Natural Environment Blog

What is the Rainforest Alliance

The Rainforest Alliance is a member based organization dedicated to helping people, wildlife, and the natural environment.

Based in New York City, the Rainforest Alliance has offices throughout the United States and the world. The Rainforest Alliance works with people who depend on the land for their livelihood. It aims to help them become more sustainable in the way they work the land. In particular, the alliance helps these people grow food, harvest wood and host travelers.

The Rainforest Alliance has programs in many environmental areas such as forestry, agriculture, and tourism. It also offers third party certification and verification for forestry companies who opt for sustainable forestry.

Rainforest Alliance’s Approach

The Rainforest Alliance believes that it is possible to create a sustainable society. A society that protects the planet and provides sustainable livelihoods for its people.

To achieve this, it aims to transform the current destructive market system into one that values sustainable production, sourcing, consumption and equitable trade.

The Rainforest Alliance believes that the sustainable management of all businesses requires the following:

• Clean air and water
• Healthy biodiversity and wildlife habitat
• Reduction of waste and toxicity
• Reduction and mitigation of global warming
• Dignified and safe living and working conditions, with adequate food, education and health care for workers and their families
• Equal opportunity for all

Furthermore, it believes that the following is required in order to achieve a sustainable market:

• Sustainable sourcing, supply chain management and public accountability are standard practice
• Products carry prices that reflect their real environmental, economic and social value
• Sustainable producers, small and community-based businesses have equitable market access
• People demand and have access to high-quality, sustainable and healthy products and choices
• Financial and insurance sectors support sustainable operations and penalize unsustainable ones
• Governments support sustainability through procurement, incentives, and regulations
• Civil society sources sustainably

To learn more about the Rainforest Alliance, check out the official website.

The kea is a type of parrot that resides in the mountains of the New Zealand’s South Island. It’s one of the few alpine parrots in the world.

Although the kea can fly, it tends to spend a lot of its time hobbling around on the ground. The kea diet generally consists of roots, leaves, berries, nectar and insects.

The kea is known for its intelligence. In fact, it has been rated as one of the most intelligent birds in the world.

Is the Kea Heading for Extinction?

The kea is a fully protected species. It was once hunted and killed because it preyed on livestock. The government even offered a bounty for the bills of kea.

Although it was intended that kea would only be shot on farmland, many would hunt kea in national parks.

More than 150,000 kea were killed prior to 1970. When it was discovered that there were an estimated 5,000 left, the kea received partial protection. This partial protection still enabled farmers to shoot kea if it was interfering with their property or livestock.

The kea wasn’t fully protected until 1986. It is estimated that there are now only between 1,000 and 5,000 kea left in the world.

The Kea is Notoriously Mischievous!

Kea can often be seen hobbling around the Milford Sound region and the ski areas, attempting to cause chaos to humans at every opportunity! They are very cheeky and inquisitive birds. And, as mentioned, they are also very intelligent. Many tourists to New Zealand’s alpine regions can recall at least one occasion of being harassed by a kea!

Tourists will often park their cars to view the scenery and take photos. Kea will then often jump onto the car and try to rip out the trimmings and/or wing mirrors etc. When the tourist tries to get back into the car, the kea will often try to prevent him!

This is exactly what happened to me near Milford Sound (see the photo)! There were two kea, one on the roof of my car, and another hobbling around on the ground. The second one then decided to attack a nearby car!

Unfortunately, it is humans that have caused the kea to behave in this way. Tourists are forever feeding the kea, thinking they are doing the right thing. Although this may seem like a compassionate gesture, quite the opposite is true. Feeding the kea results in the bird becoming more aggressive. In fact, this is seen to be such a large problem that the Department of Conservation has erected signs that read “Do not feed the kea”

Here’s a video I found on YouTube, demonstrating the outstanding intelligence of the the kea:

These days, we hear a lot about the tragic consequences of plastic bags on the environment. In particular, plastic bags are causing significant damage to our oceans and marine life. But what about other plastic items?

In today’s world, we are surrounded by plastic. We live in a plastic world. What’s more, we throw out most of our plastic products at an alarming rate. Some plastic items, such as packaging, won’t even last a day before it’s tossed into the bin - or even worse, discarded onto the street or ocean. Other items - you know, those items that are supposed to last a long time - might be lucky to reach their 2nd birthday! Occasionally, we might purchase a plastic item that we keep for say, 5 - 10 years.

The ironic thing about this is that, one of plastic’s outstanding benefits has always been it’s incredible resilience and durability - plastic will last for hundreds of years. Yet, we throw it out, sometimes within a day of product purchase.

The fact that plastic doesn’t break down for hundreds of years causes a major issue for the environment. In particular, plastic is killing thousands of animals around the world every day.

Here are some (grim) facts/statistics on the impact that plastic is having on our oceans.

• Plastic causes the deaths of more than a million seabirds every year
• Plastic causes the deaths of more than 100,000 marine mammals each year
• About 90% of the rubbish floating in the ocean is plastic
• According to estimates by the UN Environment Programme in 2006, every square mile of ocean contains 46,000 pieces of floating plastic
• Hundreds of millions of nurdles (plastic pellets) find their way into the oceans each year. These nurdles act as a chemical sponge - they attract man-made chemicals, such as hydrocarbons and pesticide DDT. This makes them even more toxic. The nurdles then find themselves into marine creatures, then onto our dinner plate. We are indirectly eating our toxic waste.
• Plastic photodegrades. This means that it breaks down into much smaller parts. These smaller parts are continuously being eaten by marine creatures, who mistaken them for food. Many marine creatures actually feed their young on plastic items - again mistaking it for food. One turtle found dead in Hawaii had over a thousand pieces of plastic in its stomach and intestines.
• Floating plastic can sometimes transport marine life to a new location - one of which is outside their normal habitat. This can result in the migrant becoming a pest in the new habitat.
• Not all plastic floats. Much of it - up to 70% - ends up on the ocean floor. This ends up killing the marine life which is found there. Dutch scientists estimate that there’s up to 600,000 tonnes of plastic on the sea bed of the North Sea alone.
• The Pacific Ocean has a garbage dump twice the size of continental United States. The dump is so large that scientists believe it would be impossible to clean it up. Most of this gigantic dump consists of plastic.

A cay is a small, low elevation, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs. Cay is pronounced as ‘key’ and is sometimes spelled key or quay.

Cays are typically located in tropical waters such as the tropical parts of the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Atlantic Ocean. For example, there are many cays throughout the Great Barrier Reef - the largest coral reef in the world. Some popular cays in the area include Green Island, Michaelmas Cay, Upolu Cay, and Heron Island.

Cays are mostly made up of biogenic sediment from coral reef ecosystems. Biogenic sediment refers to the skeletal remains of plants and animals. Ocean currents transport the sediment across the reef surface, then deposit it in a place where currents converge or slow down. Weather and tidal patterns can impact on the formation and eradication of cays.

Some of the smaller cays often appear to be no more than a sandbar, while larger or older cays will have trees and other foliage growing on them.

You might be aware of some of the health problems and environmental concerns associated with traditional, synthetic clothes dyes. Health problems can include skin rashes, headaches, nausea, and more. And one of the major environmental issues with traditional synthetic clothes dyes is the amount of water used to process them, as well as the pollution of that water.

In this article, I outline a number of alternatives to the traditional (toxic) dyes that have been used on our clothes for so many years.

Some of these options are better than the others, but they are all better than conventional dyes that omit toxic chemicals into our bodies and into our waterways.

• Undyed clothes (wear clothes without dye). OK, before you tell me this isn’t a dye, let me explain. Yes, you could go without any color on your clothes. But you could also wear clothes that have been made from color-grown cottons or natural color wools and alpaca. This way, your clothes already have color applied - without needing to be dyed.
• Clay/dirt dyes. Clay dyes are made from the minerals and irons in the earth. This method has been used for centuries. New research/technology is improving the colorfastness of dirt dyes. Earth Creations is one company specializing in clay dye.
• Low-impact fiber-reactive dyes. These are synthetic dyes that chemically bond directly to the clothes fiber molecules. This results in less water run off due to the fixation rate being up to 70%. Although low-impact fiber-reactive dyes have been around since 1956, they have recently undergone some major advances, which have resulted in brighter colors and better colorfast properties. Unlike conventional dyes, these dyes contain no contain no heavy metals or other known toxic substances. The biggest drawback of low-impact fiber-reactive dyes is that they are still made from synthetic petrochemicals.
• Natural dyes. These are a class of colorant extracted from vegetative matter and animal residues. Although one might assume that natural dyes are better for the environment, in practice this is not always the case. Natural dyes typically require the inclusion of metallic salts such as aluminium, iron, chromium, and copper for ensuring colorfastness.

Many eco-friendly clothing companies choose low-impact fiber-reactive dyes. This allows them to offer a wide range of colors, while being environmentally conscience. If you are very sensitive to chemicals, you should try to buy undyed clothes or clothes made with natural colors (i.e. from color-grown plants).

I’ve just read that candles are a growing cause of fire. Each year, more and more deaths are being attributed to fire caused by candles. If this is the case, then Earth Hour will surely be a high risk time for house fires caused by candles.

Because of this, I decided to compile a list of candle safety tips. I collected these from a range of different authority websites on fire safety. If you plan to use candles during Earth Hour (or any other time for that matter!), try to follow these tips:

• Place all candles on a heat resistant surface. Night lights and tea lights get particularly hot underneath.
• Place all candles in a sturdy holder that stands upright and won’t fall over.
• Never place candles near curtains (or anything else that could catch fire).
• Keep candles away from draughts. A small draught could blow the flame onto something flammable.
• Keep your clothes and hair away from candles. For example, never reach over a candle to pick something up.
• Keep children and pets away from all candles.
• Keep candles at least 10 cm apart from each other.
• Place scented candles in a glass or metal holder. This is because scented candles turn to liquid in order to release their fragrance.
• Never move a candle while it’s burning.
• Always keep an eye on your candles.
• Always extinguish candles before leaving the room unattended.
• Always use a candle snuffer or spoon to extinguish your candles. This is safer than blowing them out (which can result in sparks).
• Double check that all candles are out.

With Earth Hour approaching, many people have indicated that they will be burning candles throughout the hour. Unfortunately, this could result in replacing one environmental problem with another.

Burning candles isn’t exactly the healthiest or most environmentally friendly thing to do - especially if made from paraffin wax. There are some eco-friendly alternatives though, so all is not lost!

Candles that are Bad for the Environment

Most cheap candles (like the ones you can buy at the supermarkets) are made from paraffin wax. Paraffin wax is a byproduct of oil refining and releases a number of carcinogens when burned. These include Acetaldehyde, Acrolein, Benzene, Formaldehyde, Polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins, Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons and Toulene.

Some cheap candles may even contain lead in their wicks. This in turn, releases toxic fumes when burned. Lead is particularly harmful to our bodies and other animals. Some countries such as US and Australia have recently banned lead wicks from candles.

Environmentally Friendly Candles

Burning any substance is always going to have its environmental downside. But, there are candles that are better for the environment than the cheap paraffin candles.

If you want to burn candles during Earth Hour (or any other time), use soy candles or 100% beeswax candles.

• 100% beeswax candles smoke free, non-toxic and non-allergenic. They are made of natural products (instead of petroleum based materials). Some say 100% beeswax candles are carbon neutral because the carbon dioxide they emit has already been taken from the atmosphere to produce the wax.
• Soy candles are made from soy wax - a vegetable wax made from the oil of soybeans. Again, by using soy candles, you’re avoiding petroleum based products. Also, soy candles are said to burn 40% cooler than paraffin based candles. This means your candle will burn longer - up to 8 hours per ounce of wax.

The largest natural feature on earth is so large, that it can be seen from space!

Earth’s largest natural feature is the Great Barrier Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef is a massive collection of coral reefs located along the north eastern side of Australia. It is the world’s most extensive coral reef system and is one of the world’s richest areas in terms of faunal diversity.

The reef is part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, which at 35 million hectares, is the world’s largest World Heritage Area. About 98 percent of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area is located in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which was declared in 1975 with the purpose of preserving the area’s outstanding biodiversity whilst providing for reasonable use.

Here are some interesting facts about the Great Barrier Reef:

• There are more than 2900 coral reefs
• 600 continental islands
• 71 coral islands
• 300 coral cays
• 1500 species of fish
• 4000 species of molluscs
• 500 species of seaweed
• 350 types of starfish and various echinoderms
• More than 215 species of birds
• 1.9 million tourists visit the Great Barrier Reef each year
• The Great Barrier Reef is over 12,000 years old
• The reef itself stretches more than 2300 km from the northern tip of Australia’s Queensland to just south of Bundaberg (also in the state of Queensland)
• The Great Barrier Marine Park covers 348,000 square kilometers - that’s larger than the whole of the UK and Ireland combined!

The Great Barrier Reef is Under Threat

Unfortunately, the Great Barrier Reef is under threat from overfishing, land-based pollution and coral bleaching. Coral bleaching is exacerbated by increased sea temperatures due to global warming. As a result of public campaigning and pressure from WWF, the Australian Government has committed to protecting 33% of the reef where it can (previously, only 4% had been protected).

Regarding the impact of global warming on the reef, it’s not just affecting the Great Barrier Reef. To date, 10% of all reefs around the world have been destroyed due to coral bleaching. At the current rate, 70% of the world’s reefs will be destroyed over the next 40 years.

As hopeless as this may sound, there are things we can do to help. By developing greener habits, we can all do our part in reducing global warming. For example, here are 5 ways to reduce greenhouse gases. And here are some simple steps you can take to live sustainably.

Here are some facts regarding the earth’s forests:

• One and a half acres of rainforest is lost every second.
• To date, earth has lost 50% of its tropical forests worldwide.
• Many countries have lost between 70% and 95% of their forests in a very short timespan. In a 15 year timespan, Nigeria lost 79% of its old growth forests!
• Earth’s forests are being cut down at the same rate in which the human population is increasing. The alarming thing is that this rate is actually accelerating.
• At the current rate of deforestation, we will only have 20% of the world’s forests left by 2030. 10% will be in a degraded condition.
• Experts have estimated that all of earth’s rainforests will be gone within 40 years.

Given the alarming rate of deforestation, something big needs to be done. Our increasing demand for paper doesn’t help either. In 2003, the Certified Forest Products Council said:

Worldwide demand for paper – the single largest use of wood fiber – is five times what it was in the 1950s. This number is expected to double again over the next 50 years.

What can be done about this? I’m sure plenty could be done.

To start with, paper doesn’t need to be made from wood. For example, perfectly good paper can be made out of Jute or Hemp. These plants grow much faster than trees, and use up much less land. Trees take many years to grow. Jute and Hemp are fully grown within months. They also have a higher biological efficiency than trees planted for the same purpose.

We need to start thinking about ways to reduce deforestation - then act on it. Otherwise, some of us may actually see a day where there are no rainforests left.

Ever wonder what the age of the oldest tree in the world is? Hundreds of years old? Thousands? Or maybe even hundreds of thousands of years old?

As with most natural living things on this earth, there’s some debate about exactly which tree is deemed to be the oldest. Regardless of the debate, here’s a list of some quite special (and old) trees/bushes:

• UPDATE 20 April, 2008: Since posting this article, a new discovery has been made in Sweden. A tenacious spruce tree with a root system 9,550 years old.
• The most likely contender at this stage is a tree that goes by the name of “Methuselah“. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Methuselah, would now be 4,769 years old. Methuselah is a Bristlecone Pine located in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of California. Methuselah isn’t the only “oldie” in this forest. The other Bristlecone Pines in this forest are all over 4,000 years old too!
• A tree called Prometheus (also known as WPN-114) was thought to be around 4,900 years old (some reports claim 5,000 years old - until it was cut down for research purposes in 1964. Prometheus, also a Bristlecone Pine, grew at Wheeler in eastern Nevada, USA.
• A creosote bush called “King Clone” in the Mojave Desert is said to be 11,700 years old.
• In 2005, it was thought that another creosote bush in Palm Springs could be older than King Clone - as much as 20,000 years old. I’m not sure if this report was confirmed or not.
• In 1995, an extraordinary Huon pine tree was found in Tasmania, Australia. What was thought to be many trees covering 2.5 acres, appeared to be just one tree - a very old tree. Some media reports claimed it could be 30,000 to 40,000 years old. Scientists weren’t confirming this, but said that it was plausible that the trees could actually be one very old, underground tree.
• And… not exactly a living tree, but last year, scientists claimed to have found what could be the world’s oldest tree - in the form of a fossil. The tree, called Wattieza would have lived around 385 - 397 million years ago.