EcoLogical's latest posts

After four days and a hard night of negotiations, governments meeting at the UN last week took a historic step toward ending the centuries-long free for all on the high seas. We have the green light to negotiate the first major UN treaty for 30 years, and we can now look to a future in […]

The New York Times last week ran a story on the front page about the threat of mass extinction in the ocean. For those of us who work on ocean conservation, this recent study is an interesting synthesis of the distressingly familiar data on decimated fisheries, bycatch and habitat destruction. But to be a front […]

For those of us who work on water, yesterday was a big day. The World Economic Forum released the results of its 2015 global risk survey, and guess what tops the list for potential impact? Water crises. In a perverse way, I greeted this news with enthusiasm. And I wasn’t alone. My network of water […]

The holiday season is coming and if your family is anything like mine that means there will be a lot of chocolate given, eaten and enjoyed. Huzzah! The time of year you can eat chocolate with complete freedom, knowing that you are part of an international movement of chocolate lovers. Not that I’m obsessed with […]

When I think of the Arctic today, the image that comes to mind is one of vultures circling over a wounded animal. Weakened by climate change, its protective ice shield shrinking, the Arctic is vulnerable. Vulnerable and valuable, with oil, gas and mineral resources, shipping routes and fish stocks that are now within reach. I […]

On the evening of 13 November, four gunshots shattered the silence of India’s Manas National Park. The forest personnel, though feeling stressed and demoralized by the recent rise in militancy in the region, didn’t hesitate – they rushed in the direction of the gunshots. At the same time, a rhino monitoring team consisting of armed […]

Imagine the Grão-Pará Ecological Reserve in the Amazon. Part of the world’s largest strictly protected area, the rainforest stretches seemingly forever, echoing with the sound of birds, insects and primates. Rivers tumble down waterfalls on their long, winding journeys to the sea. Then the forest gives way to open land. The trees are gone, the […]

It was a cold and rainy Saturday night in Sydney recently and I decided that we would have a family movie night at home. Movie? Check. Snacks? No. As a child we always had chocolate coated honeycomb as a movie treat, so for the first time in years I went searching for some. I couldn’t […]

No one likes to be the bearer of bad news, least of all me. I’m an optimist – I wouldn’t have picked a career in conservation if I thought it was a hopeless cause. But, as editor-in-chief of the 2014 edition of the Living Planet Report, I have to level with you. The news isn’t […]

You’re wheeling your trolley down the supermarket aisle – in a hurry, as usual. You grab the multi-pack of toilet paper. Your family’s preferred brand, with the familiar “tick tree” logo in the top corner. In your mind, you’ve already moved on to the next item on your list. But go back a minute. To […]