12 reasons why forests are important | Glo.be 4. Forests give us oxygen A single mature deciduous tree generates enough oxygen for two to ten people. Without oxygen, life as we know it would not be possible. Although the phytoplankton in the oceans accounts for at least half of the world's oxygen, forests thus also play a key role. 5. Water is better absorbed into the soil thanks to trees and forests which improve groundwater recharge and feed springs and rivers. 6. Normal rainfall patterns are heavily dependent on forests, not only because they massively evaporate water, but also because they emit biological particles such as pollen and fungal spores, which can serve as the nuclei of rain droplets or snowflakes.
Giustizia ambientale, sociale ed ecologica: scenari, proposte e sfide per superare la crisi Pubblichiamo un'interessante riflessione che Giuseppe De Marzo, portavoce dell'Associazione A Sud, economista, attivista, giornalista e scrittore, ha scritto nello scorso dicembre per il secondo numero dei Quaderni Corsari, rivista di approfondimento autoprodotta che nasce da una costola de ilCorsaro.info, e disponibile gratuitamente online. Nel secondo numero abbiamo scelto di affrontare la questione ambientale. Leggete online o scaricate gratis il secondo numero della rivista: "Pensare ecologico: i limiti del pianeta e il nostro futuro". Nelle ultime settimane, alcuni eventi hanno raccontato meglio di altri il livello della crisi e il suo intreccio in Italia, in Europa e nel mondo, imponendoci una riflessione più profonda sul momento che stiamo vivendo. Partiamo dal primo accadimento. Il secondo avvenimento ineludibile è quello che negli ultimi mesi vede esplodere non solo a Taranto la questione “lavoro contro salute pubblica”.
100 companies are responsible for 71% of GHG emissions Just 100 of all the hundreds of thousands of companies in the world have been responsible for 71% of the global GHG emissions that cause global warming since 1998, according to The Carbon Majors Database, a report recently published by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), throwing light on the role companies and investors play in tackling climate change. CDP is a non-profit organization dedicated to global disclosure of information to aid governments, companies and investors with managing their environmental impact. According to the study, since 1988, the year in which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was formed, over half of the world’s industrial emissions can be traced back to just 25 state companies and entities. Public investor-owned companies: key to decarbonization The CDP report also reveals that 32% of emissions come from public investor-owned companies, making their investors a key agent in the transition to a sustainable economy.
deforestation | Definition & Facts Summary Read a brief summary of this topic deforestation, the clearing or thinning of forests by humans. Deforestation represents one of the largest issues in global land use. History Conversion of forests to land used for other purposes has a long history. The extent to which forests have become Earth’s grazing lands is much more difficult to assess. Although most of the areas cleared for crops and grazing represent permanent and continuing deforestation, deforestation can be transient. Modern deforestation The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that the annual rate of deforestation is about 1.3 million square km per decade, though the rate has slowed in some places in the early 21st century as a result of enhanced forest management practices and the establishment of nature preserves. A major contributor to tropical deforestation is the practice of slash-and-burn agriculture, or swidden agriculture (see also shifting agriculture).
Venecia convierte su 56ª Bienal en un volcán de arte sociopolítico Okwui Enwezor (Calabar, Nigeria, 1963) anunció, desde que fue elegido para comisariar la Exposición general de la 56ª edición de la Bienal de Venecia titulada Todos los mundos futuros,que quería la implicación de los artistas en el convulso momento que se vive en el planeta. El crítico nigeriano pretendía que el arte contemporáneo volviera a recobrar la importancia que ha tenido cuando las circunstancias históricas así lo han requerido. Y por lo que se puede ver en los pabellones de estos auténticos juegos olímpicos del arte, Enwezor ha conseguido de sobra su objetivo. La emigración, el hambre, las persecuciones políticas, la discriminación sexual o el cambio climático son algunos de los temas que empapan las obras (gran predominio de vídeo y fotografía) expuestas a lo largo y ancho de los Giardini y el Arsenale. La palabra de Carlos Marx está presente de manera protagonista en esta 56ª edición de la Bienal de Venecia. Okwui Enwezor daba ayer por cumplidos sus objetivos.
Climate change: 12 years to save the planet? Make that 18 months Image copyright clintspencer Do you remember the good old days when we had "12 years to save the planet"? Now it seems, there's a growing consensus that the next 18 months will be critical in dealing with the global heating crisis, among other environmental challenges. Last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that to keep the rise in global temperatures below 1.5C this century, emissions of carbon dioxide would have to be cut by 45% by 2030. But today, observers recognise that the decisive, political steps to enable the cuts in carbon to take place will have to happen before the end of next year. The idea that 2020 is a firm deadline was eloquently addressed by one of the world's top climate scientists, speaking back in 2017. Media playback is unsupported on your device The sense that the end of next year is the last chance saloon for climate change is becoming clearer all the time. So why are the next 18 months so important? Image copyright Getty Images
SDG15. Life on Land | Global Compact Network Australia Forests cover 30% of Earth’s land area and provide approximately 1.6 billion people, including 70 million indigenous people, with a livelihood.1 Humanity depends on forests as a buffer against climate change through the removal of carbon dioxide in the air or, in the case of mature forests, as a carbon store. Balanced against that environmental need for forests, some 2.4 billion people are dependent upon wood for cooking, heating and electricity, with this demand equivalent to about half of global wood production.2 And deforestation for commercial purposes is mostly linked to agriculture, livestock farming, urbanisation and mining, all of which have a role to play in meeting other development goals. The rate of deforestation has slowed with the planting of new forests, natural expansion of existing forests and land restoration efforts. Australia is one of the world’s 17 megadiverse countries. How is this relevant to business? What can business do? Act responsibly Find Opportunity
SAME World: our new global education project on environmental justice is launched - Artemisszió Alapítvány As a partner, Artemisszió Foundation also takes part in the new SAME World project: the main aim is to bring the topics of environmental justice in schools through innovative and creative methods. 13 partner organisations from 10 different countries participate in the 3-year program. The project is supported by the EuropeAid program of the European Commission. The issues of poverty, climate change, social injustice, connections between the countries of the Global North (’developed’) and the Global South (’developping’), and environmental migration are hardly included in school curricula, or are often treated as separate topics. The general aim of the SAME World project is to raise awareness about the interconnectedness of the countries of the Global North and the Global South, sustainable development and environmental justice, in line with the European Year of Development 2015. The main coordinator of the project is C.I.E.S.