Biodiversity
Biodiversity: the ‘stepchild’ of international talks
INTERVIEW: With little hard cash on the table at UN summit, biodiversity champions seek to link up with mainstream agendas
Ocean acidification causes US$1trn of damage a year – study
NEWS: Some 400 million people depend on threatened coral reefs for their livelihoods, British scientists warn at UN meeting
WWF: Wildlife populations down 50% in last 40 years
NEWS: Exploitation, habitat degradation and climate change blamed as numbers of lions, snakes and monkeys plummet
David Attenborough: UK must embrace climate migrants
NEWS: Britain must cater for wildlife moving northwards because of climate change, says veteran naturalist and broadcaster
Tropics set to face critical climate change within decade
Under a ‘business-as-usual’ scenario, the average climate system would be radically altered by 2047 says new study published in the journal Nature
Peru’s cloud forests could be wiped out by 2100
Fragile nature of one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems means it could be obliterated by climate change, study suggests
David Miliband: Ocean indicators are all flashing red
Former Foreign Secretary to co-chair new Global Ocean Commission to find answers to economical and environmental challenges of the high seas
Biodiversity must be built into urban development to make future cities sustainable
Thomas Elmqvist from the University of Stockholm warns that as an area the size of South Africa is expected to be lost to urbanisation, understanding the benefits of biodiversity will be vital.
REDD+ should value forests as more than “carbon warehouses”
New report calls on policymakers to better understand the biodiversity and livelihood benefits of forests to ensure the success of REDD+.
Poverty and prosperity are the two greatest polluters, says Indian NGO
Manoj Kumar, CEO of the Naandi Foundation in India tells RTCC that conservation efforts must help lift people out of poverty to be successful.
How alien snakes left Guam infested with spiders
In four decades, the brown treesnake, has wiped out Guam’s bird species, and caused a fortyfold increase in the Pacific Island’s spider population.
Mistrust and confusion holds back REDD+ finance
Global Canopy Programme’s Andrew Mitchell says breaking down complex language of REDD+ vital to ensure the scheme succeeds
Pavan Sukhdev: Biodiversity not a luxury for the rich but a necessity for the poor
Pavan Sukhdev calls for the value of biodiversity to the poor to be considered when assessing the economic impact of the loss of nature.
Conservation or carbon sinks: Can the UN see the forest for the trees?
Forests play a key role for the UN’s climate change and biodiversity agencies. Melati Kaye investigates whether they can they serve the goals of both simultaneously.
Fight club: Who wins when climate change takes on biodiversity?
Biodiversity and climate change are described as two sides of the same coin, so why does climate change appear to receive so much more attention worldwide?
UN climate talks a miserable experience says negotiator
Seychelles’ climate change ambassador Ronny Jumeau says he does not expect to leave the impending UN climate change talks in Doha with a smile on his face.
UN biodiversity talks end with finance deal as countries double funding to $10bn
Developed countries increase financial support to the developing world, but conservation groups say this falls far short of what is needed to protect biodiversity and combat climate change.
Hyderabad biodiversity talks: day 11 diary
CBD COP11: Finance crucial on final day or talks, criticism over participation numbers in Hyderabad and national tiger database announced.
UN agreement urges caution over geoengineering tests
CBD COP11: Small scale experiments with scientific value can continue, but funds must not be directed away from climate change mitigation efforts
Environmental degradation holds back growth, says World Bank
CBD COP11: Group’s sustainable development chief says investment in nature is crucial for poverty eradication and greener growth.