COP27 climate change conference begins in Egypt : key questions

COP27: What is the Egypt climate conference and why is it important?   COP27 – COP means “conference of parties” – is the 27th annual UN meeting on climate. It will take place in Sharm el-Sheikh from 6 to 18 November. The world is warming because of emissions produced by humans, mostly from burning fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal. Global temperatures have risen 1.1C and are heading towards 1.5C, according to the UN’s climate scientists, the Intergovernmental Panel...

Of amazing – and threatened – lemurs

In Recognition of world Lemur Day When I worked at Wellington zoo, in New Zealand, one of the nice things was to be able to interact with the superb and amazing Lemus… Lemurs are wet-nosed primates of the superfamily Lemuroidea, divided into 8 families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 existing species. They are endemic to the island of Madagascar. Most existing lemurs are small, have a pointed snout, large eyes, and a long tail. ( wikipedia )...

Flooding in Australia – what’s the cause?

Floods have made headlines ( again ) this past week across Australia news media…. Flood warnings in place in Australia’s eastern states, with predictions the wet weather could persist until the middle of next week   So why does it flood in Australia? “The oceans north of Australia are warmer and that causes more moisture flowing from the Indian ocean to eastern parts of Australia,” ( Agus Santoso, senior researcher at the University of New South Wales Climate Research Centre...

Wildcheck – Assessing the risks and opportunities of trade in wild plant ingredients

Thousands of consumer products around the world contain ingredients obtained from wild plants. Wild harvest accounts for some or all the harvest of the great majority of plant species in trade (between 60-90 percent). Wild-harvested plants often come from the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth and many have been used traditionally or by local communities for generations. While these products have global markets and provide critical sources of income, they can also have deep ties to particular cultures and places....

IUCN / TRAFFIC report – Rhino poaching has dropped but species still critical

Rhino poaching and illegal trade decline but remain critical threats –IUCN / TRAFFIC report Overall rhino poaching rates have declined since 2018, and trade data suggests the lowest annual estimate of rhino horns entering illegal trade markets since 2013, according to a new report by the IUCN SSC African and Asian Rhino Specialist Groups and TRAFFIC for the 19th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora...

butterflies in a real flap

People in the UK recently held The annual Big butterfly count – results from 2021 big butterfly count Small white: 252,151 – 1.88 (-5%) Large white: 229,218 – 1.71 (-16%) Meadow brown: 197,060 – 1.47 (33%) Gatekeeper: 133,726 – 0.99 (-30%) Red admiral: 75,394 – 0.56 (-10%) Ringlet: 63,311 – 0.47 (81%) Peacock: 61,668 – 0.46 (-63%) Small tortoiseshell: 38,543 – 0.29 (32%) From a World view,  there was bad news about an iconic species – the monarch “Migratory monarch...

Great Barrier Reef good news & bad

Coral has recovered from storms and bleaching events to record levels across much of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, a survey has found. The reef’s northern and central parts have the highest amount of coral cover since monitoring began 36 years ago. But coral cover in the southern part of the reef has decreased. The new coral is particularly vulnerable – meaning the progress could be quickly undone by climate change and other threats, officials say. Each year the Australian Institute...

International tiger day

Tigers are truly unique species and the target of poaching   Tigers are truly unique species and the target of poaching   Here are some here are some information websites and charities involved in Tiger conservation * 2022 is the year of the Tiger ( https://www.traffic.org/news/shared-vision-for-the-future-of-an-iconic-cat-in-the-year-of-the-tiger/ ) Shared vision for the future of an iconic cat in the Year of the Tiger As the Year of the Tiger begins, a coalition of six top NGOs is committing to a cooperative...

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