Experts in seed issues are set to meet September 19 – 20, 2016 in Nairobi, Kenya, for a two-day conference that aims to share the outcomes of the two-year Piloting Phase by the Kenya-based Integrated Seed Sector Development in Africa (ISSD Africa).
The city of Nairobi in Kenya will host the two-day conference organised by the Integrated Seed Sector Development in Africa (ISSD Africa)
Themed “Breakthroughs for a vibrant seed sector in Africa”, the conference is organised by ISSD Africa in collaboration with the Centre for Development innovation (CDI), the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), the Future Agricultures consortium (FAC) and Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development of Egerton University. It will also discuss how to translate the findings of the pilot phase into change agendas for the benefit of the sector in the continent, especially to smallholder farmers who form the bulk of the farming community in the continent.
According to Dr. Miltone Ayieko, Regional Coordinator for ISSD Africa, smallholder farmers face a myriad of challenges in getting reliable access to sufficient quantities of quality seed of superior varieties at the right time and at an affordable price.
This in turn affects their agricultural productivity, income, resilience, and food security in the continent, given that agriculture forms the economic backbone of the continent and many depend on it for earnings and livelihoods.
Four themes will be discussed at the conference, namely: promoting seed entrepreneurship, increasing access to varieties in the public domain, matching global commitments with national realities and, supporting the seed sector development under the African Union Commission’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and the African Seed and Biotechnology Programme (ASBP).
Out of each of these themes, a number of action learning topics have emerged which provide catalytic opportunities for follow-up action in running and foreseeing national seed programmes, but also provide lessons for consecutive phase of the ISSD Africa programme. Sessions will be organised around the learning topics to share the lessons learnt and develop frameworks for follow-up actions.
A number of topics will be addressed at the conference, including: effective mechanisms for seed quality control, variety information for seed producers, seed laws that promote and integrated seed sector, and, CAADP and the national investments in the seed sector. Other topics include sustainable supply of early generation seed, and a differentiated approach to plant variety protection.
The two-day conference gives African seed experts the opportunity to exchange ideas and engage leading to outcomes aimed at improving the entire seed sector in Africa to give farmers, especially smallholders, easy reliable timely access to sufficient quantities of quality seed of superior varieties at an affordable price.
“In addition, the conference presents an opportunity to engage in debates aimed at creating an African-owned enabling structure and network that will enhance farmers’ access to quality seed of superior varieties, hence contributing to food security and economic development agenda in Africa,” says Ayieko.
Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has disclosed that a sum of N350 billion capital votes will be released immediately into the system as the Federal Government continues to tackle the economic crisis currently facing the nation.
Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun. She says a sum of N350 billion capital votes will be released immediately into the system
The minister, who spoke at a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, said the current administration is not backing down on its decision to stimulate the economy.
“With the N350 billion to be released, next week, the federal government would have released the total sum of N770 billion for capital projects this year, having released N420 billion thus far in 2016,” she said.
She explained that the bulk of the money so far released went into on-going projects, especially works, defence, transportation, interior, power and agriculture.
The minister also disclosed that the administration was working on raising $1 billion Eurobond. The proceeds for this would be used only for capital projects.
Giving further clarifications on the Eurobond issue, Director-General, Debt Management Office (DMO), Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, said, “We intend to raise the money before the year ends. In terms of the progress made so far, more than five weeks ago we put out advertisements for Request For Proposals in local and international media, following due process so that we can allow transaction partners who are interested to compete.
“The closing date of the RFPs is September 19, 2016 and immediately after that we will execute the process of vetting and selection. “We have a directive to make sure we use minimum time to conclude all these activities. So we assure you that we are going to cut the time because of the emergency situation. Before the middle of December, we will have the money. We are very focused on the fact that these monies are needed urgently to turn around the economy and we are working on that.”
On the issue of bidding process and open procurement, the minister explained that what is needed is a balance between speed and transparency, saying that is why we are engaging the National Assembly to support our request to truncate the process.
“We are already talking to members of the National Assembly, explaining to them why this is necessary so that when we release money, it is not just going to be sitting in the TSA account but it will actually be going down into contractors and appropriately utilised,” she stated.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted cloudy weather conditions over the central states of the country on Saturday morning with localised thunderstorms over Yola, Bauchi, Jos and some parts.
Stormy weather. NiMET has predicted localised thunderstorms in some parts of the country
The predictions are contained in the Weather Outlook issued by NiMet’s Central Forecast Office (CFO) on Friday in Abuja.
It added that there were chances of thunderstorms over Minna, Bida, Ilorin and some parts of Abuja later in the day with maximum temperatures of 25 to 30 degrees
Celsius.
The agency predicted increased cloudiness over the inland cities of the southwest and the entire coast cities with chances of localised thunderstorms and rains over the southeast in the morning hours.
It also predicted localised thunderstorms and rains over the entire inland cities and coastal cities of Lagos, Delta, Porthacourt, Yenegoa and Calabar mater in the day with maximum temperatures of 28 to 30 degrees Celsius.
NiMet predicted that northern states of would experience Cloudy morning over northwestern cities with chances of morning thunderstorms over Maiduguri, Damaturu, Nguru, Yelwa and environs.
It added that there would be prospects of localised thunderstorms over Kano, Gusau, Sokoto and Yelwa later in the day with maximum temperatures of 30 to 32 degrees Celsius.
According to the prediction, there are prospects of rainfall activities across the eastern flank of the country, which is expected to advence towards the Western side in the next 24 hours.
‘The rains are here again, bringing conundrum that is difficult to cope with, confusion, wailing and a myriad of feelings and emotions. No more shelter to call home, clean drinking water is polluted and diseases are on the rise’
The only primary health care centre in Okun Afa community has been destroyed and abandoned by health workers as the raging sea, swelled by the rains, eats away land and destroys buildings
What is going to happen next? Trying to put myself in the shoes of people that live by the coastline, I can imagine that this is what they go through when the rainy season begins. Okun Alfa, formerly a beautiful beach in Lagos, is one of such communities that suffer from storm surges as a result of many hours of incessant rain. Storm surges usually occur in Okun Alfa, but climate change has escalated its occurrence. Causing inhabitants to migrate, their main source of income which is fishing has also been drastically affected.
Climate change is seriously affecting communities in rural and urban areas, and the poor are most susceptible to this crisis. They are at the frontline, with little or no information of the problem at hand let alone the ability to cope with it. One of the greatest challenges of the 21st century, global warming has brought upon us higher temperatures and melting of glaciers which result in sea level rise, salt water intrusion and many other ills.
The Nigerian Metrological Agency (NiMET) has predicted above normal rains in 2016 which might cause flooding in Lagos, the former capital of Nigeria and the economic hub of the country.
Lagos State is a coastal city making it the home of trade like other coastal cities around the world. The metropolis is highly vulnerable to climate change and the negative impacts of global warming are already being felt; examples are accelerated flooding and coastal erosion. Lagos is a barrier island, that is an island surrounded by an ocean and a lagoon which makes the state a climate sensitive region.
Several reports like the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) second adaptation report states that a 0.5m sea level rise will affect coastal cities like Lagos, while the Federal Ministry of Environment reports that by 2050 many parts of Lagos might be under water. According to Nicholls et al (2008), sea level rise in Lagos could cost the city assets worth of about $117.3 billion.
Action has to be taken now to reduce the impact of the adverse effects of climate change on the metropolis. Hard and soft engineering, like building sea walls and planting of trees have been considered by the government of Lagos State such as the Eko Atlantic Project, and the establishment of parks and gardens.
Climate change awareness and education has to be intensified in Lagos and Nigeria as a whole, while an important human resource that can drive such initiatives are the youth.
Aside from climate change being caused by man, our habits can further boost or abate global warming and its negative effects, such as waste management and agricultural practices. Youth are very versatile and innovative, with a large number of them unemployed. Conserving and protecting the environment through youth, while engaging in green businesses can go a long way in making cities, communities and countries more climate resilient.
By Chinma George (Climate finance consultant, @Chimz_green)
Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Ms. Amina Mohammed, has commended the work, commitment and efforts of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) towards implementing the Montreal Protocol programmes and projects aimed at the phasing-out of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) in Nigeria.
L-R: Mr. Yomi Banjo, Environment Expert, UNIDO Regional Office, Nigeria; Ms. Ozunimi Iti, Industrial Development Officer, Montreal Protocol Unit, Environment Branch, Vienna; and Dr. Chuma Ezedinma, Officer in Charge, UNIDO Regional Office, Nigeria, during the Stakeholders Workshop for the Preparation of the Stage II of the Hydrochloroflorocarbon Phase-Out Management Plan (HPMP) for the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Manufacturing Sector in Lagos, Nigeria.
Speaking recently during the Stakeholders Workshop for the Preparation of the Stage II of the Hydrochloroflorocarbon Phase-Out Management Plan (HPMP) for the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Manufacturing Sector (RAMS) in Lagos, the minister said the distribution of 75 low pressure foaming machines to major operators in the RAMS by UNIDO has gone a long way in helping Nigeria achieve 35 per cent phase-out of hydrorochloroflorocarbons consumption.
According to the minister, who was represented by the Director of Human Resources in the Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Lauren Braide, “The Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Environment acknowledges with thanks the good work, efforts and partnership of UNIDO in the implementation of the Montreal Protocol programmes and projects which aims to phase-out the production and consumption of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) in Nigeria and also across the world.
“Ozone layer depletion is a global environmental problem, and Nigeria is committed to phasing out ODS in line with the Montreal Protocol which the country is signatory to. UNIDO’s distribution of 75 low pressure foaming machines to the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Manufacturers in 13 states will has gone a long way in helping Nigeria in its quest towards achieving a complete phase-out of hydrorochlorofluorocarbons by 2040.”
At the Stakeholders Workshop attended by Heads of Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies; environment experts, manufacturers, academia and the media, the Officer in Charge of UNIDO Regional Office, Nigeria, Dr. Chuma Ezedinma, and Industrial Development Officer, Montreal Protocol Unit, Environment Branch, Vienna, Ms Ozunimi Iti, both reaffirmed the organisation’s continued support and partnership geared towards enhancing safe and sustainable environment in Nigeria and globally.
The HPMP for Nigeria was developed by the Federal Ministry of Environment and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The project aims to phase-out Hydrorohlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) by 2040 as part of Nigeria’s obligation as a developing country under the Montreal Protocol which was ratified in 1987, but came into force in January 1988, with 46 signatories and 197 member countries, including Nigeria.
In line with the overarching HPMP implementation strategy for Nigeria, UNIDO is implementing ODS phase-out programmes and projects in the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Manufacturing Sector (RAMS) for Stage II which aims to phase-out 35 per cent of the consumption of HFCFs in the country. Under the first phase, UNIDO distributed 75 low pressure foaming machines and spare parts and built technical capacity of refrigeration and air-conditioning manufacturers in 13 states across Nigeria.
UNIDO supports developing countries and economies in transition in their environmental management efforts, including the implementation of multilateral environmental agreements. As an implementing agency for the Montreal Protocol since 1992, UNIDO has successfully implemented over 1,200 projects in more than 98 countries and contributed to the phase-out of about 70,287 tonnes of ODS globally.
Campaigners from around the world are calling for more action to protect people displaced by climate change as the United Nations convenes a flagship Summit for Refugees and Migrants in New York on Monday, September 19.
Nigerian refugees fleeing Boko Haram fighting
Intended to make the international response to large movements of migrants and refugees “more humane and coordinated” in a year which has already seen over 3,200 people drown attempting to cross the Mediterranean, the meeting will discuss root drivers and causes of large movements of people as well as options for international cooperation.
Civil society groups from numerous regions welcomed the Summit, but said more needs to be done as climate change is forcing increasing numbers of people to move.
“We’re already seeing devastating impacts on communities as a result of carbon pollution,” said Asad Rehman from Friends of the Earth England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, “and as the planet heats up we’ll see more crop failures, greater food and water insecurity, more intense droughts and floods, and more record-breaking typhoons and hurricanes, which all lead to the forced displacement of people. Countries must meet their existing commitments to protect those displaced as well as undertake new ones – both in terms of fighting the root causes of displacement such as climate change and poverty and also in guaranteeing refugees’ and migrants’ rights.”
“When super typhoon Haiyan struck us in the Philippines in 2013, it left 7,000 people dead and two million homeless. Thousands of families had to permanently move away from unsafe coastal areas, but because they did not leave the country they did not have the same protection and entitlements as ‘refugees’. Their rights and welfare as displaced persons must be addressed not only by our government but also by the international community. The UN must develop an adequate international legal framework to offer protection – Haiyan won’t be the last super typhoon we will face,” said Lidy Nacpil from Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development.
“As a result of rising sea levels here in Papua New Guinea, women from the Carteret Islands are being relocated by the government in war-ravaged Bougainville. Those women, coming from a matrilineal culture, have not only lost their home islands and inherited lands, but their livelihoods, their children’s futures and cultures and traditions. As a result, gender-based violence and poverty have increased” said Helen Hakena from Leitana Nehan Women’s Development Agency.
“Though the ‘displacement task force’ created by the Paris Agreement was a step in the right direction, we need much more attention at a much higher level. The UN Climate Change bodies must work with other UN agencies to ensure nobody is left behind. There are no shortages of ideas – such as the call by the government of Tuvalu for a system of legal protection for those displaced by climate change impacts – what we lack is the political will.”
Current predictions state that anywhere between 50-200 million people could be displaced as a result of climate change by 2050 as many countries begin to experience a permanent loss of territory.
New investments in issues ranging from coastal fisheries and conservation funds to combating plastic pollution and expanding marine protected areas were on Friday announced by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) at the Our Ocean conference that held during the week in Washington DC, USA.
Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson of the GEF. GEF has announced new investments in various ocean conservation issues
Alongside fellow environment and conservation leaders, the GEF CEO and Chairperson, Naoko Ishii, stressed the need to match political commitments with financial support for the world’s oceans, our vital global commons.
Expansion and Protection of Marine Protected Areas
The Wildlife Conservation Society, Waitt Foundation, Blue Moon Fund, and the GEF announced a $48 million commitment to expand and protect the world’s marine protected areas (MPAs).
Joining Cristián Samper, President and CEO of WCS, Naoko Ishii, announced GEF’s contribution, “I am pleased to announce the GEF’s new commitment of $33 million dollars to create, expand and improve the effectiveness of over seven million hectares of marine protected areas. These new funds will help ensure protection of valuable marine and coastal ecosystems worldwide, our vital global commons.”
“Marine Protected Areas are a win-win. Marine Protected Areas are our best conservation tool protecting habitat, improving fisheries, supporting local livelihoods and securing the long-term health of marine biodiversity and the oceans,” said Samper.
“Despite providing half the world’s fish, the vast majority of fishing-sector employment and encompassing our most critical marine habitat, there is a yawning gap in investment in the sector. The Meloy Fund aims to bridge that gap and further incentivise sustainable small-scale fishing practices,” said Rare CEO Brett Jenks.
Naoko Ishii, said, “We cannot secure our oceans’ future without the active involvement of the private sector. Investment in coastal fisheries is both an environmental necessity and a largely untapped economic opportunity. Today, we are here to announce the creation of the $20 million Meloy Fund, a first-of-its-kind attempt to attract private impact investments in community small-scale fisheries in Indonesia and the Philippines. The GEF investment in this fund is part of our commitment to both promote sustainable fisheries worldwide, protect marine ecosystems and foster partnerships with the private sector.”
Blue Abadi Fund
Conservation International, together with The Walton Family Foundation, the GEF, The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund,announced the launch of a trust fund, Blue Abadi. The fund will support long-term protection of Indonesia’s Bird’s Head Seascape — home to the single greatest reservoir of marine life on the planet.
“The Bird’s Head Seascape is a groundbreaking partnership protecting a unique and irreplaceable corner of our blue planet,” said Peter Seligmann, chairman and CEO of Conservation International. “The Government of Indonesia and the local community have taken the lion’s share of responsibility for these efforts. I am thrilled that Conservation International and our partners can support the long-term financial stability of this partnership through the Blue Abadi Fund.”
Naoko Ishii said “I am pleased to announce that the GEF will provide seed funding of more than two million dollars to help catalyse the Blue Abadi Fund in the heart of the Coral Triangle, one of the most marine biodiverse regions in the world. The Blue Abadi Fund is unique. It creates an investment partnership between a multilateral institution and private philanthropists working together with the public sector and NGOs. This groundbreaking new fund demonstrates the power of partnerships to co-finance ocean conservation.”
Stemming the tide of ocean pollution
Ocean Conservancy, The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and GEF all announced greater efforts to tackle ocean pollution.
Addressing the Our Ocean conference, Naoko Ishii said, “It will take action on many fronts to deal with the growing menace of marine pollution.” She made two related announcements.
“To help eliminate plastics in the oceans, the GEF, in collaboration with UNEP will invest $2 million dollars to support the efforts of the Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas Alliance to prevent plastic from leaking into the oceans,” said Ishii. “The GEF investment will also support the efforts of the Ellen MacArthur foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative to move the entire plastics supply chain toward a circular economy.”
Ishii continued, “At the same time, we cannot forget that excess nitrogen is poisoning our lakes and oceans. Therefore, I am also pleased to announce $6 million in new GEF support for a project with UNEP to address this important issue.”
“Marine debris, especially plastic debris, is a growing concern for all who care about our ocean and the communities that depend upon it,” said Andreas Merkl, CEO, Ocean Conservancy. “To stem the tide against plastic waste leaking into the ocean, it will takecoordinated action across all sectors. This is why I’m pleased to have the support of the Global Environment Facility, the United Nations Environment Programme and our other partners in the Trash Free Seas Alliance® as we work to engage foreign governments, businesses and local civil society organizations to build durable solutions that will combat the flow of plastic waste into the ocean at every point in the pollution vector.”
Hosted by US Secretary of State John Kerry, Our Ocean 2016 brought together heads of state, scientists, business leaders, NGOs, and others to tackle key issues including marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, marine pollution, and climate-related impacts on the ocean.
No longer classified as endangered, the iconic species, symbol of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), is one step further away from extinction
The giant panda has been downgraded from Endangered to Vulnerable on the global list of species at risk of extinction
In a welcome piece of good news for the world’s threatened wildlife, the giant panda has just been downgraded from ‘Endangered’ to ‘Vulnerable’ on the global list of species at risk of extinction, demonstrating how an integrated approach can help save our planet’s vanishing biodiversity.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced the positive change to the giant panda’s official status in the Red List of Threatened Species, pointing to the 17 per cent rise in the population in the decade up to 2014, when a nationwide census found 1,864 giant pandas in the wild in China.
“For over 50 years, the giant panda has been the globe’s most beloved conservation icon as well as the symbol of WWF. Knowing that the panda is now a step further from extinction is an exciting moment for everyone committed to conserving the world’s wildlife and their habitats,” said Marco Lambertini, WWF Director General.
“The recovery of the panda shows that when science, political will and engagement of local communities come together, we can save wildlife and also improve biodiversity,” added Lambertini.
While the panda’s status has improved, other species are under increasing threat, including the Eastern gorilla that is now listed as critically endangered, just one step away from extinction, due primarily to poaching.
WWF’s panda logo was designed by the organisation’s founding chairman, the naturalist and painter Sir Peter Scott in 1961. Twenty years later, WWF became the first international organisation to work in China.
Ever since, WWF has been working with the government on initiatives to save giant pandas and their habitat, including helping to establish an integrated network of giant panda reserves and wildlife corridors to connect isolated panda populations as well as working with local communities to develop sustainable livelihoods and minimise their impact on the forests.
These efforts have seen the number of panda reserves jump to 67, which now protect nearly two-thirds of all wild pandas. They have also helped to safeguard large swathes of mountainous bamboo forests, which shelter countless other species and provide natural services to vast numbers of people, including tens of millions who live alongside rivers downstream of panda habitat.
Drawing on biodiversity and biomimetics, new innovation model proposes to use science, cutting-edge technology and indigenous knowledge to carve out new path for development in Amazon region
Brazilian climatologist, Carlos Nobre, leads a group of Latin American scientists and entrepreneurs clamouring a Fourth Industrial Revolution in the Amazon
Latin American scientists and entrepreneurs on Friday published an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that would turn the biodiversity and biomimetic assets of the Amazon and the knowledge of its Indigenous Peoples into fuel for a “Fourth Industrial Revolution,” while simultaneously protecting the region from the economic pressures that are currently threatening to turn the world’s largest rainforest into a degraded savannah.
Led by renowned Brazilian scientist Carlos Nobre, an MIT-trained climatologist, the group includes Peruvian entrepreneur Juan Carlos Castilla-Rubio, chairman of Space Time Ventures and of Planetary Skin Institute; Brazil’s Space Research Institute-INPE researchers Gilvan Sampaio, Laura Borma and Manoel Cardoso; and José Silva, a post-graduate at University of Brasilia. The group argues that, in the short term, and using a low-tech approach, it is feasible to develop unique, biodiversity-based products, with high added value capable of reaching global markets.
“We hope to start a revolution,” said Nobre, noting that the multidisciplinary science and technology group he leads is driven by a sense of urgency. Its members seek to set up public-private partnerships among key actors in Brazil and other Amazonian countries, bringing together the finest research and development centres, universities, startups and visionary companies worldwide, guided by the need to involve Indigenous Peoples, while ensuring that social safeguards are in place to protect their rights and interests.
“In order to reach the 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming levels anticipated by the Paris Accord, we must move towards the de-carbonisation of the economy, and that includes a zero deforestation target for the world’s forests, which also implies zero deforestation for Brazil,” Nobre said.
Nobre notes as well that indigenous knowledge, the knowledge of the traditional communities about biomolecules and the forms and processes of ecosystems, has been accumulated through countless generations in the Amazon. “Respect for this knowledge and for inclusive development must serve as the foundation for innovation models for the future of the forest,” he asserts.
The proposal by the group envisions making economic use of the biodiversity and biomimetic assets of the Amazon, with its diversity of living plants, animals and insects, pairing them with advances in applied research in advanced biological, digital and material science technologies that are currently fueling a Fourth Industrial Revolution.
These include breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, robotics, blockchain, the Internet of Things, quantum computing, genomics, genetic editing, nanotechnologies and 3D printing, amongst many others. This new model provides a valid way to change the tragic and irreversible fate towards which the planet’s largest tropical forest seems to be headed. A huge opportunity will be lost if the region continues to be driven by a development model that threatens the forests, fuels climate change, and destroys Indigenous Peoples and the biodiversity they have protected for centuries and generations. They must be respected as holders of traditional knowledge and rights.
Characterised by high rates of deforestation and exposed to increased frequency of fires and long periods of drought and extreme weather, the Amazon under the current development model could well enter an irreversible process of “savannisation,” the authors warn.
The group predicts that, by 2050, half of the tropical forest may be replaced by degraded tropical savannah or seasonal forests. Drier and poorer, the region would face a point of no return for the survival of the world’s largest tropical forest, with catastrophic consequences for Indigenous Peoples, Brazil, South America and the world.
“If warming in Amazonia exceeds four degrees Celsius, or if more than 40 percent of the forest is cleared, we will reach the tipping point for the forest’s balance with the climate,” Nobre said. “The resulting savannisation process could become irreversible.”
Brazil’s success with reducing illegal deforestation by 80 percent in the last decade creates a bridge that could make possible a radical reversal of the current development model in the Amazon, serving as a springboard for exploiting the assets of biodiversity and biomimetics, according to Nobre and his colleagues.
The group cites, for example, the alkaloid spilanthol, found in the leaves, stems and flowers of the jambu – a plant common in Amazonian gardens and widely used in local cuisine. Spilanthol slightly numbs the tongue when ingested, as described in patents for anesthetics, antiseptics, anti-wrinkle preparations, toothpaste, gynecological medicines and anti-inflammatories. Another natural product, known as copaiba oil, is easily processed from start to finish in the Amazon, and could be used as an alternative source of fluorine-xylo for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
But the PNAS article proposes to delve even further into the research and development of innovations offered by the forest and its peoples. The researchers discuss using the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to learn from and imitate the forest’s natural forms, as well as the processes, molecules, materials and ecosystems, all capable of inspiring invaluable innovations for multiple industries in Brazil and around the world.
“We are rapidly coming to understand how things are created in nature, and how organisms sense their environment using sophisticated sensors, how they interpret that information, how they move about in their environment using biomechanical and kinetic principles, processes that have taken millions of years to develop behave and function,” said Castilla-Rubio, one of the authors and a biochemical engineer from Cambridge University.
In addition, he says, the forest reproduces complex biological systems and biomimetic solutions to problems on a nano-molecular scale. These environmentally friendly processes can inspire technologies to prevent and remedy pollution, provide new insights for designing bio-textiles, and inform advanced applications of robotic behavior and cognition, which are in the initial phase of the innovation cycle.
“Leveraging the Amazon’s vast biomimetic and biodiversity assets, we can aspire to develop revolutionary innovations in multiple fields. For example, a long-lasting foam produced by a species of frog has inspired the creation of new technologies for capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,” said Castilla-Rubio.
The revolutionary plan the authors envision as capable of changing the course of the history of the Amazon cannot be implemented in a single step. Instead, an ambitious innovation initiative that would pool capabilities and resources from technology startups, visionary corporations, academia, government and leading philanthropic actors on a massive scale for navigating the long road ahead is needed. “We have an important choice to make,” Castilla-Rubio said. The future of the Amazon, and its impact on the planet, lies so clearly in the balance. Time is not on our side, but we can still choose the ‘third way’.”
A report published on Thursday has revealed how Swiss commodity trading firms exploit lax regulatory standards to sell African customers fuel with high sulphur content. Titled “Dirty Diesel”, the report was published by Public Eye, a Swiss non-governmental organisation.
Fuel tankers in Apapa, Lagos
Produced by the trading firms themselves, these types of fuel have reportedly been banned in Europe. According to observers, they contribute significantly to the rapidly rising air pollution in African cities and jeopardise the health of millions of people.
In a petition addressed to Trafigura, Public Eye and its West African partners call on the Geneva-based commodities giant only to sell fuel that meets European standards in all of its operations around the world.
Based on three years of research, the “Dirty Diesel” study highlights for the first time the pivotal role played by Swiss commodity trading companies in Africa’s fuel industry and reveals the shocking business model behind a supply chain completely controlled by these companies in their multiple roles as producers, suppliers, and – in some regions – operators of gas station networks.
In West Africa especially, Vitol, Trafigura and Addax & Oryx are accused of exploiting weak regulatory standards and make the local urban populations pay with their health. Public Eye researchers drew fuel at local pumps in eight countries. The analysis revealed that the diesel samples contained up to 378 times more sulphur than is permitted in Europe. Furthermore, other toxic substances, such as benzene and polycyclical aromatic hydrocarbons, were also found in concentrations that are also banned in Europe.
The 160-page report also shows that the trading companies not only ship dirty diesel and dirty gasoline – and in some areas even sell it at their own pumps – but also produce both fuels themselves. On land or at sea, they are accused of mixing up a petrochemical cocktail from refinery products and other components known in the industry as “African Quality”. These toxic fuels are said to be mainly mixed in the ARA-Zone (Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp) where Swiss trading firms have their own refineries and storage facilities. Many West African countries that export high grade crude oil to Europe receive toxic low quality fuel in return, it was revealed.
Producing and selling such products is illegitimate and violates the African populations’ right to health, said environment watchdog, Greenpeace, in a statement on Thursday.
According to a recent UN study, the populations in the continent’s major urban centres suffer from the most rapidly increasing levels of air pollution in the world. It is estimated that, by 2030, Africa will have three times as many deaths from traffic-related particle dust than Europe, Japan, and the US combined. Respiratory illnesses are already a major health issue and diesel fumes can cause cancer.
“To disarm this time bomb the governments of the affected countries need to set and enforce stricter standards. But the Swiss commodity companies, too, must respect human rights wherever they do business – and comply with the UN-Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights adopted in 2011,” stated Greenpeace.
CEO Jeremy Weir wrote in last year’s sustainability report that Trafigura wants to “become acknowledged sector leaders in the way we manage corporate responsibility”. The company also intends to adapt its business practices to the aforementioned UN guidelines.
In order to remind the commodities giant of its good intentions, Public Eye and its West African partner organisations will be shipping a container full of toxic air from Accra, the capital of Ghana, back to Geneva in late September. With this symbolic “Return to Sender”-campaign, the NGOs are inviting Trafigura “to put its money where its mouth is and stop selling fuel that does not meet European standards anywhere in the world.”
