Night-time creatures ‘in crisis’
Two of the UK’s nocturnal creatures are “in crisis”, say conservation groups, who are asking the public to take part in a national
survey.
Butterfly Conservation and the Bat Conservation Trust are asking people to take part in a “National Moth Night” on 15 May to find out more about the creatures and their habitats.
They say UK moth numbers have fallen by a third in the past 40 years.
This poses a threat to the bats that feed on them.
There are now 17 species of bat in the UK, all of which are protected by law because their numbers have decreased so dramatically.
The groups hope that the night-time event will draw attention to the creatures’ plight and shed light on the threats they face.
Richard Fox, surveys manager at Butterfly Conservation, said: “We need to learn as much as we can about which moths are facing the biggest problems so we can direct our work into protecting them and their habitats.
Dr Zoe Randle: “Clothes moths give other moths a bad name”
“That’s why we are appealing to the public to get involved and look for moths on their patch.
“Without moths, the whole of biodiversity starts to unravel,” he added.
The group is asking people to try out bat detectors and moth traps at one of a series of National Moth Night events around the country.
Or, they suggested, “hold your own night-time safari in your garden and report back your discoveries”.
>>> Please read the full article here
May 29, 2010
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Air pollution linked to 50,000 early deaths a year
Around 50,000 people in the UK die prematurely each year as result of air pollution, a new report claims.
The House of Commons environmental audit committee argued that minute particles from burning fuel are exacerbating respiratory illnesses and heart disease.
According to the group of MPs, poor air quality is shortening the lives of UK citizens by between seven and eight months.
In heavily polluted areas, like central London, this rises to nine years for the most vulnerable people.
Tom Yeo, chairman of the committee, said the government should be taking more action to combat air pollution, given the findings.
“Much more needs to be done to save lives and reduce the enormous burden air pollution is placing on the NHS,” he remarked.
The publication of the report follows a study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare which found that three per cent of all asthma hospitalisations in 2006 were related to air pollution.
>>> Please read the full article here
April 6, 2010
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£250bn tar sands money enough may transform renewables sector
Billions spent developing the Canadian tar sands over the next 15 years could be instead be used to support projects that could secure long-term clean energy supplies for the UK.
A report published yesterday (March 15th) from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) argued that the £250 billion to be spent to be spent producing oil from the Canadian tar sands could also fund projects to accelerate the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy.
According to the authors, the money could ‘transform’ the UK’s power sector, with £264 billion being enough to make the UK meet its target of 15 per cent renewable energy by 2020.
The study also highlighted that the tar sands project is not guaranteed to bring in huge revenues.
“Companies that make big investments in tar sands risk big future losses by focusing on a business area that is only profitable if emitting carbon is cheap, oil prices are stable at a high level, and there is a large market for the oil produced,” claim the report’s authors.
“It has been conservatively estimated that £35.5 billion of UK pension assets are
invested in shares in UK oil and gas.”
Last month, Shell announced that it will continue producing upwards of an additional 100,000 barrels a day from tar sands, despite international protests from activists and environmental groups.
>>> Please read the article here
March 28, 2010
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Tiger decline is ’sign of world’s failure’
By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website
Governments need to crack down on illegal tiger trading if the big cats are to be saved, the UN has warned.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting in Doha, Qatar heard that tiger numbers are continuing to fall.
Organised crime rings are playing an increasing part in illegal trading of tiger parts, CITES says, as they are with bears, rhinos and elephants.
Interpol is working with CITES to track and curb the international trade.
Last year, World Bank chief Robert Zoellick said the global black market in wildlife products was worth about $10bn per year, making wildlife the third most valuable illicit commodity after drugs and weapons.
Conservationists also point to China’s tiger farms as a threat to the wild animals.
Although China does not officially permit the sale of goods from these farms, in practice several investigations have revealed tiger parts are being sold.
Campaigners warn this perpetuates a market into which wild tiger parts can be sold, often commanding a higher value as products made from wild animals are perceived to be more “potent.”
Just before the CITES meeting opened, the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies (WFCMS) called on traditional medicine practitioners to abandon the use of tiger parts.
“We will ask our members not to use endangered wildlife in traditional Chinese medicine, and reduce the misunderstanding and bias of the international community,” said WFCMS deputy secretary Huang Jianyin.
“The traditional Chinese medicine industry should look for substitutes and research on economical and effective substitutes for tiger products.”
A resolution before the fortnight-long CITES meeting calls for greater co-operation between regional enforcement authorities to cut down the tiger product trade, and to ensure that breeding operations are “consistent with the conservation of wild populations”.
>>> Please read the full article here
March 25, 2010
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Climate ‘fix’ could poison sea life
By Richard Black – Environment correspondent, BBC News
Fertilising the oceans with iron to absorb carbon dioxide could increase concentrations of a chemical that can kill marine mammals, a study has found.
Iron stimulates growth of marine algae that absorb CO2 from the air, and has been touted as a “climate fix”.
Now researchers have shown that the algae increase production of a nerve poison that can kill mammals and birds.
Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they say this raises “serious concern” over the idea.
The toxin – domoic acid – first came to notice in the late 1980s as the cause of amnesiac shellfish poisoning.
If the end goal is to use it to fight climate warming, then we have to understand the consequences for marine life
It is produced by algae of the genus Pseudonitzschia, with concentrations rising rapidly when the algae “bloom”.
Now, its presence in seawater often requires the suspension of shellfishing operations, and is regularly implicated in deaths of animals such as sealions.
Domoic acid poisoning may also lie behind a 1961 incident in which flocks of seabirds appeared to attack the Californian town of Capitola – an event believed to have shaped Alfred Hitchcock’s interpretation of Daphne du Maurier’s The Birds in his 1963 thriller.
Carbon focus
Over the last decade, about 10 research projects have investigated iron fertilisation, with mixed results. But only two of them measured domoic acid production, and only then as an afterthought, explained William Cochlan from San Francisco State University, a scientist on the new project.
“We had a number of major aims in this work; but one of them was to ask ‘do you normally find the species of algae that produce domoic acid, are they producing domoic acid, and will production be enhanced by iron?’,” he said.
In studies conducted around Ocean Station Papa, a research platform moored in the north-eastern Pacific Ocean, the answers to all three questions turned out to be “yes”.
>>> Please read the full article here
March 24, 2010
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MoreEco Fairtrade Guide
To celebrate the end of Fairtrade fortnight, the MoreEco team thought they would put together an article that explains exactly what Fairtrade is, and why you should do your best to buy their produce.
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What is Fairtrade?
The concept of ‘fair trade’ has been around for over forty years but did not include a formal system until the late 1980s. It was established by Christian Aid, CAFOD, Oxfam, Traidcraft and the World Development Movement and later joined by the Women’s Institute. The first product to be certified was Green & Black’s Maya Gold Chocolate followed by Cafedirect coffee and Clipper tea.
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The concept has taken off dramatically since these first products were certified and now includes a variety of food, clothing and gift ranges. The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent non-profit organisation which envisions a world in which sustainable development, equality and fair pay form the basis of any trade structure. In order to achieve this, Fairtrade attempts to transform previous trading structures in order to help the disadvantaged and poverty-stricken. They work with businesses, communities and individuals all around the world to improve the trading rights and position of organisations who are often taken advantage of.
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Why Should You Buy Fairtrade?
Fairtrade is not just any non-profit organisation. Not only do they provide a fair and honest service to the communities and businesses involved but they also provide the consumer with great quality produce at a fair price. You reap the benefits of investing in Fairtrade products. The Fairtrade certification enables the consumer to make informed decisions about their purchase choices and means they can be safe in the knowledge that their money is providing a reasonable income for those people who are involved. The quality of the produce is well worth the price, especially with the realisation that the people putting in the groundwork get fair compensation for their services.
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Fairtrade Towns
Fairtrade also promotes the education of local communities involved with trade structures and issues. As a charity it believes that ordinary people can make a dramatic difference to the livelihood of the producers and aims to increase awareness of this belief. Fairtrade towns are those which are committed to promoting understanding of trade issues in their local community – to find out more please take a look at the Fairtrade website.
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Fairtrade Fortnight 2010
Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 took place from the 22nd of February until the 7th of March and was labelled ‘the big swap’! Fairtrade asked the nation to swap their usual produce choices to Fairtrade – whether it be coffee, chocolate, fruit or socks. By doing this the general public proved that they care about their responsibility as consumers and can make a real difference to the lives of the people who grow or sew that which we buy, eat and wear. Fairtrade fortnight was a phenomenal success with celebrities such as Emma Watson creating Fairtrade fashion lines, Oxfordshire schools hosting a week of incredible green events and Cadbury’s offering songs from the likes of Paolo Nutini and Sway when you registered your swap to Fairtrade.
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The nation spoke out and showed the world that Britain cares about the lives of the farmers and workers that provide us with so much of our material goods. Why not try to make the swap to Fairtrade certified products yourself and reap the benefits of great quality products that make a real difference to the lives of the producers.
March 8, 2010
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In Every Corner of the Globe – International Day of Climate Action
350.org’s inspirational video highlighting the importance of international day of climate action:
In Every Corner of the Globe
October 27, 2009
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