climateadaptation:

It’s been long known that Borneo rainforests face extinction, so too does local indigenous culture. But does it matter? To whom? In other words, why do outsiders want to freeze exotic cultures in time capsules?

Above, the Borneo forest project with GOOGLE (warning, sad orangutans). Below, NPR covers, rather topically, the issue of deforestation and cultural change and economic development in Borneo.

Conservationists’ hopes of saving Borneo’s rainforests and its inhabitants’ traditions may be unrealistic, romantic, or simply too late. They may also obscure indigenous peoples’ fight to control the terms on which they develop and modernize. Some Indonesians see the Dayaks as culturally backwards, and many Dayaks themselves seem unsentimental about shedding the ways of their forefathers.

White, of the Rights and Resources Initiative, notes that forests can be re-grown to support communities and store carbon. Indigenous people have the right to choose their own path of development, he adds, and the issue of rights will not go away with the destruction Indonesia’s forests.

“Of course it’s sad, of course it should be stopped, but that does not diminish the importance of this issue,” he says, “or the potential of these lands to be restored and for these communities to live much better lives in the future and for these areas to contribute much, much more to their country’s development.”

(via fuckyeahincrediblygreen)

conserveyourworld:

There are many ways to produce less waste:

• Reduce the amount and toxicity of trash you throw away and reuse containers and products.


• Recycle as much as possible and buy products with recycled content.


• Practice composting by using microorganisms…