Biodiversity

World Cup Rolls Out the Green Carpet for ‘Ball Armadillo’

By Fabiana Frayssinet
The FIFA World Cup 2014 mascot was inspired by the three-banded armadillo, which is unique in its ability to roll up in a tight ball. The species is endangered in Brazil, which is hosting the upcoming global sporting event.

Hawaii to Host 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress

By Jon Letman
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Council announced Wednesday that the 2016 World Conservation Congress (WCC) will meet in Hawaii - the first time in its 66-year history that the world’s largest conservation conference will be hosted by the United States.

OP-ED: The Ugly Truth about Garbage and Island Biodiversity

By Bradnee Chambers
Some of the Earth’s most delicate tropical paradises are being disfigured by the by-products of the modern age - marine debris: plastic bottles, carrier bags and discarded fishing gear. 

Transgenics Prosper Amidst Pragmatism and Collateral Damage

By Fabiana Frayssinet
The advertising department of Swiss agribusiness giant Syngenta was on a roll in early 2004 when it published a map that dubbed a large area of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay the “United Republic of Soy”.

Kiribati Bans Fishing in Crucial Marine Sanctuary

By Christopher Pala
After years of claiming untruthfully that the world’s most fished marine protected area was “off limits to fishing and other extractive uses,” President Anote Tong of the Pacific island state of Kiribati and his cabinet have voted to close it to all commercial fishing by the end of the year.

U.S. Nearing Approval of Next Generation of Herbicide-Resistant Crops

By Carey L. Biron
Two key federal agencies here are in the final stages of approving a new herbicide-resistant crop “system” that would constitute the second phase of genetically engineered agriculture, following an announcement this week.

Caribbean Fears Loss of “Keystone Species” to Climate Change

By Desmond Brown
A marine biologist has cautioned that the mass deaths of starfish along the United States west coast in recent months could also occur in the Caribbean region because of climate change, threatening the vital fishing sector.

Cuba’s Burgeoning Private Sector Hungry for Flora and Fauna

By Ivet González
The lack of markets to supply raw materials for Cuba’s new private sector, along with the poverty in isolated rural communities, is fuelling the poaching of endangered species of flora and fauna.

Turtles Change Migration Routes Due to Climate Change

By Diego Arguedas Ortiz
The critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle has few sanctuaries left in the world, and this is one of them. But in 2012 only 53 nests were counted on the beaches of this national park in Costa Rica. And there is an enemy that conservation efforts can’t fight: the beaches themselves are shrinking.

Whales Find Good Company

By Lowana Veal
Posters with the words “Do you know who caught your seafood?” are now appearing on buses, trains and other venues in Boston. They are part of a campaign organised by a coalition of U.S. environmental groups called Whales Need Us, to draw attention to the links between Icelandic whalers and fish sold in the U.S.

Indigenous Leaders Targeted in Battle to Protect Forests

By Michelle Tullo
Indigenous leaders are warning of increased violence in the fight to save their dwindling forests and ecosystems from extractive companies.

OP-ED: Climate Change May Affect Your Travel Plans – and Those of Millions of Animals

By Bradnee Chambers
There are few experiences more frustrating than a delay in travel plans caused by bad weather. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), this may be something we will have to get used to in the future.

U.N. Aims at Treaty to Protect Marine Biodiversity

By Thalif Deen
At a political level, when the United Nations speaks of a "high seas alliance", it is probably a coalition of countries battling modern piracy in the Indian Ocean.

Look Who’s Helping Olive Ridley

By Manipadma Jena
When Olive Ridley sea turtles nest on the beach in his village, little Warthy Raju can barely wait for the millions of hatchlings, with their three-inch shells and thumb-sized heads, to scramble out.

Carbon-Cutting Initiative May Harm Indigenous Communities

By Bryant Harris
Civil society and advocacy groups are warning that a prominent carbon-reduction initiative, aimed at curbing global emissions, is undermining land tenure rights for indigenous communities, putting their livelihoods at risk.
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