Biodiversity Catastrophe

• [New] The World Mosquito Program now plans to make the required transformations in its scaling pathway to make the Wolbachia method universally available to communities at risk.
• [New] Munich Re's experts have been researching loss events caused by natural hazards around the globe for 40 years.
• [New] Will ultimately enable the New Aquitaine region to become a global data exchange center, building a strong and innovative digital ecosystem to support its economic development.
• [New] For the past two weeks, tons of crude oil have washed ashore on Israel and Lebanon's beaches destroying wildlife and causing ecological damage that could take years to restore.
• [New] The demand for liquefied natural gas is expected to recover in the medium term as the global transition to a carbon-neutral economy gathers momentum, presenting further opportunity for growth for M & R.
• [New] While speciality crops like cashews can generate high returns, the risk of capital loss is high, meaning many banks are hesitant to provide the capital that's needed for small businesses in West Africa's cashew sector to flourish.
• [New] Overall oil and natural gas production from the Lower 48's seven major basins was projected to decline in March from February.
• [New] Through 2040, the Gulf of Mexico could support an average of 367,000 jobs annually and generate $30 billion in annual spending.
• [New] SB-30 would require all state-owned buildings to be carbon neutral by 2035 and prohibit state funding for projects that are connected to the natural gas grid.
• [New] General consensus at the early meetings seem to indicate that OPEC will increase production through June month by adding up to 2.3 million barrels a day, starting with an increase of 1.4 million barrels in April month, rising to 2.3 by the end of June.
• [New] The next decade is a crucial window of opportunity to address the inter-related crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.
• [New] Vienna-based international oil, gas, and chemicals company OMV plans to build a pilot plant at its Schwechat refinery to produce second-generation biofuels to reduce carbon emissions.
• [New] As the Earth's climate warms and precipitation patterns shift, we expect the geographic ranges of many species, including plants, to shift as well.
• [New] With studies showing that direct contact with nature greatly improves mental health and reduces stress, 2021 will likely be the year where more consumers turn to nature for peace and healing, exploring hinterland destinations.
• [New] Threats such as habitat loss, climate change and the wildlife trade are global phenomena leading to mass biodiversity loss.
• [New] The Korean government plans to leverage its dominance in the global supply of memory chips to build the next generation of smart chips by 2030.
• [New] Anopheles stephensi has recently been found to invade the horn of Africa, where Anopheles gambia - another malaria carrying mosquito species - is the major vector, and could become a serious problem there.
• [New] Further investments in offshore wind and the grid infrastructure to support it would make north Wales an attractive option for low-carbon electricity generation and bring much-needed economic opportunities for young people in north Wales.
• [New] Natural gas will be the only hydrocarbon resource to increase its share from 23% today to 28% in 2050 as it is one of the global enablers for reducing emissions quickly, cost-effectively and steadfastly by replacing carbon-intensive fuels as well as backing up intermittent renewables.
• [New] Two novel calculators for predicting which patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 are at greatest risk of requiring mechanical ventilation or of in-hospital death have been developed and validated by Massachusetts General Hospital.

Last updated: 06 March 2021