CBD News Headlines

• World's coffee under threat, say experts
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  The first full assessment of risks to the world's coffee plants shows that 60% of 124 known species are on the edge of extinction. More than 100 types of coffee tree grow naturally in forests, including two used for the coffee we drink.
• As Brazilian agribusiness booms, family farms feed the nation
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  Brazil's "Agricultural Miracle" credits industrial agribusiness with pulling the nation out of a recent economic tailspin, and contributing 23.5 percent to GDP in 2017. But that miracle relied on a steeply tilted playing field, with government heavily subsidizing elite entrepreneurs.
• People with the most extreme views on 'Frankenfoods' are the least well informed
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  People who have strong views on 'Frankenfoods' know the least about the science behind them.Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are foods produced from plants or animals whose DNA has been altered through genetic engineering.
• Save bees and butterflies to save urban life
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  Pollinators such as bees, hoverflies and butterflies, are responsible for the reproduction of many flowering plants and help to produce more than three quarters of the world's crop species. Globally, the value of the services provided by pollinators is estimated at between $235 billion and $577 billion.
• We are 'sleepwalking into catastrophe' over environmental risks, says World Economic Forum survey
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  Environmental risks pose the biggest threat to the world this year, with extreme weather events and failings in the global response to climate change among the issues we should be most concerned about, according to a new report by the World Economic Forum
• Climate change: How could artificial photosynthesis contribute to limiting global warming?
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  If CO2 emissions do not fall fast enough, then CO2 will have to be removed from the atmosphere to limit global warming. Not only could planting new forests and biomass contribute to this, but new technologies for artificial photosynthesis as well. Physicists have estimated how much surface area such solutions would require. Although artificial photosynthesis could bind CO2 more efficiently than the natural model, huge investments into research are needed to upscale the technology.
• Memes highlight climate change, the #10YearChallenge we should all be worried about
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  The #10YearChallange has taken the social media by storm. While the millennials have used the trend to tell the world how much their appearance has changed (obviously for good), a few individuals and organisations have used the trending hashtag to nudge the world over a neglected issue: climate change.
• Penguin populations are among most vulnerable to climate change: study
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  Some of the world's most "charismatic" species are the most at risk due to climate change, a new study says.The study, published in Frontiers in Marine Science on Thursday, shows since glaciers and breaking ice shelves are so important to certain species, they will be the first ones to feel the negative effects of climate change.
• Climate change to cause more damage to Canada's northern roads than previously feared: study
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  The impact of climate change on roads and other crucial structures in Canada's North is likely to be even greater than feared, says new detailed research.
• How to Think About the Costs of Climate Change
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  Many of the big economic questions in coming decades will come down to just how extreme the weather will be, and how to value the future versus the present.
• Rohit Sharma highlights climate change with #10yearchallenge
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  Rohit Sharma also got into the #10yearchallenge but he decided against comparing pics of himself from 2009 to a present version.Rohit Sharma has also got into the 10-year challenge, albeit with a difference. The Indian limited overs vice-captain, instead of posting a pic of himself from 10 years ago, put up a split of a coral reef.
• Climate change is slowing down Antarctic starfish, Otago scientists find
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  A sturdy, resilient starfish from Antarctica is giving Kiwi scientists insight into how climate change can affect the life cycles of sea creatures.
• Mauritian island awarded for saving species through education
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  On Rodrigues Island in Mauritius, school children and citizens alike are rallying round to restore their island's habitat. It's all thanks to the Rodrigues Environmental Education Programme, which has won the Global Conservation Award 2018 for its positive impact on communities and species.
• San Diego's Frozen Zoo Offers Hope for Endangered Species Around the World
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  The largest animal cryobank in the world is a rich source of genetic knowledge that may one day be used to bring endangered species back from the brink.
• Cellphones are still endangering gorillas, but recycling old ones can help
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  You probably use it every day and don't think once about gorillas. In today's world, it's almost impossible to get by without a mobile phone, but they're wreaking havoc for these primates. The critically endangered Grauer's gorilla has lost 77 percent of its population in the last 20 years, partly due to the mining of minerals used to make cellphones.
• Why a healthy planet and a healthy economy go hand-in-hand
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  We need to understand the nature and gravity of the collective crisis that now confronts human civilization if we are to answer the questions it poses. If we do not soon halt and reverse our current trajectory of runaway climate change, environmental degradation and widespread biodiversity loss, the global economy will suffer negative consequences on its own.
• Snakes important for biodiversity, food chain
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  Snakes are an important part of Samoa's biodiversity and play an important role in the animal food chain. That is the view of Paul Anderson, inform project manager with the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
• The diet to save lives, the planet and feed us all?
  [released on: 16/01/2019]
  A diet has been developed that promises to save lives, feed 10 billion people and all without causing catastrophic damage to the planet. Scientists have been trying to figure out how we are going to feed billions more people in the decades to come.
• KENYA: UNDP launches $4 million project for biodiversity conservation
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  Kenya has a high biodiversity, with national parks that are among the best known and most visited by tourists on the African continent. For example, the Masai Mara National Park, known for its beautiful wildebeest population, or Lake Nakuru National Park, with its myriad of water birds. These natural sites, which are a significant source of income for Kenya, need to be protected.
• Soil bacteria found to produce mosquito repelling chemical stronger than DEET
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  A trio of researchers at the University of Wisconsin has discovered that a common soil bacterium produces a chemical that is more effective in repelling mosquitoes than DEET. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, Mayur Kajla, Gregory Barrett-Wilt and Susan Paskewitz describe their search for the chemical made by the bacteria and their hopes for its future.
• Why Costa Rica Is the Happiest Place on Earth
  [released on: 17/01/2019]
  Do you know why Costa Rica is considered one of the happiest places in the world and the most beautiful to visit? Here are 7 excellent reasons: