Spain most affected by climate change.
Citing temperature increases at twice the global average and further glacial shrinkage in the Pyrenees where nearly 90 percent of the ice has already melted, international conservation organization Greenpeace says that Spain is the European country most affected by the reality of climate change. Moreover, wetlands and lagoons are disappearing even while sea levels around the country rise by 3mm annually. According to Greenpeace Spain climate change spokesperson, Ms Aida Vila Rovira, all of this has adversely affected the country's biodiversity, as plants and animals struggle to survive. The nation’s economy has also been impacted by climate change as extreme weather events like heat waves and drought slow down tourism and affect agriculture, especially in the south (Andalusia).

Spokesperson Rovira and Greenpeace, we are grateful for your concerned voice regarding the fragile conditions facing the people of Spain. May all of us be reminded of the need for planet-saving actions to renew the balance of our shared Earthly home.

During a live videoconference in July 2008 with dignitaries, scientists, medical experts and others in Japan, Supreme Master Ching Hai spoke of the most important solution for the planet’s warming and all related impacts.

http://www.thinkspain.com/news-spain/16563/spain-at-greatest-risk-from-climate-change
http://www.iberianature.com/material/iberiaclimatechange.html#iberia_climate_change
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/77180

Farmers praise organic growing practices.
In discussions of the most advantageous growing methods, rice farmers in the Bulacan, Bataan and Pangasinan provinces of the Philippines report that they find no need to plant hybrid rice strains, as their switch to organic methods is yielding bounteous harvests at lower costs. Working in cooperation with the nation’s Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, those who have eliminated chemical fertilizers and pesticides for the past five years reported increases of up to 142 percent in production along with significant reductions in their expenses compared to conventional growing or even cultivating hybrid varieties.

A big green salute, Philippine farmers! We are elated to hear of the rich rewards of adopting such Earth-friendly growing methods. May growers worldwide become quickly aware of the same so that all growers and consumers alike may enjoy manifold wholesome organic harvests.
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/159931/Organic-farmers-deny-low-output-report-higher-rice-yields


Survival of fruit trees in Central Asia threatened.
Citing 44 tree species at risk of extinction in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, conservation charity Fauna & Flora International reports that in the last five decades, 90 percent of the forests in these regions have been destroyed. The area is home to over 300 wild fruit and nut species, many of which are unique to the region. As the genetic base for fruits is quite narrow, the loss of these disease-resistant and climate-tolerant endangered trees would also jeopardize the livelihood of our future food supplies. Fauna & Flora International is thus currently assisting scientists in Kyrgyzstan to protect and harvest the trees in a sustainable way.

Fauna & Flora International, we sincerely appreciate your dedicated conservation efforts as well as raising our attention to the destruction of precious fruit trees. May our heightened efforts to protect the ecosphere ensure that fruits and plants will thrive abundantly as nourishment for all.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8036785.stm