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BREAKING-- Documents leaked today show the terms of a new trade agreement between the European Union and Japan (JEFTA), which in its current form would likely result in increased illegal logging and timber smuggling. An expert report by the European Commission warns about JEFTA's adverse impacts on forests. "New trade deals bring great risks for lowering environmental standards unless they contain strict safeguards to counteract these risks," said EIA's Executive Director Alexander von Bismark in response to the leaked documents. The trade agreement could be the EU's biggest trade deal ever, covering a trade volume twie as large as the recent EU-Canada deal. Read more: bit.ly/2sza1tC

2 hours ago  ·  

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Ethiopia: Climate change could lower the quality of your coffee

A new study finds that Ethiopia, the world’s fifth-largest coffee producer, could lose up to 60 per cent of its suitable farming land by the end of this century because of climate change.

The study, published Monday in Nature Plants, found the combination of low rainfall and rising temperatures could have substantial effects on the coffee-growing areas in the country.

As temperatures steadily climb, so does the demand from coffee junkies, who might not be able to find a cup of joe that’s up to their standards.

According to a report from World Coffee Research, the demand for coffee will have doubled by 2050, but the suitable land to grow it on will be cut in half.

And the effects of climate change don’t just lower how much coffee is produced — they can also hamper its quality.

Full story at wtkr.com/2017/06/24/climate-change-could-lower-the-quality-of-your-coffee/

#Ethiopia #climate #climatechange #globalwarming #coffee World Coffee Research

Image: Coffee beans, Ethiopia, by Maurice Chédel ... See MoreSee Less

4 hours ago  ·  

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Indonesia: Papua governor takes birds-of-paradise off the market

JAYAPURA, Indonesia — In an attempt to conserve the birds-of-paradise for which the region is famous, Papua Governor Lukas Enembe has banned the use of their body parts in anything other than traditional ceremonies.

Hunting has helped push some paradise birds — members of the family Paradisaeidae — to the brink of extinction. Historically, indigenous groups on Indonesia’s half of New Guinea island have used the birds’ colorful feathers in their rituals and traditional dress.

Meanwhile, others turn their parts into souvenirs, sold to tourists or handed out by local officials at events.

Last November, a college student in Papua sparked an outcry after she posted pictures of herself holding a dead bird-of-paradise, known locally as cendrawasih, and a hunting rifle.

Governor Enembe enshrined the ban in a circular letter, a mechanism typically used to support existing laws. The provincial administration plans to issue a regulation specifying the consequences for violating the ban, according to Papua Regional Secretary Hery Dosinaen. Until then, the government will use the circular to raid stores selling products made from real bird-of-paradise parts.

Read in full on Mongabay.com at news.mongabay.com/2017/06/papua-governor-takes-birds-of-paradise-off-the-market/

#Indonesia #Papua #birds #extinction #illegalwildlifetrade

Image: Raggiana bird of paradise, by markaharper1 ... See MoreSee Less

5 hours ago  ·  

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