Πανεπιστήμιο

Thuis in de biosfeer

De biosfeer, een dun schilletje van slechts enkele kilometers rondom onze mooie aarde. De enorme verscheidenheid aan plant- en diersoorten dat hierbinnen leeft vind ik fascinerend. Deze miljoenen soorten zorgen voor het functioneren van de ecosystemen waar ook wij onderdeel van zijn. Evolutionair gezien bestaat onze soort eigenlijk nog maar kort. In 300.000 jaar hebben

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Towards a diverse and democratic food system

We could characterize our food system as a social construct: a complex set of rules, habits, practices, beliefs and views that have developed over time, which shape our behavior. From this perspective, institutional change is essential for sustainability transitions. After all, such a transition can only take place if we change the rules of the

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Getting to the roots of sustainability

For as long as I can remember, I have been amazed by the tremendous biological diversity (or biodiversity) that our planet harbors. One of the things that fascinates me most is the multiplicity of ways in which species interact with each other and how these interactions shape the ecosystem processes on which our livelihoods depend

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Climate change is threatening forest and forestry in Europe

Climate is one of the major factors composing tree ecological niches as defined by Hutchinson (Booth et al., 1987; Hutchinson, 1965). Consequently, concerns arise with the increase in harming events caused by anthropic climate change (Marini et al, 2012). Some species would not have neither the genetic potential to adapt nor the dispersal capacity to

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Gegen Rechts für Umwelt- und Klimaschutz

Bald sind Europawahlen und nicht erst jetzt zeigt sich ein Rechtsruck in Europa und über seine Grenzen hinaus. Auch nicht erst jetzt zeigt sich, dass die ungleiche Verteilung von Vermögen weltweit weiterwächst mit der Folge, dass mehr und mehr Menschen in Armut leben müssen. Zeitgleich lässt sich allerorts beobachten, wie extreme Wetterereignisse zunehmen. Darunter Hagel,

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Internalising external costs is key to dissolve conflicts of ecology and economy

Can protecting our natural resources really be economically “too much”? Just as often with our own health, it rather seems to be a question of short vs long-term perspective, or business vs national economy. The degradation of some natural resources, like soil, water or stable climate, will have adverse economic effects on future generations that

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Vote on a party that puts sustainability before short-term interests

The upcoming European elections are incredibly important for nature. European authorities have begun to roll back many policies and rules that are meant to protected nature, to ensure that our environment gets cleaner and healther, and to help industries and agriculture adopt environmentally friendly practices. This is worrying, because despite recovery here and there, the

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Convivial conservation

Convivial conservation is a new “vision, a politics and a set of governance principles for the future of conservation” (Büscher & Fletcher, 2019, p. 284). Through its core focus on ‘living with’ biodiversity within planetary boundaries, it will also productively address the likely dramatic impacts of climate change (IPBES-IPCC, 2021). Grounded in a political ecological

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