Fwd: Rainforest Matters August 2006

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Rainforest Matters - August 2006

 

 

 

New Standards for Pineapple Certification Released

The Rainforest Alliance, as Secretariat of the

Sustainable Agriculture Network, is proud to announce

the publication of Additional Criteria and Indicators

for Pineapple Production -- Sustainable Agriculture

Network. The result of over two years of research and

stakeholder consultation, these criteria and

indicators define best management practices for

sustainable pineapple production. The standards come

at a critical time as rapidly expanding pineapple

production in tropical countries prompts concerns

about negative environmental and social impacts.

 

Pineapple is produced industrially in large,

monoculture fields that lack trees and shelters and

rely on intensive, often poorly controlled

agrochemical use. These operations hasten

deforestation, degrade riparian zones, increase

sedimentation due to uncontrolled runoff and strain

water supplies with overuse for irrigation. The

standards and criteria set forth by the Rainforest

Alliance and the Sustainable Agriculture Network

address these and other environmental and social

problems, providing a sustainable model for pineapple

production.

 

 

 

 

Forestry Training in China

China’s temperate and tropical forests, some the most

diverse in the world, are greatly threatened by high

population growth rates and intensive commercial

logging. Threatened species include the giant panda,

red panda, South China tiger and golden snub-nosed

monkey. Human populations have suffered as well: in

1998, over 2,500 people died in floods resulting from

widespread deforestation. This catastrophe prompted a

government ban on commercial logging of natural

forests in seventeen provinces.

 

China’s manufacturing sector consumes nearly one out

of every two tropical trees harvested in the world.

The logging ban has resulted in a dramatic increase in

the amount of wood and pulp China imports from

Southeast Asia and Siberia, increasing pressure on

biologically rich habitats already endangered by

illegal logging.

 

To continue servicing its factories while alleviating

pressure on tropical forests abroad, China is looking

to resume logging in its state forests in a

sustainable manner that will maintain wildlife habitat

and help control flooding.

 

In collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund, the

Chinese Academy of Forestry and others, the Rainforest

Alliance is promoting Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

forest management certification in China by educating

foresters and stakeholders on the principles of FSC

certification. By training these experts and giving

them the tools and materials they will need to

replicate the workshops on their own, we are able to

multiply the impact of our efforts.

 

 

 

 

Biodiversity News

Forest management certification efforts in China are

coming at a critical time as, according to an article

in the July issue of Nature, " there is...clear

scientific evidence that we are on the verge of a

major biodiversity crisis. "

 

In the article, a group of leading biologists calls

for the formation of an international panel of experts

to address this looming catastrophe that threatens " an

irreplaceable natural heritage crucial to human

well-being and sustainable development. "

 

Habitat destruction and degradation, pollution, the

introduction of alien species, over-exploitation of

biological resources and climate change threaten 12%

of bird species, 23% of mammals, 25% of conifers and

32% of amphibians with extinction. The sustainable use

of natural resources is one vital factor in helping to

stem this irreversible loss, and certification is an

increasingly important tool for driving continual

positive change and promoting long-term sustainable

land-use practices.

 

 

 

 

Museum Spectacular: Check Out These New Exhibits!

Lizards & Snakes: Alive!

 

Did you known that snakes aren’t slimy? That some

lizards have tongues longer than their own bodies?

That Gila Monster venom may hold the key to

understanding diabetes? Learn all this and more in an

engaging exhibition that sheds new light on these

magnificent but often misunderstood creatures.

 

Go see this great, new exhibit at the American Museum

of Natural History in New York City and check out the

September issue of Rainforest Matters for the chance

to win pairs of tickets to this special exhibit!

 

The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable

Architecture and Design

 

The groundbreaking exhibition at the National Building

Museum in Washington, DC reveals exciting trends in

green technology, materials, and design yielding homes

that are as aesthetically compelling as they are

environmentally friendly.

 

Green Dollhouse

 

This special exhibition at the Brooklyn Children’s

Museum presents earth-friendly dwellings with a doll’s

eye view of a healthier world. Dollhouses created by

professional architects and design students feature

" green " architecture in miniature scale. Learn how to

conserve energy and protect the environment, and build

your own eco-house.

 

Chocolate -- The Exhibition

 

From rainforest treasure to luscious treat -- immerse

yourself in the story of chocolate. Journey through

history to get the whole story behind the tasty treat

that we crave. This online exhibit published by the

Field Museum in Chicago takes you from seed to bar,

including a stop at a sustainable cocoa farm (PDF -

1.13 MB), to give you the complete history.

 

 

© 2006 Rainforest Alliance