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GM Plants Gone Wild
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues
Three incidents in the US involving genetically modified plants have caused concern about lack of regulations (or lack of enforcement). The incidents include an experimental rice being mixed in other rice for human consumption, an experimental bent-grass “escaping” and a failure to research the environmental impact of growing plants to produce pharmaceuticals in Hawaii.
When Genetically Modified Plants Go Wild from The Christian Science Monitor
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:57 PM
A New Green Revolution in India?
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine
India and the US have recently entered an agreement to conduct joint agricultural research in biotechnology. The research will focus on the development of drought- and heat-resistant crops suitable for the Indian climate. There is little new land available for agricultural development in the Asian nation, but increased food production is needed to feed the growing population. Analysts note that India's agricultural production lags behind countries that grow biotech crops. Leaders hope that biotechnology can increase farm productivity enough to help the country meet its economic and development goals.
Critics are concerned that farmers will become dependent on large biotech firms and doubt the claims of increased productivity promised by the industry. Farmers have definitely shown interest in modified crops however, rapidly expanding their planting of genetically modified Bollgard cotton seeds since Monsanto was first allowed to sell them in India in 2002.
Link:
Bush, Biotech Can Transform India’s Countryside from Bloomberg
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 11:42 AM | Comments (0)
Who Shall Be the Keeper of the Names?
Category(-ies): Botanical Resources , Plant Legal News and Issues
Two centuries after Linnaeus developed his binomial classification system that brought order to the naming of species, there is still no universally accepted central authority for registering the names of life forms on earth. One and a half to two million species have been described and named. New discoveries are being made regularly. Internationally accepted rules for describing a species have been established by agencies such as the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) and the International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT). Whatever name and description meeting these standards is published first, is the name that is accepted for the organism. Names can be published virtually anywhere. An officially accepted central registry of species names would be a welcome boon for biologists.
Continue reading "Who Shall Be the Keeper of the Names?"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 11:47 AM | Comments (1)
Environment Canada's Ecological Gifts Program
Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plant Legal News and Issues
One of the greatest threats to biodiversity is the destruction of habitat for human development projects. Environment Canada's Ecological Gifts Program, created in 1995, provides tax incentives to citizens who want to protect wild lands. Private and corporate land owners can receive a tax deduction equal to the value of their gift for donations of ecologically sensitive land or for setting up special property rights restrictions limiting development of the land - in this way property owners may remain on their land while it is protected. Groups can also receive tax benefits by purchasing land for protection. Environment Canada coordinates the needs of recipient organizations to the wishes of donors and makes sure that the agencies are committed to protecting the land in perpetuity.
Continue reading "Environment Canada's Ecological Gifts Program"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:13 PM | Comments (0)
Research Literally Blown Away
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues
Florida's climate makes it an important state in terms of agricultural production - it ranks second in the US in the production of fresh vegetables. Scientists at some of the state's major agricultural research centres suffered serious setbacks, as years of research literally blew away in one of the most damaging hurricane seasons to hit the area. Wilma was particularly destructive, destroying 12 greenhouses and damaging 55 of 60 buildings at the Belle Glade centre. Many studies will be delayed until next season; some researchers will have to start their experiments over from scratch. Several research centres are petitioning the Florida state government for funds to rebuild infrastructure and programs. As centres rebuild, they have to expect that they will be hit by destructive storms again in the future and use the opportunity to construct more secure facilities to prevent future setbacks and losses of valuable research.
Link:
Agriculture labs blown for a loss from the Palm Beach Post (story expired)
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:00 PM | Comments (0)
Pyrethrins
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine
As the dangers of some of the chemicals used as pesticides have come to light, gardeners and farmers have sought less damaging compounds to battle pests. The use of organic pesticides, such as pyrethrins derived from chrysanthemum flowers, has increased. Organic does not necessarily mean non-toxic. Gardeners should use caution when handling the pesticides and resist overusing them. Overuse can kill beneficial insects, may lead to the development of resistance in pest species and surplus chemicals in runoff from fields and gardens may concentrate in streams.
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 1:42 PM | Comments (1)
How Big is Your Ecological Footprint?
Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plant Legal News and Issues
It has been ten years since the book, Our Ecological Footprint was published by UBC professor William Rees and Mathis Wackernagel. The book introduced the concept of ecological footprint analysis, described by Rees in an interview, "Pick a population, examine its consumption patterns for a considerable period of time, and then calculate the total area of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems needed to produce all the goods and services that the population consumes, and to assimilate the wastes that the population produces" (Aurora Online). The analysis methods have been carefully refined over the years and produce a fairly accurate estimate of the amount of land required to produce and dispose of the goods used by a region or an individual.
Continue reading "How Big is Your Ecological Footprint?"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 1:51 PM | Comments (0)
Balancing the Debate on Natural Resource Management
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues
In the last century human settlement has become increasingly urban: almost half of the global population now resides in cities or towns - developed countries average over 70%. The shift has brought changes in the way land use and natural resource decisions are made. Some would argue that a growing urban voice has dominated environmental debate, influencing policy in rural areas without sufficient input from the people who inhabit those areas. Efforts are on the rise to give greater voice to rural residents.
Continue reading "Balancing the Debate on Natural Resource Management"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 1:44 PM
An End to Illegal Timber Exports in Myanmar?
Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plant Legal News and Issues
Myanmar is a country rich in natural resources, but fifty years of internal conflict over the control of its natural riches have thwarted effective development of their economic use. Timber, the country's primary natural resource, has been unscrupulously exploited by the elite of Myanmar and neighbouring countries. In October 2005, Global Witness released a report on the devastating effect of the unsustainable timber harvest to Myanmar's northern forests. The report stated that over 95% of the wood being exported to China was illegal. In the past four months illegal logging and timber trade at the China-Myanmar border has come to a near stop.
Continue reading "An End to Illegal Timber Exports in Myanmar?"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 12:08 AM | Comments (0)
Preserving British Columbia's Agricultural Lands
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine
British Columbia, like the rest of Canada, has vast land area with overall low population density. Although abundant, only around five percent of the land in the province is suitable for agriculture. Fertile soils can take thousands of years to develop. Land suited to agriculture is often the most desirable for other human uses as well. Recognizing that BC's agricultural land was a precious limited commodity that would come under increasing pressure for development, the provincial government established the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), in the mid 1970s.
Continue reading "Preserving British Columbia's Agricultural Lands"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:16 PM | Comments (0)
Archaeological Sites Destroyed By Agriculture
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues
Archaeological digs in the Somerset Levels of Britain have provided researchers with rare views into how Bronze Age man dealt with life in a wetland five thousand years ago. When the sites were first opened up around a century ago, organic items had been remarkably well preserved under the flooded land. A recent scientific survey of the wetlands, found that many of the organic artifacts had completely disintegrated. The culprit, it seems, is agriculture. In the past century land in the wetland has been drained for agriculture. Preserved organic artifacts decomposed quickly when water levels were lowered, exposing them to air.
Scientists are encouraging a return to traditional lower impact farming methods in the area to preserve the remaining artifacts.
Link: Britain's ancient sites destroyed by agriculture from the Guardian Unlimited
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:31 PM | Comments (0)
Microchips Foil Theft of Rare Plants
Category(-ies): Other Botanical Gardens , Plant Legal News and Issues
Curators at Ventnor Botanic Gardens on the Isle of Wight had microchips inserted into two rare tree ferns when they first arrived at the garden. After the ferns were stolen recently, this fact was made public. The two pilfered plants were found shortly after, having been dumped off by the thieves, who must have realized that they would not be able to sell the plants.
Link: Microchips save rare tree ferns from the BBC News
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 9:55 AM
India's Valley of Flowers Named World Heritage Site
Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants in the Landscape
India's Valley of Flowers, unknown to westerners until the 1930's, has been named a World Heritage Site. The beautiful alpine valley is known for its carpet of wildflowers brought forth by the monsoons. The valley covers over 87.5 square kilometers at an altitude of between 3,250 and 6,750 metres above sea level within the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, which was designated a World Heritage site in 1988. The area is home to several endangered animals and 521 varieties of flowering plants.
Years of work by forest service workers and local volunteers led by Indian Forest Service officer, Jyotsna Sitling helped to clean up and regenerate areas of the flower fields. Ms. Sitling submitted the request for heritage status with the Archeological Survey of India in 2004. World Heritage status was granted to the region in July 2005.
Links:
- Woman Behind Valley of Flowers from The Indian Express
- Uttaranchal's Valley of flowers becomes world heritage site from Web India 123
- India's Valley of flowers on UNESCO's list from the Central Chronicle
- UNESCO World Heritage website of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's World Heritage Program
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:53 PM | Comments (3)
Financial Advice for Gardeners
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues
The British love their gardens, they spend £4 billion on them annually. But the cost of creating beautiful gardens can add up very quickly. The Motley Fool UK has advice for homeowners wishing to create gardens on a budget. And for those looking for investment tips, why not try some of the companies profiting from the annual £4 billion spent by gardeners?
Links:
- Gardening For Next To Nothing from the Motley fool UK
- Making Money From Gardens from the Motley fool UK
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:48 PM | Comments (0)
Connecticut Considers Ban of Common Landscape Plants
Category(-ies): Invasive Plants , Plant Legal News and Issues
Scientists in Connecticut are concerned by the invasion of landscape plants into the state's wilderness areas. Some ornamental species produce an abundance of seeds that are carried into natural areas by the wind, birds or other wildlife. Vigorous plants chosen for horticultural use sometimes out compete native plants for space and light. Officials are considering a ban on several species and their cultivars.
Continue reading "Connecticut Considers Ban of Common Landscape Plants"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 6:35 PM
Managing the Effects of the Pine Beetle Infestation on BC’s Logging Communities
Category(-ies): Plant Diseases and Pests , Plant Legal News and Issues
More than seven million hectares of pine forest in British Columbia are now infested with the mountain pine beetle and there is no end to the spread of the pests in sight. BC’s logging industry is ramping up operations to harvest the glut of dead timber left in the wake of the infestation. The increased harvest is a boon to the economies of logging communities, but when the dead timber is depleted, many regions will need a new economic plan.
Continue reading "Managing the Effects of the Pine Beetle Infestation on BC’s Logging Communities"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:45 PM | Comments (0)
Zimbabwe Cracks Down on Urban Gardeners
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine
Authorities in Zimbabwe are destroying vegetable gardens, planted in vacant areas by the urban poor, claiming that they are causing "massive environmental damage" (SignOnSanDiego.com). Years of drought and low agricultural production caused by government redistribution of farmland have resulted in a severe shortage of food. Even residents of more affluent neighborhoods had taken to planting crops in their yards.
Government officials claim that the urban agriculture is degrading city water sources. Land had been set aside at the edge of Harare for city dwellers to grow crops last year. It is not yet clear how those areas will be affected by the crackdown.
Links:
- Zimbabwe government extends crackdown, begins destroying urban vegetable gardens from SignOnSanDiego.com
- Zimbabwe begins destroying vegetable gardens a similar article from Independent Online
- Zimbabwe Bans Urban Agriculture a somewhat broader perspective from Voice of America
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:38 PM | Comments (0)
New Certification for Sustainably Produced Flowers
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues
Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), an established environmental standards developer and independent certifier, has developed a new environmental certification label for floral products in the American market. The Veriflora™ standard addresses various issues of sustainability for floral production based on The Core Principles of Sustainable Agriculture, developed by the SCS.
Links:
- Floral Industry Launches New U.S. Eco-Label for Sustainably Grown Flowers from GreenBiz.com
- International Experts Tackle Sustainability Issues in Floral Sector; Announce New American National Standard Initiative press release from the symposium, Eco-Flower Power: Sustainability Trends for the Floral Industry, held June 3, 2005
- TheVeriflora™ Certification Program
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:31 PM | Comments (0)
Chilean National Symbol Threatened
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues
The majestic alerce tree (Fitzroya cupressoides) is a national symbol of Chile. The grand trees can live for thousands of years and attain a height of 50 metres. Cutting live alerce trees was banned in 1976, but the lumber is highly sought after and the ban has driven up the price. The harvest of fallen or burned trees was allowed. Unscrupulous loggers have burned or damaged trees, so that there has been a steady supply of dead trees to harvest.
Continue reading "Chilean National Symbol Threatened"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:29 PM | Comments (1)
USDA Stops Organic Certification of Cosmetics
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine
When the US Department of Agriculture created its organic certification program in 2002, it created a seal to indicate that goods were organically produced for cosmetics, pet food and even textiles. Now the agency has reversed itself, claiming there is no legal basis for the official organic label on such products. The law that created the program covers only food products.
Continue reading "USDA Stops Organic Certification of Cosmetics"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:20 PM
Cat Owners Warned of Floral Danger
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues
British authorities are warning cat owners of the potential danger of lilies. As the popularity of the flowers has increased, so have poisoning cases. Lilies are very toxic to cats; as little as one leaf can be fatal. In a recent case, a family pet had brushed against a bouquet. The cat became ill within minutes of licking lily pollen from her fur and suffered renal failure and blindness before dying a few hours later.
Continue reading "Cat Owners Warned of Floral Danger"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:17 PM
Florida Man Arrested for Poaching Wild Orchids
Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plant Legal News and Issues
After the initial purchase of a few orchids from a big box store four years ago, Gary Bienemann soon became hooked. He started gathering orchids from the woods near his home and travelled to South Florida, where he took rare protected orchids from the same swamp that served as a backdrop for the book The Orchid Thief. The collection at his home grew and he began selling the pilfered plants on eBay.
Continue reading "Florida Man Arrested for Poaching Wild Orchids"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:50 PM
The Vascular Plant Red Data List for Britain Published
Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plant Legal News and Issues
Botanists have recently published the most comprehensive assessment of the UK's flora to date. One in five native plants in Britain is threatened by extinction. Species that inhabit the margins of farmer's fields and grasslands are particularly at risk. New species on the Red List, corn buttercup and shepherd's needle have suffered very rapid decline in recent years. Western juniper had simply been overlooked in previous assessments although only eleven plants survive.
Continue reading "The Vascular Plant Red Data List for Britain Published"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:46 PM
India Protects Traditional Use of Neem
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine
The European Patent Office in Munich dismissed an appeal to the revocation of a patent it had previously granted for the use of neem as an antifungal agent. The plant has been used to control fungal infection by Indian farmers since ancient times. Advocates trying to protect the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples from exploitation welcomed the decision.
Continue reading "India Protects Traditional Use of Neem"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:00 PM
Many Americans Eat Biotech Foods Unknowingly
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine
A survey conducted by the Food Biotechnology Program at the Rutgers Food Policy Institute found that even though genetically modified ingredients are present in about three quarters of processed food products in the US, most Americans are unaware of them. Less than half the people surveyed knew that biotech products were being sold.
Continue reading "Many Americans Eat Biotech Foods Unknowingly"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:24 PM
China's Demand for Wood Impacts World's Forests
Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plant Legal News and Issues
According to a WWF report, released in March, China will soon be the leader in the global wood market. Increasing demand for wood products is putting pressure on forests in other countries. Much of China's timber imports come from countries where logging is poorly regulated. The report, China's Wood Market, Trade and the Environment cites China as being a major destination for illegally harvested or traded timber.
Continue reading "China's Demand for Wood Impacts World's Forests"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:15 PM
Transgenic Trees Taking Root
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues
The benefits of bioengineering forest trees could be great: pest resistance, harder wood, and faster growth. Field tests are being conducted on GE trees in several countries. China has already planted over a million poplars modified with a gene from bacteria to produce disease resistant trees. In the US one genetically engineered tree, a papaya has been approved for commercial production.
Continue reading "Transgenic Trees Taking Root"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:51 PM
A Green Dilemma
Category(-ies): Invasive Plants , Plant Legal News and Issues
The city of Sebastopol, California is confronted with an invasion of perennial pepperweed, Lepidium latifolium. State officials have requested permission to spray the affected acres with herbicide to prevent the spread into the adjacent Laguna de Santa Rosa wetland. This posed a dilemma for the environmentally conscious city, which has an ordinance against all chemical spraying.
Continue reading "A Green Dilemma"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:30 PM
Rare Plants Stolen from Private Garden
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues
Although interrupted by the owner, thieves still made off with two cycads, valued at US$3,500, from a private garden near Los Angeles. The plants have become a popular target for thieves because of their high value. Many species of cycads are endangered and have import restrictions, making them rare in cultivation and increasing their value.
Continue reading "Rare Plants Stolen from Private Garden"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:55 PM
Respecting the Knowledge of Healers
Category(-ies): Botanical Resources , Plant Conservation , Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine
The elders of the Haida Nation, like other indigenous peoples, have a wealth of knowledge about the plants in their environment. This knowledge has been passed down through generations, usually in oral form to specialists within the group. The benefit to the community is their incentive for preserving and administering the knowledge of healing plants.
Continue reading "Respecting the Knowledge of Healers"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 11:12 AM
Traits from GMO Grass Found Miles Away
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues
Environmental Protection Agency researchers reported that traits from a genetically modified grass could be spread to plants miles away via wind-blown pollen. The GMO grass, developed by Scotts for use on golf courses, is resistant to Monsanto Roundup. The herbicide resistance was found in seedlings from plants as far as thirteen miles from the experimental plot.
Continue reading "Traits from GMO Grass Found Miles Away"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:15 PM
The Highly Coveted Cycad
Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plant Legal News and Issues
Cycads are rare endangered plants native to tropical and subtropical regions. Often called living fossils, due to the ancient origin of the genus, cycads are increasingly under threat in the wild from poachers. Cultivated specimens in Botanical Gardens are also targeted. While Hurricane Frances blew across Florida, thieves broke into Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens in Coral Gables and made off with 33 of the prized plants.
Continue reading "The Highly Coveted Cycad"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:34 PM
Biologists Question Decision to Thin Forest
Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plant Legal News and Issues
Biologists are questioning the US Forest Service's decision to thin forests in the Sierra Nevada. The decision is rationalized by the Forest Service asserting that preventing wildfires will save spotted owl habitat. However, the Forest Service's claims of habitat loss due to wildfires appear to be exaggerated.
Continue reading "Biologists Question Decision to Thin Forest"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 10:17 PM
Kovach Plea Bargains in Orchid Smuggling Case
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues
James Michael Kovach has pleaded guilty to lesser charges in the case involving the smuggling of a previously unknown to science species of orchid. The unidentified lady-slipper orchid was brought to Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida and later named Phragmipedium kovachii by researchers at Selby. The U.S. Justice Department dropped the felony smuggling charge but brought forth a misdemeanor count of illegal trade, to which Kovach pleaded guilty.
Continue reading "Kovach Plea Bargains in Orchid Smuggling Case"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 10:48 AM
Much Ado About Saskatoons
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues , Plants, Food and Medicine
Saskatchewan's agriculture minister, Mark Wartman, is not pleased with Britain's Food Standard Agency. The agency has removed products containing saskatoon berries from store shelves and has ordered a market safety evaluation because of a lack of evidence of the safety of the fruit for consumption by Europeans.
Continue reading "Much Ado About Saskatoons"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 11:40 AM
Protecting Traditional Knowledge of Plants
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues
According to a report by the United Nations University, current international law forces indigenous peoples to put their traditional knowledge, often carefully guarded by cultural ritual, into the public domain.
National patent agencies require access to the traditional knowledge to make the determination whether products are in fact new or a part of the customary uses of indigenous peoples. The UNU report looks at the issue and proposes policy changes to protect the heritage of native cultures.
Continue reading "Protecting Traditional Knowledge of Plants"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:45 PM
Biological Reserve in Ecuador Threatened by Development
Category(-ies): Plant Conservation , Plant Legal News and Issues
One of the world's most biologically diverse areas, the Maquipucuna Reserve in Ecuador, is threatened by seemingly illegal development. The reserve, referred to as the “inland Galapagos” because of its impressive biodiversity, is home to 4% of bird species on the planet and at least 36 IUCN red-listed orchid species.
Continue reading "Biological Reserve in Ecuador Threatened by Development"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 6:21 PM
University of Iowa Herbarium
Category(-ies): Herbaria , Plant Legal News and Issues
The likely closing of the University of Iowa Herbarium has been known in botanical circles for some time, but this past week things have heated up: 'cease and desist' letters have been sent and the courts have imposed a temporary restraining order on the removal of the collection.
Continue reading "University of Iowa Herbarium"
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:28 PM
'Not guilty' plea for importing orchid
Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues
A followup to the weblog entries on Phragmipedium kovachii and Selby Botanical Garden pleading guilty for its role in the orchid case:
Continue reading "'Not guilty' plea for importing orchid"
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:38 PM
Selby Botanical Gardens pleads guilty
Category(-ies): Other Botanical Gardens , Plant Legal News and Issues
For background on this story, please read this weblog entry: Phragmipedium kovachii.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of violating the US Endangered Species Act for its role in illegally importing Phragmipedium kovachii. Selby Botanical Gardens will pay a fine of $5000, be placed on probation and also petition to have the name of the orchid revoked (please read the background for details about the name).
Continue reading "Selby Botanical Gardens pleads guilty"
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:11 PM
Phragmipedium kovachii
Category(-ies): Other Botanical Gardens , Plant Conservation , Plant Legal News and Issues
Named and described in 2002 by researchers at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, this “Holy Grail of the orchid world” is at the centre of controversy and legal issues.
Continue reading "Phragmipedium kovachii"
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:57 PM | Comments (1)
