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ASQ: Handbook of Investigation and Effective CAPA Systems, Second Edition

In understanding and improving the CAPA system as a whole, this book reflects the importance of the investigation/root cause analysis stage as the necessary step of any effective corrective and preventive action system




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Is the Workplace a Zombie Breeding Ground? - ASQ

In this Journal for Quality and Participation article (open access), learn how creating an environment that fosters the development of spiritual intelligence can be a key leadership strategy for encouraging individuals to not choose to become zombies.




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TEdit X MUSE

Playing dress up with MUSE's new collection




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The Style Edit

Tips to style your oversized blazer




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The Style Edit

Make a style statement by reviving fashion elements from the 90s




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Robin Kachfi - Skatepark Mannheim - BMX Edit 2016





Robin Kachfi - Skatepark Mannheim - BMX Edit 2016


Robin Kachfi is on fire right now. His progress is just awesome! His new Video was taken in his local Skatepark in Mannheim (Germany) and he says about it following words:

"I finished finally my video for kunstformbmxshop & my Crew at my local skatepark in mannheim germany. Thanks to everybody for the additional filming! This is dedicated to a legend of our time! Ride in peace Dave Mirra"

Channel sub: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/robinkachfi

Follow him on:
Instagram - http://instagram.com/robinkachfibmx

Also follow his mazzakacrew crew!
Channel sub: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/mazzakacrew
Instagram: http://instagram.com/mazzakacrew




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Robin Kachfi X kunstform - BMX webedit 2016





Robin Kachfi X kunstform BMX Shop - BMX webedit 2016


Ladies and gentlemen,
we're very proud to show you the new webedit of our bro and BMX team buddy Robin Kachfi from Mannheim (Germany)! It's so amazin to see his progression and motivation! He used the winter time very usefull and got ready for upcomin BMX Season 2016! #robinforpresident :-)

Channel sub: www.youtube-nocookie.com/user/robinkachfi

Follow him on:
Instagram - www.instagram.com/robinkachfibmx/

Also follow his mazzakacrew crew!
Channel sub: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/user/mazzakacrew
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mazzakacrew/
Music: Music: Ryan Little - thank you for playing god speed




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Fight the Winter 2018 - Best Combo Edit






On the 17th of february 2018, the "Fight the Winter" Contest at the Kauf Park in Göttingen, Germany took place again, where a lot of crazy flatland combos happened! Watch the video of the best combos from the Fight the Winter contest right here!


Enjoy the video, your kunstform BMX Shop Team!



Filmed by Jan Rebuschat and Raffael Siegert

Edit by DasOwaL Productions

Music: Konecho https://konecho.bandcamp.com
Konecho - Ain't Nuttin' In Life




Subscribe our youtube channel: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/kunstformbmxshop





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Robin Kachfi - Skatepark Mannheim Edit 2018






Robin Kachfi filmed over the past 12 months a bunch of really good clips, which you can check in his latest edit on his Youtube Channel.

Enjoy the video, your kunstform BMX Shop Team!



Video: Robin Kachfi



subscribe to our youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/kunstformbmxshop




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Marvin Maiocchi BMCC Mannheim Short Edit






Marvin Maiocchi recently went on a BMX Park session at BMCC in Mannheim. On this occasion, he met with our bro and Mannheim local Robin Kachfi, who has captured the events on video. You can see the result above!

Enjoy the video, your kunstform BMX Shop Team!

Video: Robin Kachfi

Related links:




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Noncitizen voting: 'The only question is how many,' editorial states

"Noncitizens will vote in November. The only question is how many," according to the editorial board of Issues & Insights, a news and opinion site.




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Australia plans a social media ban for children under 16

The Australian government announced on Thursday what it described as world-leading legislation that would institute an age limit of 16 years for children to start using social media, and hold platforms responsible for ensuring compliance.




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Israeli strikes set off explosions in Beirut suburbs and kill 14 Palestinians in Gaza, medics say

Israeli airstrikes hit a cafeteria and a home in Gaza, killing at least 14 people, medical officials said. In Lebanon, warplanes struck the capital Beirut's southern suburbs on Tuesday after the military ordered a number of houses there to evacuate.




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Democrats self-examine, but not the mainstream news media

It's been a week since President-elect Donald Trump's landslide reelection, and some Democrats are using words such as "realignment," "self-reflection" and "regret."




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Medical care becomes key topic for Trump, Harris

Effective Nov. 1, American taxpayers will begin paying routine medical bills for illegal aliens.




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Letter to the editor: Lies about Trump get desperate

When I first saw the headlines screaming that former President Donald Trump -- who has laughingly been labeled a fascist by Kamala Harris -- was threatening to have Liz Cheney executed by firing squad, I reflexively chuckled and said to myself, let's wait 24 hours to see how this fake story shakes out ("Trump emphasizes war context of remarks about Liz Cheney facing guns," web, Nov. 1).




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Letter to the editor: Time to clean up

Election Day has come and gone.




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Letter to the editor: Killing Peanut and Fred is unconscionable

On the morning of Oct. 30, a peaceful animal sanctuary in rural New York was besieged by a squadron of storm troopers from the state's departments of health and environmental conservation ("N.Y. conservation employees sent home as death of Peanut the squirrel spurs outrage, bomb threats," web, Nov. 4).




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Letter to the editor: Social media harming youth

As studies and books such as Jonathan Haidt's "The Anxious Generation" reveal, social media platforms are damaging their users' mental health, especially that of young people.




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Letter to the editor: America is back

On Tuesday night the taxpayers of America spoke ("President again: Trump secures historic second White House win," web, Nov. 6).




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Letter to the editor: Thanks for nothing, Joe and Kamala

As you pack up your things, Joe and Kamala, I just wanted to take the time to thank you for taking such good care of middle- and lower-middle-class Americans these past four years.




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Letter to the editor: No more yo-yo policies

President-elect Donald Trump must end yo-yo government.




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Letter to the editor: Pray for Trump Derangement Syndrome sufferers

If what former ABC News journalist Mark Halperin said last month about there being a national mental health crisis in the event of a second Trump presidency, as a "deplorable" I want to ensure that my friends and relatives suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome stay fully calm.




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Letter to the editor: Hochul, James fiddle as New York burns

New York has a problem. Actually, it has two problems: Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James.




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Letter to the editor: The door's that way

The hosts of "The View" and some MSNBC and CNN commentators are saying they fear for their lives next year when Donald Trump takes office.




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Letter to the editor: Only themselves to blame

It is odd that so many members of the news media are searching far and wide for those upon whom to place blame for their favored candidate's losing the presidential election.




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Letter to the editor: A comeback for the ages

Many people are rightly calling Donald Trump's reelection the "greatest comeback" of all time ("'History's greatest comeback': From Israel to Ukraine, world leaders congratulate Trump on election," web, Nov. 6)..




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Letter to the editor: No more Clinton-backed hoaxes

The majority of intelligent Americans and Washington Times readers are overjoyed and relieved that Clinton-Soros puppet Kamala "Hillary" Harris was defeated by Donald Trump ever so decisively.




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Letter to the editor: Democrats united us -- against them

Starting in the Obama administration and continuing through Vice President Kamala Harris' run for president, the Democrats have pledged to bring the American people back together.




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Letter to the editor: The people have spoken

Last Tuesday, the people's voice was finally heard.




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Letter to the editor: Iran won't stop at Israel

Prescient "longshoreman philosopher" Eric Hoffer never heard Iran's hideous, genocidal "Death to Israel" chant, but he would surely have reacted to it and the recent antisemitic barbarity in Amsterdam with what he wrote in the Los Angeles Times in 1968: "The Jews are alone in the world and always will be."




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Letter to the editor: Trump answers to the people

You would think blue-state governors would see the results of this year's election as evidence that perhaps they went too far with their extreme-left ideology and policies.




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Letter to the editor: Cultivate STEM knack early

America has just gone through a bloodless conflict between competing political forces.




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Letter to the editor: It was your policies, stupid

Is there a poultice large enough to cover the thumped Democratic Party ("'$1 billion disaster': What went wrong for Harris campaign?" Web, Nov. 8)?




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Australia proposes banning social media for teens under 16

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Thursday that his government would begin proceedings on a rule that would ban social media use for children under 16 years old.




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Israeli media: Government confirms Netanyahu ordered pager attack on Hezbollah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved an audacious plan to employ booby-trapped pagers in September against members of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon, his office said Monday.




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Justice Department sues to block UnitedHealth Group's $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys

The Justice Department is suing to block UnitedHealth Group's $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys, citing concerns the combination would hinder access to home health and hospice services in the U.S.




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Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela died of septic shock, medical examiner says

Fernando Valenzuela, the Los Angeles Dodgers pitching ace who helped the team win the 1981 World Series, died of septic shock last month, according to his death certificate.




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Data paper describes Antarctic biodiversity data gathered by 90 expeditions since 1956

Huge data encompassed into a unique georeferenced macrobenthic assemblages database

A new peer-reviewed data paper offers a comprehensive, open-access collection of georeferenced biological information about the Antarctic macrobenthic communities. The term macrobenthic refers to the visible-for-the-eye organisms that live near or on the sea bottom such as echinoderms, sponges, ascidians, crustaceans. The paper will help in coordinating biodiversity research and conservation activities on species living near the ocean bottom of the Antarctic.
The data paper "Antarctic macrobenthic communities: A compilation of circumpolar information", published in the open access journal Nature Conservation, describes data from approximately 90 different expeditions in the region since 1956 that have now been made openly available under a CC-By license. The paper provides unique georeferenced biological basic information for the planning of future coordinated research activities, for example those under the umbrella of the biology program Antarctic Thresholds – Ecosystem Resilience and Adaptation (AnT-ERA) of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). The information collected could be also beneficial for current conservation priorities such as the planning of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).
The expeditions were organised by several famous explorers of the Antarctic. The area covered by the paper consists of almost the entire Southern Ocean, including sites covered by a single ice-shelf. The vast majority of information is from shelf areas around the continent at water depth shallower than 800m. The information from the different sources is then attributed to the classified macrobenthic assemblages. The results are made publicly available via the "Antarctic Biodiversity Facility" (data.biodiversity.aq).
A specific feature of this paper is that the manuscript was automatically generated from the Integrated Publishing Toolkit of the Antarctic Node of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (AntaBIF IPT) and then submitted to the journal Nature Conservation through a novel workflow developed by GBIF and Pensoft Publishers. (see previous press release). Data are made freely available through the AntaBIF IPT, and sea-bed images of 214 localities through the data repository for geoscience and environmental data, PANGAEA- Data Publisher for Earth and Environmental Science (sample: http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.198682).

Speaking from on board the research vessel 'Polarstern', the paper's lead author Prof. Julian Gutt of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Germany commented:
"The most important achievement of this paper is that data collected over many years and by various institutions are now not only freely available for anyone to download and use, but also properly described to facilitate future work in re-using the data. The Data Paper concept is certainly a great approach that multiplies the effect of funds and efforts spent by generations of scientists."
The data will also be used for a comprehensive Biogeography Atlas of the Southern Ocean project to be released during the XI SCAR Biology Symposium in Barcelona July 2013.
SOURCE: EurekAlert!




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Make us visible! – take full advantage of the project’s social media

Join the online community of EU BON and create buzz around the project. Take full advantage of our social network channels to interact with stakeholders and contribute to the EU BON discussion. Get an easy access and the latest updates on news and events around the project. You are a click away from making a difference to the project’s visibility.

Like, follow or join EU BON Social Media and get involved in the community now!

Like us on Facebook
Get the latest news in pictures and videos 
Interact and join a community of like-minded supporters
Find out about events and group activities
Follow us on Twitter
Get short and up-to-the-point updates on the latest news
Take part in live discussions during conferences and conventions
Join and interact with a wider bioinformatics community 
Join us on Google+
Join a growing social community 
Get the latest project and news alongside relevant media
Promote the project and get involved in discussions in your circles
Join us on LinkedIn
Get in touch with professionals in the area of research 
Contribute to discussions
Promote your project in a professional community

 





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Aichi Targets Passport, 2014 Edition: Browse the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and their indicators on your mobile

The latest instalment of the Aichi Targets Passport is available now to download as an app from iTunes and Google Play.

As the flagship publication of the Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP), the Aichi Targets Passport provides annual updates on the global biodiversity indicators that monitor progress towards the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the underlying Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

The suite of indicators presented in the Aichi Targets Passport was brought together by the BIP. They are as far as possible, global in their coverage, scientifically valid and peer reviewed, and relevant to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. In particular, indicators are presented to highlight the progress that has been made towards each target so far and what baselines exist from which future progress can be monitored.

The Aichi Targets Passport was first released as a "proof of concept" in October 2012 and included one or two indicators for each Aichi Biodiversity Target. Since the release of the Beta version, the BIP Partnership has continued working to enhance and increase the number of global indicators available for each of the targets. In its app format, the information contained in the Aichi Targets Passport is at your fingertips at any time.

This latest edition of the Aichi Targets Passport has been released in tandem with the fourth edition of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-4). In addition to information on which of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets is on-course to completion and which targets require more action, GBO-4 presents options that could halt further biodiversity loss.

The indicators presented in the Aichi Targets Passport are those contained in CBD decision XI/3 with some additional indicators that have been, or are being, developed to fill gaps.

To download the Aichi Targets Passport visit: http://www.bipindicators.net/resource/aichipassport 

iTunes: http://goo.gl/dOWujN

Google Play: http://goo.gl/BN6AfG





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The PREDICTS database

A new paper describing the PREDICTS database has been published and is now available in open-access publication in Ecology and Evolution.

PREDICTS - Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems - is a collaborative project aiming to use a meta-analytic approach to investigate how local biodiversity typically responds to human pressures such as land-use change, pollution, invasive species and infrastructure, and ultimately improve our ability to predict future biodiversity changes.

Abstract:

Biodiversity continues to decline in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressures such as habitat destruction, exploitation, pollution and introduction of alien species. Existing global databases of species’ threat status or population time series are dominated by charismatic species. The collation of datasets with broad taxonomic and biogeographic extents, and that support computation of a range of biodiversity indicators, is necessary to enable better understanding of historical declines and to project – and avert – future declines. We describe and assess a new database of more than 1.6 million samples from 78 countries representing over 28,000 species, collated from existing spatial comparisons of local-scale biodiversity exposed to different intensities and types of anthropogenic pressures, from terrestrial sites around the world. The database contains measurements taken in 208 (of 814) ecoregions, 13 (of 14) biomes, 25 (of 35) biodiversity hotspots and 16 (of 17) megadiverse countries. The database contains more than 1% of the total number of all species described, and more than 1% of the described species within many taxonomic groups – including flowering plants, gymnosperms, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, beetles, lepidopterans and hymenopterans. The dataset, which is still being added to, is therefore already considerably larger and more representative than those used by previous quantitative models of biodiversity trends and responses. The database is being assembled as part of the PREDICTS project (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems – 

Original Source:

Hudson L. N. et. al. (2014) The PREDICTS database: a global database of how local terrestrial biodiversity responds to human impacts. Ecology and Evolution, Vol 4, 24: 4701–4735. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1303

 





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Postdoctoral position: Modelling of the land-sea nutrient transfer to the Mediterranean sea under different land management scenarios

Post-doctoral scientist position is open for the project "Towards an integrated prediction of Land & Sea Responses to global change in the Mediterranean Basin" (LaSeR-Med), which focusses on integrated socio-ecological modelling. The duration of the contract is initially one year, with a possible extension for a second year, depending on the initial results. The post-doc will be based within the Mediterranean Institute of marine and terrestrial Biodiversity and Ecology (IMBE) in Aix-en-Provence, France. The project is part of the Labex OT-Med (http://www.otmed.fr/).

Applicants should hold a doctoral degree in physics, chemistry, microbiology, geosciences, environmental sciences or a related field of science. They should be familiar with modelling biogeochemical interactions between ecosystems and capable to further develop existing numerical ecosystem models. Programming skills (C) and modelling experience are therefore mandatory. Knowledge of R and of Unix/Linux environment will be an advantage. The candidate should have good written and oral communication skills. For work, good skills in the English language will be essential.

The project:

Terrestrial and marine ecosystems are connected through groundwater, river discharge and nutrient outflows (especially N and P). River catchments in the Mediterranean are N-intensive regions, mostly due to intensive agriculture in the North and to crop N2 fixation or food & feed import in the South. The fraction of nutrient reaching the sea constitutes significant anthropogenic forcing of many marine biological processes. For simulating the dynamics of the first levels of the marine food web (from nutrients to jellyfishes), the ocean biogeochemical model, Eco3M-MED, used and developed by the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO) within OT-Med, currently uses N and P measurements at river mouths, e.g. for the Rhône.

In order to estimate the impacts of global change on the functioning of marine ecosystems, the project aims at modeling the dependency of N and P outflows to the Mediterreanean sea toward land management. Land management is modelled as part of the agro-ecosystem model LPJmL (Bondeau et al., 2007), that has been especially adapted to the Mediterranean cropping systems (Fader et al., 2015). Among others, LPJmL simulates the daily carbon and water cycles, and the river discharges to the sea. Following existing approaches in the scientific literature, the post-doc will implement the nutrient N and P transfer in LPJmL, covering the net nutrient inputs to the river catchments by accounting for the processes occurring at the agro-ecosystem level (N2 biological fixation, fertilization, atmospheric deposition) and the net food and feed imports. Since only a minor fraction of the net nutrient inputs from Mediterranean basins reaches the sea, the retention along the nutrient cascade will have to be added to the LPJmL river routing scheme, similarly to the method used by the Riverstrahler model. Once the nutrient transfers have been introduced into LPJmL, simulations will be validated using current climate and land use forcing for comparisons with the existing observations from river outlets. Finally, future conditions will be assessed by using the model with scenarios of changing regional climate and land use / land management.

Your application:

Applications should contain a suitable motivation letter describing your anticipated role in the project, a CV, a list of scientific publications and the names of at least two scientists that can be contacted for references. They must be sent to Ms. Gabriela Boéri (gabriela.boeri@imbe.fr). Please prepare your application as a single file in pdf-format.

Questions about the project or the position can be directed to Dr. Alberte Bondeau (alberte.bondeau@imbe.fr). The position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate has been found – work should start soon after that date. The salary and contract conditions will be determined according to standards set by Aix-Marseille University – questions in this regard can be directed to Sophie Pekar (pekar@otmed.fr).





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Interview: Clint Alibrandi from REDIAM on the benefits of an European Biodiversity Portal

One of the main outputs of EU BON will be the establishment of an European Biodiversity Portal based on data collected and compiled from a variety of sources including earth observations but also observations and monitoring data from (local) sites. One of the main points of this portal is to serve as a substantial building block of a global biodiversity portal planned by the Group of Earth Observations project GEO BON.

But how will this portal be useful to stakeholders on a more local level - for example for people involved in questions connected to biodiversity across European regions? What will be the real benefits of it for biodiversity monitoring and conservation? Just a couple of weeks after the Third EU BON Stakeholder Round Table in Granada, Spain, Mr Clint Alibrandi from REDIAM (Environment and Water Agency in Andalusia) gives us his views on these questions.


Picture:  Excursion to Sierra Nevada.; Credit: Katrin Vohland

Q: REDIAM shares a mission with EU BON in its attempt to collect, standardize and distribute available biodiversity data. What will be the expected benefits and challenges in the process of making this type of datasets available for society and environmental policy?

A: Among the responsibilities of the Regional Environmental Government of Andalusia are promoting Social Environmental Awareness, Managing a vast, diverse and very complex territory, Control and Mitigate any threats posed to the fragile ecosystems present in our region as well as all the responsibilities derived from the management and planning of the existing natural resources.

Considering these facts, it is necessary to be able to account for the best environmental information available. Since the early 80’s the Regional Environmental Government of Andalusia has been working on its Environmental Information System with the purpose of generating, compiling, standardizing and analyzing Environmental Information covering topics such as Climate, Water, Air Quality and Biodiversity by means of ICTs. This the REDIAM. The name comes from the Spanish Acronym "REd De Información AMbiental de Andalucía" which means the Environmental Information Network of Andalusia. It serves as a Unified Regional Environmental Information Registry.

From this effort, the information obtained by the REDIAM is made publicly available to be then employed in Decision Making processes and Management Planning on behalf of the Administrations, for Dissemination and Awareness as well as for Research purposes.

As such, it is of vital importance for the REDIAM to be able to account for updated and verifiable Information and Data Sources and this is what we consider to be the most important benefit on behalf of EU BON, as it will offer the possibility to have a higher level reference covering a larger perspective, allowing stakeholders, be it either from a local, regional or national level, to consult or work with data, tools and have reference to relevant policies concerning Biodiversity on the European scale in order to be able to better transpose them to a more local context.

Yet the greatest challenge we believe that EU BON might come to face is the fact that the different contexts that exist over the whole European territory make it very difficult to tailor tools and information formats which can cover the different priorities or needs that exist in the diverse makeup of stakeholders that exist from a local, regional and national perspective. The same can most probably apply to the feedback, queries or requests made to EU BON on behalf of the stakeholder and user community. It is never easy to reach a common base level and from the regional perspective, REDIAM has faced the same type of situations.

Q: What type of stakeholders do you hope to engage through your network - who is using your data and for what purposes?

A: The stakeholders which are currently engaged with the REDIAM consist in Universities, Research Centres, Public Bodies, Local Administrations, Private Companies just to name a few examples. There are over 150 organizations which are partners of the REDIAM, they provide relevant Environmental Information to the REDIAM and are responsible for updating the information.

And as can be expected,the information provided is as diverse as the makeup of stakeholders that are part of the REDIAM, with the following formats being made available: Cartography, Satellites Images, Databases, Reports, Statistics, Applications, Management Plans and Programmes, Orthophotos, Indicators, Studies.

Additionally the REDIAM offers the user community different alternatives in order to access the previously indicated information. The REDIAM Channel is a web portal with a Catalogue and Information Search System, OGC Services, Query and Viewer tools, Downloader. The user community is able to access its information and services. This community consists in Citizens, Universities, Public Administrations and Companies from the Public and Private Sector.

Q: Where do you see the cross section between REDIAM’s work and EU BON - what are the products from EU BON and other European projects that would be helpful for the work that you are doing?

A: The REDIAM has great interest in the following issues and we believe that EU BON would be up to the task of providing solutions and/or guidelines on how to be able to proceed to solve them:

  • The elaboration of a common tool for the description and localization of species throughout the European Territory. This can prove a very useful service for Environmental Impact Assessments by providing a more complete view on different species distribution on determined area.
  • Defining a standardized list of species which contains the taxonomically correct name for each one of them. EU BON could serve as a base reference to set guidelines for standardizing the taxonomical classification of species.
  • Support and guidance in defining specific biodiversity indicators as proposed by EUROSTAT, a methodological and assessment guide of some sort.

Q: In your opinion what are the three greatest benefits of a European level biodiversity portal?

A: 1) Offering an opportunity of Standardizing and Harmonizing Biodiversity related information. We all speak the same "language" when referring to Biodiversity, but it is necessary that we all be able to follow the same "rules" as well. This is the first and most important pillar we believe that a European level Biodiversity portal can bring into play.

2) It would allow for and facilitate a widespread exchange of information amongst stakeholders throughout the whole European Territory.

3) And finally, it would allow a common analysis on a European level which would provide a general assessment on how different efforts and policies are effective, value which is the real status of Biodiversity and/or specific species independently from the limit of administrative or country borders.

About REDIAM:

The Environmental Information Network REDIAM has onboard experts from the Regional Ministry of Environment in Andalusia and its Water and Environmental Agency. With a team expertise ranging from local to regional and European level and from technical know-how to regional and thematic assessment, the main aim of the network is to integrate all spatially-referenced biodiversity data produced in Andalusia. Raw data are used to generate knowledge and improve its distribution, making it accessible and comprehensible for the general public.





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Setting temporal baselines for biodiversity could be an impediment for capturing the full impact of anthropogenic pressures

Published just recently, a new open access EU BON article discusses the need for additional research efforts beyond standard biodiversity monitoring to reconstruct the impacts of major anthropogenic pressures and to identify meaningful temporal baselines for biodiversity.

The article, published in Scientific Reports, reports on the temporal baselines that could be drawn from biodiversity monitoring schemes in Europe and compares those with the rise of important anthropogenic pressures.

 

With most biodiversity monitoring schemes initiated late in the 20th century, well after anthropogenic pressures had already reached half of their current magnitude, the team of scientists found that setting temporal baselines from biodiversity monitoring data would underestimate the full range of impacts of major anthropogenic pressures.

The authors stress that these limitations need to be explicitly acknowledged when designing management strategies and policies as they seriously constrain our ability to identify relevant conservation targets aimed at restoring or reversing biodiversity losses.

 

Find out more in the original research paper:

Mihoub J B, Henle K, Titeux N, Brotons L, Brummitt N A, Schmeller D S (2017) Setting temporal baselines for biodiversity: the limits of available monitoring data for capturing the full impact of anthropogenic pressures. Scientific Reports. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep41591





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Conference: Adapting to Global Change in the Mediterranean hotspot - AGCM

The Conference "Adapting to Global Change in the Mediterranean hotspot - AGCM" will be held in Seville, Spain on 18-20 September 2013. The conference is organised by Donana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC) within the FP7 funded  EcoGenes project.  Its main purpose is to explore and gather a variety of  independent research threads to reveal overall patterns on how the world around us is changing and the many ways different organisms respond to that change.

By bringing together researchers who investigate various aspects of this global change and the way individuals, populations and communities respond to it, and who employ a wide variety of experimental and theoretical tools, the conference aims at hope to make intellectual progress on particular issues and move research in the area forward.

The specific themes that will be addressed are:

  • Phenotypic responses to global change
  • Breakdown of species boundaries
  • Emergent diseases in changing environments
  • Responses to past global change
  • Adaptation and speciation in response to changing environments
  • Biological invasions: from species adaptation to ecosystem responses
  • Monitoring ecosystems responses
  • Consequences of global change in biotic interactions
  • Population responses to global change

AGCM is by invitation only regarding speakers; however participants are invited to submit a proposal for posters.

Poster submission deadline: 17 July 2013
Registration Deadline: 6 September 2013

For more information visit the AGCM website: http://ebdecogenes.ebd.csic.es





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Adaptation Strategies to Global Environmental Change in the Mediterranean City (Athens, Greece)

The international Conference will explore the potential of earth observations and thrust climate information transfer from the science to the stakeholder application realm, in order to develop suitable adaptation measures at national and regional levels. It will identify best adaptation programs and approaches to global environmental change in Mediterranean-climate cities. It will enhance and strengthen European and international cooperation in the context of the activities within the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), and promote tools and options for adaptation strategies. The Conference will help local and regional authorities and stakeholders to gain insight on the role of EO-based services in adapting to climate chance impacts in urban hot- spot areas. The Conference will be followed for one and a half day by the 8th GEO European Project Workshop which will be the opportunity to present concrete examples of Earth Observation activities relevant to adaptation strategies.

Information and registration: www.mariolopoulosfoundation.gr/medcity2014





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SUSTAIN-­EU-ASEAN -­ Media Training

 
In parallel with the ASEAN Scientific and Technology Week in Bogor, Indonesia, SUSTAIN EU-ASEAN is organizing several events, including the project Cluster Meetings and the first media training workshop, scheduled for the 21st of August.
 
The media workshop aims to help scientists and researchers to increase their impact outside the academic world by learning how to inform and influence policy makers and media representatives.
 
Through various practical exercises, the workshop will enhance participants’ written communication and presentation skills, as well as mastering the visual aspects of communicating with audiences through body language and posture.
 
The specific objectives of the training are to:
 
  • Analyze the objectives and priorities of the media;
  • Define a storyline and create persuasive and innovative messages;
  • Improve skills in presenting to large audiences;
  • Gain control of interviews with journalists using effective verbal skills;
  • Manage energy and project confidence in interviews with journalists.

Read more in the Draft agenda below.

 





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DEST course ‘BASICS of TAXONOMY’ 4th edition

The  4th edition of the DEST course ‘BASICS of TAXONOMY’ will take place from 5 to16 October 2015 at the Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences, Kristineberg, Sweden.

Taught by renowned experts in their field, the course topics are:

- DELTA
- Digital drawing
- Scientific illustration
- Scientific writing and communication
- Scratchpads, a tool to build, publish and share information on the web

Target audience: MSc students, PhD students, early career researchers

Thanks to funding of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, this 2-weeks course is offered at a discounted rate of 550 EUR.

Fee includes accommodation and meals.                                                                                                                                          

More info: http://taxonomytraining.eu/content/basics-taxonomy-describing-illustrating-and-communicating-biodiversity