Vaqueirinho, Serra da Lousã, Portugal, Vaqueirinho Republic!

21/10/2022

500+ experts call on world’s nations to not burn forests to make energy

- Last week, more than 500 top scientists and economists issued a letter to leaders in the US, EU, Japan, South Korea, and the UK, urging them to stop harvesting and burning forests as a means of making energy in converted coal burning power plants.

- The burning of forest biomass to produce electricity has boomed due to this power source having been tolerated as carbon neutral by the United Nations, which enables nations to burn forest biomass instead of coal and not count the emissions in helping them meet their Paris Climate Agreement carbon reduction targets.

- However, current science says that burning forest biomass is dirtier than burning coal, and that one of the best ways to curb climate change and sequester carbon is to allow forests to keep growing. The EU and UK carbon neutrality designations for forest biomass are erroneous, say the 500 experts who urge a shift in global policy:

- “Governments must end subsidies… for the burning of wood…. The European Union needs to stop treating the burning of biomass as carbon neutral…. Japan needs to stop subsidizing power plants to burn wood. And the United States needs to avoid treating biomass as carbon neutral or low carbon,” says the letter.

More than 500 scientists and economists implored world leaders last week to stop treating as emissions-free the burning of wood from forests to make energy and heat, and to end subsidies now driving the explosive demand for wood pellets. Both actions, they write, are causing escalating deforestation in the Southeast US, Western Canada and Eastern Europe.

The letter was received Feb. 11 by US President Joseph Biden and European Union President Ursula Von der Leyen, as well as Charles Michel, president of the European Council, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The document is expected to soon be sent to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

“We the undersigned scientists and economists commend each of you for the ambitious goals you have announced… to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050,” the two-page letter begins. “Forest preservation and restoration should be key tools for achieving this goal and simultaneously helping to address our global biodiversity crisis.

However, “We urge you not to undermine both climate goals and the world’s biodiversity by shifting from burning fossil fuels to burning trees to generate energy.”

In the EU alone, nearly 60% of renewable energy already comes from forest biomass, amounting to millions of metric tons of wood pellets burned annually. The United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Denmark are among the leading consumers of biomass for energy and heat, while Japan and South Korea are now converting coal-fired power plants to burn wood pellets.

Under the EU’s second Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) — tolerated by the United Nations under the Paris Climate Agreement — emissions from burning forest biomass are not counted at all. This significant carbon accounting loophole underreports emissions data at a time when global temperatures are rising fast, causing accelerating drought, devastating storms, destructive wildfires and sea-level rise nearly everywhere on earth.

Rather than being a carbon neutral climate solution, the scientists write, cutting forests and burning wood pellets is more polluting than coal, and “emits more carbon up smokestacks than using fossil fuels,” while sacrificing the carbon-sequestration capacity of growing trees which is lost to produce wood pellets.

“Overall, for each kilowatt hour of heat or electricity produced, [burning] wood initially is likely to add two to three times as much carbon to the air as using fossil fuels,” says the letter, refuting the policy and industry claims of biomass zero emissions.

For its part, the biomass industry claims it uses forest management to selectively log trees from forests and tree plantations, avoiding clearcutting and preserving carbon stocks. It also claims that replanted trees quickly reabsorb the carbon released from burned wood pellets. Both assertions are undermined by NGO-observed clearcutting and accumulating science showing mature forests absorb and hold far more carbon than seedlings and young trees.

In 2017 demand for industrial wood pellets exceeded 14 million tons. By 2027, demand is expected to more than double to over 36 million tons. The biggest increases in biomass burning by 2027 are expected in Europe, Japan and South Korea, with newly targeted source forests in Brazil, Mozambique and Australia. Image courtesy of Environmental Paper Network.

The scientists offered four mandates: end subsidies and other incentives that promote biomass for energy and heat; in the EU, stop treating biomass as carbon neutral under REDII, which falsely overstates emission reductions; in Japan, stop subsidizing power plants to burn wood; and in the US, stop treating biomass as carbon neutral as the Biden administration establishes new climate rules and incentives to curb global warming.

“Government subsidies for burning wood create a double climate problem because this false solution is replacing real carbon reductions,” says the letter. “Companies are shifting fossil energy use to wood, which increases warming, as a substitute for shifting to solar and wind, which would truly decrease warming.”

Last week’s lobbying effort is the latest on behalf of US, European and Canadian scientists and economists to highlight robust science demonstrating the negative environmental impacts of biomass-for-energy to world leaders, whose national bioenergy policies have helped create a multibillion industry in wood-pellet production.

A similar letter signed by nearly 800 scientists in 2018 lobbied the EU to alter its biomass policies, to no avail.

Published: 15 February 2021

Link:

https://news.mongabay.com/2021/02/500-experts-call-on-worlds-nations-to-not-burn-forests-to-make-energy/

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19/10/2022

Ancient Grain

This Nearly Lost Ancient Grain Tradition Could Be the Future of Farming

BY GEMMA TARLACH

OCTOBER 13, 2022

WHEN ZEMEDE ASFAW WAS GROWING up on a farm in eastern Ethiopia, he soaked up plant lore and other traditional knowledge the way a tree takes in sunlight and converts it to energy. “I knew the crops, and the wild plants, and the fruits and other things,” says Zemede, who goes by his given name. The practical methods he learned covered every aspect of farming: Instead of stone walls or wire fences, plant field edges with darker crops, so the bold colors of red sorghum, for example, create a clear border between the family’s plot and that of a neighbor. Leave a few wild olive or acacia trees in the fields to harvest sustainably, over time, for firewood, animal fodder, or building materials. And instead of sowing the seeds of a single grain in orderly rows, spread a mix of grains all over the field, “mimicking nature so crops have random distribution patterns, as in natural forests,” he says. Once harvested, these grain mixtures could be turned into many things: nutritious bread, a kind of roasted-grain trail mix called kolo, beer, and the potent clear spirit known as areki.

Now an ethnobotanist at Addis Ababa University, Zemede conducts field research in northern Ethiopia. The dominant grains grown there are different than in the region of his youth—his family grew sorghum and maize, while the northerners prefer barley and wheat, better suited to their mountainous highlands—but the principle is the same: “We’ll plant the things that go together and are compatible with each other,” Zemede says. “Our farmers are good at mirroring nature.”

Ethiopia is one of the few places in the world where farmers still grow maslins, the general term for different varieties and species of grain that are sown in the same field, or intercropped. Maslins sustained humans for millennia, possibly predating the rise of agriculture more than 10,000 years ago. These grain mixtures tend to be more resilient to pests and drought, and to lend more complex flavors to breads, beer, and booze.

Worldwide, maslins fell out of favor long ago, replaced nearly everywhere by sprawling, single-grain monoculture—but a small and passionate group of scientists, including Zemede, is hoping to change that. A paper published today in Agronomy for Sustainable Development makes the case for maslins to be revived by farmers around the world, for tastier bread, healthier crops, and more sustainable agriculture. The question is, why is it taking so long?

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“In biology we say diversity must survive,” says Zemede. “If diversity is lost, then we will be lost.”

Link:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/ancient-crop-future-farming-ethiopia

Cereal species mixtures: an ancient practice with potential for climate resilience. A review

Link:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13593-022-00832-1

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16/10/2022

Cerdeira Village

Samhain

O Samhain (pronuncia-se “souen” e significa o “fim do verão”) era um festival no qual os celtas celebravam o final das colheitas, dando as boas-vindas ao Inverno e tempos difíceis que se avizinhavam.

Samhain is an ancient Celtic festival which has been commemorated by some Pagans (in the Northern Hemisphere at least) since around the time Stonehenge was constructed. It’s celebrated between sunrise on 31st October until sunset on 1st November, and it’s thought that the holiday of ‘Halloween’, as we know it today, derives from this festival.

The start of darker days

Samhain, meaning ‘summer’s end’ is a time to celebrate the dead; it’s a time when the land of the living can most easily interact with the land of the dead. The festival marks the beginning of winter and the ‘darker half’ of the year, but it also heralds the start of the old Celtic new year. Samhain is traditionally a time for regeneration and reflection. Today, some Pagans still practice ways of marking the event, but how did our ancient ancestors do it?

Fire and ritual

Traditional rituals focused around the fire. Hearths in the family home were kept lit while the harvest was gathered, and left to die down and to eventually go out. The hearth was important as it was the heart of the home, it was a place where the family would gather, the source of warmth, and also, like today, where the cooking was done. If the hearth fire was put out by hand, it was believed it would anger the gods, and so it was left to dwindle – the dying fire perhaps symbolising the final passing moments of the year.

The fire was only relit after the harvest and the start of the old Celtic new year. The community, alongside Druid priests, would gather to create a sacred bonfire to honour the dead, using a wooden wheel to spark the fire. It was from this fire that a flame was taken back to each home to relight the hearth. The wheel is an important symbol in Pagan religion as it represents the sun and its associated qualities of daylight, warmth and hope. The Pagan year is also divided in a ‘wheel of the year’, marking out the annual cycle of solar festivals such as Samhain, Ostara (the Spring Equinox) and Litha (Summer Solstice).

Festivals and feasts

Along with the ritual element, Samhain would also have been a time to celebrate. People from the community would have brought harvest food for a great feast, and some would even wear costumes made from animal skins or heads. The offering of cattle bones onto the bonfire would also have played a key part in proceedings, and in fact the name ‘bonfire’ derives from this ‘bone fire’.

Amidst all the festivities there was a darker side, however, and there could be a price to pay if you didn’t make an offering or take part in proceedings. The deities associated with the festival would be very cross indeed, and their punishment? It could be illness or even death. You really had to keep the gods onside or suffer as a result.

Samhain today

Samhain is still observed by some Pagans today, though these days the celebrations are a little more private. Feasting still plays an important part in observing the festival, along with private prayer and small ceremonies in the home. Apple-bobbing might form part of festivities, and small bonfires may be lit. Time is also spent outdoors appreciating nature, and altars to the ancestors are set up.

Remembrance of the dead remains the focus throughout. At its core, Samhain is a chance to reconnect with passed loved ones and celebrate their lives. Although the modern, more commercialised version of ‘Halloween’ now dominates the date today, it’s important for us to reflect on its spiritual origins, to pause, and offer a moment’s reverence.

Celtic Samhain

Celtic Samhain simply means the ‘end of summer for the Celts in Ireland’. It was not and could not be celebrated on a catholick calendar because Samhain existed thousands of years before the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great created the catholick (universal) church to instill spiritual fear into his subjects in 325ad.

Samhain fue la festividad más importante del mundo Celta en Europa, en un principio, se celebraba entre el 5 y el 7 de noviembre que correspondía a la mitad entre el equinoccio de otoño y el solsticio de invierno. Más tarde, fue el papa Gregorio III (741) quien pasó la fiesta al 1 de noviembre, absorbiendo de esta manera la festividad pagana (ya que hasta entonces el mundo cristiano celebraba el día de Todos los santos el 13 de mayo)

Links:

https://www.stneotsmuseum.org.uk/articles/samhain-the-precursor-to-halloween/

https://www.celticdruidtemple.com/blog/celtic-samhain-or-catholick-helloween

https://www.socdelmontseny.cat/samhain-noche-de-difuntos/

https://www.cerdeirahomeforcreativity.com/samhain

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15/10/2022

New Report - Wildlife Populations Have Dropped 69% Since 1970

“Today we face the double, interlinked emergencies of human-induced climate change and the loss of biodiversity, threatening the well-being of current and future generations.”

So begins the executive summary of the Living Planet Report 2022. Released every two years by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the study examines global biodiversity and the health of the planet. The latest report reveals an average 69% drop in world vertebrate species in less than 50 years.

Links:

https://livingplanet.panda.org/pt-PT/

https://livingplanet.panda.org/en-US/

The report considers nearly 32,000 populations of 5,230 species from the Living Planet Index (LPI). Provided by the Zoological Society of London, the index tracks trends in species abundance around the world. This year’s report includes data on more than 838 new species and 11,000 new populations since the last report was released in 2020.

In addition to putting numbers to species declines, the report shows the threats behind those drops, how these statistics relate to planetary health, and offers possible solutions.

The report details the connection between climate change and biodiversity loss and focuses on some species that have plummeted, as well as some that have rebounded.

For example:

There was an estimated 80% plunge in the population of eastern lowland gorillas in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo between 1994 and 2019. The main threat to the species, also known as Grauer’s gorilla, is hunting.

Hunting was one of the main causes of the 64% decline in Australian sea lion pups in South and Western Australia between 1977 and 2019. The pups are also often caught in fishing gear and die from diseases.

But there have been some promising discoveries with species that have been recovering.

The population of loggerhead turtle nests grew by 500% on the coast of Chrysochou Bay in Cyprus from 1999 to 2015. Credit conservation efforts that include relocating nests and using cages to protect others from predators.

Conservation measures have also helped mountain gorillas. In the Virunga Mountains along the northern border of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda, populations of mountain gorillas increased to 604 animals, up from 480 gorillas in 2010.

Rebecca Shaw, WWF's chief scientist, spoke to Treehugger about the highlights and lowlight of the report.

(…)

Why is this report important?

This report is an indicator of overall ecosystem health from the lens of biodiversity, the web of life that supplies the clean air, water, and soil we all rely on. These findings are a red flag that warns of a larger systems failure on the horizon. Even one species population decline can affect other species, eventually impacting an ecosystem’s ability to function. While some fluctuation in population sizes is natural, the current trends are severe enough to threaten many life-sustaining systems. Humans depend on a stable climate, predictable precipitation patterns, and productive farmland and fisheries to thrive. Our planet needs us to take action now so that it can continue to support future generations.

Links:

https://www.treehugger.com/wildlife-populations-dropped-69-finds-wwf-report-6747779

https://livingplanet.panda.org/en-US/

https://livingplanet.panda.org/pt-PT/

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05/10/2022

The Green Energy Scandal Exposed

The BBC's Joe Crowley and Tim Robinson investigate the British company that makes and burns wood pellets for electricity

Link:

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/science-environment-63123774

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Now Available: VAQUEIRINHO T-shirts !

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01/10/2022

Portugal: Accelerate rights-based climate and environmental action, says UN expert

27 September 2022

LISBON/GENEVA (27 September 2022) -- Portugal’s global leadership in recognising the human right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment needs to be matched by urgent, accelerated actions to address the climate emergency, a UN expert said today.

“This year Portugal has endured more than 1,000 deaths related to heatwaves, lost 110,000 hectares of forest to wildfires, and suffered a severe drought affecting the entire nation, with enormous impacts on human rights, including the right to a healthy environment,” David Boyd, the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, said after a nine-day visit to the country.

In his end-of-mission statement, Boyd issued recommendations on a series of issues, including Portugal’s legal framework for human rights and the environment, the climate crisis, air pollution, the rights of children, solid waste management and the transition to a green economy.

“Portugal has a very strong legal framework for protecting human rights and the environment, from the pioneering provisions in the 1976 Constitution (Article 66) to the new Basic Law on Climate”, the UN expert said. Further, key actions have been taken, such as closing the last coal-fired power plants, achieving 99 per cent access to safe drinking water and creating an Environmental Fund with a 2022 budget of more than €1.1 billion.

“However, Portugal needs to raise its level of ambition and most importantly increase the pace of implementation in addressing key human rights concerns such as air pollution and waste management, applying a rights-based approach to all climate and environmental action,” Boyd said.

Portugal has huge solar potential but only ranks 13th in the EU in generating electricity from sunlight. Wind energy production has only grown two per cent annually in Portugal since 2012, compared to more than 20 per cent annually for the world. Recycling rates have failed to reach EU targets, air pollution in urban areas -- mainly from traffic -- exceeds healthy levels, and many low-income Portuguese still live in buildings that are not energy efficient.

To prevent wildfires and protect the population, more sustainable landscape management is urgently needed such as replacing the coverage of non-native species like eucalyptus with native species that are more fire resistant -- oak, cork and chestnut -- and replacing large monocultures with diverse mosaics of farms, pastures and forests.

Actions to advance the transition to a green economy, from large renewable energy projects to proposed lithium mines, must not proceed unless they meet the highest environmental standards, maximize public benefits, and respect human rights.

The Special Rapporteur noted that Portuguese youth are among the most concerned and outspoken in the world about the climate crisis. “To fulfil their rights, the government must give them a seat at the table, listen to their concerns and act upon their recommendations.”

During his visit, Boyd met with Government officials from national and local governments, representatives of civil society, business, academia, youth, UN agencies and other experts. He had field visits to Porto, Covilhã, Serra da Estrela, Boticas, Covas do Barroso and Reserva Natural das Dunas de São Jacinto.

The Special Rapporteur will present a full report to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2023.

ENDS

Source/Link:

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/09/portugal-accelerate-rights-based-climate-and-environmental-action-says-un

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23/09/2022

The autumn equinox 2022

The autumn equinox 2022 in the northern hemisphere is on Friday 23 September. The autumn equinox marks the first day of astronomical autumn, and the precise time of the autumn equinox in 2022 will be at 3:04am BST.

For the two hemispheres, the equinoxes are opposite each other. When it’s the autumn equinox in the northern hemisphere, it’s the spring equinox in the southern hemisphere. For the purposes of this article, when we refer to the autumn equinox, it is from the perspective of the northern hemisphere, and we are referring to the September equinox, unless stated otherwise.

What exactly happens during the autumn equinox? Put simply, the autumn equinox is when the Sun crosses the celestial equator (this being an imaginary line in the sky above Earth’s equator), going from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere. It's caused by the cyclical tilt of Earth's axis, and at the equinoxes, this tilt aligns with the orbit around the Sun.

At the equinoxes, the Sun is exactly above the equator, and both hemispheres receive (nearly) equal amounts of sunlight. In other words, day and night are (almost) equal in both hemispheres. After the autumn equinox, we start to receive more darkness and less daylight.

The word ‘equinox’ derives from the Latin words aequi, meaning ‘equal’, and nox, meaning ‘night’. Taken together, 'equinox' translates as ‘equal night’.

The September equinox denotes the start of astronomical autumn in the northern hemisphere, and the start of spring in the southern hemisphere. From our perspective, the Sun moves to be south of the equator, in the western portion of the constellation Virgo.

Link:

https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/autumn-equinox/

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12/09/2022

The Useless Web

Need a little something more entertaining? The Useless Web is a website that's somewhat similar, except that its only goal is to show you the most pointless websites that exist on the internet. Just click the big pink button to discover one, and it will automatically open in a new tab.

You can even submit one of your own using the link at the bottom if you want.

The Useless Web

Link:

https://theuselessweb.com/

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