Sri Lanka joins global fight against illegal wildlife trade

Former Deputy Director of Customs Samantha Gunasekara recently stated that the illegal trade in wildlife is the second largest illegal trade in the world, with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) figures estimating that it amounts to between S$91 billion and S$258 billion annually.

He made this statement at the ‘Illegal Trade in Wildlife’ panel discussion organised by the Base for Enthusiasts of Environmental Sciences and Zoology (BEEZ) of the Faculty of Science of the University of Colombo, Biodiversity Sri Lanka and the Institute of Environmental Professionals ( IEPSL) to mark World Environment Day (WED) 2016.

This year’s global theme for WED was ‘Go Wild for Life; Zero Tolerance for the Illegal Wildlife Trade’, where cross border trade that is currently threatening the world’s plants and animals, including our own, was brought under the microscope.

Gunasekara elaborated that this form of trafficking is defined as the sale or exchange of wild animals and plant resources – including their parts, products, derivatives, extracts and secretions – by people.

When an animal is killed or taken from the wild, despite the laws that are there to protect them, they become part of the illegal trade that has become widespread among many countries in the globe. Most often the illegal trade is associated only with endangered species but in reality this is not the truth. The sale of timber sourced from illegal logging and even the sale of fish caught in restricted areas or through illegal fishing methods can be considered part of the illegal trade in wildlife.

Today the illegal wildlife trade is thriving as a result because of a rise in demand for wildlife-based commodities such as bush meat, leather, fur and animal skins, carvings, jewellery and ornaments from ivory, rhino horn as well as substances, ornamental plants, medicine and even pets.

Illegal wildlife trade has many aspects to it, ranging from agricultural, economical and ornamental to pharmaceutical and nutraceutical and these are all relevant to the species in our country, according to Gunasekara.

Gunasekara further stated that Sri Lanka was a hotspot in terms of biodiversity as it has a high degree of endemism, but this creates a greater threat for the animals and plants in the country and makes it a target for the illegal wildlife trade.

He went on to highlight the consequences of exploiting the country’s wildlife.

“For 3,000 years we had the best pearls in the world and our biggest competitor was the Arabian Sea. Now they produce the best pearls in the world because our pearl industry was exploited by foreigners and our own people,” he opined.

The strategic location of the country also plays a huge role and as Sri Lanka is situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean and is a transit point in one of the busiest shipping routes, it is a part of the mounting illegal wildlife trade between Africa and East Asia.

The detection and capture of a container with 359 pieces of Blood Ivory weighing 1.5 tons on the way to Dubai form Kenya by the Sri Lanka Customs in 2012 is proof of this. In 2014, a convoy of 28 containers carrying a load of Rosewood timber worth $ 7 million, which was being transported from Zanzibar to Hong Kong via Sri Lanka, was also seized.

Pix by Lasantha Kumara

Environmental lawyer says severity of illegal wildlife trade being ignored

Presenting several instances of the illegal trade in wildlife that have taken place over the recent past, environmental lawyer Jagath Gunawardena questioned the extent to which people have grasped the severity of this issue.

“The illegal trade in wildlife is a problem we have been facing across three different dimensions for the last few decades, namely the domestic trade, the illegal export of animals and plant resources and the illegal imports of animals, plants and their resources,” said Gunawardena.

He went on to say that Sri Lanka needs to pay a lot more attention to these illegal imports because at the moment people are more concerned with the illegal wildlife trade going on internationally, between other countries, whereas the real problem is ignored.

“For example, a place like Diyatha Uyana contains several imported aquatic plants. But if you look at the regulations under the Plant Protection Act, no aquatic plant can be imported to Sri Lanka under regulations made in 1981. Yet some of these plants are imported and openly sold and are even becoming invasive species in the wild,” revealed Gunawardena.

He also examined the domestic dimension of the illegal trade.

“For example the Walla Patta issue is rarely spoken about even though it is a huge problem, and we have several other species almost driven to the point of extinction due to the unauthorised collection of specimens,” emphasised Gunawardena.

“We also talk about the killing of leopards and the bush meat trade when it comes to the illegal domestic trade in wildlife but what about illegal specimen collection of new species? This is never mentioned in any discussion,” he added.

Gunawardena went on to speak about the illegal export of Sri Lankan wildlife resources.

He stated that seashells, bird nests, coral and aquatic organisms were being exported illegally from Sri Lanka and this was a practice which was being largely ignored.

He elaborated that plants which are endemic to Sri Lanka are always under threat.

“Quite recently there was a case where a plant from Sri Lanka was illegally collected to make beauty products in foreign countries but this was never spoken about,” he added.

“These things are never mentioned and the way I see it there is something radically wrong with this whole approach,” stated Gunawardena.

Source :13/6/2016 Daily FT : http://www.ft.lk/article/547756/Sri-Lanka-joins-global-fight-against-illegal-wildlife-trade#sthash.N9qmdf3f.bn0SXh1L.dpuf

Sri Lanka govt, private outfits linked to illegal wild life trade

Organised criminals doing a thriving illegal wildlife trade in Sri Lanka are operating with the connivance of certain government and private sector institutions, a former senior Customs officer has charged.

Sri Lanka has become a transit point for the illegal trade in wildlife given its location on the main East-West trade route and good shipping connections, said Samantha Gunasekera, former Deputy Director of Customs.

The island is also one of the world’s top eight bio-diversity hotspots with criminals targeting many species because of their ornamental or medicinal value or colour, he told a forum on how to tackle the illegal trade in wildlife organised by Sri Lanka biodiversity enthusiasts.

“In Sri Lanka, certain government and private institutions are having connections with organised crime – wildlife criminals,” said Gunasekera, who was in charge of the Customs Biodiversity, Cultural & National Heritage Protection Division.

Many targeted plant species are well documented, especially medicinal plants, given their commercial value, he told the forum conducted jointly by the Biodiversity Sri Lanka, the Environmental Professionals of Sri Lanka and the Base for Enthusiasts of Environmental Science and Zoology, a student body at the University of Colombo.

The concentrated distribution of targeted species also made it easier for criminals, Gunasekera said.

Many endemic species are distributed in the south western part of Sri Lanka in small forest patches where the human population is high.

“That makes it easy to collect, especially by foreigners, who have contacts with locals, knowledgeable people who know where it is so they can collect within a few hours.”

The latest move by the local environmentalists comes as it was found that Sri Lanka is being used by the illegal wildlife traders operating between Africa and the East Asia region, as a point of their operations, the forum organisers said.

“Sri Lanka is strategically located in one of the busiest international shipping routes in the Indian Ocean and most of the container ships, particularly between Africa and the Gulf region, to the East Asian region, pass through the Colombo Port,” they said in a note.

“A growing illegal wildlife trade between Africa and the East Asian region takes place on this shipping lane.”

This is proven through detection and seizure in 2012 by the Sri Lanka Customs, of a blood ivory container with 359 pieces on board weighing 1.5 tonnes, en-route to Dubai from Kenya.

Another seizer of a massive consignment of 28 container loads of Madagascar Dalbergia timber (Rose Wood) worth US$ 7million, which was being transported from Zanzibar to Hong Kong via Sri Lanka in 2014 has also been recorded.
( Source : 13/06/2016  Economy Next http://www.economynext.com/Sri_Lanka_govt,_private_outfits_linked_to_illegal_wild_life_trade-3-5236-13.html )

Mass bleaching of Sri Lanka coral reefs

Higher than normal ocean temperatures off Sri Lanka’s coast is threatening to damage the best coral reefs in the island, according to surveys done by marine scientists of the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA).

“Underwater surveys shows widespread bleaching or whitening along the reefs, especially in shallow depths (of less than 10 meters) in the south and south west coast and also reported in Jaffna and Bar Reef in Kalpitiya,” a statement said.

NARA scientists diving on the reefs said huge areas of previously pristine reefs they have seen in Unawatuna, Weligama, Mirissa and Polhena are being turned into barren white.

All signs point to a repeat of a similar bleaching event in 1997/1998 which saw over 50 per cent of some reefs in Sri Lanka being destroyed, NARA said.

“Coral bleaching events have been increasing in both frequency and extent worldwide in the resent past years. Global climate change may play a role in the increase in coral bleaching events.”

NARA said the intolerable heat experienced over the past months is being blamed for the coral bleaching, which experts fear could be worse than in 1997/1998.

According to Mark Eakin, co-ordinator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Watch, the bleaching is very strong throughout south east Asia and the central Indian Ocean.

“Increased ocean temperatures due to climate change, combined with the warming effects of an El Niño pattern are driving temperatures to record levels and threatening to severely deplete the coral reef ecosystems that support fish habitats, shoreline protection and coastal economies mainly through fisheries and tourism,” he said.

Many of the reefs affected by the 1998 El Niño have made at least partial recoveries, NARA said.

“However, even when reefs do recover, old growth corals that may have taken centuries to mature are often replaced with faster growing species that quickly colonize large areas, homogenizing the ecosystem.”

Bleaching of coral reef may result in changes in diversity, with more sensitive coral species gradually being replaced by more tolerant ones, reducing the biodiversity of the coral reef.

(Source :13/06/2016 : Economy Next http://www.economynext.com/Mass_bleaching_of_Sri_Lanka_coral_reefs-3-5226-13.html)

LAUGFS Leisure drives cleaner coastal environment in Passikudah

LAUGFS Leisure recently organized a beach cleanup project in the Passikudah area in an effort to create awareness towards a cleaner and safer environment.

The staff of Anantaya Passikudah, the latest addition to the Anantaya luxury resort chain, teamed up and volunteered to clean the beach front in commemoration of the World Environment Day.

Speaking about this initiative LAUGFS Leisure – Director and CEO, Roshan R. Perera, remarked, “our resorts are truly committed to minimizing our environmental footprint and we continuously work towards promoting responsible and sustainable practices and preserving our natural surroundings. Anantaya Resort in Passikudah also shares these values and embraces this same spirit, which is why we have initiated this project even before the launch of the hotel”.

The increase in population, industrial activities and rapid urbanization have all had significant negative impacts on the environment, adversely affecting the rich bio-diversity of the country. The coastal areas of Sri Lanka, in particular, are affected by coastal water pollution, and preserving the rich marine environment have become areas of critical concern.

In a bid to promote responsible tourism, Anantaya resort chain has continuously focused on integrating sustainable practices throughout its operations and have initiated numerous best practices and awareness projects in its localities. Anantaya Resort in Chilaw is renowned for its ‘Eco Luxury’ concept and has been built with many energy saving and conservation measures incorporated into its design. From the use of renewable energy through its own solar and wind power generation to recycling of treated sewerage water for irrigation, the resort has taken many measures to co-exist in harmony with its natural environment.

It will also be one of the first hotels to initiate Eco-tours in Sri Lanka, whereby deploying eco-friendly hybrid and electric vehicles for excursions, as well as airport drops and pickups of its guests.

The Anantaya Resort in Passikudah, is similarly built on a theme of eco-luxury with an environmentally-friendly design and energy efficient practices inbuilt to its operations.

The soon to be launched Resort occupies an area of 15 acres which was heavily polluted and bare for a long period of time.

(Source:09/06/2016  Daily News http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=2016/06/09/business/84047)

ODEL launches LUV Sigiriya campaign to protect historic site

10 reasons to be optimistic for forests

It’s easy to be pessimistic about the state of the world’s forests.

Yet all hope is not lost. There are remain good reasons for optimism when it comes to saving the world’s forests.

On the occasion of World Environment Day 2016 (June 5), the United Nations’ “day” for raising awareness and encouraging action to protect the planet, here are 10 forest-friendly trends to watch.

It’s easy to be pessimistic about the state of the world’s forests. Rates of forest loss remain persistently high, especially in the tropics and boreal regions. Drought, fragmentation, degradation via logging, and climate change are conspiring to make forests more vulnerable to fire: vast areas of forest went up in smoke across Canada, Russia, the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, and the Congo Basin in the past two years alone. Expanding human population and rising meat consumption are fueling a global land rush across much of the tropics. And while Brazil’s political crisis is threatening to undermine a decade’s worth of progress in curbing forest destruction, the prospect of Americans electing a president who intends to shred international climate commitments and calls for the embrace of the dirtiest of fossil fuels is downright terrifying for many environmentalists.

Yet all hope is not lost. There are remain good reasons for optimism when it comes to saving the world’s forests. On the occasion of World Environment Day 2016 (June 5), the United Nations’ “day” for raising awareness and encouraging action to protect the planet, here are 10 forest-friendly trends to watch.

1: Rising influence of activists

Over the past 30-40 years, drivers of deforestation have changed. Instead of most deforestation being caused by small farmers producing food for themselves and local markets, today deforestation in the tropics is primarily driven by commodity production for urban markets and export. That means corporations — through their supply chains — are ultimately linked to a greater share of deforestation than ever before. A byproduct of this shift is corporations have become a prime target for activists pushing for more forest-friendly sourcing practices. Indeed, campaigns byenvironmentalists have begun to transform how entire sectors go about producing, trading, and sourcing their commodities. The soy industry in the Brazilian Amazon was the first sector in 2006 to mandate zero deforestation. It was followed by similar commitments from major cattle players in the Amazon (2009), a number of palm oil companies (2010 to present), and the Indonesian pulp and paper industry (2013-2015). Other sectors are coming on board as well, with companies like McDonalds and Cargill pledging to cut deforestation out of supply chains ranging from coffee to cacao.

2: Corporate commitments and action

In response to environmental groups — and increasingly shareholders and local governments — companies are changing their practices. Since 2010, scores of companies have adopted “zero deforestation” policies that set social and environmental safeguards for their commodity sourcing. These range from consumer-facing companies based in the United States and Europe to multinational bulk commodity traders to in-country growers and producers. Critics rightly note that the commitment phase is much easier than the implementation phase, but words are starting to be put into action. And new technological tools are helping improve transparency around company supply chains.

3: Harnessing technology for good

In the early 2000s, Brazil was losing forest in the Amazon at a rate of 23,000 square kilometers — an area larger than Belize or the state of New Jersey — annually. In 2004, the South American country implemented a satellite-based deforestation monitoring system that enabled authorities to see where forest was being cleared on a monthly basis. Since then, the annual rate of clearing in the Brazilian Amazon has fallen 80 percent. Analysis suggests that the biggest factor in driving deforestation downwards was the satellite system, which increased transparency around forest use. Since then, technologies have only improved. Global Forest Watch, a tool developed by World Resources Institute, effectively extends Brazil’s system across the tropics, allowing near-real time monitoring of any forest. At the same time, near-surface and on-the-ground technologies ranging from camera traps to audio sensors to conservation drones have mushroomed. The proliferation of mobile phones have enabled virtually anyone to become an activist, whistleblower, or citizen journalist or scientist. Cell phones have also created unprecedented opportunities for once isolated groups and communities to connect, share knowledge, and mobilize against destructive projects.

4: Steps by governments

Like the private sector, governments seem to be taking forest issues more seriously than they did in the past. For example, the Norwegian government has committed billions toward tropical forest protection and even announced a zero deforestation procurement policy, while the U.S., European Union, and Australia have passed laws governing timber imports, attempting to close some of the loopholes that allow illegal timber imports. The crackdown on the ivory trade could help protect species with an important role in forest ecosystems: African and Asian elephants. In tropical nations,last year’s haze crisis has spurred Indonesia to pledge incredible steps to reform how forested land is used, including a peatlands restoration policy and a freeze on new palm oil concessions. If these measures are effectively implemented, it could reverse decades of forest degradation and destruction in Borneo and Sumatra.

5: Progress on climate change

Last year’s Paris agreement breathed new life into efforts to safeguard forests, which store hundreds of billions of tons of carbon. REDD+, a U.N.-led initiative that aims to create performance-based incentives for conserving forests, was one of the major advances in Paris. Curbing climate change would also help forests in other ways: models suggest warmer temperatures and increased CO2 levels heighten the risk of drought and tree die-off across large expanses of the tropics.

6: New leadership

While this topic was already touched on in point 4 above, it warrants its own call out. In the past, forest policy for tropical nations was often directed by governments and NGOs in the West, which increased animosity toward conservation, failed to stem rampant deforestation, and sometimes exacerbated on-the-ground conflict between local people and governments. However, that’s changing. Brazil has shown that it’s possible to disaggregate deforestation from economic growth, reducing deforestation in the Amazon 80 percent, while expanding agricultural production. That has offered a much more useful narrative for conservation efforts in countries like Indonesia that are prioritizing issues like rural poverty. Countries like Costa Rica (payments for ecosystem services) and Mexico (indigenous land rights) are pioneering new models that are informing policies in peer nations.

7: Traditional land rights

Two of the biggest trends in forest conservation in the past five years have been at opposite ends of the spectrum: corporate “zero deforestation” commitments and increasing recognition of the conservation value of securing land rights for forest-dependent communities, including indigenous peoples. The reason for the latter? A growing body of evidence indicating that locals do a better job of stewarding natural resources when their traditional management rights are recognized: deforestation in indigenous territories is often lower than in national parks. This recognition is now starting to happen in countries ranging from Mexico (an early leader) to Indonesia, where millions of hectares of state-owned land could potentially be turned over to indigenous control.

8: Commodity price reprieve

The global downturn in most commodities markets has stalled the massive run up in land prices in the tropics Ὰ at least temporarily. Despite a sustained rally in recent months, palm oil prices are trading at less than three-fifths their peak value of just a few years ago, while oil and gas prices remain far below early 2015 levels. Some conservationists say the commodity bust has bought time to purchase land for conservation or work to convince governments to create protected areas. Past declines have been when some commodity producers have adopted greener practices, including the soy moratorium and cattle agreement, to differentiate their product or remain competitive. Others are a bit less sanguine, arguing that reduced government revenue may spur cost-cutting for conservation or embolden industry to demand weakening of environmental laws.

9: Recognition of ecosystem services

The Paris Agreement re-ignited interest in forests for their carbon value, but broader recognition of the various services afforded by these ecosystems has been on the rise for years. Last year’s haze crisis sparked a crisis of conscience in Singapore, but also spurred awareness of the role Sumatra’s forests have in maintaining regional air quality. At the same time, Brazil’s severe drought awakened concern about the prospect of large-scale Amazon deforestation — combined with the effects of climate change — wreaking havoc on regional economies: power shortages from stalled hydropower stations, thirsty cities and empty reservoirs, parched farmlands, and transportation at a standstill due to dry riverbeds. And ever-improving science is showing that forest loss in the tropics can affect rainfall well beyond national borders — even across oceans. And yet we’re only beginning to understand what may hold the greatest value: biodiversity.

10: Restoration

Satellite imagery, better science, and growing interest in land-based solutions to mitigating climate change are spurring efforts to reverse some of the environmental damage inflicted on the planet in recent decades. The Bonn Challenge, established in 2011, aims to restore 150 million hectares of deforested and degraded lands by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030. While criticized by some as an wildly impossible target, countries are making significant commitments restore ecosystems, including more than 25 million hectares by governments and investors in Latin America. Perhaps the most ambitious goal was made by the Indonesian government in the aftermath of last year’s fire and haze crisis: no new planting of peatlands and restoration of all areas burned during the disaster.

Of course there are other things that should give forest fans reasons for hope: the continued expansion of protected areas, pressure from investors concerned about environmental performance, the mobilization of large amounts of money for forests by a new breed of philanthropists, and ongoing production of films and other media that showcase forests and the people and species that inhabit them.

Source : 08/06/2016- Mongaday (https://news.mongabay.com/2016/06/10-reasons-to-be-optimistic-for-forests/

Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet: Cleaning up Marine Debris from Natural Disasters

Sri Lanka reiterates its commitment to combat illegal trafficking of wildlife

June 07, New York: Sri Lanka stands ready to combat illegal trafficking of wildlife which has become one of the largest transnational organized criminal activities alongside drugs, arms and human trafficking, a top diplomat to the United Nations said Monday.

Delivering a statement at a special high-level event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York Monday, Ambassador and Chargé d᾽ Affaires of the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN, Sabarullah Khan said that while the world marked another World Environment Day on 5th June, wildlife and forests, flora and fauna are at this moment being ravaged due to transnational organized crime, impacting vulnerable communities and the fragile environment.

In his statement, Ambassador Khan noted that Wildlife and forest crime is today one of the largest transnational organized criminal activities alongside drugs, arms and human trafficking. “This is why our response must be a global effort,” he said.Sri Lanka Monday participated at a special event titled “Wildlife Crime and New York Launch of the World Wildlife Crime Report organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) together with the Permanent Missions of Germany and Gabon.

“Every country is either a source, or transit, or destination for these illegal products,” the Ambassador noted.

“My country stands ready to combat with utmost vigor the illegal trafficking of these products. In January this year (2016) Sri Lanka crushed and burnt its stockpile of confiscated elephant ivory comprising 359 elephant tusks. This ivory came from a single shipment weighing 1.5 tons seized in the Port of Colombo in May 2012,” Mr. Khan said.

He said that In a symbolic gesture that deeply affected our entire nation, Sri Lanka accompanied the crushing of this ivory stockpile, with an observance of two minutes silence, and a religious ceremony, led by Buddhist priests, and attended by all other religious dignitaries, to formally apologize on behalf of human society, to the elephants, who were so cruelly victimized by these heinous crimes. As one of the panelists noted it is the moral imperative that matters most he said.

The Ambassador said Sri Lanka has strict domestic laws for the protection of flora and fauna, within the broad framework of the convention of international trade in endangered species of wild flora and fauna.

He noted that Sri Lanka has a high level of biodiversity and a remarkable high proportion of endemic species, among its flora and fauna. In order to preserve their habitats, all natural forests in Sri Lanka have been set apart for the conservation of soil, water, and biodiversity.

Ambassador Khan added that Sri Lanka’s national policy on wild life conservation has been updated to respond to the evolving needs of Sri Lankan society.

The governments, scientists, civil society, academia, of the world have a shared responsibility to work together to end this crime, he said.

The launch of World Wildlife Crime Report will provide a key opportunity to take stock of international efforts to address wildlife crime, as countries work towards implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN last fall, the UNODC says.

The Goal 15 of SDGs calls upon all governments to “Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products,” and to “Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities.”

(Source : 07/06/2016 Colombo Page http://www.colombopage.com/archive_16B/Jun07_1465280658CH.php)

World Environment Day 2016: 5 of Your Favourite Foods Predicted to Go Extinct

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

World Environment Day (WED) is one of the greatest annual events celebrated across the globe on 5th June. The objective of the event is to raise awareness about the leading issue of the sustainability of our environment. It was initiated in 1973 by the United Nations General Assembly and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to address colossal issues like global warming, deforestation and food shortages among many others.

On World Environment Day, let’s awaken our conscience. With every passing year, the environment is getting degraded and rumours are afloat that if this continues, we might not be able to devour our favourite foods in the foreseeable future. Scientists have estimated that over two-thirds of flora and fauna that once inhabited the Earth are now extinct. Studies are now suggesting that certain human-induced environmental changes caused their eradication.

This year’s theme for World Environment Day is ‘Join the race to make the world a better place’. Here are five foods that our future generations could be deprived of, because of changes in the climate and our environment.

1.    Honey, where art thou?

Thinking of adding a spoonful of honey to your morning smoothie? Or how about your favourite honey chilli potatoes? Stock up on this liquid gold as a United Nations scientific report warns that 2 out of 5 honeybee populations are on the path to extinction. Simon Potts, Director of the Centre for Agri-Environmental Research in England remarked, “We are in a period of decline and there are going to be increasing consequences.”

Bees are responsible for pollinating more than 250,000 species of plants, including more than 90 food crops. So, the decline in the population of bees could also affect the food supply. The possible cause of this is the high use of insecticides and pesticides in farming which are lethal for the bees and other pollinators. The use of herbicides also hinders the work of pollinators since it eliminates the wildflowers and weeds which are usually helpful in the process. Robert Watson, a British Ecological Scientist said
that England has now started paying it’s farmers to plant wildflowers for bees in hedge rows.

A study published in the journal ‘Science’ shows that due to changing temperature and weather conditions, bees have failed to migrate and many populations have died. While some animals may have adjusted, the research on bees suggests that they don’t possess the ability to adjust easily to new environments.

2.  Goodbye chocolate!
Andrew Jarvis, leader of the decision and policy analysis Program at International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) says that although chocolate is not essential for our survival, it can help in raising awareness about the increasing rate of climatic changes by “hitting people’s soft spots.”

The core issue here, is that due to rising temperatures and constant change in weather patterns, it is difficult to produce cocoa. The rising temperature leads to ‘evapotranspiration’ in the cocoa trees which makes them lose more water into the air and thereby lowering its yielding capacity. Scientists have predicted that chocolate production will significantly diminished by 2030. It has also been predicted that in the next 40 years, the temperature in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, where 70% of cocoa is grown, is set to rise by 2°C. This will make the climate too hot and dry for growing cocoa trees.

3. Sorry, no coffee or wine with that

According to a research conducted by UK’s Royal Botanical Gardens, Arabica and Robusta, which are the main sources of coffee would suffer greatly because of environment changes. It also revealed that the number of locations where Arabica coffee grows would decrease by 85% by 2080. High temperature and extreme conditions are leading to coffee rust and fungus that are invading many plantations. Another problem is depleting water supplies. Severe drought in Brazil, flooding in Honduras and Vietnam running out of water shows that the problems have already started surfacing.

Climate is the most critical aspect for the ripening of fruit to its best quality in the production of wine. It has been seen, that the world’s premium wine regions are under threat due to hotter and unpredictable weather like Bordeaux and Rhone regions in France, Tuscany in Italy and Napa Valley in California.

4. The plunging future of seafood

Due to global warming, the temperature of the sea has started to rise, causing a sharp decline of a number of water-species. If the planktons, which are kind of algae and shrimps found in oceans and seas, were to go extinct, it would definitely have an impact on the population of fish and other seafood. UK’s Government Chief Scientific Advisor, Sir Mark Walport declared that “Thanks to man-made CO2, the acidity of oceans has increased by 25% since the dawn of the industrial revolution”. This threatens a whole wide range of ocean species.

5.    King Corn – No More?
Bad news for corn lovers. According to a study in the journal of Science titled ‘Climate change curbs crops’, it has been reported that the global corn production has been nearly 4% lower than it would have been if the climatic changes were slowed down. This is happening due to global warming. Just 1 degree Celsius rise in temperature, decreases the rate of corn production by as much as 7%. Corn is also a major feeding source of livestock, so a lower production of corn would mean expensive meat.

Deforestation and Palm Oil

While our favourite foods may be disappearing, the production of those that are not really needed is on a rise. One such product is the Palm Oil, which could be a reason for the loss of our favourite foods.

Palm oil is a type of edible vegetable oil that is derived from the palm fruit. It can grow and flourish wherever heat and rainfall are abundant. Where does the problem lie? Tropical forests are being cleared to make space for palm oil plantations. Thus, carbon dioxide is released in the atmosphere along with other greenhouse gases, elevating global warming. Top fast food brands in the world use palm oil to fry and bake their foods. Hence, they play a key factor in aggravating the situation by being a major buyer of palm oil.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, “an area equivalent to the size of 300 football fields of rainforest is cleared each hour to make way for palm oil production. This large-scale deforestation is pushing many species to extinction.” A new industry standard of deforestation-free palm oil has emerged. Sustainable palm oil is an approach to oil palm plantation which aims to produce palm oil without endorsing deforestation.  Palm oil is present in a wide range of products which includes: baked goods, confectionery, washing detergents, shampoo and cosmetics.
We know that we should conserve our resources (reduce, reuse and recycle), which helps in lessening the impact of human activities on the natural ecosystem but we rarely do anything about it.  This is easy to achieve by making small changes like switching to organic food as chemical fertilizers emit a great amount of greenhouse gases.  You should also prefer locally grown food because they do not require transportation which can impact the pollution levels. It has been further seen that the way food is grown, has a greater impact in reducing carbon emissions than the over-all emission as a result of shipping. Do your bit and you’ll still be enjoying your favourites on the dinner table many years from now.

World Environment Day messages

Humans must know their boundaries when dealing with environment: President

The human being, as a cultural creature, is considered more important than any other living creature because of their ability to conquer the environment, President Maithripala Sirisena said.

“Although, the mankind was forced to make changes in the environment to a certain extent to build essential things for survival of them such as houses and roads, the natural disasters which occur from time to time, emphasise to the human beings regarding their boundaries that they should know while dealing with the environment,” he stated in a message to mark World Environment Day.

Following is the full text of the message of the President:

“Human being, as a cultural creature, is considered more important than any other living creature because of their ability to conquer the environment. Although, the mankind forced to make changes in the environment to a certain extent to build essential things for survival of them such as houses and roads, the natural disasters occur from time to time emphasize the human beings regarding their boundaries that they should know while dealing with the environment.

At present, the environment has gone beyond its earlier depiction as a topic of natural beauty and today it is a major topic of the global dialogue the context of the scientific structure.

Discoveries like land degradation due to the global warming, many issues arisen as a result of the climate change, medical science findings about respiratory diseases that carbon emissions can directly cause for these diseases has made this dialogue more pivotal.

All prominent nations have given priority to this vital topic and, approach toward this subject with utmost concern as they have understood the profound truth that humans cannot survive by going against the environment.

Various programmes were launched across the world to mark World Environment Day with the aim of taking this decisive dialogue to the public.

I believe, we as a country, step by step becoming the part of the list of the countries of natural disaster risk. Hence, it is essential to understand this message about the environment.

I believe, in this Day of World Environment we can spread the message of environmental dialogue, which compels the humans to be satisfied with a development level that the environment could tolerate, among the Sri Lanka community.”

———————————————————————————————————————

Don’t neglect nature: PM

It is a tragedy that people who are ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their religion, tend to neglect nature, which is the spirit of all these religions, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe states in an Environment Day message.

The Prime Minister also noted that it is insensitive to refrain from taking measures to protect the environment, while knowing that environmental annihilation leads to the extinction of human beings.

The theme of this year’s environment day celebrations is ‘Seven Billion Population – One Planet – Lets Handle Carefully.’ Nature has gifted most essential resources for the human being. Extreme greed leads humans to exploit natural resources and this situation has led to the extinction of nature and human being, he said.

The Prime Minister said the theme of this year’s environment day has emphasised the importance of protecting nature for the betterment of all.

“Through the positive changes of lifestyles such as economising on water and electricity consumption, minimising the usage of polythene and the usage of alternative sources, reforestation, proper garbage disposal practices, we can contribute for the protection of nature,” Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said.

—————————————————————————————————————————

How Important are environmental issues for  people’s representatives in the parliament in Sri Lanka?

Source :  06/06/2016 Daily News ( Sri Lanka ) http://dailynews.lk/?q=2016/06/06/local/83759 and www.manthri.lk