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A comprehensive new analysis released today says that nearly half (49%) of all recent tropical deforestation is the result of illegal clearing for commercial agriculture. The study also finds that the majority of this illegal destruction was driven by overseas demand for agricultural commodities including palm oil, beef, soy, and wood products. In addition to devastating impacts on forest-dependent people and biodiversity, the illegal conversion of tropical forests for commercial agriculture is estimated to produce 1.47 gigatonnes of carbon each yearequivalent to 25% of the EU's annual fossil fuel-based emissions.

"We've known that the production of agricultural commodities is a principal driving force behind deforestation, but this is the first report to show the outsize role that illegal activities play in the production of hundreds of food and household products consumed worldwide," said Michael Jenkins, President and CEO of Forest Trends, a Washington-based NGO that published the report.

"Increased agricultural production will be necessary for food security and to meet the demand of the emerging global middle class. However, the world must also wake up to the scale of how much of this agricultural production is taking place on land that has been illegally cleared. Urgent action is needed to help countries where these agricultural products are being grown, both for governments to enforce their own laws and regulations, and for businesses aiming to produce commodities legally and sustainably."

According to the study, Consumer Goods and Deforestation: An Analysis of the Extent and Nature of Illegality in Forest Conversion for Agriculture, 90% of the deforestation in Brazil from 2000 to 2012 was illegal, primarily due to the failure to conserve a percentage of natural forests in large-scale cattle and soy plantations, as required by Brazilian law. (Much of this occurred prior to 2004, when the Brazilian government took steps to successfully reduce deforestation.) And in the forests of Indonesia, 80% of deforestation was illegalmostly for large-scale plantations producing palm oil and timber, 75% of which is exported. While other countries also experience high levels of illegal deforestation, Brazil and Indonesia produce the highest level of agricultural commodities destined for global markets, many of which wind up in cosmetics or household goods (palm oil), animal feed (soy), and packaging (wood products).

Illegal deforestation is also rampant in most other countries across Asia, Latin America, and Africa losing large areas of tropical forest. Examples include the following:

In most cases, the companies that illegally razed forests to grow these crops had some form of government permit in hand. However, the report finds that it was also often the case that these permits were corruptly issued or fraudulently obtained; that these companies were missing additional required permits and licenses; or that these companies violated laws when clearing and planting, causing significant negative impacts on the environment and the rights of local people who have lived in these forests for generations and who depend on them for their food and incomes.

"All over the tropics, companies are bribing officials to obtain permits, trampling the legal or customary rights of Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dwelling communities, clearing more forest than they are allowed, and causing pollution and environmental devastation by flouting the law," said Sam Lawson, the report author.

Export Agriculture a Key Driver of Illegal Deforestation

According to the report, the international trade in agricultural commodities (beef, leather, soy, palm oil, and wood products, including paper) produced on land illegally converted from tropical forest is worth an estimated US$61 billion per year. The EU, China, India, Russia, and the US are among the largest buyers of these commodities.

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Illegal land clearing for commercial agriculture responsible for half of tropical deforestation

press release

Washington, DC A comprehensive new analysis released today says that nearly half (49%) of all recent tropical deforestation is the result of illegal clearing for commercial agriculture.

The study also finds that around half of this illegal destruction was driven by overseas demand for agricultural commodities including palm oil, beef, soy, and wood products.

In addition to devastating impacts on forest-dependent people and biodiversity, the illegal conversion of tropical forests for commercial agriculture is estimated to produce 1.47 gigatonnes of carbon each year-- equivalent to 25% of the EU's annual fossil fuel-based emissions.

"We've known that the production of agricultural commodities is a principal driving force behind deforestation, but this is the first report to show the outsize role that illegal activities play in the production of hundreds of food and household products consumed worldwide," said Michael Jenkins, President and CEO of Forest Trends, a Washington-based NGO that published the report.

"Increased agricultural production will be necessary for food security and to meet the demand of the emerging global middle class. However, the world must also wake up to the scale of how much of this agricultural production is taking place on land that has been illegally cleared. Urgent action is needed to help countries where these agricultural products are being grown, both for governments to enforce their own laws and regulations, and for businesses aiming to produce commodities legally and sustainably."

According to the study, Consumer Goods and Deforestation: An Analysis of the Extent and Nature of Illegality in Forest Conversion for Agriculture, 90% of the deforestation in Brazil from 2000 to 2012 was illegal, primarily due to the failure to conserve a percentage of natural forests in large-scale cattle and soy plantations, as required by Brazilian law. (Much of this occurred prior to 2004, when the Brazilian government took steps to successfully reduce deforestation.)

And in the forests of Indonesia, 80% of deforestation was illegal--mostly for large-scale plantations producing palm oil and timber, 75% of which is exported. While other countries also experience high levels of illegal deforestation, Brazil and Indonesia produce the highest level of agricultural commodities destined for global markets, many of which wind up in cosmetics or household goods (palm oil), animal feed (soy), and packaging (wood products).

Illegal deforestation is also rampant in most other countries across Asia, Latin America, and Africa losing large areas of tropical forest. Examples include the following:

In most cases, the companies that illegally razed forests to grow these crops had some form of government permit in hand. However, the report finds that it was also often the case that these permits were corruptly issued or fraudulently obtained; that these companies were missing additional required permits and licenses; or that these companies violated laws when clearing and planting, causing significant negative impacts on the environment and the rights of local people who have lived in these forests for generations and who depend on them for their food and incomes.

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Africa: Illegal Land Clearing for Commercial Agriculture Responsible for Half of Tropical Deforestation

Need Some Land Clearing in Houston? Call Land Clearing in Texas!
http://www.landclearingoftexas.com Land Clearing of Texas offers Land Clearing, Excavation, Hydro Ax Mulching, Bull Dozing, Site Preparation, Demolition and ...

By: Hannah Thames

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Need Some Land Clearing in Houston? Call Land Clearing in Texas! - Video

Clearing controversy: A leaflet that dropped around the Beecroft area to take advantage of the new laws.

Tree lopping companies have been pamphlet dropping and offering discounts for entire streets on the back of new bushfire laws that allow land-clearing in urban areas, as councils plead with the Rural Fire Service to intervene.

Mosman Council has reported that 14 trees on private property had been removed last week for improved views and another five are expected to be chopped down this week when the residents are able to engage busy contractors.

Eight trees had been removed for development applications and the council received 25 calls from the public about removing trees for development under the 10/50 laws, whichallow peoplewho are living within 350 metres of designated bushfire prone areas to clear trees on their property within 10 metres of a home and shrubs within 50 metres, without seeking approval. It makes no distinction between bushland and urban areas.

Mosman deputy mayor Roy Bendall said the council had presented evidence of the tree lopping to the RFS last week and they had been promised a "workshop".

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Mr Bendall said hefeared it was all "window dressing, trying to placate us and not face the fact that, while this policy has merit in rural and heavily vegetated areas, the sheer scale of the clearing zones is ridiculous in highly urbanised areas".

"When you have Spit Road in the clearing zone, you have to wonder if enough thought has gone into this?" Mr Bendallsaid.

Mosman Council has moved to make urgent representations to the Premier, the Minister for the Environment and the Minister for Emergency Services about the excessive clearing and the impact it is having on the character of the suburb.

Greens MP David Shoebridge said local neighbourhoods are banding together to fight the laws in a campaign "to give 10/50 the chop".

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Tree loppers touting for business under new bushfire laws

Former Israeli President Shimon Peres said the governments appropriation of West Bank land for settlement is damaging talks for a lasting diplomatic accord with the Palestinians.

We have to agree not to continue the building of new settlements while we are negotiating, Peres said in a Bloomberg Television interview in Cernobbio, Italy. You cannot quarrel and negotiate at the same time. So we have to agree on a quid-pro-quo situation.

Israel last week announced it was declaring about 1,000 acres of territory south of Bethlehem as state property, clearing the way for eventual construction of new settlements there. The seizure was condemned by the Palestinians, the U.S. and the United Nations as detrimental to the peace process.

Peress comments reflect the division in Israel over new settlements and peace talks with the Palestinians. Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett last week defended the moves, adding that a Palestinian state was not working. Finance Minister Yair Lapid said the appropriation in the Gush Etzion region was taken without cabinet approval and causes damage to Israel.

The U.S. called on Israel to reverse the land seizures, and expressed concern about reports of settlement plans in east Jerusalem. Such measures are contrary to Israels stated goal of negotiating a permanent status agreement with the Palestinians, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in an e-mailed statement.

Palestinians say Israeli construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem is a war crime that violates the Fourth Geneva Convention. Israel says the settlements dont fall under the convention because the territory wasnt recognized as belonging to anyone before the 1967 war, in which Israel prevailed, and therefore isnt occupied.

To contact the reporters on this story: David Wainer in Tel Aviv at dwainer3@bloomberg.net; Flavia Rotondi in Rome at rotondi@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Dick Schumacher at dschumacher@bloomberg.net Stephen Kirkland, Vernon Wessels

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Israels Peres Says West Bank Land Appropriation Damages Talks

New Road in Madaka, land clearing - Sierra Leone
SMHC - Saint Mary #39;s Home of Charity New road from Madaka to Songo.

By: SMHC - St. Mary #39;s Home of Charity - SIERRA LEONE

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New Road in Madaka, land clearing - Sierra Leone - Video

10/50 farce gives green light for clearing native vegetation
The 10/50 rule has created an atmosphere of unrestrained land clearing in Western Sydney.

By: Daniel Taylor

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10/50 farce gives green light for clearing native vegetation - Video

Busch Gardens Williamsburg Construction Update Labor Day Weekend 2015 Coaster
An update on the construction from Busch Gardens on Labor Day weekend. A new roller coaster is scheduled to be built next to Apollo #39;s Chariot in 2015, and so in this video, you #39;ll get a glimpse...

By: Coaster Studios

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Busch Gardens Williamsburg Construction Update Labor Day Weekend 2015 Coaster - Video

By Ben Wedeman, and Susannah Cullinane CNN

updated 8:56 AM EDT, Tue September 2, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- Israel came under fire Monday for claiming close to 1,000 acres of land in the Palestinian West Bank.

Israel announced Sunday that the land in and around the Wadi Fukin valley, would become "state land," clearing the way for the development of a new Israeli settlement. The affected land lies near Bethlehem and close to Bitar Ilit -- one of the biggest Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Farmers in the area have 45 days to appeal Israel's decision to claim the land.

"The seizure of such a large swathe of land risks paving the way for further settlement activity, which -- as the United Nations has reiterated on many occasions -- is illegal under international law and runs totally counter to the pursuit of a two-state solution," United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement Monday.

UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond issued a similar statement, criticizing the move.

"This is a particularly ill-judged decision that comes at a time when the priority must be to build on the cease-fire in Gaza. It will do serious damage to Israel's standing in the international community," he said. "Our position on settlements is clear: they are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and take us further away from a two state solution at a time when negotiations to achieve this objective urgently need to be resumed."

Hammond said efforts should be focused on securing a durable cease-fire in Gaza and lasting peace. "We strongly urge the government of Israel to reverse this decision," he said.

Original post:
Israel claims 1,000 acres in West Bank

By Ben Wedeman, and Susannah Cullinane CNN

September 1, 2014 -- Updated 2311 GMT (0711 HKT)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- Israel came under fire Monday for claiming close to 1,000 acres of land in the Palestinian West Bank.

Israel announced Sunday that the land in and around the Wadi Fukin valley, would become "state land," clearing the way for the development of a new Israeli settlement. The affected land lies near Bethlehem and close to Bitar Ilit -- one of the biggest Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Farmers in the area have 45 days to appeal Israel's decision to claim the land.

"The seizure of such a large swathe of land risks paving the way for further settlement activity, which -- as the United Nations has reiterated on many occasions -- is illegal under international law and runs totally counter to the pursuit of a two-state solution," United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement Monday.

UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond issued a similar statement, criticizing the move.

"This is a particularly ill-judged decision that comes at a time when the priority must be to build on the cease-fire in Gaza. It will do serious damage to Israel's standing in the international community," he said. "Our position on settlements is clear: they are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and take us further away from a two state solution at a time when negotiations to achieve this objective urgently need to be resumed."

Hammond said efforts should be focused on securing a durable cease-fire in Gaza and lasting peace. "We strongly urge the government of Israel to reverse this decision," he said.

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Israel under fire for 'land grab'