The most ostensible manifestation of the current global environmental crisis is the destruction of natural habitats, desertification, deforestation and species extinction, all of which result in the loss of biodiversity. Unless these trends are reversed, the earths ability to sustain life will be severely damaged.
An encouraging sign is that governments and international agencies are prepared to come to grips with the problem. If they do indeed prove ready to confront the challenges, they will need guidance from conservation biology, which has made significant strides recently. Much of the information provided by research in this multidisciplinary field is already applied in the design and management of natural areas such as captive breeding programmes, genetic management, disease control and the restoration and rehabilitation of degraded habitats.
Genetic Banks
The role of Genetic Banks, in wildlife conservation efforts, has long been considered of great importance. Preserving the genetic material of endangered plant and animal species can help restore genetic diversity in these species and significantly contribute towards protecting biodiversity on our planet. Along the same lines, B.I.O. has been promoting the establishment of “local” Genetic Banks, as a means of protecting the enormous wealth and diversity of endemic wildlife. The information stored in these Genetic Banks would become available on computer databases and be distributed world-wide. As a result, conservation efforts could be better co-ordinated and the urgent task of preserving biodiversity would be accelerated. Furthermore, Genetic Banks could easily exchange information on newly available technology and improved methods of collecting and storing data, thus leading to an efficient and easily accessible means of retrieving the information and applying it to the benefit of biodiversity. This would result in conservation efforts that no longer took place in isolation but, belonged to a global attempt to save bios on our planet.
The conservation of biodiversity and the protection of the continuation of life on our planet define the B.I.O. scope and mission. All B.I.O. activities, projects, international conferences and educational initiatives are aimed at the protection of the environment and the preservation of the beauty and diversity of bios, the true wealth of humanity (see Progress). It is hoped that society will accept the urgency of saving biodiversity and will engage in a collective appreciation and protection of bios.
References
TEXTBOOKS
- BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – BIO-SYLLABUS
– Fundamentals of Biology
PROCEEDINGS
- BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – VOLUME I
Proceedings from the First B.I.O. International Conference, May, 1987
– Biotechnology and Fisheries Oceanography
Philip Lobel - BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – VOLUME II
Proceedings from the Second B.I.O. International Conference, October, 1988
– The Role of Animals in Forest Regeneration and the Economics of Rainforest Conservation in S. E. Asia
David J. Chivers
– Destruction of the Amazon and Preservation of Bios
John Carroll
– Rehabilitation of Habitats and Management of Resources
Andreas Demetropoulos - BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – VOLUME III
Proceedings from the Fourth B.I.O. International Conference, January, 1991
– Tropical Rainforests and Sustainable Use: The Need for Global Education
David J. Chivers
– Bio-Diversity in Turkey
Aykut Kence - BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – VOLUME IV
“The Bio-Assessment of Technology”
Proceedings from the Fifth B.I.O. International Conference, Istanbul, May, 1992
– Bio-Diversity
Jiro Kondo - BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – VOLUME V
“International Sakharov Festival”
Proceedings from the Sixth B.I.O. International Conference, Athens, July, 1994
– The Conservation of Wetlands
Meral Kence - BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – VOLUME VI
“Danube River Bonds”
Proceedings from the Seventh B.I.O. International Conference, Bratislava, June, 1997
– Free Radicals in Biology and the Environment
Alexander Tkac
– Biodiversity in the Yugoslav Sector of the Danube
Ivica Radovic and Vladimir Stevanovic
– Biodiversity in the Bulgarian sector of the Danube
Svetoslav Gerasimov and Ivan Yanchev
– Fish Biodiversity of the Gabcikovo Waterworks
Anton Kirka
– Danube Forest Ecosystems: Biodiversity Changes in the 20th Century
Julias Oszlanyi
– Danube Floodplain Forests
Ferdinand Kubicek
– Restitution of Floodplain Forests: Synecological Specificities
Ladislav Somsak
– Functional Assessments of Forests as Recreational Resources
Edvardas Riepshas
– The “Upper Danube” National Park
Henry Dosedla - BIOPOLITICS – BUSINESS STRATEGY FOR THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT, VOLUME III
Proceedings from the Fourth B.I.O. Business Conference, Athens, 1995
– Bio-Tropics and the Future of Humankind
Maria Calderon Rivera - BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – BIO-CULTURE IN THE NEXT MILLENNIUM
Proceedings from Hellenic-Czech Symposium, Athens, 1995
– The Wealth of Protected Areas in the Czech Republic
Jan Cerovksy
BIONEWS
- Bio News 2
– Page 2, Bio-Diversity in Greece: The Richest Endemic Flora and Fauna in Europe, C. Efthymiopoulos - Bio News 3
– Page 2, Human Values, Modern Technology and Bio-Environmental Preservation, S. Budhisantaso
– Page 3, A Magnificent Opportunity in Resources Conservation, P. Nicholson
– Page 8, Bio-Diversity is Unequally Distributed
– Page 8, Why is Bio-diversity in Danger? - Bio News 4
– Page 8, Biocentric policy from the Southern Hemisphere - Bio News 10
– Page 13, Current concepts in pollution prevention and resource conservation, I. Djujic and B. Djujic - Bio News 12
– Page 16, Africa without fences - Bio News 18
– Page 1, Protecting and replanting forests
– Page 7, Supporting life
– Page 10, Reforestation and Forest Protection
– Page 10, Action for Forest Protection and Regenration
– Page 11, How Ecuador Plans to Protect the Amazon jungle in the next millennium - Bio News 20
– Page 9, Focus on biodiversity - Bio News 42
– Page 8-9, Protecting natural resources and the future for forest survival
– Page 10, Bios Rights – A pivotal concept in environmental poliy
– Page 10, Universal Declaration of Plant Rights
Events
2013
- Co-sponsorship of awareness raising event on behalf of the Hellenic Wildlife Hospital, under the auspices the Region of Attica–Regional Islands Unit and the Municipality of Aegina Poster (GR), Press Release, Photo, Music
1995-2005
- “Bios Schools” with the participation of students and young adults are held annualy in St. Petersburg, Russia
2005
- B.I.O. establishes cooperation with the Borneo Tropical Rainforest Foundation and submits joint proposal for the implementation of e-learning courses in environmental education to the Government of Malaysia
2001
- “Bio-policy – bio-culture: needed global priorities for environmental protection.” Contribution to Our Fragile World, UNESCO Encyclopaedia of Life Support Systems, Eolss Publishers, Oxford, UK
1999
- Participation in a discussion panel for Earth Day 99. Cooper Union Great Hall, New York, USA. Bionews no. 18 April 1999, p.4, Programme
1998
- Biodiversity in the Balkan area. Joint B.I.O.-University of Belgrade programme for endemic species conservation in the Balkan area
- Biopolitics programme in tree-planting and forest-fire prevention in co-operation with the local authorities of the Mount Pendeli region in Greece. Municipal authorities from other areas of Greece and government representatives discussed the urgency of long-term planning and new defence protocols. Programme, Photos
1997
- “Danube River Bonds: Bio-Environment – Bio-Culture,” conference organised in co-operation with City University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic. Programme, Photos
- B.I.O. Lecture, Panhellenic Union of Biologists Conference, University of Athens. Programme
1995
- Participation in the UNESCO International Conference on Biosphere Reserves, Spain. Programme, Photos
- B.I.O. Lecture at the Hellenic Meteorological Society, Athens
- “Profit and the Bio-Environment,” in co-operation with the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Fourth B.I.O. Conference on Business Strategy for the Bio-Environment. BioNews no. 5 January 1996 p. 3. Programme, Photos
- Hellenic-Czech Symposium on Biopolitics – The Bio-Environment – Bio-Culture in the Next Millennium, under the auspices of the Ambassador of the Czech Republic Professor Jiri Marvan. BioNews no. 6, April 1996, p. 20, Programme, Photos
1994
- International Sakharov Festival on Biopolitics – The Bio-Environment – Bio-Culture in the next Millennium, Mstislav Rostropovich presiding. The event was organised under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the participation of leading politicians, scientists, academicians and artists from 85 countries. BioNews no. 1 , Oct. 1994 , p. 5-7, BioNews no. 2, Nov. 1994 p. 6-7 , BioNews no. 6, April 1996, p. 14-16., Photos Sakharov foundation
1993
- B.I.O. Participation in Earth Day 93, Zappeion Hall, Athens
1992
- Fifth B.I.O. International Conference held in Istanbul, Turkey, in the presence of His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, the Turkish Minister of Interior, Minister of Tourism, Minister of Environment, Governor of Istanbul, Mayor of Istanbul, Head of the Information Department of the President of Russia, President of Ankara University. BioNews no. 6, April 1996, p.10 Photos, Programme
- Presentation at the Conference on Natural and Anthropogenic Environment, organised by the Society for Ecological Sensibility, Spetses, Greece. Programme (GR)
- Guest of honour at the International Symposium on Functioning of Coastal Ecosystems in Various Geographical Regions, organised by the Institute of Oceanography of Gdansk University, Poland
1991
- Fourth B.I.O. International Conference on the “International University for the BioEnvironment,” conservation was discussed as a subject of major importance in education. BioNews no. 6, April 1996, p. 8 Programme, Photos
1990
- Biopolitics The BioEnvironment, presentation at the Walden Earthcare Congress, USA
- The Walden Earthcare Network, USA, requests official co-operation with B.I.O. on projects related to youth and the bioenvironment
1989
- Biopolitics lecture, conference on Water Resources, organised by the University of Salonica, the Mayor of Salonica and the Goethe Institute
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department official proposal for a joint B.I.O project for the preservation of endangered species
1988
- Second B.I.O. International Conference on “Bios in the Next Millennium” covering a variety of topics including conservation and biodiversity, Athens. Programme
1987
- First B.I.O. International Conference on “Biopolitics and International Co-operation” covering a wide range of topics, including biodiversity and conservation, with the participation of leading representatives from 30 nations. Resolutions promoting B.I.O. ideals world-wide were unanimously accepted by all participants, who also pledged to become founding members of B.I.O. BioNews no. 1