By Stephen Leahy
Mar 20 (IPS) – The Pacific region has long been a favourite target of gene hunters, unethical bio-researchers and “patent bottom trawlers” looking to profit from its unique flora, fauna — and human beings.
Pacific Islanders have had their genes patented against their will. T-cells from the Hagahai tribe in Papua New Guinea can be purchased today on the internet for 216 dollars.
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Last night a bunch of folks were berating me for my depressing tales about species extinction, deforestation, climate change, toxic pollution etc. Depressing yeah but it is what it is.
Who wants the weather guy to tell you its sunny outside when its raining?
As a species we seem to need constant reminding of things going wrong before we take action or change what we’re doing.
That said I hope to do more stories about solutions to environmental issues and problems.
Ideas are always welcome.
Thirstier World Likely to See More Violence
By Stephen Leahy
Mar 16 (IPS) – A strong link between droughts and violent civil conflicts in the developing world bodes ill for an increasingly thirsty world, say scientists, who warn that drought-related conflicts are expected to multiply with advancing climate change.
“Severe, prolonged droughts are the strongest indicator of high-intensity conflicts,” said Marc Levy of the Centre for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University’s Earth Institute in New York.
Paraphrase for the Day II:
Iraq’s environment is a mess. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are open sewers. But the environment isn’t an important issue when you might get a bullet in the head stepping outside your door.
— Azzam Alwash, CEO Nature Iraq a conservation NGO in Baghdad.
Story to be published shortly.
Paraphrase of the Day:
Around the world there is growing anger that while the rich are the cause of global warming it is the poor who will suffer the most.
— Satish Kumar, director of programmes at Schumacher College International Centre for Ecological Studies in Britain.
See Story
My Peak Fish story is referenced on a relatively new ecology and science blog carnival called “Oekologie“.
What’ a Blog Carnival?
Here’s what I found out. People collect the best blog posts on a given topic, and then someone puts all those posts together in a blog post called a “carnival”. With “Oekologie” a different site hosts the once a month carnival.
It’s a very smart idea and makes for great reading. (And certainly not because my one of stories is posted)
In the 12 years I have covered environmental issues for newspapers, news services and magazines I have rarely spoken to elected officials who head state, provincial or federal environment departments. Instead I leave a trail of unanswered messages or play phone tag with government PR folks who know little about their department or aren’t willing to comment.
That’s my North American experience 95 per cent of the time.
So today I phone Baghdad.
E-Waste Dumping Needs International Solution
By Stephen Leahy
Mar 9 (IPS) – A global public-private partnership was launched this week to reduce the toxic mountains of electronic waste and recycle increasingly valuable metals and components.
Much of the nearly 40 million tonnes of “e-waste” — discarded electronics and electrical appliances — produced globally each year ends up in China, India and other developing countries.
Continue reading
Frogs Fading Into Silence
By Stephen Leahy
The extinction of amphibians in Latin America has reached alarming proportions: 209 species in Colombia and 198 in Mexico alone are in danger of disappearing forever
Mar 5 (Tierramérica) – Frogs and other amphibians are rapidly becoming extinct around the world and in Latin American countries in particular. In the Caribbean as many as 80 percent of these species are endangered, while in Colombia there are 209 and in Mexico 198 amphibians may soon disappear.
Environmental degradation along with habitat loss, ultraviolet radiation, disease and climate change are all factors involved in these unprecedented losses.
Paraphrase for the day:
One tonne of discarded mobile phones has about 7000 euros worth of precious metals.
— Ruediger Kuehr of the United Nations University
Story about a global public-private initiative is now available see 40 Million Tonnes of Electronic Waste. Describes global effort to reduce the toxic mountains of electronic waste and recycle increasingly valuable metals and components.
My related articles:
Greener Cell Phones Thanks to European Laws
30 Million Lead-laden TVs Dumped on Poor Countries
Stephen Leahy, International Environmental Journalist 