Pacifica resident Ricardo Raya has been honored with the San Mateo Resource Conservation District’s inaugural nature champion award, honoring …
Almost four years since the 2020 CZU Complex fire took out Butano State Park’s water supply and burned through Big Basin Redwoods State Park t…
A Creekside Court housing development project is moving forward with the conditional approval of the Half Moon Bay Planning Commission, it was…
With increasing calls for climate action, the Biden administration recently announced a plan to better protect old-growth forests in national …
Cocoa grown illegally in a Nigerian rainforest heads to companies that supply major chocolate makers
As the world's demand for chocolate grows, farmers in Nigeria are moving into protected areas of a forest reserve that's home to endangered species like African forest elephants. Over two visits and several days, The Associated Press repeatedly documented farmers harvesting cocoa beans where that work is banned in conservation areas of Omo Forest Reserve. The AP reviewed company and trade documents and interviewed more than 20 farmers, five licensed buying agents and two brokers operating within the reserve. They say cocoa from the conservation zone is purchased by some of the world's largest cocoa suppliers. Those companies supply Nigerian cocoa to huge chocolate manufacturers, but it's not clear if cocoa from deforested areas makes it into well-known sweets.
For decades, Christmas tree growers and breeders have been preparing for a future of hotter weather and warming soil. People buying their trees may not have noticed a difference in availability this year and may not even in the next couple. But the trees being grown right now are the beloved holiday traditions of tomorrow for millions of families. And some growers say they know they have to be ready to adapt. Some researchers are working with breeders to see if species from other parts of the world are better adapted to a warming climate. But some scientists say there isn't enough research on warming soil temperatures that could affect Christmas trees and many other crops, especially trees.
The Biden administration is moving to conserve old-growth forests on national forests and limit logging as climate change amplifies the threats they face from wildfires, insects and disease. Tuesday's proposal would restrict commercial timber harvests in old growth forests while allowing logging to continue on "mature forests" that have not yet reached old growth status. Agriculture Sec. Tom Vilsack says the agency is adopting an "ecologically-driven" approach to older forests — an arena where logging interests have historically predominated. The timber industry has fought against logging restrictions on government-owned lands. Environmentalists say it is crucial to preserve older forests that offer wildlife habitat and other ecological benefits.