New report calls for urgent action to tackle climate change

The world’s leading climate scientists have issued their most extensive warning yet on the risks associated with increasing global temperatures.  The authors of the new report, published yesterday in Incheon, South Korea, by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), say that urgent, far-reaching and unprecedented actions are needed across society, in order to limit…
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This World Environment Day it’s time to beat plastic pollution

World Environment Day, held annually on 5th June, is considered to be the UN’s most important day for promoting global awareness and action to protect the environment.  This year’s theme is one that shines a spotlight on what has become a particularly hot topic over the last year – plastic pollution.   Coincidentally, it was also…
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Emerging contaminants – a growing concern?

[Image credit: minthu] Over the last 200 years, the global population has been growing at an exponential rate and according to the UN, is predicted to reach 8.5 billion by 2030. The population increase to date, has been supported by the development of agricultural, industrial and health care resources, which has led to the rise…
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World Soil Day 2017 – “Caring for the Planet from the Ground”

                                                                                                                [Image credit: FAO] “Caring for the Planet from the Ground” is the theme of this year’s World Soil Day (#worldsoilday).  World Soil Day (WSD) is an annual campaign aimed at raising awareness of the critical importance of healthy soils and advocating for the sustainable management of global soil resources.  In June 2013, the…
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Unmanned aerial vehicles – Agriculture’s “game of drones”

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s), more commonly referred to as drones, are not new technology.  They have been used commercially since the early 1980’s, but in recent year’s practical application of this technology has grown rapidly across a number of industries, with agriculture playing a key role in this expansion. With the global population expected to…
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World Environment Day 2017 – “Connecting People to Nature”

First held in 1974, World Environment Day (WED) is considered to be the largest global event for positive environmental action, with participation from over 143 countries.  It takes place on 5th June each year and is a flagship campaign for driving change and raising awareness on emerging environmental issues, from climate change and wildlife crime, to resource consumption and marine pollution.  This year's host country is Canada and the chosen theme is 'Connecting People to…
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World Water Day 2017 – Why Waste Water?

World Water Day is an annual event that takes place on 22nd March.  It is a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater, as well as emphasising the need for sustainable management of global water resources.  Each year, World Water Day highlights a different aspect of freshwater, and the theme chosen for 2017,…
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Urban trees – an air pollution solution?

Image: Unsplash, Pixabay.com One of a series of blogs written by CABI editors for One Health Day – November 3rd 2016 November 3rd 2016 will be host to the first ever One Health Day, an international campaign that aims to bring attention to how planetary health challenges are addressed.  It may not be obvious, but public…
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School expedition gathers data on biodiversity in Mexico

 Scuba quadrats. Image credit: David H. Williams, Rye St Antony Our guest blogger this month is David Williams, who is the Head of Science at Rye St Antony School, Oxford. He recently led a group of schoolgirls on an Operation Wallacea expedition to Mexico, where they took part in a conservation project which involved conducting mammal surveys…
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World Water Week 2016 kicks off in Stockholm

Today marks the third day of the 26th World Water Week (28 August – 2 September), an annual event which is hosted and organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI).  It is aimed at addressing global water issues as well as concerns related to international development. Each year, the event focuses on a different…
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