Biodiversity in Medical News

Could preserving biodiversity reduce disease?

... (Washington DC - July 23, 2008) biodiversity has long been recognized by EPA as critical for ... understood is the connection between disease and biodiversity (the number and variety of plants and animals ... region). Recent studies suggest that maintaining biodiversity may protect us against diseases such as Lyme ...

Earth observation highlighted at UN biological diversity conference

... Addressing the global issue of biodiversity loss, participants from all over the world ... to significantly reduce the current rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. The Conference of Parties (COP) is ... whether progress is being made in reducing biodiversity loss and provide insight into which policy ...

Global Environment partners provide additional $20 million to protect endangered habitats

... island ecosystems and temperate forests. These biodiversity hotspots are home to more than half of all ... will be gone globally, are mostly found in the biodiversity hotspots, said Monique Barbut, CEO and ... global leaders in the partnership to create a biodiversity fund that unites expertise and resources to ...

Papua New Guinea declares first national conservation area

... and people have established a much-needed safe zone for the irreplaceable biodiversity it contains," said Dr. Lisa Dabek, field conservation director at Woodland ... carbon sequestration value of such protected forests." Conserving PNG's biodiversity is complex, due to the country's unique social and geo-political ...

Scientists find mercury threatens next generation of loons

... A long-term study by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the biodiversity Research Institute, and other organizations has found and confirmed that ... for pollutants that concern humans as well, said David C. Evers of the biodiversity Research Institute and lead author of the study. Our findings can be used ...

Rich nations' environmental footprints tread heavily on poor countries

... of activities that are difficult to assess, such as loss of habitat and biodiversity and the effects of industrial pollution, were ignored. Because of this, ... and fertilizers, pollution of streams, salinization of croplands and biodiversity loss, among other impacts. When all these impacts are added up, the ...

Tree named in honor of Virginia Tech chemist David G.I. Kingston

... particular targets. He is principal investigator and group leader for a biodiversity utilization and conservation project that began in Suriname in 1993 and ... Garden, who collaborated with Kingston in his International Cooperative biodiversity Group in Suriname. Kingstons other honors include the Research ...

U.S. Debut: Holistic Health And Beauty From The Rainforest - New Book Reveals Closely Guarded Malaysian Health and Beauty Secrets Introducing the World to Time-Honored Tradition of Ramuan

... of years. Highlighted in this first-ever documentation of ramuan are the nation's distinguished herbal practices that rely on the incredible biodiversity of Malaysia's rainforests and the development of these practices throughout history. "Our new book is the first complete study of ...

From the Amazon Rainforest to a Smoothie Near You, Planet Smoothie Expands Superfoods Menu Selection

... pioneered the first of its kind Fair Trade and Certified Organic supply chain of Acai which benefits thousands of local families and protects the biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest through sustainable agriculture. Sambazon is the largest vertically integrated supplier and marketer of Acai products, ...

Diet, Purity of Food Source Could be Keys to Improving Health of Hong Kong Toddlers

... in 2008 by Yale University, which evaluated 149 countries' performance in areas including environmental health, air pollution, water pollution, biodiversity & habitat, productive natural resources, forestry, fisheries, agriculture and climate change. A sample of the EPI: Ranking ...

Endangered Great Ape Finds Safe Haven

... Larger than the state of Rhode Island, the 1,847 mi2 (4,875 km2) rainforest reserve delivers essential ecosystem services to the world, including biodiversity protection and carbon sequestration, and benefits the local people through training, employment and community development programs. These include ...

CUHK Releases Results of 'Survey on Toddler Health in Hong Kong'

... Index (EPI) conducted by Yale University , Switzerland ranks #1 out of 149 countries based on environmental health, air pollution, water resources, biodiversity and habitat, productive natural resources, and climate change, while countries typically perceived as having the best natural environments, such as ...

Spiders, frogs and gecko among exciting discoveries found in Papua New Guinea

... owned by Barrick Gold Corporation. The resulting report will provide information for decision makers trying to balance development with protecting biodiversity that benefits local communities and the global ecosystem. The findings will be used to inform future conservation activities, the PJV mining ...

USAID World Water Day Statement

... The increasing scarcity of safe water, combined with rapid worldwide population growth and environmental degradation, is also contributing to biodiversity loss and the world's spiraling food insecurity crisis. Improving access to safe drinking water is an important component of USAID's programs in ...

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey(R) Proudly Announces Its First Elephant Calf Born From Artificial Insemination

... by Dr. Schmitt on Asian elephants with time spent learning elephant husbandry practices and handling techniques. Ringling Bros. also works with the biodiversity and Elephant Conservation Trust and its grass roots conservation education program. The international program focuses on education in the primary ...

Panamanian termite goes ballistic: Fastest mandible strike in the world

... laboratory in Panama, established by a donation from the Frank Levinson Family Foundation. The laboratory was built to use Panama's abundant insect biodiversity to understand the evolution of brain miniaturization. "Ultimately, we're interested in the evolution of termite soldiers' brains and how they ...

Save Money, Lives, and the Earth by Combining Conservation and Family Planning, Say Experts at World Conservation Congress

... Spain, Oct. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Conservation and health organizations should work together to support human development and protect biodiversity hotspots, said experts at the World Conservation Congress on October 8, 2008. An international panel sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson International ...

Mannatech Launches Business in South Africa

... for the technology related to the formulation of Mannatech's flagship product, Ambrotose complex." South Africa's rich legacy of using nature's biodiversity to address wellness aligns well with Mannatech's emphasis on natural ingredients. Mannatech is offering a full range of dietary and ...

Scientists say tropics are next emerging disease hotspot

... the fight against emerging diseases." By analyzing global patterns in human population density, population changes, latitude, rainfall and wildlife biodiversity in correlation with patterns of emerging diseases, the researchers were able to show for the first time definitive proof that the number of emerging ...

Mannatech to Begin Selling Nutritional Supplements in South Africa

... of Mannatech's flagship product, Ambrotose," said Mannatech President and CEO Terry Persinger. "South Africa has a rich tradition of using nature's biodiversity to help address quality of life and optimal health. This tradition aligns well with Mannatech products and our emphasis on natural ingredients." ...

Scientists make first map of emerging-disease hotpsots

... They say new diseases originating from wild animals in poor nations are the greatest threat to humans. Expansion of humans into shrinking pockets of biodiversity and resulting contacts with wildlife are the reason, they say. Meanwhile, richer nations are nursing other outbreaks, including multidrug-resistant ...

African seed collection first to arrive in Norway on route to Arctic seed vault

... 600,000 plant varieties in crop genebanks, which are widely viewed as the foundation of global efforts to conserve agricultural biodiversity. Crop biodiversity is the raw material needed to equip crops with critical resistance to pests and diseases, and enable them to grow in harsher conditions of drought, ...

January American Naturalist highlights

... consumers become very efficient at exploiting their resources. "Nontrophic interactions are still poorly studied theoretically, and their impact on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning was largely unknown," says Michel Loreau, Canada Research Chair in theoretical ecology. "We hope that our new approach will ...

Researchers build new model of bio-exploration

... 2003 when research teams from the two universities joined forces to work in several former Soviet Union republics under an International Cooperative biodiversity Groups program funded with $4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. Based on lessons learned in Central Asia, the researchers built ...

Africa focuses on GMES

... through past cooperation with TIGER, highlighted some major environmental problems facing Africa, such as water scarcity, desertification, loss of biodiversity and food security, and underscored the importance of African participation in order to make the initiative a success. "Africa will need to focus ...

New study shows world's protected areas threatened by climate change

... authors are Jan Dempewolf of the University of Maryland, Jack Williams of the University of Wisconsin, and two members of CIs Center for Applied biodiversity Science Jenny Hewson, a remote sensing specialist, and Erica Ashkenazi, a GIS specialist. ...

BBVA Chairman Francisco González announces the BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Awards

... organizations and professionals working to improve the societies where they operate has found previous expression in the BBVA Foundation Awards for biodiversity Conservation, which will be incorporated within the Frontiers of Knowledge scheme following the conclusion of their third edition, the Giner de los ...

Corals added to IUCN Red List of Threatened Species for first time

... to extinction as land-based species, said Roger McManus, CIs vice president for marine programs. However, we increasingly realize that marine biodiversity is also faced with serious environmental threat, and that there is an urgent need to determine the worldwide extent of these pressures to guide ...

One-sixth of Europe's Mammals Face Extinction, Warns Conservation Experts

... able to meet its self-imposed target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010. Of the roughly 250 mammal ... and released to mark today's International biodiversity Day, shows that European countries have their work cut out if they are to fulfil their 2010 biodiversity target, known as the Habitats Directive. ...

'Expedition Everest' Finds New Species

... in the Mountains of Southwest China and Himalaya biodiversity Hotspots. The biodiversity hotspots are 34 regions worldwide where 75 ... practice. Yet even in this area filled with rich biodiversity and the strong influence of Tibetan culture, the ...

Disney’s New Attraction Showcases the Discoveries of the Himalayas Expeditio

... in the Mountains of Southwest China and Himalaya biodiversity Hotspots. The biodiversity hotspots are 34 regions worldwide where 75 ... practice. Yet even in this area filled with rich biodiversity and the strong influence of Tibetan culture, the ...

Golf Courses Could Serve as Wildlife Sanctuaries If Managed Properly

... which are common to permanent golf course ponds and act as unnatural predators and competitors. Semlitsch said this showed that greater biodiversity could be achieved by eliminating bullfrog tadpoles. "As bullfrog cycles of metamorphosis take longer to complete (typically 12 months) than ...

Desertification, a Major Threat, Says UN

... which produced the report. "Addressing desertification is a critical and essential part of adapting to climate change and mitigating global biodiversity losses," Van Ginkel said. The report, the work of more than 200 experts from 25 countries, said policies on preventing desertification are often ...

China Unveils Green Plan to Revert Farmland to Forest

... plant diversity by allowing 15 million hectares of farmland to revert to forest over the next three years, extending nature reserves, protecting biodiversity hotspots and setting up a plant monitoring system. A novel collaboration between three state agencies and London-based Botanic Gardens ...

DBT And IAVI Forge Partnership To Develop Next Generation Vaccine Candidates

... plant genome research, development, validation and commercialisation of diagnostic kits and vaccines for communicable diseases, food biotechnology, biodiversity conservation and bioprospecting, setting up of micropropagation parks and biotechnology based development for SC/ST, rural areas, women and for ...

Climate Change Threatening to Wipe Out Wild Relatives of Key Crops

... of a global project on crop wild relatives led by Bioversity International. The results of the study were announced on International biodiversity Day, organized by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). ...

Export of Herbal Products to Reach Rs.120 Billion by 2012: Study

... bark, wood, stem and the whole plant in case of herbs. This poses a definite threat to the genetic stocks and to the diversity of medicinal plants if biodiversity is not sustainably used." The chamber, besides suggesting the establishment of EPZs, has also suggested a multi pronged and multi ...

Dire Future Predicted for Europe's 4 Seas

... we produce our food on land as well as the sea. Without a concerted effort, to integrate protection of the sea into Europes development plans, its biodiversity and resources will be lost, said Prof. Mee. Europeans are just beginning to wake up to the fact that the area of their seas is bigger than ...

FAO Says Biofuels Threatening Food Security

... United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that diverting food crop land to extensive cultivation for biofuels would damage biodiversity and lead to a serious threat to food security. "Poor countries will have to cope with a nine percent rise on food imports and the poorest, ...