Billions of people rely on oceans for food, energy, and recreation. The Census of Marine Life helps monitor the diversity of life in the oceans to better allows us to recognize and anticipate problems.
We can’t measure the impact of global change unless we have a baseline for the biodiversity that exists today. By understanding the existing biodiversity, we can understand the impact of change on it. From there we can craft plans that might be able to mitigate the impact of those changes.
With every breath we take, every drop of water we drink, we’re connected to the ocean. It is our life support system, giving us more than half of the oxygen we breathe, regulating climate, and providing valuable resources. (more…)
Illiegal hunting and habitat destruction has decimated African lion populations by 80 to 90 per cent in the past 30 years.
The African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (ALERT) works with all sectors of society throughout Africa to promote the development of sustainable conservation management plans for the African lion (Panthera leo); collaboratively developing and implementing African solutions to African challenges.
Climate change has already destroyed about 50 per cent of the world’s corals reefs. Yet approximately 500 million people depend on healthy coral reefs for food and income. Watch this video to learn more.
Kiyotaka Akasaka is the UN's Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information
By Kiyotaka Akasaka
2010 was supposed to be the year that the world reversed the loss of biodiversity. Countries have failed to reach this target, however, and species are becoming extinct at far more than 100 times the natural rate. Worse, it has seemed like the political will to change course simply was not there to do anything about it.
Then came the Nagoya Biodiversity Conference, and the negotiations looked like they could get bogged down in a bottomless web of national interests that would have made agreement on a way forward impossible. The talks were tough and ran late, but in the end, countries agreed not only to a new plan of action with new targets, but also on a new and historic protocol that helps to fairly share the benefits of genetic resources. The Nagoya agreement shows that multilateralism is alive and well. (more…)
2010 was supposed to be the year that the world reversed the loss of biodiversity. Countries have failed to reach this target, however, and species are becoming extinct at far more than 100 times the natural rate. The loss of biodiversity has huge implications for reducing poverty, addressing climate change, and for whatever food or drink will be on tonight’s dinner table.
Canada’s behaviour in Nagoya blocks efforts to stop the catastrophic loss of species
By Dr. Keith Martin, P.C., M.P.
The Canadian government is justifiably facing severe international criticism for hindering progress to develop a new Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at the COP10 negotiations in Nagoya, Japan. Specifically, our government is blocking a crucial agreement on Access and Benefits Sharing (ABS). This agreement will set the terms for the sharing of resources and traditional knowledge with indigenous people who usually live in or near important biospheres. It would also be a mechanism to develop incentives for people to protect ecosystems and to help create tools that fight bio-piracy.
Protecting habitats is essential to preserving our planet’s biodiversity.
All of this is important because protecting habitats is essential to preserving our planet’s biodiversity. Between 1960 and 2000, our population doubled. However, during that same 40 year period, the world lost 25 per cent of its land species, 28 per cent of marine life, and 29 per cent of freshwater species. This is the fastest and greatest rate of biodiversity loss since the extinction of the dinosaurs. The cause is human activity, which is destroying ecosystems. As is well known, habitat destruction is the leading cause of biodiversity loss around the world. (more…)
At COP 10, Leaders Must Link Human Security to Environmental Security
The challenge is immense. The situation is critical. One hundred and ninety-three national delegations are in Nagoya, Japan, attending the Tenth Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP-10). This will be the international community’s last, best chance to halt the march to extinction of many species. Every year, between 1,500 and 15,000 species disappear forever. This is one of the worst mass extinctions our planet has ever endured and is due primarily to human activity.
In the early 1990s, the international community came together with much fanfare and signed the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The CBD was designed to preserve 10% of the world’s ecological regions by 2010. Sadly, no country is anywhere close to meeting this target. Human activity continues to destroy habitats, which has resulted in a massive decline in biodiversity. Twenty-five per cent of the world’s mammal species, 20 per cent of the world’s birds, and 40 per cent of the world’s amphibians are threatened with extinction. Ninety percent of the world’s commercial fish species are over-exploited or have crashed. (more…)
