David Suzuki Foundation | Solutions are in our nature Please choose your language ENGLISH Veuillez choisir votre langue FRANÇAIS Contact | | Français Learn Join David Suzuki on his book tour this fall As The Legacy: An Elder's vision for a sustainable future releases across Canada, our pre-eminent environmentalist will be at events in cities and towns across the country. Posted in What you can do Do See Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie Oct. 1 Force of Nature will be showing on October 1 in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa. Share Spend a minute in a test tube with David Suzuki David Suzuki shares an interactive parable about our insatiable appetites, the fallacy of growth, and the things we can and can't change. news releases » Report finds BC wildlife at risk of extinction from inadequate laws September 21, 2010 publications » On the Edge: British Columbia's Unprotected Transboundary Species September 2010 latest blog » Let's dare to consider a national energy plan for Canada Science Matters | September 23, 2010 featured projects Climate change »
About Ecological Footprint Right now we consume the equivalent of 1.5 planets' worth of natural resources every year! Did you know that if everyone on the planet lived like the average American, we would need 5 Earths to sustain our lifestyle? Where does that number come from? By determining how many hectares of land humans need to support their lifestyle and comparing it to the amount of arable land found on the planet, scientists are able to measure the impact of human demand on the planet’s eco systems, which is called our ecological footprint. Globally, all humanity consumes the equivalent of 1.5 planets' worth of resources to sustain the way we live each year. Every year we recognize Earth Overshoot Day, an annual marker of when humans begin using more resources than the planet will be able to replenish. Before we do irrevocable harm to the planet by depleting too many of its natural resources, we need to stop this unsustainable practice and reduce our consumption levels.
Business | China and US in new trade dispute China has launched an "anti-dumping and anti-subsidy" probe into imports of some US car products and chicken meat. The Commerce Ministry said there were concerns the US imports had "dealt a blow to domestic industries". It comes a day after the US imposed tariffs on Chinese tyre imports in order "to remedy a market disruption caused by a surge in tyre imports". The case is the latest in a series of recent trade disputes between China and the US. "In line with national laws and World Trade Organisation rules, the commerce ministry has started an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy examination of some imported US car products and chicken meat," the Chinese authorities said in a statement. China has called the tyre move by US President Barack Obama "protectionist". The White House announced duties of an additional 35% on Chinese-made tyres for one year, followed by tariffs of 30% and 25% in the following two years.
News: Rain Forest For centuries, humans have relied on rain forests for a variety of products. Foods such as tomatoes, peppers, corn, rice, coconuts, bananas, coffee, cocoa, tapioca, beans, and sweet potatoes all originally came from the rain forest. Many civilizations have exploited the timber in rain forests and cleared the land for farms. Some preliterate tribes have actually lived in the rain forests for thousands of years. Today people rely on tropical rain forests for a variety of everyday products: paper (7 percent of all paper pulp comes from the rain forest); rubber (used in tires and other products); wax (used in plastics); mahogany and teak (used in wood products such as furniture); and many other items. Destructive Activities Unfortunately, human activities have taken a toll on the rain forest. Farming. Cattle ranching also poses a danger to rain forests. Logging. Other activities. Destruction Aftermath Soil and erosion. Flora and fauna. Climate. Copyright © 2002 Grolier Incorporated.
U.S. China Trade Dispute Resolution Progress, but Currency Roadblock Remains Politics / ProtectionismDec 17, 2010 - 07:58 AM GMT By: Money_Morning Jason Simpkins writes: The United States and China this week wrapped up a two-day meeting on trade that was aimed at cooling rising tensions between the two nations. Still, despite the progress, currency valuations and trade tariffs will continue to be a fixture of both countries' foreign policies. The U.S. trade deficit with China this year could top $270 billion, surpassing the 2008 record of $268 billion. In a rare show of conciliation, China during Wednesday's trade talks agreed to loosen some of its trade restrictions and better enforce intellectual-property rights on the Mainland -especially to curtail rampant software piracy that costs software makers an estimated $7.9 billion a year in lost revenue. Among other things, China agreed to: •Resume U.S. beef imports, which have been banned since mad cow disease was discovered in U.S. cattle in 2003. U.S. Two U.S. Source :
Species Profiles Birds Mammals Plants Reptiles China-U.S. Trade Dispute Key Issue at G-20 - CBS Evening News The real fireworks at the G-20 summit getting under way Friday in Pittsburgh will likely take place behind closed doors when the U.S. and China try to defuse a trade dispute before it gets ugly - as CBS News business correspondent Anthony Mason reports. When President Obama slapped a 35 percent import tax on Chinese tires this month, some warned it was the opening shot in a trade war. "I think it's very clear that China cheats," said Leo Gerard, president of the United Steelworkers union. The united steelworkers filed the complaint accusing China of illegally flooding the U.S. market with cheap tires. On its Pittsburgh headquarters, the union is sending a nine-story-high message to world leaders that it's fighting to protect American jobs. (The banner reads, "Jobs, Good jobs, Green jobs.") "If we think other governments aren't following the rules they agreed to, then we certainly will try to bring cases that prove our case," Gerard said. But the Chinese are not amused: Copyright 2009 CBS.
Why the China-U.S. Trade Dispute Is Heating Up The relationship between China and the U.S. may be the world's most complicated. While the two economies desperately need each other — China relies on exports to the U.S. to drive growth while the U.S. requires investments from China to finance its giant deficits — Beijing and Washington nevertheless routinely spar over a wide range of sensitive issues. The U.S. has accused China of manipulating its currency to unfairly promote exports, while China has openly called for the replacement of the U.S. dollar as the world's premier currency. But with so much at stake, the two nations have tried to keep their rapport cordial. In July, U.S. President Barack Obama called for "cooperation, not confrontation" with China. Until now. Some analysts fear the ill will caused by the tariff dispute could lead to an escalating round of conflict between the two nations, souring overall U.S. The timing couldn't be worse. Resolving the trade conflict, however, may not be easy.
U.S., China locked in trade disputes - washingtonpost.com BEIJING -- Trade disputes between Beijing and Washington over exports of tires, chickens, steel, nylon, autos, paper and salt are multiplying and further damaging the already tense relationship between the two economic powers. The Obama administration says it only aims to protect the country's rights, but the Chinese counter that the United States started the whole thing by launching an unprovoked attack. The current tensions began in September, when the United States imposed a staggering 35 percent import fee on tires from China. Economically speaking, the tariff was minor; it only applied to a couple of billion dollars in annual imports, less than 1 percent of the total annual trade volume between the two countries. But it infuriated the Chinese, who felt it was a political concession to U.S. labor unions rather than a legitimate punishment for something they did wrong. China fired back at the United States with a full arsenal of its own trade complaints.
US-China Trade | Dispute | Chicken Please support our site by enabling javascript to view ads. PITTSBURGH — In the $63 billion American chicken market — where lean white breast meat is king — there is no appetite for the delicacy at the center of the ongoing chicken trade wars between the U.S. and China: paws and wing tips. A $648 million annual export market, these parts command premium prices in China where they are used to flavor soups and stews and provide a chewy snack. So, when China finally decided at the end of September to slap a tough tariff on poultry exports from the U.S., chicken companies found themselves virtually locked out of a market that can bring more than $1 a pound for parts that sell for pennies in the U.S. and are used in animal feed, pet food, chemicals, fertilizers and other products. “We sell these things at very attractive prices in China,” said Richard Lobb, spokesman for the National Chicken Council, a trade association that represents U.S. producers and processors.
U.S.-China Trade Relations—The Next Dispute? The bilateral trade imbalance is creating tensions between China and the United States. China contends that U.S. trade protectionism has been growing ever since the global financial crisis began, while U.S. leaders continue to urge China to appreciate its currency as complaints mount that China’s undervalued exchange rate puts American exports at a disadvantage. Michael Pettis discusses global trade, looming trade tensions, and the avenues for reducing disputes in a new video Q&A. Pettis explains that trade tensions will continue to rise: “things are going to get worse before we reach a point where leaders in the three or four major economies can come to an agreement over a long-term solution.” Are bilateral trade frictions between the United States and China on the rise and is a global trade war possible? It’s hard to imagine that we’re not going to see a significant increase in global trade tensions. And this is true with a whole bunch of countries. Can China reduce its trade surplus?