Honeybees are essential pollinators for agriculture and natural ecosystems. Stressors like climate change, habitat loss and pesticide exposure threaten their ability to forage for pollen, a critical resource for colony survival. Researchers in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology demonstrate that an artificial intelligence (AI)-based monitoring system combined with a computer model can link the exposure of neonicotinoid pesticides on individual honeybees to the health of the whole colony. 

A data-informed approach to scheduling patient encounters with clinicians can reduce risks associated with diabetes management by up to 19.4%, especially for underserved populations, says new research co-written by Ujjal Kumar Mukherjee, a professor of business administration at Illinois.

The study highlights the transformative potential of the Rights of Nature, which views nature as a rights-bearing entity, not merely an object of regulation and subjugation by extractive industries. The Llurimagua case—a dispute over a mining concession in Ecuador’s cloud forest—illustrates this approach, providing a unique opportunity to rethink Earth system governance.

 

The paper was authored by a diverse team of researchers from the University of Vermont, Universidad de los Hemisferios, Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios, Coordinadora Ecuatoriana de Organizaciones para la Defensa de la Naturaleza y el Medio Ambiente (CEDENMA), and the Garrison Institute.  

Key Findings of the article:

Nature's Rights: Ecuador's recognition of Nature's Rights represents a monumental shift in Earth system governance, embedding humans within dynamic ecological processes and advancing Earth system law more pluralistically.

Community Action: The resistance to mining in Intag Valley exemplifies the power of community action and international solidarity in pursuing planetary health equity and justice.

Pluriversality: The concept of pluriversality challenges the Core’s hegemony of knowledge, emphasizing care, stewardship, and equitable coexistence with all life forms.

Legal Precedents: The Llurimagua case, involving two frog species and the Junín community, sets a robust legal model for harmonizing the ecosphere and ethnosphere, ensuring the health of both people and the planet.