Reversing Habitat and Species Decline

What we are, and have been, rapidly loosing from the 'conservative' mindset as to business practices and more others, once so called third world, are rapidly picking up and advancing {example: Gulf Oil spill environment related}!

China unveils ambitious plan to protect wildlife at UN talks

Foreign supporters say the move will put the country at the forefront of global efforts to reverse habitat and species decline

18 October 2010 - China has unveiled its most ambitious conservation plan in a generation, ahead of the opening today of a crucial UN biodiversity conference.

Foreign supporters say the move will put China at the forefront of global efforts to reverse habitat and species decline.

But critics have warned that the good intentions, as with many of the proposals that will arise at the UN meeting in Nagoya, Japan, are likely to be outweighed by economic interests. They also allege the plans are so domestically focused they will do little to halt the over-consumption and illegal trade of scarce species.

China's biodiversity action plan designates 35 priority conservation areas, covering 23% of the country; it promises state funds for protection; and sets a target of controlling biodiversity loss by 2020.

Sichuan, has been the first province to put the plan into action. It has set aside about 930m yuan (£87m) and identified five ecological protection areas: one links to existing giant panda reserves, another restores an area damaged by industry, two conserve semi-tropical flora and fauna, and another offsets the impact of dams. The national plan, which builds on China's existing 2,500 nature reserves, has been praised by foreign conservationists. {read rest}