Brazil, Guaraní tribe attacked by ranchers who want their land
Attacks on indigenous people by armed gunmen working for ranchers continue: a slow genocide, the result of the occupation of indigenous ancestral lands.
17 June is the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
Desertification negatively affects the soil and ecosystems, with dire impacts on people due to the increased risk of food insecurity.
Colombia, an NGO is planting trees against the drug trade
Protecting the environment and people through conservation projects and sustainable development. This is the mission, as simple as revolutionary, of Environomica, an international non-profit organization specializing in nature conservation and sustainable rural development. Trees against the drug trade Drug traffickers have deforested large areas in Santa Marta, Colombia, for producing drug. But right there, a new
Central America, indigenous peoples are essential for conservation
Indigenous peoples usually depend on natural resources to survive. Society, in turn, depends on its role in safeguarding those resources for our wellbeing. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) published a map that highlights how governments and environmental organisations would benefit from an increased cooperation with Central America’s indigenous peoples. The
How many plants there are in the world and how they’re doing
There are about 391,000 plant species known to science. They’re vascular plants, which have a vascular system to conduct water and minerals throughout the plant and include all plants except for algae, moss and hepatics. A recent study has assessed for the first time ever the conservation status of the world’s plants. The report on the state of the world’s plant
Tibetan monks plant trees to fight deforestation
Tibetans describe the hills around their place of prayer as a once pristine area, an earthly paradise. But with occupation everything changed. Trees and timber have been exploited for years, wiping out entire forests. As of 18 April, though, the monks of the Dzogchen monastery, in the Sichuan region, along with the local Tibetan community, began
A Google Earth for monitoring climate change. Free and accessible to all
The connection between digital technology and satellite imagery is revolutionising the way natural resources can be used, including monitoring deforestation and desertification. As countries strive to reduce their carbon footprint by limiting deforestation, it is important they have the right tools. These must be transparent, consistent over time and suitable. To help these countries, the Food
Energy in India. The time has come to alter the energy balance, but at what cost
Energy in India: an overview India is a country of over 1 billion people, around 18% of the world population. 60% of Indians live in rural areas and at least 240 million have no access to electricity. It is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, estimated to grow 8% in the next
5 animals that choose to live on trees
Trees are some of the world’s most ancient living beings and make our existence possible. In fact, about 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods and trees – thanks to photosynthesis – are our best allies in reducing CO2 in the atmosphere. All green areas are inestimable hubs of biodiversity: they are home
Bamboo bicycles: a Ghanaian enterprise becomes social and eco-friendly
Bamboo bicycles become a low-impact source of wealth: Ghana bamboo bikes initiative is a social enterprise that has put sustainability at its heart.