Archive for the "Roger Harris" Category

  • Conserving indigenous areas would significantly reduce carbon emissions caused by deforestation

    [caption id="attachment_511" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Courtesy of NASA"][/caption] According to a PLOS Biology study reported March 15 in NatureNews, "deforestation in protected areas and indigenous lands is 7–11 times less than in the surrounding areas." Such an observation offers a clear way ahead for advocates of rainforest conservation. By supporting preservation of indigenous lands and other protected areas (ILPAs), organizations "could slow forest loss, conserve biodiversity and preserve local cultures." Given the failure of last December's climate talks in Copenhagen, Denmark,

  • New rules for biodiversity should boost options for biological pest control

    [caption id="attachment_479" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Larva of the lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea feeding on an aphid. Lacewings are often available from biological pest control dealers. (Image courtesy of Wikipedia.)"][/caption] Our increasingly interconnected world is helping crop pests spread ever faster and more widely. Chemical pest controls are effective but expensive and soon become obsolete as organisms evolve resistance. Biological pest controls are a natural solution to agricultural pests that, compared with chemical pesticides, need fewer repetitive treatments, are less likely to engender resistant pest strains and don't present pollution problems. But

  • Engaging conservationists through social media

    The Neotropical Conservation Foundation provides a great example of how a conservation organization can use social media to engage its audience while at the same time meeting its own needs. The NCF wants a new logo. Rather than roll out a new logo fait accomplis, it posted ideas on its Facebook page and asked "Fans" of the page to comment. Ted Kahn, Executive Director of the NCF and who founded its Facebook Fan page, posted the logo to the page’s photo album and wrote "I created a new logo for NCF. I value your