WWF Report: Ecological Credit Crunch Officially Worse than Financial Credit Crunch

An international study by the WWF, ZSL and partners - the Living Planet Report - reveals that we will need 'two planets' by 2030 in order to sustain current rates of consumption. Three quarters of the world's population are consuming more than can be replaced each year.

The study examined the 'ecological footprint' of countries across the world, and the rate at which we are degrading all the necessary life support systems of the planet. Rainforests provide clear air and carbon sequestration, fresh water supplies are being spoilt and marine fisheries are being consistently over harvested.

The reports authors estimate that the financial equivalent of this degradation, dwarfs the losses of the present financial crisis - the ecological debt reaching at least £2.5 trillion every year.

Sir David King, the British government's former chief scientific adviser, added:

"We all need to agree that there's a crisis of understanding, that we're removing the planet's biodiverse resources at a rate which is as fast if not faster than the world's last great extinction."

Read the full report here: http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Environment/documents/2008/10/28/LPR_2008.pdf

Recycling "as complicated as Sudoku"

Researchers at the University of Sussex have concluded that recycling household waste is a complicated as completing a Sudoku puzzle. 

The scientists conducted a study into the effort and complexity of recycling; monitoring participants' brainwaves as they sorted their waste into various categories. Dr David Lewis, who ran the study, commented that "The whole process is so confusing that even hardened and dedicated recyclers still get it wrong."

The number of British people who recycle their waste has tripled in the past two years. More people would be willing to recycle, research suggests, if it was made easier, an incentive was offered, and manufacturers were more responsible with packaging.

At the BES we are committed to 'greening' our activities; including comprehensive recycling throughout our offices, composting our organic waste on-site and measures to improve the energy and water efficiency of our buildings. 

We are also trying to ensure that delegates travel as sustainably as possible to our forthcoming Annual Meeting. To find out about opportunities for car sharing, visit our Facebook group (log-in required).

Human Population Growth and Ecology: Jonathon Porrit at the Cheltenham Science Festival

The BES policy team attended several insightful and stimulating talks at this year's Cheltenham Science Festival, which took place last week. In particular, Jonathon Porrit (Programme Director of Forum for the Future and Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission) delivered a fascinating, if controversial talk on the issue of global population growth, in the context of rising oil prices, increasing food costs and ongoing environmental degradation. Jonathon identified a number of global regions , many in South East Asia and Africa, where population growth exceeds a neutral growth rate, or 'replacement' rate; with some families having up to seven children on average. He cited the lack of funding, and political will, for effective family-planning programmes in many developing countries as a major barrier to reducing global population growth.

With the global population set to exceed 9 billion by 2050, and current resources struggling to fulfill demand, the current rate of consumption cannot hope to match a future population if everyone in the world consumed as much as those in 'developed' countries. What Jonathon failed to identify clearly was the link between demand for resources and demography. It is true to say that many of the world's poorest reside in the most biologically diverse regions of the world, such as tropical rainforests, and that they depend on their resources for their livelihood. But in the same spirit, the driving force of habitat loss and destruction is generally from economically more developed countries.

A strong case has been made for sustainable population growth, if not reduction, but the root cause of the world's environmental ills presently is not just in the rapidly expanding population, but in the existing and falling populations in economically more developed countries with the overwhelmingly larger environmental footprint. Geometric population growth should not be overlooked as an environmental issue because of its controversy, but the facts should not be misrepresented, so as to ease the mindset of the economically most developed countries into continuing unsustainable and environmentally damaging activities, such as over-exploitation of natural resources, continued pollution of the natural environment and increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

We all have a part to play in living less environmentally harmful lifestyles and globally, countries should take responsibility in equal measure rather than naming and shaming others.

The Economist provides an interesting insight to the topic of population growth, and other links.

The BES would like to invite blog readers to share their thoughts and opinions on this topic.

Payments for Environmental Services: an Alternative to Logging in Indonesia?

A new report published in Ecological Economics suggests that payments for environmental services (PES), unless properly targeted, are ineffective at curbing forest loss.

The report suggests that PES schemes will put some communities inhabiting tropical forests in a better 'bargaining' position for property rights with loggers, rather than encourage conservation initiatives. In many cases, even if PES schemes offer more money than logging fees, local communities are ill-equipped to prevent deforestation by loggers anyway, rendering the PES impotent at preventing forest loss. The study recommends that PES schemes target communities that would not otherwise conserve the rainforest.

Other research has suggested that user-financed schemes (such as local water companies) are better equipped to ensure conditions are met than government funded schemes, as greater consideration of local conditions are made and projects are conducted more efficiently. However in terms of carbon sequestration, government-financed schemes are the only option.

If the current rate of forest loss continues in Indonesia, it is predicted that all of the lowland forest will be lost by 2010, flying in the face of global agreements at the Convention of Biological Diversity to reduce biodiversity loss by 2010. Thus it is critical that PES schemes effectively target appropriate beneficiaries when implemented rather than be used as a blanket scheme targeting all communities.

BES members and readers of the blog are invited to comment on the usefulness of PES schemes.

Science and the Welsh Assembly: Green Chemistry and the Environment

The Science and the Assembly meeting was held yesterday at the Welsh Devolved Assembly Government in Cardiff.

The British Ecological Society took the opportunity to create a presence at The Welsh Assembly Government, to promote the science of ecology and forge links with relevant organisations.

Talks were held at the Wales Millennium Centre on the theme of 'Green Chemistry and the Environment,' hosted by the The Royal Society of Chemistry. Of particular interest were talks of relevance to ecology and policy; 'Grassland for a Sustainable Future' by Professor Mervyn Humphreys of Aberystwyth University and 'Bioactive Natural Products from Common Plants' by Professor Mark Baird of Bangor University.

Grassland for a Sustainable Future

Key aims of current and future research included using renewable feedstocks, preventing waste, reducing pollution and renewable energy. Prof. Humphreys hopes to develop methods for screening genotypes of grass species such as Miscanthus, (a perennial grass native to Japan and China that can be used as a fuel). Genotypes differ in lignin content, which affects the boiling point of oils produced and thus their potential for different uses. Other topical work included looking at how clover roots can improve soil structure and sequester carbon; and investigating high sugar-content grasses' ability to reduce nitrogen wastage from cows and sheep and possibly reduce methane output.

Bioactive Natural Products from Common Plants

Chemical compounds naturally produced in plants can be used for human benefit in terms of pest control, health purposes and biofuels. For example, bioactive products from native welsh bluebells could potentially be used to control bracken, and products could also potentially be used to help fight TB, cancer, diabetes and be used for glues and pigments. Additionally, fatty acids (triglycerides) in certain native welsh plants could be used and/or modified for the purpose of biofuels. However regarding the use of native plants as biofuels, there was uncertainty surrounding the scale of plantations needed in order to match existing fossil fuel supplies, and scant mention of the potential social and environmental consequences of such a move.

Jane Davidson encouraged the scientific community to contact her with any information that could be of use to help the Welsh Assembly Environment team in future policy making, or such matters.