Big Deforestation Drivers -- New Book with Infographics

From: ifsaworld@yahoogroups.com

The Global Canopy Programme is pleased to announce the release of The Little Book of Big Deforestation Drivers.

 

Over the last decade the demand for agricultural products for food, feed and fuel and the production of globally traded forest risk commodities (palm oil, beef, soya, and timber) have been responsible for driving the majority of tropical deforestation and forest degradation, which has major impacts on climate change, the provision of ecosystem services, and the sustainability of long term economic development.

 

The Little Book of Big Deforestation Drivers outlines the global context to the drivers of deforestation, provides a detailed overview of the most critical forest risk commodity supply chains, and presents a clear and realistic framework of 24 regulatory, market and supply chain catalysts that can act to reduce deforestation caused by these commodities.

 

The book is available to download in English, Bahasa Indonesia, French and Spanish from the GCP website at www.globalcanopy.org/LittleBookofDrivers.

 

The book makes use of infographics to illustrate the global production and consumption of key forest risk commodities and the complexity of global commodity supply chains. For example:

This hypothetical supply chain of a burger illustrates the complexity of global supply chains and the numerous actors and stages involved in the production and trade of a product from the forest to the end consumer.

A Simple Timber Cruising Template

Created by Bruce Springer as freeware
A template to be used with MicroSoft Excel
Not for resale

Here is a handy template that can help you inventory your forest. The spreadsheet was designed by forester Bruce Springer and is a quick and easy way to generate general forest inventory data. It was created with simplicity in mind and can be used by either a tree owner or a forester.

Mr. Spinger can be contacted for technical assistance at bvspring@hiwaay.net You should be advised that Mr. Springer makes no guarantee as to the accuracy of this program and should be used only for quick estimates - not for a detailed inventory. It is designed to use in the Southern United States but can be converted to use in other areas of North America.

You must have Microsoft Excel to run the template.

INSTRUCTIONS: First, print a copy of an "empty" Tree Tally Sheet and use as your field recording sheet. Enter hand recorded cruise inventory data on the Tree Tally Sheet page/tab.

Use TAB to view information field by field. All other pages will be automatically completed as you fill out data on the Tree Tally Sheet. This spreadsheet is write protected and you cannot change any fields other than those with yellow shading.

TAB 1 - Tree Tally Sheet - You must manually enter acreage, tree heights and diameters by species, and number of plots on this sheet.

TAB 2 - Trees Per Acre - Automatically records the number of trees per acre based on your choice of cruise design (10 BAF Prism; 1/5th acre; 1/10th acre; 100% measure).

TAB 3 - Basal Area Per Acre - Automatically records the basal area per acre (only when using 10 BAF Prism cruise design).

TAB 4 - Volume Per Tree - Volumes assigned to each tree for blow-up.

TAB 5 - Volumes Per Acre - Automatically records blown-up total volumes by species, by diameter and height, and by merchantability class.

TAB 6 - Unit Rates - Tree prices are assigned to each tree for blow-up (changable in yellow shaded area).

TAB 7 - Values - Automatically estimates tree values based on unit rates assigned.

Download the template

Leave Nothing But Footprints

The Jakarta Post -- WEEKENDER | Sun, 11/23/2008 3:31 PM |

You’ve gone over the list countless times. Will it be a shamelessly self-indulgent R&R weekend in Legian? Or a slightly more adventurous journey into the highlands of Tana Toraja? There’s also that Mt. Bromo trip your spouse keeps pestering you about. Hmmm ... Settle for Orchard Road? Ubaidillah Syohih trains his green binoculars on your next holiday destination.

Holidays are a time to bond and spend some leisurely time with your loved ones or friends. At the planning stage, when half a dozen ideas on where to head off to are floating around, holidays also do a very good job of fraying nerves. So before the Lonely Planet guides and maps start flying across the room, here are some things to keep in mind.

In a country such as Indonesia, with its seemingly endless range of awesome destinations, you will always be spoiled for choice. Hundreds of volcanoes to climb, rainforests to trek, waves to surf, reefs to explore, beaches to roast on, more than 250 ethnic groups with 350 local languages to discover ... There’s something for everyone. But regardless of the destination, with every additional dive down the reef wall or every new bungalow, the destination loses a little something.

It’s not just a piece of coral that is inadvertently broken during a dive, or a small food wrapper that gets caught in the wind and ends up decorating the forest. The aggregate impact of our holiday, from transportation (emissions, traffic) to the hotel we’re staying at (energy and water use), can damage the prospects of a holiday destination to sustain tourists over the long term. Indonesia may need visitors, but it also needs them to tread lightly and respectfully. With people from all over the world traveling to the archipelago to witness nature at its creative best, there’s only one way to safeguard these destinations: responsible tourism.

Now you may have heard about ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, a catchall term that has been eagerly appended to many a hotel and resort name. At best, this is a form of responsible tourism that appeals to ecologically and socially conscious individuals. It typically involves travel to destinations where flora, fauna and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. At worst, it is a hotel called “Bunga Ecotourism Resort” whose claim to sustainability is limited to a glossy brochure flaunting the natural merits of the area.

How can we select a rewarding holiday destination without leaving a trail of destruction in our wake?

PLANNING

1. Decide on what kind of holiday you are after – will it be backpacking or operator-tour style?

2. If you go for the tour operator, ask where your money is going or find out by yourself – staying in locally owned accommodation benefits local families.

3. In choosing your activities at the destination, go for environmentally friendly activities that contribute to the local economy and protect nature and culture.

4. Small gifts from home can be a great way to say thank you to your hosts – think about what might be of most use to the local community.

Review your options: www.eco-tropicalresorts.com/indian/indonesia.htm

BEFORE YOU GO

Before you bounce out the door, there are a few things that need to be taken care of.

1. Make sure that all electric appliances are switched off, and that there are no leaks.

2. If you are going on vacation with your own vehicle, make sure that it is well maintained so you don’t pollute the places you visit. It would be better if you used public transportation, such as a bus or train, to reach your destination.

WHEN YOU’RE THERE

Only a few hotels in Indonesia are managed in an environmentally friendly way, so it’s up to you to do your bit.

1. In many remote places around Indonesia, fresh water is scarce. Keep this in mind when you wash, and keep those showers short.

2. Towels can be used for at least two days without being washed, to reduce energy and water used to clean them.

3. Remember to switch off lights and air conditioning when you leave the room to reduce energy use.

4. Of course, never buy products made from marine turtles and insist on eating locally caught fish.

5. You can also encourage the hotel by presenting the manager with a list of environmental tips for green hotels. If your hotel or homestay prides itself as an ecotourism facility, make sure you ask them why and how.

More tips at http://www.charityguide.org/volunteer/fifteen/green-hotels.htm

“KILL NOTHING BUT TIME, TAKE NOTHING BUT PICTURES AND LEAVE NOTHING BUT FOOTPRINTS”

You have probably heard this well-known phrase. By killing nothing but time and by taking nothing but pictures, you protect the environment and wildlife. And by leaving nothing but footprints, you make a positive impact on local communities, such as preventing the loss of culture.

7 Ways to Green Up Your Graphic Design Studio

written by Gino on graphicgazette.com

The main tool of graphic designer is the computer and that means there is going to be a lot of time spent in the computer chair. With so much time spent in one area, why not make it as comfortable, healthy and green as possible? I spend countless hours on the computer, so I love to get outdoors whenever possible. This inspired me to think of ways to bring the outdoors inside and to make my office a little more eco-friendly and comfortable to work in. The ideas below are simple, affordable and will help turn your office into an indoor paradise!

Tips to Green Up Your Graphic Design Office

Going Green in Graphic Design

written by Natasha Storm

Today we are going to be talking about a subject related to graphic design. We will be talking about going green in graphic design, what it means to be a green designer. Why you should go green, how to practice green design and a few more topics. I hope that you will find the article useful and that you would be able to learn a few things regarding this topic.

What does it mean to be a Green Designer?

To be a green designer means to think about our environment and to practice sustainable design. This includes using non-toxic recyclable materials and saving on energy and resources where we can. The ultimate aim of practicing sustainable design, is

Responsible Graphic Design Publications

written by TreeHugger
 

When we discussed packaging in a recent Q&A we concentrated mainly on the materials, less on the creative design that can reduce environmental burdens associated with packaging. Innovative solutions do exist and many have been captured and showcased in some very useful publications for graphic designers and package designers. The Graphic Designer's Greenbook: A Handbook and Source Guide on Design and the Environment, by Anne Chick, got the ball rolling back in 1992. An excellent book, full of useful insights and information but sadly now out of print. But do try your luck in secondhand bookshops. Susan E. Selke’s Packaging and the environment: alternatives, trends and solutions followed a couple of years later. Although not sighted by this writer, it has had good reviews and seems to be a definitive digest on the topic. The same year, the AIGA, in concert with John Ortbal, Mike Lange, and Michael S. Carroll, published a cute little book, densely packed with pertinent information. It was called ...

Green Graphic Design: Why And How to be More Eco-Friendly

Green Graphic Design: Why And How to be More Eco-Friendly
by Angela Ferraro-Fanning of 13thirtyone Design

Why Green Design?
“According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world population is expanding at a mind-boggling rate. The world reached 1 billion people in 1800; 2 billion by 1922; and over 6 billion by 2000. It is estimated that the population will swell to over 9 billion by 2050. That means that if the world’s natural resources were evenly distributed, people in 2050 will only have 25% of the resources per capita that people in 1950 had.”¹
Both our individual lifestyles and the way we run our businesses contribute to this rapid decrease in resources. If we as small business owners or freelancers can control our services easily and lessen their harmful effects on the environment, why wouldn’t we? Many people are under the impression that running an environmentally friendly operation at work or at home costs loads of money and time. This isn’t necessarily true at all. In my experience,

Are You An Eco-Friendly Designer?

The environment is under more threat today, than it ever has been, and responsibility lies with all of us for doing what we can to help. Here are three very simple steps that designers can take to help the environment. 
Reduce electricity. Switch off at the mains, and don’t leave appliances on standby. How many times have you left a computer on when you’re sleeping, or when it’s not being used? Do you really need to? 
Re-use printer cartridges. Refill your cartridges, or