Biodiversity

Washington DC, July 23, 2008 -- Biodiversity has long been recognized by EPA as critical for environmental well-being. Humans rely on healthy ecosystems to provide food, clean air, and drinking water. But less understood is the connection between disease and biodiversity (the number and variety of plants and animals found in a geographic region). Recent studies suggest that maintaining biodiversity may protect us against diseases such as Lyme disease and West Nile encephalitis, the disease caused by West Nile Virus.    » read more »

August 19, 2007 -- Frankfort, Ky. - The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board, chaired by Governor Ernie Fletcher, approved $1,423,074 in agricultural diversification projects across the Commonwealth during their monthly board meeting on August 17, 2007 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky.

State and County Agricultural Development Fund projects approved for funding at the August meeting include:

$210,000 Bluegrass Lamb & Goat, LLC    » read more »

Other Species Cited at CITES Conference in The Hague

June 15, 2007 -- THE HAGUE, Netherlands – The United States is pleased with actions taken by the 171 nations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to protect tigers from poaching and imperiled sawfish species from over-harvest, said Todd Willens, the head of the U.S. Delegation.    » read more »

14 May 2007 -- Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the International Day for Biological Diversity, to be observed on 22 May:    » read more »

Biodiversity, Science Communities Unite Behind Epic Effort To Promote Biodiversity, Document All 1.8 Million Named Species on Planet

WASHINGTON (May 9, 2007) – Many of the world’s leading scientific institutions today announced the launch of the Encyclopedia of Life, an unprecedented global effort to document all 1.8 million named species of animals, plants, and other forms of life on Earth. For the first time in the history of the planet, scientists, students, and citizens will have multi-media access to all known living species, even those that have just been discovered.    » read more »

09 May 2007 -- Scientists have announced they have begun assembling an Internet catalog of every living thing on Earth. The organizers say the new website will become the single location where researchers can go to study the nearly 2 million known plant and animal species. As VOA's David McAlary reports, this so-called Encyclopedia of Life is expected to be a major help to scientists in developing countries.    » read more »

May 3, 2007 -- A recent presentation by a conservation officer of the Department Natural Resources to the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce in the Detroit area highlighted the potential adverse effects of introducing Asian carps - black, bighead, grass and silver - to Michigan waters.

DNR Commercial Fish Specialist Steven Huff gave the presentation in April to 85 members of the organization at a recent meeting in Detroit. Huff emphasized the impact the fish could have on the state's commercial and sport fisheries.    » read more »