Can barcodes become the secret weapon against illegal logging?

As strange as it sounds, there's a good chance it might happen with a new technology provided by the British company Helveta.

According to an article on Reuters, the company has put already barcodes (yes, just like the ones you have in supermarkets, only in plastic bags) on about million trees across Africa, southeast Asia and South America.

Patrick Newton, Helveta's chief executive officer told Reuters that the computerized system is less prone to fraud than traditional paper records, carries live data and can help governments to collect more timber taxes, Newton said.

How does it work exactly? watch this piece on BBC Oxford News for the details:



In all the barcodes can't prevent criminals from chopping down trees, but the system's promise is to make it hard for them to process, sell or export the wood.

Can this system stop illegal logging? On one side, this "industry" is too lucrative to be stopped only by one measure. Usually innovative solutions against theft generates more innovations on the other side and creates more sophisticated thieves. BUT on the other side, not only this is a much better and secure system than the current paper-based system, it will also make illegal logging more expensive and difficult.

Hence my guestimation is it will become a powerful tool that can decrease illegal logging, and even more it will bring more technology and further innovation into the fight in illegal logging, which will be crucial in winning this fight.

What do you think? I'll be happy to hear your thoughts about it.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting green publishing

Greenpeace ask you to show the forests some love

Greenpeace has an important mission for you: to show the European Commission how much you love forests!

Why? they explain it on their website:

The European Commission has delayed a vital vote on protecting forests from illegal logging till September. We want to make sure the commissioners don't forget about it during their summer holiday. We need you to help us make an extra impression before the September vote.

We all love the forests, and we would like to showcase all that love to the EU (and we know for a fact that the EU doesn’t have anything against some loving). The forests already have made an effort themselves!

And this is the mission they have for you:

Take pictures and/or videos of yourself and your friends spreading the love in a forest.
Submit your pictures in the flickr group or post your video as an answer to ours. They will use these photos to make a collaborative video that they’ll show the European Commission in September.

And there's also a great example to what exactly Greenpeace mean by spreading the love in a forest (btw - if you want to see more of their excellent videos, check out eco-tube):


You're also invited to send a petition to the President of the European Commission from Greenpeace website.

So let's show the forests some love and hopefully it will pay off in Septemeber!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!

Wal-Mart joins WWF's initiative to eliminate illegal logging

Forests need strong allies to win their survival battles. This week it seems they have a new powerful friend that might help. His name is Wal-Mart.

Environmental Leader reports that the world's largest retailer has become a member of the Global Forest & Trade Network (GTFN), a WWF initiative to eliminate illegal logging and improve the management of valuable and threatened forests. By becoming a member, Wal-Mart pledges to help save endangered forests by using more wood from sustainable and certified sources.

WWF published a press release about the new member of GTFN this Monday, reporting that by joining the GFTN, Wal-Mart has committed to phasing out illegal and unwanted wood sources from its supply chain and increasing its proportion of wood products originating from credibly certified sources – for Wal-Mart stores and Sam’s Clubs in the United States.

“With nearly half of the world’s forests already gone, action is urgently needed,” Suzanne Apple, WWF’s VP for Business & Industry says in the news release. “Wal-Mart’s commitment to support responsible forestry answers that call to action. WWF welcomes the company to a global community committed to healthy business and healthy forests.”

I couldn't agree more with her. Although Wal-Mart have a lot of work to do on their end to become more environmental and social friendly, this step is definitely the right one in this direction.

In any case, if you're a forest, you want Wal-Mart on your side. With more than 176 million customers weekly in 14 markets, Wal-Mart have the power to make a difference in an extent that only few other retailers have.

So what's going to happen? according to the WWF news release, within one year, Wal-Mart will complete an assessment of where its wood furniture is coming from and whether the wood is legal and well-managed. Once the assessment is completed, Wal-Mart has committed to eliminating wood from illegal and unknown sources within five years. The company will also eliminate wood from forests that are of critical importance due to their environmental, socio-economic, biodiversity or landscape values and that aren’t well-managed.

Again, Kudos to Wal-Mart on this step and I hope to see many other retailers and companies follow suit and join this initiative.

Yours,

Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!