Rosa Binimelis shows in an article in the Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics (May 2008) that the co-existence between GMO maize agriculture and "organic" maize agriculture in Catalonia and Aragon is in practice impossible. GMO agriculture crowds out "organic" agriculture. Farmers who try to grow "organic" maize (which obtains a premium in the market) are unable to do so because of "contamination" from GMO maize. The author shows the reasons why attempts to claim liability are ineffective. The research is based on intensive field work and interviews with farmers and other stakeholders.

There is hardly any other plant than palms which better symbolize a warmer climate. This imagery of palms has now been verified with new scientific facts. Recent climate change allows palms to grow in areas where in the past it was not possible due to too cold winter conditions. This holds true also for some parts of central Europe, where a new world’s northernmost wild palm population can be found, and even further north with the more frequent and successful cultivation of palms in private gardens.

Kaum eine andere Pflanze symbolisiert ein wärmeres Klima wie die Palmen. Die Symbolik der Palmen wurde mit neuen wissenschaftlichen Fakten untermauert.

Die Klimaerwärmung der jüngsten Vergangenheit lässt Palmen in Regionen gedeihen, wo dies früher aufgrund zu kalter Winterbedingungen nicht möglich war. Dieses gilt auch für Teile Mitteleuropas, wo neuerdings nicht nur die weltweit nördlichste im Wald wachsende Palmenpopulation zu finden ist, sondern auch immer weiter nördlich Palmen in Gärten gepflanzt werden können.

Science 2 February 2007: Vol. 315. no. 5812, pp. 606 - 607 DOI: 10.1126/science.1138574

Projections of current and future (2050) distributions of most European amphibian and reptile species are now available online.

Parallel Declines in Pollinators and Insect-Pollinated Plants in Britain and the Netherlands

JC Biesmeijer, SPM Roberts, M Reemer, R Ohlemüller, M Edwards, T Peeters, AP Schaffers, SG Potts, R Kleukers, CD Thomas, J Settele, WE Kunin. (including ALARM partners LEEDS, READING, YORK and UFZ)

Science 21 July 2006:
Vol. 313. no. 5785, pp. 351 - 354

Link to Science Paper

Science Cover

Radio interview of Science Podcast, 21st July 2006, between Science Online Editor Steward Wells and the two ALARM scientists William Kunin and Jacobus Biesmeijer about the "Parallel Declines in Pollinators and Insect-Pollinated Plants in Britain and the Netherlands" published in Science.

Format is MP3 (7 MB) 

Radio broadcasting in German on the EU project MacMan, which is associated with ALARM.

Format is MP3

Abstract:

The EU-funded research project ALARM will develop and test methods and protocols for the assessment of large-scale environmental risks in order to minimise negative human impacts. Research focuses on the assessment and forecast of changes in biodiversity and in the structure, function, and dynamics of ecosystems. This includes the relationships between society, the economy and biodiversity.

Title: "Alarm: Assessing Large-scale environmental Risks for biodiversity with tested Methods."

Official ALARM poster

1st prize was was won by Jakub Zychowicz from the Jagiellonian University of Krakowa.