Red List longer than ever

IUCN - The World Conservation Union, which we normally talk about in conjunction with the Wilderness Task Force, has recently released the 2007 Red List:

"There are now 41,415 species on the IUCN Red List and 16,306 of them are threatened with extinction, up from 16,118 last year. The total number of extinct species has reached 785 and a further 65 are only found in captivity or in cultivation."

Now The Economist pointed to 'species inflation' in an article back in May saying:

"As new areas are explored, the number of species naturally increases (see article).
For example, the number of species of monkey, ape and lemur gradually increased until the mid-1960s, when it levelled off. In the mid-1980s, however, it started rising again. Today there are twice as many primate species as there were then.
That is not because a new wave of primatologists has emerged, pith-helmeted, from the jungle with hitherto unknown specimens. It is because a lot of established subspecies have been reclassified as species." - Full article

OK, so the total list of species is longer than ever ... But expressed differently:

"One in four mammals, one in eight birds, one third of all amphibians and 70% of the world’s assessed plants on the 2007 IUCN Red List are in jeopardy."
- http://www.iucn.org/redlist

That should make anybody sit up. But what to do about it?

- In addition to strongly supporting the IUCN, we develop tomorrow's environmentally aware leaders through our school, cadet and social programmes. If you'd like to help more young people go through our training, get in touch or consider making a donation or raise some funds today.

IUCN Peace Parks book explores how protected areas can resolve conflict

Just in from the IUCN:

A book which examines how environmental conservation can be used to contribute to peace-building in conflict zones has just been published.

Peace Parks, with a foreword by the World Conservation Union’s Director General, Julia Marton-Lefèvre, explores how the parks can help resolve political and territorial disputes.

The book, edited by Saleem Ali, who is a member of IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas, describes real-life examples such as the Selous-Niassa Wildlife Corridor in Africa and the Emerald Triangle conservation zone in Indochina. It also looks to the future and investigates the peace-building potential of envisioned parks in security-intensive areas, such as the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea and the US-Mexican border.

In her foreword, Julia Marton-Lefèvre wrote: “The linkage between a healthy environment and peace is increasingly apparent. Many of the roots of current and future conflicts stem from competition for scarce natural resources."

Read more - and find out how to order from the IUCN. We look forward to reading it too.

Learn more about our Sustainable Peace Programme which we run in partnership with the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation as well as the Roots of Reconciliation: Humanising Enemies wilderness based course.

Preparing the IUCN Programme 2009-2012

The IUCN, who the Wilderness movement engages with and supports through the Wilderness Task Force, has put out a consultation on their 2009-2012 programme which we thought might be of interest:

"The draft situation analysis that is the basis for the development of the Union’s next work programme from 2009 to 2012 is now available online. We invite your comments to improve the facts, figures and trends of this overview of the state of natural resources and their contributions to human wellbeing and development before 15 January 2007".

If you wish to comment - Visit the relevant IUCN page here.

International Mountain Day: Wilderness Perspective

Today's International Mountain Day - a celebration and opportunity to "reflect on the people who are directly affected by ecosystem degradation and climate change: mountain communities" as the IUCN says in their coverage.

The IUCN, who the Wilderness movement engages with and supports through the Wilderness Task Force, has been drumming up the debate around mountains with recent articles such as this one: 'Mountains Rise to Fight Climate Change'. The BBC's Planet Earth series also had an episode focusing on mountains. If you're in the UK you can re-view some of that content on-line here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/planetearth/hd/

On a linked but separate note, the forthcoming 2007 Mountain & Wilderness Medicine World Congress - which will bring together the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) and the International Society for Mountain Medicine (ISMM) for their joint congress, migh also be of interest.