tagged w/ Natural Resources
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Excerpt:
"Ruppert recounts his career as a radical thinker and spells out the crises he sees ahead. He draws upon the same news reports and data available to any Internet user, but he applies a unique interpretation. He is especially passionate over the issue of “peak oil,” the concern raised by scientists since the 1970s that the world will eventually run out of fossil fuel. While other experts debate this issue in measured tones, Ruppert doesn’t hold back at sounding an alarm.
He portrays a future that resembles apocalyptic science fiction. Listening to his rapid flow of opinions, the viewer is likely to question some of the rhetoric as paranoid or deluded; and to sway back and forth on what to make of the extremism. Smith lets viewers form their own judgments."
http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/collapse/
Trailer from :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WJ0CjGOsG8&feature=player_embedded#
I give credit to "writa" a community member that posted about this doc., but sadly got three views including mine and deserves much more attention than that.
This looks like a very important documentary, it encompasses politics,economy,environmental issues, society and government.
It's out in the theaters, watch the trailer.
Join LifeApnea:
http://current.com/groups/lifeapnea/Excerpt:
"Ruppert recounts his career as a radical thinker and spells out the... more
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Conservation at a Crossroads -
The creation of a sustainable future will require the development of conservation practitioners with a strong foundation in science, leadership, and management. In addition, these practitioners will need to engage in cross-disciplinary problem solving, to understand cross-cultural and cross-boundary issues, and to be comfortable operating adaptively in an environment of increasing complexity and uncertainty.
Through the Conservation Leadership through Learning (CLTL) initiative, we are pioneering a new model for graduate education that will prepare the next generation of conservation leaders. CLTL merges transdisciplinary University education with real-world action to create on-the-ground benefits for conservation and communities. The result is a highly integrated learning experience developed by Colorado State University’s Warner College of Natural Resources and the School of Global Environmental Sustainability in partnership with El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR) in Mexico.
Accepting Applications Now - Start Date August 23, 2010Conservation at a Crossroads -
The creation of a sustainable future will require... more
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The sun had just crested the distant ridge of the Rocky Mountains, but already it was producing enough power for the electric meter on the side of the Smiley Building to spin backward.
For the Shaw brothers, who converted the downtown arts building and community center into a miniature solar power plant two years ago, each reverse rotation subtracts from their monthly electric bill. It also means the building at that moment is producing more electricity from the sun than it needs.
"Backward is good," said John Shaw, who now runs Shaw Solar and Energy Conservation, a local solar installation company.
Good for whom?
As La Plata County in southwestern Colorado looks to shift to cleaner sources of energy, solar is becoming the power source of choice even though it still produces only a small fraction of the region's electricity. It's being nudged along by tax credits and rebates, a growing concern about the gases heating up the planet, and the region's plentiful sunshine.
The natural gas industry, which produces more gas here than nearly every other county in Colorado, has been relegated to the shadows.The sun had just crested the distant ridge of the Rocky Mountains, but already it was... more
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Our national 'Giants' like Dow Chemical 'poop' huge amounts of pollution in our land. When the agencies whose responsibility it is to make sure our water and land and air are protected (shouldn't protected mean they KEEP harm from happening, not TATTLE TAIL afterwards) confront these giants, the giants, with club in hand, MAY decide to pick up their poop.
The concerned public can go to the meetings in October, with their own 'clubs' being 'numbers of people', The EPA can't seem to muster enough to go it alone.
Dow Chemical-clean up your poop! Your mother shouldn't have to tell you this.
Besides, it's not politically correct anymore to be a polluter.Our national 'Giants' like Dow Chemical 'poop' huge amounts of pollution in our land.... more
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Survival International
Indigenous people from south-east Peru are suing Repsol-YPF and US company Hunt Oil over their plans to explore for oil on their land.
Local indigenous organisation FENAMAD has filed a lawsuit asking for an injunction to be placed on both the companies’ activities. The suit argues that the government did not consult with local people before giving the companies permission to work there, as is required under international law, and oil exploration would violate local peoples’ fundamental human rights to ‘enjoy a balanced environment’.
Hunt and Repsol-YPF own the rights to explore in an area known as ‘Lot 76’, which includes land belonging to the Yine, Matsigenka and Harakmbut tribes. At the heart of the Lot is the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, used by many villages in the region and the source of six rivers that are the only fresh water supply for an estimated ten thousand people.
‘FENAMAD hopes that this legal action will paralyze any activity inside the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, as otherwise the very existence of Madre de Dios’s indigenous peoples would be put at risk,’ said FENAMAD spokesperson Jaime Corisepa.
Representatives of villages potentially affected by the exploration met with two Hunt employees at a recent meeting organised by FENAMAD http://fenamad-indigenas.blogspot.com/2009/09/native-communities-of-madre-de-dios.html
The representatives told Hunt they rejected the company’s presence on their land.
Watch a film of the meeting with Hunt http://fenamad-indigenas.blogspot.com/ (in Spanish), entitled ‘See how the Peruvian Amazon’s indigenous peoples say ‘NO’ to Hunt Oil company’.Survival International
Indigenous people from south-east Peru are suing Repsol-YPF... more
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Yesterday I had found a dead deer in the Prentice Cooper State Forest and its carcass lying in water that flows into Suck Creek in Marion County just north of Chattanooga, Tennessee. I reported it to the State Forestry officials upon my finding it. No one from the Tennessee State Forestry Prentice Cooper Division called me back. So, I went prepared today to remove the deer from the water of the Prentice Cooper State Forest property. I discovered that this deer had been killed by poachers. The video shows that the area where the antlers were was cut out with precision. I, on the video, had said someone had removed its brain, but I was kind of upset and not thinking clearly. What I should have said was that someone had removed its antlers.
When I got home, I tried to contact the Prentice Cooper State Forest officials to tell them that I had removed the deer and they could come retrieve the carcass and dispose of it, however, I could not reach them. So, I called the Tennessee Environmental Assistance Center of the Tennessee Department of Conservation and spoke thoroughly about this matter describing it to him. He told me that based upon what I was telling him, poachers had killed this animal and cut off the antlers and bone out of the head with a saw. He was very concerned and said that I could rest assured that he was as concerned about this matter as I was and that he would follow through on this matter and have the carcass picked up. He also went on to say that this was a crime and that the officials of the Prentice Cooper State Forest should have immediately followed up on this from the initial report and that they would be hearing from his office. I admit I do not remove dogs or animals on a daily basis and this was kind of an emotional incident for me and at the same time it made me angry. I do not mind getting my hands dirty. I do not mind taking part in keeping our natural resources clean and well-kept. I am very much for the protection of our natural resources and am not afraid to say it or show it.
So, anyway. I hope that everyone will try to bare with me and understand that this was a threat to the health of others; it also is a federal offense to kill deer when out of season as it is against the law to kill other animals; it is also an outright shame and is disgusting to throw the carcass of a dead animal into the area of a State Forest or anywhere in the water that leads into our creeks and rivers. This is a felony. Should they ever catch someone committing or taking part in this activity there will be grave penalties. It is a highly punishable crime to kill wildlife when it is prohibited or no license or not in season.
I know that looking at it from the sick individuals point of view that did this, they did not have time to take it away, "man, just cut it off and lets go." Well, that view is WRONG! So suck it up if you want to argue about this. Because it is flat out WRONG! Take a stand for what you say you believe in.Yesterday I had found a dead deer in the Prentice Cooper State Forest and its carcass... more
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Oil companies are salivating over the supply of black gold beneath Ecuador's rainforest.
The South American country is pledging to keep the oil in the ground -- if the international community provides compensation. Now Germany has taken a leading role in raising the necessary cash.
There are many attributes which make the Yasuni National Park special: IT IS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE PLACES ON THE PLANET, it is home to indigenous tribes which hunt and gather in its remote interior, and there's a unique breed of small bat. But the national park also has a geographic curse: It sits atop Ecuador's largest known oil reserve, thought to contain hundreds of millions of barrels.
And this potential fortune threatens its very future. In response, Ecuador has come up with an unusual plan to safeguard the UNESCO biosphere Reserve. The cash-strapped South American country has pledged to leave the oil in the ground forever -- something unheard of among oil nations -- if the international community compensates for some of the lost income.
The scheme, which was first mooted by Ecuadorian President Raphael Correa more than a year ago, got off to a slow start. By the end of the year the country extended its self-imposed deadline, in a last ditch bid to rally international support.
Meanwhile, international oil giants were queuing to exploit the supply of black gold.
But now, all of a sudden, the ball seems to be rolling. Following a two-day visit by the Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Fander Falconí to Berlin, Germany had positioned itself at "the forefront of the initative," the Ministry for Economic Cooperation said.
He stressed that Ecuador's idea had caught Berlin's imagination: "It offers a new approach to rainforests and, from the perspective of development politics, it is very promising," Bethe said. "Combining climate protection and fighting poverty will play a growing role in the future."
Ecuador estimates that by leaving the oil untouched, some 410 MILLION TONS of CO2 will be averted. Oil is Ecuador's most important export, generating around a third of its income. With the value of the untapped supply under the Yasuni National Park estimated at some $6 billion, the country argues it has little option but to approach international donors, hat in hand.
Environmentalists welcomed the plan as a way to save Ecuador's rainforest from destruction. Preventing forests from disappearing is a vital element in the fight against climate change as they absorb huge quantities of CO2 from the atmosphere.
Still, doubts lingered about the Ecuador model.
Tobias Riedl from Greenpeace Germany's Forest Campaign warned that the scheme was far from perfect. "It is a double-edged sword. While we welcome moves to save this unique environment, the fact is that ALL RAINFORESTS NEED TO BE SAVED, regardless of whether they lie on valuable natural resources or not.
Greenpeace estimates that €30 billion are needed to secure the future of the rainforests worldwide. And with 80 percent of all ancient forests (including rainforests) worldwide already gone, the clock is ticking. And Ecuador knows it.Oil companies are salivating over the supply of black gold beneath Ecuador's... more
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A proposal to limit greenhouse gas emissions makes concessions to the industry in effort to attract support from congressional Democrats who represent coal-dependent areas.
Reporting from Washington -- Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of heat-trapping gases that cause global warming, but President Obama's plan to fight climate change would result in the nation burning more coal a decade from now than it does today.
The administration's plan, the centerpiece of a 700-page legislative package, proposes strict limits on emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide.
But to attract vital support from congressional Democrats representing heavily coal-dependent areas, authors of the legislation, including Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills), have made a series of concessions that substantially soften its effect on coal -- at least over the next decade or so.
As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency projects that even if the emissions limits go into effect, the U.S. would use more carbon-dioxide-heavy coal in 2020 than it did in 2005.
That's because the bill gives utilities a financial incentive to keep burning coal by joining the cap-and-trade system -- a kind of marketplace where polluters could reduce their emissions on paper by buying pollution reductions created by others. These so-called offsets, for example, could be created and sold by farmers who planted trees, which filter carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Environmental groups also say the bill could set off a boom in the construction of new coal plants because of provisions that would restrict legal efforts to block such building.
Leading Democrats -- and some major conservation groups, such as the Natural Resources Defense Council -- say the moves have helped attract coal-district Democrats to support the bill without undermining the plan's environmental goals.
"We've ensured a role for coal" in the nation's energy future, said Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), one of the leading coal champions in the House.
But some environmentalists remain skeptical that offsets can reduce greenhouse gases to avoid catastrophic warming of the atmosphere.
"This is greens making a deal with the devil," said Ted Nordhaus, chairman of the Breakthrough Institute, an environmentalist think tank that recently completed a detailed critique of the bill’s coal provisions. http://www.thebreakthrough.org/writing.shtml
Obama and House leaders "gave the coal guys everything they wanted," said Michael Shellenberger, the institute's president. "The result is legislation that, when all is said and done, will increase coal generation and make it harder to move away from it."
The EPA projects Obama's plan would slow the growth in coal over what would have occurred in the absence of emission limits. Emissions from coal would grow at roughly the same rate as overall coal use, until "clean coal" technology becomes commercially viable.
Under the plan, the EPA projects that after 2020, conventional coal use would begin to fall quickly. That prediction rests on a still-uncertain assumption that new nuclear power plants would begin to come on line.
The analysis also assumes scientists will master advanced technologies that could make coal more attractive from an emissions standpoint. As of now, no one has on a commercial scale.A proposal to limit greenhouse gas emissions makes concessions to the industry in... more
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KINIGI, Rwanda (AFP) — Rwanda "baptised" 18 rare baby mountain gorillas at what has become an annual event to highlight the plight of the endangered species.
The baby gorillas, however, were not physically present at the colourful ceremony at the edge of a national park where the primates live.
Eighteen masked people represented the gorillas at the event, which included songs and dances, attended by senior government officials including Prime Minister Bernard Makuza.
Tourism Minister Monique Nsanzabaganwa said government was expanding the the size of the volcanic park by 10 percent by the end of the year in a bid to promote the conservation of the gorillas.
"This campaign is to encourage gorilla conservation initiatives and to promote the local tourism industry," she said.
"Tourism remains one of Rwanda's key sectors," she added.
The ceremony was the fifth of its kind in Rwanda in as many years. A total of 103 gorillas have been baptised and officially received a name so far, according to AFP count.
The world's last mountain gorillas are concentrated in the mountains straddling the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.
They number around 700 in all, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).KINIGI, Rwanda (AFP) — Rwanda "baptised" 18 rare baby mountain gorillas at what has... more
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Stand in the middle of Salar de Uyuni, the world's greatest salt desert, and the first word that springs to mind is nothing. As far as the eye can see, nothing. Not a shrub or tree, not a hill or valley, just an endless expanse of white.Stand in the middle of Salar de Uyuni, the world's greatest salt desert, and the first... more
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Dozens of people have been killed in clashes between indigenous people and police in Peru.
Dozens of people have been killed in clashes between indigenous people and police in Peru. The Indians have been protesting against laws which will open up communal jungle lands and water resources to oil drilling, logging and mining. Al Jazeera's Teresa Bo reports from Bagua Grande in Peru.Dozens of people have been killed in clashes between indigenous people and police in... more
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Unfortunately Quaterra has been unsuccessful in their attempts to raise capital over the past several months. After having met with their executives again a couple weeks ago it became clear that the situation had become dire.Unfortunately Quaterra has been unsuccessful in their attempts to raise capital over... more
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The rights group alleges they are illegally stripping Palestinian West Bank quarries of raw construction material for the benefit of the Israeli construction industry and the building of illegal Israeli settlements.Yesh Din has lodged a petition against the commander of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), the Israeli civil administration and the mining companies with the Israeli high court.
The Israeli mining companies involved operate under the jurisdiction of the IDF and the civil administration, which issue the requisite mining permits.
In its petition the rights group accuses them of the "illegal practice of brutal economic exploitation of a conquered territory to serve the exclusive economic needs of the occupying power that bluntly and directly violates basic principles of customary international law."
"Israel is transferring natural resources from the West Bank for Israeli benefit, and this is absolutely prohibited not only under international law but according to Israeli Supreme Court rulings," says Michael Sfard, lawyer for Yesh Din, which brought the case to Israel's high court.
"This is illegal transfer of land in the most literal of senses."
International law as outlined by the Hague Regulation 55 states that an occupying power is only permitted to administer public buildings, real estate, forest and the agricultural estates of the state it is occupying.
The Hague Conventions were international treaties negotiated at the First and Second Peace Conferences at The Hague in the Netherlands in 1899 and 1907, respectively.
------------more at link
Little by little, Israeli GREED comes to surfaceThe rights group alleges they are illegally stripping Palestinian West Bank quarries... more
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Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful pictures..
You can views these Natural pictures here: http://linkbee.com/NaturalPhenomenaUndoubtedly one of the most beautiful pictures..
You can views these Natural... more
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Viper7
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added this
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7 months ago
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As it turns out YouTube is not only a big waste of time but also a ridiculous waste of the earth's precious natural resources.
Viral Video Film School is a recurring segment on the weekly television show infoMania. In each episode of VVFS, Professor Brett Erlich teaches you valuable skills in the discipline of Viral Video making. So sit down, take notes, and try not to piss him off. For more Brett visit http://current.com/viral-video-film-school/ and Current TV.
infoMania is a half-hour satirical news show that airs on Current TV. The show puts a comedic spin on the 24-hour chaos and information overload brought about by the constant bombardment of the media. Hosted by Conor Knighton and co-starring Brett Erlich, Sarah Haskins, Ben Hoffman, and Sergio Cilli, the show airs on Thursdays at 10 pm Eastern and Pacific Times and can be found online at http://current.com/infomania/ or on Current TV. And make sure to check out our facebook profile for special features at http://infomaniafacebook.com.As it turns out YouTube is not only a big waste of time but also a ridiculous waste of... more
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Illegal logging in Indonesia has wiped out up millions of hectares of forest and driven the Sumatran tiger to the brink of extinction.
The recent spate of killings in Sumatra's Jambi's province shows that loggers and tigers are now locked in battle over a fast-dwindling area.
Al Jazeera's Step Vaessen reports.Illegal logging in Indonesia has wiped out up millions of hectares of forest and... more
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Thomson: New Bolivian Constitution marks first recognition of indigenous autonomy in 500 years. Part 1
Sinclair Thomson discusses the passing of a historic referendum in Bolivia that saw an over 60% support from the population. The referendum is precedent setting as, he says, “this is the first time Bolivia ever had a popular democratic vote on a constitution.” He explains that the referendum was an “intensely fought over campaign, and yet at the end it is a very solid victory. This Constitution came about as a result of a wave of uprisings against neo-liberal governments and the presence of transnational firms who exploit natural gas.” He continued to explain the referendum “is going to reconsolidate State control over strategic natural resources in the country,” and that “though it compromised a lot of [indigenous peoples’] demands, it recognizes their rights, and for the first time, their autonomy.”
Sinclair Thomson is an Associate Professor at New York University’s Department of History. He is the author of We Alone Will Rule: Native Andean Politics in the Age of Insurgency (2003) and co-author of Revolutionary Horizons: Past and Present in Bolivian Politics (2007).
See Part 2 at:
http://current.com/items/89796993/bolivia_s_constitution_and_land_reform.htm
See Part 3 at:
http://current.com/items/89797001/bolivia_obama_and_unasur.htm
See Part 4 at:
http://current.com/items/89797009/bolivia_and_the_united_states.htm
.Thomson: New Bolivian Constitution marks first recognition of indigenous autonomy in... more
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The gas crisis between Moscow, Kiev and the EU may look like chaos. But in reality it is a big game for raw materials and political influence.
(...)
The idea has also resurfaced of the Nabucco pipeline, which would connect Europe with to the Caspian Sea through Turkey and circumventing Russia.But the Nabucco will not succeed without the US, European diplomats say. Unofficial reports suggest Barack Obama is in its favour. That is why Moscow is playing such a tough game - it wants to secure footholds for its energy interests in Europe before Mr Obama is sworn in on 20 January.
(...)
The conflict has united the otherwise conflicted Ukrainian elites. The Russians thought it would be enough to stop supplying gas to the pro-Russian eastern Ukraine for the enthusiasts of an alliance with Moscow to march on Kiev. They miscalculated.
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Billions of dollars, imperial ambitions, geopolitics... yup,. it's a big game!The gas crisis between Moscow, Kiev and the EU may look like chaos. But in reality it... more
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Wayne Madsen: Congo has fallen prey to a lot of people that want to loot its natural resources. Part 1
The crisis in Congo shows no signs of slowing down, as government forces continue to battle rebel groups loyal to renegade General Laurent Nkunda. Investigative journalist and author Wayne Madsen, of "The Wayne Madsen Report," believes that Congo "has fallen prey to a lot of people that want to loot its natural resources."
Wayne Madsen is a Washington, D.C.-based investigative journalist, author, and syndicated columnist. His articles have appeared in The Village Voice, Wired, and CounterPunch. Madsen was a Senior Fellow of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. He was a communications security analyst with the National Security Agency in the 1980s, and an intelligence officer in the US Navy.He has testified on numerous occasions before the US Congress. He currently hosts The Wayne Madsen Report.
See Part 2 at:
http://current.com/items/89636146/the_destabilization_of_congo.htm
.Wayne Madsen: Congo has fallen prey to a lot of people that want to loot its natural... more
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Extinction Blog
United Nations declares 2009 'Year of the Gorilla'
Poaching, deforestation and the dreaded Ebola virus have taken a terrible toll on populations of the four remaining gorilla species. Now, in an effort to help save our primate cousins from extinction, the United Nations Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals has declared 2009 the "Year of the Gorilla."
Three of the four species of gorilla are considered critically endangered, with just 700 mountain gorillas, 300 Cross River gorillas, and 5,000 eastern lowland gorillas left. The fourth species, the Western lowland gorilla, is critically endangered in some of its home countries, although the total population is much higher, at around 150,000.
All four species face declining populations, with threats ranging from the bushmeat trade, poaching for traditional medicine, habitat destruction from logging or the charcoal trade (an important source of fuel in Africa), and disease.
Luckily, the Year of the Gorilla is already off to a good start. This week, the 10 nations with gorilla populations agreed to examine the effectiveness of their anti-poaching laws and, hopefully, improve their implementation. Some of the money pledged for the Year of the Gorilla campaign will go toward educating judges so they understand the need to strictly enforce current anti-poaching laws.
Other actions to be funded by the YoG campaign include training park rangers, supporting scientific research, raising awareness of the gorillas' threats, and developing alternative sources of income (such as eco-tourism) for people living near gorilla populations. The UN hopes to raise more than $600,000 to support these efforts.Extinction Blog
United Nations declares 2009 'Year of the Gorilla'
Poaching,... more
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