The World’s Biggest Dam
Just a few days ago the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) announced that work is to commence on the biggest dam in the world in 2015. The Grand Inga dam proposed for the highly diverse Congo River will be the biggest dam ever built and is expected to cause major problems to local people, wildlife and even the Atlantic Ocean. The World Bank recently upped its interest in large dam developments in Africa and World Bank…
Dive deeper, aim higher, fly further!
By Olivia Taylor In the spirit of engaging young people who are involved in conservation, please see below a third blog from Olivia Taylor who is giving her own perspective on shark conservation in South Africa. The first time you see a shark in open water and all you have on is a skimpy costume, diving fins and a mask, it feels as though your heart has literally stopped beating. But after the initial shock has worn off you start…
Whitley Award Winners
The Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a UK registered charity offering awards and grants to outstanding nature conservationists around the world. Similarly to the Goldman Environmental Prize that we wrote about last week, the Whitley Awards are granted to exceptional individuals doing conservation across the globe. This year WFN granted one Gold Award to Çağan Şekercioğlu for his work initiating community-based conservation, ecological restoration and ecotourism in Turkey. Çağan previously won a joint Whitley gold Award in 2008 and…
The Goldman Environmental Prize
In April 2013, the winners of the Goldman Prize for Environmental Excellence were announced. Awards were granted to six activists from around the world doing amazing work to protect their environment and the people that depend on it. Winners included: Jonathan Deal from South Africa, who led a successful campaign against fracking in South Africa to protect the Karoo, a semi-desert region important for its agriculture, beauty and wildlife Azzam Alwash from Iraq, who returned from living in the US…
Earth Day
Today is the 43rd annual Earth Day. Across the globe, over 1 billion people in 192 countries will be participating. Last year some of the efforts included: • In Iraq 5 million trees were planted • In Sultanate, Oman every school (7000+) was called upon to take part in environmental actions • In Madhya Pradesh, India free energy efficient solar lamps were given out to villagers • In Sao Paulo, Brazil hundreds of skateboarders took to the streets to promote…
The English national curriculum and nature: a plea for better environmental literacy
This weekend, the Sunday Times published a letter calling for more and better education about nature in English schools. It was signed by our marine advisor, Prof. Alex Rogers, alongside 89 signatories (including Sir David Attenborough, George Monbiot, Barry Gardiner MP, and Baroness Young of Old Scone) and argued that teaching about the natural environment is more critical than ever due to ongoing and inexorable habitat destruction, worldwide. It made the point, too, that children benefit from spending time in…
The Bird and the Bee
By Henry Ficklin In the spirit of engaging young people who are involved in conservation, please see below a second blog from Henry Ficklin, aged 10, who is giving his own perspective on the New Zealand kakapo and bees. You can find Henry's first blog on why conservation is important here. The kakapo is a large nocturnal parrot that lives on the ground and cannot fly. It has yellow and green feathers, except around the head where it is grey, it…
Conservation and Land Grabbing: Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?
As part of our work to map out urgent threats facing freshwater and tropical forest ecosystems, Gemma and I attended a conference on land grabbing at the end of March at London Zoo, along with around 80 other participants. The 2013 Poverty and Conservation Learning Group (PCLG) Symposium "Conservation and Land Grabbing: Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?" was organised jointly by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the International Land Coalition (ILC), the Zoological…
What an action packed 6 months!
Six months ago we held a one of a kind event at London Zoo in aid of the Zoological Society of London’s (ZSL) EDGE of Existence programme and the unique and endangered species it works to conserve. We had penguins and champagne, llamas and cocktails and a bicycle rickshaw ride around the zoo. A lot has happened in the six months since the event- over £80,000 was raised from the event with the majority of this going to support EDGE’s…
The overwhelming economic case for protecting our seas
By Alasdair Harris In the spirit of engaging with our partners please see below a blog by Alasdair Harris. Alasdair is the Research Director of Blue Ventures, one of our partners within our oceans portfolio. Easter weekend saw the end of the UK government’s 3-month public consultation on the designation of new marine conservation areas around the coasts of England and Wales. As a nation we have a lamentable track record in marine conservation, and currently protect just 5 sq km…
CITES CoP 16 – a step in the right direction in preventing the trade of endangered species
The recent meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP 16) for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has been hailed, by some, as the most successful CITES CoP in decades. The previous CITES CoP, held in 2010, is well remembered for its failure to list any of the proposed six deserving marine species. During the CoP, the most well-known and threatened of these species – the Atlantic Bluefin tuna – was…
Réseau CREF
We are very excited to provide details for the last of our recently funded projects. Synchronicity Earth is supporting Réseau CREF (Le Réseau pour la Conservation et la Réhabilitation des Ecosystèmes Forestiers / Network for the Conservation and Restoration of Forest Ecosystems) to develop and support community forestry initiatives in the Beni-Lubero Region, North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. Click here to read more. To see any of our current projects please vist our Portfolio and Project Pages. Tweet !function(d,s,id){var…
Risk of Extinction for the World’s Reptiles
A study has been carried out estimating, for the first time, the global extinction risk of reptiles by using a short-cut method by sampling 1,500 species (16% of all known reptile species). This study included lizards, snakes, turtles/ tortoises, amphisbaenians (“worm lizards”) and crocodiles. While, overall reptiles are less threatened than amphibians (the most highly threatened group), they are nevertheless experiencing a worrying level of threat with an estimated 19% of reptiles at risk of extinction. Localised extinction risks…
Rhino poaching and conservation, South Africa
By Quinton Paul Josop In the spirit of engaging young people who are involved in conservation, please see below a second blog from Quinton Paul Jesop who is giving his own perspective on Rhino poaching in Africa. In South Africa we are currently faced with the problems of rhinos being killed for their horns and The Bush Meat Trade (killing of wild animals for meat). Poaching and The Bush Meat Trade have been happening in Africa for a very long…
Why Conservation?
By Quinton Paul Josop My name is Quinton Paul Josop. I'm currently in my second year studying advanced nature guiding and conservation in northern KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. I have a keen interest in the natural world, especially birds, trees, mammals, insects, flowers and the marine environment. I'm also inspired by people that promote conservation and see why it is so important to save and protect our wildlife. This year I finish my studies and will hopefully be doing work…
Olivia the Bearded Vulture: Not everything goes well in conservation…
By Olivia Taylor The Bearded Vulture is dying out in Southern Africa. One day, all we will have are photographs to remind us of the amazing creatures that once flew in our skies. Regrets and the further erosion of our environment is highly unnecessary. There are less than 100 bearded vulture nesting pairs left. The Ezemvelo Bearded Vulture Project commenced in 2000 to ensure the well-being and conservation of bearded vultures in Southern Africa by tracking these beautiful birds and…
Time to Celebrate - International Rivers Recognised for Exceptional Creativity and Effectiveness
One of our freshwater project partners, International Rivers, is one of only 13 organisations (and only two environmental groups) to be awarded the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. This award recognises the excellent work of International Rivers in protecting important rivers from the damaging impacts of large-scale dams. This award is designed as an investment in International Rivers’ long term effectiveness and will help them build their capacity by building their operating reserve, boosting their communications and fundraising…
BLOOM Association reveals public subsidy of French overfishing
Synchronicity Earth partner BLOOM Association published a report last week looking into the accounts of Scapêche, France’s largest deep-sea fishing fleet. Scapêche is owned by Intermarché, a large supermarket chain. Bloom’s analysis shows that Scapêche had €19 million (£16.4m) in recurring losses from 2002 to 2011, despite receiving nearly €10 million in French and EU subsidies and €20 million in debt write-offs. Claire Nouvian, Bloom’s founder, said that ‘Scapêche’s accounts reveal a cynical view of “fishing” which is no…
Capturing Photos, Hearts and Minds in Haiti
By Robin Moore The Co-Founder and Creative Director of Frame of Mind, as well as a powerful voice in amphibian conservation and a skilled wildlife photographer. Few places reflect the mirrored fortunes of the environment and people as poignantly as Haiti, where thin topsoil washes into the ocean in dirty red plumes from hillsides once cloaked in verdant forest. But protecting the last forest remnants in a country teetering on the brink of ecological collapse is beyond challenging when people…
Rainforest Foundation UK publishes report on commercial palm oil expansion in the Congo Basin
Rainforest Foundation UK has published a report about the worrying expansion of commercial palm oil plantations throughout the world’s second largest rainforest, the Congo Basin. “Seeds of Destruction” identifies half a million hectares of industrial oil palm projects that are getting underway in the Congo Basin rainforest, much of which is driven by the companies who have already destroyed forests in Malaysia and Indonesia for palm oil. Whilst concessions in Liberia and parts of Cameroon have received national and international…
TFT
We're pleased to provide details about the tenth of 12 recently funded projects. Synchronicity Earth is supporting TFT (formerly the Tropical Forest Trust) to provide core support for the Centre for Social Excellence in Cameroon. Click here to read more. More to follow on Wednesday so watch this space for details on our other funded projects and new partners.
Major Breakthrough in Protection for Indonesia’s Remaining Rainforests
Synchronicity Earth has partnered with Greenpeace in the past and we wanted to share with you this exciting press release from earlier this month: Jakarta, Indonesia, 5 February 2013 - Greenpeace hailed today’s commitment from Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) to end deforestation as a major breakthrough in efforts to save Indonesia’s rainforests, after a decade of public pressure and recent negotiations with Greenpeace. APP, one of the world’s largest producers of paper and packaging, has published a new ‘Forest…
BLOOM Association
We're pleased to provide details about the ninth of 12 recently funded projects. Synchronicity Earth is supporting BLOOM Association in its campaign to end deep-sea bottom trawling in Europe. Click here to read more. More to follow on Monday so watch this space for details on our other funded projects and new partners.
Meet our new Youth Advisor
We have a new youth advisor, Olivia Taylor. She started up Four Elements Conservation. To read more about Olivia click here or watch this video.
Sustainable Development Institute, Liberia
We're pleased to provide details about the eighth of 12 recently funded projects. Synchronicity Earth is supporting the Sustainable Development Institute, Liberia and its work to address commercial palm oil expansion which is threatening important forests and the livelihoods that depend on them. Click here to read more. Also for those of you who are interested we have added some project updates following the recent confrence Synchronicity Earth helped to support. More to follow on Wednesday so watch this space…
MEP’s say ‘Yes’ to fixing Europe’s fisheries
MEPs yesterday voted overwhelmingly to reform the Common Fisheries Policy. The reforms – which aim to end overfishing by 2015 and restore fish populations by 2020 – were adopted in the European Parliament by 502 votes in favour to 137 against. The CFP reform includes a number of key measures: stocks must be fished at sustainable levels; a discard ban will be phased in; Member States can stop fishing in protected sites; and access to information will be improved. Environmental…
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
We're pleased to provide details about the seventh of 12 recently funded projects. Synchronicity Earth is supporting the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in its collaborative effort to bring the Critically Endangered Madagascan pochard back from the brink of extinction. Click here to read more. More to follow on Monday so watch this space for details on our other funded projects and new partners. Tweet !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");
Environmental Justice Foundation
We're pleased to provide details about the sixth of 12 recently funded projects. Synchronicity Earth is supporting the Environmental Justice Foundation and its programme to combat illegal fishing in West Africa by supporting community surviellence. Click here to read more. More to follow on Wednesday so watch this space for details on our other funded projects and new partners. (Photo: Environmental Justice Foundation) Tweet !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");
Wetlands International
We're pleased to provide details about the fifth of 12 recently funded projects. Synchronicity Earth is supporting Wetlands International to carry out a user needs assessment. This initiative is the first stage of a much bigger project, currently known as the Global Wetlands Observation System (GWOS). Click here to read more. More to follow on Monday so watch this space for details on our other funded projects and new partners. Tweet !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");
The Mekong’s First Mainstream Dam Project Pushes Ahead
Laos and its Thai investors (as well as the majority power purchasers) are pushing ahead with the $3.5 billion Xayaburi Dam, despite significant resistance from Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as international concern for the Mekong’s main channel. Many fear that the dam will significantly impact downstream fisheries and agriculture, threatening livelihoods and causing species demise. It is estimated that this dam alone could stop up to 100 fish species from migrating and likely damage, amongst others, the already Critically…
Looking back at projects
As our support for the Senior Policy Advisor post at The London Zoological Society (ZSL) comes to an end, we look back at how supporting this position has helped conservation. Katherine Secoy successfully secured her position at ZSL as the Senior Policy Advisor in Jan 2012 and has since made significant progress on ZSL’s policy impacts and their fundraising targets. Katherine has worked hard to raise the profile of ZSL through attendance at various conferences (including Rio+20, the World Conservation…
Blue Ventures
We're pleased to provide details about the fourth of 12 recently funded projects. Synchronicity Earth is supporting Blue Venture and its programme to develop and scale innovative models for marine conservation within the poorest tropical coastal communities. Click here to read more. More to follow on Friday so watch this space for details on our other funded projects and new partners. Tweet !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); (Photo: Blue Ventures)
International Rivers
We're pleased to provide details about the third of 12 recently funded projects. Synchronicity Earth is supporting International Rivers and its programme to protect the Congo River, focussing on the Inga Dams and Congo’s Energy Divide. Click here to read more. More to follow on Wednesday so watch this space for details on our other funded projects and new partners. Tweet !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");
Bank Information Center
We're pleased to provide details about the second of 12 recently funded projects. Synchronicity Earth is supporting the Bank Information Center (BIC) to carry out a detailed case study to demonstrate gaps in current policies and protections of World Bank financed infrastructure projects, such as dams. Click here to read more. Watch this space for details on our other funded projects and new partners. Tweet !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");
Rainforest Foundation UK
We're pleased to provide details about the first of 12 recently funded projects. Synchronicity Earth is supporting Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) to investigate and raise public awareness about commercial palm oil expansion in the Congo Basin. Click here to read more. Watch this space for details on our other funded projects and new partners. Herakles Farm palm oil concession, Cameroon (Photo: Samuel Nguiffo of Centre for Environment and Development, Cameroon) Tweet !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");
Newsletter
Over the past year our research analysts have been hard at work mapping conservation interventions and identifying gaps in philanthropic spending. From this we are very excited to be forming partnerships with a number of charitable organisations. Our funding is helping to support a wide range of projects from mapping palm oil concessions in the Congo Basin to supporting the conservation of the Madagascan pochard to tackling illegal fishing in Western Africa. Over the last 6 months we also participated…
Our Portfolios
Over the past year, Synchronicity Earth has been carrying out in-depth research on each of its three ecosystem portfolios – freshwater, tropical forests and oceans. As well as reviewing a wide range of environmental, socio-economic and biological literature and data, we have had numerous discussions with NGOs and other funders (thank you all for your help), leading us to identify our portfolio priorities. In the process we considered gaps and priorities through investigating funding and conservation action, key drivers and…
Why we support international conservation? Part 3
In the final part of this series of posts, I look at the rational economic case for funding overseas. The economic argument Under 3% of UK philanthropic spending goes to environmental causes. As we’ve seen, this means that only around 1% goes to international environmental causes, which is, as we’ve also seen, where the greatest needs are. Yet conservation is cheaper – often by many orders of magnitude – in developing countries. Conservation costs vary geographically and are cheapest…
Why we should continue supporting partners in the DRC
The British government announced today that it has stopped £21 million in aid to Rwanda due to accusations of its support for M23, a rebel group at the centre of current conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). At the same time it has said it will give £18 million to urgent humanitarian needs in the DRC. Perhaps this delay is a result of not wanting to repeat the mistakes of the past. In 1994, the UK failed…
Why support international conservation? Part 2
The previous post showed that most life on Earth is found in the tropics, where it is also being lost quickest. In this blog I discuss how the impacts of this are not evenly felt. The greatest needs (continued) The consequences of biodiversity loss and environmental decline can be severe. Developing country fisheries typically have no management data, yet supply food for so many millions of people and overlap with areas of high biodiversity. A recent study in Science found that…
Why support international conservation? Part 1
“Charity begins at home”. What if we stretch the definition of ‘home’ to encompass the entirety of Earth? Understandably, this idea may not sit well with everyone. With that in mind we’ve compiled a list of reasons to prioritise international conservation. The next two posts discuss the list in more detail: • Biodiversity loss is a global problem. Globally speaking, the greatest needs are in tropical developing countries, where impacts are also felt more keenly; • Much of this need…
Moving Forward – Conclusions at CBD COP-11
By Katherine Secoy, Senior Policy Advisor, Zoological Society of London (a role part-supported by Synchronicity Earth). Last May, newly elected Secretary to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) secretariat, Mr Braulio Dias, stressed the urgent need for implementation of the biodiversity targets set in Nagoya, 2010, having failed to reach the 2010 targets. At the most recent Conference of Parties of the CBD (COP11), negotiations on financing the implementation of the targets was the main topic on the agenda. A…
Why Conservation is Important
By Henry Ficklin, aged 10. Many animals like the cod, the dodo and the American passenger pigeon used to be plentiful. But now two of these are extinct and the cod is very endangered. This can only be explained by human actions. Humans would use or eat these animals without being worried about conserving them. Numbers declined until they became extinct or endangered. If people had a stronger sense of conservation and the importance of these animals in their ecosystems…
Young people and conversation
Much of our motivation for conservation comes from a belief that we need to ‘save the planet’ for future generations, yet we rarely involve young people in discussions. Over the coming months, we hope to give some of these young people a voice through our blog: they will share with us their thoughts about environmental problems and their ideas about how we might want to tackle them. I have met some really inspiring young people recently and I want to…
The International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group meet to discuss….
The annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) is currently taking place in Tokyo, Japan (9-14 October, 2012). The meeting brings together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, private sector executives and academics to discuss issues of global concern. Early in the proceedings, Jim Yong Kim, the World Bank’s President, participated in a discussion on restoring growth and prosperity in times of crisis. During the meeting, one of the issues under discussion…
Another COP-out on the cards?
By Victoria Steele and Felix Whitton The 11th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP-11) for the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) is underway in Hyderabad, India. The meeting of the UN convention – signed in 1992 to ‘promote sustainable development’ – comes in the wake of the Rio+20 Earth Summit in June and the 2011 Climate Change Conference in Durban (which resolved to develop internationally agreed and enforceable UN protocols by 2015). It is fair to say that hopes…
IUCN World Conservation Convention 2012
By far the best thing about the 2012 IUCN World Conservation Congress was the opportunity to meet people from around the world including from NGOs, governments, and private companies. The Christensen Fund provided financial support to representatives from 50 indigenous people’s groups so that they could attend the conference, and demonstrate how their ways of living are in harmony with nature. Similarly, scholarships provided by IUCN, amongst others, meant that local groups mixed with international ones, although questions remain about…
Evolutionarily Distinct Event
Last night we hosted a one of its kind event at London Zoo. We aimed to raise funds and awareness for EDGE of existence, one of ZSL’s conservation programmes and to highlight Synchronicity Earths species portfolio. EDGE conserves species that are both Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered and focuses much attention on species that are unusual, go generally unnoticed and receive little conservation attention. These species are generally unique in their behaviour, appearance and ecological niche. If these species are…
World Rivers Day
World Rivers Day is soon approaching. Every year since 2005 on the last Sunday of September, waterways have been being celebrated. This year World River Day falls on 30th September. World Rivers Day was established in response to the United Nations ‘Water for Life Decade’. Mark Angelo, a keen fly fisherman and paddler, first started celebrating rivers in Canada with BC Rivers Day in 1980. In 2005, he initiated World Rivers Day which has since become an annual event with…
World Conservation Congress – presents a list of 100 of the most threatened species!
A new book has been released at the 2012 World Conservation Congress – “Priceless or Worthless”. The book identifies 100 of the most threatened species and broaches the difficult topic of valuing nature. Are people willing to put huge amounts of time, effort and money into saving species with little or no direct monetary value to them or humanity as a whole? Prof Jonathan Baillie in statement asks: "We have an important moral and ethical decision to make: do these…
Jessica Sweidan speaks at “The Inheritors” workshop at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, 7.9.12
I think I was asked to participate in this session because I am reasonably young (at heart at least) and possibly because I seem to be displaying an interest in doing things differently. I was asked to discuss the kinds of commitments and actions needed to involve young people in the IUCN and conservation in general – and, frankly, I wouldn't know where to begin. I'm new to the IUCN and conservation is a concept and a discipline that found…
IUCN World Conservation Congress 2012, Jeju
One of the key dates in the conservation calendar is now looming – the IUCN World Conservation Congress, taking place between 6-15 September in Korea. This event is only held every four years and brings together leaders from the conservation sector and non-governmental organisations, government and policy makers, public sector representatives, businesses, UN agencies and social organisations. The purpose is to discuss key topics in conservation and links with human, social and economic development. There are two parts to the…
Action Plan for Amphibians
A new report on amphibian conservation has been published in Surveys and Perspectives Integrating Environment and Society (S.A.P.I.E.N.S) on what is needed to put action into the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan. This report was written by staff of the Amphibian Survival Alliance, one of our project partners, along with other amphibian experts. Amphibians are the most threatened vertebrate group, with 40% estimated to be at risk of extinction. Recent years have seen increasing pressures on their habitats, as well as…
Engaging with communities: Community Protocols
We've been thinking a lot lately across all ecosystems portfolios about how best to engage with communities to support them to manage their own natural resources and resist industrial scale expansion which threatens important biodiversity and livelihoods. We recently came across something called community protocols and have been thinking about how these are being and can be used in different ecosystems in different parts of the world to help communities advocate their own rights to government and industry. In many…
Ocean Health Index
Anyone who has read the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy will know what the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything is: 42. It took the fictional supercomputer Deep Thought 7.5 million years to come up with that answer. A group of marine scientists and conservationists have taken rather less time to come up with the answer to the (Less Ultimate but Still Important) Question: ‘How healthy are the oceans?’ Their answer? 60. In a paper…
Ornamental Fisheries
Ornamental fisheries (fish for the aquarium trade) are an important component of international wildlife trade. FAO has estimated that the value of the international trade for ornamental fish has increased by around 14% per year since 1985. It has been valued at approximately USD 15billion per year as a combined figure for freshwater and marine species. Developing countries account for about two thirds of the total export and as such ornamental fisheries often play an essential role in human livelihoods…
Conservation Evidence – A project update
It has been three months since we started supporting the Conservation Evidence group at the University of Cambridge to develop a synopsis of evidence on amphibian conservation. Conservation Evidence publishes a website www.conservationevidence.com (with a searchable database), a journal and a series of books providing evidence on the effectiveness of conservation interventions to support decisions about nature conservation. Work for the amphibian synopsis involves listing all possible conservation interventions for amphibians, anywhere in the world, and compiling evidence for the…
A win for ClientEarth and the oceans!
Synchronicity Earth partner ClientEarth has used its legal knowhow to help block a move by Greenland to increase its whaling quota (including catches of endangered fin whales). In fact, the EU and other anti-whaling nations at the IWC were so persuaded by ClientEarth’s arguments that they refused any quota whatsoever. Congratulations also to Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society who partnered with ClientEarth on the campaign. Here’s what ClientEarth CEO James Thornton had to say: “Greenland (a territory of Denmark) has…
Canada and the Environment
A 2 July article in Yale Environment 360 gets the views of a number of Canadian conservationists about the Harper government’s attacks on environmental protection. Here are some quotes: “We have had lengthy and varied political experience and collectively have served in cabinet in Progressive Conservative and Liberal governments alike. We believe we have a fair understanding of the views of Canadians. Moreover, we believe there is genuine public concern over the perceived threat this legislation poses to the health…
The IWC: focusing on the wrong problem?
Last week the International Whaling Commission (IWC) had its annual meeting in Panama. Every year pro- and anti-whaling nations get together to battle it out on the issue of whale hunting – once a huge moral issue, now increasingly on the margins. On the agenda this year were whaling quotas for indigenous groups - which were approved - and proposals for a southern Atlantic whale sanctuary, which were shot down by Japan and allies. ‘Scientific’ (i.e. commercial) whaling by Japan,…
Sargasso Sea
On 12 June 2012 the Zoological Society of London hosted an event about the Sargasso Sea – a vast area of the Atlantic Ocean east of the Caribbean. Dr Howard Roe of the Southampton Oceanography Centre began with an overview of the Sargasso Sea. The sea contains around 1m tonnes of Sargassum, a rare type of seaweed, trapped by the surrounding currents and providing habitat for over 145 invertebrate species and breeding and spawning areas for many marine animals. The…
Amphibian Fundraising
Robin Moore (ASG/ASA), a great photographer, got in touch with a young American activist put together a small but very original project to raise awareness about the amphibian crisis. The project requires that we pay some costs up front (about US$15,000), so they started a small fundraising campaign through “kickstarter” – which went live yesterday. The project has 20 days to raise a minimum of US$3,000. If it does not raise that much, then it does not get a penny…
Internship opportunity with Synchronicity Earth
Location: South Kensington, London Duration: Ideally a minimum of 3 days/week for 3 months, although this is flexible Salary: Unpaid (some travel and subsistence costs covered) Deadline for application: 5pm Mon 16th July 2012 Start date: July 2012 Organisational Background: Synchronicity Earth was established in November 2009 with an ambitious vision: a sustainable planet that values the interconnectivity and interdependence of all living things. Our mission is to scale-up and deepen the impact of environmental philanthropy and to deliver effective…
“Global weight gain more damaging than rising numbers?”
This interesting, if slightly controversial article goes beyond blaming population growth for increased pressure on the planet and its resources to suggest that 'fatter' countries have a more damaging effect on the environment. The article draws on recent research by researchers at the London School of Hygene and Tropical Medicine which compares the BMI (Body Mass Index) of different countries. High BMIs may be the result of greater consumption and greater use of cars. The research shows that Japan has…
Rioplus20 Early Outcomes
In my last blog I covered the low expectations in the run-up to the Rio+20 Earth summit. As Rio draws to a close it seems these were borne out by events, barring an unlikely last ditch rescue operation by world leaders. Rather than analyse the shortcomings of Rio—there are plenty of people doing that—I want to ask a seemingly simple question: what next? 1. Focus on the positives Yes, the agreements reached in Rio are well short of what’s needed…
Common Fisheries Policy
Last week the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) took one step closer towards reform after a marathon meeting of fisheries ministers in Luxembourg. 18 hours of negotiations at the EU Council led to a discard ban—of sorts—and moves towards a maximum sustainable yield policy. A ban on discards—the practice of throwing overboard unwanted fish—has been a key campaign ‘ask’ for groups such as Fish Fight, led by chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. He hailed ‘a genuine breakthrough’ after the campaign garnered over…
Low expectations for Rio
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed ‘cautious optimism’ about the imminent Rio+20 summit, which begins on June 20. He might be the only one. The closer we get to the conference—marking the 20th anniversary of the original Rio Earth Summit in 1992—the more barriers are being thrown in the way of any useful outcomes. For a start, any agreement at Rio will be non-binding, allowing countries carte blanche to return home and continue with business as usual. Instead, nations…
Water issues at Rio+20
Discussions at Rio+20 are likely to focus on the need for people to have access to clean drinking water and sanitation. We hope that environmental concerns will also be addressed in these discussions and we will be keeping an eye (and posting our thoughts) on this critical issue. The Millennium Development Goals outlined the world’s commitment to halve the number of people without access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation by 2015. The world is on track to meet…
Update on Brazil’s Forest Code
On Monday, Brazil’s President Dilma Rouseff announced the details of proposed changes to Brazil’s Forest Code, a set of rules which apply to all privately owned rural land (not only forests). The code is conservation-minded on paper (it requires landowners to keep 80% of native vegetation in the Amazon, as well as conserving biodiverse habitats such as mangroves and riverbanks) but enforcement has been patchy since the code came into being in 1965. In recent years Brazil has made huge…
Rio+20
In June 2012 Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development will be taking place to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. This will involve a huge number of people, from governments, the private sector, NGOs and others, gathering in Brazil to discuss how poverty can be reduced and social equity advanced while ensuring environmental protection. The hope is that political commitments will be made and renewed for sustainable development and progress and…
Welcome to the Synchronicity Earth Blog
Hello and welcome to the Synchronicity Earth Blog! We will use this blog to tell you more about our research, what we’re reading, what we’re thinking and what we’re writing about. We may also have the occasional guest contribution. We hope to use this space to prompt interesting and useful debate and we welcome your thoughts and comments. If you would like to contribute a piece to the blog yourself, or have ideas about the kinds of the thing you’d…
Welcome to the Synchronicity Earth Website
Before we start introducing you to the different things we're thinking, reading and writing about, we'd like to take this opportunity to give you a brief tour of our website! Those of you who visited our previous site will see we've made a lot of changes and have developed a lot in both size and strategy in the last 12 months. Visit the 'About us' section to learn more about our history and why Synchronicity Earth was set up. You'll…