trees, tree, tree physical boundaries | 
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Old Trees and Biodiversity
Disappear every year fourteen million hectares of forest worldwide. That surface is about all the mass is in a wooded country like Spain. The International Biodiversity Day, the Foundation Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente (FFRF) has requested that the old trees are considered “fragile pockets of biodiversity” and its protection becomes effective.
The disappearance of forests involves much more than the loss of trees. It means that the species that live in that habitat will be hard to survive. The ancient trees, not just forests but also in rural areas and cities are home to a wide variety of plants and animals that use them as shelter or food. While in Spain, the forest area has increased over 80% of these older specimens have disappeared in the last century due to fire, logging, disease and construction and development projects.
A forest is much more than a set of trees. A forest serves as home to many species of birds that need mature forest to survive. These well-preserved forest area with old trees are so essential to ensure proper conservation of biodiversity.
The FFRF, the hand of the Observatory of unique trees, is developing the campaign “SOS unique trees: once urgent action to save our unique trees in 2011,” with actions to raise awareness among local, regional, and regional, as well as major political parties. All citizens can support the campaign through social networks, is presented with the slogan “Want to help save trees unique to your town in less than four minutes?”.
The FFRF has sent all eight thousand Spanish municipalities, federations of municipalities, governments of different level and leaders of major political parties represented in parliament a Manual of Best Practices on how to care for these specimens. It has also been sent a document with eleven specific proposals for action to prevent these trees disappear.
Also encourages a cyber action: to send a letter to the mayor of the city where you live. The form letter can be found on the website of the FFRF.
Posted in Biodiversity | Tags: Biodiversity, conservation, forest, mature forest, worldwide | No Comments »
The Biodiversity of the Oceans
We do not say anything new warning that the world’s oceans are at risk of entering a phase of extinction of marine species. A fact that can be compared to the carnage that 55 million years ago caused the disappearance of half of the deep-sea fish, it would be a disaster for the biodiversity of our planet.
Many scientists say there is strong evidence that the oceans are dying and they could have taken the first steps towards global extinction of unprecedented importance in the history of mankind, the main trigger for this catastrophic event has been the increase emissions of greenhouse gases like CO2.
It seems that the assimilation of carbon in the ocean waters has been increasing over recent years, which could cause a mass extinction of marine species and coral bleaching in the tropics worldwide. On the other hand, overexploitation, pollution, warming waters, acidification and lack of oxygen, are among the many factors that have negatively affected the biodiversity of the oceans.
Nor should we forget the sea level rise, melting Antarctic ice caps and the release of methane from the seabed, all of which greatly affects the redistribution and abundance of marine species. The changes in currents and water temperatures also disrupt feeding fish, favoring the proliferation of plankton organisms of little nutritional value.
From here we want to urge an immediate halt to the carbon dioxide emissions by the industry that bet on renewable energy once and for all, to control overfishing, improve protected areas, marine pollution stop , monitor underwater vents gas and oil, waste water and take great measures to prevent natural disasters.
Posted in Biodiversity | Tags: "greenhouse., global extinction, marine species, plankton organisms, the world's oceans, tropics worldwide | No Comments »
Japan, Norway and Iceland Continue to Hunt Whales
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is an international organization created in 1946 by the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, which was founded to regulate the hunting and trade of whales. The headquarters of the CBI is Brighton, England.
Whaling Commission holds regular meetings and these days there is one of those meetings. The lucrative business of whale meat are putting on the brink of extinction for many species of cetaceans. That is precisely what the Commission should regulate. In fact, whaling has been banned since 1986, but three members of the Commission, Japan, Norway and Iceland, oppose, and to make matters worse, they ignore the ban.
These three countries continue with the costly and unproductive whaling. In general, almost all the other countries opposed to this practice, as well as environmental groups and advocacy for the rights of animals.
In the world, is increasingly consumed less whale meat. Norway and Iceland try to convince tourists that visit both countries to try dishes made with whale meat, but the promotion did not work. Fortunately, most people are sensitized to the problem, to which is added the high content of mercury and other toxic substances that often contain this type of meat.
Japan is another major consumer of whale meat in the world. This country hunting whales each year about eight hundred. However, in recent polls only 10% of the population eats meat.
Why are these three countries to kill whales? First, for its tradition of marine navigation, a way of life difficult to change in the short term. In addition, Norway argues that whale populations are decimating certain fish. Japan is hiding behind scientific whaling, but years ago that nobody believes that story. According to Greenpeace, the meat is cut and frozen in their own whaling ship. Iceland is in these three countries, which is closer to leaving the game.
The Loss of Biodiversity In The World
Biodiversity is one of the pillars of sustainable development. Biodiversity encompasses all species of plants, animals and microorganisms, the genetic variability present in them, in addition to the ecosystems of which they belong.
Today, the threats they have are really disheartening. Most of the planet’s biodiversity is in tropical forests of developing countries, areas that are experiencing rapid population growth.
This growth in population and development necessary to keep threatening to extinguish 70% of living species by the end of the century. It also represents a bank of genetic information and invaluable source unknown for new pharmaceuticals, chemicals, etc..
If these species are lost, the most immediate consequences would be breaking the planetary balance and ecosystems, but in the long run it is more important loss of genetic information, which could hold great value.
Therefore, the severity of these problems requires a quick response. Countries are taking steps such as developing legislation for the conservation of species, or statement of biologically rich areas as areas of natural interest with a significant degree of protection.
At international level, highlights the Convention on Biological Diversity, ratified by Spain in 1993. This agreement aims at the conservation of biodiversity maximum benefit of present and future generations by ensuring the rational use of resources (basic principle of sustainable development).
Understanding the Importance of Biodiversity
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity means the variety of life, biodiversity. It refers to the variety of life forms in our world, both animal and vegetable. Biodiversity is the result of billions of years of evolution.
Biodiversity is fundamental to life on Earth, and thus for human life. Not only is it vital for the stability of global ecosystems is vital for us. For those who only think about themselves, and as much in humans and in animal any more. We must clarify that biodiversity is responsible for most of our food, and most of the things that surround us in our home and any area in which we move.
The problem, as we saw in The Green Blog, is that biodiversity is declining in a dramatic way because of the action of man. Species diversity is waning, primarily for the use being made by the man of the soil and climate change.
In 1972, a May 22, enacted or sustainability criteria in the International Convention on Biological Diversity in Nairobi. There he first recognized the need to reconcile the preservation of biodiversity in order to have a stable world. Later that date was chosen by the UN General Assembly as “International Biodiversity Day.”
Do not let that talent be lost forests and acres and acres of wilderness just for this new craze of bio fuels that much damage being done to the world in so few years.
What is Biodegradable?
All things in this world have had their time, it takes more or less degrade one way or another. One way is biodegradation, which is when something is undone by living organisms (mainly bacteria).
The ability of some materials to return to the earth by the action of nature is what is called biodegradation.
The term is related to ecology, waste management, and most of all when it comes to plastic, because they take hundreds of years to decompose.
In the process of biodegradation of some chemicals (organic waste, paper, etc.) can be used as food by microorganisms, which use to produce energy and to create other substances such as amino acids, new fabrics and new organisms. The organic material could be degraded aerobically, with oxygen (air), or anaerobically, without oxygen (somewhat buried).
The biodegradability of the materials depend on their physical and chemical structure, some such as glass can not be biodegraded. Although they say that a material is not biodegradable when the time for agencies to break it down is extremely long, or exceeds the ability of agencies to process, as with the plastic and aluminum cans. Today many things are made with biodegradable agents, as with detergents, but they are still plastic and various substances such as insecticides.