Lula da Silva keeps his promise: Amazon deforestation reduced by 64%

Publicerad denFörfattareKontrast.at

The deforestation of the Amazon rainforest has been in action for years, risking the collapse of the unique ecosystem. But the election of Lula da Silva as president in early 2023 brought hope. He announced that he would put an end to the deforestation of the Amazon. He seems to be keeping his promise as, compared to November 2022, deforestation in the Amazon fell by 64% in November 2023.
The Amazon rainforest is one of the largest carbon reservoirs on earth. This makes it particularly important in the fight against climate change. Despite this, illegal deforestation persists. This was especially evident under the right-wing nationalist ex-president Jair Bolsonaro. During his time in office, rainforest deforestation increased by around 75%.
The current president, Lula da Silva, promised to stop deforestation when he took office – and it looks like Silva is keeping his promise. Compared to the previous year, deforestation fell by 64% in November 2023. According to the Brazilian Space Agency (INPE), around 200 square kilometres were destroyed. This is the smallest area since the evaluations began. It is also the first time since 2018 that less than 10,000 square kilometres have been deforested in one year.
“Brazil is ready to resume its role in the fight against the climate crisis and protect all ecosystems, especially the Amazon. Our government once managed to reduce forest destruction by 80 per cent. Now let’s all fight together for zero deforestation!”
FIRST SUCCESSES AFTER JUST 6 MONTHS: RAINFOREST DEFORESTATION DOWN BY 33.6 PER CENT
After six months in office, the BBC report initial successes in the fight against deforestation. Compared to the first half of the previous year, deforestation has been reduced by 33.6%. In June 2023, 41% less forest was destroyed than in the previous year. Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva attributes this to Lula’s successful environmental policy.
LULA’S POTENTIAL TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION BY 89%
Lula’s goal of ending deforestation by 2030 is a major challenge. This is because deforestation reached alarming proportions under his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro. The new conservation plan published by President Lula at the beginning of June 2023 aims to achieve this goal. Among other things, it provides for the confiscation of half of all illegally used land within protected areas, as well as higher penalties for illegal deforestation.
The Brazilian president also calls on other countries – especially the rich West – to contribute financially to saving the “green lungs of the Earth” in order to combat the global climate crisis.
A study attests that Lula’s plans have the potential to actually reduce deforestation in the Amazon by 89%. In any case, Lula will not have an easy time of it. The left-wing president still faces a conservative majority in parliament.
UNDER BOLSONARO, THE AMAZON SHRANK BY MORE THAN TWICE THE AREA OF VIENNA – PER MONTH
This is sorely needed, as the Amazon has been badly affected in recent years. When Lula first moved into the presidential palace in 2003, he launched an ambitious programme to save the rainforest. He and his successor Dilma Rousseff, who like Lula comes from Brazil’s left-wing Workers’ Party, succeeded in reducing deforestation by 80% to a historic low. But when Bolsonaro came to power in 2019, Brazil made a U-turn in its environmental policy.
Bolsonaro willingly granted concessions to allow corporations to clear the rainforest for soya and palm oil cultivation, cattle breeding and mining. Illegally cleared areas were legalised by Bolsonaro and forest fires were only half-heartedly combated. Deforestation increased sharply by 70 per cent under his government.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE AMAZON EMITS MORE CO₂ THAN IT CAN CAPTURE
Under Bolsonaro, the Amazon’s carbon footprint has turned around. For the first time, it is emitting more CO2 than it can bind. This was revealed in a study by researchers from the French National Institute for Agronomic Research. The scientists mainly analysed satellite data documenting the plant biomass in the rainforest and its deforestation. The result: the Amazon basin released around 16.6 billion tonnes of CO₂ into the environment, but only absorbed around 13.9 tonnes. This 2.7 billion tonne difference is roughly Austria’s consumption for 35 years.
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WITHOUT A WELL-PRESERVED AMAZON RAINFOREST, THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM COULD COLLAPSE
The Amazon currently has a perfectly functioning water cycle. Inland regions actually have too little rainfall for a tropical rainforest. But the trees suck the groundwater upwards, it evaporates and rains down again over the huge forest area. This cycle could be permanently disrupted by further deforestation. The rainforest would slowly die off, turn into a savannah and change the climate around the world.
This process would release as much CO2 as the entire world consumes in seven years. The unique ecosystem, which is home to 10% of all species, would be irretrievably lost and with it the CO2-binding effect of the rainforest. Scientists assume that this tipping point is reached at a deforestation rate of 20 to 25%. We are currently at 18%.
ANTI-DEFORESTATION RAIDS AFTER TAKING OFFICE
Just a few days after taking office, Lula’s government took action and carried out controls in the rainforest against illegal deforestation. As reported by Reuters, checks were carried out in areas that are all within the Cachoeira Seca indigenous reserve, where deforestation is strictly prohibited.
While deforestation is decreasing, the number of fires continues to rise, as satellite monitoring shows. Whether this is due to natural causes or arson cannot be determined.
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This work is licensed under the Creative Common License. It can be republished for free, either translated or in the original language. In both cases, please cite Kontrast / Marco Pühringer as the original source/author and set a link to this article on Scoop.me. https://thebetter.news/amazon-deforestation-reduced/

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Brazil: Deforestation of Amazon reduce by more than 30 Percent

Publicerad denFörfattareKontrast.at

For years, the Amazon rainforest was cut down. The concern: the unique ecosystem could collapse. The deforestation in Brazil is a huge environmental problem. But the election of Lula da Silva as president gave hope. He announced that he would end the deforestation of the Amazon. In fact, the first steps followed a few days after taking office. The encouraging result: in comparison to the previous year, deforestation was reduced by more than a third.
“Brazil is ready to resume its role i the fight against the climate crisis and protect all ecosystems, especially the Amazon. Our government once managed to reduce forest destruction by 80%. Now lets all fight together for zero deforestation!” says Lula da Silva, President of Brazil.
The BBC reports first successes in the fight against rainforest deforestation. Compared to the first half of the previous year, deforestation was reduced by 33.6%. In June 2023, as much as 41% less forest was destroyed than the previous year. Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva attributes this to Lula’s successful environmental policy.
Lulas potential to reduce deforestation by 89 percent
Lula’s goal of ending deforestation by 2030 is a major challenge. Under his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, deforestation took on alarming dimensions. The new conservation plan, which President Lula published at the beginning of June 2023, aims to achieve this goal. Among other things, it provides for the confiscation of half of all illegally used land within protected areas, as well as higher penalties for illegal logging.
Furthermore, the Brazilian president calls on other countries, especially the rich West, to contribute financially to saving the “green lungs of the earth” in order to combat the climate crisis globally.
A study confirms that Lula’s plans actually have the potential to reduce deforestation in the Amazon by 89 percent. In any case, Lula will not have it easy: The left-wing president still faces a conservative majority in parliament.
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Under Bolsonaro, the Amazon shrank by more than twice the area of Vienna – per month
This is sorely needed, because the Amazon has been badly affected in recent years. When Lula first moved into the presidential palace in 2003, he launched an ambitious program to save the rainforest. He and his successor Dilma Rousseff, who like Lula comes from Brazil’s leftist Workers’ Party, succeeded in reducing deforestation by 80 percent to a historic low. But when Bolsonaro came to power in 2019, Brazil did an about-face on environmental policy.
Bolsonaro readily awarded concessions to allow corporations to clear rainforest for soy and palm oil farming, as well as cattle ranching and mining. Illegally cleared areas were legalized by Bolsonaro, and forest fires were fought only half-heartedly. Clearing jumped by 70 percent under his government.
For the first time, the Amazon emits more CO2 than it can absorb
Under Bolsonaro, the Amazon’s climate balance had turned around: For the first time, it emits more CO2 than it can absorb. This was shown in a study by researchers from the French National Institute for Agronomic Research. The scientists mainly analysed satellite data documenting the plant biomass in the rainforest and its deforestation. The result: the Amazon basin released about 16.6 billion tons of CO2 into the environment, but only absorbed about 13.9 tons. This 2.7 billion ton difference is roughly Austria’s consumption for 35 years.
Without well-maintained Amazon rainforest, the whole ecosystem could topple over
Currently, the Amazon has a perfectly functioning water cycle: regions inland actually have too little rainfall for a tropical rainforest. But the trees suck the groundwater upwards, it evaporates and rains down again over the huge forest area. This cycle could be permanently disrupted by further deforestation. The rainforest would slowly die, turning into savannah and changing the climate around the world.
This process would release as much CO2 as the entire world consumes in seven years. The unique ecosystem that is home to 10 percent of all species would be irretrievably lost, and with it the CO2-binding effect of the rainforest. Scientists assume that this tipping point is reached at a deforestation rate of 20 to 25 percent. Currently, we are at 18 percent.
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Deforestation in Brazil: Raids after taking office
Within days of taking office, Lula’s government took action, conducting checks in the rainforest against illegal logging. As reuters reports, controls were carried out in areas all within the Cachoeira Seca indigenous reserve, where deforestation is strictly prohibited.
While deforestation is decreasing, the number of fires continues to increase, satellite monitoring shows. Whether due to natural causes or arson cannot be determined.
This work is licensed under the Creative Common License. In case of new republication, please cite Kontrast.at /Marco Pühringer as the Source/Author and set a link to the article in English: https://scoop.me/deforestation-brazil/
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Startup uses 3D prints to build “Urban Reefs” for better Air Quality

Publicerad denFörfattareNoah Duker

The Dutch startup “Urban Reef” uses 3D printers with renewable materials to create sculptures that are planted with a variety of mosses, mushrooms, and other plants. These help clean the polluted air of big cities with their natural processes like photosynthesis. As of now the project is still in development but already shows promise as sustainable solutions for improving air quality are hard to come by. 
Amsterdam – Bio inclusivity is the word of the day. Cities have, ecologically speaking, come closer to deserts than any other biome they might have been built upon. Parking spaces, multilane highway systems and other concrete infrastructure have driven a large chunk of wildlife as far away from the city as possible. Despite the efforts of numerous city councils across the world, this model of car dependent cities and fossil fuelled economies has led to poor air quality reaching health endangering levels. 
Combating dangerous air pollution with “Urban Reefs” made of sustainable sculptures and plants
This is where urban reefs come in: the young studio based in the Netherlands has started up a variety of projects, promising improvements when it comes to air quality and biodiversity in cities. Similar to what reefs are for shallow ocean biomes, these urban reefs, are supposed to be an oasis for different species of plants and fungi. Sprinkling these reefs across cities would be a cheap and space efficient way of making cities more liveable. 
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“Urban reefs” is using 3D printers filled with biodegradable, “living” material, allowing plants to easily grow on the surface. The method allows for cheap and sustainable ways to produce all kinds of things. In their case, shell-like sculptures to house the plants. At this point, their team is focused on a variety of improvements, like improving the materials used and the shell designs, as well as bio receptivity research, looking at what conditions are favourable for growing communities of organisms in an urban environment. 
The step away from concrete is important considering that the sand used for concrete is getting rather scarce due to a boom in the construction industry around the globe. Concrete needs sand as a main ingredient, but not every kind of sand is usable, dessert and ocean sand is too smooth to be used for industrial purposes. 
Air pollution responsible for growing cancer rates in cities
When it comes to air pollution, it is important to distinguish between particular matter (pm) and coarse dust. Particular matter are particles up to 2.5 micrometres, coarse dust has a size up to 10 micrometres. The danger of air pollution lies with the particular matter, emitted by cars, tires, coal power plants and other methods of heating. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), being subject to large amounts of air pollution, especially pm, over time can lead to “increased risk of respiratory infections, heart disease and lung cancer”. 
But what causes air pollution? The obvious culprit is cars, not just in burning fuel, but also in not so obvious ways, like wearing down tires that emit small plastic particles into the air and further into our lungs. With results like this, it’s no wonder that projects to help filter these particles out of the air are in high demand. The plants, also subject to the same pollution, have better capabilities when it comes to filtering these harmful microscopic particles than humans.  Läs mer…

Swamps as a climate saver: Ireland stores tons of CO₂ through 33,000 hectares of new peatlands

Publicerad denFörfattareNoah Duker

Ireland is reforesting its swamps and bogs in a bid to fight climate change. Although marshlands cover only three percent of the earth, they store 25 percent of the world’s CO2. So far, around 8100 hectares on the “green island” have been flooded with water. The “watering” is intended to create optimum conditions for new peat land. Experts believe that the “renaturation” project will store enormous amounts of climate-damaging greenhouse gases.
Peatlands are considered to be the ecosystem with the greatest storage potential for CO₂. When a plant dies, the CO₂ stored in it is released into the water or into the marsh soil as it decays, rather than into the air. Bogs and marshlands are therefore true climate protectors!
Trees store CO₂ and release oxygen This process is called photosynthesis. When trees die and rot, they release the remaining CO₂ into the environment, especially into the air. However, if a tree falls into a swamp, the CO₂ is not released into the air but stored in the water and soil. If the swamp dries up, and thus also the CO₂-containing mixture, peat is formed. Over thousands of years, a well-known raw material is created from it: coal!
Ireland is reforesting swamps and peatlands to fight climate change
Until the industrial revolution, almost one fifth of Ireland was covered with peatlands. From the 1850s until today, people have destroyed large parts of Ireland’s nature – that is, besides marshlands, also countless forests. The partly state-owned company “Bord na Móna” wants to revive nature and make Ireland the green lung of Europe to fight climate change. For this reason, they are filling 33,000 hectares of alluvial land with water over the next few years. They also want to reintroduce native species of plants and animals that have been driven or wiped out over the years. Currently, just under a quarter, or 8125 hectares, has been “reforested.”
How Ireland’s marshlands were destroyed and rebuilt
The reason for the poor condition of Ireland’s peatlands is historical. The tradition of “peat cutting” has been preserved and carried on for generations. The peat, when dried, is a good fuel. For the economy, especially during the industrialization, the peat was in great demand because it could be found everywhere on the island and was therefore very cheap. Peat was also used to heat the houses in Ireland.
Another reason for the large-scale drainage of the Irish peatlands is agriculture. During the Industrial Revolution, Ireland developed not only railroads and cities, but also agriculture on a large scale. For the cultivation of food, large areas of marshland were destroyed.
Even at the beginning of industrialization, the destruction of the marshes was already underway: by the end of the 19th century, Ireland was more industrialized than the whole of Austro-Hungarian Empire or Spain, two countries that were significantly larger in terms of area and population. The partly state-owned Irish company “Bord na Móna” and others now wants to declare war on environmental destruction and make the “emerald isle” live up to its name again.
This work is licensed under the Creative Common License. In case of new republication, please cite NeueZeit.at/Noah Düker as the Source/Author and set a link to the article in English: https://scoop.me/ireland-climate-change-peatlands/
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Amsterdam Airport Schiphol bans Private Jets and Night Flights

Publicerad denFörfattareNoah Duker

The private jet ban is set to into effect at the end of 2025. This will lead to “more quiet, clean and better air travel” an airport official said in a statement. Other than that, larger and therefore louder aircraft like the Boeing 747 should no longer be commissioned to land at the Dutch airport. Local inhabitants and climate activists welcome Schiphol’s move towards better quality of live in the Amsterdam suburb. The wake of this decision now echoing through Europe as more cities want to push for similar policies in the future.
Speaking in numbers, this would mean about 10,000 fewer aircraft per year to land at Schiphol, their flights being cancelled with the ban. Recently the government also implemented directives for the airport to reduce the flights from 500 to 440 thousand flights, cutting an additional 40 thousand flights, starting November 2023. 
“For too long, we have only thought about growth and not enough about the associated costs. We need to be sustainable for our employees, the environment and the world.”, Says Ruud Sondag, CEO Royal Schiphol Group. 
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Lawsuit against guidelines – airlines fear reduced profits
Travel agencies and Airlines have complained about the changes. The Dutch Airline KLM, who’s main airport is Schiphol, was surprised, claiming that they had wished for coordinated action across the entire air travel industry. But the lack of actual plans stemming from big airlines might explain why Schiphol’s decision not to wait.
The shrinking of flight numbers at Schiphol was followed by a lawsuit by KLM and four other airlines in fear of having reduced profits. Early April 2023, a Dutch court now overruled the directive due to an issue regarding formalities in the law-making process. 
Climate activists are disappointed about the court’s ruling, setting back the efforts of CO2 reduction in the Netherlands drastically. Their hopes now lie with the airport’s lone push to at least save a fourth of the CO2 intended by the government.
Private jets as climate killer – Germany to consider ban in the future
German air travel expert Sussane Menge sees private jets as a “great climate injustice” and calls for airports in Germany to implement similar directives to Schiphol to combat rising CO2 emissions. 
“It is no longer plausible that many people are now combating global warming by insulating houses and replacing heating systems, while a small minority is pumping out jet fuel as if there were no tomorrow.” – German air travel expert Susanne Menge. 
Now the German Greens have announced that they are considering proposing a similar with support from opposition party “die Linke” (the Left) though the future of this legislation is unclear.
Most wealth – Most emissions
And the numbers add up, considering that in 2019, a year before the Private jet boom properly kicked off, private jets already accounted for 899,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). In comparison, in the same year, the CO2 emissions on a global average per person accounted for about 4.78 tons per year.
A person with average carbon emission would take more than 627 thousand years to produce the amount of CO2 a billionaire emits in a Year. (Foto: Nate / Unsplash)
Considering these facts, it gets even more baffling when one considers that these 899 thousand tons of carbon dioxide is emitted by just about 22 thousand jets. Meaning that these approximately 22,000 private aircraft owners emit equally to about 188,000 people. And that’s only with their jets, accounting for other luxuries, these numbers can rise up to a staggering 3 million tons per year for the top 1 percent.
A person with average carbon emission would take more than 627 thousand years to produce the amount of CO2 a billionaire emits in a Year. Considering the shrinking CO2 budget, the rising temperatures and growing wealth inequality, considering bans like this might be a necessity all over Europe in the future. Läs mer…

Leading lawyers take side of climate activists

Publicerad denFörfattareHarry Markham

As climate scientists offer final warnings on our planet’s future, climate activists are becoming more and more determined to force change – whatever the cost. Their protests are increasingly controversial and disruptive, as those looking to secure the planet’s future clamber for the attention of lawmakers, big businesses, and the public. As protests heat up, so does the risk of legal consequences, but legal professionals are starting to come out in support of climate activists as 140 top lawyers sign a “Declaration of Consciousness”.
On March 29, 2023, a collective of lawyers known as “Lawyers are Responsible” published a “Declaration of Consciousness” stating:
“as a matter of conscience, they will withdraw their legal services from (1) new fossil fuel projects and (2) criminal or civil action against peaceful climate protesters.”
The signatories to the Declaration include 140 prominent lawyers from the United Kingdom and around the world, including many from countries in the Global South who will face the worst impacts of the climate crisis, such as South Africa, Australia, Mexico, Guyana and the Philippines.
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Lawyers recognise complicity in climate destruction
The press release in which the group outlined their intentions highlighted the contribution of the legal sector towards climate destruction. They reference the $1.62 trillion worth of transactions within the fossil fuel industry that were made possible with the support of lawyers between 2017 and 2022.
They argue that not only should fellow legal professionals halt their support for the fossil fuel industry, they should also refuse to help prosecute peaceful climate change protesters – a practice that is becoming increasingly common.
Melinda Janki, Attorney-at-Law in Guyana and declaration signatory, said:
“I beg my legal colleagues to join me and other lawyers who are on the frontline fighting to uphold the rule of law and protect our countries and planet from the killing effects of fossil fuels. Please take a stand and do not be complicit in ecocide and the inevitable destruction of human lives.”
Peaceful climate protesters targeted by police and courts
As groups like Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil and Insulate Britain ramp up their efforts to garner support for better climate practice, they are often met by heavy handed police and disproportionate legal punishment. Four Just Stop Oil activists, arrested for blocking a London road, were convicted this year of causing a public nuisance. The group of men were sentenced to 260 hours of unpaid work in total, and made to pay a combined £7,500 in prosecution costs.
Earlier this year in Germany, protesters trying to save the village of Luetzerath from its imminent destruction in order to make way for a new coal field were reportedly beaten heavily by German police, with at least 20 ending up in hospital.
One week before the release of the declaration by Lawyers are Responsible, reports from Australia stated that two German students are set to be deported back to their native land for blocking access to Sydney’s seaport. Federal Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, seemingly missing the point, denounced the actions of the two Germans as “attention-seeking”.
As activists across the world attempt to stop humanity’s march towards catastrophe, it is clear that the support of legal professionals, such as those in Lawyers are Responsible, is vital.
Activists and lawyers score victory against climate change villains Shell
Dutch fossil fuel giant Shell, who place 7th in global rankings for greenhouse gas emissions by companies between 1965 and 2018, produced 32,498 million tons of CO2 equivalent during this period. While they claim to be aiming for carbon neutrality through a transition to green energy by 2050, they are accused of greenwashing and playing fast and loose with the truth surrounding their climate practices. While they claim to be working towards achieving net-zero, they contradict themselves through continual new investment in oil and gas projects. The International Energy Agency stated in 2021 that no new oil and gas projects were compatible with achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
While Shell claim to be working towards net-zero, they continue to invest heavily in oil and gas. (Photo: Jethro Carullo / Unsplash)
These contradicting practices form the basis of the argument put forward to the English High Court by ClientEarth, a group of environmental lawyers. The group, who are token stakeholders in Shell, argue that the company does not have a suitable strategy to meet climate targets as the rest of the world moves away from fossil fuels. They say that failure to properly transition to clean energy leaves the company at risk of being left behind as fossil fuels are made obsolete – a reasonable argument for an investor to make. The lawsuit, which is aimed at the companies 11 directors, is a landmark case in holding corporate directors liable for failing to properly prepare their company for the net zero transition.
This is an exemplary case of activism and the legal profession working hand-in-hand to tackle climate destruction as opposed to supporting it, and provides hope for further progress in this direction in the future with the help of groups like Lawyers are Responsible. Läs mer…

Dutch startup uses air bubbles to remove plastic from rivers

Publicerad denFörfattareneuezeit.at

Dutch startup “The Great Bubble Barrier” has been building “air curtains” and removing tons of plastic from rivers since 2017. The technology is simple and promising. With the help of pipes in the water, a curtain of air is formed. Fish and other river dwellers can swim through it, while plastic waste is intercepted. 
The Amsterdam-based startup has been working on the technology behind the so-called “bubble barrier” for seven years. Initial pilot tests started in spring 2017, and the first filter system has been in place on the River IJssel in the Netherlands since November of the same year. Even tiny pieces of plastic with a diameter of one millimetre can be fished out of the water with it. The startup is currently testing whether even smaller plastic particles, i.e. less than 0.05 millimetres, can be filtered with the air barrier.
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Simple technology, clean rivers, healthy people
The way the air barrier works is simple. Pipes at the bottom of a river or canal pump air into the water. Combined with the current, the plastic pollution is collected together on one bank. From there, the plastic goes into a collection system. Then the trash is separated and can be disposed of properly. The start-up’s invention would also be great outside the Netherlands, because Austria’s rivers are also full of trash.
The WWF reports that almost two-thirds of Austria’s waters need to be “cleaned up.” Only 15 percent are still in “very good” condition, the paper states. Reasons for the pollution include the heavy construction density of some regions, as well as the industrial usage – such as sewage disposal or cargo shipping – of rivers. Environment Minister Gewessler (Green Party) complained about the “littering of our environment and waters”, but the interim report of the “Action Plan Microplastics” is still pending.
A stream of air bubbles propels the trash into a collection bin (Photo: The Great Bubble Barrier®)
Nearly 80 percent of plastic pollution in the sea comes from rivers
The technology from Holland not only holds promise for cleaning up freshwater streams, but also contributes to the cleaning of the oceans. Around 80 percent of plastic in the world’s seas comes from rivers. Currently, it is estimated that there are between 100 and 150 million tons of trash in the oceans. More than three-quarters of this is plastic. Every year, rivers wash between five and thirteen million tons more into the seas. Four million tons come from just ten major streams.
“We tested for six months in Amsterdam, and during this period we removed around 85 kilograms of plastic per month from the water,” say the founders of “The Great Bubble Barrier.
Projected over a year, that’s more than a ton of plastic waste. This is good not only for the environment, but also for people. Because the trash doesn’t just stay in the water. Fish and other sea creatures eat the plastic pollution. These then get back into the human organism via food, and there the – so called – microplastics can even lead to hormonal changes. Clean oceans, intact environment, healthier people – that seems to be the promise of the air curtain technology from the Netherlands. Läs mer…

Royalties for the Environment: Musicians give Earth Songwriting Credit

Publicerad denFörfattareSpeziell.at

Brian Eno has a charity organization called Earth/Percent. It encourages musicians to donate a portion of their earnings to environmental protection. They do this by making the earth a co-writer of their songs. The resulting income is then donated directly to environmental, research and climate protection projects. 
Most people know musician Brian Eno as the co-founder of the band Roxy Music. Still others may know him as the producer of music legends such as David Bowie, Talking Heads and U2. Few may know that he composed the startup music for Windows 95 – ironically, on an Apple Macintosh. 
Brian Eno is and was many things: musician, producer, electronic music pioneer and visual artist. His latest project: the charity organization Earth/Percent.
Earth/Percent: Income from music royalties for climate protection
The charity organization campaigns for more sustainability in the music industry. It collects money to donate directly to climate protection and environmental organizations. The idea behind it is quite simple: 

Musicians make the earth the co-author or co-songwriter of their songs. How much percent they give away, they determine thereby themselves.
The Earth receives royalties, i.e. income from the rights to the songs.
The income is used to support climate protection projects and environmental organizations

The first musicians have already joined in, including Fraser T. Smith, Jacob Collier, Anna Calvi, Mount Kimbie, Erland Cooper, Rostam Batmanglij and Aurora. 
On Brian Eno’s latest single “Line in the Sand, Earth is already co-writer, alongside Hot Chip and goddess.
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Earth/Percent’s goal: $100 million for climate protection by 2030
The organization aims to raise around $100 million for climate protection by 2030. The money will be used to support not only environmental protection organizations and research, but also people who already have to live with the effects of climate change. After all, the music industry still emits too much CO₂, too. 
“Many in the music industry want to do something about the climate crisis, but don’t know how. That’s why Earth/Percent works with scientists and experts to identify and fund the most promising solutions.” Brian Eno, founder of Earth/Percent
The music industry: music streaming consumes an extreme amount of electricity
In the UK alone, live concerts cause around 405,000 tons of greenhouse gases per year. Mainly from transport, flights, consumption and waste. And platforms like Apple Music, Spotify or Pandora also consume extreme amounts of electricity to run their music streaming platforms. 
This work is licensed under the Creative Common License. It can be republished for free, either translated or in the original language. In both cases, please cite https://speziell.at/ / Ingo Geiger as the original source/author and set a link to this article on Scoop.me. https://scoop.me/musicians-credit-earth-songwriter/
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Scotland makes historic first ‘loss and damage’ payment to climate change-stricken Malawi

Publicerad denFörfattareHarry Markham

Scotland has become the first nation to provide ‘loss and damage’ funding having pledged a total of £7 million to date. The decision comes after an agreement between 200 nations at last year’s COP27 summit to give financial help to developing nations most impacted by climate change. Differing from immediate emergency aid, the money is intended to rebuild resilient communities which have been devastated by climate disasters.
Scotland have already provided hundreds of thousands of pounds from a £2 million pot to Malawi, with the money being used to build resilience in the most vulnerable communities, and have pledged a further £5 million to similar projects from April 2023.
The ‘loss and damage’ breakthrough
November 2022’s COP27 summit, while criticised by many climate activists for not producing radical enough agreements, is credited with at least one big win for climate justice. That victory is the recognition of the concept of loss and damage and the agreement between 200 nations to compensate those who have fallen foul to climate disasters. While money has long been funnelled towards methods of mitigation such as preparing vulnerable nations for higher temperatures and rising sea levels, little has been done to compensate communities who have already lost everything to climate change. This is why the agreement among wealthy nations to compensate poorer nations for loss and damage is hailed as ‘historic’.
The agreement to deliver money to those affected areas is not only financially important, it is symbolic of an acceptance of the fact that developed nations are disproportionately responsible for the damage caused by climate change. While it appears that these payments amount to reparations, actually using the term makes developed nations uneasy and is perhaps too direct of an acceptance of guilt. They prefer, regardless of the reality, to frame these more as solidarity payments.
A popular – and valid – criticism of international organisations and agreements is their tendency to make promises without any meaningful follow-up action, or as Greta Thunberg put it:
“we have now had thirty years of blah blah blah, and where has that led us?”
The first nation that has stopped talking and started acting with respect to loss and damage payments is Scotland, who have pledged a total of £7 million in funding. The first nation to receive funding is Malawi, a country that has suffered greatly from the effects of climate change.
Climate change is devastating Malawian communities
One of the great injustices of climate change is the disproportionate damage caused to developing nations. Despite carbon footprints that often pale in comparison to their developed counterparts, such nations tend to be warmer and drier, and therefore more susceptible to climate disasters with less money available to combat the fast-growing issue. One such example is the south African nation of Malawi. Malawi is particularly prone to long periods of drought and devastating floods.
In 2015 flooding hit the Malawian village of Mambundungu – a recurring problem for those living in the area. Village Chief Isaac Mambundungu looked around him and saw homes submerged, children being swept away, and reported that:
“Even the crocodiles that are found in the river would come and attack the people. So when we saw this, we decided to move to higher grounds.”
So villagers rebuilt elsewhere, with less fertile land available for crops, and tried to defend their new homes as best they could with what resources they had available, but more flooding came and the new location suffered a similar fate. This is a story repeated across the nation in which 80% of people live and work off of the land.
Scotland pays loss and damage reparations to climate change-stricken Malawi
The Scottish government, led by a left-wing Scottish National Party and Green Party coalition, has dedicated funding to a mixture of projects across the country. A large proportion is going towards rebuilding villages across Malawi such as Mambundungu. Elsewhere, around £500,000 has been dedicated solely to rebuilding the Mphatso preschool in Ngabu, which was partially destroyed by flooding in 2022. In addition, seven-kilometres of flood embankments are being rebuilt along the Phalombe River. Money is also being used to build flood defences around the Mbenje cemetery, where floods frequently wash away graves and those buried within them. Residents of Mbenje tell that this is a relatively new problem, and one which they have faced with much distress. Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera commented:
“It has made huge differences in the people and their livelihoods because they are given a hand up, so the resilience we talk about becomes a practical issue.”
And emphasised:
“Describing the money as aid is wrong, it should instead be seen as countries taking responsibility for climate change together.”
But how is this any different to aid which is already provided by NGOs? Ben Wilson, a representative of one of the charities chosen by the Scottish government to deliver the allocated funds, stated:
“Often that aid and those aid workers then leave because they go on to the next disaster – and there always is a next disaster. This money is coming in at a later stage when the communities have already received that immediate support. But it’s giving them what they need to build back, to build that resilience, but also to get their lives back on track.”
Loss and damage funding is long overdue
But this should not be perceived as an act of benevolence. Regardless of hesitance from developed nations to frame the loss and damage agreement as a vessel for reparations, that is what it is. Scotland, along with the rest of Britain, was at the forefront of the industrial revolution. They set the ball rolling which led us to where we are now, and profited greatly in the process. The industrial revolution is also intrinsically linked to colonialism, a practice which ravaged much of what is now the developing world and left it ill-prepared for the challenges it faces today. So it is only right that these payments be made, and crucial that other developed nations follow suit. Läs mer…