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Chris D Thomas

Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of York
Chris and his research group are interested in understanding how humans have transformed the biological world, and how humans might protect the world’s remaining biodiversity. His research and scientific publications fall into three main areas:

Why and how species respond to climate change:
Chris was the first to estimate how climate change might endanger biodiversity at a global scale. His research group has provided evidence that species move their geographic distributions as the climate changes (YouTube interview), and they are currently evaluating distribution changes and evolution in species that are responding to climate change.

Why some species decline and disappear, but others are successful:
Chris is interested in how climate change, land use change (habitat fragmentation), the arrival of non-native species (invasions) and persecution (hunting) alter the distributions of species, aiming to quantify gains in diversity as well as losses. Chris carries out research on the ecological and evolutionary rules that underpin gains in biological diversity; a radio interview with Chris Thomas describes some of the biodiversity gains that have taken place in the Anthropocene.

Conservation strategies for a dynamic world:
Chris has had strong influence on the development of policy and practical conservation strategies in the areas of climate change and habitat fragmentation. Conservation has historically attempted to reduce or halt biological change, but this approach is not viable during a period of rapid environmental change. Chris and his group develop conservation strategies (including the benefits of connected landscapes, and moving species where required) that will enable species to survive climate change, biological invasions, and other environmental challenges.

New food technologies could release 80% of the world's farmland back to nature

Dec 08, 2022 10:56 am UTC| Technology

Heres the basic problem for conservation at a global level: food production, biodiversity and carbon storage in ecosystems are competing for the same land. As humans demand more food, so more forests and other natural...

Economy

Asian Currencies Waver as Dollar Holds Firm Amid Middle East Tensions

Asian currencies struggled to find clear direction on Monday as the US dollar remained resilient, with investors carefully weighing escalating geopolitical risks in the Middle East against emerging ceasefire diplomacy. The...

Bank of Japan Warns of Regional Economic Risks Amid Middle East Conflict and Rising Oil Prices

The Bank of Japan has raised concerns about the potential deterioration of regional economies, citing escalating oil prices and supply chain disruptions linked to ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In its latest...

India's Services Sector Growth Slows to 14-Month Low in March Amid Rising Costs

Indias services sector expanded at its slowest pace in 14 months during March, as the ongoing Middle East conflict weighed on domestic demand and cost pressures intensified sharply, according to the latest HSBC India...

Asian Markets Rally on Iran Ceasefire Hopes as US-Iran Tensions Simmer

Japanese and South Korean stock markets edged higher during thin holiday trading on Monday, buoyed by renewed optimism surrounding a potential ceasefire between the United States and Iran. Trading activity remained muted...

Citigroup Delays Fed Rate Cut Forecast Amid Strong Jobs Data and Inflation Concerns

Citigroup has revised its Federal Reserve rate cut timeline, pushing back expectations following stronger-than-anticipated U.S. job growth and lingering inflation pressures. The Wall Street giant now anticipates 75 basis...

Politics

Trump Endorses Steve Hilton for California Governor

Donald Trump has thrown his full support behind Steve Hilton, a Fox News host and former British government official, in Californias upcoming gubernatorial race. Announcing his endorsement on Truth Social, Trump expressed...

Iran-US Ceasefire Talks: Pakistan Brokers "Islamabad Accord" to Reopen Strait of Hormuz

Pakistan is playing a central role in high-stakes diplomatic efforts to end hostilities between Iran and the United States, with a proposed peace framework now on the table that could reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz...

Kim Jong Un's Daughter Emerges as North Korea's Likely Successor, South Korean Intelligence Says

South Koreas National Intelligence Service (NIS) has concluded that Kim Jong Uns teenage daughter, believed to be around 13 years old and named Ju Ae, is being actively positioned as the next leader of North Korea. Unlike...

North Korea Tests Advanced Solid-Fuel ICBM Engine With Carbon Fiber Technology

South Korean lawmakers revealed Monday that North Koreas latest solid-fuel rocket engine test represents a major leap forward in the countrys intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program. The development raises...

Taiwan Opposition Leader's China Visit: A Peace Mission Amid Rising Tensions

Taiwans Kuomintang (KMT) chairwoman Cheng Li-wun is heading to China on Tuesday in a landmark visit the first by a KMT leader in over a decade. She describes the trip as a peace mission, with a potential meeting with...

Science

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

Technology

Britain Courts Anthropic Amid US Defense Department Dispute

The United Kingdom is actively working to attract Anthropic, the company behind the popular Claude AI app, to expand its footprint in the country. This diplomatic push comes as Anthropic finds itself in the middle of a...

OpenAI Executive Shake-Up Ahead of Anticipated 2026 IPO

OpenAI is navigating a significant leadership restructuring at one of the most pivotal moments in its history. The AI powerhouse confirmed that Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap is transitioning into a newly created...

Elon Musk Ties SpaceX IPO Access to Mandatory Grok AI Subscriptions

Elon Musk is reportedly making Grok subscriptions a prerequisite for banks and advisers involved in SpaceXs highly anticipated initial public offering. According to the New York Times, citing insiders familiar with the...

MATCH Act Targets ASML and Chinese Chipmakers in New U.S. Export Crackdown

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has unveiled the MATCH Act, a landmark piece of draft legislation designed to tighten export restrictions on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment destined for China. The...

Microsoft's $10 Billion Japan Investment: AI Infrastructure and Data Sovereignty Push

Microsoft is set to pour approximately $10 billion into Japan between now and 2029, channeling funds into data center expansion and artificial intelligence infrastructure to meet the countrys growing demand for data...