"Diversity in a changing environment" - the International Conference of Comparative Physiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology and 6th Chinese Comparative Physiology Conference, 2007.

In October 2007, a joint meeting was held successfully on Zijinggang campus of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, between the Chinese Comparative Physiology Committee (CCPC) of the Chinese Association for Physiological Sciences (CAPS) and a consortium of scientists from around the world under the umbrella of comparative physiology, biochemistry, and toxicology. Hangzhou is situated in the great Yangtze Delta region in eastern China which has a rich history and an ancient civilization which has culminated in social–economic prosperity for the last few thousand years. In the Suzhou/Hangzhou region (aka heavenly paradise on earth) human activities, social economics, religious practices, and philosophy are deeply rooted in harmony with nature. China's accelerating economic growth however is challenging this harmony and measures need to be implemented to balance sustainability with development. We selected Hangzhou, where ancient culture and philosophy are integrated with modern development, as the meeting place to bring together eastern and western scientists to exchange views on how the comparative approach can contribute to environmental sustainability and development. The comparative approach uses the natural variation seen among organisms in their response to environmental change to understand the underlying mechanism of environmental adaptation. An understanding of how organisms respond to environmental change is essential in order to predict whether the environment can sustain rapid development and if not, to identify and implement mitigative measures.