Saturday, January 8, 2011

Youth Opportunity

http://gg.tigweb.org/tig/deforestaction/

Check out this link for an exciting opportunity for youth interested in deforestation! Selected youth will be living in Borneo for five months surveying biodiversity, rescuing orangutangs and planting trees! The youth will also be featured in a 3D Movie!

Friday, January 7, 2011

What is going on with the crazy weather?

We know that weather and climate are always changing.  Geological evidence demonstrate this fact.  The sun is the primary cause of the Earth's climate.  It is believed that the sun is becoming more intense over time.  Despite this, according to climate scientist James Lovelock, the Earth's ecosystems maintain our climatic stability.  Here is a short list of some severe weather over the past few months.  It means that we must protect our ecosystems to protect our children's climatic future.     

July 20, 2010 — Recent studies show that June was the hottest month on record worldwide.

August 8, 2010 — Smog is choking Moscow because of Russia's deadliest wildfires in decades and the country's worst heat wave in more than a century.

August 8, 2010 — Heavy rain has triggered devastating flooding and deadly landslides in Pakistan and China.
While Pakistan struggles with the worst floods in its history, China is swamped by its most severe seasonal flooding in a decade.

August 9, 2010 — Senior health official says 700 Muscovites dying every day amid pollution and brutal heatwave.

August 9, 2010 — A 260 square kilometre iceberg has broken free from the Petermann Glacier, one of the two largest remaining glaciers in Greenland. It is not clear if the latest Arctic ice instability can be linked to global warming, although scientists have said global temperatures in the first half of 2010 are the highest on record.

August 9, 2010 Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today unveiled a new panel on global sustainability that is tasked with finding ways to lift people out of poverty while tackling climate change and ensuring that economic development is environmentally friendly.
“I have asked the Panel to think big,” the Secretary-General told reporters in New York today. “The time for narrow agendas and narrow thinking is over.”

August 17, 2010 Mass Die-off at Coral Reef Triggered by 93-Degree Ocean
One of the most destructive and swift coral bleaching events ever recorded is underway in the waters off Indonesia, where water temperatures have climbed into the low 90s, according to data released by a conservation group this week.

August 19, 2010 Evidence of Climate Change PRINCE.EDWARD.ISLAND (CBC) - Researchers collecting bugs in the Canadian Arctic this summer have confirmed wasps are breeding on Baffin Island, which they say is further evidence of climate change.

December 10, 2010 – Rain in Panama- Panama declared a state of emergency on Friday (December 10) as heavy rains and flooding left at least 10 people dead.  Recent rains have caused havoc in nearby Venezuela and Colombia and the recent rainfall caused authorities to close the Panama Canal after rivers and reservoirs were at historic high levels.

December 15, 2010 - Snow in the Middle East- The Syrian Weather Agency said this was the first time Damascus had seen this type of snowfall in 25 years. Syria had been suffering from drought, especially in the eastern parts of the country with locals worried due to the lack of the rainfall in 2010.

January 2, 2011 - 'Biblical' floods hit Queensland and leave tens of thousands homeless. The floods have already struck a vast swath of territory the size of France and Germany combined. More than 20 towns have been cut off or have been swamped by rivers that have burst their banks.

January 4, 2011 - Cuba is experiencing its coldest temperatures in over fifty years, according to meteorologists. Temperatures on the Caribbean island have fallen to a minimum of 1.9 Celsius (35 Fahrenheit) in some areas, with December thought to have been the coldest month on record since 1951.

DEFORESTATION OF THE EARTH'S FORESTS


Deforestation is clearing Earth's forests on a massive scale, usually resulting in damage to the quality of the land. According to National Geographic, forests still cover about 30 percent of the world’s land area, but swaths the size of Panama are lost each and every year.  Many believe that the world’s rain forests could completely vanish in a hundred years at the current rate of deforestation. 

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

DURRELL WILDLIFE CONSERVATION UPDATE: SPECTACLED BEARS



Both of Durrell’s spectacled bears celebrated their 25th birthday last month. Barbara reached her quarter of a century milestone on 17th December, closely followed by Wolfgang who reached 25 on the 30th.

The pair of Andean bears, also known as spectacled bears because of the distinctive markings around their eyes, arrived at Durrell’s wildlife park back in 1987 and since then they’ve become firm favourites with visitors who are often entertained with their playful antics. The lifelong partners have produced 6 cubs, 3 sets of twins, all born during the 1990s and all of these offspring have been placed at other zoos around the world as part of a co-operative, managed breeding programme for this species.
Bear images credited to James Morgan

Sunday, January 2, 2011

International Year of Forests 2011


Please send us your stories connected to trees, forests, and forest biodiversity!  Contact us at lmleveille@rogers.com

Saturday, January 1, 2011

LOOKING BACK AT 2010!

Our International Youth Accord was our main focus this year as was getting as many youth as possible to COP10 in Nagoya.  Here is a look back at some of our favourite moments!

Green Week in Belguim

Presenting Jane Goodall with our Accord

Working with the CBD

Presenting the Accord to David Suzuki

Building our website

Working with the Durrell Wildlife Trust in the UK

Presenting at COP10 in October

Presenting the Accord to Harrision Ford at COP10

What adventures will 2011 bring?

FINAL TALLY OF SIGNATURES FOR OUR YOUTH ACCORD 2010

1. Argentina- 3
2. Australia- 17
3. Austria- 3
4. Bahamas- 2
5. Bangladesh- 2
6. Barbados- 2
7. Belize- 2
8. Belgium- 3
9. Bermuda- 2
10. Bolivia- 1
11. Botswana- 1
12. Brazil- 14
13. Bulgaria- 8
14.Cameroon- 4

15. Canada- 1199 
16. Cayman Islands- 1
17. China- 20
18. Columbia- 2
19. Cuba- 1
20. Cyprus- 1
21. Denmark- 1
22. Dominican Republic- 1
23. Egypt- 2
24. England/ UK- 14
25. "Europe"- 4
26. Republic of the Fiji Islands- 1
27. France- 4
28. Germany- 11
29. Greece- 1
30. Guyana- 1
31. Honduras- 2
32. Hungary- 4
33. India- 15
34. Indonesia- 15
35. Ireland- 2
36. Israel- 2
37. Italy- 5
38. Iraq- 1
39. Japan- 30
40. Jamaica- 1
41. Kenya- 4
42. Korea- 2
43. Lebanon- 5
44. Macau- 1
45. Malaysia- 2
46. Malawi- 1
47. Mexico- 2667
48. Mongolia- 2
49. Namibia- 1
50. Nepal- 3
51. Netherlands- 1
52. New Zealand- 3
53. Nigeria- 5
54. Panama- 2
55. Pakistan- 1
56. Paraguay- 1
57. Peru- 1
58. Philippians- 2
59. Portugal- 4
60. Rwanda- 1
61. Senegal- 2
62. Serbia- 3
63. Singapore- 2
64. Slovakia- 2
65. South Africa- 4
66. Spain- 88
67. Sudan- 1
68. Sri Lanka-2
69. St. Lucia- 1
70. Sweden- 2
71. Switzerland- 1
72. Taiwan- 4
73. Tanzania- 75
74. Thailand- 1
75. Tunisia- 1
76. Uganda- 54
77. Ukraine- 1
78. United Arab Emirates- 3
79. United States- 106
80. Vietnam- 3
81. Venezuela- 1
82. Zambia- 1
83. Zimbabwe- 1
NAMES WITH NO COUNTRY/ REGION LISTED- 74
(Duplicates not counted here)
GRAND TOTAL: 4727 signatures (includes hard copies from Spain, Canada, Mexico, Tanzania, and Japan)