deforestation

Scientists condemn Queensland land clearing changes, warn of biodiversity loss

Leading Queensland environmental scientists are up in arms over changes to Queensland's Vegetation Management Act and the Water Act which will enhance land clearing and destruction of native vegetation important for preserving biodiversity values, ecological services such as clean water and flood mitigation, and carbon sink potential.

Related: Leaked doc says Newman Government opening up logging destruction in Queensland native forests | Biodiversity decline from climate change affects huge range of common species

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Forest protest hits Harvey Norman

Homeless animals move into Harvey Norman store.

Today a group of Tasmanian animals including Tasmanian devils and quolls moved into the Harvey Norman store in Hobart. Conservationists from Still Wild Still Threatened, dressed as native animals, occupied the store, calling for Harvey Norman to stop sourcing native forest products. One protestor dressed as a Swift Parrot climbed a light post outside the store, displaying a banner reading “Stop selling native animal habitat.”

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REDD under fire for narrow focus on carbon storage, risk to indigenous peoples

A new report from some of the world's top experts on forest governance has criticised various international climate change accords including REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) and REDD+ for their narrow focus on carbon storage which fails to stop rampant destruction of the world's most vulnerable forests and acts to further marginalise indigenous peoples.

Help Malaysia's Penan jungle people to survive

By Rainforest Rescue

Hundreds of Penan are demonstrating with blowpipes in the Malaysian rain forest. No one gets past the road blockades of the Aborigines in the jungle of Sarawak, not even the police.

Instead of upholding the rule of law, police are doing the bidding of corrupt politicians and unscrupulous business people. They have seized the land of the Penan to turn it into monocultural oil palm plantations after razing the tropical timber.

Police had to turn back to fetch reinforcements. The Penan now fear police excesses.