Protecting indigenous cultures is crucial for saving the world’s biodiversity

The Conversation

February 14, 2020
Species are being lost at about a thousand times the natural rate of extinction. This is faster than at any other period in human history. Ecosystems — the vital systems on which all life depends — are being degraded across the globe.

This crisis of biodiversity loss is finally getting some attention. But its connection to another loss – that of indigenous cultures – is rarely mentioned. From animals to insects and plants, biodiversity loss cannot be effectively addressed without tackling the rapid disappearance of indigenous cultures. The two are inextricably linked.

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extinction, biodiversity loss, Indigenous peopleGuest Userextinction, Indigenous peoples, biodiversity loss
Caribbean sharks in need of large marine protected areas

Phys.org

February 14, 2020
Governments must provide larger spatial protections in the Greater Caribbean for threatened, highly migratory species such as sharks, is the call from a diverse group of marine scientists including Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) Ph.D. Candidate, Oliver Shipley, and led by the conservation NGO Beneath the Waves in a letter to published in Science.

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marine protected areas, ocean management, marine protectionGuest Usermarine protected areas, sharks, ocean management
Salvation or Pipe Dream? A Movement Grows to Protect Up to Half the Planet

Yale Environment 360

February 13, 2020
Leading scientists and conservationists are proposing that up to 50 percent of the earth’s land and oceans be protected in the coming decades. While some view the goal as unrealistic, proponents say it is essential for preserving the natural systems on which life itself depends.

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By 2050, the U.S. will lose $83 billion a year because of all the nature we’ve destroyed

Fast Company

February 11, 2020
The world economy depends on nature, from coral reefs that protect coastal cities from flooding to insects that pollinate crops. But by the middle of the century, the loss of key “ecosystem services” could cost the world $479 billion each year. The U.S. will lose more than any other country, with an $83 billion loss to the GDP per year by 2050.

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finance, nature, ecosystem servicesGuest Userecosystem services, nature, benefits of protection, financial value of nature
How Native Tribes Are Taking the Lead on Planning for Climate Change

Yale Environment360

February 11, 2020
With their deep ties to the land and reliance on fishing, hunting, and gathering, indigenous tribes are especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Now, native communities across North America are stepping up to adopt climate action plans to protect their way of life.

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Indigenous people, climate change, conservationGuest UserIndigenous peoples, climate change, conservation
Why we must save endangered wetlands

The Japan Times - OpEd

February 8, 2020
It’s called the Extinction Wing. Located in a dark corner of the Paris Museum of Natural History, it houses a haunting collection of species that have long vanished from the natural world. With biodiversity declining faster than at any time in human history, what size museum will future generations need?

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biodiversity, conservation, extinction, wetlands, habitat protectionGuest Userwetlands, biodiversity loss, extinction, conservation
The world’s oceans are speeding up — another mega-scale consequence of climate change

The Washington Post

February 5, 2020
Three-quarters of the world’s ocean waters have sped up their pace in recent decades, scientists reported Wednesday, a massive development that was not expected to occur until climate warming became much more advanced.

The change is being driven by faster winds, which are adding more energy to the surface of the ocean. That, in turn, produces faster currents and an acceleration of ocean circulation.

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