Replanting oil palm may be driving a second wave of biodiversity loss

PHYS ORG

A palm oil plantation in Malaysia,
poisoned to make way for new growth.
CEphoto, Uwe Aranas

The environmental impact of palm oil production has been well publicized. Found in everything from food to cosmetics, the deforestation, ecosystem decline and biodiversity loss associated with its use is a serious cause for concern. What many people may not know, however, is...story here.

Bee Alert: Is a Controversial Herbicide Harming Honeybees?

YaleEnvironment360

Recent court cases have focused on the possible effects of glyphosate, found in Monsanto’s Roundup, on humans. But researchers are now investigating whether this commonly used herbicide could also be having adverse effects on the health and behaviour of honeybees.

Story here.

RELATED: 

Scientists cast doubt on claims by the chemical giant, Bayer, that its newest pesticide is safe for bees. - by Larry Powell

It's Time for a Green New Deal - Build it With Us!

DETAILS HERE.

World is ‘on notice’ as major UN report shows one million species face extinction

UN News Service

A hard-hitting report into the impact of humans on nature shows that nearly one million species risk becoming extinct within decades, while current efforts to conserve the earth’s resources will likely fail without radical action, UN biodiversity experts say.

The Chatham penguin, once endemic to the Chatham Islands,
off New Zealand. Its bones indicate it likely became extinct
shortly after Polynesians arrived about 450 years ago.
Image by Sean Murtha.
RELATED:

"The Sixth Extinction - an Unnatural History." (A book review.)

Also, please watch this "Life Below Water," video, below.

Climate Change Has Made Droughts More Frequent Since 1900

The Smithsonian

Photo by Tomas Castelazo

Tree ring data from various parts of the world show that greenhouse gas increases have impacted soil moisture for over 100 years. Story here.

Farm Country: Don’t Get Fooled Again

By Cherie Mortice - Common Dreams.

Smithfield Food's pig-breeding facility, Virginia. Sows in cruel
gestation crates. Photo by US Humane Society.

Big ag companies killed family farms and polluted our water, while politicians blamed our immigrant neighbours. Let’s not turn on each other again. Story here

Make EU trade with Brazil sustainable

Science

The Amazon, near Manaus. 
Photo by Neil Palmer (CIAT).

Brazil, home to one of the planet's last great forests, is currently in trade negotiations with its second largest trading partner, the European Union (EU). We urge the EU to seize this critical opportunity to ensure that Brazil protects human rights and the environment. More here.

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Related: Attacks on Brazil's ecological paradises.