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CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT, CORPORATIONS — 10.DEC.2014
The US Role in Illegally Logging Peru's Forests —
More than half of Peru is still covered by tropical rainforest—an area the size of Texas—which plays a crucial ecosystem role and is a significant carbon sink. A new report documents how more than 20 US companies have imported millions of dollars in illegal wood from the Peruvian Amazon since 2008. Guest is Julia Urrunaga, Peru programs director for the Environmental Investigation Agency and author of the new report, "The Laundering Machine: How Fraud and Corruption in Peru's Concession System Are Destroying the Future of Its Forests." GP comment: You can see why these logs are coveted—they're huge compared to the re-growth trees available for lumbering in the US. Nonetheless, this is just another example of how most people in the West are fine with not asking too many questions about where wonderful (but illegally sourced) products come from. Original Show Pub Date: 08.Dec.2014 CATEGORY: SPECIES, GENETIC ENGINEERING — 04.DEC.2014
Genetically Modified Chestnuts —
A century ago, the American Chestnut was a tremendously important species in the forests of Eastern North America, representing more than a quarter of all forest trees in a swath from Georgia to Ontario. But a fungus introduced on imported Asian chestnut trees turned out to be catastrophic for the American Chestnut, killing billions of trees and essentially wiping out the species by the 1950s. Breeding a blight-resistant tree has proved laborious and difficult, so now a research team has developed a genetically modified American Chestnut that uses a gene from wheat to resist the effects of the fungus. Lead researcher William Powell explains. GP comment: As GMO applications go, this would seem to be one of the less objectionable ones. But beware anytime a GMO proponent says "this is for the people and for the environment." And Powell's additional assertion that GM technology is more targeted and sensible than standard hybridization is completely specious. Original Show Pub Date: 22.Nov.2014 CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT — 20.NOV.2014
Stolen Future, Broken Present —
David Collings discusses the epochal environmental crisis that is unfolding. Climate change is a centerpiece, but this is a many-faceted problem with no easy solutions. Overcoming the psychology that fathered the problem may not be possible, but it's still worth trying. ~~ Then Martin Persson explains how tropical deforestation is still stripping the planet—to provide products for us, the consumers in rich countries. ~~ Finally, Olli Tammilehto asks whether we can we survive a system that rewards the rich with a license to commit ecocide? GP comment: Yep, the problem is one that is internal to the human makeup. It is indeed important that we keep trying to minimize the damage—it will make life more pleasant for longer. But we should always make the basis for discussion facts, not hopium. Original Show Pub Date: 12.Nov.2014
Get more audio clips on rainforests, forests, trees (and many more topics) in Grinning Planet's biweekly downloadable audio news feed. |
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