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Alipay Ant Forest and IUCN Red List Join Forces to Increase Public Awareness of Biodiversity and Conservation

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Alipay Ant Forest and IUCN Red List Join Forces to Increase Public Awareness of Biodiversity and Conservation
News

News

Alipay Ant Forest and IUCN Red List Join Forces to Increase Public Awareness of Biodiversity and Conservation

2024-11-12 17:21 Last Updated At:17:30

HANGZHOU, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 12, 2024--

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, Alipay Ant Forest and IUCN are launching a campaign on biodiversity and climate action. The campaign, hosted on the Alipay Ant Forest digital platform, aims to inspire over 100 million people to take green actions in support of a sustainable and biodiverse planet.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241112585482/en/

The Alipay Ant Forest and IUCN Red List campaign is now live, with a series of engaging activities in the pipeline designed to connect people with threatened species and the ecosystems they inhabit. The first phase includes two themed series - "Fantastic Species: Ocean Special Edition" and "Fantastic Species: Forest Special Edition" - which will spotlight rare species from the IUCN Red List to educate the public, increase awareness of conservation needs, and showcase achievements in biodiversity protection. Since the Ocean Special Edition went online on Nov. 4, it has attracted 15 million participants in less than a week.

“Our planet is facing unprecedented challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution. Protecting species and biodiversity is about safeguarding our planet for our own survival and prosperity. The IUCN Red List has been guiding successful conservation actions for 60 years, and is the go-to resource for many around the globe. With this campaign, we aim to raise awareness and strengthen support for the Red List, so that it can continue to serve as a barometer for life on Earth. IUCN is proud to collaborate with Ant Group on this special initiative,” said IUCN Director General Dr Grethel Aguilar.

“By featuring threatened species from the IUCN Red List on our Alipay Ant Forest platform, we are offering an engaging way for our users to learn about the species and take actions that contribute to their protection,” said Sabrina Peng, Chief Sustainability Officer of Ant Group. “This collaboration brings together the strengths of both organizations in fostering public awareness of sustainability and conservation.”

The IUCN Red List, established six decades ago, has become a critical global resource for assessing the conservation status of species and raising awareness about the need for biodiversity preservation. To mark this milestone, IUCN has launched a global campaign titled The Most Iconic Things Are Not Things, emphasizing the significance of threatened species in our ecosystems. This partnership with Alipay Ant Forest aligns with the campaign’s goal of reaching a broader audience and educating the public on the importance of protecting Earth's biodiversity.

As one of the world’s leading digital platforms for promoting eco-friendly actions, Alipay Ant Forest has long been committed to driving sustainable initiatives through digital innovation. Since its launch, over 700 million users have participated in activities that have resulted in the planting of more than 548 million trees. For its environmental impact, Alipay Ant Forest won the prestigious UN Champions of the Earth Award, underscoring the platform’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.

Stewart Maginnis, Deputy Director General, IUCN (on the right), and Sabrina Peng, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ant Group, announcing the partnership in Baku, Azerbaijan, during the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29). (Photo: Business Wire)

Stewart Maginnis, Deputy Director General, IUCN (on the right), and Sabrina Peng, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ant Group, announcing the partnership in Baku, Azerbaijan, during the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29). (Photo: Business Wire)

The campaign highlights threatened species from the IUCN Red List and aims to raise public awareness of biodiversity and conservation. (Graphic: Business Wire)

The campaign highlights threatened species from the IUCN Red List and aims to raise public awareness of biodiversity and conservation. (Graphic: Business Wire)

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Nevada trial set for ‘Dances with Wolves’ actor in newly-revived sex abuse case

2024-11-14 09:27 Last Updated At:09:30

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Former “Dances with Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse is set to stand trial early next year in Las Vegas on charges that he sexually abused Indigenous women and girls, a significant development in the sweeping criminal case after more than a year of stalled court proceedings while he challenged it.

His trial in Clark County District Court is currently scheduled to begin on Jan. 13, court records show. He pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to 21 felonies, including sexual assault, kidnapping and producing and possessing videos of child sexual abuse, KLAS-TV in Las Vegas reported.

Prosecutors are now able to move forward with their case because Chasing Horse was again indicted last month following a Nevada Supreme Court decision that his original indictment be dismissed. The high court's order left open the possibility for the charges to be refiled, and prosecutors quickly took their case before another grand jury.

The high court said in its September order that prosecutors had abused the grand jury process when they provided a definition of grooming as evidence of Chasing Horse's alleged crimes without any expert testimony. But the justices also made clear in their ruling that their decision was not weighing in on Chasing Horse's guilt or innocence, saying the allegations against him are serious.

Best known for portraying the character Smiles A Lot in the 1990 movie “Dances with Wolves,” Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, which is home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation.

After starring in the Oscar-winning film, according to prosecutors, Chasing Horse began promoting himself as a self-proclaimed Lakota medicine man while traveling around North America to perform healing ceremonies.

Prosecutors said he used his authority to gain access to vulnerable women and girls for decades until his arrest in January near Las Vegas. He has been jailed ever since.

Chasing Horse's arrest reverberated around Indian Country as law enforcement in the U.S. and Canada quickly followed up with more criminal charges. In Montana, authorities there said his arrest helped corroborate long-standing allegations against him on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Tribal leaders banished Chasing Horse from the reservation in 2015 amid allegations of human trafficking.

His latest indictment in Las Vegas includes new allegations that Chasing Horse filmed himself having sex with one of his accusers when she was younger than 14. Prosecutors have said the footage, taken in 2010 or 2011, was found on cellphones in a locked safe inside the North Las Vegas home that Chasing Horse is said to have shared with five wives, including the girl in the videos.

FILE - Nathan Chasing Horse sits in Las Vegas court, April 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Ty O'Neil, File)

FILE - Nathan Chasing Horse sits in Las Vegas court, April 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Ty O'Neil, File)

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