Category Archives: Uncategorized
2 New Species Per Week Discovered in New Guinea
A staggering 1060 new species have been discovered over the past ten years on the pacific island of New Guinea according to a new report by WWF. Around 260 new species of vertebrate, 580 species of invertebrates and 220 new … Continue reading
Is Biodiversity Falling off the Research Radar?
Following the results of the consultation on the Green Paper on a Common Strategic Framework for future EU Research and Innovation Funding it has become clear that many researchers in ecology have been left feeling that biodiversity research is falling … Continue reading
Biodiversity and the Big Society – The IEEM Summer Conference
Yesterday the BES policy team attended the IEEM summer conference on biodiversity and the Big Society. The conference was centred around four main themes; – What will localism mean for the environment and biodiversity? – How will measures to protect … Continue reading
The Natural Choice: Securing the Value of Nature
This week Defra released the highly anticipated Natural Environment White Paper titled ‘The Natural Choice: Securing the Value of Nature’, outlining Government’s vision for the future of landscapes and ecosystem services. The paper emphasises that although we know the environment … Continue reading
Launch of ‘Landscapes of the Future’
‘Landscapes of the Future’ the new Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology POSTnote written by the current BES POST fellow Eleanor Kean was launched today. ‘Landscapes of the Future’ focuses on the benefits that we derive from our landscapes, and … Continue reading
Six hundred new species discovered in Madagascar
A news story in today’s Guardian, reporting on a study from the WWF, reveals that 600 new species have been discovered in Madagascar since 1999. The topography and climate of Madagascar, with a mountain ridge down the centre of the … Continue reading
The UK National Ecosystem Assessment
The UK National Ecosystem Assessment has been released today, and is the first independent, peer reviewed, in detail assessment of the state and value of the UK’s natural environment and ecosystem services. Both scientists and economists were involved in the … Continue reading
“If we want coral reefs by 2050, we have to do something about carbon dioxide”
So says Nancy Knowlton, chair of Marine Sciences at the Smithsonian, in an article for the Guardian by Suzanne Goldenberg. A new report from the World Resources Institute “Reefs at Risk Revisited” suggests that three-quarters of the world’s coral reefs … Continue reading
BES responds to Defra’s ‘Invitation to shape the nature of England’
The Policy Team has today submitted its response to Defra’s consultation on the forthcoming White Paper on the Natural Environment. The Department’s discussion document published earlier this summer, asked a series of questions about the current system of nature protection … Continue reading
Science Minister supports ‘ring-fencing’ of cash for research
Following the Chancellor’s budget announcements last week, David Willets, Minister of State for Science and Innovation, has taken part in a Radio 4 live debate about the effects of the spending review on the research budget. He was joined on … Continue reading