During the Cold War Russia had created a base called the Nagurskoye airbase that included a weather station and a communications outpost in the Franz Josef Land archipelago. Originally, the runway could only handle planes that would be equivalent to the B-52 American airplane. The air base has now been expanded to include icebreaking submarine nuclear missile bombers called the Delta IV. It can have up to 12.8 megatons of nuclear firepower with only 4 missiles. Russia also possesses almost 40 icebreakers with more on the way, making it the largest fleet of icebreakers in the world.

Although this military base is the main threat to Canadian and other Western countries, Russia’s goal is to discover the untapped natural resources and new shipping routes that are being uncovered from the melting snow. According to Administrator Alexander Moiseyev, chief of Russia’s Northern Fleet,

“The complex ice conditions make it necessary to organize safe shipping, so Russia insists on a special regime of its use.”

 Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited estimates that put the value of Arctic mineral riches at $30 trillion. This is part of the first plan for Russia’s climate change mitigation in terms of lowering the threat of climate change to their country. Russia’s two-year plan to mitigate climate change has also written that there are positives to climate change, and finding the untapped reserves in the Arctic is one of them.

This has been the most activity the North Arctic has experienced and has caught the world’s attention. With Russia’s high military presence, it would be difficult for other countries to be active without conflict.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it “increases the dangers of accidents and miscalculations and undermines the shared goal of a peaceful and sustainable future for the region. So, we have to be vigilant about that.”

Russia views the Northern Sea Route (NSR), as a domestic passageway, while other countries see it as an international passageway. Blinken has also made it clear to the Arctic Council that it is warming 2.5 times as fast as the rest of the world. According to predictions, the Arctic is assumed to be completely ice-free by 2050. The Arctic is responsible for regulating the climate for the rest of the world and absorbing dangerous UV rays the sun emits.

With current testing of the nuclear missiles Russia carries, it can have an impact on the environment if ever launched. Nuclear bombs decimate anything that is within the radius of the missile’s potential. Effects from fallout can include future genetic mutations. In this case, to be surrounded by water may have a greater impact when Russia is testing in the Arctic to the eggs and larvae of marine organisms.  The fallout can cause immense darkness [to the area] and cause plant death-causing starvation up the food chain. The Arctic already has a scheduled lack of daylight annually, and it could be made worse if the activity continues.

Authors of an article published in “The Atomic Scientist, further speculate even small-scale use of nuclear warheads could deplete the ozone layer, shorten the growing season, increase temperature, and hasten the effects of global warming.

However, despite these warnings, it seems that Russia is on a steadfast mission for economic growth regardless of the environmental costs. Though it is important to note that it is not alone in doing so and many other countries are also in the process of developing in the Arctic, including Canada. 

This story is not new in the current era of development, although there is one difference. This time people are noticing and cautioning against such a move if anything to protect a testament of time. The Arctic, stubborn, beautiful, cold, and, with hope, untouchable even by the hands of cruel progress. 

The post Russia “Rushes” to the Arctic Circle as Ice Recedes appeared first on A\J.

Almost every sector of the economy would benefit from oil sand development. But through all the positive economic growth Canada would receive, it is necessary to look at the impact on the environment it will have.

The refined oil will be transported through pipelines. Any released bitumen through a spill, leak, or rupture can contaminate the surrounding land or water. Tailing ponds to store the liquid to retrieve the oil can be shown to leak chemicals into the surrounding water supply like the Athabasca River and the Mackenzie River. Additionally, the environmental impact assessment (EIA) conducted in the area shows that the overall quantity of chemicals (PAH) is lower than that which naturally occurs in recovering petrol. A change in formula can have health risks to the surrounding population.

These chemicals can cause upper respiratory issues on site. Moreover, the chemicals that are released through a spill, leak, or rupture, that do not work directly on-site will soon have more complicated issues like headache, nausea, skin rashes, and respiratory symptoms which coincide with exposure to crude oil.

Working on the oil sands can have an increased health risk, and during the current COVID-19 pandemic it will make it much worse. According to unnamed contractors, workers did not have inadequate distancing, testing, or sanitization Those that currently work at CNRL Horizon in the Alberta Oil sands have stated, “We don’t feel safe here, but we keep working because everybody wants to work,” one contractor at Horizon said.

It is difficult for these workers to bring complaints about these safety issues to those higher on the corporate ladder,  due to fear of losing their job. The liability does not fall on the oil sand operators anymore regarding the environment or the health and safety of the workers.

“We’re all feeling like, head down, blinders on. Don’t even look around you and just try to get through your shift without getting sick.”

It is frivolous to think that mining for crude oil will disappear in the next 10 years. But companies should have federal and provincial policies in place to protect the health of their workers – and the general public – from irreversible harm. “Personally, with experience in seeing all sides of corporate and environmental relationships, I know products must exist for now. But it is difficult for me to understand why an unexplored market could be so scary to a company when investments are made all the time for new products. 

Do you think you could help me understand?

The post The liability falls where in Alberta? appeared first on A\J.

The United Nations SDGs // Source: UN

The SDGs, adopted in 2015, outline seventeen interconnected goals that acknowledge that efforts to end poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health, education, reduce inequality and tackle the challenges of climate change. Assessment of the first five years of SDGs implementation suggest that the world is off track to realize the set objectives by the 2030 target. Meanwhile, extreme weather events, wildfires and related environmental challenges, particularly, over the past few decades necessitate accelerated action if a planetary catastrophe is to be avoided. Given these ongoing and persistent challenges, the UN in September 2019 called on all sectors of society (global, national, local and individuals) to mobilize for a ‘Decade of Action’ on the SDGs. This call emphasizes the need for cross-sectoral coordination and collaboration in the implementation of the SDGs with a call for faster and more ambitious responses to stimulate environmental, social and economic transformation. Maintaining focus on the SDGs implies a holistic approach to development that focuses not only on the wellbeing of humans but also safeguards the planet upon which human lives depend. Actions to accelerate progress on the SDGs are even more urgent now because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which threatens to derail SDGs implementation.

Non-state actors, specifically community-based organizations promoting conservation, are relevant stakeholders with activities that contribute to the objectives of the SDGs. Organizations promoting sustainable development present an opportunity to pursue a path of green recovery from the negative impacts on the economy and the planet.

Community-based organizations reflect a change in focus from these top-down approaches to the bottom-up, where local goals tend to focus on regaining autonomy and control over natural resources and improving social and economic wellbeing. Community-based programs are generally based on the premise that local people have greater interest in the sustainable use of natural resource than outside actors, and thus can be more cognizant of the intricacies of local ecological processes and practices. While it is important not to essentialize or homogenize ideas of ‘community’ and ‘conservation’ without regard for local contexts, finding innovative solutions to complex environmental and development issues often requires outside expertise and training in collaboration with local knowledge. In this way, community-based organizations can help to ensure a holistic and cautioned approach to development. This approach is unique in that it often considers differing worldviews that may reflect alternative definitions of conservation and development, local systems of land tenure, and the gendered divisions of labour in economic activities, to ensure that rural communities really do benefit from these initiatives. Community-based approaches highlight the importance of local context and agency, and that there is no one size fits all approach to achieving SDG objectives.

Bamboo provides a prime example of a resource that has been increasingly promoted as contributing to sustainable futures, as it is sought-after in diverse industries of the growing global “green economy” as an alternative to timber due to its fast-growing and structurally durable properties. Bamboo is considered a resource that—when grown and harvested following sustainable management practices—can achieve positive environmental, social, and economic outcomes. Ecosystem services provided by bamboo include carbon storage and sequestration, soil and water regulation, and biodiversity conservation.

Bamboo forest // Source: Unsplash

In many bamboo habitat countries, the resource plays an important role in cultural heritage and provides socio-economic benefits through supplementary income for the rural poor. Due to these components, bamboo is promoted to contribute to at least seven of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including: no poverty (SDG 1); affordable and clean energy (SDG 7); sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11); responsible consumption and production (SDG 12); climate action (SDG 13); life on land (SDG 15); and partnerships for the SDG goals (SDG 17).

Credit: Tamara L. Britton and Eunice A. Annan-Aggrey

Community-based bamboo development projects are taking place all over the world, ranging from bamboo charcoal projects as an economically viable alternative to wood charcoal in Madagascar; community-based bamboo nurseries in the Philippines; bamboo disaster relief building projects, construction and bamboo management training programs in Ecuador and Nicaragua; community-based bamboo processing factories in China; and community-based management of natural bamboo forests in Laos.

Due to small budgets, community-based projects like these often cannot compete with the wide scale promotion and ambitious claims made by larger-scale development initiatives. However, in practice, many community-based programs often have a greater long-term impact on community wellbeing and autonomy. Thus, there is a research gap to be addressed on the contribution of smaller-scale grassroots conservation movements and researchers from Global South countries regarding SDG objectives.  

Credit: Tamara L. Britton and Eunice A. Annan-Aggrey

In a post-pandemic world, if SDG targets are to be met amidst an increasingly uncertain economic future, it is crucial that conservation and development projects invest in building resilient communities through agroecological solutions and strengthening environmental stewardship to ensure that the rural poor are not completely dependent on external markets for their livelihoods.

The UN Decade of Action is a clarion call for an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to keep the wheels of development turning.

The SDGs include an ambitious target to combat climate change. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities of the economic systems upon which development is hinged. Thus, the need for integrated development that encompasses socio-economic and environmental progress is relevant now more than ever. The UN Decade of Action is a clarion call for an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to keep the wheels of development turning. Community-based organizations are rising to the task. Indeed, integrated solutions and green alternatives chart a course that holds optimism for a greener, more inclusive future.

This article is part of our March 2021 Western Student Editorial Series – a series that showcases the works of students in the Collaborative Specialization in Environment and Sustainability program. Read more articles from this series here!

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It is easier to adjust human created rules than it is to override the laws of nature. Canadian journalist and activist Naomi Klein borrowed a set of that piece of Julius Caesar wisdom when developing the Leap Manifesto, which launched last September. Caesar meant it in the context of adding an extra day every four years, keeping our calendars synced with the seasons. Klein uses it in the context of fighting climate change.

Klein, author of This Changes Everything, Avi Lewis, director of the documentary of the same name and their team brought the Leap Manifesto to an audience in Paris in conjunction with the UN climate negotiations (COP21).

“We have political and economic systems that seem wholly incapable of rising to the existential crisis of climate change. Yet rather than change those systems and adapt to that reality so we can safeguard life on earth, we have politicians and corporations who are trying to negotiate with the laws of nature,” Klein said.

Currently, negotiators representing countries from around the world, developing and developed, are attempting to hash out a deal that will prevent the earth from warming more than 2 degrees. That number was decided on at COP15 in Copenhagen, island nations like The Maldives fought for a 1.5 degree limit, which they need to prevent rising sea levels from engulfing their lands.

“It is in fact the politicians and CEOs locked up in Le Bourget, who are in fact living in a dream world,” Klein said. She is fighting for solutions to a multi, overlapping crisis. Rather than pitting environmental issues with the economy and social inequity, Klein says Canada, and the world, needs to create integrated solutions. “Integrated solutions that will radically bring down climate change while simultaneously building more just economies and democracies based on true equality.”

For decades, western society has been told it needs to choose between protecting the environment and the economy, said Klein. That is where the creation of the Leap Manifesto came from, released during the federal election to prompt candidates to take on concrete, science-based climate policies. She describes the manifesto as less than a political party but more than a petition.

Klein and co are proposing to turn February 29, 2016 (a leap day) into a global day for climate justice where communities around the world release their own manifestos tailored to their needs and adhering to the laws of nature.

“I refuse to leave our future in the hands of the world leaders cloistered in Le Bourget,” Klein said. (Le Bourget is the site of COP21). Many NGOs have similar messages, that the Paris summit is not the end-all-be-all of climate change mitigation. There needs to be plans and ambition that goes far beyond Paris.

“We know that at the end of this summit, we are not going to have anything that deserves to be described as success. But we cannot afford to give into despair at the end of this summit. We need a post-Paris plan, a people’s plan,” Klein said. 

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COP21 is expected to attract over 50,000 participants. In addition to the Parties, thousands of non-government and inter-government organizations will attend, each representing various interests, from indigenous peoples to trade unions to business. Among the nine “constituencies,” or coalitions of like-minded organizations officially recognized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is the Women and Gender Constituency. This group will work to bring gender issues to the fore of conference proceedings and outcomes.

But what does gender have to do with climate change?

Women comprise 70 percent of the world’s poor—and those with the least resources are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Women, for example, are more likely than men to die in extreme weather events and may be disproportionately affected urbanization, migration and conflict related to climate change. Moreover, women hold primary responsibility for household and community food, water and energy, particularly in developing countries. When climate change affects these resources, women bear the consequences first and foremost. As Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director for UN Women, wrote for the Huffington Post last year, while world leaders negotiate a climate change agreement, “a mother in Ethiopia will make the difficult choice to take her daughter out of school to help in the task of gathering water, which requires more and more time with each passing year.”

Women are on the front lines of climate change, witnessing effects firsthand and often acquiring necessary skills for adaption and management. Women are therefore critical both to understanding climate change and to developing solutions.

For these reasons, members of the Women and Gender Constituency, along with many individuals, organizations, and Parties concerned about gender issues, are working to ensure that any agreement reached at COP21 is “gender responsive.”

What would this look like?

First, decision-making processes would include equal numbers of men and women at all levels, from local community organizations to Party delegations and official UNFCCC bodies. Currently, executive bodies established under the Convention are mandated to achieve gender equality, yet in 2015 remain predominantly male. Second, gender equality and gender justice would be incorporated in meaningful ways throughout the text of any binding climate agreement, including all major sections of the document: articles on mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology transfer and capacity building.

Although gender was slow to be recognized as a vital aspect of climate change negotiations, some recent progress has been made. At COP20 last year, the Lima Work Programme on Gender was established to help achieve a gender-responsive climate agreement. At subsequent meetings in early 2015, gender-related issues were included throughout a draft climate agreement. However, a much shortened draft of the agreement, released October 5 and meant as basis for negotiations in Paris, has much of this language removed. The WGC and concerned Parties will work hard to retain and strengthen gender-responsive language at COP21, particularly on December 9, which has been designated “Gender Day.”

The post Why Gender Matters at COP21 appeared first on A\J.

On March 17 and 18, I had the opportunity to attend Americana 2015, the “largest environmental multi-sectoral trade show and conference in North America.” I got to wander the trade show floor and witness many wonderful new technologies and innovations that will contribute to a more sustainable world; nanotechnology and solar energy storage (showcased by Advanced Solar Storage), waste and water treatment (Pyro Green Innovations), electric cars and car-sharing (such as the car share company MOPeasy in France), environmental networking (Réseau Environnment, Renewable Energy Hamburg), and information services (ERIS, Ecolog), just to name a few.

Perhaps my most notable experience was sitting in on discussions about the “Acting on Climate Change” report released by Sustainable Canada Dialogues and published in A\J. There is no way that I can capture all the ideas and thoughts mentioned during the two hour panel, but there were several strong themes.    

1. We must act, and we must act now.

Unless the world changes the high-carbon course that it is on, humanity is going to face some dire consequences, some of which are already beginning to affect us (the record-breaking snowfalls on the East Coast this winter being a prime example). Panel members Helle Bank Jorgensen, David Cadman and several others spoke of the fact that the longer we put off action against climate change the higher the costs will be. Increasing food prices and insurance premiums, biodiversity losses, rising sea level and more extreme weather are just some of the results of global climate change. In Canada in particular, many of our natural resources (farms, forests, fisheries) on which our economy relies are at risk.             

2. We must act together.

Uniformly, every member of the panel spoke of the need to work together on the issue of climate change. Catherine Potvin nicely summed up much of the rhetoric, saying, “we need collaboration, not confrontation.” So often, in the debate about what should be done on climate change, we look for somewhere to point fingers. It was stressed, time and time again, that everyone needs to take action, in both the public and private sectors, and at every level of government – and many solutions were put forward.

Private sector

As showcased on the trade show floor, many businesses are in fact leading the way in sustainability initiatives. A talk by Cary Krosinsky on “the business case for sustainability and low carbon” was particularly enlightening. Krosinsky pointed out that often in the political arena, the environment and the economy seem to be at odds. But in fact, he said, having a good business very often means having a low-carbon one. Simply put: businesses that are energy and resource efficient save money. Furthermore, businesses that want to both manage their risks and maintain a good public image realize that working to limit climate change is imperative.

Everyone needs to take action, in both the public and private sectors, and at every level of government.

Federally, Provincially, Municipally

Cities were often cited as the drivers of change and centres of innovation when it comes to sustainability. And since more than 80 per cent of the Canadian population lives in cities, they will necessarily be areas where change can have a great effect. Comprehensive urban planning, promoting green infrastructure, and supporting active and public transit are all tactics that will play a key role in mitigating climate change.

Provinces also have a large role to play in Canada’s fight against climate change. In part by providing funding, but also by planning for large transit schemes and pressuring the federal government to act as an example for both Canadians and the larger international community. Currently, the federal government is playing catch-up to Canadian provinces and cities when it comes to green initiatives, and the actions outlined in the “Acting on Climate Change” report are a way to return Canada to its position as a leader in environmental stewardship on the international stage.

Globally

Getting every country at the table to discuss global climate change is imperative. Nicolas Chapuis, the French ambassador to Canada, pointed out that no country in our hyper-globalized world operates independently. This necessitates international co-operation and networking. The Belgian and French pavilions showcased examples from their countries, including the Advancity science and business cluster that has been created in Paris in order to foster innovations in environmental technology and policy.

The Ambassador expressed high hopes for the climate talks in Paris in 2015, and stressed the importance of putting forward solutions that are equitable. In previous international climate change meetings, developing countries have often decried international climate policies (where strategies to reducing carbon emissions may affect their economic growth) as “new colonialism.” We need to promote shared responsibility, but remain flexible in our policy-making and recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. For example, developing nations can’t be asked to curb their carbon emissions without technological and monetary support from developed countries.

3. There is hope, and lots of it.

Overall, there was a pervading feeling of hope at this conference. Every speaker was confident that change could happen – and, in fact, is already happening. Cap-and-trade schemes (in Quebec and California) and carbon taxation (in British Columbia) are already decreasing carbon emissions. Interestingly, neither strategy was promoted as the “right” one, as they both have their pros and cons. It was simply stressed that carbon pricing is a necessity and it was important to choose a strategy that was appropriate for wherever it was being applied.

Furthermore, many cities have already taken it upon themselves to become carbon-neutral, or are adopting “smart growth” policies. Public transit plans like Bus Rapid Transit in Curitiba, Brazil are up and running – and are environmentally, socially and economically successful.

Finally, I think the most important point was made by Mark Stoddart: any action on climate change needs to both educate and, critically, to engage the public. Everyone is – or will be – affected by climate change, but everyone can also take action, no matter how small, to lessen the impacts. It’s just a matter of getting everyone talking, thinking and doing something about it.

The post The Keys to Climate Action appeared first on A\J.

WHILE GUIDING A GROUP of Danish tourists in the Manu Park region of the Peruvian Amazon in June 2012, William Huamani noticed something odd from their long boat on the Alto Madre de Dios river. “About 900 meters away I saw a naked man waving his hands, like [he was] asking for help,” explains Huamani. Using binoculars, he could see the man’s skin texture was hard and that his penis was strapped to his waist. The stranger had a big capyvara tooth, which is used as a knife. 

“All of a sudden this guy started running toward the boat and grabbed some rocks and started throwing them at us,” recalls Huamani. “He started also to throw arrows and one went on top of the roof of the boat. I told our boat driver to go faster and save the group. We managed to make it to the other side of the river, and from that far we saw more naked people showing their heads out.” 

This surprise encounter with a group of seven males, three females and two children – likely Mascho-Piro people – was Huamani’s first. He has since had two more run-ins, but “they seemed more tranquil” on those occasions. Huamani and his siblings operate Bonanza Tours in a large tract of jungle forest that is perpetually threatened by the logging industry. 

There may be more than 90 uncontacted tribal groups in the Amazon rainforests.

“I know in this park there are other tribes that haven’t been in touch with civilization and they are fighting for territory between other native groups,” says Huamani. Persistent reported sightings of Mascho-Piro people since 2008 – some aggressive – resulted in a short-lived public debate about what to do and how to handle their protection. Former Peruvian president Alan Garcia refused to acknowledge that uncontacted Amazon tribes exist at all, likely because of the complicated and delicate nature of the situation. 

Agencies such as FUNAI (Brazil’s National Indian Foundation) have reported that there may be more than 90 uncontacted tribal groups in the Amazon rainforests. They also report that Mascho-Piro people face pressure from legal and illegal logging practices, drug traffickers, overhead helicopters flown by industrial prospectors and eager missionaries. This might explain their movement in more exposed areas. 

It’s possible that the Peruvian government’s recent pledge to consult Indigenous people about development projects on their land may eventually impact the status of uncontacted people, but it does not address their appearance in places like Manu Park. Patrollers fearing more aggressive encounters have advised the Huamani’s to keep away from the Mascho-Piro people. This is not realistic for them and others who live and work in the area. 

Economic pressures are increasing and likely pushing the Mascho-Piro people farther upriver and closer to industry, communities and lodges. Locals feel a genuine and foreboding sense of urgency, compassion and helplessness regarding the tribe’s protection. 

What do we do with an uncontacted culture living precariously in a complex world? Doing nothing only accepts the Mascho-Piro people’s expulsion from the land. Establishing an uncontacted people’s protection zone seems unlikely, given the importance of the region to other communities and industry. An intervention of some sort seems likely, but to what end? Transferring power to the Mascho-Piro to decide their own future would not be easy to do. 

But no solution will emerge until encounters like the Huamani’s are acknowledged as fact, not fiction. 

Learn more or get involved at survivalinternational.org. 

The post Time to Share appeared first on A\J.

As Canadians, our values of kindness, honesty, respect and integrity lie at the core of how we see ourselves. We take pride in our place among the nicest people in the world. However, the Canadian government is on another planet when it comes to how it is behaving at the COP20 United Nations climate negotiations in Lima, Peru this week.

There’s a void the size of the boreal forest between the Canada we want to have, and the Canada our government has envisioned for us.

As Canadians, our values of kindness, honesty, respect and integrity lie at the core of how we see ourselves. We take pride in our place among the nicest people in the world. However, the Canadian government is on another planet when it comes to how it is behaving at the COP20 United Nations climate negotiations in Lima, Peru this week.

In between these two worlds, there’s an abyss; an emptiness the size of Canada’s overshot greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets.

When a Canadian climate change negotiator mentioned on Tuesday that Canada has the full intentions to meet its agreed emissions targets, we ­– the Canadians in the room – couldn’t stop laughing. It was either that or cry.

Everyone at the United Nations knows all too well that there is no possible way Canada can meet the goal it set for itself in Copenhagen unless we dramatically change the way we develop our economy. We cannot accomplish anything with business as usual. And yet, the government is putting on a wonderful theatrical show, trying to convince unassuming Canadians that all is well with Canada’s foreign relations. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

Earlier this week, Canadian Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq stated that Canada’s “record speaks for itself.” It most certainly does – we’re consistently being singled out at these negotiations for disrupting political progress, advocating tar sands extraction at home and refusing to engage with the UN process in a way that meaningfully moves the world toward any fair, ambitious binding agreements.

            RELATED: Canada’s Crimes Against Ecology

The government has been meeting with and prioritizing fossil fuel representatives over any other stakeholder at this conference. It is clear to everyone here that the most important citizens at these talks aren’t youth, Northern communities, future generations, First Nations or concerned constituents. Rather, Chevron, TransCanada and Shell are the only voices that Canada is listening to.

Minister Aglukkaq said on Tuesday that she is “confident we can achieve a climate agreement [in Lima]; however, it will require courage and common sense.” We as responsible Canadian citizens must hold her accountable. There is no way progress can be achieved if the Canadian government does not divorce itself from the tar sands industry.

Our government officials can and must do more to promote justice, whether it is back home in Alberta or within the halls of international negotiations. And we, as citizens, must let them know that these issues are important to us.

We youth are terrified. We are terrified because as scientists make dire predictions about our planet’s ecological future, our government lauds plans to increase tar sands production, a resource whose burning alone puts us over the two-degree-warmer threshold we must avoid in order to avert a catastrophic and widespread climate crisis. To add insult to injury, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said only this week that any plans to regulate the oil and gas industry would be “crazy.”

Now is the time, more than ever, to call our Members of Parliament and voice our fears, our concerns, our frustrations. Letting our elected representatives know that we are horrified with the government’s current behaviour in Lima is particularly important if those MPs are Liberal or NDP members. Why is it that they did not send any members to COP20? While it is known that the Prime Minister Harper’s office does not allow Opposition parties in the official delegation, both parties could have sought external accreditation, as did Elizabeth May of the Green Party. Evidently, it is important that these parties hear our concerns – especially if we plan to elect one of them to leadership in 2015.

We must demand no less than for our representatives to step up to the plate or otherwise participate in a very stark betrayal to all past, present and future Canadians. When it comes to the climate crisis, the stakes are simply too high. We haven’t got any other choice but to act.

Follow Yona’s live-tweeting from COP20: @LeehiYona

The post Canada’s Climate Negotiations Song and Dance appeared first on A\J.

To help satisfy chocolate cravings all over the world, many Peruvian farmers have chosen to dedicate their lives to organic cacao cultivation. But they need more support from agricultural research institutes for local sustainable economic development to thrive.

Throughout history, cacao has been prized for its beauty, taste and value. Even Carl Linnaeus, who gave the plant its scientific name in 1737, respected its divine properties: theobroma cacao means “food of the gods.” Cacao is celebrated for being accessible to both rich and poor people, and for its nutritional and dietary properties such as its high level of flavonoids and energy-boosting antioxidants. The resource was also used as a form of currency during colonial history, having helped build and feed the economies of the Americas for decades. Since 1930, cacao has developed into an important crop for Peruvians due to its increasing international value and a growing global demand for high-quality, organic chocolate, as exports have increased over 400% over the last 15 years.

Cacao cultivation flourishes throughout Peru, where small farmers typically own and harvest humble one-hectare plots of land. In order to succeed and be sustainable in both the field and the marketplace, especially in the face of increasing global demand, current and new farmers need to be scientifically trained in the the best strategies for greenhouse nursing, plantation plotting, disease management and environmental conservation.

To further understand the importance of this tropical crop and how the Peruvian government supports its development, I spoke with agricultural engineers and learned that chocolate is not just a product but also a way of life in Peru.

“Cacao has changed the lifestyles of Peruvians,” says Kadir Marquez, a Peruvian agricultural engineer who works for the Peruvian Amazon Research Institute (IIAP) in Tarapoto. To enhance the transfer of scientific and technical knowledge between academics and small farmers, Marquez is currently working on a cooperation project in the San Martin region, the second largest region of cacao production in Peru – and also where Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Moment rebels and Shining Path Maoist fighters fought in the 1980s and 90s.

Marquez is using his agricultural expertise to foster sustainable economic and environmental development among cacao farmers. Currently, he is researching bio-protection strategies (natural solutions) to help fight the diseases that are destroying farmers’ crops. A farmer himself, he has aspirations of international business endeavours in the organic chocolate trade, while supporting fellow cultivators grow healthy crops.

“Peru is the right place for cacao production due to the country’s agro-ecological diversity,” explains Marquez. Peru’s warm tropical climate, rich soil and diverse geography and topography provide for great growing conditions with no need for chemicals, which allows 90 per cent of the country’s cacao farming activities to be organic. Marquez is working to make the best use of these conditions, optimize production, and firmly establish Peru’s international reputation for its organic, high-quality chocolate.

Many Peruvian farmers used to focus on coca production to fulfill the international demand for cocaine, which provided high revenues. Research institutes such as IIAP have developed under the newly created Ministry of Environment to extensively research environmental practices for successful and sustainable cultivation, encouraging farmers to transfer from coca to cacao and to produce high-yielding and high-quality crops.

Many farmers have recognized this opportunity and the transition from cultivating coca to organic cacao has improved livelihoods and overall development of the country, including combatting drug trafficking. Although the economic and environmental planning of cacao cultivation has increased over the last 20 years, more work is needed, particularly with preventing and combating disease.

“Many farmers are [still] too focused on the present and do not plan for the future in regards to sustainable cultivation, disease management and business practices,” says Marquez. This is where research institutes come into play.

Institutes offer hands-on training sessions to facilitate planning, including but not limited to land design and systemization, disease control, quality maintenance and optimal crop usage to help preserve, protect and enhance Peru’s biodiversity and environmental sustainability.

“Peru needs more research institutes such as the IIAP to help farmers [in] sustainable decision-making processes, especially regarding disease management” proclaims Marquez. Approximately 50 per cent of cacao producers have the basic tools and knowledge to farm organically, but this is not enough for both national and international success. More farmers require access to the tools currently being developed at research institutes, including training in environmental protection methods, land conservation strategies and tropical crop bio-protection.

The most important scientific technological tools that are being developed today are the bio-protection controls for cacao disease management that Marquez is researching: sustainable and natural solutions applied to crops for disease prevention. Implementing these controls requires highly-trained skills that are only to be found in research institutes.

Marquez, alongside other researchers and master’s students at the IIAP, is studying cacao’s most prevalent invasive diseases: witches’ broom disease, black pod rot and frosty pod rot. The severity of these diseases is such that they account for 75 per cent production loss of crops all over Latin America.

Marquez’s bio-protection research experiments have been conducted in three provinces of San Martin – Lamas, San Martin and El Dorado – helping to determine the best bio-organic control efforts to prevent such diseases. Current procedures include using endophytic fungus. With the help of the IIAP, disease incidences in these three provinces have been reduced by 15 per cent. Overall, the IIAP and other institutes have reduced San Martin’s regional cacao disease from 70 per cent to 30 per cent today since the 80s.

An increase in the reach and use of these institutes will help even more farmers to better their environmental protection awareness, crop yield, market share and overall development status. It will also introduce more educational and career-focused specializations such as agricultural and environmental engineers into Peruvian society to help investigate and evaluate proper farming practices to conserve the country’s biodiversity.

Enrique Arevalo Gardini, the president of the Institute of Tropical Crops (ICT), also stresses the importance of resource sharing amongst institutions. ICT is a non-governmental organization, like the IIAP, and performs scientific research to enhance social and economic development for tropical crop producers. Gardini claims that in addition to a lack of scientific institutes there is a lack of cooperation and sharing between institutes to help introduce, integrate and promote better development models for cultivators, especially helping raise awareness for disease management and control. Gardini states, “We have all of the technology ready; we have been working steadily for 20 years to help Peru succeed via scientific development.” Peru’s cultivators and researchers are dependent on state investment for institutes to drive the increased diffusion of scientific research and development.

With the integration of science, technology and development from research institutes such as the IIAP and the ICT, the future of cacao development can become more organized, productive and successful both economically and environmentally, as demand for organic cacao throughout the world increases.

Read the rest of our sustainable chocolate series: The science of chocolate | Buying sustainable chocolate

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When Russia bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, they committed to green building standards and a “zero waste” policy that promised not to add to landfills. The $51-billion Sochi Olympics – the most expensive in history – will truly have costly consequences to the environment. The area of development includes a UNESCO World Heritage site and a national park – the most biodiverse location in Russia. Eight thousand acres of preserved forests have been damaged and wetlands important for migrating birds have been buried under two metres of crushed rock. Suren Gazaryan, a zoologist with Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (EWNC) who is living in exile due to criminal charges stemming from his humans rights work, says that parts of the park have been totally destroyed. He adds that much of the government’s much-vaunted reforestation efforts have been “pointless.” The planting of 1.5 million new trees was often done by unqualified personnel who violated conventional methodology.

The Associated Press reports that Russia’s state-owned rail monopoly has been using illegal landfills to dump construction waste from an $8.2-billion, 48-kilometre highway and railroad link between the airport and alpine venues. These illegal landfills are in a water protection zone, and could potentially lead to the contamination of Sochi’s groundwater. Some IOC members have reportedly admitted to making a poor choice when they selected Sochi. Former IOC member Els van Breda Vriesman told Dutch broadcaster NOS that many members would vote differently today.

The Russian government stepped up law enforcement activity against local environmentalists during Olympic construction. Activists have been detained and criminally charged, some have lost their jobs. The government plans to illegally shut down EWNC due to the group’s insistence on legal compliance during Olympic preparations.

Before we get too up-in-arms about Russia’s environmental misconduct, let’s not forget our own here in Canada.

More reason for concern: Environmental destruction and Indigenous rights abuses often go hand-in-hand. We saw this play out at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, where protestors linked environmental degradation and Indigenous sovereignty, and we’re seeing it again now with the Circassian community calling Sochi “the genocide Olympics.” The Circassians are indigenous to the North Caucasus region but were driven from the area in the 19^th Century. Historian Walter Richmond is calling Sochi the site of Europe’s first genocide in a new book.

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