Category: Biodiversity / Biodevastation

One of the most devastating legacies of colonial-era management is the systematic drainage of rainwater toward the seas and deserts. Even in arid areas where every drop is precious, rainwater is funneled into storm drains, lost forever. This practice reflects a mindset that sees rain not as a blessing to be preserved, but as a…

Diquat, an herbicide banned in the European Union but still widely used in the U.S., damages the intestines and may also trigger a harmful chain reaction in the rest of the body—injuring the liver, kidney, and lungs, according to a new review of more than 100 studies. The herbicide has traditionally been studied for its…

With governments “scaling back their already meager” actions to tackle climate breakdown, said one ecologist, “our present-day human culture is on a suicide course.”

The real security threats for the West? They’re not in some far-off desert — they’re in the rising oceans, the burning forests, and the financial collapse that’s coming faster than a hypersonic missile. There is no fortress strong enough, no bomb big enough, to hold back the seas or cool the scorched fields.

“An AK-47 grows better than millet in the Sahel.” This chilling metaphor from a Nigerian farmer sums up the vicious cycle linking environmental degradation and instability. With 65% of Africa’s drylands already degraded (UNCCD, 2022) and Lake Chad shrinking to just 10% of its original size, competition for water and fertile land fuels tensions.

Photo caption: Juraguá nuclear power plant, in construction. Cienfuegos Cuba, 1995. photo: Bill Hackwell

Biodiversity refers to the richness and variety within and between plant and animal species, and within ecosystems. This diversity is declining faster than at any time in human history. Five years remain until the framework’s 2030 deadline. Our research shows a more intense global effort is needed to achieve the goals of the agreement and…

As Earth grows warmer, its ground is becoming drier and saltier, with profound consequences for the planet’s 8 billion inhabitants — nearly a third of whom already live in places where water is increasingly scarce and the ability to raise crops and livestock is increasingly difficult. Climate change is accelerating this trend. New research has…

But if the promise of renewable energy is used to prop up existing levels of consumption, then the best we can expect is a slowing of the rate of ecological destruction. Unless renewables are one component of an overall down-powering, they are a part of the problem and not a solution.

The main issue is that people who want to farm in a more sustainable and healthy way have to sell their products at a higher price and end up feeding the rich. That’s a big concern for La Via and Conf. Everywhere in the world current food prices make it nearly impossible for farmers and…