Restore wolves or slaughter deer to save Japanese forests?
From the peak of Mt. Rausu, a clear view of the Shiretoko Peninsula opens from the Okhotsk Sea on the west to the Pacific Ocean on the east. Below, a…
Environmental headlines
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New dam set to spoil Sumatran wonderland (commentary)
The general public knows about the precarious situation of the world’s mostly recently identified great ape — the Tapanuli orangutan — within the Batang Toru Ecosystem. There, the construction of…
These 4,000-year-old termite mounds are visible from space and still in use
In the thorny-scrub forests of northeastern Brazil, some 200 million conical termite mounds rise from the ground. The densely packed piles, visible on Google Earth, are not only large — about…
Inspiration from frogs (insider)
Frogs are incredible creatures. Usually born in water, most live the first stages of their life essentially as a fish, before undergoing a radical metamorphosis that transforms them into an…
Purus-Madeira: the Amazon arc of deforestation marches north
The biodiverse Amazon rainforest between the Purus and Madeira river basins was once deemed safe, but rapid deforestation is moving up the improved BR-319 highway.
Human activities are impeding population growth of North Atlantic right whales
On October 14, the crew of a US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ship called the Henry B. Bigelow reported a whale carcass floating about 100 miles east of…
Could Brazil be on verge of one of world’s biggest conservation agreements? (commentary)
A Cerrado accord breakthrough could be at hand, conserving Brazil’s biodiverse savanna, and setting a new conservation precedent protecting not just forests but a mosaic of ecosystems.
Pod-cast: New app streams whale songs for web users in real time
Researchers have developed a web-based application to enable citizen scientists to listen to the sounds of killer whales in the northeast Pacific in real time. Publicly launched on Nov. 1,…
Bolsonaro pledges government shakeup, deregulation, Amazon development
President elect Jair Bolsonaro signals his government will be strongly pro-business, likely bringing major setbacks for the environment, indigenous groups and social movements in Brazil.
Jaw-dropping footage: conservationists catch Javan rhino in mud wallow
Twelve minutes. That’s all the time Robin Moore, photographer and communications director with Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC), and David Hermanjaya, a videographer with WWF, got to spend with one of…
Deforested, degraded land restoration a top priority for African leaders
African leaders came together on Nov. 13 to back the restoration of hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of degraded ecosystems ahead of the start of the U.N. Biodiversity Conference.…
Panama, Namibia plan to reveal fishing fleet data via online map
NUSA DUA, Indonesia — In a bid to beef up fisheries security, Panama and Namibia have announced their intentions to make information on the location of fishing boats in their…
California’s misguided plan to ‘save’ tropical forests (commentary)
On the morning of November 16 in Sacramento, California, amidst choking haze from the worst wildfires in the history of California, indigenous leaders from Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Nigeria, and the…
Brazil could lose Nepal-size area of rainforest due to policy revision
An area of Brazilian Amazon rainforest bigger than Ireland is at risk of losing its legal protection, according to new research. In an ironic twist, the trigger for this loss…
RSPO adopts total ban on deforestation under sweeping new standards
JAKARTA — The world’s leading certification body for ethically sourced palm oil has ordered a total ban on deforestation by its members, amid growing pressure from both companies and consumers.…
Peru shares its fisheries surveillance data with the world
LIMA, Peru — On Oct. 25, the Peruvian government made public its satellite surveillance data on 1,300 commercial fishing vessels plying Peru’s waters via the open-access platform Global Fishing Watch.…
In other news: Environmental stories from around the web, November 16, 2018
Tropical forests The biggest flooring retailer in the United States is buying from a Brazilian firm that sells illegally harvested tropical timber, according to a new investigation (Timber Leaks). Wildlife…
Latam Eco Review: Rampant roadkill and shrinking seaweed stocks
The top stories from our Spanish-language service, Mongabay Latam, investigated Colombia’s roadkill rates; Chile’s marine forests; and Chinese energy projects in Ecuador. Mammals pay highest toll on Colombia’s highways Plans…
Plan to ship gorillas from DRC to Zimbabwe raises alarm
In September, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) revealed that the country would soon receive a donation of gorillas from the DRC. Okapis (Okapia johnstoni), an endangered species…
For APEC’s poorest member, flashy cars point to another boondoggle
The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit that opens in Port Moresby this week is supposed to be a showcase of Papua New Guinea’s hosting, but the run-up to the…
Special series
Endangered environmentalists
- Peru cracks down after environmental defenders’ murders
- Murder of activist in India highlights growing risk to environmental defenders
- Number of murdered environmental activists rose once again in 2017
Indonesias forest guardians
- Papuan chef Charles Toto serves up sustainability and environmental protection in a platter
- In eastern Indonesia, a forest tribe pushes back against miners and loggers
- Faith in the forest helps Indonesia’s Dayaks keep plantations, loggers at bay
Amazon infrastructure
- Purus-Madeira: the Amazon arc of deforestation marches north
- Bolsonaro pledges government shakeup, deregulation, Amazon development
- China increasingly involved in Brazil’s ambitious Amazon rail network
Asian rhinos
- Jaw-dropping footage: conservationists catch Javan rhino in mud wallow
- For Javan rhinos, the last holdout may also be a deadly disease hotspot
- ‘At capacity’? A Nepali park reckons with its rhinos
