Santa's red suit got me wondering if there's any kid out there who asked Santa to do something about the REDD mechanism and put life into it. I'm not sure about it, but it sure looks like REDD needs some help, even after Copenhagen, when for a minute it looked like the only shining star around.
The agreement that came out of the negotiations in Copenhagen (Copenhagen Accord) includes a reference to REDD, as follows:
"We recognize the crucial role of reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation and the need to enhance removals of greenhouse gas emission by forests and agree on the need to provide positive incentives to such actions through the immediate establishment of a mechanism including REDD-plus, to enable the mobilization of financial resources from developed countries."
The translation of this language is that basically there's a lot of good will and understanding of the need to initiate a mechanism with financial incentives that will protect the forests, but no promises are made and no time frame is provided.
There was also a draft that went into more details about the REDD mechanism, but as mongabay.com reported, it was weakened from earlier versions. REDD-Monitor adds that this draft "includes no mention of targets for stopping deforestation. There are no commitments for long-term finance. Safeguards are weak to the point of non-existent. Leakage is not meaningfully addressed. The principle of free, prior and informed consent by indigenous people is nowhere to be seen."
And there's also some money on the table as a result of the negotiations. The US, UK, France, Japan, Australia and Norway pledged $3.5bn in Copenhagen to start REDD in the over the next three years. Still, as Carbon Positive reports, there is some doubt as to whether these promises still stand in the absence of a comprehensive climate agreement.
Are these results satisfying? well, it depends who you're speaking with. It's depressing," Kevin Conrad, executive director of the Coalition of Rainforest Nations, a group of 40 forested nations, told the Associated Press. "REDD gets punted along for another year." John O. Niles of the Tropical Forest Group also didn't like the results and told mongabay.com that "The REDD text published is a major backdown from what almost everyone thought was an advanced text on many regards."
Others, like Jeff Horowitz, founding partner of Avoided Deforestation Partners, a group pushing for U.S. leadership on REDD, were more optimistic. He told mongabay.com that "We cannot let this procedural setback diminish our resolve to create policy frameworks that addresses this immediate and scalable solution to climate change. I am certain this delay in Copenhagen will serve to fire up the US environmental community, and our private sector partners, to be more motivated than ever to see the U.S. Senate pass climate legislation that includes robust international forest protection provisions in the first quarter of 2010."
The bottom line is that even though it looked for a couple of days that the REDD issue can be finalized separately and does not have to be dependent on a general agreement, it looks like it won't work this way. I think it's a bit naive to believe that REDD has a life of its own and can be launched successfully no matter what framework is agreed upon, if at all. Strong and effective REDD mechanism is possible only as a part of a strong and effective global accord.
This is I believe one of the main lessons from Copenhagen and I hope it will drive all of us who are worried about the forests to keep pressing the politicians to agree on a meaningful global accord with a meaningful REDD mechanism in it.
More articles about REDD:
Everything you always wanted to know about forestry carbon credits - A special interview with Paulo Lopes of Carbon Clear
Is REDD going bad? Is it going to enable conversion of natural forests into industrial plantations?
The potential and risks of forest-based carbon offsets:
Part 1 - the Carbon Canopy
Part 2 - Noel Kempff and the Greenpeace report
Part 3 - How it can actually work?
Happy Holiday!
Raz @ Eco-Libris
Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Is it a REDD Christmas? not really, not yet.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
When Santa Turned Green - now the App version
Two years ago we reviewed here "When Santa Turned Green", a great green children's book written by Victoria Perla and illustrated by Mirna Kantarevic.
Now I was happy to hear that the book, in the spirit of time, has just arrived at the Apple App store.
Just to remind you, When Santa Turned Green is the illustrated story of Santa Claus's quest to turn all the world's children "green"—after he discovers that his home, the North Pole, is melting.
This charmingly written, beautifully rendered tale inspires children at a time when their imaginations and confidence in their ability to change the world are truly boundless.
And back to the new App - Produced by the wizards at ScrollMotion - the company responsible for bringing best-sellers to the iPhone platform, including Twilight and Curious George’s Dictionary - this App allows users of any age to explore the images with a pinch of their fingers and listen to a loving narrative from Santa himself. The App also offers an intuitive interface that enables users to record their own voice-over of the book.
As the author explains
You're welcome to check
Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!
Monday, December 21, 2009
We have a winner on "The Looking Book" giveaway!
We had a giveaway following to review of "The Looking Book" - the green book we recommended as a gift for parents, and we have a winner!
We asked you to share with us your experience on what's the best way to get children to play outside and we got great replies, both here and on Eco Children's Play, where the review was re-published.
And our winner is Melissa, who wrote the following:
My children LOVE to play outside, but sometimes it can be hard, one way is to give them bubbles, or balls, something that is more of a no no in the house, that usually gets them outside for me. Also sometimes we have picnics and they LOVE that, getting to eat somewhere other than the table, its a great way to get them outside and using their imagination too.
Congrats, Melissa! You won our review copy of the book, and we'll also plant a tree for this book and add our "One tree planted for this book" sticker to the book!
Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
Eco-Libris: promoting sustainable reading!
Green printing tip no. 27: Can you save money on paper on your next greeting cards order?
We're back with another tip on our weekly series of green printing tips, where we bring you information on green printing in collaboration with Greg Barber, an experienced eco-friendly printer.
Today's tip is about greeting cards, and even though you probably won't be able to implement it this holiday, there's always the next holiday waiting there.. The lesson we're learning today is that when it comes to green printing size does matter.
Can you save money on paper on your next greeting cards order?
Tip #27
The answer is clearly Yes. Here is my recommendation on what you should to trim your paper costs the next time you print greeting cards:
1. Contact your printer first, before designing your next print project. Did you know we can save you 50% on your paper prices, if you avoid designing a job that wastes a lot of paper?
2. Consider that the popular Greeting Card size 10 x 7, that scores to 5 x 7, may only get 2 cards up, when printing them digitally on a 13 x 19 sheet of paper. The 10 inch side can cut into the 13 inch dimension and the 7 inch side, cuts 2 out of the 19 inch dimension.
3. By changing to 9 x 6.25 that folds to 4.5 x 6.25, or slightly smaller than the 5 x 7 size above, we can cut the 9 inch into the 19" dimension 2 up, and the 6.25 inch side cuts 2 up into the 13" dimension. Two times Two equals Four is something we all learned, a long time ago...
So if you wanted 1000 greeting cards at the 9 x 6.25 inch flat size, we would use 250 sheets of 13 x 19 paper at 4 up, and yield you the 1000 greeting cards you need. If you held firm on
the 10 x 7 flat size, we would need 500 sheets of 13 x 19 to yield you 1000 greeting cards.
4. And the savings? Our cost on 100% post-consumer paper in 100# cover might be 25 cents per sheet on the 13 x 19 size paper, or $62.50 more paper. And, we would need to throw away a strip of paper that might be 3" x 5" times 500 sheets of paper waste. That alone is an awful environmental waste.
Call me before your next job, and I will advise you the size to run.
For additional information, please call Greg Barber at (973) 224-1132, or email greg@gregbarberco.com.
Also, if you have any questions you would like us to address in future tips please email us to info@ecolibris.net .
Latest tips:
Green Printing Tip #26 - What can we do to reduce the carbon footprint of direct mailing campaigns?
Green Printing Tip #25 - Can you Green your print advertising?
Green Printing Tip #24 - Can we be Greener in our use of Inter Office Envelopes, Presentation Folders, and Outgoing Envelopes?
You can find links to all the tips we published so far on our green printing tips page, which is part of our green printing tools & resources.
You can also find further valuable information on Greg Barber Company's website - http://www.gregbarberco.com.
Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Green book review for the holidays - part 4: The book you should bring to sushi lovers
Today we have our fourth part on our holidays series, where we review green books that will make great presents this holiday season!
Each book will be dedicated to another group and we today we have a very big group of people - the sushi lovers. Our recommendation for them is on:
Sustainable Sushi: A Guide to Saving the Oceans One Bite at a Time
Author: Casson Trenor
From saving the whales of the Antarctic to studying the salmon of Alaska, Casson Trenor has worked to support stewardship of our marine resources in all five oceans and countless seas. Trenor has extensive experience and expertise: he has stalked the fetid warehouses of Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, spent two months journeying by ship along the Antarctic coast, berthed on leaking wrecks off Central Pacific islands, and gone octopus fishing with holy men on the Island of Yap.
Born in Seattle and living in San Francisco, Trenor speaks five languages, has traveled to over forty countries, and holds an MA in International Environmental Policy from the prestigious Monterey Institute of International Studies. Sustainable Sushi: A Guide to Saving the Oceans One Bite at a Time is Trenor’s first book.
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
Published on: January 2009
What this book is about? (from the publisher's website)
Sustainable Sushi answers the question on the minds of millions who enjoy eating fish: how can we indulge the desire to dine well while keeping our health and the health of the oceans in mind? With painstaking research found in no other book on the market to date, this pocket-size guide profiles dozens of the most common fish and shellfish one might encounter at a sushi bar, details where and how they are caught, whether or not they are safe, and how they figure in the current fishery crisis.
Written by a fishery and sustainability expert who was himself netted long ago by the allure of Japanese cuisine, Sustainable Sushi offers simple, clear explanations of such topics as mercury and PCB levels, overfishing, and species extinction. Attractively designed and featuring quick facts, maps, photos, and illustrations, the book was written for both the novice and the seasoned sushi fan. In a storm of seafood shortages and frightening statistics, Sustainable Sushi shows readers how to enjoy the sushi bar without guilt.
Why it's a great holiday gift for sushi lovers?
I like sushi and actually I never met someone who doesn't like it. It's really a great food, but like many other types of food that see growing demand, it has some issues involved with its supply that are threatening the next generations' ability to enjoy a nice sashimi or shiromaguro (aka white tuna).
Just last month, for example, Mongabay.com reported that Restaurants sampled in New York and Colorado are serving up bluefin tuna without informing their customers know they are dining on an endangered species, according to a new study in PLoS ONE."
Now, this book is not coming to tell you to stop eating fish. It's exactly the opposite as the author explains - "the goal of this book is not to tear you away from your favorite sushi bar. I don't want to forbid you the joys of fresh nigiri, nor the exhilaration of that extra smidgeon of wasabi your tongue; just the opposite, in fact. If, as a society, we are aware of the consequences of ours seafood choices, we can continue to eat sushi and protect the oceans at the same time."
So you got it - it's an educational book written from a very positive point of view, but is it really an interesting gift for the holidays? the answer is YES. The author created a guide that will make every sushi lover knowledgeable about sustainable sources of fish, mercury levels, fishing practices and much much more. So not only she or he will be able to know next time they go to a sushi place which dish is sustainable and which one isn't, but they can also impress their friends with pieces of information, such as how Skipjack tuna got their name (from their habit of leaping out of the water and effectively 'skipping' across the surface).
So the potential here is huge - becoming a sustainable sushi consumer, getting friends and family to become ones as well and get to become a fish expert and someone everyone is asking for their advice (Is it OK to eat Blue crab? how about the Stone crab?) in no time. Definitely worth it!
Price: $10.85
More on our holidays series:
Green book for parents - The Looking Book
Green book for eco-shoppers - ECOHOLIC
Green book for small business owners (and employees) - Greening Your Small Business
And don't forget that if you're buying a green book, you can even make your gift greener by adding our holidays special offer to it - trees/stickers and a beautiful holidays gift card made of recycled paper. For further information, please go to www.ecolibris.net/holidays.asp
Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Last minute shopper? Check out our special green offer for the holiday!
CSMonitor.com reported that a survey released this week by the National Retail Federation (NRF) shows that the average US shopper had completed just 46.7 percent of their holiday shopping by the second week of December, the lowest since 2004.
If you're also one of those who wait for the last minute to buy their gifts for the holiday, and especially if it's snowy outside and you don't really feel like going anywhere, you're invited to check out the special green and affordable gift we're offering for the holiday!
Yes, Eco-Libris has a special offer for an holiday gift for you: Plant trees to balance out the books your loved ones read. We will send them a beautiful holiday card and Eco-Libris stickers to display on their books’ sleeves. Just change the shipping address on the PayPal payment page to the address of the gift receiver (or send us a separate email to info@ecolibris.net with the details) and we will take care of the rest!
If you're buying books as gifts, you can also add the stickers and the card, making it a great green gift (And if you're looking for an idea for a "green" book that can be a great holiday gift, you can find plenty of ideas on our green books campaign, as well as on our green book gifts for the holidays series).
The holiday greeting cards we send are made by Doodle Greetings (see picture). Not only these cards come with a beautiful design, but they are also eco-friendly - printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper and are made chlorine-free and acid free. Sounds like a good fit with Eco-Libris stickers, which are also made of recycled paper!
This is also very affordable gift offer, starting from $6.50 for 5 trees/stickers and a holiday card!
Interested? go to our holidays page and check it out at http://www.ecolibris.net/Holidays.asp
Happy and Green Holiday!
Raz @ Eco-Libris
Eco-Libris: Promoting green reading!
