The Amazon: The Most Important Rainforest in the World

Posted on February 22, 2012 by lathamsa

The Amazon (Courtesy of Amazon Watch)

The preparations for my upcoming trip to the Amazon made me think about the role that international summits play in determining the future of rainforests. Preserving forests and the wildlife that inhabit them has been one of the priorities of the international community since 1992, when Member States developed the Forest Principles to recognize the multiple uses of forests and fight against deforestation. However, there is still much to do to preserve them for the posterity.

Forests are not only biodiversity hotspots; they also play a central role in the regulation of climate and sustain the livelihoods of the people that inhabit them. Forests have a close relationship with water resources. They purify river flows and provide protection against natural disasters caused by floods and soil erosion. In other words, forests are important for the prolongation of the world as we know it.

Despite the Forest Principles, worldwide deforestation has not stopped because of land conversion for agriculture, illegal logging, subsistence farming, industrial activities and cattle ranching. Between 1990 and 2000, the area of forest lost was estimated at 8.9 million hectares per year, an equivalent of 0.22 percent per year. Meanwhile, between 2000 and 2005, a total loss of approximately 7.3 hectares per year was recorded. In summary, during the past decade the global deforestation rate was close to 16 million hectares per year. Fortunately, even though deforestation continues, the net loss of forests is decreasing thanks to afforestation and the proliferation of programs such as UN-REDD and REDD+.

The Amazon Rainforest

Brazil has the largest rainforest area in the world thanks to the Amazon. The Amazon Rainforest covers over a billion acres, encompassing areas in Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia and the Eastern Andean region of Ecuador and Peru. Two key facts to know about the Amazon are:

• More than half of the world’s estimated 10 million species of plants, animals and insects live in the Amazon’s tropical rainforests. Thousands of living species are yet to be discovered.

• One-fifth of the world’s fresh water is in the Amazon Basin.

Deforestation in the Amazon (Courtesy photo)

Despite the importance of the Amazon, many factors still threaten the survival of this amazing habitat. Urban sprawl, agricultural expansion, and big hydropower projects are intensifying the pressures over natural resources and creating an Arc of Deforestation. Additional proposals to the Brazilian Forest Code might increase the size of the arc by opening 75,630 hectares for new development. This Arc is expected to keep expanding into protected areas, weakening the ecological equilibrium of the rainforest and slowly transforming it into a savannah.

The Government of Brazil is already taking action to protect the Amazon. Since 1988, they have been monitoring the basin to guarantee that the Forest Code is implemented as a tool to reduce the impacts of deforestation. The law requires landowners to maintain at least 80 percent of forest areas as legal reserves. Additionally, the government has established over 20 million hectares of new federally-protected areas. Brazil also uses advanced remote-sensing programs, such as DETER and PRODES, for monitoring deforestation. Using this technology, civil society representatives can access monthly reports and updated satellite images over the internet.

How can the international community help the Amazon Rainforest?

Because of the importance of forests for our well-being and survival, countries must articulate the need to protect them. So far, the international community has taken steps to show their commitment to forest conservation. Nonetheless, innovative approaches should be developed to effectively promote a sustainable use of our biological diversity and ecosystems. World leaders must recognize the importance of developing capacity-building programs in order to enable conservation programs in regions with valuable ecosystems such as the Amazon Rainforest.”

Amazon word bubble

To learn more about the UN-CSD and my trip to the Amazon Rainforest, you can follow me @Oli_mar or join the UN-CSD Major Group of Children and Youth.

Olimar Maisonet-Guzman is a 2011 Boren Fellow to Brazil and a member of the SustainUS Youth Delegation that will participate in the Rio+20 Earth Summit. She is currently in Brazil studying water and energy policy, with a particular focus on hydropower development. She also serves as a Rio+20 taskforce member for the UN CSD Major Group of Children and Youth. Read Olimar’s first blog for us here.

Forestry Solutions: Nigeria

Posted on February 19, 2012 by lathamsa

Usumana Ndaysu, senior elder of the Sukur Ka-Mariya in Nigeria, his son and the tall nggu drums carved out of tree trunks that are particularly associated with Damay. (Orland/Wikimedia)

Nigeria has rich biological diversity in its forests that is being threatened by logging, oil industry encroachment, and a growing population. The deforestation rate in the country is about 3.5% per year, or 350,000-400,000 hectares of forest land per year. The remaining forests represent only about 10% of Nigeria’s original forest land, and they lost 21% of their forests between 1990-2005 alone.

One organization working to protect Nigeria’s remaining forests and plant more trees is the African Research Association (ARA). ARA “has been tackling forest degradation and environmental degradation which are the key drivers of climate change, promoting environmental governance and provision of alternative livelihood in the tropic forests and Savannah grassland areas of…Nigeria.” ARA’s main work is their rural community action project, Development in Nigeria (DIN). ARA’s research in poor rural communities has convinced them of the deep connection between poverty (resulting from lack of opportunities) and forest degradation (in areas where poor communities are reliant on the forest for their livelihood).

So how do they achieve poverty reduction and reduce forest degradation? By working with the people who depend on the forests, and incorporating programs into the community. “Activities… are focused on sustainable natural resource management through reducing poverty, promoting sustainable alternative livelihoods, adaptation to climate change impacts and capacity building through activities such as providing adult literacy services and farmer field schools.” Check out their Community Forest page for more information.

Two organizations working on preserving the diverse life within the forests of Nigeria -and, thus, the forests themselves- are Cercopan and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Cercopan was started in 1995 and works on conservation issues in Cross River State, Nigeria, particularly on primate rehabilitation, environmental education, community rainforest conservation and research. Their Community Rainforest Conservation programs were started in 1999 and are based largely on “establishing mutual trust and respect, and putting gin place economic incentives through training, establishing royalties and community development funds, and employment.” To learn more about the goals of the programs, see photo galleries and read community newsletters, check out the page.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) states that Nigeria’s forests and savannah parks and wetlands “Rank among the continent’s most important.” Their current work involves developing a “community-led model for protected area conservation in the Mbe Mountains and continu[ing] to identify and monitor remaining gorilla populations.” According to WCS, the forests need to link together in order to provide an ideal habitat for animals like gorillas, chimpanzees and elephants. The booming population and expanding agricultural and timber farmsmake these forest connections very difficult to maintain. For more information, check out their website with links to articles about their efforts.

Forestry Solutions: India

Posted on February 18, 2012 by lathamsa

India has about seventy million hectares of forests, and about 250 million people depend on the forests for their livelihoods. However, forest degradation is still a major concern as the timber and wood product industries, as well as the population boom and development that comes with it.

Elephants of Coimbatore Forests, Tamil Nadu, India (Mohan Raj/Wikimedia)

There are organizations across the country working towards planting trees, conserving existing forests, and engaging community members through education and economic programs. One such organization is The Sapling Project, whose motto is “Breathe easy, let’s plant some trees!” They explain their mission: “We don’t want to change the world or end economic sanctions in Zimbabwe, we are working towards a simple mission, to plant and share saplings with one and all in different parts of our city. While most tree plantation drives are done in Parks or Forest areas, we think it’s the colonies and buildings that need more trees and also one can monitor the health and progress of one’s planted sapling.” To learn more about their efforts to bring trees to the communities, and connect with them if you are interested in participating, check out their website.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) India works on forestry issues all over the country. For basic facts on forests and the issues they face, check out their website. WWF India states its goal as “the protection of India’s ecological security through… broad programme objectives,” going on to list projects such as “Minimizing pollution, reducing the use of toxic chemicals and ensuring improvised management of toxic waste,” as well as “Promoting the active involvement of rural and traditional communities in the sustainable management and conservation of natural resources.” Specifically in relation to forests, 20 years ago WWF established the Global Forest & Trade Network (GTFN) to combat the annual destruction of over 30 million acres of natural forest for wood and agricultural products. GTFN in India is specifically focused on issues of forest degradation and trade (including of animals like the Bengal Tiger) in India, with lots of great links, news stories, and tips.

If you live in India, what other forest conservation organizations have you heard of and/or worked with? Let us know in the comment section!

Forest solutions: Tanzania

Posted on February 16, 2012 by lathamsa

Acacia tree on a sunrise safari in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. (Gopre92/Wikimedia)

Tanzania has a wealth of highly biodiverse forests. Unfortunately, they are currently under threat from uncontrolled fires, illegal harvesting, overgrazing, encroachment from agriculture and other land use, and bushmeat hunting amongst other things. Thankfully there are a variety of organizations working in Tanzania to help conserve forests and the ecosystems of which they are an integral part.

The Tanzania Forest Conservation Group is working to “conserve and restore the biodiversity of globally important forests in Tanzania for the benefit of the present and future generations.” Their strategy is to use “capacity building, advocacy, research, community development and protected area management” on what they call Tanzania’s most import forests: those in the Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal forests. Their website provides links to the different conservation projects they are working on, as well as information about the specific areas (Where We Work) and what you can do as an individual to get involved (What You Can Do). There is even a list of helpful links for those interested in more forestry conservation information: http://www.tfcg.org/links.html

The Mpingo Conservation and Development Initiative works alongside the District Forestry Office in Kilwa, in south-eastern Tanzania. Their main initiative is Participatory Forest Management, under which communities are encouraged to mark some of their forests Village Land Forest Reserves (VLFR). This puts the forest under the management of the local village, and the goal is to create a truly sustainable forest that both helps the local village and preserves the forests. To learn more about the Mpingo organization and their work in Tanzania, check out this Conservation International blog post, “A Better Future in Tanzania’s Forests.” The post explores the role of community ownership in preserving the Mpingo trees and empowering local residents.

For more information on forestry conservation in Africa (including Tanzania), check out these links:

Guest Blog: Forests and Climate Change

Posted on February 15, 2012 by lathamsa

This is the final post in a three-part series of guest blogs about forests by the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas. You can read Part 1 and Part 2. Part 3 (below) was written by Florencia Montagnini, from Yale University, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies in the United States.

Mature forest at a private Reserve near Iguazú National Park In Misiones, Argentina. Forests protect rivers and other water sources as one of their many environmental functions. (Photo: F. Montagnini)

Just about all human activities in our modern world produce greenhouse gases (GHGs), primarily carbon dioxide (CO2), and thus contribute to climate change. The use of fossil fuels for transportation, generation of electricity, and industries is the main source of CO2 emissions. However, the removal of trees from forested land also generates GHGs: mature forests, having absorbed CO2 from the atmosphere while growing, store carbon in wood, leaves, and soil, and this C is released when people clear forested land. Documented sources affirm that in the last decade the destruction and degradation of forestland accounts for about 12 % of global GHG emissions.

The world’s forests are ecological wonders that house myriad plants and living creatures on Earth, regulate global climate by absorbing large amounts of CO2 and support the livelihoods of human societies. Forests, however, are under pressure from logging and degradation at a time when we them more than ever.

Forest destruction and degradation also lead to fragmentation of landscapes that lose their natural connectivity. Bird and other animal movement among isolated patches of forest is very difficult and often impossible. The same happens with pollen and seeds that would disperse to other portions of the landscape helping to maintain biodiversity.

Highly fragmented area in Piñalito Provincial Park in Misiones, NE Argentina, location at 600 meters above sea level, formerly dense subtropical forests containing araucaria (Araucaria angustifolia), yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis)trees in a natural association. (Photo: Daphne Colcombet)

Strategies to decrease forest conversion to other land use can also serve for adaptation ormitigation of climate change. Restoration of degraded lands and adoption of sustainable forest practices can thus develop into “win-win” situations.

The world’s soils contain about 3 times as much carbon as the world’s vegetation, therefore soils play a crucial role in the global carbon budget. Techniques that enhance soil carbon conservation and sequestration such as intercropping, use of residue mulch and minimum tillage can have strong impact on global carbon.

Many techniques used in agroforestry systems (AFS), the combination of trees/shrubs and crops/animals on the same land, are also geared to recover or protect soils. AFS, including silvopastoral systems (SPS) have larger soil carbon sequestration potential than conventional range lands and grasslands.

AFS can contribute to climate change mitigation due to carbon sequestration in trees and soils, with the advantage of increasing productivity, being biodiversity friendly, and bringing social and economic advantages to the farmer. In many AFS temperatures are 2-5 0C lower under the tree canopy compared to temperatures measured in the open. Thus, the incorporation of shade trees can contribute to adaptation to climate warming.

In cases where planting trees or shrubs may be in conflict with the desired land use, woody species can still be used effectively for similar purposes as described above with arrangements that give minimal interference, such as in lines, hedges, windbreaks, fences, small woodlots and other designs. Farmers and technical personnel use their creativity in designing systems that can fulfill these multiple needs using species that are better adapted to the local situation. The sky is the limit when it comes to innovation!

Also check out the ECPA Senior Fellows Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SeniorECPAFellows and website: www.partners.net/seniorecpafellows.

Guest Blog: Role of Forests in Mitigating Climate Change

Posted on February 14, 2012 by lathamsa

This is the second in a three-part series of guest blogs about forests by the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas. You can read Part 1 here. Part 2 (below) was written by Janaki Alavalapati, Professor and Head of the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the United States.

Role of Forests in Mitigating Climate Change

Trees are an important part of carbon sequestration (Jdforrester/Wikimedia)

Forests cover about 30% of the world’s land area. They provide us with food in the form of edible plants, fruits, nuts, berries, insects, and animals. They provide income and livelihoods to people through timber and a variety of non-timber products such as mushrooms and honey. Forests provide fodder and rangeland for millions of households who herd cattle, goats, and sheep. Forests provide herbs and forest products that are used as medicine by millions of households in the world. Forests are the most important living gene banks on earth and provide critical habitat for wildlife including a number of threatened and endangered species. In addition, forests play a key role in maintaining the ecological base for food production by controlling water and wind erosion and by recycling vital nutrients such as nitrogen back into the soil. While citizens have greater awareness of these benefits, the role of forests in mitigating climate change is not well understood.

Forests play a pivotal role in mitigating climate change and reducing global warming. They

Carbon sequestration (University of Florida, Explore Magazine, 2011)

store about 45% of terrestrial carbon. As forests grow, they store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in their roots, branches, and leaves. As such, the world’s forests store about 2.4 gigatons of carbon per year. However, when forests are cleared and burned, their stored carbon is emitted back into the atmosphere. For example, tropical deforestation alone contributes to about 20% of overall human-caused carbon dioxide emissions per year. So, depending upon how they are managed, forests can act as a carbon storage sink or source of carbon emissions.

Growing forests and keeping forests as forests are only part of the solution to mitigate climate change. The use of sustainably produced and harvested timber in l products can significantly reduce overall societal carbon emissions. They note that assessment of forests in mitigating climate change and global warming must account for:

• Low carbon emissions associated with wood products manufacture,
• Carbon storage in long-lasting wood products such as furniture and books,
• Avoided emissions that result when wood is used in place of energy-intensive materials and products such as concrete and plastic, and
• The efficient use of wood for energy that can be substituted for fossil fuels.

Sustainably managed forests not only increase carbon sequestration and storage benefits but also generate a range of environmental, economic, and social benefits listed in the beginning. As such, managing forests and their carbon is considered a low-cost option of mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Research suggests that the costs of targeted global reductions in GHG emissions can be reduced by up to 40% with the extensive use of forests to sequester and store carbon. This realization has led to the REDD (Reducing Emissions through Deforestation and Degradation) program of the United Nations and more recently REDD+, which broadens the scope to include sustainable forest management and enhancement of forest carbon. However, issues such as how we measure carbon storage, how we monitor carbon stocks, and verify carbon sequestration pose significant challenges to implement forest carbon projects across the world. Advancements in measurement technologies, remote sensing, and LiDAR (light detection and ranging), for example, are expected to help overcome these challenges. Last but not the least, incentives to control deforestation, establish new forested areas, and displace energy-intensive products with wood products will promote forests potential in mitigating climate change.

Also check out the ECPA Senior Fellows Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SeniorECPAFellows and website: www.partners.net/seniorecpafellows.

Guest Blog: Chingaza National Natural Park

Posted on February 13, 2012 by lathamsa

This week, we have three wonderful guest blogs by Fellows of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA). ECPA emerged from the 2009 Summit of the Americas when leaders of the Western Hemisphere highlighted energy and climate change as some of the most important issues confronting our future. President Obama invited these governments to join an Energy and Climate Partnership for the Americas, allowing the countries of the Western Hemisphere to “learn from one another, share technologies, leverage investment, and maximize our comparative advantage. For more about ECPA’s foundation and the initiatives it addresses, click here.

Frank Lowenstein (Courtesy Photo)

For the next three days, we have guest blogs by ECPA fellows working on forestry issues in Latin America on topics such as the role of forests in mitigating climate change and the relationship between planting trees and access to fresh water. The first guest blog is by Frank Lowenstein, Adaptation Strategy Lead for The Nature Conservancy’s Global Climate Change Team.

A Trip to Chingaza National Natural Park

Where does your water come from? For many cities often the source is a distant natural area. In Bogotá, – the capital of Colombia and its largest city – the water comes from a mysterious and unique habitat threatened by climate change. Last year I got to see it first-hand.

Bogota’s water supply begins in Chingaza National Natural Park – located nearly a mile higher than the Andean city and 40 miles away. To reach it we cross the bustling, stylish city of eight million people and then creep up the sides of the Andes.

Arriving at Chingaza two hours later, we are in the clouds. Large drops of slushy rain blow sideways into our faces. The two rangers who will guide us are equipped with rain ponchos, hats, and rubber boots. It is hard to fathom that we are only a few degrees north of the Equator.

Despite its tropical location, the vegetation of Chingaza is similar to the tundra. The plants

The páramo at Chingaza. (Photo by Frank Lowenstein/TNC)

are universally low to the ground—no trees here—with leaves designed to resist cold temperatures and bitter winds. Called páramo, this tundra-like tropical habitat is unique to the Andes.

While the land looks barren, the páramo has a secret: it’s full of water. The plants capture water from rain or the clouds blowing past, and channel the water to the soil (you can literally squeeze water out of it like a sponge!). The water then flows down the mountain through underground rivers and tunnels on its way to millions of kitchen faucets in Bogota.
I am here to see how climate change threatens the páramos. “This is one of the places where you can see the first impacts of climate change,” explains Tomas Walschburger, chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy in Colombia. With warming temperatures, insects from further down the mountain move upslope. “There’s a lot of insect species invading this high mountain grassland. A lot of areas within this park are dying out from the invasion of these insects.”

A frailejón in bloom. (Photo by Frank Lowenstein/TNC)

The main victim so far is a flowering plant called the frailejón—a daisy relative that dominates Chingaza’s páramo. As the plants die, erosion risks rise, threatening to carry away the soil that stores the water between rains. Without plants to capture water and the spongy soil to store it, Chingaza would not be able to provide as much water to the people of Bogota. And in many places páramos face additional challenges from overgrazing, mining, road construction and other destructive uses.

In response to this crisis, The Nature Conservancy, FEMSA Foundation, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Global Environment Facility have developed the Latin American Water Funds Partnership. This partnership aims to create alliances of urban water users and owners of rural landscapes to preserve and protect drinking water. By planting trees in lower reaches of watersheds, reducing cattle grazing in the páramo, and steering mining operations to less sensitive areas, we can reduce stresses and respond to climate change impacts, helping the páramos adapt, so they can continue providing freshwater for people.

At least 32 water funds are in varying stages of progress, aiming to sustain seven

The pinapple-like foliage of the frailejones helps them to capture water and funnel it to their base. Other plants in the páramo show similar shapes, all helping to bring water to the spongy soil, where it later feeds rivers, and ultimately the drinking water supply of Bogota. (Photo by Frank Lowenstein/TNC)

million acres of watersheds that provide drinking water to 50 million people across at least six countries. One water fund focuses on protecting Bogota’s water, which you can learn more about here: http://nature.ly/xrLN4U

My trip to Chingaza is brief. After a few hours of hiking through cold and wind, we turn for home, but I leave with a sense of hope in knowing that the páramo’s protection, for nature and for people, is already underway.

See other blog posts by Frank Lowenstein on The Nature Conservancy’s Planet Change blog.

Also check out the ECPA Senior Fellows Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SeniorECPAFellows and website: www.partners.net/seniorecpafellows.

Forestry Solutions: Pakistan and Sri Lanka

Posted on February 10, 2012 by lathamsa

Pakistan

Aerial view of forest at Ayubia National Park in Pakistan (Farjad0322/Wikimedia)

Pakistan has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world, and with less than 5% of its area under forest cover already, this is an increasingly extreme problem. According to the World Wildlife Fund Pakistan,

“The major threat to Pakistan’s forests is uncontrolled and unsustainable cutting. Reasons for unsustainable commercial harvesting in state forests are:

Lack of political will and commitment
Poor planning
Unrealistic forest working plans
Weak implementation of forest protection laws

The primary causes of over-harvesting by domestic cutting in private and community forests are widespread poverty, population pressure, lack of fuel wood alternatives, and a lack of awareness about sustainable resource use methods. Uncontrolled use of pesticides, diseases and damage by insects, and fires are other causes of forest degradation.”

So what are people doing to help preserve these invaluable forests in Pakistan? World Wildlife Fund has several different projects across Pakistan, including the Chilgoza Forest, Jhangar Valley, and the mangrove forests in the Coastal Areas of Sindh and Balochistan.

Bird Life International has a program supporting sustainable forest management in the Palas Valley of Pakistan. Their interest in protecting Palas Valley is because it is in the Western Himalayas Endemic Bird Area (EBA), a priority area for the conservation of global biodiversity. According to Bird Life, “the future of the biodiversity of the Palas Valley depends on the relevance of conservation to the everyday lives of the valley’s inhabitants.” Their method of conservation involves “enabling local communities to tackle the linked causes of poverty and natural resource degradation” and the program they implemented works with communities on infrastructure rehabilitation and natural resource management, amongst other things.

Some other good resources to check out if you are interested in forest conservation in Pakistan:

Wildlife Conservation Projects in Pakistan
Forest Carbon Asia, paper: “Dilemmas and challenges in forest conservation and development interventions: Case of Northwest Pakistan.”
Pakistan Paedia, “The Juniper Forests”

Sri Lanka

Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka (Mattes/Wikimedia)

Between 1990 and 2005, Sri Lanka had one of the highest deforestation rates of old growth (or primary”) forests in the world, losing 35% of old-growth forest cover, and 18% of total forest cover.

Since deforestation rates have increased by more than 25% since the 1990s, forest conservation action is Sri Lanka is imperative. So what is being done?

Organizations like Ruk Rakaganno, the “Protectors of the Trees” are taking action. The organization was started in 1975 by a group of nature lovers “drawn together by concern about the destruction of the natural forests in Sri Lanka.” Their mission is to protect the country’s forests “by raising awareness about the value of trees, and to encourage the planting of indigenous species,” ultimately resulting in “a country in which development and natural resource sustainability are balanced so that all inhabitants can enjoy a high quality of life.” To learn more about their objectives and their action plan, which includes steps such as conducting rural and urban tree planting and tree maintenance programs, and using media to get the word out about important environmental issues, click here. For specific projects they are undertaking like their Home Gardening Programme and Beach Planting, check out their Projects Page

The Green Movement of Sri Lanka says it likes to be like the bee, “draw[ing] nectar off a flower without harming either its color or its fragrance…” They go on to explain this to mean that “when the ancients tell us to follow the example of the bee, they are in fact advising us that gentleness alone will not save us, or our earth. We [Green Movement] firmly believe that it is the tenderness of solidarity deeply roots in traditional wisdom which empowers better and beneficial engagement.”  The site is split into different sections, such as Green Action and Green People, and is further organized by types of action (climate change, natural resources, etc.) To learn more about their work in forestry conservation, such as their aggressive defense of government plans to build roads through pristine natural forest reserves in Sinharaja and Wilpattu, check out their Natural Resource Conservation and Management Programme (NRCMP).

Two more sites to check out in Sri Lanka:
The Socio Environmental Foundation of Sri Lanka
Derana Community Development Foundation (a student forum)

Ambassador Interviews About Greening: Part 2

Posted on February 9, 2012 by lathamsa

Here is the second set of short video interviews with prominent officials from international organizations, Ambassadors, and embassy representatives. For the first group, click here.

Keith Curtis, Senior Energy Advisor, Department of Commerce

(For additional videos of Keith Curtis, check out these links: http://bitly.com/Arjtfo, http://bitly.com/yzAJ3u, http://bitly.com/yLHUrl)

Hartwig Schafer, Director of Strategy and Operations, Sustainable Development Network, World Bank Group

Peter Burian, Slovak Ambassador to the United States

Galit Baram, Counselor for Public and Academic Affairs, Embassy of Israel in the United States

(For another video of Galit Baram, click here: http://bit.ly/A89Wwt)

Simonas Satunas, Representative from the Lithuanian Embassy

Roman Kirn, Slovenian Ambassador to the United States

Ian Bond, Head of Green Team, Embassy of the United Kingdom in the United States

Ambassador Interviews About Greening: Part 1

Posted on February 8, 2012 by lathamsa

Last Tuesday, January 31, 2012, the DC Greening Embassies Forum had their official signing ceremony. During the event, representatives from international embassies here in Washington, DC and the DC government signed a pledge outlining what steps they will take to green their embassies and give back to the city in a sustainable way. We got several short interviews with Ambassadors and embassy representatives, as well as prominent officials from organizations like the State Department, the World Bank, and the United Nations Environment Programme. Today and tomorrow, we will be releasing these videos for you to view here on the blog! Here are a few:

Patrick Kennedy, Under Secretary for Management, U.S. Department of State