Sweden has vast ‘old growth’ forests – but they are being chopped down faster than the Amazon

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Swedish old-growth forest.
Ulrika Ervander, Author provided

Anders Ahlström, Lund University and Pep Canadell, CSIRO

Most of Europe’s natural ecosystems have been lost over the centuries. However, a sizeable amount of natural old forest still exists, especially in the north. These “old-growth” forests are exceptionally valuable as they tend to host more species, store more carbon, and are more resilient to environmental change.

Many of these forests are found in Sweden, part of the belt of boreal forests that circle the world through Canada, Scandinavia and Russia. But after researching these last relics of natural forest we have found they are being cleared rapidly – at a rate faster even than the Amazon rainforest.

There is no direct monitoring of these forests, no thorough environmental impact assessments and most of the public don’t seem to be aware this is even happening. Other evidence suggests something similar is happening right across the world’s boreal forests.

It can be tricky to know exactly how much old-growth forest there is, since the distinction might not always be clear. However, there is a clear difference between forests that have been “clear-cut” (entirely chopped down) sometime in the past and those that never have.

Clear-cutting started appearing in Sweden in the early 1900s and has been the dominant type of forestry in the country since the 1950s. The uncut forests that predate this time have therefore most likely not been clear-cut and since they are old they can be classified as old-growth forests.

Logging machine in forest
Clear-cutting is still the main form of logging in Sweden.
Lasse Johansson / shutterstock

In our study, we looked specifically at forests in unprotected areas where the trees predated 1880 on average. That’s long before the large-scale adoption of clear-cutting in Sweden and means those forests have likely never been clear-cut.

These unprotected old-growth forests constitute around 8% of the productive forest land in Sweden, that is, the area that is generally favourable for forestry (omitting forests close to the Scandinavian mountain range tree line). This amounts to about 1.8 million hectares of old-growth forest, more than the total wooded area in many European countries.

This area of unprotected old-growth forest, with the remaining protected old-growth and primary forests, constitutes a large share of the last known ecosystems of “high naturalness” in the EU.

What is happening to these old-growth forests?

Between 2003 and 2019, 20% of all the clear-cut forest in Sweden was old-growth. This means a sizeable share of forest products, such as timber, paper and bioenergy, comes from old trees. The losses to unprotected old-growth forests amount to 1.4% per year, which means they will be lost completely by the 2070s if the trend continues.

To put this in perspective, Sweden’s old-growth forests have been cleared six to seven times faster than the Brazilian Amazon forest between 2008 and 2023. (Of course, given the size of the Amazon, the total amount of cleared forest is much larger there).

While our study, shockingly enough, appears to be the only of its kind across the boreal region, there is some research showing that old-growth forests are also harvested in Canada. Additional anecdotal evidence further suggests the unchecked loss of old-growth forests to forestry operations in other boreal regions .

What’s next?

The European Commission has drafted guidelines for all countries to map and protect all remaining old-growth and primary forests. This would be a good start.

But ultimately, we’ll need a coordinated system to map and monitor the entire boreal forest simply to learn the rate at which it is being lost. This would also help us understand the implications for carbon storage, for other plants and animals that live in these forests, and the humans that use them.

Unfortunately, this is a large and difficult task. Yet this might be one of our last chances to protect and recover large areas of natural forests. Logging old-growth forests now will delay their recovery for centuries.The Conversation

Anders Ahlström, Associate Professor, Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University and Pep Canadell, Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Environment; Executive Director, Global Carbon Project, CSIRO

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Continue ReadingSweden has vast ‘old growth’ forests – but they are being chopped down faster than the Amazon

Amazon’s record drought driven by climate change

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68032361

One of our planet’s most vital defences against global warming is itself being ravaged by climate change.

It was the main driver of the Amazon rainforest’s worst drought in at least half a century, according to a new study.

Often described as the “lungs of the planet”, the Amazon plays a key role in removing warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

But rapid deforestation has left it more vulnerable to weather extremes.

While droughts in the Amazon are not uncommon, last year’s event was “exceptional”, the researchers say.

In October, the Rio Negro – one of the world’s largest rivers – reached its lowest recorded level near Manaus in Brazil, surpassing marks going back over 100 years.

As well as being a buffer against climate change, the Amazon is a rich source of biodiversity, containing around 10% of the world’s species – with many more yet to be discovered.

One trigger for these dry conditions is El Niño – a natural weather system where sea surface temperatures increase in the East Pacific Ocean. This affects global rainfall patterns, particularly in South America.

But human-caused climate change was the main driver of the extreme drought, according to the World Weather Attribution group

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68032361

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Dark money think tanks hail ‘full expensing’ measure in autumn statement

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Original article by Ruby Lott-Lavigna republished from Open Democracy under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence.

Opaquely funded lobbying group claims to be responsible for parts of Jeremy Hunt’s budget, calling it ‘amazing news’

Former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, a patron of the Adam Smith Institute, has lobbied Jeremy Hunt for so-called ‘full expensing’ Hunt in the House of Commons
 | Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Opaquely funded right-wing think tanks have claimed responsibility for parts of today’s budget, celebrating its announcement as a victory for its lobbying.

Jeremy Hunt unveiled his autumn statement this afternoon, including policies such as a 2% cut to National Insurance, punitive enforcement action for those on disability benefits who do not find work in 18 months, and raising Local Housing Allowance before freezing it again in two years.

A key part of the chancellor’s budget, a policy called ‘full expensing’, means businesses can claim 100% of investment costs such as digital equipment against revenue in the same year, allowing businesses to pay less tax. It was first introduced in spring as a temporary measure but will now be made permanent.

The Adam Smith Institute, which first published a blog post on the policy in 2017, has claimed the decision as a victory.

“Amazing news that the full expensing has been made permanent,” the think tank wrote on its X (formerly Twitter) page. “Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to make this a reality.”

It added: “We at the ASI have been campaigning for full expensing over many years.”

Former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, a patron of the Adam Smith Institute, has lobbied for full expensing to Hunt in the House of Commons. Zahawi was fired from his role as chair of the Conservative Party and minister without portfolio after breaching the ministerial code by failing to declare he was being investigated by HMRC while chancellor under Boris Johnson.

In the past, companies like Amazon have taken advantage of expensing schemes – in particular, a ‘super-expensing’ short-term policy that allowed companies to write off 130% of investment in infrastructure. The company’s UK division paid no corporation tax for a second year in a row thanks to the scheme.

The Adam Smith Institute, named after the 18th-century Scottish thinker on capitalism, lobbies on issues such as deregulation and lower taxes. It was given the lowest possible transparency rating in openDemocracy’s ‘Who Funds You?’ project earlier this year, but is reported to be partly funded by the tobacco industry as well as American climate denial groups.

Other right-wing think tanks have also lauded the move. In a “wish list” written by free-market think tank the TaxPayers Alliance, it asked the chancellor to “Make full expensing for corporation tax permanent… to reduce the tax penalty on long-term investment.”

The TaxPayers Alliance does not publicise its funders, and was also given the lowest possible rating by Who Funds You?

Allowing businesses to invest more can be positive, so long as public spending isn’t cut in the process, Pranesh Narayanan, a research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) told openDemocracy.

“In this autumn statement, the Conservatives are able to ‘afford’ it because they’ve frozen public investment spending from 2025 onwards,” Narayanan said, referring to the billions of pounds of spending cuts forecast after the next general election. “You need both kinds of investment to have a proper economic recovery. You can’t do one at the expense of the other, especially when you have crumbling schools and crumbling hospitals.”

Narayanan added: “This policy is mainly for the benefit of big corporations. We believe we need more public investment.”

Economist Ann Pettifor argues in openDemocracy today that Hunt’s autumn statement “extinguished… any faint hope of the beginnings of an economic revival”.

Original article by Ruby Lott-Lavigna republished from Open Democracy under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence.

Continue ReadingDark money think tanks hail ‘full expensing’ measure in autumn statement

James Cleverly spent £420,000 in public money on luxury jet travel

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https://www.declassifieduk.org/james-cleverly-spent-420000-in-public-money-on-luxury-jet-travel/

The UK Foreign Office chartered a jet used by billionaires and pop stars to take Cleverly and 18 members of his staff to Latin America and the Caribbean in May.

James Cleverly visits Cartagena, Colombia where he meets English language students, May 2023 (Credit:Rory Arnold / No 10 Downing Street, Flickr)
James Cleverly visits Cartagena, Colombia where he meets English language students, May 2023 (Credit:Rory Arnold / No 10 Downing Street, Flickr)

In May 2023, UK foreign secretary James Cleverly travelled to Latin America and the Caribbean in an effort to rekindle Britain’s historically close relations with the region.

Cleverly visited Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Jamaica, with the issue of climate breakdown high on the agenda.

In Chile, Cleverly declared that: “Climate change is the most urgent and obvious example” of the “rapidly increasing transnational flights threats” facing the world. 

At the UK-Caribbean Forum in Kingston, Jamaica, the foreign secretary announced additional funding for the region’s “security and climate resilience”. In Brazil, Cleverly signed “a wide-ranging climate partnership” on “Green and Inclusive Growth”. 

And in Colombia, Cleverly outlined new plans “tackling climate change by protecting the Amazon”. During a trip to the Amazon rainforest, he said: “The fate of our planet rests on what happens here”.

A ‘Succession-style jet’

Newly released Foreign Office data shows that Cleverly spent over £420,000 in public money on travel during his one-week trip to the region.

The money corresponds to the Foreign Office’s chartering of the Embraer Lineage 1000E – a “Succession-style” jet which is frequently used by billionaires and pop stars.

The jet “includes a lounge area with big-screen TV and a master suite for its main VIP, complete with a queen-size bed, private bathroom and shower”, and was used to accommodate Cleverly and 18 members of his staff.

https://www.declassifieduk.org/james-cleverly-spent-420000-in-public-money-on-luxury-jet-travel/

Continue ReadingJames Cleverly spent £420,000 in public money on luxury jet travel

Drought in the Amazon: Understanding the causes and the need for an immediate action plan to save the biome

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Lucas Ferrante, Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM)

The drought plaguing the Amazon is a worrying portrait of the climate challenges facing the world. The combination of the El Niño phenomenon and anthropogenic climate change has played a significant role in accentuating this extreme weather event. The Amazon region, known for its lush rainforest and flowing rivers, is facing a critical situation due to a lack of rainfall and rising temperatures.

This phenomenon, never recorded at this intensity, has affected biodiversity and human life in eight Amazonian states. The drought has already killed more than 140 dolphins, including pink dolphins and tucuxis, also known as grey dolphins. The mortality of fish and other aquatic animals is also high. The low volume of the rivers affects the human supply, causing a lack of drinking water and food in all the small villages, even those located on the banks of the big rivers. Of the 62 municipalities in the state of Amazonas, 42 are in a state of emergency, 18 are in a state of alert and only two are in a normal situation.

The El Niño phenomenon has a direct influence on the Amazon drought. It manifests itself in the abnormal warming of the surface waters of the Pacific Ocean, affecting the rainfall regime in various parts of the world. In the case of the Amazon region, the drought is exacerbated by a decrease in humidity and a lack of rainfall, damaging the vegetation, fauna and local communities that depend on natural resources.

However, anthropogenic climate change is making the situation even worse. Rampant deforestation, driven by agricultural expansion and logging activity, reduces the Amazon rainforest’s ability to regulate the climate and retain moisture. In addition, the destruction of vast areas of vegetation contributes to rising temperatures, creating a cycle of even more accentuated droughts.

Deforestation and mining, major factors

Deforestation has been particularly devastating in the region of Highway BR-319, in the south of Amazonas state, driven by land grabbing which has provided cheap land to cattle ranchers from other states. In turn, this deforestation has increased the number of fires that feed back into the climate crisis. When they occur near riverbanks, deforestation also intensifies the phenomenon known as fallen land, which has drastically affected the draught of rivers and is already significantly jeopardising navigation and logistics, mainly affecting villages in the interior of the Amazon, which are already suffering from shortages.

Another factor that has played a significant role in affecting navigation is mining activity. Disorganised mineral extraction has created banks of land that are harmful to navigation and which, in the critical scenario of drought, have caused many vessels to run aground.

The impact of hydroelectric dams

Hydroelectric dams also play a role in contributing to the drought scenario, especially on the Madeira River. This is mainly due to the decomposition of organic matter in reservoirs created by dams, which releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. In addition, deforestation associated with the construction of dams, as well as soil degradation and erosion resulting from the alteration of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, can increase emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other pollutants, contributing to the impact of hydroelectric dams on climate change.

The Madeira River, now at its lowest level in almost 60 years, has been drastically affected and transformed by the Jirau and Santo Antônio hydroelectric dams. This was due to the drastic alteration of the river’s natural flow caused by the damming of water for power generation. When water is dammed, a reservoir is formed that retains part of the water that would normally flow along the river. This diversion of the flow directly affects the region’s aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, since the basin’s hydrological cycle is interrupted. The reduction in the volume of water in the Madeira River, for example, can lead to prolonged periods of drought, affecting not only aquatic fauna and riparian habitats, but also local communities that depend on the river for their livelihoods.

In addition, the construction and operation of hydroelectric dams in the Amazon often involves the clearing of significant areas of forest for the construction of dams and associated infrastructure. Deforestation contributes to a reduction in evapotranspiration, which is a crucial process for water balance in the region. With fewer trees to release water into the atmosphere, the Amazon becomes more susceptible to drought. The combination of these factors results in a significant impact on the region, making hydroelectric dams one of the causes of drought in the Amazon, particularly on the Madeira River, with worrying environmental and social consequences.

What can still be done

In order to combat the extreme drought in the Amazon and its devastating effects, it is essential to adopt strict measures to curb deforestation and illegal mining in the region, and for the federal government to review major undertakings such as hydroelectric dams and roads, such as the BR-319 motorway.

Many politicians have argued that the road, if paved, could reduce the state’s isolation, especially during droughts. However, this is a fallacious argument, because connecting the most isolated municipalities would require hundreds of kilometres of side roads, which would further increase deforestation and aggravate the climate crisis.

In addition, the BR-319 motorway has become a spearhead that cuts through one of the most conserved blocks of forest, linking the central Amazon, which is still preserved, to the “arc of Amazonian deforestation”, a region that concentrates most of the climate anomalies in the entire biome.

Ecosystem on the edge

In a recent study published in the renowned journal Conservation Biology, it was shown that deforestation in the Amazon is already impacting ecosystem services that are essential for Brazil, such as the Amazon’s flying rivers. This scientific data shows that we are already at the threshold of deforestation and environmental degradation tolerated by the Amazon, and more forceful action needs to be taken now.

Part of this responsibility lies now in the hands of President Lula, in reviewing major developments in the Amazon, such as hydroelectric dams and highways like the BR-319. In addition, it is essential to institute a zero deforestation policy that should begin this year, and not in 2030, when it will be too late. Furthermore, it is crucial that the international community and local governments work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change effectively. Only with coordinated and decisive action will we be able to mitigate the impacts of drought in the Amazon and protect this unique ecosystem that plays a vital role in regulating the global climate.The Conversation

Lucas Ferrante, Pesquisador Vinculado ao Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM)

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Continue ReadingDrought in the Amazon: Understanding the causes and the need for an immediate action plan to save the biome

Amazon’s emissions ‘doubled’ under first half of Bolsonaro presidency

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/23/amazons-emissions-doubled-under-first-half-of-bolsonaros-presidency-aoe

New study published in Nature says period was as destructive as record 2016 El Niño drought and heatwave

The first half of Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency was so destructive for the Amazon that it was comparable to the record 2016 El Niño drought and heatwave in terms of carbon emissions, according to scientists.

Annual emissions from the world’s largest rainforest roughly doubled in 2019 and 2020, compared with the 2010 to 2018 average, according to a new study published in Nature, as swaths of forest were deliberately cleared and burned for cattle ranching and farming during the first two years of the far-right leader’s time in office.

While the amount of carbon that the Amazon absorbs and emits changes with weather cycles, generally sucking in more in wet years and less in dry periods, the study found that the rise in emissions under Bolsonaro had little to do with natural processes, but was instead caused by the systematic removal and downgrading of environmental law enforcement in Brazil.

Under Bolsonaro, the number and severity of fines for illegal deforestation by Brazilian authorities fell dramatically while fires and land-clearing soared, the study found. Carbon emissions increased from an annual average of 0.24 gigatonnes from 2010-18 to 0.44GtC in 2019 and 0.55GtC respectively.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/23/amazons-emissions-doubled-under-first-half-of-bolsonaros-presidency-aoe

Continue ReadingAmazon’s emissions ‘doubled’ under first half of Bolsonaro presidency

Extinction Rebellion blockade Amazon warehouses on Black Friday

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Extinction Rebellion protest at Fife, Scotland.

Extinction Rebellion blockade Amazon over ‘exploitation of people and planet’

Extinction Rebellion (XR) blocked Amazon distribution centres on “Black Friday”—a day of sales and big profits for the business. 

The group occupied Amazon sites across Britain, in Germany and in the Netherlands in protest at its “exploitative and environmentally destructive business practices”. Climate activists are planning to continue the blockade for the next couple of days. 

Rosie, a student supporter of XR, spoke to Socialist Worker from the blockade at the company’s distribution centre in Doncaster in South Yorkshire. She said Amazon is exploiting “people and planet”. 

She said activists arrived at the depot at 4 am, with rebels locking onto concrete blocks and erecting a bamboo structure at one entrance. 

The group blocked the entrances that HGV lorries use to travel in and out of the centre, effectively halting distribution.

Extinction Rebellion blockades Amazon UK hubs on Black Friday

Activists target distribution network to highlight company’s treatment of workers and environmental impact

Climate activists have blockaded Amazon distribution centres across the UK to highlight the company’s treatment of its workforce and what they say are its “environmentally destructive and wasteful business practices”.

Scores of Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists locked themselves together and used bamboo structures in an attempt to disrupt the online retail company’s distribution network on Black Friday – one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Unveiling banners reading “Infinite growth: Finite planet”, protesters said the blockade was part of an international action by XR targeting Amazon “fulfilment centres” in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spectator#Political_ideology_and_policy_positions

The Spectator is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs.[1] It was first published in July 1828,[2] making it the oldest weekly magazine in the world.[3]

It is owned by Frederick Barclay, [dizzy: [ed: the surviving] one of the ‘Barclay brothers’ who may be described as filthy rich i.e. extremely rich and extremely polluting and destructive] who also owns The Daily Telegraph newspaper, via Press Holdings. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture. It is politically conservative. Alongside columns and features on current affairs, the magazine also contains arts pages on books, music, opera, film and TV reviews.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-snobbery-of-extinction-rebellion-s-amazon-blockade

The snobbery of Extinction Rebellion’s Amazon blockade

Extinction Rebellion is fundamentally a movement for austerity. No wonder it is unpopular. We like our holidays, we like our comforts and we like our Black Friday bargains, so bugger off.

Tory MP Who Criticised Climate Action For Impact on World’s Poor Has Stakes in 18 Extractive Companies

A Tory MP who suggested it is “morally wrong” to discourage poor countries from pursuing high-carbon growth on climate change grounds has a financial interest in numerous fossil fuel and mining companies.

Among the 18 extractive companies listed under the MP’s entry in the parliamentary register of interests are Shell and the world’s largest oilfield services company, Schlumberger.

Marcus Fysh, a member of the “Net Zero Scrutiny Group” of MPs recently launched to push back against the government’s climate policies, told talkRADIO earlier this month the developing world should not be forced to follow greener economic pathways, speaking of the abject poverty he had witnessed in India.

“It is frankly morally questionable, morally wrong some might say, to try to withhold the prospect of development from such people that could improve their lives,” he said. 

Continue ReadingExtinction Rebellion blockade Amazon warehouses on Black Friday