Biodiversity and the True Significance of the Human Species (Links)

This entry was posted by harry s truman on Saturday, May 30th, 2009 at 10:25 am.

Lessons From the Reverse Engineering of Nature The importance of biodiversity and the true significance of the human species. Most Damaged Ecosystems Recover in Decades Nearly 75 percent of damaged ecosystems fully or partially recover within decades. Obama team calls a timeout on logging in roadless areas Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says no new activity can begin in roadless areas of national forests without his permission. What Are Zoos For? Behind the rusting gates of Wroclaw Zoo, ivy is claiming the walls of the ramshackle gothic administration building. Recipe for a Resurrection Bringing extinct species back to life is no longer considered science fiction. Why Coral Reefs Around The World Are Collapsing An explosion of knowledge in the last few is helping to explain why coral reefs around the world are collapsing and what it will take for them to survive mounting threats. Toxin Is Accelerating Demise of Prehistoric Chinese Sturgeon A chemical applied to ship hulls is robbing Chinese sturgeon of their eyes and causing other deformities. How to clean up a lake? Man-made floating islands may be the answer. The Luxury City vs. the Middle Class The sustainable city of the future will rest on the revival of traditional institutions that have faded in many of today’s cities. Deer Heaven Humans invented suburbia, but it is deer who may be its most enthusiastic residents. Where’s the Environment Section on Google News? Visit Google News’s home page and you’ll see lots of important stories: elections in India, armed conflict in Pakistan, and the US debate over torture, to name just a few. Is Unesco Damaging the World’s Treasures? Is the “gold standard” project harming the very places it seeks to protect? You Are Here The world’s eco-disasters up close. Why Health Warnings Can Be Bad Researchers warned potential participants that electrodes would be strapped to their temples, and could cause serious headaches. Despite this, 34 students came forward. Recycling Mysteries: #5 Plastics If you’re trying to be more eco-conscious, you might wonder about what to do with yogurt cups, hummus tubs or cottage cheese containers. The Human Influence Index A measure of direct human influence on terrestrial ecosystems using the best available data sets on human settlement (population density, built-up areas), access (roads, railroads, navigable rivers, coastline), landscape transformation (land use/land cover) and electric power infrastructure (nighttime lights). The Human Footprint Index The percentage of relative human influence in each terrestrial biome. percentage the relative human influence in each terrestrial biome.