Fishing Technology That’s Letting Turtles Off the Hook

26 Aug 2008

Santiago de Cali, Colombia - Alternative fishing technology has been shown to save turtles while not affecting fish catches, according to a report released by WWF and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

The report demonstrates how changing from the classic J hook to circular hooks, providing adequate training and tools to release turtles accidentally hooked and enhancing sustainable fishing practices, can dramatically reduce incidental catch (bycatch) of marine turtles without impacting fishing activity.

“The results keep demonstrating that changing to circular hooks is the right choice, since it favours turtle conservation without having an impact on the economy of artisanal fisheries. Together with fishermen we are building a culture for sustainable fishing practices that will guarantee fish stocks in the long term,” said Moises Mug, Coordinator of the WWF Bycatch Initiative for the Eastern Pacific.

The report - Bycatch Initiative: Eastern Pacific Program, A Vehicle Towards Sustainable Fisheries - is a comprehensive analysis of data collected during four years of work in eight different countries in the Eastern Pacific - Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

“Our goal is to reduce the incidental catch of marine turtles from the long-line fishing operations without affecting the fisheries activity which is a main source of food and income for local communities,” explained Martin Hall, Principal Researcher for the IATTC.

The program was carried out with the voluntary participation of nearly 1,300 fishermen, conducting over 1,400 fishing trips on 305 artisanal fishing boats. Data gathered by independent on-board observers show an overall significant trend of bycatch reduction for both TBS (tuna, billfishes and sharks) and mahi-mahi fisheries, with reductions up to 89% in the marine turtle bycatch per thousand hooks; 95% of all turtles caught in long-line fishing were recovered alive; and circle hooks performed as well as J hooks in the catch rates of tuna, billfishes and sharks fishery.

“This programme is going beyond an initial focus of saving sea turtles from bycatch, and is creating the groundwork toward sustainable artisanal long-line fishing in the eastern Pacific,” said Amanda Nickson, Global Leader of WWF’s Bycatch Initiative.

“By working co-operatively, collecting data and learning how to improve practices, this programme is living proof that conservation and industry can work together for sustainability.”

END

Editor’s Notes
- Participants to this program are: the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The Ocean Conservancy, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC), Overseas Fisheries Cooperation Foundation of Japan (OFCF - Japan), and WWF (Known as World Wildlife Fund in the United States and Canada).

- The WWF Regional Bycatch Program for the Eastern Pacific develops, test, and implement new fisheries techniques that reduce Bycatch (incidental capture of sea turtles). It also works on sea turtle conservation by developing legislative framework on bycatch, and raising awareness among fisheries communities about sustainable fishing.

The Program seeks a participatory approach by working with fisheries’ organizations, fishing companies and captains, fisheries authorities, academic and training institutions, buyers, exporters, and local NGOs. Currently, the program is being carried out in eight countries: Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico. Nicaragua is expected to join next.

Basic components of the program include: recruiting partners; talking to fishermen to get them to try circle hooks instead of the classic “J” hooks; training observers to collect data on the fish that are caught as well as the sea turtles that are incidentally catch; providing gear and techniques to fishermen to release marine turtles, as well as enhancing sustainable fisheries practices.

Two-tailed Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests for matched pairs were used to analyze the overall trend of the difference in hooking rates for J hooks and circle hooks. This non-parametric, two-tailed test considers both the direction of the difference between hooks and the magnitude of the observed difference.

Main challenges for the near future include a) how to make the circular hooks available in the marketplace at reasonable and competitive prices; b) how to encourage the institutional adoption of the fishing observers program by local actors for sustainability in the medium and long terms; c) carrying out education and communications campaigns; d) facilitating technological adaptation and transformation of the fishing fleet with appropriate regulatory measures; and e) developing potential markets for fish coming from fisheries with circular hooks and turtle-friendly practices.

Further information
Julio Mario Fernández b
Communications Coordinator - WWF Bycatch Initiative in the eastern Pacific
Communications Director - WWF Colombia
Tel + 57 2 558 25 77 Ext 117
Cel + 57 315 491 15 69 / 313 765 98 06
jmfernandez@wwf.org.co

>>Read Full Article

Lack of data hampers conservation efforts

 

For decades, efforts to save the hawksbills have focused primarily on safeguarding the eggs and ensuring that hatchlings survive and grow to eventually form a viable population. No one knows where these ancient mariners go after the nesting season, or where they forage as juveniles and adults.

Research elsewhere have shown that whilst some populations of hawksbills nest on nearby beaches fringing coral reefs, others migrate hundreds to thousands of kilometres in search of sponges at distant foraging grounds. Where do hawksbills that nest on Melaka’s shores swim off to after nesting?  Where do they feed? Do they forage in Malaysian waters or migrate to distant coral reefs in neighbouring waters to live?
This lack of information hampers efforts to plan for turtle conservation. Satellite tracking of Melaka’s hawksbills using transmitters is one of the ways that will enable us to find out more about these gentle and beautiful mariners to effectively conserve them for our future generations.

These submarine archipelagoes are bathed in the warmest of waters, and the designs of life are fashioned like tapestries. David Doubilet; writer & photographer for National Geographic

 

Tracking Hawksbills by satellite

WWF-Malaysia is using satellite telemetry to track hawksbills on the journey back to their feeding grounds. Marine turtles are only dependent on the beach for egg incubation and spend most of their lifetime in coastal waters, feeding in coral reefs. Results from this research are crucial for a better understanding of their post-nesting movement and habitat use.

The project is tracking hawksbills to:

• establish the migration route and feeding ground of the hawksbills to facilitate the protection of their habitat;
• communicate migration routes and distant foraging grounds of hawksbills to relevant regional Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and Agreements so as to enhance regional marine turtle conservation strategies and partnerships (e.g. Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia Marine Turtle MoU and MoU on ASEAN Sea Turtle Conservation and Protection); and
• educate and create awareness among local schoolchildren in the coastal areas, based on satellite telemetry of turtles. 

How Satellite Tracking Works

Satellite telemetry allows researchers to track sea turtles in the open ocean by attaching a Platform Transmitter Terminal (PTT) to the shell of a turtle. The PTT transmits signals to an orbiting satellite each time the turtle surfaces for air. The satellite sends the data on to a receiving station on earth that researchers can access on their computers. Find out more

 

How are satellite transmitters deployed on sea turtles?

The KIWISAT 101 (a model of satellite transmitters designed for marine tracking) is hydrodynamically shaped and weighs a minute 630g. It is attached to the turtle's carapace (shell) with dental putty (the stuff used to make dental impressions) as a base and encased using epoxy adhesive. The whole process (including the preparation of the carapace and taking necessary measurements) can be completed within 3 hours in which the turtle will be safely released after. The attachment is intended to be an impermanent fixture as it is meant to be easily removed if encountered after the usefulness of the device has expired or eventually detach itself due to prolong deterioration of the adhesive.

>>Read Full Article

Satellite Tracking of Hawksbill Turtles

18 Aug 2008

WWF-Malaysia, in partnership with the Department of Fisheries Melaka and Kem Terendak military base camp, has successfully deployed a satellite transmitter on a female hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the wee hours of 13 August 2008 after she successfully nested. She was released at approximately 0430 hrs.

This is the third and final deployment of satellite transmitters in Melaka for this year by WWF-Malaysia; two others have been deployed on hawksbills nesting at Pulau Upeh and Padang Kemunting on 4 August and 13 July 2008 respectively.

This research, the third year running, is being conducted to discover the foraging habitat of the hawksbills nesting along the Melaka coastline and their migration patterns in the Strait of Malacca. The research data gathered is crucial in identifying and reducing threats to the turtles’ marine habitat, where they spend most of their lives. These hawksbills undertake their long journey every few years to Melaka beaches solely to complete their reproductive cycle.

Since 2006 five hawksbills have been tracked by WWF-Malaysia and the Department of Fisheries Melaka using this satellite telemetry technology. Four of the turtles were tracked last year to the waters of Riau Archipelago in Indonesia whereas the other were last located in the southern Singaporean waters.

Kem Terendak, Pulau Upeh and Padang Kemunting were specially chosen as deployment sites since these nesting grounds support three of the largest nesting populations of hawksbills in Melaka. Melaka is home to the largest nesting population in Peninsular Malaysia, second only to Sabah’s Turtle Islands. Each year approximately 300-400 nestings are recorded by the State Department of Fisheries.

The hawksbill tagged at Kem Terendak, currently unnamed, now bears identification numbers on both her front flippers (Tag Nos. MY3267 & MY3268). She measures 71.5 cm in shell length and weighs 42kg. She laid 96 eggs, this being her second nesting recorded, which was immediately translocated to Padang Kemunting Turtle Hatchery managed by Department of Fisheries for safe incubation.

As the hawksbills’ marine home extends beyond Malaysian territorial waters, regional co-operation and partnership is an important factor in saving these ancient mariners. Guided by the satellite telemetry, WWF-Malaysia will be able to track their journey back to their feeding grounds. Marine turtles are only dependent on the beach for egg incubation and spend most of their lifetime in coastal waters, feeding in coral reefs. Results from this research are crucial for a better understanding of their post-nesting movement and habitat use.

 Click here for more information

>>Read Full Article

WWF Comercial Video Part 2

let spend just little time to see this nis and funny video officially brought WWF.

How do toxic chemicals reach the arctic?

WWF Conservation Projects in Google Earth

WWF Sweden's TV commersial on climate change We Need Action

>>Read Full Article

WWF Commercial Video

Let spend our time to see this nice and funny video officially made. I hope you enjoy watching.

It all comes back to you!

WWF Canada Stop The Net TV Commercial

WWF Canada "Society" TV Commercial, 60sec

Think again

WWF Canada Save Our Climate TV Commercial

>>Read Full Article

Polar bears found swimming miles from Alaskan coast

22 Aug 2008

An aerial survey by government scientists in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea this week found at least nine polar bears swimming in open water – with one at least 60 miles from shore – raising concern among wildlife experts about their survival.

 
Geoff York, the polar bear coordinator for WWF's Arctic Programme, said that when polar bears swim so far from land, they could have difficulty making it safely to shore and are at risk of drowning, particularly if a storm arises. 

“To find so many polar bears at sea at one time is extremely worrisome because it could be an indication that as the sea ice on which they live and hunt continues to melt, many more bears may be out there facing similar risk,” he said.

“As climate change continues to dramatically disrupt the Arctic, polar bears and their cubs are being forced to swim longer distances to find food and habitat.”

Scientists say the Arctic is changing more rapidly and acutely than anywhere on the planet, noting that 2007 witnessed the lowest sea ice coverage in recorded history.

Satellite images indicate that ice was absent in most of the region where the bears were found on August 16, 2008, and some experts predict this year’s sea ice loss could meet or exceed the record set last year.

The discovery of the nine bears at sea came as the US Minerals Management Service was conducting marine surveys in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas in advance of potential offshore oil development.

In May, the US Department of Interior listed polar bears as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, with Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne cited the strong body of science pointing to the significant loss of Arctic sea ice habitat as the primary reason for protecting the bear with federal legislation.

However, the state of Alaska has opposed the listing and has sued the federal government over its decision to list the bear.

Professor Richard Steiner of the University of Alaska’s Marine Advisory Program said: “While these bears are swimming around in an ice-free coastal Arctic Ocean, the only thing the State of Alaska is doing is suing the federal government trying to overturn the listing of polar bears. 

“The bottom line here is that polar bears need sea ice, sea ice is decaying, and the bears are in very serious trouble.  For any people who are still non-believers in global warming and the impacts it is having in the Arctic, this should answer their doubts once and for all.”

Click here for more information

>>Read Full Article

Flow plan for less talk and more action as climate change hits rivers

 21 Aug 2008

Managers and stakeholders in freshwater systems need to stop talking about adaptation to climate change and start doing it, WWF told the World Water Week symposium in Stockholm today.

The global conservation group presented a series of case studies from four continents showing that measures to improving the health of stressed water systems now would improve their ability to cope with projected climate impacts in the future.

"There are no regrets to many of the actions we can take now," said WWF freshwater researcher Jamie Pittock. "We are talking about improving river management and restoring the flood holding and drought proofing services of flood plains and wetlands, all of which can be shown to have short term economic, social and environmental pay-offs.

"The fact that they help climate-proof our river basins now is an added benefit."

Launching the new WWF report Water for life: Lessons for climate change adaptation from better management of rivers for people and nature at World Water Week, Mr Pittock said climate adaptation strategies that neglected freshwater systems were asking for trouble.

"Setting biofuel targets without considering where the water to grow biomass crops will come from is a recipe for a worsening water crisis in many regions and freshwater systems less able to cope with extreme weather events," Mr Pittock said.

"More dams for hydropower is a recipe for even more fragmented rivers that will inhibit freshwater species - the food for millions - adapting to climate impacts by migrating up or down river systems."

WWF field studies show that work already begun on opening up Danube River floodplains and wetlands and reconnecting lakes to the river is improving fishing and drinking water availability, bringing back birds and reducing vulnerability to floods.

"Restoration of the 37 sites that make up the Lower Danube Green Corridor is estimated to cost €183 million, compared to damages of €396 million from the 2005 flood and likely earnings of €85.6 million per year," Mr Pittock said. "This is adaptation to climate impacts even if it is not planned or labeled as adaptation."

Perrenial flows in Tanzania's Great Ruaha River stopped in 1993 after years of declining rainfall and increasing water extractions, putting at risk important hydropower generation and tourism and reducing livelihoods for low income upstream and downstream communities.

The establishment of local water users associations and their work in restoring catchments, rescheduling diversions by major agricultural enterprises and the shutting off of illegal diversions resulted in year round river flows to the important Ihefu wetlands beginning again in 2004, with improved water security and livelihood opportunities to local communities.

Restoration of silted-up and abandoned water tanks used from around 1200 years ago to collect monsoon waters in a tributary area of India's Godavari River is lifting depleted groundwater levels, bringing dried out wells back into service and improving soil fertility and crop yields for disadvantaged farmers. Scaling up the project to cover all tanks in the area would cost $US 635 million to store about the same amount of water as a projected dam project costing $US 4 billion with significant adverse social and environmental impacts.

"This is adaptation that involves and respects the needs of local communities and people and provides immediate benefits, Mr Pittock said.

And in China's central Yangtse, WWF began working with local communities in 2002 to reconnect lakes and wetlands to absorb flood flows and counter sever pollution linked with increased heat and droughts.

Other benefits have been an increased variety and quantity of fish and improved access to safe water for communities.

"Our studies show that it is often a disaster that leads to the river restoration activities that will increase resilience to climate impacts," Mr Pittock said. "It would make more sense to avoid or reduce the impact of disaster by restoring and strengthening our river systems now.

WWF also released an overview on climate change adaptation for freshwater systems, as a guide to planners and managers.

The author of the guide, Dr John Matthews, said "Uncertainty is no reason for not acting on climate change impacts on vital water systems. We are certain there will be significant impacts even if we can't put as many decimal points on them as we would like to."

Notes:
• Adapting Water to a Changing Climate: An Overview by Dr John Matthews & Dr. Tom Le Quesne.
• Water for life: Lessons for Climate change adaptation from better management of rivers for people and nature by Jamie Pittock.

For further information:
Jamie Pittock – Mob: +61 407 265 131, e-mail: jpittock@wwf.org.au
Dr John Matthews – Tel: +1 202 203 8957, e-mail: john.matthews@wwfus.org
Phil Dickie – Mob: +41 79 703 1952, e-mail: pdickie@wwfint.org

About WWF
WWF, the global conservation organization, is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. WWF has a global network active in over 100 countries with almost 5 million supporters.

WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

>>Read Full Article

Solving the energy crisis: You decide

As Americans grapple with record oil and gas prices, politicians facing angry voters have offered up a variety of solutions. Tell us what you think.

Expanding domestic drilling

Supporters, mostly Republican lawmakers, say the United States has vast untapped oil reserves right here at home -- mostly in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and off the East and West coasts.

It's hard to say just how much oil is there, but estimates compiled by CNNMoney.com from various government agencies indicate crude oil production could be increased between 1 and 3 million barrels per day. The U.S. currently produces about 5 million barrels of crude a day, while worldwide production stands at around 73 million barrels.

Opening these areas to drilling would cause oil prices to fall immediately, proponents say, as oil traders would fret less about future production. They also say it would lessen U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

Critics -- along with the government's Energy Information Administration -- say any price drop would take years to materialize and be minimal at best -- maybe 2 or 3 cents off a gallon of gas.

Moreover, they say focusing on more oil drilling misses the point: The country should be figuring out a way to use less oil, not drill more, and that it's counterproductive when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Limiting Wall Street money into oil markets

Government economists have said they have found no evidence that speculators -- investors like pension and hedge funds who don't end up using oil -- are to blame for the rising prices. They say trading information shows no correlation between investment activity and price swings.

 

Others, such as the International Energy Agency, have also said speculators are not to blame. They've pointed to other non-traded commodities that have risen in price even faster than oil, and to the fact that there is no evidence of a bubble, such as excess oil sitting around in storage.

Many people say speculators are good -- saying they allow users to more easily buy and sell contracts -- and that oil price would actually be higher without them.

Still, the correlation of a four-fold increase of investment money into oil futures and a four-fold increase in oil prices since 2004 has not gone unnoticed. Many lawmakers, consumer rights advocates and even some oil industry analysts say speculation is at least partly to blame.

In addition to requiring more information on who owns oil futures, several proposals in Congress want to limit how many oil contracts speculators can buy.

A windfall profits tax on Big Oil

This idea is a recurring theme among lawmakers, especially Democrats.

Barack Obama would impose a windfall profits tax on the big oil companies whenever oil crossed the $80 a barrel mark. Some analysts feel $80 a barrel is what oil 'should' be priced at, factoring out investment money and unfounded supply fears. The cash would be given to low income people to help them offset their energy costs.

Another idea along these lines is eliminating oil company tax breaks and using the money to fund research into renewable sources.

Opponents say raising taxes on oil companies will result in less oil production, and ultimately lead to higher prices. If the government didn't tax oil companies and simply borrowed the cash to give consumers, they say, that would only hurt the dollar and send oil prices higher.

 

>>Read Full Article

What is a Gift to the Earth?

The Gift is WWF's highest accolade in applauding large scale conservation gains.

A Gift to the Earth is a public celebration by WWF of a conservation action by a government, a company, an organization, or an individual which is both a demonstration of environmental leadership and a globally significant contribution to the protection of the living world.

The Gift is symbolic, and is WWF's highest accolade for applauding good conservation work. It is a form of recognition which enables WWF to publicly recognise an important conservation achievement, which can also serve as an example, helping encourage similar actions by others elsewhere. In addition, this enables WWF to draw worldwide attention to the conservation achievement including the international media, funding agencies and other organisations.

The Gift to the Earth is symbolised in a certificate signed by Jim Leape, the WWF International Director General. To date, more than 100 Gifts to the Earth have been recognised since 1996, including more than 60 major commitments by governments throughout the world.

Each of these Gifts represents an important success within one or more of the global conservation priorities recognised by WWF including: protection of Forests, Freshwater and Marine ecosystems and endangered Species; prevention of Climate Change and elimination of Toxic chemicals. WWF focuses on these priorities within the Global 200 Ecoregions, a science-based ranking of the world's most biologically outstanding and globally representative areas of biodiversity.

Through the Gift to the Earth mechanism, WWF has also recognised important incentives for sustainability. Examples of Gifts to the Earth include WWF's initiative with Unilever, the world's largest purchaser of fish products, helping establish the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to certify well-managed fisheries. And with AssiDoman, a major Baltic forest company, WWF has helped develop the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to certify well-managed forests. WWF has also teamed up with the World Bank to protect and secure good management of important forests.

Once the Gift to the Earth is announced, WWF follows up to monitor progress and assist where possible. In several cases, the recognition of a government's conservation action as a Gift to the Earth has prompted the government to make further important conservation actions.

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Green Picture

Download this wallpaper by click on the picture. Right Click and save image.

(This post is supporting the green world environment)

Frog

Smile

Atom

City Night

Sky

Day Forest

Thanks for your view and download.

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Report shows China's ecological footprint doubled

10 Jun 2008

China’s average ecological footprint has doubled since the 1960s and now demands more than 2 times what the country’s ecosystems can sustainably supply, a new report finds.

The Report on Ecological Footprint in China, jointly commissioned by China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) and WWF, is the first comprehensive report about China’s footprint.

It gives an overview of the factors that determine the country’s growing ecological deficit, beginning in mid-1970s, and shows innovative paths for China to achieve its development goals in a sustainable way that ensures the future generations have the natural resources they need to prosper.

According to the report, China now uses 15% of the world’s total biological capacity.

The analysis in this report finds that people of China have an ecological footprint of 1.6 global hectares per person in 2003 (the last year for which figures are available), which means each individual needs 1.6 hectares of biologically productive land to support their lifestyle demands.

The figure is still lower than the world average of 2.2 global hectares per person, ranking China the 69th of the 147 nations measured that year. But it nonetheless presents challenges, considering China’s large population and the robust economic development.

“It’s a critical period in coming 20 years for China to realize its sustainable development, which is determined by important indicators including the balance between the utilization efficiency of natural resources and the Earth’s regeneration capacity improvement,” said Zhu Guangyao, Secretary General of CCICED. “We hope this report will serve its reference accordingly.”

Two general strategies are presented in the report for China to start with, the “easy” things and “slow” things that respectively refer to simple, cheap and popular steps like investing in clean technology and changing to energy-efficient bulbs and decisions that are made today but have future impacts.

The report recommends a CIRCLE approach that highlights

• Compact urban development,
• Individual action,
• Reducing hidden waste flows,
• Carbon reduction strategies,
• Land management and
• Efficiency increases for China to achieve its sustainable goals.

“The report findings have portrayed how much natural resources China is using for social and economic development. It’s the first-ever effort to gather and analyze such necessary information to reach that understanding and pioneers an innovative approach based on China’s factual conditions,” said one of the report authors Xie Gaodi at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Nature Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Meanwhile, the report shows that the large population gives the Asia-Pacific region the largest ecological footprint compared to any other regions despite a relatively low level on individual basis.

“The report is an important first step for all of us,” said WWF-China Country Representative Dermot O’Gorman. “With this report and the partnership with CCICED and Global Footprint Network, WWF will continue to work with key stakeholders to explore an innovative and sustainable development path in China.”

Click here for more information

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How to make your blogger listed in Google Search Engine?

How to make your blogger listed in Google Search Engine? If you have the blog register under blogspot as example http://yourblogname.blogspot.com actually your blog is not listed under google search engine. So in order to submit your blog to Google, you will have to do just follow a simple step as below:

1. Sign in to Google Webmaster Tools website at http://www.google.com/webmasters as shown below


If you not Register your account yet, Click at Sign in Webmaster Tools as shown above.
Then click at Create an account no as shown below.
Just follow the simple step registration.

2. Go to Google Webmasters Tool and login with your email account.
3. Now add your Blog URL as shown below.

(Note: Your Blog URL should be http://yourblogname.blogspot.com and not as http://www.yourblogname.blogpsot.com . This is because Blogger seems to be more comfortable with first type. Hence in your Feeds, your post url are of first type.)

4. Now you will have to verify your site. It’s very easy.


Click Verify your site.


Just choose verification by meta tags.

5. Now you will be provided with unique Meta tag. Copy Meta tag.

6. Now, login to your Blogger account at www.blogspot.com. Then navigate to your Blog Layout -> HTML
Now, just try to find section in your Blog template. Add the meta tag, below <head> section.



Now, just try to find section in your Blog template. Add the meta tag, below <head> section. Make sure the meta tag is look like this:

<head>
<meta name="verify-v1" content="unique-string">


Then click Save Template

7. Now you will be redirected to such a page


Now click on add Sitemap. Then click on add general Sitemap. Now, add your Blog-Feed url as shown above

http://yourblogname.blogspot.com/rss.xml

8. Now click on Add General Web Sitemap.


Settings For Bloggers

Now real task starts. As Blogger acts as differently with feed url, you must set your Blog as follows.

Now on the same page navigate to Choose Set Preferred Domain under Tools section. As shown below.


Now you must click to select the following option (Display url yourblogname.blogspot.com as shown above. Then click ok


Now, go back to Blogger Dashboard. Now navigate your Blog Settings -> Feeds. Now select Allow Full Feed option.



Now take a rest. And observe your pages getting indexed in just one week. >>Read Full Article

Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

The black and white Giant panda was discovered over 100 years ago. Only now are we beginning to understand more about this secretive creature's life in the wild.

Class: Mammalia (mammal)
Order: Carnivora (meat-eating mammals)
Family: Ursidae (bears)

The Giant panda has highly developed chewing muscles and very powerful broad cheek teeth. The feet are turned inwards and have 5 toes and hairy soles. Giant pandas are about 150 cm long from nose to rump, with a 10-15cm tail. A large panda weighs about 100-150kg. Males are 10% bigger and 20% heavier than females.

The Giant panda has an enlarged wrist bone that can be folded over to work as a ‘thumb’ to grasp the bamboo shoots they love to eat. Pandas have keen eyesight.
Where are Giant Pandas found?
The Giant panda lives in cool mountain forests where bamboo grows profusely. Today it is found only in small areas of Southwest China and to the eastern rim of the Tibetan plateau, at altitudes of 2,600 to 3,500m. Often the area is snow bound.

The Giant panda ambles through the bamboo forest and moves through its home range using the same paths and tunnels frequently. Sometimes, it may use man-made paths. These paths connect feeding sites with rock or tree dens and sleeping spots. Pandas rest in higher regions during the day and go down to the lower areas at night to feed.

Favourite food: bamboo shoots
Although the Giant Panda has the digestive system of a carnivore, it is actually a herbivore, with 99% of its diet consisting of bamboo. It feeds on both the shoots and the roots but whenever available, it prefers the tender leaves and stems. Its cheek teeth are so powerful that they can slice and crush stems as thick as a man's leg! The panda also eats some bulbs and tubers of other plants, grasses and small insects. A giant panda may consume 12-38 kg of bamboo a day to meet its energy requirements.

Raising a family
Giant pandas reach breeding maturity between 4 and 8 years of age. They may be reproductive until about age 20. Female pandas ovulate only once a year, in the spring. A short period of 2 to 3 days around ovulation is the only time she is able to conceive. Calls and scents draw males and females to each other.

Females bear their young in dens made in the ground. One or 2 cubs are born but normally only 1 survives. Offspring stay with their mothers from 1 to 3 years.

Panda facts

• Pink, helpless, and blind, the cub is 1/900th the size of its mother. Except for a marsupial (such as the kangaroo or opossum), a giant panda baby is the smallest mammal newborn relative to its mother's size. The cubs weigh about 85-140g at birth. Their eyes open at 6 to 7 weeks and they follow their mother when they are about 3 months old.
• Pandas live mainly on the ground but are also able to climb trees.
• Pandas do not hibernate, but often relocate to lower altitudes in the winter and spring.

Click Here for more information

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Overview: Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)

The use of cotton has been dated to 3000 B.C. The word cotton is derived from the Arabic qutton or kutn, meaning the plant found in conquered lands, which refers to Alexander the Great's conquest of India. Cotton requires 180 frost-free days per crop. As a result, it is produced between 36 degrees south latitude and 46 degrees north latitude in tropical in tropical and subtropical climates.

1753 - Listed on the London exchange
Cotton achieved true "commodity" status in 1753 when Carolina cotton was listed on the London exchange. By 1861 cotton had become the single most important crop traded in the world, and more than 80% of it was grown in the southern United States.

Huge demand with the industrial revolution
The surge in demand for cotton came from the industrial revolution, in particular from the expansion of the textile industry and the change from wool to cotton.

Longer fibre cotton preferred
In the past several annual and perennial cultivars of cotton were grown. Each was adapted to different growing conditions and produced cotton of different-length fibres and natural colours. Over time the trend has been to breed whiter cotton with more and longer fibre.

Most perennial, or tree, species of cotton have been abandoned because they cannot be produced or picked by machine, even though their long fibre is highly sought after.

Recent trends in cotton production
More recently some producers have begun to revive cotton varieties that have natural colours other than white to eliminate the dying process. Others have begun to produce organic cotton. Neither of these trends represents a significant share of either local or global markets.

Largest money-making non-food crop
Cotton is the largest money-making non-food crop produced in the world. Its production and processing provide some or all of the cash income of over 250 million people worldwide, and employ almost 7% of all labour in developing countries.

Nearly all activities associated with cotton production, processing, and manufacturing are becoming more concentrated in the hands of fewer companies and fewer countries. Cotton textiles constitute approximately half of all textiles (Banuri 1999).

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Cleaner, greener cotton: Impacts and better management practices

24 Oct 2007

Cotton is a water-intensive crop that is usually grown in dry regions. Add to that the heavy use of pesticides, inconsistent subsidies between rich and poor countries, and labour issues from the farm to the retail shop, and cotton becomes a product with considerable social and environmental impacts.

Despite its natural origins, and long history of cultivation, action is needed to improve the sustainability of cotton farming.

This report, Cleaner, greener cotton: Impacts and better management practices, shows how WWF is working to address the key environmental and social issues associated with cotton farming, focusing on making cotton more sustainable, which in turn, helps keep the environment it depends on healthy.

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G8 nations lagging in climate change race

03 Jul 2008

None of the leading industrialized nations are currently on target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions enough to avoid the threshold level for unacceptable risk of catastrophic climate change, according to new research into national policies and performance.

The G8 Climate Scorecards 2008, compiled by climate consultancy Ecofys on a joint commission from environmental organization WWF and international financial services provider Allianz, was released four days prior to the G8 summit in Japan.

Leading the race is the UK, which is projected to reach its Kyoto target and has introduced innovative policies such as the Climate Change Bill. France lies in second place just ahead of Germany, which performs best on renewable energy, but all three are at best half as far along the road as they should be, with the use of coal still a major problem.

Italy, Japan and Russia are firmly entrenched in mid-table, while bringing up the rear are Canada and the USA which, according to the report, “is no surprise given rising emissions and energy-intensive economies and their failure to realize the full potential of energy efficiency improvements”.

“Time is running out,” said Regine Günther, Director of the WWF Climate Change Programme in Germany. “We have 10 to 15 years left in which the global emissions have to peak and decline. The world is at a crossroads where decisive action now could translate into economic success.”

The scorecards rank the G8 countries according to nine quantitative indicators, including past emission trends since 1990 and progress against the country’s Kyoto target. It also scores performance on three specific policy areas - energy efficiency, renewable energy, and development of carbon markets.

(© WWF/Meike Naumann)

The report analyzed the policies of emerging economies Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa and, while noting that they cannot be measured by the same criteria, stressed that the question of how industrialized countries will assist these five countries remains key.

Dr. Joachim Faber, holding board member of Allianz SE, said: “The G8 countries have a responsibility to be high achievers in the race against climate change. They need to be role models trail-blazing the way to steer the world towards a low carbon, clean energy economy.”

Leaders at next week’s summit in Japan should commit to a binding long-term target for emission reductions of 80% by 2050, and as close as possible to 40% by 2020, the report states. “We expect the Japanese Presidency of the Hokkaido Summit to commit the G8 countries to significant and binding emission reduction targets,” said Günther.

“The G8 should pledge financial and technology support for low carbon development and for adaptation measures in developing countries that are measurable, reportable and verifiable.”

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G8 duck responsibility and fail to lead - WWF

08 Jul 2008

Toyako, Japan: G8 leaders have failed to boost international climate negotiations at their Toyako summit. WWF criticizes the lack of a commitment to mid term targets and judges the goal to reduce global emissions by at least 50% by 2050 to be insufficient. WWF urges the G8 to wake up to the threat of dangerous climate change and raise the level of ambition drastically.

“Confirming the results of last year’s summit in Heiligendamm is hardly a remarkable outcome”, said Kim Carstensen, Director WWF Global Climate Initiative. “So little progress after a whole year of Ministerial meetings and negotiations is not only a wasted opportunity, it falls dangerously short of what is needed to protect people and nature from climate change.”

The global conservation organization reminded G8 leaders that the science clearly outlines an urgent need to cut global emissions way more than 50% by 2050 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. To get there, global emissions have to peak and decline in 10 to 15 years and rich nations must reduce emissions by 25 to 40% by 2020. These crucially important necessities are not reflected in the G8 communiqué.

“The G8 are responsible for 62% of the carbon dioxide accumulated in the Earth’s atmosphere, which makes them the main culprit of climate change and the biggest part of the problem”, added Carstensen. “WWF finds it pathetic that they still duck their historic responsibility and refuse to turn from the main driver of the problem into the main driver of the solution.”

WWF said the summit confirmed a recent trend that industrialized countries show less rather than more of the leadership so urgently needed. Toyako saw countries like Canada, Japan and the US emphasizing their inability to move, while emerging economies have recently made concrete policy proposals, offering more domestic action in turn for decisive leadership by industrialized nations.

The Japanese G8 Presidency was a disappointing example of huge discrepancies between raising high hopes and delivering little. To get over the bitter aftertaste, WWF urged the Japanese government to set a domestic emission reduction target in the range of 25 to 40 per cent by 2020 and to implement an emission trading scheme to get growing emissions under control.

“Prime Minister Fukuda made a huge effort and ended up with a mediocre result, which is the opposite of effective leadership and cannot be counted as success”, said Naoyuki Yamagishi, Head of the Climate Programme at WWF Japan. “Rapid improvements at the domestic policy front are his only chance to restore trust in his ability to protect Japan from dangerous climate change.”

Press contacts: Mr Christian Teriete (in Hokkaido), WWF International Communications Manager Asia Pacific, +852-9310-6805, cteriete@wwf.org.hk; Mr Martin Hiller (in Switzerland), Communications Manager WWF Global Climate Initiative, +41-22-364-9226, mhiller@wwfint.org

Spokespeople in Hokkaido: Mr Kim Carstensen, Director WWF Global Climate Initiative, +45-40-34-36-35, k.carstensen@wwf.dk; Ms Kathrin Gutmann, WWF International Climate Policy Coordinator, +49-162-29144-28, kathrin.gutmann@wwf.de; Mr Naoyuki Yamagishi, Head of WWF Japan Climate Programme, +81-90-6471-1432, yamagishi@wwf.or.jp; Ms Masako Konishi, Senior Climate Policy Adviser WWF Japan, +81-80-3024-2536, konishi@wwf.or.jp

Materials for free download at: www.panda.org/climate
- WWF G8 Scorecards report, a ranking of the climate performance of G8 countries
- Report Nippon Changes on climate impacts affecting Japan today and tomorrow
- Dangerous Change brochure on climate impacts on and Climate Witnesses from Japan
- WWF International G8 Position Paper

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Towards a biofuel standard to sort the green from the ungreen

13 Aug 2008
A global panel of experts have today lent their support to a draft standard for the use of sustainable biofuels that will inject some rigour into the murky debate about the embracing of biofuels that may cause more emissions than they save.

Behind the debate were concerns that fuelling the world might be running into conflict with feeding the world and that being green at the fuel bowser might be linked with large scale deforestation, forest fires and species loss.

The new standard to allow environmental and social impact comparisons of rival biofuels was endorsed by the steering board of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB), and developed through a multi-stakeholder process that involves business, academics and environmentalists.

“With all of the mixed messages we hear about biofuels, there is a clear need for a standard that can differentiate the good from the bad,” said Dr. Claude Martin, formerly Director-General of WWF, and current chair of the RSB. “For an issue of such seminal importance, it was necessary to bring many different stakeholder groups together to agree on how to define and measure sustainable biofuels”

The RSB, housed at the Energy Center at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), is comprised of over three hundred experts from organisations, corporations and civil society groups, including UNEP, WWF, and a number of fossil fuel producers such as BP and Shell.

Next to market players, it is thought that the draft standard could also provide a useful tool for policy makers seeking to develop appropriate standards and certification schemes, and fill gaps that exist across legislative frameworks for biofuels.

It will also look to build on standards that are already in place, such as those put forth by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), to provide a robust set of standards that stand up to scrutiny.

Further discussions in Lausanne will be directed toward the adoption of a set of principles that will address the full extent of concerns on the use of biofuels.

These are not solely limited to fuel price or carbon emissions, and incorporate social and environmental impacts right along the supply chain, including rural development, protection of land and labour rights, and maintaining biodiversity and food security.

“Ensuring sustainability is what all these discussions are hinged upon” said Jean-Philippe Denruyter, Global Bioenergy Coordinator at WWF and member of the RSB board. “Biofuels are one of a number of potential alternatives to fossil fuels, and today’s agreement allows us to initiate a stakeholder-driven process that will determine their value right across the production process, from field or forest to tank”

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Ministers commit to zero net deforestation by 2020

30 May 2008

Postcard update:
As at 30 May 2008 when the 9th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP9) ended, 67 countries plus the European Commission and others including the CBD Secretariat, Commission of Forestry in Central Africa (COMIFAC) and UNEP, had signed on to support WWF's call for zero net deforestation by 2020. There is still time for others to join in the call. Contact us for a postcard!

Bonn, 28 May 2008 – Environment ministers from 60 countries including Germany, host of the 9th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP9), today showed WWF and the world they are serious in the fight to stop forest loss, thereby safeguarding biodiversity, global climate and people's well-being. The ministers showed their commitment at a WWF event held during the conference in Bonn.

Led by the CBD Executive Secretary, Dr Ahmed Djoghlaf, the ministers and the EU Commissioner for the Environment made their commitment via signed postcards addressed to WWF International's Director-General, Mr James Leape.

"WWF is very pleased that governments are rising to the challenge of working towards zero net deforestation by 2020," said Mr Leape, who received the postcards from the ministers. "I strongly urged other governments to follow the lead of these countries to agree on this target."

Despite much efforts, deforestation continues at an alarming rate  13 million hectares per year, or 36 football fields a minute. Deforestation and degradation of the world's forests have dramatic consequences for biodiversity, global climate and millions of people. Forest contains 90 per cent of the world's terrestrial biodiversity and have a vital role to play in the fight against global warming, being the largest storehouse of carbon on Earth. Deforestation, particularly in the tropics, is the third largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, generating between 15-20 per cent of global carbon emissions.

Loss of forests also implies the loss of goods and major ecological services to humanity  food, medicine, watershed protection, livelihoods, and climate and disaster mitigation. About 1.6 billion people worldwide depend on forests for their livelihoods, with 60 million indigenous people depending on forests for their subsistence.

"We need to reverse the trend in forest loss and stop further erosion of the world's biodiversity, both for nature and people's sakes," said Dr Djoghlaf. “This initiative is welcome news for the biodiversity family gathered here in Bonn, to expedite the implementation of the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity. It is indeed a timely initiative, and I applaud WWF for its unique contribution for protecting life on Earth.”

WWF has set the 2020 zero deforestation target to support and enhance the CBD's Forest Programme of Work. The target also complements global efforts under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which at its conference of parties in Bali last December, which acknowledged the need to reduce carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. Although ambitious, the target does provide sufficient time for action as reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) initiatives will be operational when the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol comes into effect post 2012. Additionally, as a study by WWF-Brazil and partners launched yesterday revealed, protected areas is a useful and viable tool to achieve reduction in forest loss and mitigating climate change.

"WWF would like to see the CBD COP9 adopt this 2020 zero net deforestation target here in Bonn," Mr Leape said. "Governments have to act now or we will lose even more the forests that are life's basic building blocks, and that provide essential services to humanity."

WWF thanks all ministers who signed the postcards and pledges to support and work with them in the fight to stop forest loss.

For further information:
Gerald Steindlegger, WWF International, tel: +43 676 83488216, gerald.steindlegger@wwf.at
Chng Soh-Koon, WWF International, tel: +41 79 4099788, skchng@wwfint.org

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