Biodiversity


Q&A: The Nature of Value vs the Value of Nature

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UNITED NATIONS, Feb 4 2019 (IPS) - Humans have long had a varied and complicated relationship with nature—from its aesthetic value to its economic value to its protective value. What if you could measure and analyse these values? One group is trying to do just that.

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Sprouting Mangroves Restore Hopes in Coastal Myanmar

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SHWE THAUNG YAN, Myanmar, Jan 4 2019 (IPS) - Htay Aung is having a moment. The 63-year-old retired professor of Marine Science sits at the foot of a Buddha statue atop a hill on Shwe Thaung Yan sub township, in Myanmar’s Ayyerwady region, almost in meditation. Below him, a vast thicket of mangrove glistens in the gold of a setting sun. For Aung, this stretch of mangroves—known as the Thor Heyerdahl Climate Park—is a symbol of joy, hope and all things good.

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Conserving Canada’s Diverse Marine Life

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UXBRIDGE, Canada, Dec 5 2018 (IPS) - Despite the deep, cold waters, newly discovered undersea mountains off Canada’s west coast are home to a rich diversity of life.

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The Sustainable Polar Bear Tour that Also Educates Tourists on Environmental Impact

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CHURCHILL, Canada , Nov 26 2018 (IPS) - It’s almost always cold in Churchill, Manitoba, a remote coastal community on Hudson Bay in Canada’s subarctic region. Today, a month before winter officially begins, it’s -25 degrees C with a fierce wind coming off Hudson Bay which is thick with slabs of ice. Situated in the middle of Canada, it’s the world’s largest saltwater bay. And even though frozen solid eight months of the year, the bay sustains the nearly 800 residents of Churchill which is known as the “Polar Bear Capital” of the world.

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Obama Stresses Climate Change Urgency Ahead of IUCN Congress

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HONOLULU, Hawaii, Sep 1 2016 (IPS) - U.S. President Barack Obama has stressed the urgency of tackling climate change in a speech to Pacific leaders in his home state of Hawaii.

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Ships Bring Your Coffee, Snack and TV Set, But Also Pests and Diseases

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Some $1.1 trillion worth of agricultural products are traded internationally each year. Photo: FAO

ROME, Aug 23 2016 (IPS) - “Every evening, millions of people all over the world will settle into their armchairs to watch some TV after a hard day at work. Many will have a snack or something to drink…

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The Time is Ripe to Act against Drought

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Monique Barbut

WINDHOEK, Aug 18 2016 (IPS) - Let us start with some good news.  Sort of.  The strongest El Niño in 35 years is coming to an end. [1]

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False Promises: Avoid ‘Miracle’ Rice and Just Eat a Carrot

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Photo source: Vandana Shiva

NEW DELHI, Aug 10 2016 (IPS) - Norman Borlaug, father of the Green Revolution, died on September 9, 2009. Alfred G. Gilman died on December 23, 2015.

Both were Nobel laureates and now both dead. Gilman was a signatory to a recent letter condemning Greenpeace and its opposition to genetic engineering.

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Biodiversity, GMOs, Gene Drives and the Militarised Mind

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Dr Vandana Shiva

NEW DELHI, Jul 18 2016 (IPS) - A recent report from the National Academy of Science of The United States, titled Gene Drives on the Horizon : Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values”, warns:

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The Future of Food in Cities: Urban Agriculture

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NEW YORK, Jul 11 2016 (IPS) - Habitat III, the UN’s conference on cities this coming October will explore urban agriculture as a solution to food security, but here in New York City, it has shown potential for much more.

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