News from the world of forests

The Guatemalan Fir (Reuters/ForestPress)

Story by Frank Jack Daniel GUATEMALA CITY - Police have seized thousands of branches of an endangered Guatemalan scented fir species used for Christmas trees in a clampdown to protect it against extinction, police said on Tuesday. Environmental police found more than 4,000 of the branches, which have a natural lemon aroma, hidden under the false floor of a truck parked at a makeshift seasonal market in Guatemala City on Monday. Poor street vendors staple the blue green cuttings to poles and sell them as Christmas trees, a practice that stretches back 50 years to when U.S.-style Christmas decorations became fashionable in Guatemala.

2004. December 22.

News

Hungarian Forest Owners Association Established (ForestPress)

Under the name of Hungarian Forest Owners’ Association, a new organisation took wing on 17th December 2004. On the statutory meeting chairman Pál Telegdy, forestry engineer addressed the assembly.

2004. December 22.

The First Electric Christmas Tree (forestry.about.com/ForestPress)

Edison to General Electric The Thomas Edison Connection: An associate and friend of Thomas Edison, Edward Johnson, is recognized as the first person to put electrified lights on a real Christmas tree. It happened in 1882 and just three years after the incandescent light bulb was invented. Johnson was a New Yorker and an executive of the Edison Illumination Company of New York City. Although the press smelled a publicity stunt, the event took place at Johnson's home in support of his belief in the lighting product's safety.

2004. December 21.

Saudis to sign up to Kyoto (Reuters/ForestPress)

From correspondents in Riyadh SAUDI Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, gave its approval today to the Kyoto protocol which aims to stem global warming, the official Saudi Press Agency said. It said the decision was taken by ministers at a weekly cabinet meeting and a royal decree was being prepared to formally endorse the step. As a developing country, Saudi Arabia would not be subject to emissions cuts under Kyoto, a requirement only binding 30 industrialised nations.

2004. December 21.

3rd Expert Meeting on Forest-related Definitions 17-19 January 2005, Rome (ForestPress)

Objectives - take stock of developments in forest-related reporting processes since the 2nd meeting; - harmonize definitions related to (a) biophysical constitutions of forest resources, and (b) human interventions to manage forests for various purposes. Background In 2002, FAO hosted two Expert Meetings on Harmonizing Forest- related Definitions for Use by Various Stakeholders, which were jointly organized with IPCC, CIFOR, UNEP and IUFRO. Over 50 experts, some from these organizations and others from countries, UNESCO, CBD, UNFCCC, the private sector and NGOs, came together to discuss an analytical framework on forest-related definitions, develop options for harmonizing core forest-related definitions, and discuss follow-up actions.

2004. December 20.

Voted Most Popular Christmas Tree (forestry.about.com)

Ten Top Christmas Tree Species Sold in North America The following Christmas Tree species have been voted the most popular Christmas trees grown and sold in the United States. They are listed according to their popularity - The National Christmas Tree Association suggests that this season, "36 million U.S. families plan to focus their holiday traditions around a real Christmas tree". That means tens of millions of real trees will be sold this year starting in mid-November. NCTA also says that "about 23 percent of the consumers will purchase their trees from a 'Christmas tree farm' while about 62 percent will buy trees from a retail lot." About 300,000 consumers will purchase their real tree over the Internet or by mail order (see Internet sales). It is estimated that "46 million households plan to use a new or used artificial tree this season" instead of a real tree. Another 22 million households don’t plan to have a Christmas tree.

2004. December 19.

Compromise seals climate meeting (BBC News)

December 18. 2004. Delegates at the UN climate change conference in Buenos Aires have reached agreement on ways to address the issue of global warming. They approved a compromise proposal on the format of future discussions agreed by the US and the EU overnight. Some developing countries had threatened to derail the deal, insisting on guarantees that they would not be subjected to emission cuts. But the demand was rejected by the EU and a new compromise emerged.

2004. December 19.

Online knowledge resource for national forest assessments (ForestPress)

An on-line Knowledge Reference on National Forest Assessment has been developed by FAO Forestry Department together with the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO). The reference is intended to serve as a worldwide knowledge resource for national forest assessments among foresters, scientists, teachers and other stakeholders, particular aiming at needs of developing countries. Since informed decisions about forest resources at national level have to be based on systematic inventory and monitoring, the reference will be a useful tool to support sustainable management of forest resources in the countries.

2004. December 17.

Scientists find new Indian monkey (BBC News)

By Alex Kirby environment correspondent A species of monkey unknown to science has been photographed in India by an international team of researchers. The monkey, a member of the macaque family, was sighted in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, which lies in the country's remote north-eastern region. Named the Arunachal macaque, the new monkey is a comparatively large brown primate with a relatively short tail. The scientists say they are surprised to have found a hitherto unknown large mammal in such a populous country.

2004. December 17.

Archives

Kyoto protocol

Brussels, 23 July 2003 What is the Kyoto Protocol? The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol provide the only international framework for combating climate change.1 The UNFCCC, the first international measure to address the problem, was adopted in May 1992 and came into force in March 1994. It obliges all its signatories to establish national programmes for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to submit regular reports, and demands that the industrialised signatory countries2, as opposed to developing countries, stabilise their greenhouse gas emissions at 1990 levels by the year 2000. This goal, however, is non-binding. By differentiating between industrialised and developing countries, the UNFCCC recognises that industrialised countries are responsible for most of the global greenhouse gas emissions and also have the institutional and financial capacities for reducing them. The Parties meet annually to review progress and discuss further measures, and a number of global monitoring and reporting mechanisms are in place to keep track of greenhouse gas emissions.

2004. December 16.

Mutual respect will help solve divisive forest issues, says Council Chair (ForestPress)

YOKOHAMA, JAPAN, 13 December 2004:Mutual respect will help solve divisive forest issues, says Council Chair. Potentially divisive issues to be debated this week at the 37th session of the International Tropical Timber Council will be dealt with constructively because of the prevailing atmosphere of mutual respect among its member countries, according to the Council’s Chairperson. The Council is the governing body of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the conservation and sustainable management, use and trade of tropical forest resources. Items on the Council’s agenda this week include analysis of issues relating to forest law enforcement, forest certification and the expansion of trade in tropical timber; in the past, these issues have sparked controversy between countries of the north and south. Reports will also be presented on ITTO missions to Fiji, Cambodia and Panama, which were mandated to identify those factors most limiting progress towards sustainable forest management in each country and to formulate action plans to help overcome such obstacles.

2004. December 15.

German forests in worse state than ever before (New Scientist/AFP)

BERLIN (AFP) - German forests are starting to show the drastic effects of the 2003 heatwave and have never been in such a poor state, a government report warned. Agriculture Minister Renate Kuenast said at least a third of trees in German forests were shedding their leaves and pine needles prematurely.

2004. December 14.

Denmark to grant Kenya 17.3m dollars to manage environment (Science News/(AFP)

NAIROBI – Denmark has agreed to grant Kenya 1.4 billion shillings (about 17.3 million dollars) to support environmental programmes, Environment Minister Kalonzo Musyoka said. The funds will be disbursed from January 2006 over a period of four years, Musyoka said in a statement.

2004. December 11.

Kenyan collects Nobel peace prize (ForestPress/BBC News)

Professor Maathai is also vocal on women's rights Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai has been presented with the Nobel Peace Prize for 2004 at a ceremony in Oslo. Professor Maathai, also Kenya's deputy environment minister, is the first African woman and environmentalist to win the prestigious award. The 64-year-old was honoured for her campaign to save Africa's trees and for promoting social, economic and cultural reforms that are ecologically viable.

2004. December 11.

Kenyan ecologist wins Nobel prize (ForestPress/BBC News )

Kenyan environmentalist and human rights campaigner Wangari Maathai has won the Nobel Peace Prize. She is the first African woman to be awarded the peace prize since it was created in 1901. A surprised Mrs Maathai broke the news to reporters minutes before the official announcement. The prize committee says Mrs Maathai, Kenya's Deputy Environment Minister, is an example for all Africans fighting for democracy and peace.

2004. December 11.

San Francisco Rules Could Bar Elephants from Zoo (FoestPress/Reuters)

By Adam Tanner SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Elephants must receive hundreds of times more space to live at San Francisco's zoo or not be kept at the facility, city legislators said on Tuesday in legislation that could effectively bar pachyderms for good. Animal rights advocates had sought a permanent ban -- which would have been a first for an urban zoo -- but the city's Board of Supervisors came up with a compromise to require the zoo to provide elephants 15 acres.

2004. December 11.

Europeans push to move against global warming

Buenos Aires, Argentina - European participants at a UN global climate conference are leading discussions on ways to cut greenhouse emissions after 2012, looking beyond the timeframe laid out to curb global warming set by the Kyoto Protocol. Yvo de Boer, the chief European Union negotiator, said Russia's recent ratification of the Kyoto Protocol had inspired the nearly 200 nations at the conference to consider a post-Kyoto framework to curtail the gases blamed for Earth's warming.

2004. December 10.

U.N.hopeful as climate talks begin (ForestPress/Reuters)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- A U.N. conference on climate change opened on Monday with delegates looking for any change in U.S. opposition to the Kyoto protocol after President George W. Bush's re-election and Russian ratification of the agreement. Russia's ratification has created the most optimistic mood in years among environmentalists.

2004. December 9.