Cicer et cetera

Deforestation can be monitored online with new Global Forest Watch system…

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 03:02:00 +0000

Data from Global Forest Watch, an online forest monitoring system is now available on Esri’s ArcGIS cloud service. By using an Esri portal to access GFW satellite data and crowd-sourced information, people can add maps, datasets, and applications to their forest projects and analyze indicators of forest change.

A partnership of more than 40 organizations led by the World Resources Institute, GFW uses GIS maps and data to promote sustainable forest management and policy.

“Thanks to dramatic advances in technology, we can see what is happening in forests in near real-time,” said WRI’s Nigel Sizer. “GIS helps us take very powerful data and make sense of it. The analytical capabilities of GIS enrich our understanding of the earth’s forests.”

WRI launched the GFW website today. People can use the service to track deforestation throughout the world. “Monitoring forest health and designing sustainable solutions is a challenging task,” said Esri president Jack Dangermond. “The Global Forest Watch initiative demonstrates the capacity of open data, shared systems, and platform technologies to bring experts together to design solutions.”

To promote transparency in forests around the world, GFW combines near real-time satellite monitoring technology, forest management and company concession maps, protected-area maps, mobile technology, crowd-sourced data, and on-the-ground networks.

The GFW platform is intended for use by stakeholders including concerned citizens, government leaders, buyers, and suppliers of sustainable forest products who seek to better manage forests.

Update: Here's an article I wrote about what the Global Forest Watch website shows for Armenia (click here).

Georgia takes lead in assessing natural capital…

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Sun, 06 Oct 2013 13:03:00 +0000

Georgia is one of the pilot countries that have volunteered to assess its natural capital with the ultimate objective of valuing the services provided by the country’s ecosystems. “Bringing the wealth of the natural world to the attention of decision-makers will pave the way to better informed choices and policies,” said Pavan Sukhdev, chair of the TEEB Advisory Board at the launch of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity Scoping Study in Tbilisi.

The TEEB Scoping Study for Georgia--a joint effort of the Ministry of Environment, UN Environment Program, and WWF Caucasus--is an important step in valuing ecosystems and biodiversity. Identifying five core sectors of Georgian economy--energy, tourism, agriculture, mining, and forestry--the study highlights their dependence on natural capital and related services.

“Considering the rapid development of Georgia’s economy, the TEEB initiative is an effective instrument to help conserve ecosystems while promoting sustainable growth,” said environment minister Khatuna Gogaladze at the launch event on Oct. 1.

Georgia’s agriculture sector employs 53 percent of the workforce and is a main vehicle for rural development. The sector’s long-term sustainability, however, faces challenges associated with reduction of genetic diversity, land degradation due to salinization, and soil erosion. Crop yields are at risk if incentives are not provided to promote, for example, limited pesticide and chemical fertilizer use, soil conservation, and crop rotation.

This first scoping exercise recommends the development of TEEB for Agriculture, a sectoral examination that addresses policies to ensure food security, improve agricultural biodiversity, reduce the extent of land degradation, and maintain agriculture as a strong economic sector, according to a news release from UNEP.

“Nature plays a vital role in sustaining Georgia’s important economic sectors and policy priorities. For example, with its abundance of rivers and varying terrain, the hydropower sector has immense potential. The sector depends, however, on both quality and quantity of freshwater, guaranteed by forests upstream. This is another call for protected ecosystems that would benefit us all,” said Yolanda Kakabadse, president of WWF International.

There have been steps taken toward ecosystem service valuation in neighboring Armenia, with pilot programs initiated by UNEP and REC Caucasus. Some of the areas targeted for Georgia were the subject of my capstone research which focused on the link between natural capital and the tourism, beverage, and hydropower sectors of Armenia’s economy. The main concepts were outlined in my 2011 talk at TEDx Yerevan on Redefining Our Economic Systems.

Wangari Maathai remembered in Armenia…

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 22:12:00 +0000

This fir tree at the Armenia Tree Project nursery in Karin Village is dedicated to the memory of Wangari Maathai. Dr. Maathai was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for empowering rural women to plant millions of trees with the Green Belt Movement. Today is the second anniversary of her passing...her vision and perseverance continues to be a great source of inspiration worldwide.

Wangari Maathai was an inspiration for ATP in 2003-2004 when the team in the field designed the backyard nursery micro-enterprise program for impoverished rural families to grow tree seedlings in Aygut. She was one of the leading voices raising awareness about the strong link between poverty and deforestation.

ATP made job creation and rural empowerment a strong element of that program, which was selected for a National Energy Globe Award for Sustainability at the European Parliament in 2008.

ATP founder Carolyn Mugar and director Jeff Masarjian published an op ed, The Planting of Ideas, in the Boston Globe on the occasion of Dr. Maathai's visit to Boston in 2006. The three had a chance to meet at a reception hosted by Boston’s Urban Forest Coalition, before her speech at First Church in Cambridge.

ATP was also one of the very first international organizations to make a pledge to plant trees as part of the Billion Tree Campaign initiated by Dr. Maathai and the United Nations Environment Program in 2006.

What's all the fuss about? I hope you can take some time to watch Wangari Maathai's lecture from Concordia University (her remarks start at 18:30). She is truly a bold leader and advocate for social justice and sustainable development at the grassroots level.

Social media campaign launched in support of Sosé & Allen Memorial Forest…

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 22:19:00 +0000

Sosé & Allen’s Legacy Foundation and Armenia Tree Project have announced plans to establish a forest in honor of Sosé Thomassian and Allen Yekikian. The young couple lost their lives as a result of a tragic car accident four months ago.

Vaché Thomassian launched the Legacy Foundation with several close friends to support the couple’s core values: education, repatriation, volunteerism, and democratic development. “The Forest will serve as a living, breathing memorial to Sosé and Allen, and will have a positive effect on Armenia’s environment,” said Vaché.

Here’s how the campaign will work. For every new “Like” on ATP’s Facebook page, five trees will be planted in the forest: www.Facebook.com/ArmeniaTree

“This is a collaborative and interactive campaign, highlighting the great work Armenia Tree Project does, and we’re asking the public to spread the word to grow the forest. The social media aspect emphasizes Sosé and Allen’s focus on utilizing technology and encouraging direct participation,” continued Vaché.

The organizations hope that the effort will attract at least 10,000 “Likes” in order to plant 50,000 trees and raise awareness of ATP’s mission. Contributions may be made via ATP’s website (indicate that the gifts are “In memory of Sosé and Allen”).

Prince Charles discusses forests & the value of natural capital...

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:57:00 +0000

We learned recently that the Prince of Wales will pay a visit to Armenia next week. It will be a first-ever visit by a member of the British Monarchy. Prince Charles is an outspoken leader on the issue of global forest and biodiversity protection, so I decided to post his latest statement on the link between forests and sustainable development. It was recorded for the World Forest Summit hosted by The Economist.

What happened to the environmental movement?

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:25:00 +0000

On the eve of Earth Day 2013, the New Yorker ran a lengthy review of Adam Rome’s new book, “The Genius of Earth Day: How a 1970 Teach-in Unexpectedly Made the First Green Generation.” There has been no major environmental legislation in the US since 1990 when President George H.W. Bush signed a bill aimed at reducing acid rain. “Today’s environmental movement is vastly bigger, richer, and better connected than it was in 1970. It’s also vastly less successful. What went wrong?” asks Nicholas Lemann.

According to Rome, the original Earth Day held on April 22, 1970 remains a model of effective political organizing. Senator Gaylord Nelson’s idea of a “teach-in” was more than just sixties jargon, writes Lemann. It defined Earth Day as educational, school-based, widely distributed, locally controlled, and participatory. This is contrasted with Earth Day 1990 which was better funded and more elaborately orchestrated but had fewer lasting effects. Earth Day 1990 was more top-down and attuned to marketing than to organizing.

The more the US environmental movement becomes an established presence in Washington, the less it has been able to win legislative victories, notes Lemann. “It has concentrated on the inside game at the expense of broad-based organizing,” he writes, citing an example from his research for the Scholars Strategy Network. “The forces behind the climate change bill [in the US Congress] directed their money to the inside game in Washington and to messaging, rather than to organizing.”

Earth Day is now celebrated around the world, including Armenia (see poster from 2010 campaign). Yet the lessons from the US environmental movement should be of interest for Armenia’s nascent environmental movement, which organized mass protests against industrial air pollution in the late 1980s. Today’s movement is smaller, visibly younger, and focused around unsustainable mining with some attention to issues such as green spaces, threatened ecosystems, and biodiversity.

Armenia’s environmental movement has not been able to organize at the national level or at the grassroots, so it faces serious challenges ahead in terms of effectiveness and growth. We hope Rome’s account will provide at least some useful advice about organizing a generation of environmental leaders.

A simple, healthy dish from India…

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 22:02:00 +0000

Readers of this blog may know it is named after one of my favorite foods, chickpeas, or Cicer arietinum. This legume is high in protein and it’s one of the earliest cultivated legumes. Remains dated more than 5,000 years old have been found in Anatolia and in Europe.

(Photograph by Jaymi Heimbuch, TreeHugger)

So I try to post about chickpeas whenever the opportunity arises. Today I came across a TreeHugger recipe for chickpeas simmered in masala sauce. Kelly Rossiter explains that this simple Indian recipe takes very little effort and the results are quite tasty.

Jaymi Heimbuch says, “I knew I'd love this dish just by looking at the ingredients--it has so many fantastic spices with simple chickpeas and tomatoes to soak them all up and provide texture--but I had no idea that it would come together so easily.”

Here’s the link if you’d like to give it a try: http://www.treehugger.com/easy-vegetarian-recipes/chickpeas-simmered-masala-sauce.html

Emerging markets + Environmental responsibility = Big financial rewards

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 02:03:00 +0000

Sustainability and environmental responsibility may not be viewed as a priority in developing countries focused on raising citizens out of poverty. “But the developed world does not have a monopoly on visionaries,” according to a new article in Harvard Business Review. Rather, in markets where the pressures of resource depletion are felt most keenly, corporate sustainability has become a source of innovation.

In one example, Egypt’s first organic farm lowered costs, improved yields by 30 percent, and produced higher quality raw cotton. Far from being an expensive indulgence, organic cotton offered a business model that was more sustainable not just environmentally but financially.

A review of more than 1,000 companies by Boston Consulting Group and the World Economic Forum identified more than a dozen champions whose sustainability practices were “effective, innovative, and scalable.” To make their environmental efforts pay off financially, companies followed one of these approaches:

Taking a long view, investing in methods of sustainable operation that led to dramatically lower costs and higher yields
A bootstrap approach starting with cost savings from small changes which funded advanced technologies that made production more efficient
Spreading sustainability efforts to the operations of customers and suppliers

The companies highlighted in Making Sustainability Profitable demonstrate that economic development and environmental sustainability are not mutually exclusive. Instead, visionary enterprises in emerging markets are showing us that environmentally responsible approaches can lead to big financial rewards.

Are you going to join us?

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:55:00 +0000

A friend asked, during the post-election rallies in Freedom Square, “Are specific subject people--environmentalists, women’s rights, orphans--ready to join the major movement to deal with democracy issues?”

Raffi Hovannisian with Ambassador John Evans at PFA conference

I was reminded of Raffi Hovannisian’s keynote in DC at the PFA Armenia-Diaspora conference, when he said: “It may be easy to sit in Armenia, to offer policy prescriptions as an NGO, one in the environmental realm, the other one in human rights, the other political party on foreign policy and Turkish-Armenian relations, to gather in Washington and elsewhere, where we have very sharp minds concerned about the future of Armenia, and asking the question: ‘well, how do we realize that potential?’ With each one continuing in his own narrow pathway, her own little project--which is very important, don’t get me wrong, a significant contribution to Armenia and its future--but one which misses the bigger picture; which does not allow for a bridging of the divide and a joint political, societal solution to Armenia’s problems.”

There was more than a passing glance from Raffi in my direction, and my initial reaction was that issues such as environmental protection should not be an afterthought or something we can’t afford to deal with now. How could he make this implication about ATP’s mission, which he presumably supports along with most forward-thinking people? After further reflection, though, I realized he was right. The governance challenge--more commonly referred to as corruption in civil society circles--is the underlying driver of many broader issues such as deforestation. If we are ever going to get ahead of the issue, we will have to join the larger movement to improve governance.

And yet, our mission is so important and narrow in focus that it has allowed us to achieve very tangible results: more than 4.2 million trees planted since 1994. At the same time it precludes us from putting tree planting on hold and entering the political stage.

So the question for all of our organizations with a targeted mission becomes, how do we bring the issue of national governance back to our specific mission, niche, or area of expertise? How can we contribute to the issue in a meaningful and substantial way, without taking focus away from our core programs?

But just as important, this is a two-way street. Political figures have to bring these important and narrow issues into their own platforms, since they have a direct impact on the well-being of the families that make up our nation. Aside from the well-used rhetoric designed to enlist popular support at political rallies, what exactly are their plans for environment, women’s rights, and orphans?

Raffi, to his credit, has raised concern with unsustainable mining, and his Heritage Party spearheaded the Teghut declaration at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in 2012, but it has to go well beyond that for all political figures and civil society actors. Let’s pledge to do our part in the NGO sector, and ask the political leaders about their platforms on our issues.

A close call in Indonesia, not Chelyabinsk...

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:49:00 +0000

We caught news coverage last night of the asteroid known as 2012 DA14 that was due to pass Earth near Indonesia at a mere 17,200 miles away today. At half the size of a football field, the asteroid could have flattened London if it struck. Of course the media was showing clips of the disaster film Deep Impact, and we assured Robert it was just a movie and that would not happen when 2012 DA14 passed.

He was so excited that he asked me to pull out the fragments of the Sikhote Alin meteorite that I acquired a few years ago. This well-known 23 ton iron meteorite struck eastern Siberia 66 years ago this week on February 12, 1947. I became intrigued by meteorites after reading about one that tore through the roof of a house in New Jersey in 2007.

Thinking the close-call with a huge asteroid was today’s big story, we were shocked by news of a 10 ton meteorite that struck the town of Chelyabinsk in the Ural Mountains. Video from dashboard cameras and mobile phones have been posted all over the internet. The sound of the crash is audible in this video, and the shock waves damaged hundreds of buildings and injured 1,000 people.

About those videos. NPR answers the question: Why did so many Russian drivers get such great meteor videos? Apparently Russian drivers constantly run dashboard cameras to capture evidence in the case of accidents involving pedestrians purposely getting hit.

Speaking of scams, let’s see how quickly remnants of the Chelyabinsk meteorite will be offered up for sale.

Innovate to meet the challenges of conservation...

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 01:06:00 +0000

From the creation of the Boston Common in 1634 to the emergence of landscape-scale conservation initiatives in the 21st century, innovators have risen to address seemingly intractable land, water, and biodiversity conservation challenges.

It will require our best talent, technology, financial tools, and social innovation to tackle today's global conservation challenges, says Jim Levitt, director of the Program on Conservation Innovation at the Harvard Forest and a fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

In this talk from TEDx BeaconStreet, "Innovate to Meet the Challenges of Conservation," Jim connects examples from successful conservation initiatives to emerging paradigms for public, private, and global cooperation that point the way for enduring conservation.

Government ignores concerns about Teghut mine…

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:56:00 +0000

Armenia Copper Programme, a division of the Vallex Group registered offshore in Liechtenstein, has begun operating a controversial mining project in the village of Teghut. Preliminary work began with the clearing of a portion of the pristine Teghut Forest to create a massive tailing dump for toxic waste left after mineral processing. The company is aggressively removing a mountain in order to reach underground deposits of copper and molybdenum.

Teghut photo by Sara Anjargolian, 2012

Armenia has made mining a key part of its economic development strategy [see page 34] despite environmental, economic, and social concerns. There are more than 400 active mines and 19 tailing dumps in

Armenia

, a small country the size of Maryland. Scientists have reported health risks in communities around mines scattered throughout

Armenia

. Human rights and environmental activists have also protested violations of property rights and the loss of rare and endangered ecosystems and biodiversity.

A coalition of 14 organizations including Armenia Tree Project and Armenian Environmental Network sent a letter to the President and Prime Minister, requesting an independent Environmental Impact Assessment for the mine.

“Cases brought in opposition to the operations in Armenian courts have been cursorily and improperly dismissed on strictly procedural bases without proper examination as to the substance of the claims. The Environmental Impact Assessment and public notice requirements are fatally flawed. The irreparable damage already done to Teghut, and the yet greater damage that will be done to the region if mining continues, demand immediate attention,” reads the letter.

The letter requests the EIA in order to comply with domestic and international laws, present an accurate analysis of the environmental impact, address the public health impacts of the Teghut mining operations, take alternative development options into consideration, and restore public faith and trust in government.

The coalition received a response from Edgar Pirumyan, Ministry of Nature Protection Chief of Staff, who said an EIA was completed within the scope of the law.

“We are disappointed with the perfunctory response through the Ministry of Nature Protection whose primary mission is the protection of Armenia’s environment,” notes ATP’s managing director Tom Garabedian. “In a recent visit to California, the Prime Minister expressed his commitment to

Armenia

’s environment. We hope that there is a willingness of the government to reexamine Teghut and mining in

Armenia

as a whole.”

The letter was co-signed by Acopian Center for the Environment, Armenian American Health Professionals Organization, Armenian American Medical Association, Armenian American Nurses Association, Armenian American Pharmacists Association, Armenian Bar Association, Armenian International Dental Association, Armenian Medical International Committee, Axis of Justice (Serj Tankian), Civic Forum, haikProject, and World Wide Fund for Nature.

Guest post: Transforming business for tomorrow's world...

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 20:43:00 +0000

By Pavan Sukhdev

It is with great pleasure that I announce the launch of my new campaign and book, Corporation 2020. Corporation 2020 outlines the most urgent and important changes we need at the corporate level, if we are to avoid devastating planetary tipping points and begin the transition to a Green Economy by 2020.

For the release of Corporation 2020: Transforming Business for Tomorrow's World, my publisher is offering a short introduction to this issue in the form of a free electronic essay titled "Why Corporation 2020?" (available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble). The essay highlights the urgency to begin building a Green Economy with a new, responsible type of corporation as the economy's largest agent.

Thank you for your interest and support for my earlier work on TEEB and Green Economy. TEEB is an essential toolkit to recognize value that Nature delivers to our economies. However, for TEEB to be implemented and for a Green Economy to emerge, we also need changes at the "micro" or corporate level. These will build a new corporate model, Corporation 2020, whose business will indeed add up to a green and inclusive economy of permanence.

Let’s Rethink Economy Based on Mining & Look to a More Sustainable Future...

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:36:00 +0000

By Serj Tankian

The recent controversy over Hungary’s transfer of a convicted killer and his subsequent pardon and hero’s welcome in Azerbaijan have really worked to reinforce the international image of Azerbaijan as a nation with a despotic leadership that promotes nonsensical violence. Their only true ally besides Turkey is oil.

Armenia doesn’t have an ally in oil. Nor does it need such ecologically destructive, carbon-based allies. What Armenia needs is a carbon neutral, ecologically sustainable, agriculturally diverse future as its ally.

This is why I have been so outspoken about the current attention being paid to mining, which is dirty and unsustainable, for its promise as a form of so-called economic development in Armenia.

True progress and a solution to Armenia’s economic, environmental, and social challenges will be based on a coordinated effort to support environmentally sustainable agriculture.

This would allow the country to produce all necessary food items, both for domestic consumption and for export. This is strategically important given Armenia’s landlocked status and geopolitical isolation caused by hostile neighboring countries.

Governmental support through tax credits and other subsidies for programs that will contribute to sustainable development in Armenia will create jobs and allow the youth of the country to remain in the country instead of going abroad for labor.

These views are consistent with points I have made at a forum hosted by Civilitas in 2011, in an interview on CivilNet.TV this year, and in a recent video statement expressing concern about unsustainable mining in Teghut Forest.

Further development of mining within our small country is a dangerous and extremely short term solution to our economic woes. The long term effects can best be described by experts from Armenia’s own National Academy of Sciences.

According to the head of the Center for Ecological-Noosphere Studies (CENS), mining has been disastrous for Armenia in terms of public health and the environment. Mine operators have failed to neutralize dangerous contaminants which have been absorbed by soil. The pollutants then pass from agricultural produce to humans, which is especially dangerous for children.

Furthermore, the head of the CENS Environmental Geochemistry Laboratory has stated that 57 percent of Yerevan’s population may be living in contaminated conditions due to ground pollution. The country’s rural fields are being irrigated with water flowing from contaminated sources due to mining operations, she explains.

Farm produce from all of the towns with significant mining operations, including Kapan, Kajaran, Alaverdi, and Akhtala, are laden with heavy metals including mercury, arsenic, and cadmium, according to CENS studies.

The risk was highlighted last month when mining waste poured out of a damaged pipeline belonging to one of the largest copper molybdenum mines in the country. This incident resulted in the release of toxic chemicals for hours into a river in southern Armenia that is used to irrigate farmland.

Given the reality outlined above, I would urge Armenia’s government to re-consider its granted license to develop open-pit mines in and around Teghut Forest, which is one of the most biologically diverse forests in Armenia, and refrain from issuing further mining licenses to the detriment of our environment and sustainable development in Armenia.

Note: The governor of Lori issued a response to last month’s video statement by Serj Tankian -- on the same day -- repeating many of the short-sighted arguments being used to promote mining as a form of economic development in Armenia. As I mentioned in an earlier post on the statement, the themes about environmental degradation weigh heavily in the video for Harakiri, the title song of Serj’s new album.

Serj Tankian issues powerful statement against unsustainable mining in Teghut Forest…

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 17:26:00 +0000

The artist/activist Serj Tankian has released a powerful 3-minute video statement against unsustainable mining in Teghut Forest and in support of the Save Teghut movement in Armenia.

Environmental degradation of our planet is a danger to humanity and the natural world, he emphasizes. The natural beauty of Teghut Forest--one of the last and best preserved forests in Armenia--is in danger of being almost completely chopped down for an open pit copper mine and tailing dump that will release 500 million tons of toxic waste along with 600 million tons of additional waste, Serj continues [note: these figures were misstated in the video].

Teghut Forest with its unique ecosystem of lush trees, rivers, rare plants and animals is in a vulnerable position of being devastated forever, he adds. [This] glorious natural wonder is in danger of becoming an ecological dead zone that will have ramifications for hundreds if not thousands of years.

Serj explains that mining is widespread because it is considered to be a source of economic growth and prosperity, but he notes that there are already more than 500 mines throughout Armenia and it has not had an impact on improving the standard of living.

Instead, mining is causing workers to risk their own health along with the lives of their children and generations to come. Serj declares the need for alternative sources of development such as farming and sustainable agricultural production. “What is more precious than the environment and health and well-being of future generations,” he asks before urging viewers to join the Save Teghut movement and get involved via www.Teghut.am and www.Ecolur.org

These themes about environmental degradation weigh heavily in the video for Harakiri, the title song of Serj’s new album, which you can view here.

ATP mines a wealth of information from forestry colleagues in New England…

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 00:19:00 +0000

ATP’s SEEDS program manager Vardan Melikyan was in the

U.S.

recently on a working visit and we had a chance to meet with several colleagues working on tree planting, land conservation, and community/sustainable forestry.

SEEDS, or “Social, Economic, and Environmental Development for Sustainability,” is a program launched in 2011. It has allowed ATP to build capacity in its reforestation programs while improving results through a greater emphasis on community development and investing in social capital in the areas where we are planting trees.

The week started off with Watertown’s Tree Warden, Christopher Hayward, who described his efforts to expand the urban canopy in this suburb of Boston. This was followed by a behind the scenes visit with Oren McBee, the greenhouse and nursery manager at Harvard’s prestigious Arnold Arboretum.

We headed west to meet Levon Kachadoorian, who has owned and operated Everlast Nursery for more than 25 years and built the business from the ground up with his own hands. ATP’s Watertown staff joined Vardan for a visit to Harvard Forest where we viewed the dioramas portraying the evolution of New England’s forests since the 1700s and were treated to an informative hike through the 3,000 acre forest with ecologist John O’Keefe.

The day concluded after a meeting with the executive director of Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, Leigh Youngblood, who has been a pioneer in innovations to achieve landscape-scale conservation in partnership with local and national stakeholders.

The final day of visits began with Mark Leighton, an expert on rainforest ecology and sustainable forestry, who described some of his experiences in Indonesia to curb illegal logging and work with industry to protect wildlife habitat.

Our last meeting before the start of ATP’s executive committee meetings was with Robert Perschel of the New England Forestry Foundation. NEFF is a recognized leader in sustainable forest management and assisting landowners in the long-term management of their properties.

By the end of the week, I realized there were several common themes that came through in meetings with these various experts. I’ll summarize them here, since they are cornerstones of sustainable development that transcend borders and can inform the work of NGOs like ATP all over the world.

It’s critical to take stakeholder interests and opportunity costs into consideration in project design.
NGOs are working on program “innovation” to address widespread funding constraints.
The strength of relationships and importance of community development programs cannot be underestimated.
Direct community involvement and ownership in a project is critical to ensure its success and sustainability.
There has to be a means for legal contract enforcement in place for public-private partnerships to be successful.

We are grateful to the individuals and organizations mentioned above and commend them on their work on land conservation, environmental restoration, and in general, making the world a better place.

Tree planting in rural Armenia celebrates Earth Day…

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:24:00 +0000

Earth Day is gaining in popularity in Armenia. This year, Armenia Tree Project celebrated by planting trees in the Kotayk region. On April 20, the US Embassy and the United Nations joined ATP to plant a cluster of decorative and fruit trees in the town of Teghenik.

Click here for a gallery of Earth Day photographs by Alex Tarverdi

“Our goal is to restore valuable environmental services including clean air, soil retention, and shade during hot summers,” noted Managing Director Tom Garabedian. “The creation of green spaces represents an important step in the improvement of the environment and quality of life in the region.”

US Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern joined his colleagues from the Embassy in the planting. “The trees we plant here will improve the environment and help highlight the necessity of maintaining our natural surroundings,” stated Ambassador Heffern.

The trees were planted as part of ATP’s innovative “community forests” program. “The aim of this program is to create community forests in areas that are deprived of nearby forests,” explained Garabedian. “While the trees are provided by ATP, the local community invests resources in planting and long-term maintenance of the trees on their land. The program was designed with sustainability in mind.”

“The proclamation of April 22 as International Mother Earth Day by the United Nations is an acknowledgement that the Earth and its ecosystems provide its inhabitants with life and sustenance. It also recognizes a collective responsibility, as called for in the 1992 Rio Declaration, to promote harmony with nature and the Earth to achieve a just balance among the economic, social, and environmental needs of present and future generations of humanity,” stated United Nations Resident Coordinator Dafina Gercheva.

Industrial Scars at TEDx Berlin...

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:07:00 +0000

J Henry Fair makes "beautiful pictures of something horrible." His aerial photography of industrial landscapes has been something of an inspiration to me, which is why we have two prints from Industrial Scars in our living room.

Henry explains his art and the motivation behind it at TEDx Berlin. His book, The Day After Tomorrow: Images of Our Earth in Crisis, is highly recommended. A link back to an earlier post about Henry's work is available here.

Packs of vultures spotted in New England…

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:19:00 +0000

Visited family in Worcester today, they told us to bring binoculars because there have been lots of hawk sightings in the neighborhood. As soon as I saw the large black and white birds flying in groups, I knew these were no hawks. We’ve seen many hawks around our home near the Charles River Reservation and they always fly solo.

Photograph by Jason A. Sohigian (Feb. 12, 2012)

My initial impression was that these were buzzards, but we had never seen them before in this area. Got a few photographs and this video clip before looking up recent bird sightings in the area. Sure enough, Prof. Richard Quimby had a record of this group of birds on his web page. These were Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) which are also known as the Turkey Buzzard.

Here’s a Feb. 8 report from Brian Mulhearn: There were eight Turkey Vultures soaring over Chandler Street near Worcester State University at 3:15 this afternoon. And on Feb. 7 from Lynn Bromley: There were about two dozen Turkey Vultures in a pine grove near this intersection [Hadwen Road and Durant Way].

This was a related sighting on Feb. 8 from Rhode Island: A sense of impending doom hangs over a neighborhood in the northwest corner of Woonsocket as thick as the shroud of vultures that drapes the trees and rooftops late in the afternoon. Today there were approximately 100 Turkey Vultures in the roost, with a relatively small number of Black Vultures among them.

Not sure why we’re spotting these Turkey Vultures for the first time this winter, although New England is a part of their range so it’s not very unusual. It might be considered a bad omen, but don’t forget Forbes magazine recently named Worcester as “the second happiest U.S. city to work in,” so go figure.

Prospects for a green economy...

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:30:00 +0000

Orakarg (Agenda) business newspaper conducted this interview about prospects for a Green Economy in Armenia after my talk at TEDx Yerevan on Redefining our economic systems: Could a forest be worth more than a gold mine? The article was titled, Finding wealth in the soil: Green economy can replace mining.

Պրն Սոհիգյան, ի՞նչ է կանաչ տնտեսությունը:

Կանաչ տնտեսությունը հասկացություն է, որն առաջին անգամ օգտագործվել է ՄԱԿ-ի շրջակա միջավայրի պահպանության ծրագրում՝ նկարագրելու տնտեսության այնպիսի մոդել, որը կարող է նպաստել մարդկանց բարեկեցությանը և սոցիալական հավասարությանը՝ միաժամանակ նվազեցնելով ռիսկերը շրջակա միջավայրի համար: Այս թեման քննարկումների լայն ալիք է ստեղծել համաշխարհային հարթակներում, քանի որ այսօր մենք կանգնած ենք բնական ռեսուրսների ոչնչացման եզրին: Այս թեմային է նվիրված նաև «Կայուն զարգացում» խորագրով «Ռիո 20» համաժողով:

Կանաչ տնտեսության կարևորությունն այն է, որ գոյություն ունի կապ, ասենք, անտառների և ջրային ռեսուրսների միջև, ինչի պատճառով բիզնեսը կախված է շրջակա միջավայրից: Անտառները թույլ են տալիս պաշտպանվել ջրհեղեղներից և ապահովում են հողատարածքների վերականգնումը: Հետևաբար, շրջակա միջավայրի ռազմավարությունը կարող է պաշտպանել կարևոր ջրբաժանները անտառների պահպանության միջոցով: Այսինքն՝ բնության մեջ ամեն ինչ փոխկապակցված է, ինչը կարելի է օգտագործել տնտեսական նկատառումներով:

Հայաստանի համար որքանո՞վ է կարևոր կանաչ տնտեսությունը, եթե հաշվի առնենք, որ, օրինակ, տնտեսությունը ծայրահեղորեն կախված է հանքարդյունաբերությունից:

2011թ. սեպտեմբերին երևանյան TEDx-ին իմ ելույթում ես նշեցի, որ Հայաստանի տնտեսության համար ռազմավարական նշանակություն ունեցող առնվազն երեք ոլորտներ կախված են շրջակա միջավայրից: Դա ըմպելիքների արտադրության, տուրիզմի և հիդրոէներգետիկայի ոլորտներն են, որոնցից յուրաքանչյուրը Հայաստանի տնտեսության կարևոր մասն է:

The rest of the interview is available here. Stay tuned for a follow up article on this topic in English in the coming weeks.

Grassroots innovator presents his latest venture at TEDx Dubai…

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:38:00 +0000

Social entrepreneurs like Illac Diaz are changing the world. While many twenty or thirty-somethings claim the title, Illac is a true grassroots innovator. In this video, he presents A Liter of Light at TEDx Dubai.

The campaign has gotten major international publicity in recent months, and it was obvious that Illac was on the move when he was featured in a panel on social entrepreneurship at the JFK Forum at the Harvard Kennedy School in 2008.

After meeting Illac Diaz and witnessing his progress, he has distinguished himself as an intelligent, compassionate, constructive, and optimistic leader who is a great example for others working on poverty and sustainable development issues in their own countries.

Illac established the MyShelter Foundation to create a system of sustainability and reliability through capability building and employment-generating projects and A Liter of Light (Isang Litrong Liwanag) is its latest venture.

Malua BioBank makes forest conservation a commercially competitive land use…

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:43:00 +0000

The Malua BioBank is a unique public-private partnership for investing in forest conservation. “Public and philanthropic funding for conservation has not kept pace with the rate of biodiversity loss. Attaching value to conservation will harness private sector finance to help fill this funding gap,” according MaluaBank.com.

The site is the 34,000 ha Malua Forest Reserve in Sabah, Malaysia. Sitting adjacent to one of the region’s last pristine lowland tropical rainforests, the Malua BioBank provides a buffer between virgin rainforest and oil palm plantations. The area is home to one of the world’s highest concentrations of orangutans, as well as clouded leopards and pygmy elephants.

The Sabah government has licensed conservation rights for 50 years to the Malua BioBank and a private investor has committed up to $10 million for the rehabilitation of the Malua Forest Reserve. The investor is the Eco Products Fund, a private equity investment vehicle jointly managed by New Forests and Equator Environmental.

You can purchase Biodiversity Conservation Certificates
to support rainforest conservation at ProtectMalua.com

The Malua BioBank sells Biodiversity Conservation Certificates, with each certificate representing 100 square meters of forest restoration and protection. Revenues generated from the sale of BCC’s will be used to recover costs incurred and to endow a trust fund set up to manage the Malua BioBank. Any profit will be shared between the forest management license holder (a foundation established by the government to improve the livelihoods of local citizens) and the investor.

The government has committed to halting logging in the Malua Forest Reserve for the next 50 years. This agreement commits the government to implementing a management plan under the monitoring of the Malua Trust, which will be funded by revenues from BCC sales.

“The ultimate aim of the Malua BioBank is to shift land use towards rainforest restoration and preservation, catalyzing a new economy of conservation. The sale of certificates will make rainforest rehabilitation and conservation a commercially competitive land use,” according to MaluaBank.com.

Biodiversity in Turkey at risk yet largely ignored…

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:45:00 +0000

A scientific article in Biological Conservation outlines
“Turkey’s globally important biodiversity in crisis”

There’s been a recent burst of attention to threats to biodiversity in Turkey, particularly after the publication in Biological Conservation of an article by 13 scientists. The 18-page report on “Turkey’s globally important biodiversity in crisis” was even covered by the New York Times in a story that profiled the lead author, a conservation biologist at the University of Utah. In addition to that role, Cagan Sekercioglu is the founder of KuzeyDoga, and organization that promotes biodiversity research and conservation in Eastern Turkey.

TreeHugger picked up the story with an article by Jennifer Hattam titled, “Arbitrary, development-obsessed environmental policy-making threatening Turkey's ecosystems.” Here’s an excerpt:

"As ecologists and conservation biologists working in Turkey, we have witnessed a similar level of increasing arbitrariness in environmental policy, where economic development has trumped all other concerns," wrote Sekercioglu, the lead author of a comprehensive report that painted a grim picture of Turkey's biodiversity in crisis.

Legislative or legal developments over just the past two years have created a host of obstacles to ecosystem protection. According to Sekercioglu, these include allowing mining in wildlife refuges, excluding riparian and coastal areas from wetland conservation zoning, constructing dams and other energy projects in protected areas, redefining terms such as "common good" and "sustainable use," and eliminating independent conservation committees.

This is especially interesting since neighboring Armenia faces similar development and governance challenges in relation to biodiversity and ecosystem conservation. Many of the regions under study were also part of Western Armenia prior to the genocide. Given the proximity to present day Armenia, there are undoubtedly transboundary conservation issues between the two countries that are worthy of attention. In short, the issues under discussion are directly related to Armenia's natural heritage.

In addition to the Times coverage, TreeHugger reviews details of the article from Biological Conservation here.

Pavan Sukhdev discusses the economic invisibility of nature at TED Global...

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 01:49:00 +0000

In this talk from TEDGlobal, Pavan Sukhdev explains the economic invisibility of nature and why we need to correct this market failure. He outlines the value of natural capital and explains why it is characterized as an externality because it is not priced by markets. This becomes a challenge because it often leads to the overexploitation and subsequent scarcity of resources that may be irreplaceable. Pavan points out that we are losing natural capital at an extraordinary rate, with implications that may be more severe than the global financial crisis.

Pavan is the CEO of GIST Advisory, an environmental consulting firm which helps governments and corporations manage their impacts on natural capital. He founded the Global Markets Centre in Mumbai and took a sabbatical from Deutsche Bank to lead UNEP’s Green Economy Initiative and the G8+5 commissioned project on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB). Pavan was a speaker at the World Economic Forum in 2010 and 2011 and he serves on the boards of Conservation International and the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

The research done by The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity initiative was cited in my talk on Redefining Our Economic Systems at TEDx Yerevan. Pavan's talk is well worth watching.

New conservation trust fund creates sustainable source of financing for protected areas in biodiversity hotspot…

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Sohigian) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 02:24:00 +0000

Peter Musurlian co-wrote, narrated, and edited this 11-minute film about the work of the Caucasus Nature Fund in Georgia and Armenia. CNF is a conservation trust fund that is building capacity to support the ongoing maintenance and operation of nature reserves in the South Caucasus.

This work is particularly important since the region is one of the planet’s 34 most endangered hotspots for biodiversity. The organization has already invested in the Khosrov Reserve and four other national parks in Armenia and Georgia. According to the director, David Morrison, the goal is to support the operation of 15 parks by 2015.

“Saving the Wild” includes rare film footage of several of the endangered species under protection in these areas including bezoar goat, mouflon, and Caucasian leopard. The program has received major support from the German Development Bank (KfW) and other international organizations to create a sustainable source of financing.