UN Biodiversity Targets Report Card: Incomplete at Best

UN Biodiversity Targets Report Card: Incomplete at Best

Yesterday the United Nations released another in its series of assessments on meeting global conservation targets, this one is a final report card on whether the world achieved the 20 global biodiversity targets set in 2010 with a 2020 deadline.  “If this were a school and these were tests, the world has flunked, said Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, executive secretary of the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity.

Why This Matters:  The report is another loudly ringing alarm bell that our current path is unsustainable — and we need to make a huge shift away from “business as usual” across a range of human activities. 

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Interview of the Week: Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO National Geographic Society

Interview of the Week: Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO National Geographic Society

This past January, Jill Tiefenthaler was named the first female chief executive officer of National Geographic Society after having served as the president of Colorado College since 2011. At NGS Jill will now oversee the development and implementation of the Society’s mission-driven work and programmatic agenda as well as lead the Society’s global community of […]

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New Study Finds Reef Shark Populations Declining More Globally Than Previously Known

New Study Finds Reef Shark Populations Declining More Globally Than Previously Known

Last month, a new study published in the journal Nature showed that shark populations are decreasing in many regions throughout the world at much greater rates than previously thought. As CBS Los Angeles reported, this is the “most comprehensive study done on the world’s shark population.” The study found that 20% of the areas they studied — across 58 countries — had no sharks at all.

Why This Matters: As Philip Matich, a marine biologist at Texas A&M-Galveston says, “Sharks have important roles in marine ecosystems, but disturbance can alter this role.” This, in turn, can impact the ecosystem, since as one of the top predators in the water sharks regulate prey populations. But, as the study notes, not all hope is lost.

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Ocean Conservation Heroes: The Community of Niue

Ocean Conservation Heroes: The Community of Niue

Even in the midst of a global pandemic, big conservation wins are possible. Niue is a small island nation in the Pacific but it just made a huge contribution to global ocean health by finalizing this week the creation of an enormous marine protected area comprising 40% of the country’s vast ocean territory.  The new protected […]

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Interview of the Week: Dr. Enric Sala, National Geographic Explorer in Residence

Interview of the Week: Dr. Enric Sala, National Geographic Explorer in Residence

Dr. Sala leads the National Geographic Society’s program to conserve the last wild places in the ocean.  ODP:  The Coronavirus pandemic has harmed people around the globe.  How will this global crisis help more people to see the importance of conserving nature for our own health and well-being? ES: The global pandemic is a tragedy […]

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Interview of the Week: Dr. Enric Sala of the National Geographic Society on #30×30

Interview of the Week: Dr. Enric Sala of the National Geographic Society on #30×30

Dr. Enric Sala is a marine ecologist who has co-authored more than 120 publications, and an Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, where he is dedicated to restoring the health and productivity of the ocean. ODP:  You moved from a very successful academic career to your current exploration and advocacy work at Nat Geo.  Why […]

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