Biodiversity

An Odyssey of Ecological Invasion: Invasive Species Challenges and Collaboration Globally and Between the U.S. & China

One major aspect of globalization has been the mobility of people, products, diseases, and information, as well as (often unwelcome) plant and animal species. At this China Environment Forum meeting, speakers examined the issue of invasive species from the global perspective and how the U.S. and China are working together to address this problem.

Global Invasion

Beyond Pandas: Animal and Habitat Protection Activism in China

Nearly 20 percent of China's animals and plants are considered endangered from development pressures and pollution. While many conservation projects focus on panda preservation and nature reserve issues in western China, there are also Chinese and international NGOs working throughout China on protection of turtles, salamanders, sharks, and even marine habitats. This Wilson Center meeting will highlight some of the lesser-known initiatives to protect animals and their habitats.

A Land on Fire: The Environmental Consequences of the Southeast Asian Boom

Over the past two decades, Southeast Asia has been on fire, both figuratively and literally. Economies throughout the region have exploded, taking advantage of small production costs and a low-paid, highly motivated workforce. At the same time, to fuel rapid growth, forests have been stripped for lumber and the land torched for new agricultural opportunities. Indeed, economic success has often come at the expense of the environment and with sixty percent of the world's population, environmental degradation in Southeast Asia has potential worldwide effect.

Helping Hands: An Integrated Approach

At the moment, the agendas of the growing population of people and the environment are too separate. People are thinking about one or the other," said Sir John Sulston, Nobel laureate and chair of the Institute for Science, Ethics, and Innovation at the University of Manchester, in an interview with the Environmental Change & Security Program(ECSP).

"People argue about, ‘Should we consume less or should we have fewer people?' The point is it's both. We need to draw it together. It's people and their activities."

Managing the Planet's Freshwater

"The impact of human activities on the planet and on its biology has risen to a scale that deserves a commensurate response," said Tom Lovejoy, professor at George Mason University, introducing a discussion on "Managing the Planet's Freshwater," the second of a monthly series led jointly by George Mason University and the Woodrow Wilson Center. Karin M.

A Review of Brazil's Environmental Policies and Challenges Ahead

Stressing the need for concrete, tangible institutional policies, Izabella Teixeira, Brazil's minister of the environment, discussed the challenges and goals of her ministry in the coming years.

Meeting the Needs of Latin America's Rural and Urban Populations

There are two Latin Americas according to demographers. In one of the most urbanized regions of the world, the population of some countries remains highly rural. While countries like Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay are close to 90 percent urbanized, much of Central America, as well as Ecuador, Paraguay, and Bolivia, are only about 50-60 percent urban.

Emerging Trends in Environment and Economic Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean

Economic development and environmental sustainability in Latin America and the Caribbean are intrinsically connected, as evidenced by the July 22, 2010 seminar organized by the Woodrow Wilson Centers' Brazil Institute, on behalf of the Latin American Program, and co-sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The seminar presented the report "Emerging Trends in Environment and Economic Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean," which identifies key trends likely to shape the economy and natural environment in Latin America and the Caribbean for the next 10 years.

Brazil at a Crossroads: Repercussions of Embracing Genetically Modified Agriculture

The Brazil Project and Environmental Change and Security Program co-hosted a conference on the debate over genetically modified (GM) agriculture in Brazil.

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