A new global biosphere model has been produced as a result of collaboration between UNEP-funded scientists and Microsoft - the Madingley model - http://www.madingleymodel.org/index.html
Harfoot MBJ, Newbold T, Tittensor DP, Emmott S, Hutton J, et al. (2014) Emergent Global Patterns of Ecosystem Structure and Function from a Mechanistic General Ecosystem Model. PLoS Biol 12(4): e1001841. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001841
The UK parliament's House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee has launched a new inquiry into Defra's draft National Pollinators Strategy - which in turn has arisen from a range of policy developments and discussions in recent years. Deadline for evidence 4 June.
The UK House of Commons Science and Technology committee has published a report on its inquiry into Government Horizon Scanning. This concludes that current efforts have weaknesses, citing the separation of efforts from the new Cabinet Office hub (created following the Day Review) and the established Foresight Unit in the Government Office for Science. One area of difficulty is on terminology, with horizon scanning, futures analysis, visioning and other ideas being only approximately defined and used interchangeably in some cases. External engagement is recommended as a key development to provide challenge and broader perspectives.
