Photograph by: Enric Sala, National Geographic
January 9, 2020
It is well-established that biodiverse ecosystems generally function better than monocultures. Ecologists at the University of Zurich have now shown that the same is true on a larger scale: Having a mix of different land-covers including grassland, forest, urban areas and water bodies improves the functioning and stability of a landscape—irrespective of the plant species diversity, region and climate.
January 9, 2020
Rare plant species are far more likely to go extinct than common species, yet we know surprisingly little about global species abundance.
Most efforts to quantify species abundance focus on local communities, according to the authors of a study published late last year in the journal Science Advances, which limits our ability to accurately assess plant rarity.
January 9, 2020
A three-day mapathon to mark the city’s existing green cover and devise strategies to augment it will commence at St. Teresa’s College on Thursday.
The mapathon is being conducted under the Cities4Forests project, a global initiative by the World Resources Institute (WRI) which has partnered with the Kochi Corporation. The project envisages expanding green patches in cities and mitigating the impact of climate change by protecting wetlands and biodiversity.
January 9, 2020
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), currently working on its next comprehensive report, the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), will open the draft Working Group III contribution for a first review by experts from 13 January to 8 March 2020.
January 8, 2020
Author of award-winning book, The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times, Anita Sanchez, Ph.D., offers wisdom rooted in an understanding of the interconnection of all life. Her guidance helps us reframe our thoughts on climate change to facilitate personal and collective action.
As indigenous wisdom traditions have known for millennia and scientific research now confirms, we must expand our notion of family and community beyond our several immediate human relatives to include the community of nature for life to thrive.
January 8, 2020
As we begin the year 2020, wildfires rage from the Arctic to Australia, icecaps melt, and fierce storms and floods lash our cities. This is already “the new normal.” At the same time, in politics and media, truth struggles to prevail against lies. It’s a dangerous moment. Sean Hawkey, a photographer for ecumenical organisations including the World Council of Churches (WCC), selected photos from his archive as a reflection on a decade of work.
January 7, 2020
When the United Nations welcomed heads of state to the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, a global consensus was reached to take vital steps to save the planet. To that end, more than 170 nations gave their support to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. But was not the only treaty at the summit. There was also a Convention on Biological Diversity. The climate change treaty is well understood internationally — even if the Trump administration and its congressional allies continue to engage in dangerous denialism and obstruction.
January 6, 2020
The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William has announced the Earthshot Prize: an ambitious set of challenges to inspire a decade of action to repair the planet. In what is set to be a “super year” for the environment, with crucial summits including the Convention on Biodiversity in China and the COP26 Climate Change Conference in the UK, Prince William will team up with global partners on a decade-long project that reaches every corner of the earth.
January 6, 2020
A new study, accepted in Environmental Research Letters, has found that diverse natural forests with a mix of tree species are more reliable and stable at absorbing and storing carbon than plantations dominated by just a few tree species, both over time and across diverse conditions. The study was co-authored by scientists from Columbia University's Earth Institute and its Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology.
January 3, 2020
Nature Conservancy’s Lynn Scarlett says a series of international agreements in 2020 could set the stage for more sustainable economies by 2030
Imagine a massive container ship moving across the ocean at top speed, headed straight for a rocky island. The island is one mile away, which might seem far off, but turning a large ship moving at high speeds takes considerable effort. There’s still time for the ship to avoid running aground, but only if it starts the turn now.
This is the situation all of us are in today. The imminent collision we face is a world wrecked by climate breakdown and biodiversity loss, and the container ship – well, we’re all on that ship, and the engine of the current global economy is driving us straight toward the rocks.
January 2, 2020
China on Wednesday began a 10-year fishing ban on key areas of the Yangtze River to protect biodiversity in the country's longest river, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
Starting from this year, the ban will be observed in 332 conservation areas in the Yangtze River basin, which will also be expanded to all natural waterways of the river and its major tributaries from no later than Jan. 1, 2021.
January 2, 2020
Australia is in the grips of a massive wildfire disaster, intensified by record heat and drought. The military has been called in to evacuate thousands from their homes, and thick plumes of smoke have reached as far as New Zealand, more than 1,000 miles away. While bush fires are an annual occurrence in Australia and deadlier fires have occurred there, this fire season began unusually early and is projected to last for months. Australia just had its hottest and driest year on record, and December was one of the top two hottest months in the country’s history.
January 2, 2020
As apocalyptic wildfires continue to rage across Australia, the loss of life in the region is reaching staggering numbers. Ecologists at the University of Sydney now estimate that nearly half a billion animals and plants have been wiped out since the fires began several months ago.
January 2, 2020
Incessant political turmoil in the United Kingdom, United States, and other nations will likely last well into the new year, complicating many researchers’ work. The U.K. election last month made the country’s departure from the European Union a near-certainty, and its scientists now face losing EU science grants and scientific collaborators. In the United States, a presidential election in November will determine the role of scientists in future policy deliberations; many experts on climate change and other environmental issues assert that the Trump administration has ignored scientific evidence.
January 1, 2020
The UAE Nation Brand hit a record of 10.6 million votes from 185 countries as the campaign drew to a close to announce the logo that will represent the UAE and lead the country’s inspiring story towards the next 50 years.
Voters have contributed to planting 10 million trees to empower communities in areas affected by climate change in Nepal and Indonesia as the UAE had promised to plant a tree for every vote as part of the campaign.
