Tag: european union

Projects

THE EUROPEAN UNION AGAINST GLOBAL DEFORESTATION

Posted on by leonardo

THE EUROPEAN UNION AGAINST GLOBAL DEFORESTATION

Humanity has always agreed on this: environmental conservation is everyone’s responsibility. However, over the decades, only a few countries have made a real commitment to stop the environmental footprint that humans leave behind.

On this occasion, the European Union assumes the commitment and decides to face the gigantic loss of forest mass that its economic activity has caused in its own territory and throughout the world.

In the midst of a debate that lasted until the wee hours of the morning, the Council of EU member countries and the European Parliament itself reached an agreement to provisionally establish a strict law that regulates the importation of products whose manufacture has contributed to the deforestation.

 

GLOBAL DEFORESTATION: HOW WILL THIS PROVISIONAL LAW WORK?

As proposed by the Parliament and the Council of the EU, the objective is to encourage more and more companies to stop commercial activities that cause deforestation. The idea is to make an impact both on the European continent and around the world, forcing companies to be environmentally responsible in order to have a place in the largest and most prosperous economy: food and raw materials.

In force since December 6, this law prevents the importation of products whose manufacture has as a direct consequence internal or external deforestation of the European Union. Starting this month, producers will have 18 months to abide by and implement these new standards in their production devices.

GROBAL DEFORESTATION: HOW WILL THIS PROVISIONAL LAW WORK?

Regarding small companies, they will have a slightly greater range for their adaptation, understanding the cost and effort involved in a structural change of this type that, although necessary, implies a strong internal cost for them.

The European Union has established that, to guarantee compliance with the standard, a verification process will be established through the geolocation of crops using satellite technology.

At the moment, specific products will work under this legislation: soybeans, wood, palm, rubber, cocoa, coffee, cattle and other bovine derivatives, such as leather. Products derived from these raw materials, such as printed paper, furniture, cosmetics and chocolates, will also be taken into account.

To be sold completely openly and without regulations, each of these products must have the “due diligence” seal granted to companies that duly comply with the aforementioned law.

 

THE ORIGIN OF THE PROBLEM

Although the European Union is one of the most powerful alliances in the world, why take such a radical role in the problem of deforestation?

According to reports from the WWF (Acronym in English for ‘World Wide Fund for Nature’), its territory is responsible for 16% of all global deforestation and is the second largest destroyer of tropical forests. This, of course, due to its indiscriminate import market tukif.

The already marked damage that this economy causes to the planet has been increased in recent years, in addition, due to the increase in consumption and demand for food worldwide, collapsing the agricultural infrastructure.

And you, what do you think of these measures? Do you think that the actions of the European Union will be enough by themselves to make a difference and reverse the damage that human beings have caused to the environment?

 

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Projects

What forest conservation strategies have been shown to be most effective?

Posted on by leonardo

What forest conservation strategies have been shown to be most effective?

Forests are the earth’s heart. These ancient ecosystems are essential for human happiness, health, and environmental stability. They are also home to almost half of all species on earth. But according to recent reports, forests in tropical regions are almost dying out. The rate at which forests are being destroyed is alarming.

The main drivers include mining, logging, and unsustainable agricultural practices. And if the current destruction of forests continues, we may soon find ourselves in a serious crisis. But the best part is that there are solutions to this problem. Here are a few creative ways we can save trees and surrounding forests.
Reforestation

Planting more trees is critical to preserving our forests. Replacing the already destroyed trees helps provide habitat to threatened species. Reforestation can be done by either donating to organizations tasked with planting trees or joining your community in tree planting events. But never view planting trees as the excuse for cutting down the already existing trees. Don’t just donate to an organization that plants trees for timber use. Make sure your donation goes towards restoring the degraded ecosystems porno.
Buy non-timber furniture

You can use your purchasing power to prevent the illegal cutting of trees. Logging is responsible for a significant percentage of forest destruction around the world. Timber furniture is by far the worst cause of deforestation. Widespread clearing of forests contributes heavily to global climatic change. But the narrative can change by avoiding buying furniture and other items from trees.
Advocate for the Conservation of Forests

forest

The global climatic change continues to impact the natural world and our societies. Forests help control climatic patterns and store carbon that causes climatic changes. Cutting down trees will result in the extinction of many species and cause severe fires and droughts worldwide.

You can personally help conserve forests by spearheading the enactment of progressive climate policies in your neighborhood.

Forest Fire Control

Fire is a common cause of forest destruction. A wild fire can start naturally due to friction between trees or lightning. Trees are highly exposed to wild fire, and once a forest catches fire, it can’t be easy to put out. So, to save forests from wild fire, responsible organizations must adopt the latest firefighting techniques. They include using fire retardant chemicals, water sprays, and leaving wider access roads to the forest.
Teach Kids the Importance of Forests

Children are the future. So parents should inspire them to love their surroundings. They should be taught about forests and encouraged to read books on the ecosystem. Exposing kids to nature helps change their attitude towards forests. A better and more fun way to increase their love for forests is to explore a park together.
In conclusion, forest conservation can be done through cooperative efforts of the public, government, and humanitarian organizations. The benefits of taking care of forests are unquantifiable. If properly used, forests are the greatest resource humans can ever have. So, forest conservation is no longer an option. It is a requirement for the survival of all species.

 

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Introduction

Project objectives and benefits

Posted on by admin

The aim of the project is to develop a range of post-harvest plant quarantine treatments for timber and horticultural products to prevent the spread of non-indigenous pests and diseases into and around the European Union.

In view of the listing of methyl bromide as an ozone depletor under the Montreal Protocol and consequent international restrictions being placed on its use, the project will seek to develop treatment methodologies suitable for timber and horticultural produce that do not use methyl bromide. Such treatments must be proved capable of giving extremely high levels of kill (virtually 100%) consistently and reliably within defined parameters. This project will fulfil the EC’s obligations under proposed revisions to Council Regulation (EC) No 3093/94 and will help to ensure that treatments exist for new, unforeseen, problems where methyl bromide is not currently used and would be prohibited under these regulations.

The project will investigate the following techniques which previous work has shown have potential as quarantine disinfestation treatments.

  • Heat treatment of timber
  • Composting of bark and wood chips
  • Hot water dipping of ornamental plants and cuttings
  • Extreme controlled atmospheres treatments of ornamental plants and cuttings
  • Alternative fumigant treatments of ornamental plants and cuttings (phosphine and plant volatiles)

Combination treatments

Much of the work relies on physical treatments that are not subject to pesticide regulations. Of the chemical treatments involved, phosphine already has widespread registration and its use should cause no problems. No plant volatiles are as yet registered for use although there is intense interest in this area and the registration of some compounds is foreseen in the medium term. The use of carbon dioxide in extreme controlled atmospheres may require an extension of existing registration.

With the exception of the heat treatment of timber all of the techniques are novel in their application to the commodities concerned. It will therefore be necessary initially to establish the viability of the techniques for the effective quarantine treatment of selected commodities. The proposal also combines investigation of the temperature indicator system with refinement of the heat penetration equations for timber, providing an integrated system that will be applicable to both quarantine procedures and to kiln quality control for general use.

Techniques will be developed to produce effective quarantine treatments for a range of commodities against selected pests and to define the limits of their applicability. Where effective treatments are developed, these will be submitted to appropriate international bodies, such as the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO), for adoption.

The work will concentrate on insect pests. However in all cases the possibility of control of pathogens will be considered and where the techniques are considered suitable (primarily heat treatment of timber and composting), the effect of treatments on relevant pathogens will also be investigated.

In line with EU environmental policy the project seeks to develop alternatives to the use of methyl bromide. The project will allow companies within the EU, and throughout the rest of the world, to reduce and possibly eliminate the use of this highly toxic and potentially environmentally damaging chemical. Even if it proves technically impossible to develop alternatives for existing treatments the requirement to demonstrate the lack of suitable alternatives necessary to allow the retention of methyl bromide for critical uses will have been demonstrated.

The development of effective quarantine treatment schedules will help to prevent the introduction and spread of damaging pests within the EU and support the export of EU resulting in less damage to crops and products and making it easier to ensure the maintenance of the quality of EU produce. Effective schedules will also assist in reducing the requirement for pest control in general. Because biological and other non-chemical control measures are rarely immediately available for new pests, this will be particularly useful in reducing the extent to which chemical control measures are used.

The development of non-methyl bromide quarantine treatments will allow growers and foresters to eliminate the use of an environmentally damaging chemical while still protecting the industry, and associated jobs, from losses that could be caused by the introduction of new, damaging, pests and diseases. It will also avoid the use of other pesticides that would be required to control them should they be introduced.

Horticulture is a growing industry, particularly in less developed areas of southern Europe where it often provides substantial employment. The introduction of damaging new pests and diseases may threaten the continued viability of certain of these and increase the cost of pest control in others. Less developed areas with a lower knowledge base may be less well equipped to deal with new pest introductions making them particularly vulnerable. Currently, the international trade in potted plants is almost non-existent, because of the difficulty of treating soil-born organisms. A reliable and efficient quarantine treatment would give a large impetus to the trade in rooted plant cuttings and orchids. Work currently being carried out by partner 1 on the treatment of miniature trees (Bonsai and Penjing) to control soil borne nematodes, suggests that the heat treatment of potted plants may be a viable option for the control of soil and root borne organisms. By protecting the industry from the potentially disastrous introduction of new pests the problems associated with their introduction can be reduced or eliminated and may allow the industry to expand into new areas. This in turn will result in a safeguarding of jobs in the horticultural area.

Forestry is an important source of income to the EU as a whole, and can be particularly important to the local economy in more remote rural areas. Again the introduction of new pests and diseases can threaten the success of this industry and put jobs at risk. Forests are also important environmentally, reducing flooding and providing habitats for other wildlife. The use of appropriate quarantine treatments can prevent the introduction of new pests and diseases that could cause severe damage to forests, both natural and managed.