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The decline in pollinating insects has negative effects on the availability and price of healthy foods such as nuts, legumes, fruit and vegetables, causing an increase in premature deaths. PHOTO: Pixabay

500,000 deaths a year linked to the decline in pollinators

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The "prudential" estimate is contained in a new international study published in Environmental Health Perspectives. Premature deaths are thought to be caused by decreasing availability and rising prices of healthful foods, which are in turn linked to the global decline of bee and pollinators
The study of the impact of urbanization on bees and other pollinators was carried out in the Berlin metropolitan area. PHOTO: Fabian Schneidereit on UnsplashFabian Schneidereit su Unsplash

The degree of urbanisation reduces wild bees and butterfly diversity

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German research confirms that the degree of overbuilding and the quality of the local habitat influence the activity of bees and other insects. Interactions with plants decrease. Yet urban meadows and pastures, with the right actions, can be precious contexts for pollinators. Starting from a suitable height of the vegetation...
For years the number of insects has been steadily, worryingly decreasing. PHOTO: Pixabay

Insects in decline? “it’s a fault of soil consumption and pollution”

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A Swiss-German study investigated the main factors behind the constant decline of insects and their biodiversity. Invasive species and intensive agriculture are also of concern. 40% of all species will be at risk of extinction in the coming decades.
Cattle collagen production fuels a $4 billion-a-year industry and promotes deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Photo: Kate Evans/CIFOR Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)Kate Evans/CIFOR Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Collagen industry drives deforestation in the Amazon

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A media investigation points the finger at livestock companies in the Amazon that supply the cosmetics industry fueling a $4 billion industry
Antibiotic use on livestock farms is a source of contamination and soil hazard. Photo: U.S Department of Agriculture Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) U.S Department of Agriculture Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Chinese scientists provide first global map of antibiotic resistance in soil

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Researchers from Shanghai University described the global distribution of antibiotic-resistant genes in the soil. The phenomenon is especially evident in Europe, America and Asia. And is a threat to animal and human health
Grazing may have negative effects in warmer arid areas with highly seasonal rainfall and lower biodiversity Photo: John Coppi, CSIRO Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)John Coppi, CSIRO Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

Climate and biodiversity impact the effect of grazing on soil

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Positive impacts of grazing on soil become negative as temperatures rise, an international research says. A more diversified vegetation presence helps offset the issue
Lo striscione esposto dagli attivisti di PAN Network poco dopo la notizia della validità del milione di firme raccolte nell'ambito dell'Iniziativa popolare europea per vietare i pesticidi chimici entro il 2035. FOTO: Pan Europe.

Bees rejoice: the popular proposal for a EU law reaches one million signatures

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The EU Commission has confirmed the validity of the signatures of the European popular initiative bill "Save bees and farmers". Now the European institutions will have to express  on the request to ban synthetic pesticides, responsible for the collapse in the number of pollinators, by 2035
Ants play an effective role in counteracting plant pests. Photo: Abdulmominbd Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)Abdulmominbd Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ants better than pesticides in protecting soil health and increasing agricultural yields

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According to a research ants provide crucial services for crops such as decreasing pest activity and plant damage while leading to higher yields
In Canada and in the rest of the world prairies store carbon in soil and play a key role in climate change mitigation. Photo: Bernard Spragg Public Domain Mark 1.0Bernard Spragg Public Domain Mark 1.0

New study will map carbon sequestration in Canadian prairies

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The most extensive research ever conducted on the prairies in Saskatchewan will quantify carbon sequestration in soil. The study will provide insights into the best farming and grazing climate friendly practices
Antibiotics used for livestock promote climate change as they impact on soil microbes. Photo: Alan Levine Free for personal and commercial use Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)Alan Levine Free for personal and commercial use Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

How livestock antibiotics affect microbes and promote climate change

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Antibiotics and heat impact on microbes, accelerating their respiration andbCO2 emissions. Monensin, a widespread product used in animal breeding, is under fire.

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