Sweeping synthesis of 2,000 global studies leaves no doubt about scale of problem and role of humans, say experts Humans are driving biodiversity loss among all species across the planet, according to a synthesis of more than 2,000 studies. The exhaustive global analysis leaves no doubt about the devastating impact humans are having on Earth, according to researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) and the University of Zurich. The study – which accounted for nearly 100,000 sites across all continents – found that human activities had resulted in “unprecedented effects on biodiversity”, according to the paper, published in Nature. Continue reading...

The health secretary has suggested allowing the virus to spread, so as to identify birds that may be immune. Such an experiment would be disastrous, scientists say.