• Conservation International and Intel Re-Launch Comprehensive Web Site on World's Biodiversity Hotspots
• A biodiversity festival
• Greening the Vellore hills
• Combating biopiracy - the legal way
• Restoring our endangered bioreserves
• Man charged over wildlife smuggling
• Norway Plans Seed Bank to Safeguard Food Biodiversity

Washington, DC: Conservation Internationals Center for Applied Biodiversity Science (CABS) and Intel Corporation today announced the re-launch of www.biodiversityhotspots.org , a vividly designed Web site containing detailed and updated information about the worlds biodiversity hotspots. Nine new hotspots also have been added to the original list of 25.

Biodiversity hotspots are 34 regions worldwide characterized by remarkable levels of endemism, or having a vast diversity of native species. Today, these last remaining corners of biodiversity face exceptional levels of threat. The biodiversity hotspots tell us where, as a global conservation organization, we need to prioritize our resources most urgently in order to achieve maximum conservation impact, said Russell Mittermeier, president of Conservation International. We use the best available science to inform all our conservation priorities. Part of our responsibility lies in communicating to an international audience what are these priorities.

With this in mind, the updated Web site is designed to serve as a valuable educational resource for conservationists, regional planners, government policy makers, teachers, professors and students. The site showcases detailed information on each of the worlds biodiversity hotspots, including aspects of each hotspots unique and threatened biodiversity, human impacts, and conservation responses underway by the conservation community.

The most significant feature of the new Web site is a searchable database of terrestrial vertebrate species in the hotspot areas. The advanced search functionality enables users to determine which species are endemic to hotspots or that are facing risk of extinction.

The nine new hotspots, added to the original list of 25, include regions such as the Eastern Afromontane Hotspot, which takes in the Ethiopian Highlands and the Albertine Rift, and the nation of Japan. As Conservation International continues to collect more information about the hotspots, it will be added to the Web site, thus keeping it current.

The remaining intact habitat in the hotspots, which originally covered nearly 16 percent of the Earths surface, an area equivalent in size to Russia and Australia combined, now covers only 2.3 percent of the Earths surface (roughly equivalent to the combined areas of the five largest U.S. states). As evidence of the tremendous opportunity and urgency of conserving these hotspots, analyses show that an estimated 50 percent of all vascular plants and 42 percent of terrestrial vertebrates exist only in these 34 regions. Of even greater concern is that three-quarters of the planets most threatened mammals, birds and amphibians survive only in these hotspots.

The comprehensive site is supported by a generous grant from Intel Corporation. Its a great honor for Intel to partner with CI in its efforts to conserve global biodiversity, said Tim Mohin, director of sustainable development for Intel. Intel is committed to creating genius in biodiversity, educating people around the world about the importance of biodiversity and the need to conserve it. The goal of this site is to use todays digital technology to inform and train tomorrows leaders to save these amazing places.

Intel provides overall support for Conservation International's biodiversity conservation efforts focusing on issues related to climate change. Since 1994, the company has worked with CI to connect scientists and conservationists around the world by providing information technology tools and training. Intel Corporation and its subsidiaries are committed to achieving high standards of environmental quality and product safety, and providing a safe and healthful workplace for our employees, contactors and communities.

One of a series of bullock carts filled with wondrous local variety of grains, legumes, and other seeds of prosperity in the drylands of Andhra Pradesh. The travelling display of biodiversity, inaugurated on Sankranti day, rode on the festive spirit of the season through the villages of Medak District for two weeks, engaging people in dialogue about traditional seed varieties and the viability of organic methods of agriculture, with prospects for a secure tomorrow. Deccan Development Society, based in Pastapur organized this "pata pantala panduga" or "biodiversity festival" and is working on the National Biodiveristy Strategy and Action Plan.

Many decades of deforestation of the 256 hillocks around Vellore town has caused severe soil erosion, exposing the rocky surface which constantly radiates heat making Vellore the hottest town in Tamilnadu. Natural water recharge in the area has been affected, and the water table has gone down to several hundred feet depth. On the one hand timber and granite lobbies are further degrading the environment, while on the other, poverty in the 96 villages at the foothills has forced the villagers to engage in destructive activities like cattle grazing on the hills, clearing vegetation (by setting the forest on fire) for illicit liquor brewing and manju grass, and firewood. Disturbed by this condition, Srinivasan (Vellore Srini, as he is more popularly known), a young Mathematics graduate from Vellore set out to change the fate of the Vellore residents. In 1995, this passionate and determined environmentalist started "Exnora Green Cross" as an affiliate of the well known environmental NGO Exnora International .

To restore the hills, EGC formed a 11-member strong Indian Green Force (IGF), whose villager members work 11 hours a day on the hills developing nurseries, planting trees, desilting ponds for rain water harvesting, putting out forest fires and protecting the area from grazing. Lessons from the hill project, triggered a chain of other interesting projects one after another. To conserve forest land, Srinivasan started growing vegetables and herbs on the rooftops. For lack of top soil and compost, Srinivasan got into composting organic waste from households, temples, educational institutions, vegetable and fish markets. The Vellore project to collect separated waste from door to door, recycling and composting has turned into an inspiring model for the entire nation. 50 towns and villages all over TN, Punjab, Karnataka are in various stages of implementing what is called 'Zero Waste Management' following this model. For lack of enough cow dung for composting, EGC started rescuing cattle (especially young male calves) going for slaughter and feeding them fresh vegetable waste. Today, EGC projects have more than 200 rescued cattle. To stop people from depending on the hills for firewood, renewable energy units and several alternative income generation activities were introduced. The generation of thoudsands of tonnes of compost has now opened up the world of organic farming to the EGC team. And the chain continues....

So far, EGC has been able to find employment for hundreds of youth in its various projects. As far as possible, EGC works with the government and its projects employ ecofriendly and labour-intensive processes, use renewable sources of energy and local and biodegradable materials, and avoid the use of machinery. Today EGC stands grown into a 40-member strong team working in different areas. The strength of the Vellore team is its focus on demonstrating simple and replicable solutions to long-standing environmental problems in the society. This is evident by the long queue of government officials, municipal administrators, NGOs and SHGs who all eagerly wait for their turn to work with EGC and Vellore Srini in taking the solutions to their home towns

http://www.indiatogether.org/2005/may/env-biopiracy.htm

http://www.indiatogether.org/2005/jun/env-bdivstate.htm

11:29 AEST Wed Jun 29 2005, AAP

A Japanese man has been charged with attempting to smuggle 24 protected turtles and one shingleback lizard out of Australia.

The 32-year-old man was arrested in Perth on Tuesday in relation to the alleged smuggling attempt in March last year, during which 13 of the animals died, Customs said.

He now faces three charges in relation to exportation and cruelty under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999.

Customs will allege it was alerted to a suspicious package on March 23 last year by Australia Post staff at the Perth International Mail Centre.

The package, destined for Japan, was allegedly found to contain 24 oblong turtles - 13 of which were dead - and a lizard, all tightly wrapped in socks.

Customs said it established the identity of the person allegedly responsible for the smuggling attempt but he had left the country within hours of the package being discovered.

Customs officers at Adelaide International Airport identified the man when he arrived in Australia last Sunday and tipped off Customs investigators in WA.

The Japanese man was arrested when he arrived in Perth from South Australia, and is due to appear in Fremantle Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

"Wildlife smuggling is a cruel trade with a high death rate as the animals are usually packed into tight spaces without sufficient air, food and water," Customs national investigations manager Richard Janeczko said.

The maximum penalty for offences under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act is 10 years' jail, $110,000 fine or both.

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jun2005/2005-06-27-02.asp