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<keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">Climate change</keyword> could become the main driver of <keyword id="21446697" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="biodiversity-decline" source="keywords">biodiversity decline</keyword> by the mid-century, a new research has found. Studying changes in land-use patterns and their impacts on biodiversity, an international team of researchers found that biodiversity around the world could have declined by 2-11 per cent. "By including all world regions in our model, we were able to fill many blind spots and address criticism of other approaches working with fragmented and potentially biased data," said Henrique Pereira, research group head at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), and the first author of the study published in the journal 'Science'. Examining how biodiversity and ecosystems might evolve in the future, the researchers found that the combined effects of land-use change and climate change lead to biodiversity loss across all global regions, regardless of emissions scenario. "We found that climate change poses an imminent threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services. While land-use change has historically been a significant factor, our findings indicate that climate change could overtake it as the primary driver of biodiversity loss by mid-century," explained study co-author, David Leclere, researcher at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Austria. The researchers called for a "truly integrated approach" considering varied <keyword id="21447217" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sustainability-aspects" source="keywords">sustainability aspects</keyword> to reduce conflicts between policies and safeguard biodiversity in the coming decades. "For instance, while <keyword id="21447218" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bio-energy-deployment" source="keywords">bio-energy deployment</keyword> is still a critical element of the majority of climate stabilisation scenarios, it also poses a threat to species habitats," said IIASA Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program Director Petr Havlik, one of the study co-authors. The findings suggested that conservation and restoration efforts should be prioritised globally as necessary natural climate solutions, the authors said. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/realme-c65-5g-with-5000mah-battery-120hz-display-launched-starting-at-10499/articleshow/109619597.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/realme-c65-5g-with-5000mah-battery-120hz-display-launched-starting-at-10499/articleshow/109619597.cms" target="_blank">Realme C65 5G with 5,000mAh battery, 120Hz display launched starting at ₹10,499</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/ultraviolette-f77-mach-2-electric-sports-bike-launched-in-india-starting-at-2-99-lakh/slidelist/109615934.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/ultraviolette-f77-mach-2-electric-sports-bike-launched-in-india-starting-at-2-99-lakh/slidelist/109615934.cms" target="_blank">Ultraviolette F77 Mach 2 electric sports bike launched in India starting at ₹2.99 lakh</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/jiocinema-introduces-new-ad-free-premium-plans-starting-at-29/articleshow/109581033.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/jiocinema-introduces-new-ad-free-premium-plans-starting-at-29/articleshow/109581033.cms" target="_blank">An Ambani disruption in OTT: At just ₹1 per day, you can now enjoy ad-free content on JioCinema</a>

Climate change could become main driver of biodiversity decline by mid-century: Study

Imagine a lunar Noah’s Ark, but instead of two-by-two, it’s millions by millions — and instead of a big boat, it’s a frosty <keyword id="19899207" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="moon" source="keywords">moon</keyword> crater. This intriguing idea is gaining traction among scientists who suggest using the moon as a celestial safehouse for Earth's <keyword id="20208424" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="endangered-species" source="keywords">endangered species</keyword>. Earth is bustling with life, with estimates suggesting up to 8 million species call our planet home. Yet, over 1 million of these are facing imminent extinction, often before we even get a chance to discover them. To combat this <keyword id="21547970" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="biodiversity-crisis" source="keywords">biodiversity crisis</keyword>, Mary Hagedorn from the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute proposes an innovative solution: a <keyword id="22642665" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lunar-biorepository" source="keywords">lunar biorepository</keyword>. This lunar library would store “fibroblast cells” — essential building blocks of animal skin that support tissues and organs. By cryopreserving these cells in the moon's naturally cold regions, we could potentially clone and revive species that might otherwise vanish forever. <h2>Freezing life in time</h2><keyword id="22542865" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cryopreservation" source="keywords">Cryopreservation</keyword> – the process of deep-freezing biological material to suspend its biological functions — may be a common theme in sci-fi, but you may be surprised to know that it is already a proven technology on Earth. The only problem is that our planet lacks natural cryogenic conditions, forcing us to rely on expensive, energy-intensive methods to keep samples frozen. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111772552" title="Newly discovered Moon caves could shelter astronauts as they set up lunar bases!" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>That’s why scientists are looking at the moon's polar craters, where some areas haven't seen sunlight in billions of years. These permanent shadows maintain temperatures well below -196°C, creating a perfect environment for passive cryopreservation. Unlike Earth, where maintaining such conditions is a costly affair, the moon offers a naturally occurring deep freeze. If this lunar library sounds familiar, that's because it echoes the concept behind the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, often dubbed the "<keyword id="4371119" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="doomsday-vault" source="Orion">Doomsday Vault</keyword>." Nestled in the Arctic permafrost, the Svalbard vault stores seeds from around the world, ensuring agricultural diversity in the face of global crises. <h2>A logistical mountain</h2>However, sending our endangered species' <keyword id="21903960" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="genetic-material" source="keywords">genetic material</keyword> to the moon isn't as simple as packing a suitcase. The logistical hurdles are as immense as the concept itself. Samples would need robust protection against space radiation and the rigours of space travel. Then there's the challenge of international collaboration and funding — a cosmic piggy bank of sorts to support such an ambitious project. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111684049" title="The next generation of customised space suits may be moulded around astronauts’ genitalia to filter water from urine!" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Hagedorn and her team are already taking the first steps. Their work with the starry goby (Asterropteryx semipunctata), a carnivorous blue-speckled fish, aims to refine cryopreservation techniques for the lunar environment. This tiny fish might just be the pioneer in a journey that saves countless species from oblivion. As we grapple with an <keyword id="22642666" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="extinction-crisis" source="keywords">extinction crisis</keyword> on Earth, the moon, with its ancient, ice-cold craters, offers a unique lifeline — a place where the essence of endangered species can be kept in suspended animation, awaiting a future where they might roam the Earth once more. The findings of this research have been published in BioScience and can be accessed <a href="https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/biosci/biae058">here</a>.

Scientists want to send our endangered species to the Moon to “save” them

For the past few years, the plight of the <keyword id="20353453" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="northern-white-rhinoceros" source="keywords">Northern White Rhinoceros</keyword> has been a stark reminder of the fragility of life. With only two females remaining, <keyword id="20353452" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="najin" source="keywords">Najin</keyword> and her daughter Fatu, this magnificent species teetered on the brink of extinction. Unable to reproduce naturally, their future seemed bleak. But amidst the despair, a glimmer of hope emerged in the form of science and conservation. Researchers had collected precious eggs from Fatu and frozen sperm from the last male, Sudan, creating a genetic bank that could potentially resurrect the species. And now, in a groundbreaking feat, scientists have achieved the world's first in-vitro fertilisation (<keyword id="19910347" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ivf" source="keywords">IVF</keyword>) <keyword id="6357793" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pregnancy" source="Orion">pregnancy</keyword> in a <keyword id="49308" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="rhino" source="Orion">rhino</keyword>ceros. Sadly, the pregnancy ended after 70 days due to a bacterial infection. However, this milestone marks a crucial step towards reversing the Northern White Rhino's tragic fate. The key lies in the Southern White Rhino, a close cousin with a healthy population of around 20,000. Their shared biology makes them ideal surrogate mothers for the Northern White embryos, as Professor <keyword id="20353450" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="thomas-hildebrandt" source="keywords">Thomas Hildebrandt</keyword>, Director of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, explains: "We have a closely related recipient, so their internal map is nearly the same." Despite the initial setback, the team remains resolutely optimistic. "With this achievement, we are very confident that we will be able to create Northern White Rhinos in the same manner and that we will be able to save the species," says Dr <keyword id="20353451" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="susanne-holtze" source="keywords">Susanne Holtze</keyword>, a scientist involved in the project. The future of the Northern White Rhino remains uncertain, but the first IVF pregnancy has ignited a spark of hope. With unwavering dedication and the power of science, we might yet witness these magnificent creatures once again roam the African savannas.

First successful IVF rhino pregnancy could save the Northern White Rhinoceros from certain extinction

The window of opportunity to address <keyword id="6361617" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="Orion">climate change</keyword> and <keyword id="53219" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="biodiversity" source="Orion">biodiversity</keyword> loss is closing rapidly, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (<keyword id="6395707" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iucn" source="Orion">IUCN</keyword>) seven Commissions asserted in a clarion call ahead of the <keyword id="12458056" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cop28" source="Orion">COP28</keyword> Summit in Dubai. In an open letter, the chair of seven IUCN Commissions called for a "bold and transformative effort" to solve the challenges linked to climate change and biodiversity loss. As the seven elected Commission Chairs of the IUCN, they represent over 15,000 scientists, scholars, <keyword id="150903" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="policymakers" source="Orion">policymakers</keyword>, economists, lawyers, and other experts who work on issues related to this mission. COP 28 will take place from November 30 until December 12. "For the first time, we are writing collectively because COP28 represents not just an opportunity to assess our progress, but to issue a profound call to action. We must adopt a holistic approach that recognizes the interdependence of the climate and biodiversity crises," the letter mentioned. The seven commissions are the IUCN Climate Crisis Commission, the IUCN Commission on Education and Communication, the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management, the IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy, the IUCN Species Survival Commission, the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law and IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas. The experts have suggested four key elements -- integration, ecosystem integrity, transformation and urgency -- that should guide debates at COP28 and beyond over how best to design and deploy innovative solutions to biodiversity loss and climate change. Under Integration, The IUCN Commissions chair mentioned that the climate challenges require coherent, consistent, and integrated efforts on the part of governments at all levels, sectors, and systems; multilateral and bilateral institutions; communities; businesses; scientists and others to limit global warming to maximum 1.5 degrees Celsius. While talking about ecosystem integrity, the experts put forth that sustaining healthy ecosystems is essential to halting biodiversity decline and species extinctions and to maintaining ecosystem services that underpin human well-being. "Addressing the biodiversity and climate crises will require systemic changes in the way we live, changes that can only be achieved through rapid and far-reaching actions across all sectors of a type, scale, and speed never before attempted," the experts said while emphasising on the need for transformation to address climate change. While highlighting the urgency of the situation, the letter mentioned: "The window of opportunity to address climate change and biodiversity loss is still open, but it is closing rapidly". The letter also spoke about the limitations of previous policies tackling climate change. "Previous policies have largely tackled the problems of climate change and biodiversity loss independently. Policies that address synergies between mitigating biodiversity loss and climate change, while also considering their societal impacts, offer the opportunity to maximize co-benefits and help meet development aspirations for all," the letter read. UN Climate Change conferences (or COPs) take place every year and are the world's only multilateral decision-making forum on climate change with almost complete membership of every country in the world. More than 70,000 delegates are expected to attend COP28, including the member states (or Parties) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Business leaders, young people, climate scientists, Indigenous Peoples, journalists, and various other experts and stakeholders are also among the participants.

Window to address climate change closing rapidly: IUCN seven Commissions ahead of COP28

In the unexplored regions of <keyword id="26945" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="south-america" source="Orion">South America</keyword>, scientists have stumbled upon a fascinating discovery: a new species of <keyword id="61548" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="beetle" source="Orion">beetle</keyword> with a unique sexual organ that resembles a <keyword id="1614408" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bottle-opener" source="Orion">bottle opener</keyword>. This intriguing find has led to the christening of the beetle as <keyword id="19517095" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="loncovilius" source="Orion">Loncovilius</keyword> <keyword id="19517096" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="carlsbergi" source="Orion">carlsbergi</keyword>, a tribute to the <keyword id="174607" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="carlsberg" source="Orion">Carlsberg</keyword> Foundation's generous support for independent research. While the bottle opener-shaped genitalia may seem like an odd quirk of nature, it serves a crucial purpose in distinguishing this species from its close relatives. As biologist Aslak Kappel Hansen explains, entomologists often rely on the unique features of <keyword id="6476928" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="insect" source="Orion">insect</keyword> genitalia to accurately identify different species. The Loncovilius carlsbergi is not alone in its bizarre reproductive anatomy. The animal kingdom is filled with creatures that possess genitalia of all shapes and sizes, each adapted to the specific reproductive needs of their species. From the spiky four-headed <keyword id="78622" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="penis" source="Orion">penis</keyword> of the echidna to the massive, 70-kilogram organ of blue whales, these unique adaptations reflect the incredible diversity of life on Earth. In the case of Loncovilius, the researchers are still puzzled by the exact function of its bottle opener-shaped genitalia. However, they hope that further study will shed light on this intriguing mystery. In the meantime, the scientists have decided to use this discovery to raise awareness about the global species crisis. With up to 150 species disappearing every day and a staggering 85% of Earth's species still unnamed, there is an urgent need for increased efforts in species identification and conservation. To capture the imagination of the public, the researchers have created a functional stainless-steel replica of Loncovilius carlsbergi's genitalia, which can be used to open a cold <keyword id="6359860" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="beer" source="Orion">beer</keyword>. They hope that this lighthearted approach will spark curiosity and encourage people to learn more about the importance of <keyword id="53219" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="biodiversity" source="Orion">biodiversity</keyword> conservation. As they continue their research, the scientists envision a future where everyday conversations, like those shared over a beer, can ignite meaningful discussions about the fate of our planet's precious species.

Newly-discovered beetle named after beer company due to its bottle opener-shaped penis!

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The market for bonds financing water conservation projects is approaching a "tipping point."</li><li>The market is small, just about $5 billion, but it's seeing more enthusiasm than the early green bond market. </li></ul>Blue is the next green for sustainable finance. Blue bonds — debt that allows investors to finance water conservation efforts — are gaining traction."I would liken the blue bond market today to where the green bond market was 10 to 15 years ago," Matt Lawton, a portfolio manager from T Rowe Price, told Business Insider. Today, the green bond market is valued at around $2 trillion. Compared to that, the blue bond market is much smaller, just about $5 billion, but it's on the cusp of a big change, Lawton explained. He's seeing even more enthusiasm around the asset than he observed for green bonds when they were at the stage blue bonds are today.Lawton is part of the effort to launch the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-11-20/t-rowe-ifc-seek-investors-for-blue-emerging-market-bond-fund">first blue bond strategy</a>, and is seeking commitments from investors for a fund that will make investments in the space. "It's a very nascent market today," he explained. "So one is not able to go out and invest several billion into blue bonds because the market doesn't exist. So what we're endeavoring to do is actually build out the market ourselves."The firm has partnered with the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group. They've each committed to putting up to $75 million into the strategy and will be looking to raise another $350 million t0 $450 million from investors. The fund would target a return 3% to 6% over the US Treasuries yield curve."Blue is kind of at that tipping point where there's a lot more enthusiasm and engagement amongst capital market participants, investors, underwriters, issuers," Lawton said. "I think we're at this tipping point, whether it tips in '24 or '25 or '26, I have a high degree of confidence it's going to happen. I couldn't pinpoint the exact date, but it does feel like we're on the precipice," he added. <h3>The economic argument</h3>Blue bonds can finance anything from biodiversity and marine conservation to projects aimed at preventing overfishing to plastic pollution cleanup. But for all its climate and sustainability goals, there's a compelling economic reason investors would put their money into the bonds, Lawton explained."Take, for instance, water sanitation, a utility, right? Long-term contracts, high recurring cash flows, there's a pretty strong economic argument to be made for investing in those types of bonds."That's worth noting given the current backdrop for sustainable financing conversations. ESG investing has come under fire in the past year, driven by a wave of anti-woke sentiment. Climate-focused mutual funds <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/funds/climate-change-esg-investing-mutual-funds-interest-rates-anti-woke-2024-1">sales dropped by 75% in 2023.</a>But blue bonds seem to have sidestepped the vitriol, in part because it's a heavily under-invested theme (less than <a href="https://www.man.com/maninstitute/blue-bonds-sustainable-debt#:~:text=From%202018%20to%202022%2C%20there,of%20the%20sustainable%20debt%20market.">0.5% of the total sustainable debt market</a>), but also because of that financial appeal."For all the politicization of ESG, this is one of those few topics that we can all agree on," Lawton said.<h3>The origin of blue bonds</h3>One of the first blue bond programs was launched with the help of a non-profit organization called The Nature Conservancy to finance conservation efforts in Seychelles. The program used what's called a "debt-for-nature" swap, where a portion of a country's debt is forgiven in exchange for local investments in conservation measures."I give The Nature Conservancy a lot of credit because they created a blue bond program a few years ago that I think really kicked up a lot of interest in the space," Preeti Bhattacharji, JPMorgan's head of sustainable investing, said.The organization is now one of the <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/an-audacious-plan-to-save-the-worlds-oceans/">best-known issuers</a> of blue bonds, Bhattacharji said.Lawton from T Rowe Price added that banks like the Asia Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of Korea have <a href="https://www.kedglobal.com/banking-finance/newsView/ked202301060002">also issued blue bonds.</a> The funding method is actually gaining a lot of traction in the Asia-Pacific region given the region's dependence on marine resources, with issuance doubling to $1 billion since its debut in 2020, the South China Morning post <a href="https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3234882/blue-bonds-set-make-waves-new-financing-tool-ocean-friendly-projects-asia-pacific-region" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in September last year.And more institutions are jumping in. Last August, wind energy company Ørsted became <a href="https://orsted.com/en/media/news/2023/06/20230608684811" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the first energy company to issue a blue bond</a>, worth 100 million euros and maturing in 2028. Mitsui O.S.K Lines, a Japanese shipping company, also announced in December <a href="https://www.ajot.com/news/mol-to-become-worlds-1st-shipping-company-to-issue-blue-bonds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a 10 billion yen ($66 million) blue bond issuance.</a>While the buy-side enthusiasm is still limited to a relatively small pool of investors, Bhattacharji from JPMorgan said the market has a lot of potential to grow as sustainability becomes a priority for future generations."As younger people come into their wealth, come into their power, enter the space, start asking these questions, the pattern that I've seen — not specific to blue bonds, but across sustainability — is there's just growing, swelling interests across these subjects," she said. "And I don't see any reason blue bonds should be an exception to that."

Blue is the next green: Bonds financing water conservation projects are approaching a 'tipping point'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Researchers recorded thousands of hours of sounds in the Brazilian Amazon.</li><li>In forests hit by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fires-in-the-amazon-rainforest-were-started-by-humans-2019-8">repeated blazes</a>, sounds were sparse — a clue that <keyword id="12228907" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="biodiversity" source="Orion">biodiversity</keyword> is degrading. </li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-amazon-rainforest-is-important-life-support-is-burning-2019-8">The Amazon</a> is the world's largest rainforest, covering more than 2 million square miles. A <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-rainforest-reaching-tipping-point-deforestation-experts-warn-2019-12">slew of studies</a> have captured how this hotspot for biodiversity has been threatened by escalating farming, logging, and wildfires. Now, researchers have gone beyond seeing those changes — they're also listening to them.In a research article published last week in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2102878119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>, researchers from the University of Maryland recorded thousands of hours of sounds in 39 forests. The forest sites were recovering from either recent or decades-old fires, as well as from being cleared for logging and agriculture. The acoustics, which were combined with airborne satellite data, were recorded during September and October of 2016. The researchers found that in forests where blazes happened repeatedly, communication between animals was quieter than in forests that were logged or burned only once.<div type="image" title="Aerial view of a fire in the agriculture town of Ruropolis, Para state, northen Brazil, on September 6, 2019." height="2322" width="3097" msid="91289694" hostid="261"></div>"Fire causes the community to completely change," Anshuman Swain, a University of Maryland ecologist and coauthor of the study, told Insider. Researchers tuned in to every grunt, chirp, and click uttered in the forest and captured in their recordings to see how the habitats had changed."When we walk outside in the morning in the spring, we hear the sounds and we're like, 'Oh, spring is here.' Sounds are a pretty good indicator of what species are around you, especially in rainforest, where there is huge diversity," Swain said.Crudely, the more snippets of communication in the form of animal sounds mingled together in the recording, the greater the variety of animals species — thus, a more biodiverse environment. If the collective sounds from organisms in a given habitat are sparse, it's a clue that biodiversity is degrading. This kind of eavesdropping fieldwork is called acoustic monitoring. It's a relatively inexpensive way to assess an ecosystem's health, and could provide insights into <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/birds-disappearing-in-north-america-2020-1">biodiversity</a> and how climate change is affecting it.Or as Swain put it, it's "a low-cost indicator of how badly we have damaged the environment." <h2>Creepy critters are under threat </h2><h2><div type="image" title="A Passion Flower Butterfly after a rainforest in the Peruvian Amazon was cleared and burned for farmland." height="3387" width="4517" msid="91289697" hostid="261"></div></h2>The study adds to a firehose of recent research underscoring the toll of climate change — which intensifying <keyword id="12459828" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="deforestation" source="Orion">deforestation</keyword> contributes to — on the natural world. Last week, researchers reported <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04644-x">in the journal Nature</a> that the world's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insect-apocalypse-ecosystem-collapse-food-insecurity-2019-11">insect populations</a> were in dramatic decline due to rising global temperatures and habitat loss. In some areas, overall insect populations dropped by nearly half. That's a foreboding finding, considering Swain's team identified <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insects-dying-off-sign-of-6th-mass-extinction-2019-2">insects</a> getting quieter as the main marker of biodiversity loss in the recent soundscape study. "They perform all these ecosystem services in an invisible way. So their going away is very bad for the forest in the larger scheme of things," Swain told Insider, adding that insects are "not usually covered in most general biodiversity surveys."On Thursday, another sobering <a href="https://research.wri.org/gfr/forest-pulse">analysis</a>, published by the World Resources Institute, found that the world is losing 10 soccer fields worth of tropical forest per minute, predominantly due to logging and fires. Of primary rainforest lost in 2021, meaning rainforest that is very old and relatively undisturbed by humans, 40% was in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bolsonaro-plan-to-develop-amazon-rainforest-2019-1">Brazil.</a>"We've got 20 years of data showing the persistent annual loss of millions of hectares of primary tropical forests alone," said Frances Seymour, a senior fellow at the World Resources Institute, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/28/destruction-of-pristine-rainforest-globe-relentless-rate-aoe">according to The Guardian.</a> "We already knew that such losses are a disaster for the climate. They're a disaster for biodiversity. They're a disaster for Indigenous peoples and local communities.""We have to dramatically reduce emissions from all sources. No one should even think any more about planting trees instead of reducing emissions from fossil fuels. It's got to be both and it's got to be now before it's too late," Seymour added.

Deforestation and logging aren't just decimating the Amazon's forests. They're making them quieter.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Biodiversity loss and human impacts are becoming a key component in climate change conversations. </li><li>Experts discuss their views on how biodiversity loss and climate change are also impacting the financial sector. </li><li>The conversation was part of Insider's event "For a Better Future: Bridging Culture, Business, and Climate," which took place on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.</li></ul>As the symptoms of climate change worsen so too do natural disasters, extreme weather events, and food and water scarcity. Wildlife experts and researchers are pressing for more attention to be paid to how the climate crisis is affecting not only humans but also the alarming loss of biodiversity. Dr. Susan Chomba, Director of Vital Landscapes at the World Resources Institute spoke with Catherine Boudreau, senior sustainability reporter at Insider, about biodiversity loss in the past decade. Chomba said, "This is hugely driven by, of course, human factors. Human beings, the way we live, the way we cultivate our food, the way we go ahead with our businesses in different dimensions of our lives."In the session Together for a Greener Tomorrow part of the "For a Better Future: Bridging Culture, Business, and Climate" Dr. Michal Nachmany, CEO and Founder of Climate Policy Radar echoed Choma's sentiments. Nachmany said, "I think between the micro and the macro, between the rhinoceros and the fungi, we need to remember that there are critical services that we don't even know how they are interconnected to each other."<h2>Biodiversity's climate change connection</h2>Chomba said that people often make policy based on a "siloed approach." In terms of climate change she said, "It's really affecting a lot of actors outside the policy environment, like the private sector actors in the energy sector, in the industrial, in the input side on the agriculture side, and of course transport."Nachmany agreed and added that humans love to think in terms of solutions. Nachmany said, "When it comes to biodiversity it is important to think of needs instead of solutions. If we think about what are human needs: humans need shelter, humansneed food, humans need a temperature range that is livable in. And all of those, the solutions that address both climate change and biodiversity conservation are the same solutions."<h2>Finance and Biodiversity</h2>Nachmany noted that the financial sector is trending towards a better understanding of sustainable investment. She said, "Without a livable planet, no investment is safe. We're seeing movement in very strange places, like large investor coalitions that all of a sudden care about nature positive investments."Chomba noted that people who can pay are the ones who are benefitting from biodiverse populations. Referring to the Congo Basin she said, "What we are seeing recently, and especially in a country like DRC, is the government last year decided to issue concessions to at least 27 concessions basically for any kind of use. Anybody who is willing to pay for the concessions gets the rights to use these lands." The Congo is home to critically endangered species and protected indigenous communities. Chomba said, "I think the case of DRC has really tested the global finance mechanisms and the global commitments to protection of biodiversity, to protection of carbon that is already in these ecosystems and to the protection of indigenous people."Catherine Boudreau:really glad that you mentioned finance because what I've been thinking about a lot is how as a society we don't really put a price on nature, even though it does have so much value to communities, to businesses, to governments. So as a result, there aren't always the best financial incentives to protect it when maybe there's more money to be made in other industries, whether it's oil or timber.Nature adds value to communities, businesses, and goverenments society doesn't necessarily put a price on nature. As an outcome governments can't find the best financial incentives to protect nature. Nachmany said, "Financial mechanisms and financial instruments are also a mechanism to ensure that polluting activities and damaging and destructive activities are capped and banned. So you asked if we can put a price on nature, and the question is, can we put a price on destroying nature?"<h2>Biodiversity and vulnerable populations</h2>Nachmany posited that the most vulnerable populations impacted by climate change are often the least likely contributors to the problem. He said, "We have vulnerable communities all over the world, but we see the people who are the strongest but also the ones impacted the most by climate change and biodiversity loss also the ones who have contributed the least towards creating it." On how to tackle biodiversity and the harm to vulnerable populations Chomba said, "The problem is, we don't have strong governance to access that that decentralized power and authority and decision making to these communities more. We still tend to have a lot of centralized regime in terms of how we manage our biodiversity, and that's a key issue."

Experts from the World Resources Institute and Climate Policy Radar discuss biodiversity and climate change.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Biodiversity loss doesn't always get as much attention as the climate but the crises are linked.</li><li>The solutions to these problems are often the same as well, experts said during an Insider panel.</li></ul>When Susan Chomba thinks about biodiversity loss in Africa, her mind goes to a white rhino she once visited with her children in Northern Kenya. The animal, named Sudan, was the <a href="https://www.fauna-flora.org/species/northern-white-rhino/#:~:text=Although%20officially%20listed%20as%20Critically,certainly%20extinct%20in%20the%20wild." target="_blank" rel="noopener">last male northern white rhino</a>. He died in 2018.Chomba, who is the director of vital landscapes at the <a href="https://www.wri.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Resources Institute</a>, told Insider that Sudan's disappearance — and the grim implications for the northern white rhino subspecies — was a tangible example of what's at risk from biodiversity loss. Her comments came during a recent Insider event called "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/BrEeJPWzYro?feature=share&amp;t=2744" target="_blank" rel="noopener">For a Better Future: Bridging Culture, Business, and Climate</a>." Chomba, who joined the panel from Kenya's capital, Nairobi, said researchers have tried to save the northern white rhino by storing semen from the males. The hope, at one time, was to create embryos using eggs from females. "Scientists have tried all they can," she said. The loss of biodiversity doesn't always get as much attention as the climate crisis but the two challenges are linked. And both need to be solved to prevent devastating consequences for humanity, according to the panelists. In many cases, the path to solving one can help the other, they said.Panelist Michal Nachmany, who's based in London and is founder and CEO of <a href="https://climatepolicyradar.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Climate Policy Radar</a>, said <a href="https://www.cbd.int/doc/c/e6d3/cd1d/daf663719a03902a9b116c34/cop-15-l-25-en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">biodiversity loss is something we can all see</a> when we stop to look. She pointed to how different it is to cycle or drive through the countryside in Europe — or to go for a picnic — because there are far fewer insects than there were just a decade or two ago. "Those insects — half of them are gone," Nachmany said. "And although it might be nice not to be bitten by mosquitoes, those insects represent our food systems. They provide critical pollination services that have a critical impact on our ability to grow food." <div type="image" title="Sundan, the last male northern white rhino, before he died" height="4620" width="6159" msid="99741025" hostid="261" sizebytes="1817940"></div>The complexity of natural systems means there are linkages — even ones we don't necessarily understand — that tie animals, insects, and humans to the fate of the planet's temperatures. "Anybody who's working with these issues — biodiversity, climate change, and the underlying drivers of it — realize the interconnectedness of it," Chomba said.Nachmany said thinking of biodiversity loss and the climate crisis at the same time can lead to better understanding of what humans need to do to slow changes that could jeopardize human needs. "The solutions that address both climate change and biodiversity conservation are the same solutions," she said. "You grow a tree, it gives you food. It reduces the ambient air temperature. It gives space to pollinators that then can support food systems. It provides shade that allows people to enjoy community. A lot of those needs — we tend to think about them as secondary needs — but our wellbeing and our happiness contribute to our resilience in front of rising challenges," Nachmany said. There are signs that biodiversity is drawing more attention. Nearly 200 countries <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/un-biodiversity-nature-wildlife-extinction-cop15-montreal-2022-12?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Insider%20Sustainability%20-%20Dec%2022&amp;utm_term=INSIDER%20SUSTAINABILITY%20SEND%20LIST">reached a landmark agreement in December</a> to protect 30% of the world's lands and oceans by the end of the decade to slow an unprecedented loss of nature. Still, more needs to be done, the panelists agreed. There should be a steeper price put on activities that harm biodiversity and the environment in general, Nachmany said. That would help incentivize better behavior."Financial instruments are also a mechanism to ensure that polluting activities and damaging and destructive activities are capped and banned," she said. "The question is, can we put a price on destroying nature?" Efforts to protect forests, for example, are often competing against companies that want to develop the land for fossil-fuel extraction, Chomba said. That is the case in the Democratic Republic of Congo, home to the largest area of rainforest in the Congo Basin, where the government last year <a href="https://www.cfr.org/article/democratic-republic-congo-drc-auction-rain-forest-oil-gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stirred international concerns</a> over its decision to auction off oil and gas leases. This was despite <a href="https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/december-2021/cop26-landmark-500-million-agreement-launched-protect-dr-congo%E2%80%99s-forest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a pledge in 2021</a> at the UN climate summit to support the protection of the Congo Basin, a move that was endorsed by the European Union, the US, the UK, South Korea, and Japan and included an initial $500 million investment."If we really care about biodiversity, if we really care about carbon that is in the peatlands, if we really care about the Indigenous people, why are we not putting our money where our mouths are?" Chomba asked. Nachmany said some parts of the financial world are recognizing that biodiversity loss and the climate crisis are two parts of the same problem. She pointed to investor coalitions that have formed around these types of issues — climate and biodiversity — because they see that protecting nature is in their own interest. "Without a livable planet, no investment is safe," Nachmany said.

The steps that could help address biodiversity loss could also help fix the climate crisis

<ul><li>The common belief that conserving ‘hotspots’ like the <keyword id="567660" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-rainforest">Amazon rainforest</keyword> are the best bet to maintain biodiversity is being contested by a new study published in Science.</li><li>The researchers show that while’ hotspots’ are the most diverse, ‘coldspots’ is where there is more elbow room for <keyword id="6384711" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-species">new species</keyword> to emerge.</li><li>As the planet faces what some are calling the ‘sixth mass extinction,’ the study proposes augmenting conservation efforts to foster coldspot environments as well.</li></ul>The Amazon rainforest is one of the most biodiverse ‘hotspots’ of the world. Yet, it may not be the best place for new species to emerge. A new study published in Science calls this the ‘<keyword id="10411547" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="paradox-of-diversity">paradox of diversity</keyword>’. It concludes that extreme environments like deserts, mountains or other ‘coldspots’ would be better equipped to handle rapid diversification of species than tropical regions, which are already crowded with existing species. It’s not that the hotspots aren’t important. While coldspots are relatively empty, they are also dry and unstable environments. This is why once new species emerge and evolve, they move to more comfortable environments — like the tropical <keyword id="1036358" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="biodiversity-hotspots">biodiversity hotspots</keyword>. <div type="image" title="1920px-Biodiversity_Hotspots_edited" msid="79665429" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Biodiversity hotspots. Original proposal in green, and added regions in blue.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> For environmental conservationists, this means that efforts need to look beyond the Amazon or the <keyword id="171163" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nicobar-Islands">Nicobar islands</keyword> to areas like the Andes Mountains, according to the director of the Louisiana State University (LSU) Museum of Natural History, <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/emb_releases/2020-12/lsu-sn120420.php">Robb Brumfield</a>. <div type="image" title="andes 2_edited" msid="79665570" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Vicunas (Vicugna vicugna), once highly endangered, graze in around Laguna Santa Rosa in Chile&amp;#39;s national park, a significant coldspot of biodiversity in the Andean ecosystem&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The ‘paradox of diversity’ This is not the first time that scientists have suggested that a paradox between coldspots and hotspots exists. In 2019, research analysing plant extinction noted that hotspots lose more species and lose them faster than coldspots. But, coldspots stand to lose more uniqueness if they’re not conserved. <div type="image" title="hotspot_edited" msid="79665686" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Researchers Michael Harvey and Gustavo Bravo spent months preserving samples up remote streams in Amazonia and rugged mountain ranges in the Andes&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> This comes at a time that some ecologists are calling it the ‘<a href="https://theconversation.com/earths-sixth-mass-extinction-has-begun-new-study-confirms-43432">sixth mass extinction</a>’. The United Nations (UN) pegs that the planet is seeing an unprecedented loss of species with nearly a million under threat of extinction. Another <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-019-0906-2">study</a> determined that 571 plant species have already disappeared from the face of the Earth. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/instagram-facebook-messenger-outage-in-india-europe-japan-and-other-parts-of-the-world/articleshow/79661777.cms">Instagram and Facebook Messenger down for users across the globe</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/infosys-hcl-tech-and-tcs-stocks-may-see-another-surge-estimates-edelweiss-heres-why/articleshow/79659516.cms">One research firm says shares of Infosys, HCL Tech, and TCS may see another surge — here's why</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/india-desi-gps-finally-joins-china-russia-and-the-us-after-a-two-year-long-wait/articleshow/79656300.cms">India’s desi-GPS is now in the same league as the US, Russia and China — can scan 1,500 kilometres beyond its own borders</a>

New species are more likely to emerge in extreme environment ‘coldspots’ rather than ‘hotspots’ like the Amazon rainforest

Pilibhit (<keyword id="6357713" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</keyword>), <keyword id="10322396" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-pilibhit-tiger-reserve">The Pilibhit Tiger Reserve</keyword> (PTR) and the Uttar Pradesh Forest department have bagged the first-ever international award, TX2, for doubling the number of tigers in four years against a target of 10 years. PTR was the first to receive the award among 13 tiger range countries. It achieved this goal in just four years from 2014, when it had 25 tigers which went up to 65 in 2018. The award was virtually presented to the principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) of the state, Sunil Pandey, by UNDP's (United Nations Development Program) head of ecosystems and <keyword id="53219" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="biodiversity">biodiversity</keyword>, Mindori Paxton. Pandey said the global target of doubling the tiger population was set in 2010 by the partners in TX2 award -- UNDP, <keyword id="182243" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Global-Tiger-Forum">Global Tiger Forum</keyword>, International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Wide Fund for Nature, Conservation Assured/Tiger Standards and the Lion's Share. Naveen Khandelwal, deputy director of PTR, had applied for this award in September this year after the <keyword id="49041" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Tiger-Conservation-Authority">National Tiger Conservation Authority</keyword> (NTCA) released this year's the state-wise figures of the tiger estimation which was based on the census conducted in 2018 in all tiger reserves across the country. Khandelwal said no other tiger reserve among all the 13 tiger range countries could succeed in doubling the big cat population in a span of 10 years. He said as per the NTCA's tiger estimation report, the PTR had 57 resident and eight transit tigers in 2018. This figure did not include the tiger cubs below the age of one year. The growth of 40 tigers in a short span of four years was recognized for the TX2 award. He attributed the success to rigorous patrolling with constant use of Monitoring System for Tigers-Intensive Protection and Ecological Status (M-STrIPE), stringent action against wildlife criminals and poachers and forest and grassland management. The efforts of the forest staff, local stakeholders and wildlife enthusiasts in tiger conservation paid off, the official said. --IANS amita/dpb

Pilibhit Reserve bags a global award for doubling tiger population in four years

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Scientists who study the Black Sea warn that <keyword id="12786509" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="dolphins" source="Orion">dolphins</keyword> are being killed in the Russia-Ukraine war. </li><li>One Ukrainian ecologist has said that "several thousands of dolphins have already died."</li></ul>Scientists are reporting many dolphin deaths, with <keyword id="11909347" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="putin" source="Orion">Putin</keyword>'s invasion of <keyword id="11985141" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ukraine" source="Orion">Ukraine</keyword> blamed for the spike. Dolphins are washing up on the coastline of the Black Sea (which borders Ukraine, Bulgaria, Turkey, <keyword id="11894337" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword>, Georgia, Romania, and Moldova), showing war-related injuries, including burn marks from bombs. Ivan Rusev, research director at Ukraine's Tuzla Estuaries National Nature Park, has been documenting the 101 days of the war on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rusevivan/posts/1991779157674833">his Facebook page</a>, using his platform to raise awareness of the ecological effects of the invasion. Writing on Facebook, Rusev explains how dolphins are washing up on shore with burns from bombs and landmines, internal injuries, and showing signs of not eating for days. The ecologist states that the data collected by him and his team and other researchers around Europe show that "several thousand dolphins have already died.""Barbarians kill not only civilized people but smart dolphins," Rusev wrote on Facebook. Also raising the alarm on the mounting dolphin death toll is the Turkish Marine Research Foundation, which reported that the war is having "devastating effects" on the marine environment. <a href="https://tudav.org/bizden/basin-bultenleri/basin-bulteni-karadenizde-savas-ve-deniz-cevresine-etkileri/">In a press release</a>, the research foundation outlined the "crisis in <keyword id="12228907" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="biodiversity" source="Orion">biodiversity</keyword>" caused by the war. It included the destruction of endangered red algae (which acts as a "living ground" for many marine species) and feeding grounds for fish — including dolphins — transformed into a maritime war zone.<div type="image" title="The Russian missile cruiser Moskva sank on April 14 from damages after it was struck by Ukrainian missiles." height="1333" width="1778" msid="92005693" hostid="261"></div>It also highlighted the danger of oil and gas leaking into the sea from sunken military ships. Before the war, 100 scientists from a <a href="https://accobams.org/news-pubblications/conservation-status-reports/">Conservation group for the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and contiguous Atlantic Sea</a> surveyed marine life to determine the number of dolphins within these areas. Their study found that over 253,000 healthy dolphins lived in the Black Sea, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/02/world/europe/dolphins-dying-ukraine-war.html?searchResultPosition=1">New York Times reports</a>, with this being a sign of a well-functioning ecological system. With the war raging on and tampering efforts for data collection, it is unknown precisely how many of these quarter of a million dolphins will survive.

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