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Yesterday, there was a volcano eruption that had started on the Reykjanes peninsula in south-western Iceland, following the end of the previous eruption on March 16th.

According to the Icelandic meteorological office, the eruptions had reached a height of at least 50 metres. Moreover, the magma chamber below Svartsengi  power plant has accumulated over 20 million cubic metres of molten rock. They had also reported that there were around 400 earthquakes that had occurred over the past 7 days.

Most of Grindavik’s 4,000 residents were permanently evacuated in November before the eruptions had occurred between December to March this year. During the January eruption, there was flowing lava that engulfed three homes of the residents.

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A fire and explosion at Synthite Factory caused the death of around 50 fish in River Alyn on Denbigh Road in Mold, Flintshire.

Key takeaways are that the environmental impact of the chemical factory in Mold is now mitigated, and is safe for pets and livestock to access the river nearby; the effects on the local biodiversity has been localised and fish can now return to the affected area of the river. Now there are lifted restrictions on accessing the waterway.

Talks about the externalities of nature due to industralization fo factories

About 50 dead fish were found in the nearby River Alyn following the blaze at the Synthite factory on Denbigh Road in Mold, Flintshire, on 30 April.

Highlights the affect of biodiversity due to the factories

The influence of human activities and pollution on the ecosystem

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Mold: River Alyn pollution levels fall after Synthite factory fire

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Officials say there is no longer a need to keep animals away from the River Alyn after a chemical factory fire.

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The definition of biodiversity is: the variety of all life on earth - all the ecosystems and living organisms that exist within their own communities (such as animals, plants, fungi) and how each species interacts with the abiotic and biotic factors around them. The most significant cause that contributes to the loss of biodiversity is local and global extinction. A subtle change within the ecosystem can result in a tremendous change in species number. Examples of this include:

Human activities (deforestation, fishing, hunting)

Invasive alien species- big problem on islands

Nature needs to be able to cope with change- environment always changing

As a result, 99% of all species that have ever lived are now extinct

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All living things exist within their own communities, or ecosystems - oceans, forests, deserts, ice caps and even cities. All this put together is biodiversity: the volume of life on Earth as well as how different species interact with each other and with the physical world around them.

The word biodiversity is a contraction of 'biological diversity'. The concept is broad and complex, but that complexity is what makes Earth a perfect place for humans to live.

Why do we need biodiversity?

Humans rely on biodiversity to survive. We are intertwined in a big natural system, and each element supports and enables all of us to thrive.

It is easy to see why humans need nature: we need fresh water, clean air, and plants and animals for food. But what we need specifically is biodiversity. Nature around us isn't enough - we need a natural world that is complex, resilient, thriving and full of variety.

Nature needs to be able to cope with change. Different animals and plants in a habitat help to make that place stable and sustainable. Small changes will have fewer effects, allowing it to keep providing us with what we need.

Ecosystem services

The benefits biodiversity brings are called ecosystem services. Biodiversity keeps us all alive, but it also helps to make our lives healthy and safe.

Ecosystem services include forests that diminish floods, coastlines that protect us from changing sea levels, wetlands that regulate pollution and parks that ease our anxiety.

Biodiversity and species richness

When we talk about biodiversity, we often talk about species richness as well. Species richness is the number of different species in an area, a way of measuring biodiversity.

Studying species richness helps us to understand the differences between places and areas.

For example, the Amazon rainforest very species-rich as it is home to 10 million species. In contrast, the Sahara Desert is far less rich, with just a few thousand species.

About 1.5 million species have been described by scientists, and most of them are insects. But it is thought that there are millions more sharing our planet with us.

Endangered species and mass extinction

Overall biodiversity loss can speed up extinction. More and more animals and plants are facing an uncertain future.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the global authority on the status of the natural world. It keeps a Red List of endangered species, an important indicator of the health of the world's biodiversity.

Currently, more than 30,000 species are listed as threatened with extinction, which is 27% of all assessed species.

We know that millions of species have already gone extinct over the long history of planet Earth. Biodiversity rates have always ebbed and flowed. In fact, at least 99% of all the organisms that have ever lived are now extinct. Researchers agree that five huge mass extinction events have already happened, i ncluding the one that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.

However, extinction rates have been accelerating as human populations continue to grow, and many scientists argue we are living through a sixth mass extinction. This time, humans rather than natural events are to blame.

Species diversity in more than half of land ecosystems is now critically low.

A 20% drop is widely considered the threshold at which biodiversity's contribution to ecosystem services is compromised. It's estimated that over a quarter of Earth's land surface has already exceeded this.

Causes of biodiversity loss

Biodiversity is in trouble in the UK and across the globe, and its loss can refer to local and worldwide extinctions. Species and ecosystems can be fragile, so small changes can have large consequences.

The causes of biodiversity loss are complicated, but we know the human population is making the problems worse.

In the short time humans have been on the planet we have increasingly disrupted the balance of biodiversity through changing land use, overexploitation of resources and the impact we are having on climate.

We are converting natural habitats into farms, factories, roads and cities. In the ocean, we are overfishing, drilling and mining.

Cities and towns have a smoothing effect on biodiversity, tending to favour generalist species like feral pigeons. Those that require a particular habitat, or are intolerant of disturbance or pollution, often can't survive. This is called biotic homogenization.

Animals and plants that can only live in one small area of land - like unique butterflies or flowers - can go locally extinct if the city's conditions are unfavorable to them.

Biodiversity and invasive species

Animals and plants moving around the world are also big threats to biodiversity. When a new, non-native species arrives in a new area, it is often called an alien species. Mostly this movement doesn't cause a problem. However, if that species causes harm to wildlife or humans, it is called an invasive alien species.

Invasive species are often introduced through human activity, either deliberately or accidentally. One example is rabbits in Australia, which were brought to Australia by human colonisers in the eighteenth century to be bred for food. Their population soon exploded and quickly caused devastation because of the huge amount of plants they ate.

Even now, rabbits in Australia can kill young orchards and cause serious erosion problems by eating trees and native plants.

This story is echoed all over the world. It is an especially big problem on islands, where wildlife has evolved in isolation over millions of years, and the ecosystem can be more vulnerable to the introduction of new animals and plants.

Invasive species can reduce biodiversity and species richness, cause extinctions and dramatically change ecosystems.

Protecting the natural world

Our future rests on a biodiverse Earth, so we can no longer take it for granted. We are now in an era when humans have a huge impact on the planet's natural systems.

Biodiversity loss is just as catastrophic as climate change, but the solutions are linked. Stopping further damage to the planet requires big change, but we can do it if we act now, together.

Every species matters, and the Museum is doing its bit to fight for biodiversity. Our scientists represent one of the largest groups in the world working on natural diversity and are at the forefront of digital, analytical and genomic technologies to expand our knowledge of nature.

Projects underway at the Museum are creating datasets that help us to understand ecosystem dynamics and changing patterns of biodiversity. The scientific research collections are crucial to managing the unprecedented period of environmental change we're currently experiencing. They provide global information on 4.5 billion years of natural history on our planet and the last 300 years of environmental change.

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All living things exist within their own communities, or ecosystems - oceans, forests, deserts, ice caps and even cities. All this put together is biodiversity: the volume of life on Earth as well as how different species interact with each other and with the physical world around them.

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The Institute of Philanthropy in Hong Kong has donated $1.23 million to support the WHO's efforts to address the health impacts of climate change, which are projected to cause around 250,000 additional deaths by 2050. The donation marks the IoP's first partnership with a UN agency as part of its mission to promote global philanthropy.

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Dr Gabriel Leung, Director of IoP and Executive Director, Charities and Community of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, speaks at the celebratory launch of the World Health Organization's Investment Round.

Dr Christopher Elias, President, Global Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (centre), and Dr Gabriel Leung (right) speak at a side event co-sponsored by the foundation and the IoP.

Climate change is the greatest health threat of the 21st century and is expected to cause about 250,000 additional deaths between 2030 and 2050, according to World Health Organization ("WHO") projections.

A delegation from the Institute of Philanthropy ("IoP"), a charitable organisation established by The Hong Kong Jockey Club and its Charities Trust, attended the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva this week, where climate change was a focus of discussion.

At the launch of the WHO's Investment Round during the assembly, the IoP announced its first-tranche donation of US$1.23 million (about HK$9.6 million) to support the WHO's efforts to improve the health of migrant and displaced populations in the context of climate change.

Director of the IoP and CEO of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges described the donation as a milestone for the IoP because it is the first time it has supported a project led by a United Nations specialised agency. It is precisely the type of globally impactful project the IoP was established to support, he added.

The Standard Channel

The IoP also partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to co-sponsor a side event on pandemic preparedness in support of the Global Health Emergency Corps ("GHEC"). The GHEC was launched by the WHO and its partners at the 76th World Health Assembly last year to promote collaboration across countries and health networks to strengthen emergency response at all levels.

The IoP was established in September 2023 through a strategic grant of HK$5 billion from the Jockey Club and its Charities Trust. With its mission as a leading "think-fund-do" tank for China and Asia, the IoP is dedicated to promoting philanthropic thought leadership and enhancing sector capabilities at local, regional and global levels in partnership with fellow funders. It seeks to provide an Asia-based platform bringing global stakeholders together to promote the betterment of societies everywhere.

(community information)

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HK’s Institute of Philanthropy supports WHO efforts to aid victims of climate change

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Climate change is the greatest health threat of the 21st century and is expected to cause about 250,000 additional deaths between 2030 and 2050, according to World Health Organization (“WHO&rdqu...

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Facts:

Improvements in the cold chain could reduce global food waste by 620 million metric tonnes yearly.

Fully refrigerated supply chains could cut food waste-related greenhouse gas emissions by 41% globally.

one-third of food produced annually is wasted, (1.3 billion tonnes)

800 million people suffer from hunger and malnutrition.

Food waste contributes to about 8% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.

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Improvements along the cold chain could help to reduce global food waste by around 620 million metric tonnes each year, a new study by the University of Michigan has found.

According to the study, which was published in the peer-reviewed Environmental Research Letters journal, maintaining fully- refrigerated supply chains could also cut food waste-related greenhouse gas emissions by 41% globally.

Currently, about a third of the food produced each year goes to waste, weighing in at approximately 1.3 billion tonnes, while 800 million people suffer from hunger and malnutrition, according to the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization.

In addition, food waste accounts for estimated 8% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.

'Greatest Potential'

The study found that Sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia have the 'greatest potential' for reductions in both food losses and related emissions through increased cold-chain implementation.

South and Southeast Asia could see food losses reduced by 45%, as well as a 54% decrease in associated emissions in an optimised cold chain scenario.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, those reductions could be 47% and 66%, respectively.

In North America, Europe, and other more industrialised regions, most food loss occurs at the household level, the study found. As a result, improvements in the cold chain would not significantly reduce overall food losses in these areas.

'Scale Of The Opportunity'

"I was surprised to find the scale of our opportunity for reducing food loss and waste globally," said study lead author Aaron Friedman-Heiman, master's student at U-M's School for Environment and Sustainability and Ross School of Business.

"Approximately half of the roughly 1.3 billion tonnes of food that goes to waste annually can be solved through food supply-chain optimisation."

In compiling the study, the researchers developed a food-loss estimation tool to evaluate the impact of improved cold chain access on food loss and associated greenhouse gas emissions.

This tool was applied to seven food types across seven regions, utilising data from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and other sources.

Optimised Cold Chain

"Although cold chain infrastructure is rapidly increasing worldwide, an optimised cold chain will likely develop at different rates and in different ways across the globe," commented co-author Shelie Miller, a professor at U-M's School for Environment and Sustainability and at the College of Engineering.

"This analysis demonstrates that while increased refrigeration should lead to improvements in both food loss and greenhouse gas emissions associated with food loss, there are important tradeoffs associated with cold chain improvements by food type and region."

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Improved Refrigeration Could Save 620m Tonnes Of Food Waste, Study Finds | ESM Magazine

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Improvements along the cold chain could help to reduce global food waste by around 620 million metric tonnes each year.

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The take-home messages are that biodiversity loss, climate change and introduced species increase disease, whereas urbanisation decreases it,” said lead researcher Prof Jason Rohr from the University of Notre Dame in the US.

Experts analysed nearly 1,000 studies of global environmental drivers of infectious disease, covering all continents except for Antarctica. They looked at both the severity and prevalence of disease in plant, animal and human hosts.