In the run up to the Copenhagen climate change conference, it is vital the following information be disseminated to the public as well as to our political leaders.
 
A widely cited 2006 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Livestock's Long Shadow, estimates that 18 percent of annual worldwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are attributable to livestock….however recent analysis by Goodland and Anhang co-authors of "Livestock and Climate Change" in the latest issue of World Watch magazine found that livestock and their byproducts actually account for at least 32.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year, or 51 percent of annual worldwide GHG emissions!
 
www.51percent.org
 
The main sources of GHGs from animal agriculture are: (1) Deforestation of the rainforests to grow feed for livestock. (2) Methane from manure waste. – Methane is 72 times more potent as a global warming gas than CO2 (3) Refrigeration and transport of meat around the world. (4) Raising, processing and slaughtering of the animal.
 
Meat production also uses a massive amount of water and other resources which would be better used to feed the world’s hungry and provide water to those in need.
 
Based on their research, Goodland and Anhang conclude that replacing livestock products with soy-based and other alternatives would be the best strategy for reversing climate change. They say "This approach would have far more rapid effects on GHG emissions and their atmospheric concentrations-and thus on the rate the climate is warming-than actions to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy."
 
The fact is that we are being informed of the dangerous path we are on by depending greatly on animal flesh  for human consumption. We still have the opportunity to make the most effective steps in saving ourselves and this planet. By simply choosing   a plant based diet we can reduce our carbon foot print by a huge amount.  
 
 We are gambling with our lives and with those of our future generations to come. It's madness to know we are fully aware of the possible consequences but yet are failing to act. 
      
Promoting a plant based diet to the public is would be the most effective way to curb deforestation, we hope this will be adopted as a significant measure to save the rainforests and protect the delicate ecology.
 
Thank you for your consideration.

By CARE
www.care.org/climatechange

Look at the places around the world where people are adapting to climate change and you're bound to see the same group bearing the heaviest burden: poor women. That's pretty much the definition of unfair, given that they're least responsible for the problem. And in so many countries, barriers stand between them and the assets they need build up their resilience -- things like land, credit, new technologies and places in decision-making bodies.

Yet, somehow, poor women are finding power in one thing: each other.

That was as clear as the Ugandan sky on a recent sun-drenched day in the village of Mubuku. Two leaders of the Bakyara Tweyimukye village savings & loan association sat down to explain how they are being affected by climate change - and adapting to it. Annette Agaba, a mother of five, lead the associated that has made loans for handicraft businesses, tree plantings, "kitchen gardens," and income-generating activities such as goat and poultry rearing. She chose to rear rabbits. Maria Gorretti Kasawuli has taught other mothers how to grow "kitchen gardens." Hers bursts with herbs like dodo, sukuma and eggplants.

Though they have not a keyboard or an email address, we at CARE wanted them to be part of Blog Action Day. Here are their voices, as captured by CARE's Tracy Kajumba, in a home in western Uganda.

AGABA: "This community depends on agriculture and used to get high yields from maize, beans, ground nuts and many other crops. However from the 90s, the situation has changed. We used to predict rain and prepare our gardens and plant but now days we cannot predict anything. When you are expecting rain, you get scorching heat that destroys all the crops. When you expect sunshine, you get heavy torrential rains that wash away all the crops and sweep away the house tops!"

KASAWULI: "We started with promoting hygiene and sanitation in our homes due to the high prevalence of cholera in our area. Every time we came to save, some one talked about sanitation issues and we visited each other to assess compliance. After that we were hit by floods and after affected by drought which made it difficult for us to get money, and as a group we decided to do a reflection and take action to survive. We realized that we can no longer survive on agriculture alone and agreed to diversify and buy goats using the money from the group . . . I bought a goat but had no where to keep it, and had to share my house with it. My husband later supported me and constructed a room outside. The goat produced two kids initially, I bought two more and they have now multiplied to seventeen."

AGABA: "I have also ventured into keeping rabbits which are delicious for meat and are very marketable. Diversification is the only way to go to manage the weather changes."

KASAWULI: "We have agreed in our group that every homestead should have a kitchen garden. It does not need a lot of land. You can use old basins, jerry cans, or sacks to plant your greens and vegetables. It is also easy to water the garden since it is near, small and therefore needs little water. Ten households so far have established the kitchen gardens and this has supplemented on sauce in the face of hunger and increased food prices, and we also sell the surplus to the neighbors."

Today is Blog Action Day, and the topic - climate change. As we take the time to blog - and exchange views - I hope each of one us also takes the time to call or write our Senators and urge them to take strong and immediate action to address climate change. Nothing we do could be more important right now. Our Senators need to hear from us. They need to hear that we care about the people in extreme poverty, who are least responsible for but are most vulnerable to climate change. More than one billion people already struggle on less than $1.25 a day and live on a razor's edge of crisis. Climate change threatens to push them over that edge.

 

This morning, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's subcomittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs, and International Environmental Protection held a hearing on drought, flooding, and refugees and addressing the impacts of climate change in the world's most vulnerable nations. This hearing could not be more timely. Over recent weeks, CARE has been responding with humanitarian aid and supplies to an unusual number of simultaneous, mostly weather-related emergencies around the world. These emergencies include those in the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, India, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Guatemala related to typhoons, severe droughts, floods and landslides. These significant emergencies illustrate the potential threat that experts have described of the increasing frequency and numbers of natural disasters, and they highlight the challenges we may face in the coming decades.

 

Senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer introduced the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, S. 1733 on September 30. This legislation is a critical step toward US leadership in tackling climate change. The bill that passed the House of Representatives in June was a great start; now it's up to the Senate. The Senate can show that the United States is ready and willing to tackle the threat of climate change by agreeing to stronger cuts in our own greenhouse gas emissions and by increasing support to help people in extreme poverty adapt to new climate conditions.

 

On December 7, representatives from 192 nations meet in Copenhagen and are expected to reach a global deal on climate change. There is no time to lose. Effectively addressing climate change requires a global response based on a shared sense of community. The US cannot do it alone but we can lead global efforts in this lifesaving movement. Please, let's call our Senators and ask for their support for strong US action to address climate change and provide robust resources to help the world's poorest adapt. This would show the world that the US is committed to leading efforts to address climate change and to creating a better future for all.

1.  About context

Nepal is under low carbon economy country with per capita carbon emission less than 0.11, which implies one US citizen’s emission is equivalent to about 182 Nepali citizens emission. About 31 % of the population of the country is below poverty line (government information) where 70 % is estimated to be forest dependent. Forested area covers 29% surface area. National forest policy focuses on meeting peoples basic needs of forest products through engagement of local community in overall management of forest resources.  More than 15000 local Community Forest Users Groups (CFUGs) including indigenous people are managing about 1.3 million hectors forests across the country. The harmony among different ethnic groups, indigenous peoples and other forest dependent communities during the process and functions of the community forest management is enthusiastic and impressive. The FECOFUN an umbrella organizations of the CFUGs has emerged a strong civil society organization in the natural resource management sectors of Nepal  also contributing significant roles in  poverty reduction, achieving million development goals (MDGs) and encouraging and lobbying to government in policy making process with respect to the  obligations of UNCBD, UNFCC and UNCCD .

There are provisions of community rights in forest resources in Forest Act, 1993 and Regulation 1995. Under this legal provisions about 1.3 Million ha forests have already been handed over to local communities as community forests (CFs). Nepal ratified UNCBD (1992) in September 1993. Article 8 (j) requires the parties to “encourage the equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of indigenous knowledge, innovation and practices. As a signatory party, Nepal is committed to comply this legal provision. Nepal has also ratified ILO (1989) declaration 169 in 2005 that also ensures rights of IP’s on natural resources. There is also a signed agreement between GON and IP’s federated bodies to implement ILO 169 in the country. Nepal also agrees on UNDRIP (2007), which also secures IP’s rights on natural resources.

2.  Drivers of D2 in Nepal

Degradation of forest is much more serious concern compared to the deforestation problem in Nepal. Five major drivers of deforestation and degradation are identifying in Nepal. They are:  a) Lack of clarity in the tenure system, b) Conversion of forest & Agriculture expansion c) Government resettlement program and d) Illegal harvesting

Forestry sector FECOFUN is very much concerned about quick assessment of deforestation drivers and efforts taken by state with collaboration of CSOs to address them. FECOFUN is willing to work together with Government of Nepal to address these serious issues. By the results of coordination and collaborations between FECOFUN and government line agencies   few initiatives have taken in this regards. However it is not sufficient in-terms of intensity of deforestation and degradation occur in Nepal. Development and implementation of forest fire control policy is one of the good examples that initiated by the Nepal Government.  Likewise, Community based forest management is our mainstream forest policy. Community managed forests are the best examples sustainable management of forest and biodiversity conservation. Therefore, we are strongly recommendation to Nepal Government, to developed effective and efficient safe guarding mechanisms, economic incentives, legal instruments and functional institutions in considering rights to free, prior and informed consent of local community and indigenous peoples regarding to the policy of the climate change.

3.  Issues consider on REDD

Though, REDD is an emerging market, but countries like Nepal where forest inventory data are inadequate, technical capacity is weak at community and  professional level and where forests are difficult to access due to difficult geographic features; market based approach may not be  sufficient to reduce deforestation and degradation problems. Would definitely focus more on maximizing co-benefits of REDD like- enhancing ecosystem resilience, livelihoods improvement, good governance practices, biodiversity conservation.  Good conservation practices in mid-hills and mountain watersheds are contributing in reducing vulnerability to downstream population living in India and Bangladesh. The compensatory payments for up-stream community would be an economic incentive for effective conservation of these forests.

1. Up-front financing for capacity building at different level (community to policy makers) is necessary for effective readiness.
2. We are aware that REDD will not succeed unless local community meaningfully participate in the REDD process. However, our 60 % of CFs are below 50 ha in size. The national average of CFs  is around 86 ha. , and average CF allocation per household is around 0.7 ha, which is lower in low lands compared to hills and mountains. Realizing this fact, we are very much concerned on how Community forest s get maximum benefits from REDD. Considering high transaction costs on small size forests, there is potential risks that cheap carbon might off-set  community based forest carbon that have greater co-benefits.
3. Since, forest degradation is very much complex in nature; its measurement and monitoring is also challenging.
4. Almost one-third forests have already been under Protected Areas (PA’s) and more lands are in pipeline to be declared as PAs. Now, our major concern is- how Nepal can receive economic incentives for effective conservation of these PAs. So Nepal strongly advocates in favor of compensatory payments for co-benefits like ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation offered by our PAs and community forests to global community.
5. Local communities are overall responsible to manage the forest resources in Nepal. The forests and biodiversity that we have in present are the result of the community efforts and contributions.  Therefore, the community contributions and efforts on these regards should be    should be recognized and rewarded in the REDD process.

The FECOFUN is play role to make common understating and building up constituency on these pertinent issues in both national and international forums.