A PEEK INSIDE THE ENTOMOLOGY LAB OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA

Don Lafontaine is an entomologist with Environment Canada.  He gave us a small tour of the government collections today.

 The collections include insects from all over the world.

These are Blue morphos from South America.

More South American butterflies.

 These moths are from Canada's far North.  They live off lichen!

These tiny moths live inside of leaves as caterpillars.

GYBN statement during the closing plenary of SBSTTA-18

We did it!!!
Two very, very busy weeks of negotiations under WGRI and SBSTTA came to an end!!! Yesterday Melina (Brazil) delivered our eight and final GYBN statement during the closing plenary of SBSTTA-18 and we received a lot of applause and positive feedback from delegates. Unfortunately we don’t have a video of Melina’s intervention, but you can read the full text here:
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Thank you Mr. Chair,

The Global Youth Biodiversity Network would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our commitment with our future and the future of those yet to come. We want to be part of the solution and support parties in their duty to implement the Convention, aiming to reach the Aichi targets through theirs NBSAPs, now with the additional guidance of GBO4.

Therefore, we would like to thank the secretariat, organizations and parties, with special mention to Norway for recognizing the value that young people can add to outreach and communication activities to mainstream the GBO4 findings. And also thank Japan, Germany, Sweden, Canada and other parties that echoed Norway. 

We are grateful for depositing some trust in our potential, and we do understand that trust is built step by step. Now is our turn to honor our commitment and prove our potential with concrete actions and results. 

The Global Youth Biodiversity Network will actively communicate GBO4 findings among our networks, informing and engaging youth worldwide through innovative and interactive channels.

This was a great first step to build a trust relationship, and we cherish that. However, it is a fact that Youth, Women and indigenous and local communities are still marginalized from decision making process and therefore, we strongly remind parties to focus more efforts and mobilize resources for the full and effective participation of youth,women, indigenous people and local communities from all geo-cultural regions in international negotiations such as the present one. 

We will go back now and work on our homework, committed to present concrete activities at our next meeting in South Korea. We hope you will do your as well!

Thank you very much Mr. Chair

Governments review science base for achievement of global biodiversity targets

Montreal, 28 June 2014 – Governments finished a week of deliberations on scientific issues that will inform future national efforts under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to achieve the goals of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

The eighteenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-18) wrapped up in the early afternoon of 28 June 2014 sending recommendations to the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD (COP-12) scheduled to take place in PyeongChang, Republic of Korea in October 2014.

The recommendations from SBSTTA-18 are likely to form part of the proposed package of decisions known as the “PyeongChang Roadmap for the enhanced implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.”

“The work that has taken place at SBSTTA-18 this week has provided the strong science base required for achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets,” said Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the CBD. “The guidance you have provided will be an important part of the proposed PyeongChang Roadmap to 2020. There is a clear consensus on the need to redouble our efforts to achieve the goals of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.”

SBSTTA-18 welcomed the draft of the fourth edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-4) and the underlying technical reports. GBO-4 will be launched on the opening day of COP-12 and will provide a mid-term review and assessment of the state of implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. The meeting recommended that the report’s findings would be a central input to the proposed PyeongChang Roadmap to 2020.

Building on the work of seven regional expert workshops, the meeting also prepared a summary report containing scientific and technical evaluation of information describing ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs), and recommended that the Conference of the Parties send this information to the UNGA as well as to countries.

Governments meeting in Montreal also identified priority actions to address the pressures on coral reefs such as pollution, over-fishing and coastal development, with a view to enhancing resilience and reducing vulnerabilities of coral reefs to ocean acidification and the impacts of climate change. These actions would seek to enhance efforts for achievement of Aichi Biodiversity Target 10.

SBSTTA-18 prepared guidelines on devising and implementing measures to address the risks associated with the introduction of alien species as pets, aquarium and terrarium species, and as live bait and live food, which have been identified as a significant pathway for invasive alien species. SBSTTA-18 also reviewed the major pathways for invasive alien species and agreed a number of recommendations to address them.

Delegates also agreed to recommendations on other issues including: Incentives that are armful for biodiversity, synthetic biology, health and biodiversity, ecosystem restoration, biodiversity and climatechange.

Documents relating to SBSTTA-18 can be found at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=sbstta-18

Youth at the SBSTTA-18 meeting in Montreal

Yesterday delegates at the SBSTTA-18 meeting in Montreal discussed about a number of climate related agenda items such as Geoengineering, Biodiversity Safeguards in REDDplus and the integration of Biodiversity into climate policies. GYBN urged parties to reaffirm the existing de-facto moratorium on Geoengineering, to develop joint work programmes between conventions on cross cutting issues and to give greater attention to non-carbon benefits and non-market based approaches in REDDplus. 

Here’s the video of Christian delivering the GYBN statement on this very important issue.
“Combating climate change and preventing the loss of Biodiversity are one of the greatest challenges for mankind in the 21st century. Neither can be solved without addressing the other. The key to tackling both Biodiversity and climate change is policy coherency. We therefore strongly urge parties to take effective measures to integrate the protection of Biodiversity into climate change policies and vice versa.
[…] Young people and future generations will have to bear the costs of climate change and live in a world deprived by much of its biological diversity. We are here to take up our responsibility. We are here to live up to the challenge and become part of the solution.”
http://youtu.be/0zfOKF4jEk8

YOUTH AT THE SBSTTA-18 PLENARY

The Convention on Biodiversity does important work around the world, educating and promoting our natural heritage.  It is important that youth take part in this process. 

Check out the video of the intervention on Invasive Species that was delivered by Swetha (India) in the SBSTTA-18 plenary on June 25 on behalf of the Women’s Caucus and Global Youth Biodiversity Network.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGBd9mAdsO8&feature=youtu.be

Yesterday Melina (Brazil) delivered the GYBN intervention on Synthetic Biology, expressing their concerns regarding the risk presented by this technology and its products.
“We believe that the use of this technology without any national and international regulatory mechanisms constitutes great risk for the wellbeing of future generations. [...] The precautionary principle is a guiding principle of the convention and it should not be compromised when it comes to synthetic biology.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-20OUbrhAk&feature=youtu.be

Werde ein Teil von- Deutsche Jugenddelegation fur Biologische Vielfalt

Voice for Biodiv

Biologische Vielfalt ist die Grundlage

des Lebens auf unserem Planeten.

Und sie ist bedroht! Doch ohne die Vielfalt der Ökosysteme, die Vielfalt der Arten

sowie die genetische Vielfalt hat das Leben auf unserem Planeten keine Chance.

Deshalb bist du gefragt:

Erheb’ deine Stimme fur den Schutz

der Biologischen Vielfalt!

Egal, ob bei der 12. UN-Konferenz zum Schutz der Biologischen Vielfalt in Korea

im Oktober 2014 oder auf Jugendveranstaltungen im Sommer 2015:

Als „Voice for Biodiv“ setzt sich die Jugenddelegation für Biologische Vielfalt

für den Schutz der Grundlage des Lebens zukünftiger Generationen ein!

Bewirb’ dich bis 6. Juli 2014! Mehr unter www.VoiceforBiodiv.de

ARTIFICIAL CULTIVATION OF ENDANGERED HERBS- CHINA

Endangered Tibetan herbs in Chengguan district, Tibet, southwestern China, are being cultivated artificially to satisfy the growing need of Tibetan medicine in the area. Seven species of Tibetan herbs have already gained success among the dozen of species which has been studied by Tibetan Medicine Research Institute for artificial cultivation.

June 19

http://eng.tibet.cn/2010sh/xw/201406/t20140619_2002798.html

GLOBAL WARMING EFFECT ON TIBET PLATEAU- CHINA

Perennial frozen Land on Tibet Plateau which is at an average altitude of 4,500m has shrunk by 16 per cent over the past three decades as a result of global warming. The average temperature on the plateau has risen by 1.8˚c as well as the glaciers have decrease by 15 per cent due to the climate change. Remote sensing and satellite monitoring also shows the volume of frozen earth has decreased on plateau which will adversely affect the vegetation and ecology of plateau.

June 17

http://english.people.com.cn/n/2014/0617/c202936-8742539.html

IGNORANCE RESULTS IN DECAYING OF TIMBER- INDIA

Thousand of cubic feet of timber in Pulwama and Shopian forests, Jammu Kashmir, northern India is decaying due to the lack of proper management and utilization of wood. Excessive rain and heavy snowfall every year uproot the trees but authorities remain unconcerned about the management and utilization of timber. As a result people have to depend on smugglers for the supply of wood. Unmanaged forests bring disasters like flash flood, drought etc in the state.

June 16

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140619/himachal.htm#21

DALITS EXCLUDED FROM FOREST USE- NEPAL

People’s perception towards caste remains unchanged. About 250 Dalits in Lahan chowk Kaski district western Nepal have been deprived of using forest products of national forest in Annapurna conservation Area while others are taking maximum benefit from forests.

June 19

http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Dalits+deprived+of+forest+use&NewsID=418702#sthash.Ts7a6GRK.dpuf