To the UNEP : ” A new international body aimed at catalyzing a global response to the loss of biodiversity and world’s economically-important forests, coral reefs and other ecosystems was born yesterday. “ Dubbed the “IPCC for Nature”, the new Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) will have a tough job at protecting […]
Biodiversity year ended on high note Read More »
I recently subscribed to Courrier International, a French weekly newspaper which translates and publishes articles from over 900 international newspapers. Recently it proposed an article on Mario Molina, the Mexican Nobel prize. This is how I came to read about today’s story in Nature magazine : ” Molina’s great challenge is to help Mexico City
Mario Molina wants to clean Mexico’s air Read More »
If you have been reading this blog for some time, you know that I believe that we are heading straight toward a triple crisis. Indeed, we are already experiencing an economical crisis and we may soon face environmental issues. It seems that I am not the only one thinking that Nature might soon be reaching
Nature doesn’t do bailouts Read More »
I know it since I read Collapse, Jared Diamond’s fantastic book about how various societies disappeared : trees matter ! Between soil erosion prevention and climate change mitigation, there are many reasons for keeping forests alive. Now comes a British study noting that the annual cost of deforestation is five trillion dollar. This research is
The tremendous cost of vanishing forests Read More »
After no less than ten years of exploration all around the world ( with no less than 2,700 scientists, 80+ nations, 540 expeditions) the Census Of Marine Life is finally out. And the findings are more than interesting. The wealth of the planet Ocean is astonishing as it is estimated there are over a million
The Census of Marine Life Read More »
To the UNEP : ” For millennia, medical practitioners have harnessed substances from nature for treatments and cures: aspirin from the willow and, more recently, Taxol – the groundbreaking anti-cancer drug – from the bark of the Pacific yew. Some of the biggest breakthroughs may be yet to come. But this can happen only if
Biodiversity loss is harming medical science Read More »
While traveling at 220 km/h in the TGV between Nancy and Paris I read about the Fresh Kills landfill and how it became a beautiful park in Staten Island. This is a continuation of my previous post, Turning a landfill into a beautiful garden. Indeed Courrier International proposed last week the translation of the full
Freshkills Park, and what it can teach us Read More »
I recently finished reading a most interesting book of what Mankind would leave behind once it has disappeared from the surface of the Earth. This 300-page thought experiment was written by the American journalist Alan Weisman. Even if cities like New York will disappear as buildings crumble and as plants of all sorts grow, Nature
The world without us Read More »
The French daily Le Figaro publishes a translation of the best New York Times articles each Friday. This enabled me to come accross another huge oil spill, this time located in Ecuador, South America. During three decades Texaco operated more than 300 oil wells without taking any notice of environmental issues. As a result the company
The much lesser known Amazon oil spill Read More »
Biodiversity is a vital issue to us all as to the United Nations the disappearance of both fauna and floral species costs six percent of the world GDP, or more than $3,100 billion (2,000 billion euros) per year. The Mother Nature Network published recently a splendid infographic with the Top 20 countries with most endangered species.
A great infographic on biodiversity loss Read More »
