Oct brings Animal Action Week for kids in India

29 Sep, 2007, 1016 hrs IST, IANS NEW DELHI: Schoolchildren from India and 14 other countries will take part in the world's largest animal-focused educational event next month that aims to sensitise young minds about wildlife conservation. The Animal Action Week Oct 1-7 will see participation from about 150 schools in Delhi and 1,300 schools from other parts of the country. Similar events will be on in other countries simultaneously. Activities will include a painting competition, group discussions and the screening of a wildlife film in the respective schools. The competition is open for children of Classes 5-9 and the three winners will be awarded with citations, trophies and cash prizes at the prestigious Venu Menon National Animal Award Function held annually in February. The best painting from the competition would be selected for making a 'New Year 2008' greeting card, which will be sent to different conservation organisations............... full news at: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Oct_brings_Animal_Action_Week_for_kids/articleshow/2413756.cms

Officials Nab India's Most Notorious Tiger Poacher

  NAGPUR, Maharashtra, India, September 27, 2007 (ENS) - Known tiger poacher Laxman Singh Pardhi has confessed to forestry officials that he killed three tigers and four leopards, the "Times of India" newspaper reported today. Pardhi was arrested 10 days ago in a joint operation conducted by the Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh forest departments, acting on information provided by the Wildlife Protection Society of India. "He has accepted his role in direct killings besides acting as a carrier and supplier of traps and vehicles," BS Hooda, field director and conservator of forests for the Melghat Tiger Reserve, told the newspaper. Pardhi, a resident of the Betul district, has seven cases pending against him in Melghat Tiger Reserve, all involving large endangered cat species such as................................... full story at: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/sep2007/2007-09-27-04.asp

INDIA: Blueprint ready for critical wildlife habitats

29 Sep 2007, 0207 hrs IST,Nitin Sethi,TNN NEW DELHI: A blueprint to create inviolate critical wildlife habitats (CWHs) across the country has been finalised by the environment and forests ministry. Unlike the existing protected areas — national parks and sanctuaries — the ministry has suggested a set of guidelines based on scientific criteria to establish the habitats. This is an important step to provide an exclusive space to wildlife when the Forest Rights Act gets operationalised. Under the Act, which is meant to formally recognise rights of forest dwellers, only areas declared as CWHs can be granted inviolate status — sans human presence. Even existing protected areas will have to be re-evaluated under these norms to declare them inviolate if they fall within the set criteria. Priority has been given to tiger-bearing forests. Within 30 days of the notification of guidelines and formation of state level committees............................................................... full story at : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Blueprint_ready_for_critical_wildlife_habitats/articleshow/2413080.cms

High-level Seminar On Wildlife Crime Enforcement in Lucknow

High-level Seminar On Wildlife Crime Enforcement in Lucknow being organised Uttar Pradesh Law Enforcement Agencies in collaboration with Wildlife SOS In a bid to devise a strategy to effectively combat wildlife crime and illegal wildlife trafficking, the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, Police in collaboration with Wildlife SOS and One Voice Association, France are conducting a high level Seminar on "Wildlife Crime Enforcement" on the 26th September, 2007 from 10 a.m onwards at Hotel Gomti, Lucknow. Uttar Pradesh by way of sharing its state borders with over seven states and one international border is often exploited by Wildlife Crime Traffickers who use these borders to smuggle wildlife products. Internationally, Wildlife trade ranks second only to Narcotics trade in the world as a 10 Billion US$ Dollar illegal organized crime industry. The international wildlife trade has resulted in around 650 species being pushed towards extinction globally. In India, sadly Uttar Pradesh is the centre of this nefarious trade in wild animals and birds. Crime analysis has increasingly shown that narcotics & wildlife crime often go hand in hand. The same offenders deal in drugs, wildlife products and sometimes even illegal weapons! Amongst other things, illicit trade in wildlife in Uttar Pradesh goes on in Tiger Parts (Tiger Penis, Claws, Bones, Skin), Bear (Gall Bladder, Live Cub Trade for Paw Soup, Claws), Leopards (Skin and Claws), Otter (Skin), Mongoose (Hair for Brushes), Crocodile (Skin for leather products), Turtle (For Live Pet Trade and Meat), Pangolin (Scales for Medicine and Meat), Snake (Skin and for Venom) and Ivory. The districts in Uttar Pradesh sensitive with regard to wildlife conservation which are targeted by poachers include................................................................... full news at: http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/environmental-services/200709254696.htm

Chidambaram focus on climate change

Statesman News Service UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25: The Union finance minister, Mr P Chidambaram said today that India is an energy deficient country. India is obliged to explore every option to produce or procure energy but at the same time it is profoundly concerned about environmental degradation and climate change. He was addressing a high-level session today on leadership challenge of climate change. He told the world leaders that developing countries bear an inordinate share of the burden of climate change, though this is due to the high-level of emissions of developed countries. "Developing countries are obliged to significantly augment their capacity to cope with and adapt to climate change." Mr Chidambaram said: "Adaptation is the key for developing countries and that it needs to be adequately resourced without diverting funds meant for development and it is the best form of adaptation." Adaptation has been integral to India's development process and it has challenged by climate variability. India spend two per cent of GDP every year in development measures with strong adaptation content such as cyclone warning and protection, coastal protection, flood control, drought relief, and food security. He told that the Government of India adopted a National Environment Policy in 2006................. full news at: http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=12&theme=&usrsess=1&id=171509

Haryana to spend Rs 300 cr on forestry-related scheme - NewKerala.com

Chandigarh, Sep 20 : The Haryana government would spend Rs 286 crore in collaboration with a foreign bank for poverty alleviation programme related to … full news at: http://www.newkerala.com/oct.php?action=fullnews&id=3569

Centre urged to frame policy on sandalwood, red sanders

Special Correspondent States call for addressing problem of protecting sandalwood forests Bangalore: Kerala Minister for Forests and Housing Binoy Viswam has said that though the Centre is reportedly making efforts to form a national strategy and evolve consensus among those concerned for protecting sandalwood forests, the long-pending common policy on sandalwood and red sanders has become imperative for protecting the remaining sandalwood forest tracts across the Southern States. Mr. Viswam was addressing the concluding session of a two-day conference of Forest Ministers of Southern States here on Friday. The conference was a sequel to a two-day conference of Forest Researchers and Scientists of Southern State held on September 18 and 19 here. The common and pressing problem of the States concerned in ensuring the protection of sandalwood forests should be addressed on priority, he said. In that context and in view of ensuring overall protection of its forest areas and forest wealth, the Kerala Government had evolved a draft forest policy in consultation with environmentalists and the stakeholders concerned and it would be finalised shortly, he added. The Government had formed a separate forest division for sandalwood protection at Marayur, which had 55,497 sandalwood trees as on January 2007. After taking stringent measures, the rate of illegal felling of sandalwood tree had come down from 7.3 trees a day to 0.21 trees a day. Owing to the measures all the illegal sandalwood factories had been closed across the State, he claimed. His Government had submitted a five-year master plan estimated at Rs. 35 crore to the Centre for protecting its sandalwood wealth worth over Rs. 1,000 crore, the Minister said. The Kerala Government had liberalised felling and transit rules ensuring that indiscriminate felling should not take place in private areas. It had enacted the Kerala Forest Promotion of tree growth in Non-Forest Areas Act 2005 and brought in amendments to it in 2007, he added .......................... full news item at: http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/22/stories/2007092253580400.htm

Assam youth bags Forum of Environment Journalist award

New Delhi, Sept. 18 (PTI): Amarjyoti Borah and Bahar Dutt have bagged this year's Forum of Environment Journalist awards for their excellence in environmental reporting. Borah, hailing from Assam and working with the science and environment journal 'Down to Earth', and Dutt, a CNN-IBN correspondent, were awarded the best print and broadcast journalists during the 4th CMS Vatavaran, Environment and Wildlife Film Festival that concluded here over the weekend. Each of them were given a cash award of Rs 25,000, a trophy and a citation............ full news at: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200709181040.htm

Book Review: Environmental Issues in India The Varying Shades Of Green

Business World, September 2007 Most people including conservationists think that when a species is in trouble, all it requires is a chunk of protected forest. However, in a high population density India, there are several other constituents or stakeholders involved — local people utilise the forest to graze their cattle and/or collect plant material for a living. How to deal with these people has split the conservation community in two. While one group argues for their relocation out of the forest, the other advocates giving them rights to the forest. Arun Agrawal and Vasant Saberwal, for example, argue that “cultural sensibilities have combined with an overarching concern with human impacts on the environment, to generate conservation rhetoric on the need to keep people and livestock out of protected areas”. A few chapters later, Ullas Karanth cautions against confusing conservation issues with livelihood issues and concludes “sacrificing the remaining 3 per cent or so area under wildlife reserves is unlikely to make any dent on human problems, which we have been unable to solve by using and abusing the remaining 97 per cent of the land area”. The relocation lobby tacitly backs the third main constituent, the forest department whose mandate is to conserve these forests despite obvious mismanagement, while the other side views it as an adversary that denies people their traditional rights while selling out to Big Industry. Who is the better guardian of the forest has become the fundamental question fissuring the conservation community. Understanding the political tangle that includes the aspirations of local people, the limitations of the forest department and the need for landscape conservation, can reduce the increasing polarisation within the Indian conservation community. This is precisely what this reader offers. The anthology of 33 essays is a first for India and promises to be an indispensable tool for anyone interested in Indian conservation and environmental movements. The book spans timelines and histories of various regions, peoples and struggles. India is a microcosm of dilemmas facing much of the developing world that seeks to balance the survival needs of people and wildlife ........................................................................................ full review at: http://janakilenin.blogspot.com/2007/09/book-review-environmental-issues-in.html

German aid to promote Tripura forest resources

Germany will provide Rs.1.12 billion to India's northeastern state of Tripura to help create forest resource based assets and value addition of forest produce, officials said here Saturday. A four-member German government team led by mission director (technical) Hans Helmrich arrived here Friday to finalise the scheme. 'A memorandum of understanding (MoU) would be signed between the visiting team and Tripura government on September 28 to implement the six-year-long German-assisted project named poverty alleviation through natural resource management,' said V G Jenner, director of Tripura industries and commerce department. The German team has held preliminary discussions with industries and commerce minister Tapan Chakraborty and chief secretary Sashi Prakash on impact of the project. 'The Rs.1.12 billion scheme would cover afforestation, development of fisheries and animal resources, besides value addition to bamboo, rubber and medicinal plants, their marketing and further development of forest-based industries,' said Jenner, who is also the chief coordinator of the Tripura bamboo mission. Germany would also extend technical support to implement..................................................... full news item at: http://www.indiaprwire.com/businessnews/20070922/24606.htm

Rhino sanctuary flooded in Assam, animals out for food, shelter

 Guwahati, Sept. 17 (PTI): Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, having the highest concentration of the one-horned Indian rhino in the world, has been badly hit by the current wave of floods, forcing the animals to move out for food and shelter imperilling their safety. The carcasses of two wild boars were recovered inside the park yesterday and other causalties, if any, due to the floods could be ascertained only after the water ebbed, forest department sources said. Over 95 per cent of the 38.8 sq km sanctuary, near here, was under water for the past one week compelling its rhinos, wild boars and buffalos to come out on the roads inside and alongside the............ full story at: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200709171864.htm

New Study Forecasts India's Log Imports and Recovered Paper Demand to Double By 2016

Posted : Mon, 17 Sep 2007 14:21:47 GMT Author : RISI BOSTON, Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- RISI, the leading information provider for the global forest products industry, today announced the publication of a new study on India's forest products industry. The study, India's Forest Products Industry, projects that India is poised to make a major impact in the global recovered paper market with a 7.9% annual growth in demand for recovered paper through 2016. This growth will make India the second-largest recovered paper market in the world, after China. The study also forecasts Indian imports of logs, primarily hardwood from Southeast Asia and Africa and softwood from New Zealand and Australia, to double between 2006 and 2016. "With its strong economic growth and huge population, people often ask me if India is going to be the next China in forest products," said Robert Flynn, Director, International Timber at RISI, referring to the enormous impact Chinese growth has had on the global forest products industry. The new study shows that the development of India's paper and wood industries will take a different path than that of China. "While we expect strong, continued growth in India's consumption of both wood and paper products over the next ten years, we also see major hurdles that will make it difficult for India to reach China's level of demand in any particular product category" For more information or to order India's Forest Products Industry please, call (+1) (781) 734-8900 or visit http://www.risiinfo.com/india. About RISI RISI is the leading information provider for the global forest products industry................................ FULL ARTICLE AT: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,179088.shtml

Cost of dealing with climate change: 2% of GDP of INDIA

16 Sep 2007, 0213 hrs IST,Nitin Sethi,TNN NEW DELHI: The development projects India is undertaking to reduce impacts of climate change is already cutting into its GDP. In 2006-07, India used 2.17% of its GDP on projects that will help communities adapt to climate change and reduce their vulnerability to climate change. This was disclosed on Thursday by Jayant M Mau-skar, joint secretary in the environment ministry, at a conference on climate change organised at the Vatavaran Film Festival here. Mauskar said, "In 2000-01, India was spending 0.63% of its GDP on climate change adaptation and mitigation which has now risen to 2.17%. So we can say that Nicholas Stern's argument (that climate change action does not hurt economy much) is perhaps not true." Stern, in his report on climate change for the UK, he ............................................................... full article at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Cost_of_dealing_with_climate_change_2_of_GDP_/articleshow/2373069.cms

Environment ministry releases India's biodiversity report

India has not done well to conserve its rich biodiversity, which is considered most diverse in the world. The National Bio-Diversity Action Plan says 41 per cent of India's forest cover is at different levels of degradation and the country is making limited use of is vast gene pool in agriculture and livestock, thereby creating a risk of food security. The Environment ministry released a comprehensive document this week detailing the major areas of concern for India's biodiversity and the proposed action plan to check further degradation and conserving biodiversity. India's huge gene resources for food and agriculture has got limited to about 12 varieties of food, which provide 80 per cent of food energy, because of changing lifestyles and taste and nutrition value of country's food basket. "A large number of over 300,000 samples of these cultivars, kept under long term storage in the National Gene Bank, have gone out of cultivation," the action plan said................................................. full news report at : http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?id=3eb173e5-fd2b-4e05-bc5f-9bd40a140347&&Headline=India's+biodiversity+report+released

Govt plans mega forest project

10 Sep 2007, 0135 hrs IST,Nitin Sethi,TNN NEW DELHI: The UPA government is set to fast-track a mega project that could well lead to a re-greening of the country. The Green India project, as it's called, aims to afforest more than 6 million hectares — around 2% of the country's total area — with the help of people in the villages. The project is expected to be put before the Cabinet sometime this week. The ambitious plan aims to use more than Rs 5,000 crore collected through a Supreme Court directive for conservation to fund the afforestation. This kitty will be used to generate more funds via NABARD as well as leverage the carbon credit market............................... full detail at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Govt_plans_mega_forest_project/articleshow/2353732.cms

Govt to sort out green funds first

10 Sep 2007, 0307 hrs IST,Nitin Sethi,TNN NEW DELHI: The government has two difficult tasks before it succeeds with the Green India project, that aims to afforest more than 6 million hectares — around 2% of the country's total area — with the help of people in the villages. One, it will have to ensure the Supreme Court agrees with the idea. It plans to use funds collected under an SC-appointed body by charging development agencies and private companies for using forest land for projects. Several government agencies, state governments and private companies have opposed the move and the Centre too has been less than keen on the collection of such a fund. But with this proposal, the government believes it has a found a way out to spend the money in consonance with the court's wishes and is hopeful of convincing the apex court............................ for full news item read at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Govt_to_sort_out_green_funds_first/articleshow/2353868.cms

Apec leaders reach climate deal

Asia-Pacific leaders meeting in Sydney have agreed an "aspirational" goal to restrain the rise of greenhouse gas emissions to tackle climate change. China and the US - two of the world's biggest polluters - are among the 21 nations that have signed the statement, which contains no firm commitments. Australian Prime Minister John Howard called it "a very important milestone" towards an international deal....................................... posted at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6984723.stm

Action against 5 forest dept officers

9 Sep 2007, 0311 hrs IST,TNN LUCKNOW: The state government initiated action against five District Forest Officers (DFO) in the state for laxity in tree plantation drive. Minister for forest, UP, Fateh Bahadur Singh has directed to stop payment of salaries of the errant officials with immediate effect. Officials against whom action has been taken include DFO...................................... posted at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lucknow/Action_against_5_forest_dept_officers/articleshow/2351588.cms

PROTECTION OF FORESTS BY VILLAGERS

  16:36 IST RAJYA SABHA The Joint Forest Management strategy has been adopted by all the 28 States and 2 Union Terriortries. As per the information furnished by the State Forest Departments there are more than one lakh village level Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) managing approximately 22 million hectare of forest area. As per the provisions of National Forest Policy, 1988 Government of India has issued guidelines to States on June 1, 1990 to involve village communities in regeneration and protection of forest areas under the Joint Forest Management Programme.. This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Shri S.Regupathy in a written reply to question byKumari Nirmala Deshpande :in the Rajya Sabha today. KP:PM posted at:   http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=30962  

Centre seeks forest control

SAMANWAYA RAUTRAY New Delhi, Sept. 6: The ministry of environment and forests wants to be the sole guardian of India’s forests and has asked the Supreme Court to back off. In an affidavit, the ministry said the court — which has been monitoring forests for the past decade — should wind up a panel that gives it expert advice. The court’s green bench, which sits every Friday, had on the panel’s recommendation banned mining in forest areas and refused to clear several projects, such as Vedanta’s ambitious mining project in Orissa’s Niyamgiri forests. The affidavit, filed by the assistant inspector-general of forests (forest conservation division), said the government has “sufficient trained scientific and technical officials”................................ for full article go to: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070907/asp/nation/story_8287024.asp

Supreme Court of India refuses to abolish forest panel

SC refuses to abolish forest panel http://www.headlinesindia.com/archive_html/07September2007_55672.html New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday turned down a Central government plea to abolish an apex court-appointed panel set up in 2002 to assist it in adjudicating issues related to forests and environment. A Bench, headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan along with Justices Arijit Pasayat and S H Kapadia, turned down the government plea to abolish the Central Empowered Committee and said that the panel would continue to work and the government would continue to provide it all facilities and basic infrastructure for its smooth functioning. Seeking abolition of the committee, Solicitor General G E Vahanvati contended that the continuance of the panel amounted to replacing the Central government with the committee. Though he maintained that the panel was not unnecessary, Vahanvati submitted to the Bench that the panel should not be given statutory powers under the Forest Conservation Act to issue directions to the government and its officers in forest matters. Scoffing at the government's plea, the court remarked: "The long and short of your application is that they (panel) have become a nuisance; so please take them off." The court asked the government if it had any single instance when it found the panel exceeding its brief. The court wondered if the government was imagining and anticipating problems despite there being none. The court, however, made it clear that if the government faces any problem vis-Ã -vis the panel, it was free to approach the apex court for redressal. The court also told Vahanvati to discuss the problems with the amicus curiae, senior counsel Harish Salve, to achieve proper coordination with the court-appointed panel. The Union Ministry for Environment and Forests had earlier filed an affidavit before the apex court seeking abolition of the committee. It said that the task of looking after the forests be given entirely to the government. The ministry, in its affidavit, also contended that the court's orders censuring the Central and state governments for alleged disappearance of the forests in the country were eroding the separation of powers and the mutual respect between the different organs of the government. The affidavit contended that the government was equally concerned with the task of preserving the forest cover in the country and had been discharging its duties and obligations with the help of experts in the field of ecology, environment, and forestry. It said did not need the panel to help it. (IANS)

The Planet's 6th Great Mass Extinction is Occurring as You Read This -A Galaxy Insight

"In one sense we know much less about Earth than we do about Mars. The vast majority of life forms on our planet are still undiscovered, and their significance for our own species remains unknown. This gap in our knowledge is a serious matter: we will never completely understand and preserve the living world around us at our present level of ignorance. "If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos." Edward O. Wilson, The world's leading authority on Biodiversity, Emeritus Professor of Biology at Harvard and author of "The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth." There is little doubt left in the minds of professional biologists that Earth is currently faced with a mounting loss of species that threatens to rival the five great mass extinctions of the geological past, the most devasting being the Third major Extinction (c. 245 mya), the Permian, where 54% of the planet's species families lost. As long ago as 1993, Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson estimated that Earth is currently losing something on the order of 30,000 species per year -- which breaks down to the even more daunting statistic of some three species per hour. Some biologists have begun to feel that this biodiversity crisis -- this "Sixth Extinction" -- is even more severe, and more imminent, than Wilson had supposed. With the human population expected to reach 9-10 billion by the end of the century and the planet in the middle of its sixth mass extinction — this time due to human activity — the next few years are critical in conserving Earth’s precious biodiversity. The cause of the Sixth Extinction, Homo sapiens, means we can continue on the path to our own extinction, or, preferably, we modify our behavior toward the global ecosystem of which we are still very much a part................................................... http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/09/httpmembersebay.html