From Laggard to Leader?

Posted in Library, News & Publications, Papers & Publications on 07/26/17

Canada's renewed focus on protecting nature could deliver results Originally published by Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) Executive Summary CANADA IS A COUNTRY DEEPLY CONNECTED TO NATURE. It underpins our sense of place, our well-being, and our economy. Maintaining the health of Canada’s ecosystems to sustain wildlife and people requires the creation of an extensive network of protected natural areas as the foundation for effective nature conservation strategies. This...

Accelerated modern human–induced species losses: Entering the sixth mass extinction

Posted in Library, News & Publications on 07/26/17

By: Gerardo Ceballos, Paul R. Ehrlich, Anthony D. Barnosky, Andrés García, Robert M. Pringle, Todd M. Palmer Originally published in Science Advances The oft-repeated claim that Earth’s biota is entering a sixth “mass extinction” depends on clearly demonstrating that current extinction rates are far above the “background” rates prevailing between the five previous mass extinctions. Earlier estimates of extinction rates have been criticized for using assumptions that might overestimate the severity...

Nature for the People

Posted in Library, News & Publications, Papers & Publications on 07/26/17

Nature for the People: Toward a Democratic Vision for the Biosphere   Originally published by Erle Ellis in the Breakthrough Institute Read the full article here > Introductory Comments by: Ted Nordhaus, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Breakthrough Institute For over a decade, landscape ecologist Erle Ellis has marshalled an enormous trove of  archaeological, paleontological, and historical evidence to demonstrate that humans have been terraforming the Earth for many,...

Progress In Canada's Boreal Forest Shows We Can Protect Half Of Nature

Posted in News & Publications, Papers & Publications on 06/1/17

Originally posted on 15 May 2017, by Jeff Wells on the Huffington Post In the midst of a steady stream of grim reports about the environment, a new study offers a welcome ray of hope. Researchers have determined that there are still hundreds of regions around the globe healthy enough to help maintain clean air and water, support rich animal and plant life and slow climate change. If we act...

What is needed to protect our wild lands, waters, and animals?

Posted in News & Publications, Papers & Publications on 06/1/17

Originally published on 2 May 2017, by Jeff Wells on CPAWS How many people know the truth about what is needed to maintain our wild animals, plants, clean air, clean water, and other values that keep us humans alive and healthy? Still not enough, apparently, as the last global protected areas target that most countries of the world signed on to in 2010 (the so-called Aichi target) was to protect...

If we want a whole Earth, Nature Needs Half: a response to Büscher et al.

Posted in News & Publications, Papers & Publications on 06/1/17

Published on 27 April 2017, Cambridge University Press Büscher et al.'s (2016) recent article ‘Half-Earth or Whole Earth? Radical ideas for conservation, and their implications’ raises some important issues for conservation, but it paints a misleading picture of the Nature Needs Half movement. Nature Needs Half expresses three main tenets: (1) habitat loss and degradation are the leading causes of biodiversity loss, (2) current protected areas are not extensive enough...

Protecting Half Is Still Possible

Posted in News & Publications, Papers & Publications on 04/14/17

  An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm A new study published in BioScience today examines a bold new approach to halting the world’s extinction crisis through a strategy to protect 50% of the Earth’s land mass. Many vertebrate species have vanished over the past 5 decades or have become critically endangered and the rate of extinction is accelerating. If habitat conversion continues unabated, key ecosystems could collapse,...

NNH Network recruits support for protection of half the planet by 2050

Posted in Blog, News & Publications, Quotes & Comments on 04/14/17

First-ever Nature Needs Half Network reception engages conservation leaders with a new scientific framework and roadmap for the protection of 50% of Earth’s wild lands. WASHINGTON, D.C., April 5th, 2017 – Dozens of conservation leaders gathered on Wednesday of last week at a reception hosted by the Nature Needs Half Network to provide feedback on an audacious plan to protect half the planet’s wilderness by 2050. Representatives from the scientific,...

Taking Action Today: Establishing Protected Areas for Canada's Future

Posted in News & Publications, Papers & Publications on 03/30/17

Report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development Submitted by Deborah Schulte, Chair, Canada House of Commons, March 2017 Specific mention of Nature Needs Half on page 27: "Considerable testimony supported the concept of Aichi Target 11 setting minimum, interim targets. Regarding terrestrial protected areas, much testimony was given in support of the idea articulated by Harvey Locke that “nature needs half” – that the ultimate goal should...

Harvey wants half

Posted in News & Publications, Papers & Publications on 03/7/17

Published in the January/February 2017 issue of Canadian Geographic Harvey Locke, founder of the monumental Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, talks about how Y2Y continues to evolve as it turns 20 and why the Nature Needs Half conservation edict is gaining momentum Harvey Locke thinks big — continentally, actually — but most importantly, he follows through. In 1997, he and an ensemble of conservationists and scientists founded the Yellowstone to...

Nature Needs Half Network [VIDEO]

Posted in Blog, Multi-Media, News & Publications on 10/14/16

We Can Put an End to the Extinction Crisis

Posted in Blog, Multi-Media, News & Publications on 10/13/16

What needs to be done, who is doing it, and how it is getting done The Nature Needs Half Network sees two main goals: Protecting half the Earth one ecoregion at a time to preserve maximum biodiversity Defend human well-being by protecting the environment on which they depend for breathable air, potable water, fertile soils, and a stable climate. This effort is rapidly evolving, but at the highest level the...