WWF - Conservation and environmental news & publications: Argentina

Soy meet ends on high note

2011-06-17

Buenos Aires, Argentina - The Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) concluded its annual conference on Thursday with a note of optimism about its progress, buoyed by the announcement earlier this month of the first RTRS certified farms and the renewed commitment expressed by buyers and funders for certified soy.

The meeting, June 15-16, focused on sharing lessons learned by RTRS producers, and their progress toward certification, as well as progress and challenges faced by buyers of soy. The Brazilian soy producer AMaggi shared its experience about its efforts to certify two of its farms in Matto Grosso state, which were the first soy farms to be awarded certification according to RTRS standards.

These milestone certifications were celebrated at an event on June 8 in Rotterdam, marking a major step forward for the RTRS. The Dutch organization IDS (Initiative Sustainable Soy), which includes feed industry and major companies, committed to buying 85,000 tonnes of this first certified soy, initiating the opening of the global market for RTRS soy.

"This tangible progress by RTRS producers and buyers are the first steps in building a mainstream market for responsible soy," said Cassio Moreira, Coordinator of WWF Brazil's Agriculture and Environment Program.

"This meeting provided an opportunity for proud members to reflect on this critical milestone and discuss how to increase the momentum for increased uptake of RTRS soy."

Other presentations by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), and the German Agency for International Cooperation, (GIZ) highlighted programmes to provide financial and technical to the companies on the soy value chain to become RTRS compliant.

Moreira added, "It was gratifying to see that WWF's sense of urgency is shared by other RTRS members – because multi-member bodies like this round table are becoming increasingly important to protect the environment.

"In Brazil, the proposed revision of the Forest Code currently threatens millions of hectares of tropical biomes. Whatever the outcome of these policy discussions in Brazil, it is clear that we cannot depend on government policies alone, so therefore the RTRS as a market driven initiative is more important than ever to help stop deforestation in Latin America."

Earth Hour success shows world ready to go Beyond the Hour

2011-03-27

As the lights come back on in the Cook Islands, the 134th country to celebrate Earth Hour 2011 – a record breaking year for the annual lights-out event – the global community has shown it is united in commitment to a sustainable future.

Around the world, Earth Hour was embraced by the global community, transcending race, culture, age and economics as individuals took leadership in their communities in the pursuit of a cleaner and safer planet.

In 2011, Earth Hour asked the hundreds of millions of people taking part in the one hour switch-off to take the next step and go beyond the hour, using Earth Hour to commit to ongoing action for the planet.

"The Beyond the Hour call to action has been unanimously answered by people worldwide," said Andy Ridley, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Earth Hour. "From school children in Singapore, to Heads of State from the UK, to Australia, Pakistan and Colombia, people have shown that Earth Hour has evolved beyond lights-out.

"This year's event has illustrated without question what can be achieved when people unite with a common purpose and rally to action."

Earth Hour 2011 gathered steam crossing Atlantic
As Earth Hour progressed towards the conclusion of the 2011 lights off event across the planet the Americas celebrated the arrival of the global movement with a plethora of lights-off events across the region. Brazil continued the stronger showing for Earth Hour in emerging economies, as the wildly successful call for action on the environment continued to roll around the globe.

Hundreds of millions in thousands of cities, towns and communities in a record 134 countries were expected to have participated by the time the lights out and pledge action beyond the hour completes its passage from New Zealand on one side of the International Date Line to the former New Zealand dependency of the Cook Islands on the other.

Brazil set its own record with 124 cities taking part this year compared to the still creditable 98 of 2010. This included around 2/3 of the state capitals and coverage across all 5 Brazilian regions. More cities and towns are likely to reveal Earth Hour activities in the coming days.

A huge and emotional event involving more than 3,000 was held in Rio, in front of Arcos da Lapa, a colonial era aqueduct which faded into darkness for the event for the first time. Popular Brazilian singer Toni Garrido warmed up the crowd for addresses from Brazil Environmental Minister, Izabella Teixeira, and Rio de Janeiro Mayor, Eduardo Paes.

The leading landmark to fade into the night sky was Rio's Christ the Redeemer statue, but it was accompanied by more than 300 others including the Copacabana Beach it looks down on, the National Congress (Brasilia), Estaida Bridge (São Paulo) and the Amazon Opera House (Manaus). Generous corporate support from Banco do Brasil, Coca-Cola, TIM, HSBC and Rossi supported the events.

In Juazeiro do Norte in north eastern Seará state, the leading attraction to go dark was the 27m statue of Padre (Father) Cicero, built in 1969 and the central focus of what is considered a major pilgrimage centre and grassroots religious centre.

Celebrations in Mato Gross do Sul, home to the Pantonal wetlands, kicked off in the state capital, Campo Grande. In the Praça (plaza) do Rádio a countdown led by the city mayor, Nelson Trad Filho marked Campo Grande's third participation in Earth Hour. Capoeira circles, a samba school and a local band accompanied the switching off of various icons including the historical building Morada dos Baís. Companies also took their own initiative in switching off.

Special symbolism celebrated as Chico Mendes house goes dark
For the third year in a row, the Amazonas Theatre, one of the biggest icons of the city of Manaus, State of Amazonas, switched off its lights for an hour, as did many other "manauaras", symbols like the Praça da Saudade, the Amazonas Shopping and the State Prosecutor building. In the centre of the capital, artists recited poetry and short stories, and performed musical pieces. According to Michelle Andrews, the objective was to revive old Amazonian ways. "Like small talk on door steps, an exchange of ideas under candle light on a sidewalk," she said.

Capital Rio Branco and the towns of Xapuri, Santa Rosa do Purus and Sena Madureira in environmentally conscious Acre State took part officially in the Earth Hour movement. In Rio Branco, the state government palace had the lights turned off for one hour.

"It is not a matter of saving energy, but thinking about what we have been doing to the world", said state secretary for the Environment, Edgard de Deus, saying Acre's participation in Earth Hour shows a concern of the local society about conservation and environmental issues.

Celebrations in Xapuri including turning out the lights of the house where rubber tapper, environmentalist and union leader Chico Mendes was assassinated in 1988 for fighting deforestation. His life may have been extinguished but his example inspired a generation who have had a gradual but profound impact on deforestation levels and human rights across Brazil.

Elenira Mendes, daughter of Chico Mendes, was pleased that her father was honoured as part of the global lights-out event. "It's a unique symbolism, of great importance. My father, who has shown to the world the Amazon and the importance of the forest, would be very happy to know that our house has been part of this worldwide movement," she said.

So succesful were the efforts of Brazil, that the Twitter hashtag #horadoplaneta (Portugese for Earth Hour) began "trending" globally during that time.

Girl Scouts lead US by example
Girl Scouts across the United States of America - from Louisiana to Missouri to Utah and Indiana - led the action for Earth Hour. In Los Angeles, local troops gathered for a candlelit vigil while 500 Colorado Girl Scouts created a giant glowing 'GS' on the steps of the State Capital Building in Denver.

Also from LA, Earth Hour Ambassador Verne Troyer pledged to go beyond the hour and replace all his light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs, and said, "Earth Hour brings attention to the need for environmental action. I believe that each one of us has the power to do more, especially in areas such as the conservation of our planet's finite resources. I will go beyond the hour this year by replacing all the light bulbs in my home with energy efficient lighting. Make your footprint on this planet as small as mine."

All 96 UN buildings in New York including its main headquarters flicked off for the occasion. Simultaneously, the lights of Broadway theatres dimmed their marquees and roof signs in honour of Earth Hour. Iconic sites including the Empire State Building and numerous buildings in Times Square also rose to the occasion by switching off.

US-based Australian model Miranda Kerr, who earlier this year signed up as a global ambassador for Earth Hour went further and committed to an action in keeping with the event's 'beyond the hour' message, "This year I will be going beyond the hour by continuing to recycle and by buying organic produce from local farmers markets thereby cutting down on the pesticides and insecticides used on our planet and reducing food miles," Kerr said.

Myspace has allowed Earth Hour ambassador Miranda Kerr to 'Hijack' the site for the three days in the lead-up to Earth Hour. Kerr is curating content on the Myspace homepage, including several playlists featuring past and present Earth Hour ambassadors and supporters Temper Trap, Tom Jones, Nelly Furtado, Alanis Morissette and Coldplay.

One of the biggest transitions from light to shadow occurred again along the Las Vegas strip - the scene for some of the world's brightest stars over the years, with many hotels committing themselves to go beyond the hour by committing to everyday action for the planet. World famous Caesar's, turned off its lights not only in Las Vegas, but in 40 of its worldwide locations, in addition to its ongoing sustainable business practices and environmental programs through CodeGreen, a comprehensive environmental strategy that focuses on critical issues of energy, waste, water and carbon management throughout the company's casino resorts.

"Caesars' leadership in the gaming industry and its steadfast commitment to environmental sustainability and stewardship are reflected in our resorts' continued participation in Earth Hour," said Gary Loveman, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Caesars Entertainment.

In Southern California, the Queen Mary blasted its horn to indicate the beginning of Earth Hour. The Long Beach landmark followed by turning off lights on its smokestacks, the string of lights atop the ship, as well as encouraging guests staying in staterooms to do likewise.

In Chicago, another celebrated skyline dimmed as Earth Hour commenced. ComEd officials along with students from the Chicago Conservation Corps flipped the switch at Merchandise Mart, a Chicago landmark now the largest LEED-certified building in the U.S. Hundreds of other city buildings were also reported to have gone dark for one hour including Navy Pier, Willis Tower, Custom's House, the Prudential Centre, the John Hancock Building, and the Children's Museum.

American citizens across the US have also been embracing Earth Hour's beyond the hour theme. One man in Stillwater, Oklahoma first took part in Earth Hour last year and whilst turning off the lights for that hour sparked the interest of his neighbours who over the year became increasingly inspired. Last night the neighbourhood and whole town of Stillwater participated in Earth Hour demonstrating the difference that one person can have in bringing people together as a community.

"Through the simple gesture of turning off the lights, Earth Hour has captured the world's imagination, growing significantly year after year and 2011 is no exception. Our goal this year was for even more people to engage in Earth Hour, and the response has been simply amazing," said Terry Macko, chief marketing officer at WWF US. "We appreciate the individuals, communities, governments and organizations that are stepping up to the plate and 'owning' Earth Hour and helping spread the critical message of sustainable living across the world."

Canada embraces Earth Hour as never before
An impressive roll-call of 422 cities, municipalities and towns took part in Earth Hour 2011 - a pleasing outcome for a team that rightly thought it had done very well with 304 in 2010. Another 73 universities and 30 major landmarks from across the country including the CN Tower, Parliament Buildings, Niagara Falls and the Lions Gate Bridge, took part in this year's event.

This year Canada highlighted a "clean energy" message, asking Canadians to "let their support for clean energy shine this Earth Hour", helping to build awareness of clean energy as a key solution for climate change.

Earlier this week, WWF Canada's Director General of Climate Change, Josh Laughren, presented the 'Earth Hour List'; an honour roll of the top 10 leading cities on climate change in Canada. The prestigious accolade were given to recognise those cities that are going beyond the hour, the theme for this year's Earth Hour, with the most active programs to reduce carbon emissions, promote renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation.

In British Columbian community of Squamish, Earth Hour was marked with a screening of the documentary Aftermath: A World Without Oil, followed by a candlelight dinner featuring local foods and a night of music.
Grand Palladium Jamaica and Lady Hamilton Resort and Spa in Lucea Hanover continued their support of Earth Hour by switching off. Embracing 'beyond the hour', both also committed to activities to become Green Globe Certified. Activities include recycling, water and energy management and staff training. Jamaican telco Digicel joined hundreds of thousands of companies and households across the world this evening in powering down in observance of Earth Hour.

This year was the first year that Trinidad and Tobago officially participated in Earth Hour, after University of the West Indies student Christopher Naranjit obtained approval to host an event on the night of Earth Hour. Businesses in the capital city (Port of Spain), and boroughs of Chaguanas, San Fernando and Arima supported the event, with whole neighbourhoods going dark. Four radio and TV stations held a minutes' silence for Japan and devoted the hour to tips about Going Beyond the Hour. In Bermuda a public gathering was held at City Hall, a central location in the main City of Hamilton.

Latin America ups the ante
Venezuelan co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2007, Juan Carlos Sánchez, lent his support to Earth Hour 2011 whilst his motherland celebrated lights-out with a plethora of events; EcoStyle Fashion, an unplugged concert, and a series of plays were performed. Over 1,000 people in Plaza Alfredo Sadel in Caracas, led by the city's Mayor, brought the Earth Hour logo slowly to life as volunteers lit over 500 candles to show their solidarity with the planet. Venezuelan Earth Hour ambassadors were out in force at the event with Karen Britton, Maickel Melamed, Jean Mary, Alejandro Leon and other prominent Venezuelans stating their commitments to go beyond the hour as part of the celebration. Performances by local theatre actors, musicians and dancers along with a fashion parade kept the crowd entertained as candlelight illuminated the streets of Caracas. Putting their money where their mouth is, Venezuelan organisers ensured that all materials used at the event were recycled or environmentally friendly - including all clothing that was part of the fashion parade and a 'garden' made from recycled plastic drink bottles. Also lending her support was Miss Venezuela 2011.

In Colombia residents turned off their lights and other non-essential electrical devices for a symbolic "wave of darkness". In the capital, Bogota, 500 people took part at a concert event in Usaquen Square as the lights flicked off at the Mayor's Building, the Presidential Palace, Gold Museum, Maloka Interactive Museum and Monserrate mountain overlooking Bogota. Medellin saw 4,000 people attend a performance by the Philarmonic Orchestra as EPM's Intelligent Building and Interactive Museum, the Bancolombia building and local TV station, TeleMedellin, all led the mass switch off. Mocoa and Cali also participated in the action with over 4,000 people turning out in support for environmental action, turning off the lights and enjoying community activities in celebration of their commitment.

Lost city Machu Picchu an Earth Hour site
Cities, towns and buildings neighbouring the lost City of the Incas, Lake Titicaca and the largest Ramsar Site in the Amazon went dark for 60 minutes joining world icons like the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.

Mayor Susana Villarán led the Earth Hour 2011 celebrations turning out the lights of all the monuments and major buildings of the Historic Centre of Lima (Cultural Heritage of Humanity), Peru, in a ceremony that was replicated in 35 of the main cities of Peru, including Arequipa, Trujillo and Tarapoto. Mayor Villarán announced the environmental commitments from her administration to take Earth Hour beyond the hour, including a strong commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of the Municipality. Her call was supported by both current president Alan Garcia as well as next month's leading presidential National Election candidate, Alejandro Toledo.

The historic Sacred Valley of the Incas along the Urubamba River in Cuzco went dark, and the lights of the only building in the remote region of Lake Titicaca in Puno, Casa Andina Hotel, were switched off to mark the hour.

The Datem del Marañon district in Loreto is not only one of the most isolated in the Amazon, but also home to indigenous Kandozi, Ashuar and Quechua peoples, and hosts the largest wetland throughout the Amazon acknowledged as a conservation priority site by the Ramsar Convention: the Abanico del Pastaza. Although the district's capital, San Lorenzo, has only a few hours of electricity per day, its authorities sent a powerful message by turning the lights out, and committed to take Earth Hour beyond the hour by implementing a solid waste management program which will help recover one of the most important rivers in the Peruvian Amazon. 45 of the country's leading businesses, joined the global initiative, using it to launch 'beyond the hour' eco-efficiency policies and environmental management practices.

Earth Hour celebrations in Chile spanned the length of the country with tens of thousands of Chileans taking part in the capital, Santiago, as well as major regional centres Valdivia, Punta Arenas, Concepcion and Temuco. A raft of famous Chileans lent their name to the cause as Earth Hour ambassadors including María Ignacia Benitez (Environment Minister), Amaya Forch (singer and actress), Amarils Horta (Director for the Centre of 'Bicycle Culture') and Andrea Obaid, Chile's leading science and technology journalists. The lights went out across Santiago as candlelit Earth Hour celebrations lit up the capital at landmarks such as the La Moneda Presidential Palace, Entel Tower, Constitution Place and Plaza De Armas. A huge canvas of 260m² was also illuminated with candles to mark the occasion.

In Mexico City, Mexico, a candlelit event was held at the Monument to the Revolution, with other monuments in the Mexican capital including El Angel de la Independencia, la Diana Cazadora and the National Government Palace switched off their lights. In Cancun and La Paz, activities began with environment workshops followed by a local group performing batucada. Plaza Forum in Cancun, a major tourist destination, went dark in an event that took place with the support of local venues.

Other cities switching off included Guaymas, Huatulco, Oaxaca, Campeche, Puebla, Nogales, Chihuahua, Delicias, Estado de Mexico, San Luis Potosi and Reynos - where scores of volunteers rallied through Facebook and other social media channels to make Earth Hour a huge success.

In Argentina, an Earth Hour competition earlier this month saw supporters get creative fashioning a '60', representing the 60 minutes of Earth Hour and submitting photos through Facebook. The first prize winner made a 60 out of 1000 plastic lids. Saturday night's Earth Hour celebrations featured singer Elena Roger, a group show of taiko (Japanese percussion), in commemoration of the earthquake and tsunami, and a groupe of jugglers and fire twirlers created the '60' from flames. Argentina's landmarks united with the nation's people - the Obelisk, Puente de la Mujer, and Piramide de Mayo (the oldest national monument in Buenos Aires), all standing in darkness in support of action for the environment.

In the Bolivian capital, La Paz, an eco-torch parade to the Plaza del Bicentenario was led by the Mayor Ing. Luis Revilla, who also led a countdown to the 8:30pm switch-off. Simultaneous events were held in Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Potosi, Oruro, Trinidad City, Quijarro, Puerto Suarez, San Matias and Sucre, where organisers and volunteers held celebrations featuring lanterns, musical performances, and traditional dance.

Earth Hour ambassador and First Lady of Belize Mrs Kim Barrow hosted a Black and White Gala event for Earth Hour on behalf of her non-profit organisation, the Lifeline Foundation, with lights switching off for 60 minutes. Participants at the Gala event included the Prime Minister of Belize as well as other dignitaries.

WWF award recognises Argentina's ocean protection efforts

2010-10-27

Nagoya, Japan - WWF today awarded one of its highest accolades – Leaders for a Living Planet (LLP) – to Argentina's National Park Administration President, Dr. Patricia Gandini, in recognition of her leadership in the country's conservation efforts in the south-west Atlantic Ocean and the establishment of four new marine protected areas.

The four new marine protected areas (MPAs) - formally announced at a event sponsored by WWF at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) now underway in Japan – will cover over 580,800 ha of the south-west Atlantic Ocean, extending along Argentina's coast.

"As a marine ecologist, the creation of new marine protected areas is one of my main challenges," said Dr. Gandini. "Our achievements of the last two years, with the creation of these new marine parks, show the strong commitment of the Argentine Government and myself to include MPAs in our national protected areas system."

Less than one per cent of Argentina's waters are currently protected. The MPAs announced today increase the area of Argentine waters under MPAs to over 1,360,800 ha and represent a key step towards the country's ambition to establish an effectively managed, fully-representative network of MPAs spanning 10,000,000 ha - more than 10% of the country's waters.

A further MPA will come into effect in 2011, and along with the four MPAs announced today, the area of Argentine waters under MPAs will be doubled.

"We applaud Argentina's leadership in establishing the new marine protected areas," said Pablo Herrera, Conservation Director of Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina. "The MPAs represent a major step forward in efforts to conserve one of the richest marine areas on Earth."

The Patagonian south-west Atlantic and adjacent Southern Ocean are one of the last relatively well preserved, large marine systems on our planet, home to rich and abundant marine life. Argentina's waters support valuable commercial fisheries, such as hake and squid, and important marine fauna migrate back and forth between the Southern Ocean and Argentina's waters, including the southern right whale, albatross, seals and penguins.

In 1934, Argentina's National Parks Administration pioneered the establishment of protected areas in Latin America. However, coastal and marine national parks were not established in the country until 2004, when the first national coastal park, Monte León, was created with financial support from Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina.

"We hope the WWF award today will spur on Argentina to accelerate the establishment of marine protected areas in the country's waters, critical to ensuring healthy, productive marine life and the livelihoods of dependent communities", added Herrera.

WWF is calling on parties to the CBD to commit to a Representative Protected Areas scheme covering at least 20 per cent of land, coast and high seas areas respectively for 2020. Currently, some 13% of terrestrial areas and 6% of coastal areas are protected, while less than one per cent of the high seas - areas outside national jurisdiction - are protected.

About the new Marine Protected Areas
The four new Marine Protected Areas are zones of high biodiversity value, as described under the Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea and Areas of Influence (http://patagoniansea.org), in which Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina and WWF participate. In a period of two to five years, according to the planning process developed by the NPA, effective management of these conservation units will be achieved.

•Patagonia Austral Inter-jurisdictional Coastal-Marine Park - The first MPA to be announced is an Inter-jurisdictional Marine Park, located in the Chubut Province, Patagonia, in northern San Jorge Gulf, with an area of 132,124ha. This area is already under implementation.

•Pingüino Island Inter-jurisdictional Park - In the province of Santa Cruz, a provincial law passed in August 2010, has started the process of creation of another Interjurisdictional Marine Park: Penguin Island, with an area of 170,000ha of sea and several islands, which extends from the western shore of the Chaffer Island (Puerto Deseado locality of reference) to Laura Bay.

•Makenke Inter-jurisdictional Marine Park - The third one is the Interjurisdictional Marine Park Makenke, in the south of Puerto San Julian, Santa Cruz province, with an area of 90,000ha.

•Banco Burdwood National Marine Park –Located at 54º 30 S and 60º 30` W, 54º 30 S and 59º 30 W, 54º 15 S and 60º 30 W, 54º 15 S and 59º 30 W, allow to protect an area with fish resources and covers 180,836 ha.

Argentina puts legal muscle behind Atlantic Forest protection

2010-09-17

Buenos Aires, Argentina: The Argentinean province of Misiones has approved a major new land use law for native forests in that area, legally backing a commitment last year to help save the Atlantic Forest and move toward a goal of zero net deforestation by 2020.

The new land use law, approved earlier this month, will better protect more than 1.2 million hectares of Atlantic Forest in the province.

The decision follows a special ceremony at the XIIIth World Forestry Congress in 2009, where the province and the Paraguayan government agreed to work towards zero net deforestation in the Atlantic Forest, and to implement a package of measures that include legislation to enforce those commitments.

The Atlantic Forest initially spanned 500,000 square kms, shared between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. However, only 7.4 percent of the forest is left today – or about 35,000 square kilometers, making it one of the most threatened and fragment subtropical forests in the world.

The development of Misiones' land use law began after the passage of a national law forcing provincial governments to stop deforestation until land use plans for native forests were established.

That 2007 law was passed with the backing of 1.6 million public supporters from a December 2007 petition, and with the active participation of WWF's Argentina partner Fundacion Vida Silvestre.

Since the law's approval, Vida Silvestre promoted citizen participation, organized discussion workshops, and developed materials for raise awareness about deforestation. In April 2010, Vida Silvestre presented a preliminary land use proposal plan to the Government of Misiones.

The resulting map of land use law in Misiones, officially sanctioned earlier this month, is similar to the proposal submitted by Vida Silvestre and establishes more than 1.2 million hectares under yellow (sustainable use forests) and red (protected areas).

The approved provincial law, also allows the province of Misiones the access to part of the money that the national law assigns for the compensation of forest ecosystem services (approximately USD$ S 200 million per year).

COP 15 ¡El momento es ahora!

2009-12-08

Los líderes del mundo tienen la oportunidad única de Copenhague para actuar sobre las llamadas de esperanza de decenas de millones que piden un acuerdo justo sobre el clima, un acuerdo que pueda ayudar a salvar este planeta de una amenaza devastadora.

Todos, ricos y pobres, blancos y negros, del norte o el sur, quieren un acuerdo climático en Copenhague. No es un montón de papeles, pero el futuro de todos nosotros y las próximas generaciones lo que está en juego en Copenhague.

Hay doce días para salvar el planeta y todos debemos usarlos, especialmente aquellos que tienen el poder de tomar una decisión tienen una inmensa responsabilidad.

"La firma de un acuerdo justo, ambicioso y vinculante en Copenhague significa responder a las llamadas de decenas de millones de personas y la falta de acuerdo sobre un éste significa hacer caso omiso de ellos", dijo Kim Carstensen, líder de la Iniciativa Mundial para el Clima de WWF. "Hacer caso omiso de millones del llamado de personas vendrá con un gran precio para todo el mundo."

"La luz verde para un acuerdo climático fue dada y ahora los dirigentes tienen que dar los pasos", "Todos tenemos que recordar todos los días que no sólo estamos hablando de dinero, párrafos y enmiendas, pero de nuestras vidas, la vida de otros pueblos y la vida de nuestros hijos y nietos".

De acuerdo con WWF, los líderes del mundo tienen una valiosa oportunidad para demostrar que la política es capaz de mirar más allá de las próximas elecciones parlamentarias y las rivalidades entre partidos. Esta es la oportunidad de demostrar que la política puede ser justa y responde a las necesidades de los pueblos.

"Un acuerdo ambicioso sobre el clima ofrece una oportunidad única a los líderes para ganar la confianza de sus votantes, mostrar un verdadero liderazgo y abrir infinitas oportunidades económicas y de mercado en todo el mundo".

Los ciudadanos, los medios de comunicación, ONGs, empresas, miembros de la iglesia y la mayoría de las instituciones pertinentes han dado su apoyo y solicitado a los políticos actuar, sólo queda tomar la decisión correcta. Copenhague es el momento de actuar sobre la llamada.

El acuerdo climático a alcanzar en Copenhague debe asegurar grandes reducciones de emisiones de los países industrializados, junto con financiamiento a largo plazo, previsible y adicional, para proteger a los pobres de los efectos del cambio climático y para que puedan avanzar en un camino de desarrollo bajo carbono. El acuerdo también debe proporcionar un nuevo y ambicioso marco de acción climática para limitar las emisiones en los países en desarrollo.

Tenemos señales muy positivas con líderes como el Primer Ministro indio Dr. Manmohan Singh y el presidente de EE.UU. Barack Obama anunciando su participación en la conferencia.

"Es un gran paso que la India esté demostrando su compromiso de luchar contra el cambio climático".

"Felicitamos al Presidente a Obama por su decisión de estar en Copenhague durante lo que es probable que sea el momento crítico en las negociaciones sobre el clima de la ONU. Es evidente que esta noticia inyecta un renovado sentido de optimismo de que podemos lograr un acuerdo en Copenhague ", dijo Carstensen.

Proporcionar el apoyo financiero para ayudar a los países en desarrollo a reducir sus emisiones y hacer frente a los impactos del cambio climático es la clave para desbloquear la posibilidad de un acuerdo global.

"Estamos contentos de que el presidente Obama participará en el debate sobre el financiamiento tanto a corto como a largo plazo. Ambas son necesarias como factor decisivo para un resultado exitoso en Copenhague"

Visite http://cop15.panda.org para seguir el avance de la COP 15

Cierre de la reunión del clima de Naciones Unidas en Barcelona

2009-11-06

Según WWF, con voluntad política todavía es posible lograr un tratado ambicioso sobre el clima en Copenhague.

Barcelona, 6 de noviembre de 2009.- A pesar de que la mayoría de los líderes políticos se están centrando en lo que no pueden conseguir, en lugar de concentrarse en lo que sí pueden hacer para evitar las consecuencias nefastas del cambio climático, WWF hace un llamamiento urgente a su sentido de la responsabilidad. El mensaje de la organización es que deben demostrar su voluntad política y concretar lo que se puede conseguir en Copenhague, superando esta postura negativa con el fin de salvar al mundo de un aumento catastrófico de las temperaturas.

WWF considera que los líderes están todavía a tiempo de actuar de forma adecuada. Mientras los países desarrollados han rebajado el nivel de sus expectativas sobre el tratado, el resto del mundo las ha aumentado.

"Barcelona no ha conseguido un resultado sustancial y es realmente una pena. Sin embargo, lo más importante no es el factor del tiempo, sino la voluntad política y eso se puede mostrar en cuestión de segundos", afirma Kim Carstensen, líder de la Iniciativa sobre el Clima de WWF.

Al tiempo que las naciones ricas han perdido la voz en Barcelona, los países en desarrollo han empezado a expresarse de una forma más contundente y unificada. Los países africanos han demostrado que defenderán sus derechos. Y mientras que la posición del mundo desarrollado se vuelve cada vez más caótica, las naciones emergentes están mostrando una postura más clara y determinada.

En las últimas semanas, algunos países desarrollados han afirmado que no esperan ya que se firme un acuerdo legalmente vinculante y sólido en Copenhague en diciembre. Muchos delegados han intentado jugar con las palabras, esperando que sus mensajes ambiguos confundieran a la población mundial y pretendiendo rebajar sus expectativas.

En cualquier caso, sugerir que Copenhague dará como resultado un acuerdo no satisfactorio es algo totalmente improductivo. "Es el momento de demostrar el liderazgo, por lo que pedimos al Presidente del Gobierno que haga oír su voz en los foros internacionales apostando por un acuerdo sustancial y legalmente vinculante en Copenhague", afirma Mar Asunción, responsable del Programa de Cambio climático de WWF España.

"Necesitamos un acuerdo sobre el clima que sobreviva a las recesiones, a las elecciones y a los desastres naturales, y no un trozo de papel sujeto a los cambios de gobierno. Un tratado que no sea vinculante es un terreno movedizo, deja mucho espacio para culpar a las otras partes y para incumplir promesas", añade Mar Asunción.

Argentina, Paraguay make historic forest pledge

2009-10-20

Buenos Aires, Argentina – Argentina and Paraguay on Tuesday made a historic pledge to save one of the world's most threatened forests.

During a special ceremony at the XIIIth World Forestry Congress, the two governments agreed to work towards zero net deforestation in the Atlantic Forest, and to implement a package of measures that include national legislation to enforce those commitments.

The Atlantic Forest initially spanned 500,000 square kms, shared between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. However, only 7.4 percent of the forest is left today – or about 35,000 square kilometers, making it one of the most threatened and fragment subtropical forests in the world.

To preserve the Atlantic Forest, Argentina will implement new land-use plans that will ensure the conservation of approximately 1.1 million hectares of the forest. Meanwhile, Paraguay has extended the country's zero deforestation law to 2013, and is working to introduce economic alternatives to people who depend on the Atlantic Forest for their livelihood.

In Brazil, the government already has established a zero deforestation target by 2010 for the Atlantic Forest. Brazil also has pledged to establish protected areas covering at least 10 percent of the forest.

"This important commitment shows how coordinated policies between countries can address biodiversity loss and stop runaway climate change," said Diego Moreno, Director General of Fundación Vida Silvestre, a WWF partner organization in Argentina.

"We can, as developing countries, make efforts to address this problem, but we need a strong climate deal in Copenhagen in December that can help with the implementation of these policies and contribute to the sustainable development of our region," Moreno said.

Agricultural expansion, construction, growth of cities, and non-sustainable exploitation led the forest´s destruction. The Atlantic Forest is home to more than 20,000 plants species – of which 8,000 can be found nowhere else – and 1,000 bird species, 372 amphibians, 350 types of fish, 197 types of reptiles, and 270 mammals.

The Atlantic Forest borders major cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and Asuncion, and also provides freshwater to millions of people. In addition, the forest houses the world-famous Iguazu Falls, on the border of Brazil and Argentina.

Despite conservation efforts, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate – 13 million hectares per year, or 36 football fields a minute. It generates almost 20 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and halting forest loss has been identified as one of the most cost-effective ways to keep the world out of the danger zone of runaway climate change

The announcement came as WWF challenged global leaders at the Congress to support a target of zero net deforestation by 2020.

"This is a global benchmark to avoid the looming climate change catastrophe and curb the current alarming loss of species," said WWF International's Forests Director Rodney Taylor.

In his keynote address at the Congress on Monday, WWF International's Forests Director Rodney Taylor said that zero net deforestation by 2020 is "a target that sets the scale and urgency with which these threats need to be tackled to maintain the health of the planet."

"This decision by Argentina and Paraguay is an example of how progress can be made to halt forest loss when you gather the political will to do it," Taylor said.

WWF, Greenpeace y otras ONGs hacen propuesta a Ministros Iberoamericanos

2009-09-11

A menos de 90 días a Copenhague ministros de medio ambiente reciben documento "Tratado Climático a Copenhague" .

Santiago, Chile. 10 de septiembre de 2009.- El documento técnico "Tratado Climático de Copenhague" elaborado por un grupo de organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONG), entre las que se encuentran WWF y Greenpeace, fue entregado a la Ministra de Medio Ambiente de Chile, Ana Lya Uriarte, anfitriona del IX Foro Iberoamericano de Ministros de Medio Ambiente, con el fin de que ella pueda ponerlo a disposición de los ministros y autoridades regionales que se encuentran participando de este Foro, celebrado los días 9, 10 y 11 de septiembre de este año.

Ricardo Bosshard, Director de WWF Chile, Gustavo Ampugnani, Coordinador de Políticas de Greenpeace en Latinoamérica y Rodrigo Herrera, Director de Greenpeace Chile, tuvieron la oportunidad de reunirse con la Ministra chilena, minutos antes de que se inaugurara el Foro de Ministros, para entregarle los tratados y expresarle su interés de que esta información pueda ser discutida en la reunión.

El Tratado insta a los países que participan de las negociaciones del cambio climático a combinar acciones ambiciosas y urgentes sobre una propuesta que refleja una visión compartida en donde se resalta el esfuerzo internacional necesario para abordar el cambio climático y, simultáneamente, cumplir con los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible.

Esa visión expone los objetivos globales a largo plazo respecto a cuatro piedras angulares: mitigación, adaptación, tecnología y financiación, indicando que es necesario para una transición del mundo hacia una economía con cero emisiones de carbono a lo largo de las próximas décadas, incluyendo una reducción global de las emisiones de al menos el 80% en 2050 respecto a los niveles de 1990.

Por su parte, Ricardo Bosshard, Director de WWF Chile, hace un especial llamado al Gobierno de Chile, país anfitrión, para que aproveche esta oportunidad de liderar las discusiones que permitirán tomar las decisiones, difíciles pero necesarias, que permitan enfrentar los efectos negativos del cambio climático.

Son alrededor de 14 ministros y viceministros de toda Iberoamérica, los que están participando, durante estos dos días, en un encuentro que tiene como fin discutir acerca de los planes nacionales que los países están adoptando frente al cambio climático, con miras a la próxima Conferencia de la ONU sobre Cambio Climático que se realizará en diciembre en Copenhague.

Los resultados y conclusiones de esta reunión serán elevados a la consideración de los mandatarios durante el desarrollo de la XIX Cumbre Iberoamericana de Jefes de Estado y de Gobierno, que se celebrará a fines de noviembre en Portugal.

WWF delivers on 100 million hectares of wetlands pledge

2009-05-26

Catamarca, Argentina - Declaration of the high Andes home to two of the three species of Andean flamingos marks WWF's delivery of a "crazy, unrealistic pledge" to deliver 100 million hectares of new protected wetlands in a decade.

Fittingly, the 3000 to nearly 7000 metre high Lagunas Altoandinas y Punenas de Catamarca in north west Argentina is the highest area to be declared a wetland of international importance under the International Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention).

With 1.2 million hectares of high altitude "puna" scattered with a variety of shallow, deep and brackish to hypersaline lakes, the Catamarca Lagunas complex is also the largest of the Andean wetlands of international importance, home to a variety of migratory birds, as well as a unique frog threatened Andean cats and chinchillas.

The Catamarca Lagunas complex is a highly vulnerable and fragile area, threatened by overgrazing, unregulated tourism, mining prospecting and flamingo egg collection.

For WWF International's Wetlands Conservation Manager Denis Landenbergue, this latest Ramsar declaration is a fitting climax to a decade of seeking to preserve fragile areas crucial to functioning of landscapes and the animals and people of five continents.

The WWF and Ramsar Convention global vision – for 250 million hectares of new protected wetlands by 2010 – is still some way off, with parties to the convention deciding last year on 2015 as a target date for its achievement.

Ramsar Convention Secretary General Anada Tiega paid tribute to WWF's achievement in playing a major role in securing an area equating to nearly three Germanys or about one and half times the size of Texas and its "instrumental support to the worldwide conservation of wetlands in general and the Ramsar objectives in particular".

"I would also like to highlight the major leveraging effect these designations have generated for globally improving the management of wetlands,"said Tiega.

Around three quarters of the total area designated globally under the Ramsar Convention in the past decade has been directly supported by WWF's International Fresh Water Programme.

(C) Omar Rocha
"Promoting the designation of wetlands is an efficient way of attracting the attention, and the crucially important resources of the international donors community to support their improved management," said Landenbergue.

"In the past 10 years, every single dollar invested by WWF has generated, on average, matching external funding up to 25-30 times larger in wetlands management and restoration."

For further information:
Denis Landenbergue, WWF International Wetlands Conservation Manager, dlandenbergue@wwfint.org, +41

Note; In 2008, Denis Landenbergue was awarded the Ramsar Award for Wetlands Conservation

Polar bears and penguins 'just tip of climate change iceberg'

2009-04-06

New evidence from the North and South Poles indicates that time is running out for the world's leaders to respond to climate change.

As ministers from Arctic Council and Antarctic Treaty states hold their first ever joint meeting in Washington on April 6 celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Antarctic Treaty, WWF is challenging the ministers to mark the occasion by affirming their commitment to climate change action.

The conservation organisation provided the ministers with compelling recent evidence from both the north and south poles that clearly demonstrates global temperature increases must be kept well under two degrees Celsius.

"A global average temperature rise of 2 degrees is clearly too much for the poles," says Rob Nicoll, Manager of WWF's Antarctic and Southern Oceans Initiative.

"Scientists are already unpleasantly surprised at how quickly the impacts of warming such as sea ice loss are showing up in the polar regions, exceeding recent predictions."

Global average warming due to climate change since the late 1800s is showing severe impacts at less than one degree, as the Arctic is warming at about twice the global average and parts of the Antarctic are also outstripping the global average.

The polar regions themselves have profound and not yet fully understood impacts on climate globally, and there are fears that polar tipping points could trigger abrupt change around the world.

A forthcoming report on Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research is expected to up previous estimates on Antarctica's expected substantial contributions to sea level rises.

Marine food chains of global significance are also under threat from warming in the Antarctic. "Ice shelves the size of small countries are crumbling away and the latest evidence from the Antarctic is showing that the effects of global warming there are increasing in magnitude," said Mr Nicoll.

"The penguins may feel it first, but the rest of us won't be far behind."

The warming of the Antarctic is not yet as acute as the Arctic, but it is yet a further indication that the meltdown of our polar caps continues apace. If world leaders fail to act on this information the effects will be calamitous.

"The world is caught in a polar pincer movement," said Neil Hamilton, Director of WWF International's Arctic Programme.

"What is happening at the poles will control the world's climate. If we do not stop the poles from melting, the whole world will feel it, in the form of runaway warming and rising waters."

Right now the Catlin Arctic Survey expedition is sampling the thickness of Arctic sea ice. The expedition, partly sponsored by WWF, is likely to confirm scientists' fears that the older, thicker ice is disappearing. This has led them to predict that the summer sea ice could disappear within a generation, leading to catastrophic consequences for the entire ecosystem, everything from single celled animals to whales.

"The Ministers meeting today in Washington have a special responsibility to the world," said Mr Hamilton.

"They are the custodians of the poles, and this would be an opportunity for them to show the world that they are ready to step up and shoulder their responsibility to keep the poles frozen, by committing to taking urgent and effective action at the Copenhagen climate meeting this December."

Please note: WWF will hold a briefing for Washington reporters immediately outside the State Department once the ministerial is over. There will also be two teleconference briefings for reporters outside Washington, details of these are on a separate media advisory. Reporters who have not received the advisory can contact the people listed below.

For further information:

Joe Pouliot, Director of Climate and Policy Communications, WWF US
Cell: 202-476-9919
Email: joe.pouliot@wwfus.org

Clive Tesar, Head of Communications, WWF International Arctic Programme
Tel: (+1) 613-232-2535
Mobile: (+1) 613-883-3110
Email: ctesar@wwf.no

Dr. Neil T. M. Hamilton, Director, WWF International Arctic Programme.
Mobile +47 9300 5660
Email: Nhamilton@wwf.no

Rob Nicoll, Manager, WWF Antarctic and Southern Oceans Initiative
Mobile: +61438938764
Email: rnicoll@wwf.org.au

More background is available at panda.org/arctic.

Civil society wants sustainable growth package from G-20

2009-04-02

WWF International Director General James Leape and others have signed an open letter addressed to G-20 heads of state on behalf of an "international global coalition for a green economy" asking the group to pick an economic stimulus package that supports sustainable growth.

Signatories include top leaders from environment, development, business and labour groups, such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Bellagio Forum for Sustainable Development.

"We urge you to ensure that the entirety of the G20 emergency package supports three goals: (1) building economic resilience; (2) social justice and distributional equity by promoting decent work for all; (3) protection and sustainable use of the environment," Leape and others wrote in the letter.

The letter goes on to ask G-20 leaders "to allocate $750 billion of this stimulus package, which is around 1% of global GDP, to investments that will build an inclusive and green economy."

Established in 1999, the Group of Twenty, known better as the G-20, is composed of finance ministers, political leaders and central bank governors and aims to bring together industrialized and developing economies to discuss key issues in the global economy, according to its website. Heads of state are currently meeting to participate in the G-20 in London.

Download the letter here.

Earth Hour 2009 setting new records in climate concern

2009-02-05

Already twice the participating countries of Earth Hour 2008
Archbishop Desmond Tutu leads call for action on climate change
Obama artist Shepard Fairey likens flicking switch to climate vote

With eight weeks still to go, citizens, businesses and public authorities in 375 cities across 74 countries have already committed to turning off their lights for one hour at 8.30pm on 28 March in a graphic show of support for decisive action on climate change.

The list of cities confirming their participation in Earth Hour 2009 includes 37 national capitals and some of the great cities of the world, including London, Beijing, Rome, Moscow, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, Athens, Buenos Aires, Toronto, Sydney, Mexico City, Istanbul, Copenhagen, Manila, Las Vegas, Brussels, Cape Town and Helsinki.

The WWF-sponsored event continues to show amazing momentum, from being a Sydney, Australia awareness-raising event in 2007, to the astounding 371 cities across 35 countries total last year. As participation for Earth Hour 2009 storms past this level of municipal involvement in more than twice the number of countries, discussions are under way or nearing completion in hundreds of other cities.

WWF Director General, Mr James Leape, said he is optimistic about the campaign's potential to drive key decision making on the issue of climate change.

"With hundreds more cities expected to sign up to switch off in the coming months, Earth Hour 2009 is setting the platform for an unprecedented global mandate for action on climate change," he said.

Along with the great metropolises of the world, Earth Hour 2009 will also see the lights go out on some of the most recognised landmarks on the planet, including Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Table Mountain in Cape Town, Merlion in Singapore, Sydney Opera House, CN Tower in Toronto, Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and the world's tallest constructed building Taipei 101.

A host of high profile ambassadors across the world have also lent their support to the campaign, most notably Nobel Peace Prize recipient Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett.

Shepard Fairey, the artist noted for his graphic portrayals of Barack Obama during the recent US Presidential Election, has likened flicking the switch to casting a vote on climate change in artwork for the Earth Hour campaign.

Earth Hour Executive Director, Mr Andy Ridley, said the 2009 campaign as an opportunity for the people of the world to cast their vote on this important global issue.

"Earth Hour by its very nature is the essence of grassroots action. This is the opportunity for individuals, from all corners of the globe to unite in a single voice and demand action on climate change", said Mr Ridley.

2009 is a critical year for action on climate change, with the world's leaders due to meet at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December to sign a new deal to supersede the Kyoto Protocol.

Green economy will help fight climate change

2009-01-26

Brussels - New figures released today show that moving to a "green" global economy could not only protect the planet from the worst effects of climate change but is surprisingly affordable.

Pathways to a Low Carbon Economy- a new study by McKinsey and Co – shows that global warming can be kept below the critical 2°C rise and that it is well within our means to do so. The study spells out in detail the costs of cutting damaging carbon emissions, but makes it clear that only by acting now will we avoid the worst impacts of climate change. According to WWF, one of the report's sponsors, world leaders now have all the information they need to shape a global climate deal for both developed and developing countries.

The study – one of the biggest and most detailed of its kind ever compiled – lists more than 200 opportunities, spread across ten sectors and twenty-one geographical regions, which could cut global greenhouse gas emissions by about 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.

By 2030, wind, solar and other sustainable renewable energy could provide almost a third of all global power needs; energy efficiency could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than a quarter and deforestation in developing countries – one of the biggest drivers of climate change and a major threat to sustainable development – could be almost fully halted. And all at a cost of less than half a percent of global GDP.

"The McKinsey study shows once and for all that taking action on climate change is both urgent and affordable", said WWF Director James Leape. "The figures show clearly that not only can we move to a low carbon economy, but that the costs are manageable. Adopting these measures will be a major step towards avoiding the worst effects of climate change."

Speaking at the launch of the report in Brussels, Mr Leape continued, "As governments now invest in rebuilding the global economy, they have a unique opportunity, and indeed the imperative, to build a low-carbon economy that will both create jobs and stabilize the climate. The low-carbon technologies and production models already exist and they make economic as well as environmental sense."

"When the world's leaders meet in Copenhagen in December to agree a global deal on climate change, they will have no excuse for inaction. The world will be watching and expecting those leaders to adopt measures which will lead to a low-carbon economy, giving a fighting chance of keeping climate change below the crucial 2°C level." said Mr Leape.

The McKinsey study has been extensively peer-reviewed by scientists, economists and expert bodies including WWF. It presents its findings in the form of an "abatement cost curve" which graphically illustrates the sectors where the most cost-effective carbon reductions can be made, including saving 14 billion tonnes of CO2 by replacing carbon-based power generation with – amongst other things - existing and proven clean, renewable energy; 14 billion tonnes through more sustainable use of land in the agriculture and forestry sectors; and 11 billion tonnes from energy efficiency. McKinsey identify another 9 billion tonnes of potential emissions reductions which either are more expensive or represent behaviour changes that are difficult to quantify.

In Pathways to a Low Carbon Economy, McKinsey analyses the potential, based on emissions and cost, for abatement across all sectors including nuclear power. WWF believes the costs for nuclear have been underestimated. But more importantly, nuclear power is not a viable option when the risks from proliferation, highly radioactive waste and plutonium leaks are taken into consideration. We believe that further substantial reductions are possible from combined heat & power (CHP,) biomass, better energy efficiency and low-carbon products which will protect the climate without the need for nuclear power.

WWF welcomes the study's principal findings which show that if all the technology options were put into practice, it would be possible to achieve a global reduction of approximately 40% of greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2030 compared with 1990 levels – which equates to a 70% reduction of "business as usual" levels. That would be enough to put the world on track to keep global average temperature rises below the 2°C level which WWF and others have identified as the maximum allowable before widespread irreversible environmental damage kicks in.

Contacts:

For interviews with WWF Director General James Leape, contact
Martin Atkin, Director, External & Media Relations matkin@wwfint.org +41 79698 2985

For expert analysis and further information, contact
Dr Stephan Singer, Director, Global Energy Policy, WWF International SSinger@wwfepo.org
+32 2743 8817

For copies of the McKinsey study "Pathways to a Low Carbon Economy – Version 2.0 of the Global Greenhouse Gas Abatement Cost Curve" contact
Ed Petter, External Relations ed_petter@mckinsey.com +44 20 7961 6235

Whales set to chase shrinking feed zones

2008-06-20

Ice breaker: Pushing the boundaries for whales, released just ahead of the opening of a crucial International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting, summarises WWF research showing that levels of global warming predicted over the next 40 years will lead to winter sea-ice coverage of the Southern Ocean declining by up to 30 per cent in some key areas.

"Essentially, what we are seeing is that ice-associated whales such as the Antarctic minke whale will face dramatic changes to their habitat over little more than the lifespan of an individual whale," said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF International's Species Programme and head of the WWF delegation to the IWC meeting.

Migratory whales meanwhile may need to travel 200-500 kilometres further south to find the "frontal" zones which are their crucial foraging areas. Migratory whale species which will be affected include the Blue Whale, earth's largest living creature, and the humpback whales which are only now coming back from the brink of extinction after populations were decimated by commercial whaling, mainly during the first half of the 20th century.

Both species build up the reserves that sustain them throughout the year in the frontal zones, which host large populations of their primary food source – krill.

"As frontal zones move southward, they also move closer together, reducing the overall area of
foraging habitat available," the research notes. As the krill is dependent on sea ice, less sea ice is also expected to reduce the abundance of food for whales in the feeding areas.

"The impact on whales is one more imperative for the world to take decisive action to reduce the risk of catastrophic climate change," Dr Lieberman said. "However, the IWC must also take the opportunity of this southern hemisphere meeting to look at every possible way to increase the resilience of whale populations to climate change.

"For Antarctica's whales, the best way to do this would be to reduce all other threats – such as the unregulated and unjustified so-called 'scientific whaling' of these species conducted by Japan."

WWF is recommending the protection of critical habitats and for also limiting other non-climate stresses to whale populations such as fishing, pollution and ocean noise.

This time, world should heed OECD call to action on environment

2008-03-05

Paris: The OECD's Environment Outlook to 2030, issued today, was welcomed by WWF as yet another compelling argument that the costs of inaction on the environment will far exceed the costs of action.

The OECD Outlook is the latest - and at 520 pages one of the weightiest - in a run of reports from prominent economic institutions and commissions calling on governments and international institutions to face up to the seriousness and immediacy of global environmental problems.

"When a body such as the OECD says that on a range of environmental issues we need to act globally and we need to act now, then it is clear that as communities, countries and companies we need to roll up our collective sleeves and get on with it," said WWF International Director General James Leape.

"It is sobering to think how much better off we would be today if the world, the wealthy world in particular, had heeded OECD's 2001 call to take action on many of these same issues. We should not make the same mistake again."

James Leape said the OECD outlook should be commended for looking beyond the urgent challenge of climate change to other urgent issues of biodiversity loss, mismanagment of water resources and escalating health threats. WWF also welcomed OECD's call to prioritise action in the key sectors of energy, transport, agriculture and fisheries.

"The OECD outlook underlines both the magnitude of the largely self-inflicted threats we face and the urgency of acting effectively on them," said James Leape. "It is rapidly becoming the case that it will be as hard to find a sceptical economist as it is now to find a sceptical scientist."

While generally supporting market liberalisation, the OECD noted that in the absence of "sound environmental policy and institutional frameworks" globalisation "can amplify market and policy failures and intensify environmental pressures".

The OECD repeated its 2001 call for the removal of subsidies to environmentally harmful activities, with special mention of subsidies to fossil fuel use, agricultural production subsidies, fishing overcapacity subsidies and the subsidy and underpricing of damaging transport modes.

The OECD also repeated that environment policy should not be just a concern of environment ministers, but has to be elevated into being a priority of central and economic policy making in particular.

"There is now no reason not to act," said James Leape. "The OECD outlook is emphatic that the policies and technologies to address urgent environment issues are available and affordable, that taking them will increase efficiencies and reduce costs and that the earlier we take action, the better the cost-benefit equation will be."

Media release and contact details

WWF competition nets sustainable fishing solutions

2007-11-15

Gland, Switzerland – A team of inventors from the US state of Rhode Island has won the third WWF International Smart Gear Competition for an invention that could save fish and other marine life from dying or being discarded each year.

This year's winning solution, the "Eliminator", is an innovative device that captures haddock while reducing the accidental netting, or bycatch, of other marine species. The invention takes advantage of the haddock's natural tendency to swim upwards, not downwards, which is the norm for other fish.

The winning team consists of New England fishermen James O'Grady, Philip Ruhle Sr and his son Philip Ruhle Jr, Jonathan Knight of Superior Trawl in Wakefield, RI, and fisheries extension specialists Laura Skrobe and David Beutel.

"The collaborative design and development of the Eliminator trawl is a great example of industry and scientists working together with managers to develop innovative solutions to reduce or eliminate bycatch," said David Beutel, one of the winning inventors at the University of Rhode Island.

"We're excited to be receiving this award and look forward to continuing to research effective ways of reducing bycatch in fishing."

The team will receive a grand prize of US$30,000. Two other inventors won runner-up prizes of $10,000 each for their inventions to help reduce bycatch.

Diego Gonzalez Zevallos, a marine biologist at the Centro Nacional Patagónico in Argentina, studied the accidental death of seabirds as they dive for food and are struck by trawling cables and dragged under the water and drown. His device, a simple plastic cone is likely to dramatically reduce seabird deaths, while not affecting the profitability for fishermen.

The other runner-up prize winner, Glen Parsons, a biology professor at the University of Mississippi, created a cylinder device that was widely tested on red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico.

"Destructive fishing is devastating our oceans, wasting a valuable natural resource and causing dramatic declines in populations of many marine species," said Dr Simon Cripps, Director of WWF's Global Marine Programme.

"This competition is part of an unprecedented effort to team up with fishermen, industry insiders and scientists to find the best real-world, cost-effective ideas to solve the scourge of bycatch."

A special $5,000 prize was also awarded to UK-based Andy Smerdon of Aquatec Group Ltd. of Hampshire, England, for a device called the Passive Porpoise Deterrent. The winning design, which draws on the mammal's echolocation system alerts porpoises to the presence of fishing nets so they can swim away and avoid them.

The International Smart Gear Competition was created by WWF and a diverse range of partners in May 2004 to bring together fishermen, fisheries, policy and science to find solutions to reduce the unnecessary decline of vulnerable species due to bycatch. The first Smart Gear Competition drew more than 50 entries from 16 countries. This year the competition drew 70 entries from 22 countries, including Cameroon, Finland, Thailand, Ireland, New Zealand, Russia, Kenya and Malaysia.

END NOTES:

•As many as 250,000 endangered loggerhead turtles and critically endangered leatherback turtles are caught annually on long-line nets set for tuna, swordfish and other fish.

•There are 26 species of seabirds, including 17 albatross species, threatened with extinction because of bycatch in long-lines and trawls which kills more than 300,000 seabirds each year.

•An estimated 89 per cent of hammerhead sharks and 80 per cent of thresher and white sharks have disappeared from the Northeast Atlantic Ocean in the last 18 years, largely due to bycatch.

•The 2007 International Smart Gear Competition partners and judging panel included representatives from: the American Fisheries Society, the Blue Water Fishermen's Association, The Center for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, the Consortium for Wildlife Bycatch Reduction, Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, Mustad, the National Fisheries Institute, the New England Aquarium, NOAA Fisheries, Ocean Watch Australia Ltd., the Sea change Investment Fund, Sealord Group Ltd., the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, the WorldFish Center, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Northeast Consortium, the Sea Fish Industry Authority, Secretariat of the Pacific Community and WWF.

For further information
Kerry Green Zobor, WWF-US
Tel: +1 202 352 4997
E-mail: kerry.zobor@wwfus.org

Joanna Benn, WWF International
Tel: +39 06 84497 212
E-mail: jbenn@wwfspecies.org

Exitoso Encuentro Internacional de Escultores en Bolivia

2006-11-06

Con gran éxito el 28 de octubre finalizó el I Encuentro Internacional de Escultores, que se llevó a cabo desde el sábado 21 en la Plaza de la Manzana 1. Este evento fue impulsado por WWF Bolivia, dentro de su iniciativa Ciudades por los Bosques y forma parte de la campaña educativa Un Árbol Bolivia. El Encuentro fue co-organizado por la Manzana 1 Espacio de Arte y el Gobierno Municipal de Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

Originalmente el Encuentro invitó a seis escultores a trabajar en vivo durante esta semana (Juan Bustillos y León Saavedra de Bolivia, Aldo Shiroma y Karen Macher de Perú, Chalo Tulian de Argentina y Gustavo Beckelmann de Paraguay) con partes del árbol Yesquero Negro utilizado en el proyecto Un Árbol Bolivia, y a estos se sumaron voluntariamente las artistas bolivianas Claribel Catoira y Carolina Sanjinés.

La masiva cobertura de prensa de esta semana ha sido clave para crear conciencia entre la población sobre los recursos forestales que tiene el país y la necesidad que hay de aprovecharlos de manera sostenible, hacia la certificación forestal FSC.

El I Encuentro Internacional de Escultores contó con el apoyo de: la empresa maderera La Chonta, La Taberna Terramar, Artecom, La Creperie, El Chile, Café Lorca, Alexander Coffee, Marea, La Rinconada, Pizzería Capri, Embotelladora La Cascada - Agua Villa Santa, Campos de Solana, Hiller – Stihl, Fridolín, Diakonía, Hotel Yotaú, Cemento Warnes – Soboce, Aerosur, Prefectura del Departamento – Seduca, Hotel Los Tajibos, Zona G Publicidad y Diseño y Mahs.

Los artistas han cedido sus esculturas para el embellecimiento del previsto paseo de la certificación forestal, a ubicarse en el Canal Isuto entre 3º y 4º anillo, emprendimiento conjunto del Gobierno Municipal de Santa Cruz y WWF, en el marco del auto-nombramiento del municipio como "Capital mundial de la certificación forestal de bosques tropicales nativos" en abril de 2006.

"Esta es una de las primeras actividades públicas del Proyecto Un Árbol Bolivia, y además la conexión con el paseo de la certificación forestal previsto a inaugurarse en meses más celebrando la adopción de una Política de Compra Responsable de Productos Forestales por parte del Municipio de Santa Cruz, política mediante la cual el municipio se comprometerá con la verificación de la procedencia de fuentes legales y sostenibles de los productos maderables que adquiera rutinariamente", informó Jessica Moscoso de WWF Bolivia.

El Encuentro Internacional de Escultores forma parte del Proyecto "Un Árbol Bolivia", el cual apunta a educar mostrando el trabajo de 66 artistas invitados a crear piezas funcionales a partir de un solo árbol aprovechado en su totalidad, y resaltar que por primera vez en Bolivia se unen esfuerzos en una campaña de educación ambiental masiva hacia un desarrollo basado en el aprovechamiento sostenible de los extensos y valiosos bosques bolivianos.

Saving energy is key to solving Argentina's climate and energy crisis

2006-10-23

Buenos Aires, Argentina – Argentina could reduce its expected electric energy growth up to 30% by 2020 and avoid up to US$6.5 billion in new energy investments, while stabilizing its power sector's carbon dioxide emissions at 2005 levels by 2020, according to a report released today by WWF and its associate organization Fundacion Vida Silvestre Argentina (FVSA).

"Argentina is today facing the twofold challenge of energy and climate security, with significant risks for our economy, society and nature," said Marcelo Acerbi, FVSA's Conservation Director.

"This study outlines concrete steps for the short, medium and long term to lead to a more secure and sustainable power sector, preventing the risk of power rationing or gas shortages while reducing Argentina's climate footprint."

According to the environmental groups, Argentina could cut between 18–30% of its projected power consumption growth by 2020 using ambitious policies for reducing power waste, both at the production and consumption level. This is a total saving of 58.500GWh, or equivalent to twice the yearly consumption of the city of Buenos Aires. In this way, Argentina could avoid building between five to eights large thermoelectric power plants over the next 15 years. The WWF–FVSA scenario could also lead to natural gas consumption savings, ranging between 27 and 40 million of cubic meters per day by 2020, about four times the current gas imports from Bolivia.

This would result in direct savings of US$6.5 billion for consumers by the year 2020, the equivalent of seven times the 2005 government's poverty reduction spending. Indirect savings related to the avoidance of economic disruption due to power and natural gas shortages are likely to be much higher.

"For Argentina, cutting energy waste is more cost-effective than constructing new, large thermoelectric or hydropower plants," said Carlos Tanides, the report coordinator from the University of Buenos Aires. "For each Peso invested in energy efficiency, the country could save at least 16 more pesos."

By implementing this blueprint for a climate-safe power sector, Argentina could stabilize its electricity-related CO₂emissions by 2020 at a level close to that of 2005, which means producing 70 million tons of CO₂ instead of 100 million tons, with a saving of 30% compared to a business as usual scenario. This is the equivalent of taking about seven million cars off the road each year.

"This is the kind of proposal that Argentina should consider to both profit from the benefits of the international carbon market and reaffirm its 1998 voluntary commitment for reducing its greenhouse emissions," said Giulio Volpi, coordinator of WWF's Climate Change Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean.

"In doing so, Argentina would boost economic competitiveness and technology innovation, while showing leadership on the global fight on climate change."

To realize this potential, FVSA and WWF call on Argentina's government to adopt a aggressive energy efficiency plan. Priority actions include the swift implementation of energy efficiency labels and the establishment of minimum consumption standards for all energy-consuming products, from refrigerators to cars, from houses to energy intensive industries.

"There is a huge untapped potential for energy efficiency in a emerging country like Argentina," said Jonás Beccar Varela, FVSA Communications Director.

"For instance, approximately half of the refrigerators that will be on the market by 2020 have not been manufactured yet. To realize this potential we need strong leadership by the Argentinean government which should implement urgently a energy efficiency plan."

For further information:
Lucila Tamborini, Communications Officer
Fundacion Vida Silvestre Argentina
Email: prensa@vidasilvestre.org.ar

DJonás Beccar Varela, Director of Communications
Fundacion Vida Silvestre Argentina
Email: institucional@vidasilvestre.org.ar

Protecting southern right whales from attacking kelp gulls

2006-07-26

Mar del Plata, Argentina – WWF associate organization Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina (FVSA) has increased its research efforts for a second year following continuous kelp gull attacks of southern right whales off the waters of Argentina's Valdés Peninsula, one of the world's most important breeding grounds for this whale species.

According to researchers studying this bizarre phenomenon, the gulls gouge through the skin of the whales' backs to feed on skin and blubber, causing lesions along their spines and affecting their behaviour.

Such behaviour was first registered by British researchers in 1969. Ten years later, a study registered 151 attacks from gulls on whales in this area. And in the 1990s new investigations reported an increment of 60 per cent — about 80 per cent of the attacks seem to be targeted at female whales and their calves.

"The whales, particularly the calves, are wasting a lot of energy by swimming away and diving deep underwater to escape the attacks," explained Alejandro Arias, WWF-FVSA Marine Programme Species Coordinator.

"This is significant because it seems to be preventing them from creating a layer of fat so crucial for their long migration."

It is estimated that mother whales spend about a quarter of their day fleeing gull attacks, using up energy reserves which could be better spent protecting and producing milk for their calves.

A WWF-FVSA research project aims to further determine the effects of the kelp gull attacks on southern right whales, particularly focusing on possible modification of the regional distribution of whales. Researchers will also study kelp gull populations and the effect the attacks may have on the whale-watching industry.

"The scientific evidence will serve as a basis for designing a management plan, together with the local authorities, to mitigate the negative effects of this situation," said Arias.

END NOTES:

• Kelp gulls (Larus dominicanus) nest along 3,400km of Argentina's coast, with some 75,000 reproductive couples. The Valdés Peninsula boasts six colonies, with several of them having increased their size considerably over the past few decades as a result of rich food sources available to them at garbage dumps and in the effluent of fish processing plants.

• Up to 10,000 southern right whales (Eubalena australis) are distributed in the southern hemisphere in three sub-populations with nursery areas found in the waters off of Argentina, Australia and South Africa.

• Every year, between May and December, more than 2,000 whales inhabit the Valdés Península. Some 100,000 tourists participate in whale-watching trips, contributing to an industry worth up to US$16 million.

For further information:
Florencia Lemoine, Marine Programme Communications Coordinator
Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina
Tel: +54 223 4941877
E-mail: flmarino@vidasilvestre.org.ar

WWF associate organization signs sustainable tourism agreement in Patagonia

2006-01-06

Buenos Aires, Argentina – WWF's associate organization, Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina (FVSA), has signed a cooperation agreement with local authorities to promote conservation in the United Nations-protected Valdés Peninsula in the Patagonia region of Argentina.

The cooperation agreement — signed with Argentina's Chubut Province and the Península Valdés Natural Protected Area Administration — seeks to implement a sustainable tourism plan for the protected area, including the establishment of a visitor centre at the whale-watching town of Puerto Pirámide.

"The agreement is important in promoting the sustainable development of the region for present and future generations," said Marcelo Acerbi, FVSA's Conservation Director. "Both the tourism plan and the whale watching centre are opportunities where tourism can contribute to conservation."

In September 2005, FVSA acquired 7,360ha of the San Pablo de Valdés wildlife reserve, which includes 12km of pristine coastline. The acquisition gives FVSA access to management decisions in the nearby Valdés Peninsula coastal and marine protected area and UNESCO World Heritage site.

"Three months ago we announced our commitment to work for the effective management of the Valdés Heritage site," said FVSA Chief Executive Officer Javier Corcuera. "Today, we are giving are taking a first step together with key stakeholders to ensure this jewel shines for ever."

Peninsula Valdés is marked by its vibrant coastlines, a stunning array of tall cliffs, rocky reef and exotic marine mammals, including the southern elephant seal, sea lion, southern right whale, and Magellan penguins. The area is also home to more than 60 species of birds, as well as several species of terrestrial mammals, such as the grey fox, guanaco, and mara.

NOTES:

• Since 1987, FVSA has established 13 wildlife private refuges, covering 105,000ha. With support from WWF International, FVSA is working towards forest landscape restoration in the Atlantic Forest, which is one of the richest forest habitats in Argentina, as well as Paraguay and Brazil.

• The acquisition of the San Pablo de Valdés wildlife reserve was made possible with support from the Dutch National Postcode Lottery and WWF-Netherlands.

• WWF began working in Argentina in 1987, when Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina (FVSA) became an associate of WWF. Together, the two organizations hold joint campaigns, arrange global actions, and execute several programmes and projects.

For further information:
Florencia Lemoine, Communications Coodinator
Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina (FVSA)
Tel: +54 223 494 1877
E-mail: flmarino@vidasilvestre.org.ar