Learn what is essential in order to have Christ in your life and spend eternity with Him. There are other important things, but one essential.

The first EU BON Stakeholder Round Table was held on 18 June 2013 at the Leibniz Association in Brussels, under the motto "Requirements for Policy".

Important topics regarding biodiversity information were discussed with political stakeholders and a variety of valuable recommendations were given for the future process of EU BON. Among the participants were members of the European policy, representatives of recent European biodiversity projects and EU BON members. At the round table, intensive discussions took place regarding what biodiversity policy needs, like which indicators and measurements are needed to answer burning policy questions. Suggestions were made to formalize Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBV’s) and Aichi targets. A future approach was set towards producing a guideline and timeline for indicators that should be established within EU BON.

The challenges of future research policy were also discussed and the collaboration of EU BON with the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) will be a substantial part of the continuous contributions to the global process. EU BON should also serve as a showcase for the European Commission in this respect. EU BON will also be responsible for answering crucial questions regarding data policy, e.g. how to establish a general repository for a long-lasting storage of data and how to handle ‘big data’. Another future task will be to integrate EU relevant projects and initiatives and their data portals, datasets and metadata.

At the round table it was also discussed how public stakeholders can be involved in the future, particularly citizen scientists, so that they could be integrated in EU BON and provide useful information for scientists and researchers.

Among the participants were representatives of major biodiversity stakeholders including Gilles Ollier, Jane Shiel and Sofie Vandewoestijne - European Commission, DG Research and Innovation; Anne Teller - European Commission, DG Environment;  Georgios Sarantakos - GEO Secretariat; Cigdem Adem - European Environment Agency; representatives of recent European biodiversity projects (FunDiv, BioFresh, STEP and INSPIRE) and EU BON members.

Presentations:

Sustainable governance of our biological resources demands reliable scientific knowledge to be accessible and applicable to the needs of society. To achieve this, the EU BON project aims to develop a European Biodiversity Observation Network that facilitates open access to biodiversity data of relevance to environmental policy, and to develop innovative platforms for sharing and conveying this information through visually effective and policy-relevant media.

As part of this endeavour, EU BON partners FishBase Information and Research Group (FIN), the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN), and the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre collaborated to produce an infographic titled ‘Climate Change & Biodiversity: What may happen to bony fishes in the North Sea?’. This infographic explains the economic and ecological importance of bony fishes in the context of the North Sea. It also visualises potential changes to species diversity and composition over time, using habitat suitability and climate change predictions. These changes have been projected to 2100 based on modelled environmental conditions under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s A2 emissions scenarios. The projections have direct policy relevance to Aichi Biodiversity Target 10 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which seeks to understand trends in climatic impacts on community composition in ecosystems, and to thereby minimize these impacts.

The infographic was published on the 1^st June 2015 on page 26 of The Parliament Magazine’s ‘Green Week’ edition (Issue 413), which is distributed to all members of European Parliament, the European Commission, Presidency Office, Party political groups, and various other EU institutions, with over 50,000 readers worldwide. 

The International Symposium "What can Remote Sensing do for the Conservation of Wetlands?" will take place on 23 October 2015 in parallel with the XVI Congreso de la Asociación Española de Teledetección (XVI Meeting of the Spanish Remote Sensing Association) in Seville, Spain.

The Symposium aims to become an interdisciplinary meeting for wetland managers and scientists interested in remote sensing as well as remote sensing experts doing research in wetlands.

Wetlands are fragile and dynamic ecosystems sensitive to changes in climate and land-use, and rich in biodiversity. For centuries they were considered to have little or no value, and most have been drained or transformed. In 1971 the first international convention for the protection of Wetlands, the Ramsar Convention, was signed to promote their conservation and sustainable use. Now it is recognized that wetlands provide fundamental ecosystem services, such as water regulation, filtering and purification, as well as scientific, cultural, and recreational values. Wetlands constitute an extensive array of ecosystems ranging from lakes and rivers to marshes and tidal flats. An increasing number of wetlands have some kind of legal protection, and many wetlands are monitored and actively managed.

For more information on the symposium, please visit the official webpage: http://wetlandssymposium.com/

The Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and the Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin are organizing the 31st Annual Meeting of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC) to be held from June 20 through 25, 2016, in Berlin, Germany.

Under the heading "Green Museum – How to practice what we preach?" this meeting of the society evaluates green thinking in collections, museums and botanical gardens. In a world of climate change and ever decreasing biodiversity, sustainability  should be the criterion that ideally determines all planning and decisions, ranging from field work to construction projects,  from ethical aspects to cost-benefit analyses.

In practice this often is compromised by constraints beyond the control of the institution, be it monetary, legal or other. The conference will offer a forum to discuss possible ways of reconciling the seemingly opposing requirements. 

More information here.

"To me, that championship meant the most. Because all of us won."

The post What does David Ortiz think is the greatest championship in Boston sports history? appeared first on Boston.com.

“Go out there, represent the Red Sox, and become a challenge to the Yankees.”

The post What a Yankees fan recently told Pedro Martinez that became ‘personal’ appeared first on Boston.com.

As part of her Love Letters podcast, Meredith Goldstein hosted a panel discussion on polyamory and the future of relationships in Massachusetts.

The post Q&A: What does the reality of an open relationship look like? appeared first on Boston.com.

Alternative music is difficult to describe. It isn’t pop; it isn’t rock, and it isn’t in between either… it’s alternative. There are endless possibilities within ... Read more

The post What Is Alternative Music? appeared first on CMUSE.

Emo is a portmanteau of emotional and hardcore. The genre is by its portrayal of heavy emotional themes that focus on the individual’s inner world ... Read more

The post What Is Emo Music? appeared first on CMUSE.

Trap music is a popular subgenre today, but its roots stretch back to the 1990s when it originated in the southern US, specifically Atlanta, Georgia. ... Read more

The post What Is Trap Music? appeared first on CMUSE.

Soul is a collective term for several types of pop music pioneered by Black American artists from the middle of the twentieth century onwards. Genres ... Read more

The post What Is Soul Music? appeared first on CMUSE.

One of the ongoing joys of writing these articles is that I have the opportunity to learn something new. When I read this title, I ... Read more

The post What Is The Star Wars Cantina Music Called? appeared first on CMUSE.

We could say that most indie music is alternative, but not all are indie. Let’s unpack this statement. Many alternative rock bands in the 1980s ... Read more

The post Indie Music vs Alternative: What’s The Difference?  appeared first on CMUSE.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about pop music? Dancing around or singing a catchy song? It is, after ... Read more

The post What Instruments Are Used in Pop Music? appeared first on CMUSE.

Composer Sebastian Evans has created scores for a large number of well-known cartoons, including since 2012 the score for the relaunch of the animated classic ... Read more

The post “As soon as I realised that composing was a job, that’s what I wanted to do” appeared first on CMUSE.

A gondola ride, a brewery, a sugar house, and more rounded out our day in Stowe.

The post What it was like in Stowe, Vermont during peak foliage this fall season appeared first on Boston.com.

Local guides share spine-chilling stories — and an electromagnetic field reader — on a recent night in the historic city.

The post What’s the most haunted place in Salem? appeared first on Boston.com.

Man’s best friend, the dog, does more than offer companionship and protection. They also like to share in our hobbies and be involved in our ... Read more

The post What Kind of Music Do Dogs Like? appeared first on CMUSE.

Help us update a list of the best townie bars across Greater Boston just in time for the holiday season.

The post Tell us: What is the best townie bar near you? appeared first on Boston.com.

While philosophers and scholars of the pre-modern era kept studying music from a harmonic point of view and often delved deeper into the concept “musica ... Read more

The post Here is What Great Philosophers Thought of Music appeared first on CMUSE.

The truth about Regina Spektor is that quirky isn't the half of it.

“There’s no story quite like the Boston Celtics.”

The post What we know about ‘Celtics City,’ HBO’s documentary from the producers of ‘30 for 30’ appeared first on Boston.com.

"That's the difference between what we do here and what you do around the world."

The post Joe Mazzulla explains what he would change about the NBA Cup  appeared first on Boston.com.

NOAA advises those who hope to see the northern lights to get away from city lights.

The post What’s behind the northern lights that dazzled the sky farther south than normal appeared first on Boston.com.

The stars have been spotted around Boston filming A24 movie, “The Drama.”

The post What are your favorite Zendaya, Robert Pattinson movies and shows? appeared first on Boston.com.

Find out about fall activities, prices, and more.

The post Want to visit New England’s largest corn maze? Here’s what you need to know. appeared first on Boston.com.

"It feels like you are actually in a fairy tale."

The post What it’s like to go apple picking at the top-ranked Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow appeared first on Boston.com.

"He’s actually a good friend of mine and he plays all my doubles in all my other commercials."

The post What does Rob Gronkowski think of his portrayal in ‘American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez’? appeared first on Boston.com.

This week, some Americans woke up to a country they didn’t recognize. Donald Trump’s victory left half the nation cheering, and half the nation in tears. Now everyone has to figure out how to move on.

Also on the programme, a Latino voter explains why he voted for Trump; unauthorized immigrants wonder what this election will mean for them in the future; and we spend a day in the life of a woman living in immigration limbo. Plus, will Trump bring a U-turn on climate policy? We end with a musician’s view of growing up on the US-Mexico border.

(Image: The White House is seen at dusk. Credit: Saul Loeb/Getty Images)

The amount of weaponry Saudi Arabia buys from the US has risen dramatically over the past decade or so. We take the latest arms sales data and present it as an audio experience. Also, the human cost behind seemingly ordinary groceries; some states in the US are tightening abortion laws, leading some women to buy abortion pills online; a US fast-food chain introduces a new meat-free burger; and why burping cows are causing climate change.

(Image: Supporters of Houthis gather at Babul Yemen street to protest the US government's sale of $1.29 billion in smart bombs to Saudi Arabia, in Sanaa, Yemen on November 20, 2015. (Photo by Mohammed Hamoud/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Help us update our list of reader-recommended bookstores around Greater Boston.

The post Tell us: What is your favorite independent bookstore in Greater Boston? appeared first on Boston.com.

Chickens outnumber people 4:1, they have more in common, anatomically, with dinosaurs than humans, you can mail order up to 350 different varieties of chicks, and roosters really are much meaner than hens.

The post Book Review: Sy Montgomery shares ‘What the Chicken Knows’ in new mini hardcover appeared first on Boston.com.

The world’s richest man gave his money and time in campaigning for the president-elect and now is putting in his requests for a friendlier regulatory environment.

The post Elon Musk helped elect Trump. What does he expect in return? appeared first on Boston.com.

Residents say rallying around local issues helps them find common ground.

The post This is what it’s like in the Mass. towns with the closest presidential election results appeared first on Boston.com.

President-elect Trump, who tried to ban the social media platform the last time he was in the White House, has repeatedly pledged during his most recent campaign to oppose a ban on the short-form video app.

The post Trump has promised to ‘save TikTok’. What happens next is less clear. appeared first on Boston.com.

This is not about promoting a song, but a posture of the heart…Let the church rise up and say “Whatever You Want”. 

Whatever You Want
Written by Michael Farren and Josh Alltop
Recorded by CHURCHOUSE - Gateway Franklin Church

Lyric Video: https://youtu.be/SDJcMAsmi_w
Free Chord Charts: https://www.weareworship.com/us/songs-2/song-library/showsong/7420
Get Song on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/whatever-you-want-live/id1098023380

Practical time. Yep, this will be short and sweet but it changed the way I view people and how I now develop teams that can actively work together no matter their background, age or race. How? Here’s how:

John 13:34 - A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Whaaaat? It’s that simple? Oh yeah. That simple. Let me explain.

When I first started playing on worship teams, I was all about the production, the glitz, and the glamour. Now, I’m not saying any of that is bad, because it all can be quite good, if the motives are right. My biggest problem was that I didn’t care about anyone else on that stage, or in the congregation. My focus was on myself. That sounds vain and narcissistic for sure, and it was, but I soon learned that without knowing the people around me, the people that the above scripture was commanding me to love, I would never change.

Fortunately, I had a pastor in my life who knew the power of community and the power of this scripture.  As a worship team we were already spending a lot of time together (four services a week plus a practice night), yet we didn’t really know much about each other. Weird right? You can spend hours and hours with others and not know them at all. How much do you really know about your team? At times we can become so involved with our personal lives, we forget about those around us. THAT is not Kingdom.

The change started out easy for our team. Every once in a while instead of our practice nights, we would all go out for coffee. It was a simple gesture but it was super effective. We began to talk to each other, find out about job situations and families, likes and dislikes. Then, wouldn’t you know it? We began to like each other, prefer each other, LOVE each other. Now, it didn’t happen overnight. Not even in a month. But little by little we saw our lives begin to intertwine together. We had dinners, birthdays and special events together. And the more we began to care for each other, the more powerful our services became. Our worship began to come alive! God began to pour Himself out through our congregation and our community.

I know there is power in loving one another and it’s proven itself over and over in my life, in any circumstance. Maybe it’s something we always hear, but never consider? Perhaps making this lesson a season in your worship team could turn the tides for whatever breakthrough you are needing today.

The wonderful thing is, once it begins showing itself through your worship team it will naturally begin to reach into your congregations and communities.

Let love be the power that unifies your team today.

On this episode of The Worship Podcast, Dustin and James talk about their experience in revival movements, as well as lessons learned and things to consider for your worship experience.  What's the new sound?  Where is the sound of worship headed?  You might be surprised at their answer.

-----------------

The Worship Podcast is powered by All About Worship in partnership with WeAreWorship.

Subscribe to the podcast:
theworshippodcast.com
linktr.ee/theworshippodcast 

You can also connect with The Worship Podcast on social media:
The Worship Podcast on Facebook
The Worship Podcast on Instagram
The Worship Podcast on Twitter

This week Zorba and Karl discuss how melatonin gummies may have a higher dose than what’s on the label, and they examine new research showing sedentary time may significantly enlarge […]

This week Zorba and Karl look at research about what sleeping position is best, and they discuss a study that suggests people who exercise regularly have healthier belly fat. Plus, […]

After his decisive victory, former and incoming President Trump says 'many people have told me God spared my life for a reason. to save our country;' and talks about 'the golden age of America,' after running on the problems with inflation and illega

On this week's edition of The Watchman, we analyze the growing ISIS threat to America in the wake of the Paris attacks. We also examine how Europe's capital, Brussels, is in the crosshairs of radical Islamists.

On this week's edition of The Watchman, we look ahead to 2016 and the major stories to watch for, including ISIS, Iran, Russia in the Middle East, homegrown jihad and more.

Jim is a security specialist who trains in anti-terrorism. He has found CBN News to be an essential source of reliable information, helping him navigate a dangerous world. He and his wife, Karen, became CBN partners-find out why.

The coronavirus pandemic is causing the world to realize just how fragile life can be.  More than ever, people need to hear that God is good and offers us salvation through Jesus.  As Christians, we have a unique opportunity to glorify God as we serve our neighbors. Through the ages, amazing things have occurred during difficult times. The story of C.S. Lewis writing the classic book Mere Christianity is one of those.  In the book, C. S. Lewis at War - The Dramatic Story Behind Mere...

The women of Afghanistan are elected officials, school teachers, actors, TV contest winners, ancient rug weavers, and whisperers of forbidden poetry. The Taliban are starting to put down their thumb. But these women want you to know they are more than the timid victim under a burqa.

Original Air Date: October 02, 2021

Guests: 

Humaira Ghilzai — Eliza Griswold — Anna Badkhen — Rafia Zakaria

Interviews In This Hour: 

What's the future of culture in Afghanistan? — For Afghan weavers, the world is a carpet — Generations of Afghan women sharing the landay — How Afghanistan became America's 'first feminist war'

It's been more than 30 years since I heard a sermon illustration that I will never forget. There was a man, explained the preacher, who was visiting northern Minnesota in the winter. As his cab driver took him from the airport to his destination, he noticed a man sitting in the middle of a frozen lake fishing.  The man wondered out loud, “Is that safe?” “Yes,” answered his driver, “Let me show you.” His driver maneuvered the cab to the edge of the water. “Try it,” he said. “It’s perfectly safe...

Tips to keep in mind about window installation.