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Significance of Biodiversity to Health

September 23rd, 2010

The United Nations declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity. Despite the magnitude of the global crisis of biodiversity loss, its far-reaching consequences to human health remain largely unappreciated. The legacy of the natural world to medicine is profound and its potential to yield new therapeutics and advancements in biomedical science undervalued. The enormity of the global crisis underscores a fundamental truth, one that is seemingly obvious but has been tragically overlooked: Our species does not exist in isolation from the biosphere.  Rather, our fate depends on it.

Read article from Biotropica journal by Christopher Herndon and Rhett Butler

Posted in Protecting Nature's Pharmacy |

Care2
By Ethan Zohn

The world of professional soccer certainly has its share of stars — players who’ve elevated themselves to hero status with an incredible save or game-winning goal. But as anyone who’s ever played soccer will tell you, this beautiful game truly is a team sport.

In fact, the lessons I learned as a player and coach on the soccer field proved invaluable both as a competitor in “Survivor: Africa” and in my later struggle with cancer. Yet while a reality show competition and a battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma may not seem to have much in common at first glance, I was able to survive both due to an invaluable assist from nature.

According to an ever growing body of research, however, the last remnants of the world’s natural areas are quickly disappearing. And I’m now speaking out in an effort to get others to join me in the effort to save these last wild areas.

It all started on Survivor: Africa. I’m alive today due to a drug derived from the rosy periwinkle, a rare African flower found on the island of Madagascar. Yet in 2002, while competing in “Survivor: Africa,” this delicate pink flower was the farthest thing from my mind.

Read Ethan’s story

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Posted in Alliance for Global Conservation News, Global, Protecting Nature's Pharmacy, Recent news, Related News |

Round Rock woman urges feds to protect Earth’s environment

Round Rock Leader

On April 19, Round Rock resident Amy Huff joined 15 other cancer survivors and survivors of chronic diseases in Washington, D.C. to bring attention to the Global Conservation Act of 2010.

For three days, group members met with their respective states’ representatives to garner support for the bill. Huff was among the group because of her friendship with Angela Patterson, a fellow cancer survivor who blogged about her journey through cancer and treatments. It was Patterson’s blog that caught the attention of the Pew Charitable Trust, a non-profit organization based out of Washington, D.C. that hosted the group while they were there.

Huff was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, when she was pregnant.

Read the full story.

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Posted in Protecting Nature's Pharmacy |