Felling Namibia's ancient forest giants to feed China's demand for rosewood

... For about 12 kilometers west from the Namibian town of Katima Mulilo, along an old smugglers’ track that runs along the Zambian border, hundreds of teak and rosewood trees lie grey and dead. Their felled trunks ooze red resin, much like the blood of the elephants that once inhabited this stretch of state forest - before the poachers came.

And just like with the demand for ivory, it’s a Chinese trend - the current craze for redwood or hongmu furniture as a status symbol - that has ignited a logging rush that’s devastating sub-Saharan Africa’s remaining hardwood forests.

----------------------------------------------------------------
* FIND out more about China's craze for endangered rosewoods at ht.ly/IdIe30fTXNy
----------------------------------------------------------------

Here in Caprivi State Forest, the trees are being cut down by crews working for Xuecheng Hou, a controversial Chinese businessman with prior criminal convictions, who, along with his associates, has been involved in the illegal wildlife products trade. He is currently facing several criminal charges in Namibia for alleged dealing in wildlife contraband. When the hardwood teak and rosewood trees are cut down, the local Mafwe tribe and the Namibian government will get a few dollars per tree, and the wood will sell for thousands in China.

Meanwhile, rather than stopping the wholesale deforestation of a national forest, the government has left the land in a vague legal limbo that has made it easier for the plunder to continue ...

Read in full at allafrica.com/stories/201710160196.html

#Namibia #Africa #China #deforestation #illegallogging #rosewood #Hongmu

Image: Rosewood felled in Caprivi State Forest, Namibia (c) John Grobler / OCCRP ... See MoreSee Less

23 hours ago  ·  

Photo

China: Beijing philanthropist commits S$2 billion to wildlife conservation

BEIJING (BLOOMBERG) - This Saturday (Oct 14) in Monaco, He Qiaonv will announce the first step in a US$1.5 billion (S$2 billion) plan that may represent the largest-ever personal philanthropic commitment to wildlife conservation.

The number isn't the only thing that's surprising about the announcement. The source might equally raise eyebrows: The donation isn't coming from a known Western conservationist like Paul Allen, but from a landscape planner-turned-environmental steward who's based in Beijing.

---------------------------------------------------------------
* Where wildlifecrime happens - explore EIA's interactive map of seizures and trade observations of leopards, snow leopards & clouded leopards at eia-international.org/illegal-trade-seizures-tigers-asian-big-cats
---------------------------------------------------------------

Madame He represents a new wave of self-made Chinese philanthropists unafraid to spend; her seven-year pledge stands at more than a third of her current US$3.6 billion net worth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

"(China is) pivoting to a new narrative in record speed," said Tom Kaplan, founder and chairman of Panthera, the leading wild cat conservation organization and He's first international partner. "Their (global) reputation has suffered by being viewed as the scourge of the elephant and tiger-and they want to reverse this."

Read in full at www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/beijing-philanthropist-gives-2-billion-for-wildlife-conservat...

#China #Beijing #elephants #tigers #ivory #leopards #illegalwildlifetrade Panthera

Image: Ms He Qiaonv speaking at the 3rd East-west Philanthropists Summit in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Jan 8, 2016 ... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago  ·  

Photo

Ten rivers are causing up to 95 per cent of ocean plastic pollution

New environmental research shows up to 95 percent of the plastic pollution in the world's oceans comes from just 10 rivers.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Marine plastic pollution – take action! - ht.ly/70op30694hC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

In a study published in Environmental Science and Technology, scientists analysed data along 57 rivers, and were able to calculate the main culprits of plastic in rivers flowing to the sea.

Full story at www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2017/10/10-rivers-causing-95-pct-of-ocean-plastic-pollution.html

#oceans #rivers #plastic #pollution

Image: Polluted river in Indonesia, via Newshub ... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago  ·  

Photo