The Last Forest: The Amazon in the Age of Globalization

Head over to the New York Times Review of Books to find a nuanced (and critical) review by John Terborgh of the new book The Last Forest: The Amazon in the Age of Globalization - Here's a brief extract from the review to whet your appetite:

After five centuries of ignoring the north, powerful interests in the south have recently taken interest in the resources of the Amazon, precipitating a paroxysm of change in the north that will affect the entire world. Politics will guide the course of change but how, and for what reasons, remains uncertain, for internal and external forces are pulling in opposite directions. Internal forces, large corporations among them, overwhelmingly favor rapid development of the Amazon—expansion of the logging, mining, and agricultural frontiers. By contrast, those concerned with the world environment view the "loss" of the Amazon as an impending global tragedy. They want to find ways to sustain the vast forest, and with it, an unrivaled wealth of biological diversity, hundreds of indigenous tribes, and, of increasing importance, the vast store of carbon contained in the Amazon's trees.

How will these tensions play out? What happens to the Amazon over the next two or three decades may prove decisive in the world's efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions. If the Brazilian government continues to take a cautious approach to energy policy, as it has for several decades, and makes an effort to plan and control development in the Amazon, the area could serve as a model for the world's remaining regions of forest wilderness—among them the Congo basin, Siberia, northern Canada, and the outer islands of Indonesia. But if Brazil chooses to follow a business-as-usual policy—a laissez-faire, Wild West scramble for resources—it could push the South American continent, if not the world, over a climatic tipping point from which there would be no return, a prospect that should be of concern to everyone on the planet. - Full review and further John Terborgh articles.

This is one of the key questions to be addressed at the forthcoming World Wilderness Congress, to be held in South America in 2009.

Further South American/World Wilderness Congress reading:

• Campfire Questions with Tim Hirsch
• Reading Material for the next World Wilderness Congress
• Amazonian Wilderness
• Amazonia and Assynt in Scotland

Campfire Questions with Tim Hirsch

In anticipation of the next World Wilderness Congress we've been covering South America a fair bit recently and we expect this to increase as we get closer to the event.

Tim Hirsch, the former BBC Environment Correspondent - now writing and broadcasting for a broader set of A-list outlets (and also consulting) - recently attended this years most important conservation event in South America. He kindly took time out to answer a few of our questions - and also gave us a more personal insight into the deliberations as he lives and works in a forest deeply affected by biodiversity loss:

• You recently attended the Latin American Consultation towards a possible International Mechanism for Scientific Expertise on Biodiversity in Bariloche, Argentina. Sounds quite a mouthful, what`s it got to do with protecting wilderness areas?

Well, potentially quite a lot. The problem is that there is no powerful scientific body to warn the world's decision-makers about the consequences of continuing to let species go extinct at the fastest rate since the demise of the dinosaurs. Contrast this with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which has played a pivotal role in mobilising action against global warming, however inadequate it might be. So the scientific community, in this case in Latin America, is being sounded out on what kind of new body might do the same thing for biodiversity and lead to more sensible decisions.

• Another talking shop, in other words?

Fair point. The scientists at this meeting in Bariloche were absolutely clear that the last thing they wanted was another bureaucratic structure holding lots of conferences and clocking up vast quantities of frequent flier miles (and carbon emissions). But they were keen on the idea of a "network of networks" or "metanetwork"as some are describing it -- a way of bringing together the vast amount of science being done on ecosystems around the world, and making it available to governments, businesses and anyone else who needs to know the consequences of policies on the biodiversity that underpins the planet`s life support systems.

• You live in the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil -- did you take away any thoughts from this meeting that could affect the future of this ecosystem?

Only the urgency of improving the knowledge of society about the consequences of undervaluing ecosystems. The Atlantic Forest has a greater variety of species, hectare for hectare, even than the Amazon itself, and has lost some 93 per cent of its original cover (the Amazon has lost around 15 per cent). That makes it officially a "biodiversity hotspot", but what does that mean to a farmer deciding whether or not to clear just another hectare to expand his banana plantation? If this new scientific body does its job properly, it will help to strengthen the case for keeping that hectare of forest because of its role in regulating rainfall, providing pollinators for crops, creating potential for ecotourism and research into medicinal plants, etc etc. All of which is a darn site more valuable than a few extra bananas in an oversupplied market.

• You document your daily encounters with flora and fauna at your farm through your Nature Notes blog - Could you tell us a little bit more about that?

I started doing it because being lucky enough to have a grandstand view of one of the most vibrant ecosystems on earth, I get a bit obsessed with every little change I notice when I look out of my bedroom window or go for a walk in the forest. Sometimes the conversations my partner and I have are a bit like a biodiversity soap opera -- "hey can you believe that lapwing is still sitting on her eggs after nearly a month? I think that saffron toucanet is trying to muscle in on the yellow-fronted woodpeckers ...." So I am keeping this record partly to share with other people around the world who may be interested, but also to act as a reminder for future reference which species are doing what at particular times of year.

• Reading suggestions?

For an introduction to the concept of "ecosystem services" and the link between nature and human well-being, see this document, or for a more specific example, the Caribbean Sea Ecosystem Assessment (PDF). For an official account of the Bariloche meeting, see http://www.iisd.ca/ymb/imoseb5/

Thanks Tim!

Do also check out the great photos Tim has on his site. If you'd like a closer look at the biodiversity of the Atlantic Rainforest, then why not consider staying at the farm - We've been there and we can highly recommend it. As Tim says: "it can be a base for an activity-packed family holiday; a peaceful retreat from which to write, work or meditate (with Wi-Fi access!); a destination for researchers, birdwatchers or study groups; or a "chill-out zone" from a hectic business trip to Latin America."

Further South American/World Wilderness Congress reading:

• Reading Material for the next World Wilderness Congress
• Amazonian Wilderness
• Amazonia and Assynt in Scotland

Previous in this series:

• Campfire Questions with Cameron McNeish
• Campfire Questions with Osbert Lancaster
• Campfire Questions with Graham Game

Amazonian Wilderness

In today's Guardian there is an article with the depressing assessment that the Amazon jungle could be lost in 40 years:

"The Amazonian wilderness is at risk of unprecedented damage from an ambitious plan to improve transport, communications and power generation in the region, conservationists warned yesterday." - Read full article.

This is in addition to a recent article by the Brazil-based humanitarian aid worked Conor Foley called 'Threatening the Amazon', which lays out in some further detail some of the things that are going wrong. Meaning, in other words, that not much has changed since we attended the RSA 2006 Angus Millar Lecture where Chris Clark, President of Associazione Amazonia Onlus, told a distinguished Edinburgh audience about the extreme difficulties conservation efforts in the Amazon face. Transcript here .

The issues facing rainforests like the Amazon will be in particular focus at the next World Wilderness Congress - which will be held in South America in 2009 - including follow-up on the Resolution on Tropical Protected Areas as adopted by the 8th World Wilderness Congress.

Now you can help by getting informed. We have a suggested starting point for your reading in preparation for the next for the next World Wilderness Congress. You may also find it useful to go through some related articles from the International Journal of Wilderness:

• An Overview of the World Wilderness Congress
• The 8th World Wilderness Congress
• The 7th World Wilderness Congress - Wilderness and Human Communities

Learn more about and subscribe to the International Journal of Wilderness

Last but not least, here's on from our archive about the very first congress: Findhorn and the World Wilderness Congress 1983

Reading Material for the next World Wilderness Congress

The next World Wilderness Congress is slated to be held in South America in 2009 - Whilst there is still plenty of time to go we will start rounding up relevant reading material already now.

First up is the recently released book titled 'A Contribution to Understanding the Regional Impacts of Global Change in South America'. You can also click on the book cover to the right to download the full PDF (7.2mb).

Human footprint and the trail less travelled

We previously talked about an article in Science covering research by The Nature Conservancy on how much true wilderness there really is left in the world...

Here's a brief update with a great visual illustrating the shipping lanes and road networks of the world. If you click on the image you'll be able to see a bigger version on the National Geographic website - who also have further coverage of the human footprint in their archive:

• Tracing the Human Footprint in National Geographic Magazine
• Aerial Survey Documents Africa's Last Wild Places
• Human "Footprint" Seen on 83 Percent of Earth's Land
  

The Amazon, Sahara, Southern Saudi Arabia, Siberia, Eastern China and the middle of Australia appear to be the only places resistant to the human footprint on a large scale... Most of those areas are deserts. One of our favourite efforts in this field is that of our friends at Bush Heritage Australia. If you're in the UK but would like to help them, get in touch with our office.

We also have some great reading material on deserts around the world - amongst others by Sir Wilfred Thesiger, our late patron.

The odd one out from list above is of course the Amazon which is everything but dry - and for the first time ever, the World Wilderness Congress will convene in South America and we expect an inreased focus on this great forest.

"The WWC is the longest running public international environmental forum. It is a conservation project that creates coalitions, establishes timelines, sets objectives and achieves practical outcomes. Established in 1977, it has convened on eight occasions in 30 years to review progress, debate issues, announce results and celebrate the importance and vitality of wild nature." - More on Wild's pages about the WWC

Last but not least it shouldn't be forgotten that our sister organisation in South Africa, is holding the fort (or the boundary rather) in a number of areas, most famous of which is the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve. And if you'd like to take walk on a trail less travelled ... Then read more about our minimum impact wilderness experiences.

Is there any Wilderness left?

This just in from Nature Conservancy:

Is there any wilderness left? A new article in SCIENCE magazine co-authored by The Nature Conservancy's chief scientist says not really — and that conservation's task is no longer to "preserve the wild, but to domesticate nature more wisely." - Full interview with Peter Kareiva here.

They certainly pull on some strong facts (which we have taken the liberty of borrowing in order to really push the point):

• There's nearly six times as much water held in storage (e.g., behind dams) as there is in free-flowing rivers.
• About 50 percent of the world's surface area has been converted to grazing land or cultivated crops.
• And only 17 percent of the world's land area in 1995 was untouched by the direct influence of humans (such as agriculture, roads or even nighttime lights

We at the Wilderness Foundation have shared this concern since our inception more than thirty years ago.

- Explorers and writers, such as the Foundation’s founder Sir Laurens van der Post and its late patron, Sir Wilfrid Thesiger, often wrote of the ancient link between humanity and nature, and how within our fast moving cultures of today, much of this link has been forgotten.

We believe that by visiting the unspoiled places where nature has been allowed to exist since time began, this connection is rekindled.

We realise this alone is not enough - action must be taken - we welcome the research laid out in the paper and the urgent debate it'll hopefully lead to.

If you'd like to rekindle your connection - come on trail with us - and if you'd like to get involved with the latter, attend the next World Wilderness Congress or get in touch with us. Also, check out the work of the IUCN Wilderness Task Force (co-ordinated by our sister organisation Wild)

Career in the Wilderness?

We regularly receive job/career-inquiries here at the Wilderness Foundation - And whilst we do not currently have any vacancies, it pains us to turn away people who clearly are dedicated and enthusiastic about preservation of Wild places throughout the world.

That's why we've pulled together a few recent opportunities posted on Idealist.org from organisations elsewhere which may be of interest:

• The Alaska Wilderness League is looking for a Director of Field Operations and a Western Arctic Campaign Director
• Also in Alaska; The Sitka Conservation Society is looking for a Conservation Director
• The Wilderness Society is looking for an Alaskan Economist
  
• The Campaign for America's Wilderness is trying to find a communications associate
• A bit further afield, namely the Turks & Caicos Islands, The School for Field Studies is needing a Student Affairs Manager with wilderness experience

On a side note - A couple of previous articles from us on Alaska: Inside the Artice Wildlife Refuge - NYRB Article / BBC Radio 4 - Alaskan Wilderness on Excess Baggage /
Looking for Wilderness on Google Books.

-The last World Wilderness Congress was of course also held there: http://www.8wwc.org/

Findhorn and the World Wilderness Congress 1983

The New Statesman has a blog on their website called 'Life at Findhorn', written by Jonathan Dawson (the RSS feed is here - and don't forget that we have an RSS feed too... arguably the best way of staying up-to-date on all things related to Wilderness).

The most recent article looks back at the history of Findhorn and also briefly talks about the 1983 World Wilderness Congress which was hosted there. You can learn more about the achievements of the congress on the Wild International website here: http://www.wild.org/international/wwc3.html

Wilderness on Wiki

Now Wikipedia is somewhat controversial because of the fact that it is open to editing by its users as opposed the rigidity of traditional editorial control of a printed encyclopedia. Nevertheless, it can lead one to many other useful resources - Here's an excerpt of the entry for Wilderness:

"Wilderness is generally defined as a natural environment on Earth that has not been modified by human activity. Ecologists consider wilderness areas to be an integral part of the planet's self-sustaining natural ecosystem (the biosphere).
The word, "wilderness", derives from the notion of wildness; in other words that which is not controllable by humans. The word's etymology is from the Old English wildeornes, which in turn derives from wildeor meaning wild beast (wild + deor = beast, deer) (The Collins English Dictionary, 2000). From this point of view, it is the wildness of a place that makes it a wilderness. The mere presence or activity of people does not disqualify an area from being "Wilderness." Many ecosystems that are, or have been, inhabited or influenced by activities of people may still be considered "wild." This way of looking at wilderness includes areas within which natural processes operate without human interference." - Full entry...

If you want to go into more detail then we can recommend the collection of resources on the 8th World Wilderness Congress website: http://www.8wwc.org/ including resolutions.

The Wilderness Foundation UK Blog Intro

The Wilderness Foundation forms part of a global network. Our aim is to protect wilderness areas wherever they are by:

-Educating people about the benefits of wilderness
-Providing opportunities for direct experience of wild places
-Campaigning for their preservation when threatened with development.

The Wilderness Foundation was established in 1974 by Sir Laurens van der Post, writer, explorer and philosopher, and Dr Ian Player DMS, international conservationist renowned for saving the white rhino and founder of the World Wilderness Congress movement.
We work closely with our sister organisations The Wilderness Foundation in South Africa, The WILD Foundation in the USA and other groups in Europe and Asia. Together we share a common belief in the irreplaceable value of wilderness, which contains the wonders of pristine nature, and enables us to return to our origins and draw a deep sense of belonging and inspiration.

Explorers and writers, such as the Foundation’s founder Sir Laurens van der Post and its patron, Sir Wilfrid Thesiger, often wrote of the ancient link between humanity and nature, and how within our fast moving cultures of today, much of this link has been forgottenWe believe that by visiting the unspoiled places where nature has beenallowed to exist since time began, this connection is rekindled.

On this blog we will be keeping you up to date on our latest activities, events and campaigns and also what is happening in the Wilderness world elsewhere.