Paris, Oct 26 (BSS/AFP) – Two teams of scientists on Wednesday unveiled a new generation of programmable molecular machines that can seamlessly repair tiny but deadly errors in the genetic coding of living organisms.
Category: Biodiversity
$500m Green Climate Fund for REDD-plus results-based pay
Delhi, 17 October (Indrajit Bose) — The Board of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) has decided to allocate up to USD 500 million for a request for proposals (RFP) for the pilot programme for ‘reducing emissions from deforestation and forest…
Giant moths visiting UK from Europe
The UK is being visited by giant moths, some of which are as big as the hand. Wildlife lovers are on the look out for the various breeds that are making their way and report their sightings back to conservationists.…
Leave no one behind: Disaster resilience for sustainable dev
Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2017 from UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific UN report says natural disasters to become more destructive in Asia-Pacific without action on disaster resilience Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and intense and…
Carving out forest land to shelter desperate Rohingya
Dhaka (Reuters) – Hard-pressed to find space for a massive influx of Rohingya Muslim refugees, Bangladesh plans to chop down forest trees to extend a tent city sheltering destitute families fleeing ethnic violence in neighbouring Myanmar.
Most countries lagging on health SDGs
Neena Bhandari Sydney: Scientists warn that unless significant political and financial investments are made, many countries will not meet the health-related UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
US drug admin to encourage generic contest for complex drugs
Trenton, Oct 3 (AP/UNB) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is opening a new front in its efforts to reduce high drug prices by encouraging development of generic versions of hard-to-make medicines.
Shun loan-based mega projects for nature-friendly uplift
Dhaka – Speakers at a seminar on Thursday called upon the policymakers to think about the development philosophy anew taking the vulnerable situation of the environment into consideration. They put emphasis on the need to taking natural friendly projects shunning…
Elusive night parrot found in Australia, ecologists say
Wildlife researchers say they have found one of the world’s rarest birds in South Australia – the first proof of it there in more than a century.
Farhad Mazhar abduction case report Oct 10
Dhaka – The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court of Dhaka yesterday fixed October 10 for submitting the report in the case filed in connection with the alleged abduction of the writer, columnist and poet Farhad Mazhar.
Eco-towns and sustainable lifestyles of the future
by Julia Whitney Sustainable business and consumption initiatives have traditionally been driven by compliance with regulations. Now times are changing, and we are seeing innovative businesses benefit from green investments and products promoting sustainable consumption and lifestyles.
How to achieve the SDGs
Mahmoud Mohieldin Medellin – In September 2015, the leaders of 193 countries agreed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – the most ambitious plan ever to promote human development – by 2030. Nearly two years into the process, there…
HC against industries within 10 km of Sundarbans
The High Court on Thursday directed the government not to allow any industrial unit to be set up within 10 kilometers of the Sundarbans. The HC bench of Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice JBM Hasan passed the order after…
Madhabkunda waterfall reopens to tourists
Dhaka, Aug 21 – The local administration has withdrawn the restriction on entry of tourists to Madhabkunda waterfall and eco-park in Baralekha Upazila under Moulbibazar district, Sylhet region of Bangladesh . Madhabkunda waterfall was closed to tourists since June 22…
Berlin confce on Rampal Power Plant and alternative energy held
Berlin – The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports in Bangladesh (NCBD), European Network has demanded the cancellation of Bangladesh Government’s ongoing heinous project of 1320 MW Rampal Coal based power plant situated near world…
Save Sundarbans and Green Energy confce in Berlin
Berlin, (Germany) – The construction of a 1320 MW capacity coal-fired power plant is going on near the world largest mangrove forest Sundarbans in Bangladesh. According to the researchers, this coal fired power plant will endanger the biodiversity of this…
Cancel public hearings on Pancheswar Dam: SANDRP
GreenWatch Report The South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) has demanded cancellation of the public hearings being organised for the Pancheswar Dam, based on the Mahakali Treaty with Nepal, in the Uttarakhand state of India, on the…
Indigenous peoples help curb gas emissions, end hunger
By IPS World Desk Rome, Aug 10 (IPS) – A third of global forests, crucial for curbing gas emissions, are primarily managed by indigenous peoples, families, smallholders and local communities, according to the United Nations.
World still lags on indigenous rights 10 years after historic declaration
By Mariam Wallet Aboubakrine, Albert K. Barume and Victoria Tauli-Corpuz Geneva/New York, Aug 7, (IPS) – The world’s indigenous peoples still face huge challenges a decade after the adoption of a historic declaration on their rights, a group of United…
Why world needs indigenous communities to steward their lands
By Manipadma Jena Bhubaneswar, India, Aug 7 (IPS) – “Showing them a picture-book crow, I intone ‘kaak’ in Bengali, the State language. While others repeat in chorus, the tribal Santhali first-graders respond with a blank look. They know the crow…
Finally, a law to curb biopiracy in Malaysia
Gurdial Singh Nijar Last week the Dewan Rakyat passed a bill to curb “biopiracy”. This is the stealing of the biological resources of a country without its consent.
Tanguar Haor’s unique biodiversity under threat
Dhaka, Aug 8 – Blue skies above, green fields underneath the clean water of the depression and chirping of domestic and migratory birds attract nature lovers and tourists to Tanguar Haor, one of the many wetlands located in Sunamganj a…
Project to boost endangered Gharial population
Dhaka, Aug – In the wake of a rapid decline in Gharial population, an initiative has been taken to exchange captive Gharials among the country’s zoos aiming to increase the population of the critically endangered freshwater species. “They’re few captive…
US notifies UN of Paris climate deal pullout
The Trump administration has issued its first written notification that the US intends to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement. But in the notice to the United Nations the US state department said Washington would remain in the talks…
Which country is the most sustainable?
Danielle Nierenberg The Food Sustainability Index (FSI), developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) with the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN) Foundation, ranks countries on food system sustainability based on three pillars: food loss and waste, sustainable agriculture,…
One human dies daily in conflicts with wildlife in India
Indian government data shows that at least one person has been killed every day in conflict with a wild tiger or elephant for the past three years.The statistics released by the Environment Ministry count a total 1,144 people killed between…
Tribal youth killed by elephant in BD district of Sherpur
Dhaka, Jul 30 – A tribal young man was trampled to death by a wild elephant at Choto Gazni in Jhenigati Upazila of Sherpur on Saturday midnight.
Cricket’s summer song making a comeback in UK
The cheep, cheep, cheep of a cricket in the grass is the quintessential sound of summer. The song of the elusive insect fills the air, as if conjured up by a magician. Mike Coates, the warden here at RSPB Farnham…
Rare birds, wildflowers: ‘Secret garden’ opens after century
Truckee, Jul 28 (AP/UNB)- Pink and yellow wildflowers burst from a lush bed of grass hidden from public view for more than a century. Towering trees and snow-capped mountains encircle the wild meadow, beckoning visitors to a largely untouched piece…
Villagers cut down forest in orangutan sanctuary
Jakarta, Jul 27 (AP/UNB) – A conservation group says nearly a fifth of the forest belonging to an orangutan sanctuary on the Indonesian part of Borneo has been occupied and damaged by people living near the area, threatening efforts to…