Blog Archives - Page 6 of 7 - Nature Needs Half

Nature Needs Half in the Economist

Posted in Blog, Library, News & Publications, Papers & Publications on 05/25/11

Boreal blues - In the frigid north tension grows between conservation and development CANADA’S vast boreal zone contains the world’s largest intact old-growth forest and has more fresh water than the Amazon. Its flora help to slow climate change and it is a breeding ground for 3 billion migratory songbirds. Only 12% of the region is now formally protected, well below the 50% scientists say is necessary to save its...

Reserves: How Much Is Enough and How Do We Get There From Here?

Posted in Blog, Library, News & Publications on 04/13/11

(Essay) Reserves: How Much Is Enough and How Do We Get There From Here? By John Terborgh, Duke University Is the human species doing enough to conserve the rest of the world’s species for posterity? If not, then how much is enough? This is a key question, and opinions about the correct answer vary widely. An industry spokesperson is likely to ask, “Don’t they (the conservationists) have enough already?” “How...

Conservation, bringing countries together

Posted in Blog, News & Publications on 04/12/11

Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia have come together to protect about 800,000 ha of floodplains along their shared boundaries. The Mura, Drava and Danube rivers, rich in biodiversity and cultural heritage, are known as ‘Europe’s Amazon,’ and are now being protected from potentially harmful sand dredging and dam development. This landmark cooperative decision represents the best of Nature Needs Half’s goals, as it has paved the way for the...

Is religion, the key to conservation?

Posted in Blog, News & Publications on 03/14/11

Islamic leaders in Indonesia sure think so. Many Islamic conservationists have banded together to form FORDALING (the Islamic Leader Forum for Environmental Care), and are working to spread environmental education through religious studies. The group has put together teaching seminars, planted seedlings in its nursery, and most recently helped publish the Ayat-Auat Konservasi, the Islamic Verses for Conservation. This 120 page book utilizes verses from the Koran to address why...

Bringing back the Garden of Eden

Posted in Blog, News & Publications on 03/11/11

Under Saddam Hussein the Mesopotamian Marshlands, considered the largest wetland ecosystem in the Middle East were drained to a tenth of their original size in order to punish the Marsh Arabs for uprising. These marshlands once stretched over 6,000 square miles and are believed to be the location of the Garden of Eden. Today the area is coming back to life. A restoration project that has been in effect since...

Save the Serengeti

Posted in Blog, News & Publications on 03/4/11

The government of Tanzania's proposal to construct a road through the Serengeti national park has caused major outrage among conservationists because the plan would hinder the annual migration of some 2 million wildebeests, as well as impact many other species. Recently the World Bank has offered to finance and help design an alternative road project that would still reach the development goals of the government while preserving the integrity of...

Protection of Mangrove Forests in Pakistan

Posted in Blog, News & Publications on 02/28/11

Concern over the illegal cutting of mangroves along the Karachi coast has led the Pakistani Minister of Home, Jail and Forest, Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza, to take steps toward classifying the mangroves along the coast and the Indus Deltas as protected areas. An understanding of the interconnectedness of environmental and human problems has spurred the desire to protect a tree so vital to the healthy functioning of the coastal ecosystem. Read...

Big news for the forests of Northern Finland

Posted in Blog, News & Publications on 02/25/11

Following the Finish government's decision to protect 85,600 hectares (856 sq km) of state owned pine forest in Northern Finland from industrial logging last December, a new win has helped build momentum for forest conservation. UPM, an international logging company specializing in paper products, has agreed to sell 380 hectares (3.8 sq km) of forest to the Finish state for the purpose of nature conservation. These swaths of land, some...

Quebec, Canada announces that it will protect at least half of its vast North

Posted in Blog, News & Publications on 02/23/11

February 23, 2011. Today the government of the province of Quebec, Canada announced that it will protect 50% of its northern area from all industrial activity. This means that an area of 500 000 sq km (193,000 sq miles or 123 million acres) will be protected for the benefit of nature and traditional aboriginal activities, such as subsistence hunting. “This is a globally significant announcement” said Harvey Locke, Vice President...

Think Big!

Posted in Blog, Library, News & Publications on 02/9/11

An editorial in Nature (January 2011), encourages us to "Think Big" about conservation, parks and species. We couldn't agree more. Thinking and planning at a landscape scale - including legal protected areas like National Parks and Forests and corridors and other designated (formal or informal) natural lands - is perhaps our best chance to keep ecosystems functioning and species alive in the face of global climate change. This editorial speaks...

Connectivity Across Highways

Posted in Blog, News & Publications on 01/31/11

This month, there is some exciting news for animals trying to cross the road. The winners were announced in the ARC International Wildlife Crossing Infrastructure Competition and elephants starting using the first ever highway underpass constructed to help these large mammals in Africa. On Sunday 22 January, Landscape architects Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA) and the construction firm HNTB won the first-ever international competition to design an overpass for wildlife...

The Far North Act, 2009

Posted in Blog, Library, News & Publications on 12/13/10

An Act With Respect To Land Use Planning and Protection in the Far North On June 2, 2009, Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield introduced proposed legislation that would permanently protect at least half of the Far North of Ontario in a network of conservation lands and allow for sustainable development of the region’s natural resources. The proposed Far North Act, 2009 would enable a community-based land use planning process that...

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