Video - Climate Change Valentines for Politicians in Australia

AYCC volunteers in Canberra, Australia, surprised politicians with a valentines Day message: "It's not the thought that counts, it's real action." As explained by these activists, Romance and politics have one things in common: "Actions speak louder than words."

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UK Valentines Day Cards Against Fossil Fuels
A Love Letter to the Earth and its Inhabitants on Valentines Day

UK Valentines Day Cards Against Fossil Fuels

In the UK, Valentines Day 2014 is being marked by a national day of action. Valentines Day events are part of People and Planet's Go Green Week which is taking place from February 10-16, 2014. Students and staff from colleges and universities all across the UK are taking part.

On Valentines Day, Friday February 14th there is a national day of action in the UK that includes Fossil Free rallies across the country. These Valentines Day events also include cards for University Vice Chancellors (VCs) and politicians.

During Go Green Week, students in the UK are shining a spotlight on educational institution’s links to the fossil fuel industry. They engaged in a number of events including mass rallies and colourful, creative stunts on campuses. The Valentines Day message calls on universities to go Fossil Free.

A Love Letter to the Earth and its Inhabitants on Valentines Day

Valentines day is an opportunity to express love to people we care about, shouldn't the day also be about finding ways of communicating our love for the planet. No matter where we are, regardless of our power or wealth, we are all dependent on the Earth for our sustenance. Here is a love letter expressing gratitude for nature, and all those who work to make a better world.

We have many reasons to be grateful this Valentines Day. We are crafting positive environmental narratives that are getting more people on-board. A movement is being born that is infused with what can only be described as "eco-morality".  A new religious psychology and ethics is emerging that reinforces the environmental message. The new breed of environmentally concerned citizens gives us reason to hope that we will be able to tackle the difficult issues we face.

World Wetlands Day 2014 Highlights Agriculture

Yesterday, Sunday February 2nd was World Wetlands Day (WWD). As 2014 is the UN International Year of Family Farming, the theme for this year is 'Wetlands and Agriculture.' The slogal for the Day is 'Wetlands and Agriculture: Partners for Growth,' placing a focus on the need for the wetland, water and agricultural sectors to work together for the best shared outcomes.

Our wetlands are of great importance to the health of the planet and all its inhabitants. Our waters provide habitat for a myriad of species, recharge groundwater and provide opportunities for wildlife viewing and other outdoor recreation.

As is becoming increasingly obvious climate change is drastically altering the water cycle. We are now living with more intense storms, floods, droughts, in addition to rising sea-levels. Many species are suffering from the impacts of habitat loss and we continue to make ever-increasing demands on our waters. Now more than ever we need to protect and restore these precious resources and the beneficial functions they offer.

Video - Overfishing: Current Levels of Fishing are Unsustainable and Jeopardize the Future of this Important Food Source

Around 90 million tons of fish are removed from the world's oceans every year. But the seemingly inexhaustible food source is proving finite. More and more fish species are disappearing. And it's no wonder, because up to ninety percent of each catch is thrown over board again as worthless by-catch. This documentary accompanies scientists, fishermen and fish processing factories. It reveals the sometimes threatening and sometimes unexpected links in overfishing and addresses real solutions to rescue the oceans.

Neatherlands Seeks Release of the Arctic 30 Through ITLOS

On Wednesday, November 6, the Netherlands brought a case before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) seeking the release of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise and its Crew. In her petition for the release of the Arctic 30, Dutch representative Liesbeth Lijnzaadsaid said Russia had "violated the human rights" of the activists after detaining them for seven weeks "without grounds."

The Arctic 30 have been detained in Russia since September 18, when the ship was boarded in international waters and the entire crew seized after a peaceful protest against Arctic oil drilling.

Russia did not attend the tribunal and said it does not recognize the case. Russia claims the activists posed a security threat. After initially charging the 30 with piracy, the charge was reduced to hooliganism which carries a jail sentence of up to 7 years.

30 Days of Climate Action on Tumblr

We are at the tipping point of catastrophic climate change, it's time for everyone to act. People are inspired by the Arctic 30 and are taking action in their own lives to stand up for the planet.

Find out how you can participate in "Ideas for Action." Share what you did and what inspired you under "Post your climate action."

Breaking News: Russia Drops Piracy Charges Against Greenpeace Activists

Russian federal investigators have dropped piracy charges against the people involved in the Greenpeace protest over Arctic oil drilling. However, the 30 people will face the lesser charge of hooliganism. Under Russian law the piracy charge comes with a 12 year prison sentence while hooliganism has a seven year maximum sentence.

The charges arise from a peaceful protest against a Gazprom oil platform in the Pechora Sea on September 19. 

Russian Greenpeace spokesman Vladimir Chuprov said in a statement, "we will contest the trumped-up charge of hooliganism as strongly as we contested the piracy allegations....They are both fantasy charges that bear no relation to reality."

Greenpeace Crew Arrested in the Arctic by Russian Agents

Balaclava clad, machine gun toting, Russian FSB agents, rappelled down ropes from helicopters to detain 30 peaceful Greenpeace activists after their ship, the icebreaker Arctic Sunrise was boarded on September 19. In addition to arresting the ship's crew, the agents did substantial damage to communications equipment. The ship has been impounded and crew members have been incarcerated and are being denied access to legal or consular assistance.

Video - Greenpeace Confronting Russia's Arctic Oil Exploration

Greenpeace ship seeking to expose Arctic drilling is confronted by Russian military while in international waters. Who wins in the struggle to protect the Arctic: state-backed Russian oil giants? Or common sense?

NASA Imagery Shows Trees are Dying in US Forests

Years of drought and high temperatures are thinning forests in the upper Great Lakes and the eastern United States. According to 2013 NASA satellite imagery which is part of the third National Climate Assessment, nearly 40 percent of Mid-Atlantic forests have lost tree canopy cover. Other afflicted areas include southern Appalachia, the southeastern coast and to a lesser extent, the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada.

The combination of less water and higher temperatures are making trees, especially southern pines and the upper Midwest's hardwoods, more vulnerable to insects and new pathogens.

The State of Our Oceans: We are Headed Towards a Marine Mass Extinction

Oceans are the defining feature of our planet and they are indispensable to life. People are also intimately connected to oceans whether we live inland or on the coast. The world/s oceans are an essential part of life on Earth, they generate most of the oxygen we breathe, they provide valuable sources of food and they regulate our climate.

One of the greatest threats to oceans comes from acidification. According to 2012 research from the University of Bristol, ocean acidification is occurring at unprecedented rates. This is mainly due to the absorption of carbon dioxide emitted by humans.

GEO 5 Report on Water, Marine Pollution and Fish Stocks

The fifth edition of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5) was published on June 6, 2012. This United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report indicates there are major issues related to water, marine pollution and fish stocks

Water

Of the 30 environmental goals examined in relation to water, only one goal – that of increasing access to clean drinking water – shows significant progress. But less progress has been made in rural areas, especially in Africa and the Pacific. Despite some improvements, water quality remains the largest cause of human health problems worldwide. At the same time, climate change and further population growth are likely to result in even greater water shortages in many regions.

Overfishing and Sustainable Seafood

June 8th is World Oceans Day, the UN-designated day for the global community to celebrate and take action for our shared ocean. Whether you’re on a coastal city or far  inland, the water around you ends up in the ocean downstream. The ocean is the great connector—no matter what country you’re from, we’re all citizens of the ocean. The world is eating more seafood than ever, and we’re pushing the ocean and its fish to the limit. According to the United Nations, approximately two-thirds of ocean species are overfished, and some types of commercial fishing catch up to seven times more unwanted fish than targeted species.

Scientists Defend the Lacey Act

A prominent group of scientists have published a report that claims the Lacey Act legislation curbs deforestation and enhances the competitiveness of US logging and wood processing industries. The new report urges Congress to leave the law alone and provide enough money to enforce it.

Challenge to the Lacey Act

Efforts are underway to erode the Lacey Act which protects Americans from wood that is illegally harvested. In March, two Republicans, Paul Broun, R-Ga., and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced legislation to repeal the requirement that US companies comply with foreign environmental laws. Their bill would lower the penalties for violations under the Lacey Act. A bill introduced last fall by Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper of Nashville and Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Brentwood would eliminate penalties for people who procure illegal woods.

The Lacey Act Combats Illegal Logging

The Lacey Act protects forests making it one of the most important pieces of environmental legislation in US law books. An amendment to the Lacey Act is the first-ever law prohibiting the trade of products made with illegally logged wood. The Lacey Act was first passed in 1900 to ban the transport of poached game across state lines. It was amended in 2008 to bar importing wood that is illegally exported under another country’s laws.

The Costs of Illegal Logging

Illegal loggers undermine the competitive advantage of legal producers by selling unlawfully cut or stolen wood at artificially low prices. This practice creates trade distortions that decrease the global price of legal wood by about 16 percent.