- There are many important conservation and environmental stories Mongabay isn’t able to cover.
- Here’s a digest of some of the significant developments from the week.
- If you think we’ve missed something, feel free to add it in the comments.
- Mongabay does not vet the news sources below, nor does the inclusion of a story on this list imply an endorsement of its content.
Tropical forests
A poacher-turned-ranger now protects the unique wildlife of the Leuser Ecosystem in Indonesia (BBC News).
Nestlé says it’s three-quarters of the way toward meeting its deforestation goal (Food Dive).
A commentator argues for the financial benefits of keeping the Brazilian Amazon standing (Financial Times).
Gustier storms that arise from a changing climate could wipe out the tallest trees in tropical forests (Yale Climate Connection).
Ghana’s rate of forest loss is the highest in the world (Quartz).
Wildlife numbers may not compute with calculations for the benefits of REDD+ programs (Anthropocene Magazine).
Scientists announced the discovery of two species of birds in Indonesia that are new to science (Science Times).
Other news
A new, “cute” species of crab could shift our view of these animals (Futurity).
Renewable sources will soon produce more energy in the U.S. than coal (CNN).
Australia is contemplating a controversial decision to eradicate millions of feral cats (The New York Times).
Gray whales in the Pacific Ocean are starving in unsettling numbers, and they’re having fewer calves (Los Angeles Times).
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to keep the country in the Paris climate agreement (The Washington Post, The New York Times).
Our love of wine could contribute to climate change (The New York Times) …
… While Canada’s production of maple syrup could slow as temperatures climb (The New York Times
Research shows that human activity began changing drought patterns more than 100 years ago (The New York Times).
Demand for clean water could grow by nearly a third in the next three decades, according to a new report from the United Nations (Ensia).
Under the Trump administration’s direction, the U.S. will move forward with seismic testing for oil and gas — which causes problems for marine life — in the ocean (The Washington Post).
A switch to eating kelp may benefit the climate (The New York Times).
Swordfish numbers in the Atlantic Ocean have rebounded in the past two decades thanks to fishery management (NOAA Fisheries).
A U.S. foundation has given a million acres (405,000 hectares) of land to the government of Chile for two new national parks (The Santiago Times).
To save oil and gas companies nearly $1 billion in the next 10 years, the Trump administration is relaxing some of the safety requirements put in place after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (The Washington Post).
Giraffes may soon be listed as endangered species by the United States (The New York Times).
Banner image of giraffes in Akagera National Park, Rwanda, by John C. Cannon/Mongabay.
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