Clipmarks | egsnyder's Biodiversity collection

Susan George: Transforming the Global Economy

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 11:18:52 GMT

clipped by: egsnyder
clipper's remarks: Susan George, Chair of the Board of the Transnational Institute ( http://www.tni.org/george ) speaking on "Transforming the Global Economy: Solutions for a Sustainable World", sponsored by the School of International Development & Global Studies, University of Ottawa, 29 October 2008

Clip Source: gub.posterous.com

Susan George - Transforming the Global Economy

This is an 87 minute presentation/question and answer session held at Ottawa U featuring Susan George. Recommended to me by Manuel Costa <Manuel@Fullcircles.org>

Tags: economy, global finance, world trade, sustainability

Food needs 'fundamental rethink'

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:57:13 GMT

clipped by: egsnyder
clipper's remarks: "Essentially, what we are dealing with at the moment is a food system that was laid down in the 1940s," he told BBC News.

It followed on from the dust bowl in the US, the collapse of food production in Europe and starvation in Asia.

Clip Source: www.enn.com

Food needs 'fundamental rethink'

By Mark Kinver
Science and environment reporter, BBC News

A sustainable global food system in the 21st Century needs to be built on a series of "new fundamentals", according to a leading food expert.

Tim Lang warned that the current system, designed in the 1940s, was showing "structural failures", such as "astronomic" environmental costs.

The new approach needed to address key fundamentals like biodiversity

, energy, water and urbanisation, he added.

Tags: food, environment, sustainability

Drink the right wines to minimize your carbon footprint

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:39:18 GMT

clipped by: egsnyder
clipper's remarks: Can you believe it? Even drinking the wrong wines might be problematic!

Clip Source: www.nature.org

Believe it or not, the drink of the gods hasn't been so divine for the Earth.

Conventional winegrowing has often been at odds with the ecosystems that support great wine grapes — rare and threatened habitats that scientists term "Mediterranean" and which are found from California to Australia to South Africa.

But see the great set of articles below to see how winemaking is beginning to work in harmony with nature — and how The Nature Conservancy is promoting that synergy. Then find out how climate change might affect your favorite wine — and which wines you should be drinking to minimize your carbon footprint!

Tags: environment, biodiversity, carbon footprint

Moths: Images by Jim des Rivieres

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:51:10 GMT

clipped by: egsnyder
clipper's remarks: These are just two of hundreds. This is an absolutely incredible collection of hundreds of beautiful colour images of different moth species, captured by a unique scanning process by collector/artist, Jim des Rivieres here in the Ottawa Valley in Canada.

/e

Clip Source: www.moths.ca

Welcome to my moth web site. I created this site to share the images of moths that I've been collecting in and around the Ottawa Valley. Thank you for visiting. Enjoy!

Clip Source: www.moths.ca

Tags: moths, art, beauty, images, biodiversity, environment

Oct 5-14, 2008: Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:08:47 GMT

clipped by: egsnyder

Clip Source: www.countdown2010.net

IUCN World Conservation Congress witnesses launch of the Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity

7 October 2008, Barcelona (Spain) Last year was a special year in human history. For the first time, the world became essentially an urban planet with a majority of its population living in cities, a proportion deemed to increase by 2/3 within 50 years. Urban areas cover only 2% of the land surface, cities and their residents consume up to 75% of the Earth resources.

Urbanization is proceeding at high speed in different parts of the world and is affecting the environment at all scales.

Tags: biodiversity, environment, sustainability, survival

R4R - Resources for Rethinking

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:15:08 GMT

clipped by: egsnyder
clipper's remarks: Nice collection of useful resources... not just useful for teachers.

Clip Source: www.resources4rethinking.ca

The Resources for Rethinking database provides teachers with access to materials that integrate ecological, social and economic spheres through active, relevant, interdisciplinary learning.

Tags: environment, rethinking

Photo of the Week: Promethea Moth

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:52:12 GMT

clipped by: egsnyder
clipper's remarks: Beautiful creature! Thanks, Jack Schmidling!

Jack Schmidling Productions, Inc.
Marengo Illinois

/e

Clip Source: schmidling.com

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

PROMETHEA MOTH

Callosamia promethea

Also known as the Spicebush Moth, the Promethea was used as a substitute for the Giant Silk Moth but was never commercially practical.

In addition to Spicebush, the larva feeds on Sassafras, Tulip Tree and Wild Cherry.

In case you wonder about the pin through it's body, this specimen was found dead in the neighbor's driveway so we added it to our collection. Giant Silk Moths are too rare around here to kill for collections.

Tags: creatures, photos, pics, moth

Edible wild fungi: Marasmius oreades

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:36:44 GMT

clipped by: egsnyder
clipper's remarks: One of my favorite wild mushrooms. I've been picking and eating this one for 30 years. It's a great mushroom to dry for long storage and rehydrate any time you're in the mood for mushrooms. Great in stews and soups.

There's nothing like free food. Usually abundant on grassy areas, such as parks, in Eastern Ontario in the fall after heavy rains.

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

Marasmius oreades

Marasmius oreades is also known as the scotch bonnet or fairy ring mushroom. The latter name tends to cause some confusion, as many other mushrooms grown in fairy rings (such as the edible Agaricus campestris, the poisonous Chlorophyllum molybdites, and many others).

Many mushroom connoisseurs are fond of M. oreades^[1] and its sweet taste lends it to baked goods that mushroom eaters generally shy away from, such as cookies. Traditionally, the stems (which tend to be fibrous and unappetizing) are cut off and the caps are threaded and dried in strings. The reason why this mushroom is so sweet-tasting is due to the presence of trehalose, a type of sugar that allows M. oreades to cheat death.^[2] When exposed to water after being completely dried out, the trehalose is digested as the cells completely revive, causing cellular reproduction and the creation of new spores to pick up again.

Tags: edible wild, mushrooms, fungi

Community Garden Slide Show

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:14:44 GMT

clipped by: egsnyder
clipper's remarks: This is an 8 minute success story slide show featuring a downtown, urban community garden project in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Thanks to Pauline Gabriel, Regina.FullCircles.org, for bringing the project to our attention.

/e

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

NCCA Community Garden Slideshow

[Video]

Tags: community garden, sharing, gifting

Eating Less Meat and Junk Food Cuts Fossil Energy Fuel Use Almost in Half

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:10:29 GMT

clipped by: egsnyder
clipper's remarks: Apparently we eat too much; and too much of the things that require fossil fuels to produce.

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

Science News

Eating Less Meat And Junk Food Could Cut Fossil Energy Fuel Use Almost In Half

ScienceDaily (July 24, 2008) — Study finds a healthier diet and a return to traditional farming can help reduce energy consumption in US food system by 50 percent.

The first, and very astute suggestion they put forward is that individuals eat less, especially considering that the average American consumes an estimated 3,747 calories a day, a staggering 1200-1500 calories over recommendations. Traditional American diets are high in animal products, and junk and processed foods in particular, which by their nature use more energy than that used to produce staple foods such as potatoes, rice, fruits and vegetables. By just reducing junk food intake and converting to diets lower in meat, the average American could have a massive impact on fuel consumption as well as improving his or her health.

Tags: sustainability, energy, fossil fuels, food

Geotourism: Centre for Sustainable Destinations

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:56:43 GMT

clipped by: egsnyder

Clip Source: www.nationalgeographic.com

Working to protect all the world's distinctive places through wisely managed tourism and enlightened destination stewardship

National Geographic's Center for Sustainable Destinations and the Crown of the Continent are proud to announce their Geotourism MapGuide and associated Web site.

Tags: geotourism, sustainability

Honey Bee Losses Continue to Rise

Mon, 26 May 2008 18:57:57 GMT

clipped by: egsnyder
clipper's remarks: More evidence of loss of biodiversity.

Clip Source: www.enn.com

Honey Bee Losses Continue To Rise In U.S.

May 26, 2008 09:44 AM

Colony Collapse Disorder, diseases, parasitic mites and other stressors continue to take a devastating toll on U.S. honey bee populations, but Pennsylvania beekeepers on average fared better than their counterparts nationally during this past winter, according to apiculture experts in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

A recent survey by the Apiary Inspectors of America found that losses nationwide topped 36 percent of managed hives between September 2007 and March 2008, compared to a 31 percent loss during the same period a year earlier.

Tags: biodiversity, biological diversity, species loss

Fisheries in Danger from Overfishing

Mon, 26 May 2008 18:50:18 GMT

clipped by: egsnyder
clipper's remarks: Another global symptom of disappearing biodiversity.

Clip Source: www.enn.com

More than 80% of World’s Fisheries In Danger From Overfishing

Geneva -- A new report released by Oceana today concludes that more than 80 percent of the world's fisheries cannot withstand increased fishing activity and only 17 percent of the world's fisheries should be considered capable of any growth in catch at all. Too Few Fish: A Regional Assessment of the World's Fisheries shows there is very little room for further expansion of global fishing efforts.

"The world's fishing fleets can no longer expect to find new sources of fish," said Courtney Sakai, senior campaign director at Oceana. "If the countries of the world want healthy and abundant fishery resources, they must improve management and decrease the political and economic pressures that lead to overfishing."

Tags: biodiversity, biological diversity, fish, fisheries

Biodiversity & Sustainable Agriculture

Thu, 22 May 2008 21:40:49 GMT

clipped by: egsnyder
clipper's remarks: This year, 2008, International Day for Biological Diversity focuses on the importance of sustainable agriculturel

Clip Source: www.cbd.int

Biodiversity and Agriculture

The International Day for Biological Diversity
22 May 2008

Agriculture is a key example of how human activities have profound impacts on the ecosystems of our planet.

This year’s theme for the International Day for Biological Diversity (IBD), “Biodiversity and Agriculture,” seeks to highlight the importance of sustainable agriculture not only to preserve biodiversity, but also to ensure that we will be able to feed the world, maintain agricultural livelihoods, and enhance human well being into the 21st century and beyond.

Tags: biodiversity, biological diversity, un, united nations

Huge moth stuns family

Fri, 16 May 2008 23:47:29 GMT

clipped by: swampfoxz

Clip Source: www.cairns.com.au

Huge moth stuns family

Behemoth: Mitch Ralston has a great story for school after this Hercules moth took up residence in his Port Douglas home," />

Measuring 26cm wing tip-to-wing tip, this Hercules moth stopped in at Sue and Iain Ralston’s home near Port Douglas, north of Cairns, for two days, fascinating their nature loving sons Sam and Mitch.

The giant insects have a 10-day lifespan and are attracted to veranda lights, Australian Butterfly Sanctuary manager Anja Bakker told The Cairns Post yesterday.

Click here for pictures of other famous Cairns animals: frogs, snakes and crocs

"We’re really lucky that we’ve got the largest moth flying around here," she said.

"They come out throughout the year but they are more frequent in summer months."

The nine and six-year-old brothers were disappointed when they awoke to find the moth gone from the family’s bi-fold door on their Spring Creek property.

Mrs Ralston said the boys would have liked to preserve the insect at the end of its short lifespan.

"They were slightly disappointed," Mrs Ralston said.

"They wanted it to stay here but they understood it was nature."

Tags: huge moth

Clipmarks | egsnyder's Biodiversity collection

Susan George: Transforming the Global Economy

Susan George - Transforming the Global Economy

Food needs 'fundamental rethink'

Food needs 'fundamental rethink'

Drink the right wines to minimize your carbon footprint

Moths: Images by Jim des Rivieres

Oct 5-14, 2008: Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity

IUCN World Conservation Congress witnesses launch of the Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity

R4R - Resources for Rethinking

Photo of the Week: Promethea Moth

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

PROMETHEA MOTH

Edible wild fungi: Marasmius oreades

Marasmius oreades

Community Garden Slide Show

Eating Less Meat and Junk Food Cuts Fossil Energy Fuel Use Almost in Half

Science News

Eating Less Meat And Junk Food Could Cut Fossil Energy Fuel Use Almost In Half

Geotourism: Centre for Sustainable Destinations

Honey Bee Losses Continue to Rise

Honey Bee Losses Continue To Rise In U.S.

Fisheries in Danger from Overfishing

More than 80% of World’s Fisheries In Danger From Overfishing

Biodiversity & Sustainable Agriculture

Biodiversity and Agriculture

The International Day for Biological Diversity 22 May 2008

Huge moth stuns family

Huge moth stuns family

The International Day for Biological Diversity
22 May 2008