Event - Urban Forests & Political Ecologies Conference 2013: Celebrating Transdisciplinarity

This event will take place April 18 - 20, 2013 at Hart House, University of Toronto, 7 Hart House Circle, Hoskin Avenue and Queen's Park Crescent West. It will be held in Toronto and is presented by the Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto.

Registration is now open! On Conference days, registration opens at 7:30am. Along with the Conference itself on April 18th and 19, 2013 from 8:30am-5:00pm in Hart House's Great Hall, there is an art exhibit running simultaneously in the East Common Room.

Festivities also include a Networking Soiree on April 18th from 7-10pm at the Panorama Lounge at $30, and on April 20, 2013, field tours of the Humber Arboretum & Centre for Urban Ecology, and the Alternative Campus Tour at York University at $35. Cost Information: Full Registration - $375; One Day Registration: - $200; Full Student Registration - $150; Networking Soiree - $30; Field Tours - $35

For more information and to register:
Email: a.veneziano@utoronto.ca
Phone: 416-978-5480

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COP 18 Drivers of Deforestation (Video)

This presentation by Gabrielle Kissinger and Martin Herold was given on 26 November 2012 at a UNFCCC COP18 side-event in Doha, Qatar. They shared findings from a recently published global assessment on the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, as well as country experiences of dealing with them in a REDD+ context. To support SBSTA considerations on REDD+, and to support on-going national-level REDD+ planning and implementation, the assessment explores the importance of drivers, the role of drivers in REDD+ policy development and interventions, and in developing forest reference emission levels.

To see the slideshow click here.



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Study Shows Deforestation of Tropical Rainforest Decreases Precipitation

Deforestation can have many impacts including increases in un-sequestered carbon, and decreases in atmospheric oxygen, but according to new research loss of tropical rainforests can also significantly decrease rainfall. According to a new study titled, "Observations of increased tropical rainfall preceded by air passage over forests," the destruction of tropical forests could reduce rain across the Amazon basin by more than a fifth (21%) in the dry season by 2050.

This is the finding of researchers from the University of Leeds and the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Their study suggests that rainforests can double the amount of rainfall even in areas thousands of kilometres away.

Lead author Dr Dominick Spracklen from the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds said: “Our study implies that deforestation of the Amazon and Congo forests could have catastrophic consequences for the people living thousands of kilometres away in surrounding countries."

According to their data the more vegetation the air had traveled over, the more moisture it carried and more rain was produced.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Study Shows that Climate Change is Killing Forests

Climate change is causing a massive forest die-off on almost every continent on Earth. Forests are already under threat from illegal logging and land clearing for agriculture. According to a new paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change, trees in forests all around the world are dying due to dry climatic conditions and elevated heat. This study corroborates the notion that global warming is increasing the risk of fires, disease and pest infestations like pine beetles. This die-off is undermining the wide range of ecological and economic benefits that forests provide.

The study, authored by William Anderegg of Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford University and Jeffrey Kane and Leander Anderegg of Northern Arizona University, reviews dozens of scientific papers dealing with the ecological impacts of climate change on forests.

Although forests reflect more light and decrease local temperatures, there are a host of other issues that are exacerbated by global warming. Forests reduce the impacts of climate change by sequestering carbon and releasing oxygen, however, less trees means more carbon and less oxygen. This constitutes a dangerous feedback loop. Declining forests are being impacted by global warming and this is interfering with the natural processes that mitigate climate change.

As reviewed in a Mongabay article, "Forests cover 42 million square kilometers or 30 percent of Earth's land surface...Forests store 45 percent of the carbon found in terrestrial ecosystems and sequester as much as 25 percent of annual carbon emissions from human activities, helping mitigate a key driver of climate change...clear-cutting of forests in the tropics accounts for 8-15 percent of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions."

As stated in Science Daily, "From an ecosystem perspective, forest die-off will also likely affect hydrological processes and nutrient cycles...decomposition of fallen trees releases carbon into the atmosphere, thus producing a warming effect...Debris from fallen trees could also increase a forest's fire risk."

These impacts have a very real economic costs. Forests account for trillions of dollars of annual economic activity. Mass tree mortality will incur substantial losses to the timber industry and could cause declines in real-estate property values.

Forests cover 42 million square kilometers or 30 percent of Earth's land surface. Every continent on Earth is being impacted by forests loss with the exception of Antarctica. In the US, there has been an increase in the incidence and severity of forest fires since 2000. A wide range of forest are being impacted including the Redwood forest in Marin, CA. Rainforest in Borneo. Forests in Southeast Asia, the Russian Far East, and the Amazon has been particularly affected by drought over the past 20 years. Roughly a million hectares of Amazon rainforest suffered from severe drought stress in 2010.

Although more research is required, the study suggest a troubling global trend that could cost billions of dollars and substantially accelerate climate change.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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STIHL Tour des Trees 2012 Fundraising Event in Oregon

The STIHL Tour des Trees is a cycling fundraising event that will take place in Oregon on Aug. 5 to Aug. 11, 2012. Participants cycle more than 500-miles visiting historical trees and planting new ones for future generations. Participants in this year's event will cycle and plant trees along the Columbia River Gorge, vineyards, the high desert and Mt. Hood.

This event is America's largest fundraiser for tree research and benefits the Tree Research and Education Endowment (TREE) Fund whose mission is to support sustainable communities and environmental stewardship by supporting research, scholarships and education programs essential to the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge in the fields of arboriculture and urban forestry.

The TREE Fund has supported research that has led to important developments in:
• Understanding air pollution reduction and carbon sequestration by trees
• Determining the costs and benefits of urban trees
• Improving conditions for tree growth in difficult sites
• Strategies to manage diseases and pests that affect urban trees

For more information about TREE Fund click here.

Riders for the full week-long Tour commit to raising $3,500 for the TREE Fund. The 2012 Tour marks the 20th Anniversary of the first Tour des Trees, in which 13 cyclists pedaled nearly 1,000 miles from Seattle to Oakland in a week to raise money for tree research. The Tour will feature a one-day Ride for Research on Aug. 11 in Portland, and conclude with a Finale Celebration at the International Society of Arboriculture’s annual International Tree Climbing Championship. Local and recreational cyclists are invited to join the Tour for the day and celebrate its legacy during this ride through one of America’s best cycling cities.

 Last year’s STIHL Tour des Trees raised a record-breaking half million dollars and planted 45 new trees during its week-long trek from Virginia Beach to Washington, D.C. To date, the Tour has raised more than $5 million to support tree research and education and funded a variety of projects including improved strategies for pest and disease control, new techniques for increasing the post-planting survival rate of street trees, and development of safer equipment and practices for tree care professionals.

Click here to go to the Tour des Trees site or click here to see photos and videos from previous Tours.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Green Lumber Certification Standards

Green certification of lumber is very important as the responsible harvesting of trees can go a long way towards protecting our environment. Forests are the lungs of the earth, they provide oxygen and help to remove carbon from the atmosphere. There are at least five eco friendly certification standards in use across North America: 1) American Tree Farm Systems, 2) Canadian Standards Association, 3) Forest Stewardship Council, 4) Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes and 5) Sustainable Forestry Initiative. Of these programs, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainability Forest Initiative (SFI) are the most widely used for determining whether wood is green and sustainable.

SFI and FSC certification does not differ too much on the three central issues of sustainable timber production: 1) chain of custody, 2) labeling of products and 3) use of non-certified wood in final products. Participants are required to have an auditable monitoring system for all flows of wood that they deal with or a chain of custody from harvest all the way to the manufacture of finished wood designs. Both systems use their own set of labels to identify wood and wood products that adhere to their sustainable certification standards. These labels reflect the percentage of material from certified forests. Both the SFI and the FSC strictly prohibit the use of illegally harvested timber for use in certified products as illegal logging typically results in tremendous damage to the local ecosystem.

A new report by the Union of Concerned Scientists shows that most illegal hardwood comes from tropical forests for use in furniture, cabinets and home décor. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) report was released on April 16, 2012 and it deals with how the US Lacey Act combats illegal logging.  The report outlines how illegal logging poses a significant threat to the US economy and endangers tropical ecosystems around the world.  

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Manchester Wood Furniture

At Manchester Wood the environment matters, their goal is to create top quality furniture from beautiful American hardwoods with minimal impact on the environment. To meet this goal they use sustainable, eco friendly timber like white ash and soft maple. Their wood furniture uses hardwood lumber which is grown in sustainably managed forests in the Northeast by suppliers that meet strict State and National standards for forest management developed by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).

Because they use solid wood in all their construction methods and American furniture, their wood products last for generations. Manchester Wood is part of a family tradition that dates back to 1891. They have designed and produced quality, affordable, eco- friendly solid wood American furniture in the Green Mountains of Vermont and Adirondack foothills of New York for over 30 years.

Certified Wood

All of the lumber that they use to manufacture Manchester Wood furniture is made from wood that has been certified as environmentally friendly and sustainable (SFI-certified).  They manufacture all of their furniture and accessories from eco friendly wood from sustainable Northeast hardwood forests which is grown and harvested in accordance with certified standards. All of the lumber they buy is certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). Strict SFI standards include auditable monitoring of timber/wood flows, product labeling, and prohibition of any timber that is illegally harvested.  Manchester Wood looks forward to the day when eco-friendly lumber is the international standard for both the timber harvesting and wood manufacturing industries.

Locally Sourced Materials

Part of their philosophy at Manchester Wood involves the use of local materials. At Manchester Wood, all of the hardwood they use for their furniture comes from local forests across the Northeast. They are conveniently situated between the forests of New York’s Adirondacks and Vermont’s Green Mountains which provide much of their lumber. Using local lumber not only supports the local timber industry, but also cuts down on energy spent on transport. Local forests provide plenty of high quality hardwood and even the slate they use comes from local quarries. Buying their materials locally not only means customers can expect top quality, but it also means that each piece of our furniture is filled with the regional character of the Northeast.

American Forests

American-grown wood from sustainable Northeast forests are environmentally building material. Overall, US forests are healthy; while forests in other countries are disappearing, woodlands in America are actually expanding. Even though the population has grown over 165 percent since 1920, the US has approximately the same amount of forest land now as it did then. Currently, growth exceeds harvest by 47 percent. Wood furniture is commonly produced using illegal lumber unsustainably harvested from unhealthy forests. Manchester wood uses trees harvested from US forests. For every tree that is felled, six trees are planted. Other modern construction materials generate more pollution to manufacture and assemble while consuming more energy and relying on non-renewable natural resources.  

Harvesting Lumber

Foresters use green techniques to determine when wood should be harvested to keep forests healthy and productive. A good example of such techniques is selective harvesting. Instead of clear-cutting patches of land single tree are harvested which mimics nature. Single trees or small groups of trees that die and fall, or are blown down by strong winds are also harvested. Such harvesting practices encourage new timber growth and biodiversity. Eco friendly harvesting techniques help forests to regenerate and renew themselves. 

Manufacturing Practices

Sustainable manufacturing practices include minimizing waste wood and re-using byproducts (i.e. bark becomes mulch and trimmings are processed into paper). Wood furniture manufacturers are becoming increasingly efficient with the raw materials they use. Manchester Wood uses the latest equipment to obtain the needed cuts from their wood while utilizing the most material they can obtain from each board in order to minimize their impact on the environment. 

For more information on Manchester Wood go to their website by clicking here.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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The Business Case for REDD (Guide)

This complementary guide makes the Business Case for REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). It reviews what REDD is and why you need to factor it into your sustainability strategy. The guide addresses how businesses and stakeholders can benefit from REDD's effect to the carbon market. It also reviews how to get involved in REDD investment and the regulations involved.

The guide is provide by The CarbonNeutral Company, voted the Best Offset Retailer in the Voluntary Carbon Market (‘Environmental Finance, Voluntary Carbon Market Survey,’ 2011 and 2012). For immediate advice on how supporting forestry projects will benefit your organization, please email us or call +44 (0)20 7833 6000 / 1-646-367-5800.

Click here to download this complementary guide.

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Scientists Defend the Lacey Act

A prominent group of scientists have published a report that claims the Lacey Act legislation curbs deforestation and enhances the competitiveness of US logging and wood processing industries. The new report urges Congress to leave the law alone and provide enough money to enforce it.

The report was released on April 16, by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), it is titled “Logging and the Law: How the U.S. Lacey Act Helps Reduce Illegal Logging in the Tropics. ” The report outlines how illegal logging poses a significant threat to the US economy and endangers tropical ecosystems around the world.

Changes to the Lacey Act could cost the US wood industry millions as well as lead to job losses. The report states that removing penalties for companies that illegally import foreign wood would hurt domestic loggers and processors. That’s why a number of large companies and groups oppose illegal wood products.

“Congress can sustain the U.S. wood industry, reduce destructive logging practices, and help Americans make sustainable consumer choices by supporting and funding implementation of the Lacey Act,” the report says.

“Lawmakers must preserve the Lacey Act because it closes the entire U.S. timber market to illegally sourced wood – an approach to stopping illegal logging that’s supported by economic research,” said Pipa Elias, UCS consultant and author of the report. “The law ensures that the U.S. wood industry isn’t undercut by cheap, illegally harvested wood.”

“You really need to affect the incentives for illegal logging in order to reduce it, and the incentive is that people are going to buy that product,” Elias said. “So anything that would ultimately ... continue to allow people to buy an illegal product wouldn’t really create that market change that the research has shown can be effective.”

Putting an end to illegal logging is widely supported by industry groups. Organizations like the American Forest and Paper Association, the National Wood Flooring Association, Home Depot and Lowe’s all support policies to stop illegal logging. Companies can now turn to wood certification to ensure the wood they are sourcing is sustainable.

“The Lacey Act should remain in place as is,” said Elias. “It protects the U.S. wood industry, the U.S. economy, as well as tropical forests.”

In addition to harming U.S. businesses, the report shows that illegal logging causes significant damage to tropical forests by reducing biodiversity, destroying soil, damaging trees and releasing carbon dioxide that contributes to global climate change. Every year illegal logging contributes to tropical forest loss, which in total is roughly the size of Pennsylvania.

To download "How the U.S. Lacey Act Helps Reduce Illegal Logging in the Tropics," click here.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Challenge to the Lacey Act

Efforts are underway to erode the Lacey Act which protects Americans from wood that is illegally harvested. In March, two Republicans, Paul Broun, R-Ga., and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced legislation to repeal the requirement that US companies comply with foreign environmental laws. Their bill would lower the penalties for violations under the Lacey Act. A bill introduced last fall by Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper of Nashville and Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Brentwood would eliminate penalties for people who procure illegal woods.

The Broun/Paul bill will allow illegally traded wood — which is cheap and often taken from over-forested or protected land — to make its way into the US market.

The Blackburn/Cooper legislation could allow businesses to avoid penalties by claiming they didn’t know they were violating a foreign law. Wood certification makes it very easy for companies to ensure that imported wood is legal and sustainable.

Changing the Lacey Act does not make sense because reducing penalties for companies that illegally import foreign wood ultimately hurts the domestic wood industry which in turn hurts the economy.

Many large organizations support approaches like those contained in the Lacey Act. Companies like Staples and the American Forest and Paper Association support policies that reduce the threat that illegal wood products pose to the US market.

If the industry supports the Lacey act then why can't lawmakers?

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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The Lacey Act Combats Illegal Logging

The Lacey Act protects forests making it one of the most important pieces of environmental legislation in US law books. An amendment to the Lacey Act is the first-ever law prohibiting the trade of products made with illegally logged wood. The Lacey Act was first passed in 1900 to ban the transport of poached game across state lines. It was amended in 2008 to bar importing wood that is illegally exported under another country’s laws.

The May 2008, Congressional amendments to the Lacey Act prohibit commerce in plant and plant products that were taken in violation of state, tribal or foreign law. The amendments also require importers to declare the species and country of origin of plants or plant products imported into the US, including information for wood materials used in products.

In essence, the Lacey Act closes the American timber market to illegally harvested wood. In addition to obvious environmental benefits, it makes good economic sense to stop illegal logging. The law effectively prevents cheap wood from undercutting prices in the industry.

Most illegal hardwood comes from tropical forests for use in furniture, cabinets and home décor. The Lacey Act blocks the importation of raw material and products made from illegal wood, eliminating the US market for these products.

In addition to protecting US businesses, the Lacey Act also protects forests.

Given the benefits it provides to the US wood industry, the US economy, and tropical forests, the Lacey Act is a vital part of American environmental law.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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The Costs of Illegal Logging

Illegal loggers undermine the competitive advantage of legal producers by selling unlawfully cut or stolen wood at artificially low prices. This practice creates trade distortions that decrease the global price of legal wood by about 16 percent.

In a 2007 letter to Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), the American Forest & Paper Association noted that illegal logging contributed to mill closures, job cuts and an estimated billion dollar in losses for the wood industry. The World Bank estimates that illegal logging costs governments and businesses at least $10 billion to $15 billion in losses each year.

Illegal logging imposes unacceptable costs including putting the wood industry in financial jeopardy, threatening jobs, and harming the wider economy.

Illegal logging also causes significant damage to tropical forests by reducing biodiversity, destroying soil, damaging trees and releasing carbon dioxide that contributes to global climate change. Every year illegal logging contributes to tropical forest loss, which in total is roughly the size of Pennsylvania. It is clear that forests are crucial to the health of the planet.

Illegal logging represents a major threat to the environment and the US economy. Which is why the Lacey Act, the US legislation that protects against illegal logging, must be upheld.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Video: Reducing Emissions Through Forest Preservation with REDD

This video deals with the crucial role that forests play to reduce emissions and manage climage change. Specifically the video offers a simplified understanding of REDD which is an abbreviation for "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries." This video explains the workings of REDD, the key mechanism to reduce forest loss which significantly contributes to climate change.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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