In this issue:
Jaguars and Whales are NOT carbon OFFSETS
Tom BK Goldtooth, Indigenous Enviromental Network (IEN) - 'Indigenous Peoples' sacred animal relatives such as jaguars, whales, and elephants are being used as carbon and biodiversity offsets and extractive industries’ greenwash, a grave affront to our traditional knowledge systems and spiritual lifeways. ...
Forest Fires: A Global Crisis Fueled by Profit
Mirna Ines Fernandez, Third World Network - The surge in forest fires across the globe is no longer an occasional environmental tragedy—it has become a systemic crisis, intensifying year after year in the so-called fire season. In recent years, fire activity has intensified to unprecedented levels, exposing the fragility of both ecosystems and political will. Four of the five worst years for global forest fires have occurred since 2020.
The year 2024 marked an alarming record. Wildfires were responsible for 48% of all tropical primary forest loss in the Amazon and Congo Basin—regions indispensable for carbon storage, biodiversity, and local climate regulation. If forest fires were counted as a nation, they would rank as the world’s second-largest carbon emitter.
Dept-for-Nature Swaps: Doubtful Impact on Debt and Biodiversity
Nele Mariën, Friends of the Earth International - Debt-for-Nature Swaps (DFNS) are being promoted as innovative tools that can tackle two challenges at once: sovereign debt and biodiversity loss. Part of a country’s external debt is restructured in exchange for commitments to finance conservation or climate-related programmes.
Will Gene Drives Work? Cutting Through the Hype in Synthectic Biology
Dr. Ricarda Steinbrecher, Federation of German Scientists - Hype is often part of how scientific development is communicated to decision-makers and the public. As Professor Timothy Caulfield (University of Alberta) explains, “spin happens throughout the science translation process” — from research proposals and peer-reviewed papers to press releases and media stories. Studies confirm a growing use of promotional language, and Caulfield argues that genetics has been particularly prone to this.
ECO-72-4.pdf
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