- 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
Gabon’s new environment minister touts the importance of protecting his country’s rainforests (Yahoo Finance).
The head of the Malaysian state of Sabah on the island of Borneo pledges to keep at least half of the state forested (The Sun Daily).
Forest conservation through REDD+ faces a reckoning at the U.N. climate summit in Madrid (CIFOR Forests News).
Indonesia will get a boost in funding from the U.N. for its legions of farmers volunteering in the fight against forest fires (Reuters).
A court has sentenced the men convicted of killing an indigenous activist in Honduras in 2016 to up to 50 years in prison (The New York Times).
A prominent Brazilian climatologist says the Amazon has become “lawless” under President Jair Bolsonaro (The New York Times).
Suriname is backing Kenya’s bid for a seat on the U.N. Security Council, citing shared interests, including environmental conservation (AllAfrica.com).
New research further demonstrates the vital role of bats in durian pollination in Southeast Asia (The New York Times).
U.K. companies call on Brazil’s president to halt deforestation for soy production (The Guardian).
Other news
A climate scientist says that “climate change is a disability rights issue” (Science Magazine).
Here are seven important environment books coming out in December (The Revelator).
These trends are perpetuating climate change (The Atlantic).
Poachers are decimating Botswana’s rhino population (Southern Times Africa).
Fossil fuel emissions were higher in 2019 than at any point in history (The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times).
Scientists say the pace of climate change is speeding up (The New York Times).
Climate models are remarkably accurate (Los Angeles Times).
Coyotes now live in 49 of the 50 U.S. states (National Geographic).
A dead sperm whale washed up in Scotland with 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of trash in its stomach (The New York Times).
The environmental scientist Janette Sherman, who identified harmful chemicals that were adversely affecting auto workers, has died at age 89 (The New York Times).
Despite partisan bickering, there is an apolitical movement aimed at tackling climate change (The Atlantic).
Protesters are marching in Vienna to protect Romania’s primary forests (Romania Insider).
Farmed fish are getting sunburns (Hakai Magazine).
Early childbirth could become more common as the climate warms (Mother Jones).
A new law could threaten communal land rights in South Africa (iAfrica).
The shifts of fish populations due to climate change are touching off conflicts (The New York Times).
New research helps identify key marine areas for protection around the world (Hakai Magazine).
A study shows that humans bear all the responsibility for driving the great auk to extinction (The New York Times).
Banner image of sperm whales by Gabriel Barathieu via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).
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