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	<channel>
		<title>Conservation news</title>
		<atom:link href="https://news.mongabay.com/author/romina/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
		<link>https://news.mongabay.com/author/romina/</link>
		<description>Environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2026 20:17:44 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<language>en-US</language>
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<image>
	<url>https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/05/16160320/cropped-mongabay_icon-32x32.png</url>
	<title>Stories produced by Romi Castagnino for Conservation news</title>
	<link>https://news.mongabay.com/author/romina/</link>
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				<item>
					<title>The Home Planet Fund succeeds by giving directly to local communities</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/09/the-home-planet-fund-succeeds-by-giving-directly-to-local-communities/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/09/the-home-planet-fund-succeeds-by-giving-directly-to-local-communities/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Sep 2026 20:17:44 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mike DiGirolamo]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mikedigirolamo]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/18224129/DSC08395-min-scaled-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=podcasts&#038;p=330275</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Community-based Conservation, Conservation, Conservation Finance, Conservation leadership, Conservation Philosophy, Conservation Solutions, Funding, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Hope and optimism, Interviews, Interviews with conservation players, Media, philanthropy, and Solutions]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This week on the Newscast, we’re joined by Dilafruz Khonikboyeva, the founder of the Home Planet Fund, an independent, Indigenous-led nonprofit that provides funding for local and Indigenous communities and conservation projects around the world. Khonikboyeva, who is also the organization’s executive director, speaks about the ethos of the Home Planet Fund and how it [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This week on the Newscast, we’re joined by Dilafruz Khonikboyeva, the founder of the Home Planet Fund, an independent, Indigenous-led nonprofit that provides funding for local and Indigenous communities and conservation projects around the world. Khonikboyeva, who is also the organization’s executive director, speaks about the ethos of the Home Planet Fund and how it works. But I must emphasize that in my conversation with Khonikboyeva, what stands out most to me isn’t just the fund’s focus on Indigenous-led conversation and investing in local knowledge. It’s the well of experience Khonikboyeva brings to it that, growing up in Tajikistan under Soviet occupation and having firsthand experience of a community making do under extremely difficult circumstances, I believe, is rare among philanthropic efforts. In a sector that runs on reports, restrictions, and guarantees, Khonikboyeva encourages funders to work differently, which often might come in an answer they don’t want to hear. “If you’re getting a satisfying answer in this space, something isn’t right,” she says. She explains: “I think sometimes people wanna hear, ‘Yes, we’ll take your money. Yes, we’ll do what you want in the timeline that you want. Yes, everything is possible.” And it’s just not true, right? That is actually not how life works, and anybody who tells you otherwise is certainly selling you something.” She points to the nuance and the truth of projects that run into disasters on the ground, shifting needs, and, of course, making sure people are taken care of and provided for amid&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/09/the-home-planet-fund-succeeds-by-giving-directly-to-local-communities/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/09/the-home-planet-fund-succeeds-by-giving-directly-to-local-communities/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330275</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Cigarette butts make up 12% of aquatic litter, global review finds</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/cigarette-butts-make-up-12-of-aquatic-litter-global-review-finds/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/cigarette-butts-make-up-12-of-aquatic-litter-global-review-finds/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Sep 2026 19:30:40 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shanna Hanbury]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Bobbybascomb]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/22175548/Counting_cigarette_butts_8009123356-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=330492</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coastal Ecosystems, Ecosystems, Environment, Health, Marine, Oceans, Pollution, Research, Science, Water Pollution, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Cigarette butts account for roughly 12% of the litter found in rivers, lakes and beaches surveyed for a recent global review. Researchers pooled data from 130 studies conducted in 55 countries between 2013 and 2024. Across all ecosystems, including both aquatic and terrestrial, researchers found on average a density of 1 cigarette butt every 4 [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Cigarette butts account for roughly 12% of the litter found in rivers, lakes and beaches surveyed for a recent global review. Researchers pooled data from 130 studies conducted in 55 countries between 2013 and 2024. Across all ecosystems, including both aquatic and terrestrial, researchers found on average a density of 1 cigarette butt every 4 square meters, or roughly 1 butt every 43 square feet. The proportion was even higher in aquatic ecosystems. Researchers found that roughly one out of every nine pieces of litter, or 12%, of litter found in aquatic ecosystems was from cigarettes. In some studied coastal sites in Iran, Chile, Brazil and Peru, more than half of all the litter was cigarette butts. &#8220;This shows the impact that a seemingly everyday human activity can leave even in some of the environments we try hardest to preserve,&#8221; lead author Victor Vasques Ribeiro, a researcher at Brazil’s Federal University of São Paulo, told Mongabay by email. Cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate, a plastic that can break down into microplastics, while the rest of the partially burnt butt — paper, ash and leftover tobacco — can leach toxic substances such as heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nicotine, and phenolic compounds into water. &#8220;It&#8217;s often described as a kind of &#8216;chemical bomb&#8217;: when it comes into contact with water, these substances can be released and cause severe toxic effects in different animals,&#8221; Ribeiro said. Beaches were identified as a main hotspot for contamination, likely because they’re recreation&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/cigarette-butts-make-up-12-of-aquatic-litter-global-review-finds/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/cigarette-butts-make-up-12-of-aquatic-litter-global-review-finds/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330492</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>California Tribes receive beach and ancestral village site back from transportation authority</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/california-tribes-receive-beach-and-ancestral-village-site-back-from-transportation-authority/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/california-tribes-receive-beach-and-ancestral-village-site-back-from-transportation-authority/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Sep 2026 19:21:18 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Liz Kimbrough]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Latoya Abulu]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/22191052/KaiPomo_2024-Picture-Mussel-Rock--768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=330494</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[California, Global, North America, and United States]]>
						</locations>
					
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On the Northern California coast, where the tall trees meet the sea, ancestors of the Coast Yuki people lie buried in an old village site above the bluffs in the U.S. state. Yet despite its cultural significance, the land has been owned by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) until very recently. A deed recorded [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On the Northern California coast, where the tall trees meet the sea, ancestors of the Coast Yuki people lie buried in an old village site above the bluffs in the U.S. state. Yet despite its cultural significance, the land has been owned by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) until very recently. A deed recorded July 6 transferred 55 hectares (136 acres) of that coastline to Kai Poma, a nonprofit founded by representatives of the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, the Round Valley Indian Tribes and the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians, the Ancestral Descendants of Coastal Yuki and Yuki. It is the first time land held by Caltrans has been returned to Indigenous ownership, according to Kai Poma. &#8220;We always felt this was ours,&#8221; Eddie Knight, chairman of Kai Poma and historic preservation officer for Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, who is of Coastal Yuki descent, told Mongabay. &#8220;It may have been owned privately by somebody, but we still knew it was ours.&#8221; The property sits just south of the small community of Westport, California, about 187 miles (300 kilometers) north of San Francisco. Visitors know the beach here as Blues Beach, but a major village site there is called K&#8217;etim by the Coast Yuki and Pomo lineages. K&#8217;etim, according to the tribe&#8217;s traditional stories, is &#8220;where Seaweed Woman who lived at Mussel Rock met and fell in love with Coyote,&#8221; Kai Poma explained in a press release. This origin story &#8220;explains the creation of the coastline and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/california-tribes-receive-beach-and-ancestral-village-site-back-from-transportation-authority/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/california-tribes-receive-beach-and-ancestral-village-site-back-from-transportation-authority/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330494</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>A rare slow loris may have a much larger population in China than scientists thought</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/a-rare-slow-loris-may-have-a-much-larger-population-in-china-than-scientists-thought/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/a-rare-slow-loris-may-have-a-much-larger-population-in-china-than-scientists-thought/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Sep 2026 18:58:15 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Matthew Burkhart]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Isabel Esterman]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/22080314/pygmy-loris-2460-1384_wideexact_2460-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=329890</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, China, and East Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Habitat, Mammals, Primates, Research, Science, Slow Loris, Species, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Plump, fuzzy and venomous, with wide eyes, a button nose and sharp teeth, northern pygmy slow lorises were thought to reside almost exclusively in Vietnam and Laos. However, new research has documented 98 of the endangered primates in Guangxi, China, in what could be the country&#8217;s largest known population of the species. The finding, published [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Plump, fuzzy and venomous, with wide eyes, a button nose and sharp teeth, northern pygmy slow lorises were thought to reside almost exclusively in Vietnam and Laos. However, new research has documented 98 of the endangered primates in Guangxi, China, in what could be the country&#8217;s largest known population of the species. The finding, published in the journal Integrative Zoology by researchers at Guangxi Normal University, expands the known range of the nocturnal primate and suggests that a substantial population may have gone undetected in Guangxi&#8217;s rugged karst forests. The species, Xanthonycticebus intermedius, was previously thought to number just over 100 individuals in China, primarily in Yunnan province. Its known range also extends south into northern Vietnam, reaching as far as Hai Van Pass. Anna Nekaris, a professor of ecology, conservation and environment at Anglia Ruskin University in the U.K. and founder of the Little Fireface Project that focuses on lorises, said she’s excited by the discovery and hopes it will inspire research on this understudied species. “A lot of these nocturnal animals — they&#8217;re so little known in the wild, they’re so little researched, that when you actually do go look for them and you find them, that’s incredible,” Nekaris said. Pygmy slow lorises are native to Southeast Asia. Xanthonyticebus intermedius, the northern pygmy slow loris, was only recognized as a distinct species in 2023 after genetic and morphological research separated it from its close relative, the southern pygmy slow loris (Xanthonycticebus pygmaeus). The northern pygmy slow loris, was&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/a-rare-slow-loris-may-have-a-much-larger-population-in-china-than-scientists-thought/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/a-rare-slow-loris-may-have-a-much-larger-population-in-china-than-scientists-thought/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-329890</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Brazil creates four Amazon reserves as plans to pave rainforest highway advance</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/brazil-creates-four-amazon-reserves-as-plans-to-pave-rainforest-highway-advance/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/brazil-creates-four-amazon-reserves-as-plans-to-pave-rainforest-highway-advance/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Sep 2026 17:52:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shanna Hanbury]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Bobbybascomb]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/03/21192457/3.-319_National-Department-of-Transport-Infrastructure-DNIT-768x512.png" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=330489</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Amazon, Brazil, and South America]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Development, Forestry, Governance, Infrastructure, Politics, Protected Areas, Roads, and Sustainable Forest Management]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Brazilian government has created four new sustainable development reserves in the Amazon as part of an effort to mitigate environmental damage from the controversial plan to fully pave the BR-319 highway. The road will pass through one of the most intact parts of the rainforest, which conservationists warn will lead to increased deforestation. President [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Brazilian government has created four new sustainable development reserves in the Amazon as part of an effort to mitigate environmental damage from the controversial plan to fully pave the BR-319 highway. The road will pass through one of the most intact parts of the rainforest, which conservationists warn will lead to increased deforestation. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed on Sept. 8 the decrees that would protect more than 668,000 hectares (1.65 million acres) of Amazon rainforest under a sustainable-use model, which allows existing residents to remain on the land and extract forest products. &#8220;The federal government is working … to build a solution capable of enabling the highway&#8217;s paving, while ensuring environmental protection and encouraging sustainable economic development in the region,&#8221; João Paulo Capobianco, the minister of environment and climate change, said at an event announcing the new conservation areas. Map by Andrés Alegria/Mongabay. The four reserves will be managed by Brazil&#8217;s Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, a federal agency under the environment ministry. The decrees also establish buffer zones around three of the four largest reserves, putting another 109,718 hectares (271,119 acres) of land under some level of protection, though mining could be permitted in those areas. The BR-319 highway, which connects the cities of Manaus and Porto Velho in Brazil&#8217;s northern Amazon, was built during Brazil’s military dictatorship in the 1970s and later fell into disrepair. The highway’s 339-kilometer (211-mile) middle section is largely impassable in the rainy season, though many still try to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/brazil-creates-four-amazon-reserves-as-plans-to-pave-rainforest-highway-advance/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/brazil-creates-four-amazon-reserves-as-plans-to-pave-rainforest-highway-advance/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330489</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>World Rhino Day: What does it take to save a species?</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/world-rhino-day-what-does-it-take-to-save-a-species/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/world-rhino-day-what-does-it-take-to-save-a-species/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Sep 2026 17:43:25 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Bobbybascomb]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/07/10060527/Greater_one-horned_rhinoceros_at_Chitwan-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=330487</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Global, India, Nepal, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Black Rhino, Conservation, Crime, Governance, Human-wildlife Conflict, Javan Rhinos, Mammals, Northern White Rhino, One-horned Rhinos, Protected Areas, Reintroductions, Rhinos, Sumatran Rhino, White Rhino, Wildlife, Wildlife Corridors, Wildlife Rehabilitation, Wildlife Rescues, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In honor of World Rhino Day, on Sept. 22, here’s a snapshot of Mongabay’s reporting from the past year on the actions being taken to save rhinos from extinction: Reintroduction in Uganda In 1983, the last wild northern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) living in Uganda was killed for its horn. But now rhinos are back [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In honor of World Rhino Day, on Sept. 22, here’s a snapshot of Mongabay’s reporting from the past year on the actions being taken to save rhinos from extinction: Reintroduction in Uganda In 1983, the last wild northern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) living in Uganda was killed for its horn. But now rhinos are back in the country, contributor Benjamin Jumbe reported in March. In the last year, at least four southern white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum simum) were brought to northern Uganda’s Kidepo Valley National Park and another four to Ajai Wildlife Reserve. The reintroduced rhinos are a different subspecies, because just two northern white rhinos are alive today; both are females. “The translocation helps us not keep all eggs in one basket and create opportunities to mitigate … risks,” Robert Aruho, a veterinary specialist with the Uganda Wildlife Authority told Mongabay. Mozambique’s ‘silent park’ receives rhinos Zinave National Park in Mozambique, the site of a decades-long civil war, came to be known as a “silent park,” because the war nearly decimated its wildlife. Since 2022, 64 white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum) and black rhinos (Diceros bicornis) have been reintroduced to the park, Mongabay’s Shanna Hanbury reported in June. As grazers, rhinos help maintain the grassland ecosystem, creating habitat for other wildlife and mitigating fire risk. “You can imagine if you don’t have rhinos in the park, [there are] very high grass levels, which is a very large fire hazard,” said Antony Alexander, with the Peace Parks Foundation. At least five&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/world-rhino-day-what-does-it-take-to-save-a-species/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/world-rhino-day-what-does-it-take-to-save-a-species/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330487</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Critics question oil and gas spending in Mexico’s proposed climate budget</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/critics-question-oil-and-gas-spending-in-mexicos-proposed-climate-budget/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/critics-question-oil-and-gas-spending-in-mexicos-proposed-climate-budget/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Sep 2026 16:23:43 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Maxwell Radwin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Alexandra Popescu]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/22161442/c.-Kidzania_Plaza_Cuicuilco_-_05-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=330356</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global, Latin America, Mexico, North America, and United States]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Business, Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, Corporations, Energy, Energy Transition, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Policy, Fossil Fuels, Governance, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Law, Mitigation, Natural Resources, Oil, Oil Drilling, and Politics]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[MEXICO CITY — President Claudia Sheinbaum this month presented a draft fiscal budget for 2027, outlining the national government’s plans for everything from tax rates and health care to infrastructure, education and defense spending. When it comes to funding for climate policies, Sheinbaum has increased spending in some areas while decreasing it in others, and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[MEXICO CITY — President Claudia Sheinbaum this month presented a draft fiscal budget for 2027, outlining the national government’s plans for everything from tax rates and health care to infrastructure, education and defense spending. When it comes to funding for climate policies, Sheinbaum has increased spending in some areas while decreasing it in others, and included projects that appear to have little or nothing to do with the environment. Some parts of the climate budget, which still needs Congressional approval, continue to pump spending into fossil fuels, critics said. They expressed concern about the budget’s lack of detail and how the government will use the money. “The fact that these programs appear [under climate change adaptation] doesn’t, in itself, demonstrate that all their expenditures can be considered mitigation or adaptation measures,” the Mexican Civil Council for Sustainable Forestry (CCMSS) said in Sept. 11 statement. The proposed 252-page budget allocates 20.3 billion pesos ($1.2 billion) to the national energy transition strategy, an increase from the 17.9 billion pesos ($1 billion) allocated for 2026. Around 8.8 billion pesos ($510 million) of that budget would go to strengthening “energy self-sufficiency, sovereignty and security,” as well as “sustainable development.” The Olmeca oil refinery stands at the Dos Bocas port in Paraiso, Tabasco state, Mexico. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) Included in that effort is 2.5 million pesos ($145,000) for the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources for environmental certification of companies. Another 11.4 billion pesos (664 million) would be allocated to &#8220;strategic renewable energy projects&#8221; and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/critics-question-oil-and-gas-spending-in-mexicos-proposed-climate-budget/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/critics-question-oil-and-gas-spending-in-mexicos-proposed-climate-budget/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330356</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Fat Bear Week opens for Alaska’s heavyweight crown. Can Chunk, the 1,200-pound champ, win again?</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/fat-bear-week-opens-for-alaskas-heavyweight-crown-can-chunk-the-1200-pound-champ-win-again/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/fat-bear-week-opens-for-alaskas-heavyweight-crown-can-chunk-the-1200-pound-champ-win-again/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Sep 2026 16:18:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Associated Press]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/22160410/32-chunk_09192024-nps-e-johnston-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=330475</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Alaska and United States]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Bears, Biodiversity, Culture, Mammals, Media, Photos, Solutions, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — After a summer spent packing away sockeye salmon, Alaska’s heftiest brown bears are ready to throw their weight around. Online voting began Tuesday for Fat Bear Week, the annual contest that pits the rotund residents of Katmai National Park and Preserve against each other for the title of most oversized ursine. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — After a summer spent packing away sockeye salmon, Alaska’s heftiest brown bears are ready to throw their weight around. Online voting began Tuesday for Fat Bear Week, the annual contest that pits the rotund residents of Katmai National Park and Preserve against each other for the title of most oversized ursine. Last year&#8217;s winner, Chunk — known officially as Bear 32 — is hungry for a repeat. Chunk&#8217;s weight in 2025 was estimated at 1,200 pounds, which gave him a narrow victory. This year he&#8217;s back and facing corpulent competition like Gully — aka Bear 903 — the offspring of two-time champion Grazer. The contest, which is in its 12th year, celebrates the resilience of the 2,200 brown bears that live in the preserve on the Alaska Peninsula, which extends from the state’s southwest corner toward the Aleutian Islands. Fat Bear Week was started in 2014 as an interactive way to inform the public about brown bears, the coastal cousins of grizzlies. The event this year features 16 bears facing off in a single-elimination, bracket-style tournament. All voting is done online at www.fatbearweek.org, with the winner declared Sept. 29. The public can watch the bears on explore.org’s livestream cameras before deciding on their favorite. “Fat bears are successful bears,” the nonprofit&#8217;s website says. They gorge on the abundant salmon that return to the Brooks River starting in late June in order to accumulate fat reserves, sometimes chomping the fish in midair as they make their way&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/fat-bear-week-opens-for-alaskas-heavyweight-crown-can-chunk-the-1200-pound-champ-win-again/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330475</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Photographing Sri Lanka’s human-elephant conflict — Interview with Federico Borella</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/photographing-sri-lankas-human-elephant-conflict-interview-with-federico-borella/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/photographing-sri-lankas-human-elephant-conflict-interview-with-federico-borella/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Sep 2026 15:05:12 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Dilrukshi Handunnetti]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Dilrukshi Handunnetti]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/22131409/HECMongabay-3-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=330440</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Global, South Asia, and Sri Lanka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity Hotspots, Community-based Conservation, Conservation, Elephants, Encroachment, Endangered Species, Environment, Habitat, Habitat Degradation, Habitat Loss, Human-wildlife Conflict, Interviews, Land Use Change, Mammals, Media, National Parks, Parks, Photos, Protected Areas, and Wildlife Corridors]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[COLOMBO – For award-winning Italian photographer Federico Borella, capturing Sri Lanka’s human-elephant conflict on camera is more than just a photographic assignment. Keen to record the complexity of the battle, he has been focusing on Sri Lanka for four years — documenting not just the conflict, but also the unique relationship between people and elephants [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[COLOMBO – For award-winning Italian photographer Federico Borella, capturing Sri Lanka’s human-elephant conflict on camera is more than just a photographic assignment. Keen to record the complexity of the battle, he has been focusing on Sri Lanka for four years — documenting not just the conflict, but also the unique relationship between people and elephants with the gravitas it deserves. “I have seen something close to veneration toward elephants, and even after being victims of elephant attacks, people are often kind to them,” Borella says. “Not everyone wants to retaliate or harm elephants, which is also a part of their relationship.” For Borella, his current work is not only about the elephants in Sri Lanka, “but also about the kind of relationship we are building with the natural world everywhere.” In a career studded with achievements, his work on the human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka won him the prestigious Picture of the Year International (POYi) award under the environmental category in 2024. He won the prestigious Photographer of the Year award at the 2019 Sony World Photography Awards and the top award in the documentary category for his Five Degrees project, a moving visual documentary of the tragic link between climate change, severe drought and high rates of suicide among South India’s male farmers. In 2022, he came second in the wildlife and nature category of the Sony World Photography Award for his series, “Exotic appetite: Inside the Italian exotic animal trade”. In the 2026 awards, he took third place&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/photographing-sri-lankas-human-elephant-conflict-interview-with-federico-borella/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330440</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Copper boom fueling energy transition puts Earth’s wildlands at risk</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/copper-boom-fueling-energy-transition-puts-earths-wildlands-at-risk/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/copper-boom-fueling-energy-transition-puts-earths-wildlands-at-risk/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Sep 2026 14:19:12 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Gerry McGovernSue Branford]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Glenn Scherer]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/22082311/Vicugna_vicugna_Salar_de_Chalviri-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=330409</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Alternative Energy, Business, Copper, Critical Minerals, Ecosystems, Energy, Energy Transition, Environment, Health, Industry, Mining, Natural Resources, Planetary Boundaries, Pollution, and Renewable Energy]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the high Andes of Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, you can still find the vicuña, a shy, elusive camelid, revered by Indigenous people. It has reasons to be cautious of humans. Long-prized for its fine wool, European colonists hunted it relentlessly. Flocks in the millions were reduced to 6,000 individuals by the 1960s. Indigenous-driven [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the high Andes of Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, you can still find the vicuña, a shy, elusive camelid, revered by Indigenous people. It has reasons to be cautious of humans. Long-prized for its fine wool, European colonists hunted it relentlessly. Flocks in the millions were reduced to 6,000 individuals by the 1960s. Indigenous-driven conservation efforts helped bring the species back from the brink, but the vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) still walks a knife-edge. “Its survival remains precarious due to a complex interplay of threats to its habitat,” James Murray wrote for the U.S. Institute for Environmental Research and Education. The vicuña today is a victim of a Latin America biodiversity crisis that has seen a 95% decline in wildlife between 1970 and 2020, according to the WWF’s 2024 Living Planet Report. A key driver of that decline is mineral extraction. During the Inca empire, an estimated two million vicuñas roamed the Andes. The population fell to 6,000 by 1974 primarily due to intensive hunting for wool. Today’s numbers have risen to about 350,000 due to legal protections, community-based conservation, and bans on international trade. The species’ namesake, the proposed Vicuña mining district, if not managed properly, could reverse that recovery. Image by Renzo Tirado via Wikipedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Vicuña is also the name given to a vast $18 billion metallurgical planning district that could devastate and transform endangered vicuña habitat. Straddling the border of Argentina’s San Juan province and Chile’s Atacama region, this high-altitude Andes region represents&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/copper-boom-fueling-energy-transition-puts-earths-wildlands-at-risk/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/copper-boom-fueling-energy-transition-puts-earths-wildlands-at-risk/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330409</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Honoring Jane Goodall&#8217;s conservation legacy and combatting misinformation</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/honoring-jane-goodalls-conservation-legacy-and-combatting-misinformation/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/honoring-jane-goodalls-conservation-legacy-and-combatting-misinformation/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Sep 2026 10:21:05 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay.com]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Naina Rao]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/22102030/Jane-Goodall-Hopecast-2560-2048x1152-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=330419</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Europe, Global, and Spain]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence, Arts, Culture, Environment, Environmental Heroes, Environmental Policy, Global Environmental Crisis, Governance, Hope and optimism, Interviews, Jane Goodall, Media, Science, and Solutions]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Former United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres has been named the recipient of the inaugural Jane Goodall Earth Medal, which honors those who “unite science, courage and responsibility.” Goodall, a primatologist, conservationist and a persistent voice of hope, died in October 2025 at the age of 91. She also served on Mongabay’s advisory council. The [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Former United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres has been named the recipient of the inaugural Jane Goodall Earth Medal, which honors those who “unite science, courage and responsibility.” Goodall, a primatologist, conservationist and a persistent voice of hope, died in October 2025 at the age of 91. She also served on Mongabay’s advisory council. The Jane Goodall Earth Medal was awarded by the board of the Starmus Festival, an international gathering celebrating science, space, and the arts. This year, the festival will take place from Oct. 17-22 in Spain. Figueres, who served as executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and led negotiations for the 2015 Paris climate agreement, discussed the award on the Mongabay Newscast hosted by Mike DiGirolamo. Figueres told DiGirolamo that Goodall was “an absolute giant” to her very last day. “And the fact that a medal has been made in her honor, and that I will debut that, is just an unbelievable honor.” Astrophysicist and Starmus co-founder Garik Israelian, who joined the podcast, said that advisory board members Brian May — astrophysicist and guitarist for the rock band Queen — and fellow musician Peter Gabriel together conceived the idea for the Jane Goodall Earth Medal. Israelian added that May “was very active in protecting animals” through his foundation Save Me, while Gabriel works closely on human rights causes. The upcoming Starmus Festival centers on the theme of “The Search for Truth,” addressing information integrity in what political ecologist Bram Buscher previously characterized&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/honoring-jane-goodalls-conservation-legacy-and-combatting-misinformation/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330419</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Drought and state neglect deepen health crisis for Peru&#8217;s recently contacted Matsés</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/drought-and-state-neglect-deepen-health-crisis-for-perus-recently-contacted-matses/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/drought-and-state-neglect-deepen-health-crisis-for-perus-recently-contacted-matses/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Sep 2026 04:54:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay.com]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Naina Rao]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/22045335/contacted-Indigenous-Matses-7-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=330391</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Latin America, Peru, and South America]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Justice, Conservation, Culture, Diseases, Drought, Environment, Extreme Weather, Global Environmental Crisis, Governance, Health, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Reserves, Indigenous Rights, Law, Planetary Health, Public Health, and Social Justice]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A worsening convergence of drought driven by climate change, epidemic disease, and state neglect is creating a severe health emergency for the Indigenous Matsés people in the Peruvian Amazon. Mongabay staff writer Aimee Gabay traveled to Matsés territory to investigate the environmental threats to the region. Instead, she found Matsés communities suffering from severe outbreaks [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A worsening convergence of drought driven by climate change, epidemic disease, and state neglect is creating a severe health emergency for the Indigenous Matsés people in the Peruvian Amazon. Mongabay staff writer Aimee Gabay traveled to Matsés territory to investigate the environmental threats to the region. Instead, she found Matsés communities suffering from severe outbreaks of malaria and hepatitis B, she tells host Mike DiGirolamo in a recent episode of the Mongabay Newscast. &#8220;When I arrived, interview after interview, I was asking questions about environmental threats, and people were like, &#8216;Well, people are dying on the streets&#8217;,&#8221; Gabay says. &#8220;And it got to the point where I was like I&#8217;m asking the wrong questions here.&#8221; According to Gabay, the Matsés officially initiated contact with evangelical missionaries in 1969 to escape escalating violence from rubber tappers, loggers and military bombardments. However, the contact exposed them to infectious diseases. Roberto Necca Tumio Unan, a Matsés elder born before contact was initiated, told Gabay that entire families began dying shortly after contact from diseases previously unknown to them. “They don’t have the immunological defenses to be able to fight these diseases that maybe, for us, we are constantly exposed to,” Gabay says. Now, the health crisis is compounded by droughts in the Amazon. Low river levels restrict boat navigation, the primary transit route in the roadless region, preventing healthcare workers from entering remote villages and blocking sick villagers from reaching medical care. Matsés chief Leo Chuma Teca Beso told Gabay that he traveled&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/drought-and-state-neglect-deepen-health-crisis-for-perus-recently-contacted-matses/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330391</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Tourism has the potential to reverse coral decline at Bali travel hotspot: Study</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/tourism-has-potential-to-slow-coral-decline-at-bali-travel-hotspot-study/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/tourism-has-potential-to-slow-coral-decline-at-bali-travel-hotspot-study/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Sep 2026 02:01:37 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Carolyn Cowan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Isabel Esterman]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/21153916/Image-by-Anett-SzasziOcean-Image-Bank-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=330326</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Conservation Solutions, Coral Reefs, Development, Ecotourism, Fishing, Funding, Governance, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, Oceans, Rehabilitation, Research, Restoration, Solutions, Tourism, and Travel]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Sanur is where tourism took off in Bali. A coastal town overlooking the Lombok Strait where the Pacific Ocean flows into the Indian Ocean, artists and travelers began frequenting its shores in the 1920s. Today, the local economy still depends on income from visitors seeking its sun-kissed sands and cozy waters that hold the promise [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Sanur is where tourism took off in Bali. A coastal town overlooking the Lombok Strait where the Pacific Ocean flows into the Indian Ocean, artists and travelers began frequenting its shores in the 1920s. Today, the local economy still depends on income from visitors seeking its sun-kissed sands and cozy waters that hold the promise of encounters with all manner of tropical marine life. But new research indicates all is not well with Sanur’s precious marine ecosystems. Its coral reefs are steadily degrading, despite multiple efforts to rehabilitate them by planting coral fragments or building artificial reefs. The recent study, published in Ocean &amp; Coastal Management, found reef restoration initiatives in Sanur often take place without first addressing the primary drivers of coral decline, such as sediment runoff and wastewater discharge. “People see the visible impact on the coral reef, so they feel it’s urgent to do something about it there,” study lead author Min Chung, a master’s student at the University of Tokyo, told Mongabay in an interview. “But in reality, and efficiency wise, it&#8217;s obviously more effective to address the more fundamental drivers [of coral loss].” By analyzing reef health data and interviews with 18 stakeholders who have influence over the use and management of Sanur’s reefs, Chung and her colleagues identified complex and competing interests between many different groups, from government agencies, local authorities and community organizations to academics, fishers and tourism operators. “There are differing views on how to preserve coral reefs and the role tourism&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/tourism-has-potential-to-slow-coral-decline-at-bali-travel-hotspot-study/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/tourism-has-potential-to-slow-coral-decline-at-bali-travel-hotspot-study/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330326</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>For wild rivers like the Karnali, Nepal&#8217;s disaster is a warning and an answer (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/for-wild-rivers-like-the-karnali-nepals-disaster-is-a-warning-and-an-answer-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/for-wild-rivers-like-the-karnali-nepals-disaster-is-a-warning-and-an-answer-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Sep 2026 21:55:42 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Gary WocknerMegh Ale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/21210715/Karnali_river-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=330371</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Global, Nepal, and South Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Alternative Energy, Clean Energy, Commentary, Dams, Development, Ecosystems, Ecotourism, Energy, Environment, Freshwater, Freshwater Fish, Governance, Infrastructure, Natural Resources, Rivers, Tourism, Travel, Water, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Recently, a glacial collapse on the Tibetan Plateau sent a wall of water and debris roaring across the Nepal-China border. As of this publication, more than 1,000 people are confirmed dead and over 4,000 remain missing in Nepal and China combined. Rescue crews are still digging through mud to find hundreds of workers believed trapped [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Recently, a glacial collapse on the Tibetan Plateau sent a wall of water and debris roaring across the Nepal-China border. As of this publication, more than 1,000 people are confirmed dead and over 4,000 remain missing in Nepal and China combined. Rescue crews are still digging through mud to find hundreds of workers believed trapped inside the tunnels of hydropower projects on the Trishuli River — tunnels large enough to drive trucks through, now choked with silt. This is not simply a natural disaster. It is a preview of what climate change has in store for the Himalaya, and a wakeup call for Nepal&#8217;s headlong rush to dam nearly every river in the country. One of us has spent three decades running rivers and building river-conservation movements from a basecamp in Kathmandu. The other has spent an equal number of years fighting to protect rivers in the American West and around the world. We come from different countries and different rivers, but we have arrived at the same conclusion: Nepal&#8217;s flood catastrophe is a warning that must change how the country — and the international financiers underwriting its hydropower boom — think about all of our rivers, but especially the Karnali River, the last major river in Nepal that has never been dammed. The Karnali is one of the world’s top rivers for whitewater rafting, as it is un-dammed and features many class 5 rapids. Image courtesy of International Rafting Federation. Disaster written in the mountains The floods that just&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/for-wild-rivers-like-the-karnali-nepals-disaster-is-a-warning-and-an-answer-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/for-wild-rivers-like-the-karnali-nepals-disaster-is-a-warning-and-an-answer-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330371</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>How freediving helps Indonesia&#8217;s Bajau preserve traditions and conserve marine life</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/how-freediving-helps-indonesias-bajau-preserve-traditions-and-conserve-marine-life/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/how-freediving-helps-indonesias-bajau-preserve-traditions-and-conserve-marine-life/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Sep 2026 18:18:52 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Maddy Bolt]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Isabel Esterman]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/21115236/Bajau-PELITA-member-Well-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=330277</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and West Nusa Tenggara]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Culture, Education, Environment, Fish, Fisheries, Fishing, Indigenous Peoples, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, Oceans, Traditional Knowledge, and Traditional People]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[POTO TANO, Indonesia — Mahari sits at the front of the boat, cigarette in hand, surveying the conditions of the waters off Poto Tano, a small fishing community on the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. As ketua, the leader of this group of Bajau octopus fishers, Mahari decides which tool they will use today. He silently [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[POTO TANO, Indonesia — Mahari sits at the front of the boat, cigarette in hand, surveying the conditions of the waters off Poto Tano, a small fishing community on the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. As ketua, the leader of this group of Bajau octopus fishers, Mahari decides which tool they will use today. He silently surveys the waters while the rest of the group sits back and waits for his cue. The Bajau people are an Indigenous ethnic group spanning Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Traditionally living mostly on boats, Bajau people have harvested from the sea through traditional freediving for generations. In Sumbawa, a recent ban on dives assisted by an air compressor, a dangerous diving technique that provides the diver with continuous air, means these traditional methods have become more valuable than ever. With the right skills, freediving can be gentler on both the environment and the body than more destructive modern practices. Through expeditions like this one, Mahari and the other fishermen in his community work in cooperation with local NGOs to ensure this knowledge is passed to new generations. Day octopus (Octopus cyanea). Image by © Stergios Vasilis via iNaturalist (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). &#8216;Pocong time&#8217; Depending on current and water visibility, Bajau fishers typically use one of two methods to catch octopus. If there is low visibility or a strong current, they will use a “shell” tool adorned with hooks, which they let go in the water and trail behind their boat. If there is better&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/how-freediving-helps-indonesias-bajau-preserve-traditions-and-conserve-marine-life/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330277</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Sperm whales blow bubbles to stay afloat while resting, research shows</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/sperm-whales-blow-bubbles-to-stay-afloat-while-resting-research-shows/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/sperm-whales-blow-bubbles-to-stay-afloat-while-resting-research-shows/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Sep 2026 17:05:16 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shanna Hanbury]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Bobbybascomb]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/21170256/Banner_whales-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=330348</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Norway]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behavior, Animals, Biology, Cetaceans, Mammals, Marine Animals, Marine Mammals, Research, Science, Whales, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Sperm whales are the only whales known to rest vertically, floating steadily just below the ocean’s surface. Scientists have hypothesized that the whales release air bubbles to help them stay neutrally buoyant but the mechanism for how they do so has not previously been demonstrated — until now. &#8220;We already knew that sperm whales rest [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Sperm whales are the only whales known to rest vertically, floating steadily just below the ocean’s surface. Scientists have hypothesized that the whales release air bubbles to help them stay neutrally buoyant but the mechanism for how they do so has not previously been demonstrated — until now. &#8220;We already knew that sperm whales rest in a stereotypical vertical position and that they had been observed releasing bubbles during these resting periods,&#8221; lead author of a new study Noémie Freymond, a researcher at the Université de Neuchâtel in Switzerland, told Mongabay by email. &#8220;It had been hypothesized that the release of bubbles was related to buoyancy regulation, but this had not been demonstrated experimentally or systematically recorded.&#8221; Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are buoyant largely thanks to a massive oil-filled organ, called the spermaceti organ, located in their heads. Waxy spermaceti oil is lighter than water, making the whales buoyant. It was once used as a fuel for lamps and candles and the reason the whales were targeted by hunters.  The whales’ lungs, respiratory tract and spermaceti organ are all low-density organs positioned near the head and help the whales stay vertical. As the whales drift up, lower pressure allows air in the lungs to expand, pushing the whales toward the surface. Releasing bubbles counteracts that upwards push and allows the whales to stay submerged instead of bobbing to the surface. The study’s research team used data from 42 sperm whales that had been tagged with suction cups near Norway&#8217;s Lofoten&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/sperm-whales-blow-bubbles-to-stay-afloat-while-resting-research-shows/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330348</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>These dolphins are shouting</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/these-dolphins-are-shouting/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/these-dolphins-are-shouting/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Sep 2026 17:01:02 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shanna Hanbury]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sam Lee]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/21170008/Mongabay_Thumbnail_Dolphins_Web.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=330346</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Europe, Morocco, and Spain]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Communication, Pollution, Research, Whales, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Pilot whales now need to shout to be heard over the rumble of ship traffic in the Strait of Gibraltar, the narrow strip of water between Morocco and Spain. Researchers looked at near and long-distance communication between long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas), which are actually a species of large dolphin. They found the mammals were [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Pilot whales now need to shout to be heard over the rumble of ship traffic in the Strait of Gibraltar, the narrow strip of water between Morocco and Spain. Researchers looked at near and long-distance communication between long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas), which are actually a species of large dolphin. They found the mammals were able to increase the volume of their calls used for short distances, but long-distance calling was more challenging, according to their recently published study. The dolphins may not be able to overpower noise pollution in the Strait of Gibraltar when calling pod mates far away, raising concerns that they could become lost and isolated from the group, the researchers said. Roughly 60,000 ships pass through the Strait of Gibraltar each year. Study: Hegeman, M., Macfarlane, N. B. W., Verborgh, P., Gauffier, P., Esteban, R., de Stephanis, R., Tyack, P. L. and Jensen, F. H. (2026). Vocal compensation to noise in long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas). J. Exp. Biol. 229, jeb251217. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.251217This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/these-dolphins-are-shouting/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/these-dolphins-are-shouting/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330346</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>46% of wild-caught fish could be fed to farmed fish and shrimp by 2040, says report</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/45-of-wild-caught-fish-could-be-fed-to-farmed-fish-and-shrimp-by-2040-says-report/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/45-of-wild-caught-fish-could-be-fed-to-farmed-fish-and-shrimp-by-2040-says-report/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Sep 2026 16:44:11 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Francesco De Augustinis]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Autumn Spanne]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/21135229/Sri-Lanka-fishers1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=330337</guid>

					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Aquaculture, Environment, Fish, Fisheries, Fishing, Marine Animals, Natural Resources, Oceans, and Saltwater Fish]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[ROME — Nearly half of the wild-caught fish harvested globally could be used to produce feed for farmed aquaculture products by 2040 if the industry were to grow exponentially in line with a roadmap developed by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), according to a report published Sept. 4. The report was published by [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[ROME — Nearly half of the wild-caught fish harvested globally could be used to produce feed for farmed aquaculture products by 2040 if the industry were to grow exponentially in line with a roadmap developed by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), according to a report published Sept. 4. The report was published by UK-based NGO the Changing Markets Foundation on the eve of the 37th meeting of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI), held Sept. 7–11 at the FAO’s headquarters in Rome. At the biennial intergovernmental meeting, policymakers set the direction for developing the fisheries and aquaculture sectors globally. The publication has intensified debate over support for aquaculture, which involves cultivation of aquatic organisms, including plants, fish and shellfish, in marine or fresh water. Aquaculture is currently the fastest-growing food industry in the world. Since 2022, it has accounted for half of the global seafood supply, but representatives of artisanal fisher organizations attending COFI described it as a “destructive” industry. “What we found is that it really depends on what species are chosen to be farmed,” Tara Ganesh, a senior campaigner at Changing Markets Foundation, told Mongabay in Rome. “Based on that, the impact varies dramatically.” Atlantic salmon aquaculture in Tasmania, Australia. Image by rod cuthbert via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). The report, produced together with researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada, analyzes how the use of wild-caught fish to produce fish feed would change if the aquaculture sector were to reach a “milestone” set out&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/45-of-wild-caught-fish-could-be-fed-to-farmed-fish-and-shrimp-by-2040-says-report/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/45-of-wild-caught-fish-could-be-fed-to-farmed-fish-and-shrimp-by-2040-says-report/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330337</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Illegal mines threaten biodiversity and drinking water in Ghana’s Atewa Forest</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/illegal-mines-threaten-biodiversity-and-drinking-water-in-ghanas-atewa-forest/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/illegal-mines-threaten-biodiversity-and-drinking-water-in-ghanas-atewa-forest/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Sep 2026 14:28:40 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mabel Adorkor Annang]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Terna Gyuse]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/21135635/IllegalMiners_AtewaGhana_ARochaGhana-11_20260919_122540_0010-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=330304</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Ghana, and West Africa]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Biodiversity Hotspots, Conflict, Conservation, Crime, Deforestation, Ecosystems, Endangered Species, Environment, Environmental Law, Forest Destruction, Forests, Gold Mining, Governance, Illegal Mining, Law, Mining, Natural Resources, Pollution, Protected Areas, Rainforests, Tropical Forests, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Every day, scores of illegal miners on motorbikes swarm into the Atewa Forest Reserve, in eastern Ghana — ignoring the handful of Forestry Commission guards charged with keeping them out. Inside the reserve, the miners have stripped forest cover and excavated pits, their passage marked by abandoned equipment and temporary camps and muddy and polluted [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Every day, scores of illegal miners on motorbikes swarm into the Atewa Forest Reserve, in eastern Ghana — ignoring the handful of Forestry Commission guards charged with keeping them out. Inside the reserve, the miners have stripped forest cover and excavated pits, their passage marked by abandoned equipment and temporary camps and muddy and polluted streams. Their actions jeopardize the drinking water of as many as five million Ghanaians. “We say this based on a lot of records coming from the Forestry Commission staff, some court records as well,” says Daryl Bosu, deputy national director of operations at conservation initiative A Rocha Ghana, which has been monitoring Atewa and other forested areas for a decade. A Rocha played a key role in a civil society coalition opposing government plans to mine for bauxite in the reserve. Bosu says A Rocha has observed that many of the rivers and streams in the area, which previously ran clear, have turned brown with sediment since the miners overran the reserve. Miners, he says, have cut down trees along water courses, which he fears have been contaminated with mercury, cyanide and arsenic  — all widely used in illegal mining operations. “The Forestry Commission team is complaining of the unprecedented attack on the Atewa forest because of mining and how they are seriously overwhelmed as a result of pressure which they have never experienced,” he tells Mongabay. Aerial view of a mine site in Atewa. Image courtesy of A Rocha Ghana. The critically endangered Atewa&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/illegal-mines-threaten-biodiversity-and-drinking-water-in-ghanas-atewa-forest/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330304</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>New study reveals the genetic history &#8211; and possible future &#8211; of four Asian hornbills</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/new-study-reveals-the-genetic-history-and-possible-future-of-four-asian-hornbills/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/new-study-reveals-the-genetic-history-and-possible-future-of-four-asian-hornbills/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Sep 2026 08:06:04 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay.com]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Naina Rao]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/21080458/Rufous_Necked_Hornbill_Facts_01-1536x1024-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=330274</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, India, and South Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Biology, Birds, Conservation, Conservation Technology, Endangered Species, Evolution, Research, Science, Technology, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Researchers from India have generated reference genomes for four threatened species of Asian hornbills, reports contributor Nikhil Sreekandan for Mongabay India. The scientists from the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) in Mysore and the CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad assembled high-quality genomes for threatened Asian hornbill species including the great hornbill (Buceros [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Researchers from India have generated reference genomes for four threatened species of Asian hornbills, reports contributor Nikhil Sreekandan for Mongabay India. The scientists from the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) in Mysore and the CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad assembled high-quality genomes for threatened Asian hornbill species including the great hornbill (Buceros bicornis), rufous-necked hornbill (Aceros nipalensis), Malabar pied hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus), and wreathed hornbill (Rhyticeros undulatus). Prior to this study, whole-genome information was available for only two of the 32 Asian hornbill species. The research team used two types of genetic sequencing to create genetic maps for each of the species; together short- and long-read DNA sequencing helped researchers minimize errors. “A genome is the complete genetic structure of an organism, [and] a reference genome is a baseline genome for a particular species,” said Pooja Pawar, corresponding author of the study and a doctoral researcher at NCF. Pawar said that genomic tools allow scientists to examine species histories across the region and over time. “I could go back in time, to when the species originated or diverged from its sister species, and not restrict [my research] to the Western Ghats or northeast India.” The team used statistical modeling to trace changes in hornbill populations over time, and discovered that climatic instability during the Pleistocene epoch (2.5 million to 11,000 years ago) reduced the effective population sizes of all four species. Among them, the widely distributed wreathed hornbill had a higher effective population size than the other&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/new-study-reveals-the-genetic-history-and-possible-future-of-four-asian-hornbills/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330274</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Tight Brazil election challenges fragile gains for Amazon conservation</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/tight-brazil-election-challenges-fragile-gains-for-amazon-conservation/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/tight-brazil-election-challenges-fragile-gains-for-amazon-conservation/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Sep 2026 07:00:36 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Fernanda WenzelKarla MendesLucas Berti]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Alexandre de Santi]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/08/18210229/Curvas_do_Parque_Nacional_de_Anavilhanas-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=330151</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Amazon, Brazil, Latin America, and South America]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Deforestation, Drivers Of Deforestation, Environment, Global Environmental Crisis, Governance, Politics, Tropical Deforestation, and Zero Deforestation Commitments]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As South America turns right, Brazil’s vote could leave the Amazon without conservation leaders.]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As voters in Brazil prepare to head to the polls on Oct. 4, forest guardians and environmental analysts are bracing for a high-stakes presidential contest that could abruptly shift the nation&#8217;s environmental policy. The election presents a stark choice between maintaining current conservation strategies, experts say, or risking a policy U-turn that could reverse recent progress in lowering deforestation rates across the Amazon rainforest and other biomes. The election is shaping up to be a tight race between left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, seeking a fourth non-consecutive term, and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022), who was arrested and blocked from running for office after being sentenced in a failed coup d’ètat trial. According to polls, the two are very likely to face off in a runoff election scheduled for Oct. 25. Lula&#8217;s administration managed to drop deforestation in the Amazon to its lowest level in a decade — Brazil holds 60% of the biome. However, experts and conservationists warn that these gains are fragile, hanging by a thread that could snap if Flávio Bolsonaro brings back his father’s policies, favoring agribusiness and mining, and slashing Indigenous rights and support. In a detailed analysis of the candidates&#8217; environmental platforms, the Climate Observatory, a prominent coalition of Brazilian civil society organizations, concluded that issues related to climate and the environment are receiving far less attention than necessary. The exception is Lula’s plans, where the only area of concern is energy — which was&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/tight-brazil-election-challenges-fragile-gains-for-amazon-conservation/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330151</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>H5N1 bird flu jumps to marine mammals and wildlife in Australia</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/h5n1-bird-flu-jumps-to-marine-mammals-and-wildlife-in-australia/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/h5n1-bird-flu-jumps-to-marine-mammals-and-wildlife-in-australia/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Sep 2026 05:16:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Naina Rao]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sharon Guynup]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/21051504/Common_Dolphin_23716626394_optimized_4000-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=330272</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Australia and Oceania]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Birds, Cetaceans, Coastal Ecosystems, Diseases, Dolphins, Ecosystems, Environment, Health, Mammals, Marine, Marine Mammals, Penguins, Planetary Health, Public Health, Research, Seabirds, Wildlife, and Zoonotic Diseases]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[H5N1 avian influenza is spreading rapidly across southeastern Australia owing to infected wild bird species, including little penguins, magpies, crested terns and pelicans. Bird aggregations during breeding seasons will likely accelerate transmission to mammals, said Victoria’s chief biodiversity officer James Todd. In late August, H5N1 jumped to a mammal, a red fox (Vulpes vulpes), in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[H5N1 avian influenza is spreading rapidly across southeastern Australia owing to infected wild bird species, including little penguins, magpies, crested terns and pelicans. Bird aggregations during breeding seasons will likely accelerate transmission to mammals, said Victoria’s chief biodiversity officer James Todd. In late August, H5N1 jumped to a mammal, a red fox (Vulpes vulpes), in Adelaide, South Australia. Acting chief veterinary officer Cameron Bell said that while wild foxes generally do not spread the virus directly, scavenging pests risk moving infected carcasses across habitats, according to media reports. In September, state authorities confirmed H5N1 in an Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) and a common dolphin (Delphinus delphis). South Australian Environment Minister Emily Bourke said that the sea lion — a critically endangered species currently declining by 2% a year — was recovering from a shark attack when it succumbed to the virus, reports ABC Australia. Cetacean researcher Mike Bossley is concerned about how quickly a dolphin contracted the disease. In a news report, he called it both “shocking … and very worrying.” Bourke added that South Australia has recorded bird flu in another mammal species, long-nosed fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) and confirmed the nation’s first pelican case on the Yorke Peninsula. “The first confirmed H5N1 death recorded for [the Australian sea lion] in Australia marks a significant and worrying moment for Australian wildlife,” Bill Bateman, associate professor of behavioral ecology at Curtin University, Australia, wrote in The Conversation. He added that the evolving H5N1 strain can invade a mammal’s central&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/h5n1-bird-flu-jumps-to-marine-mammals-and-wildlife-in-australia/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330272</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>‘How did you come to be here?’ Study digs into origins of Zambian wildlife crime</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/how-did-you-come-to-be-here-study-digs-into-origins-of-zambian-wildlife-crime/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/how-did-you-come-to-be-here-study-digs-into-origins-of-zambian-wildlife-crime/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Sep 2026 21:22:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Alex Megerle]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sharon Guynup]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/17070507/Elephants_Zambia_Fawaz_Tairou-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=329983</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Global, Southern Africa, and Zambia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Business, Conservation, Crime, Elephants, Environment, Governance, Illegal Trade, Ivory, Law, Mammals, Organized Crime, Pangolins, Poaching, Rhinos, Trade, trafficking, Ungulates, Wildlife, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The man in the Zambian prison recalled how he ended up there. He’d been approached by someone who had an uncle in the capital, Lusaka, who was willing to buy ivory and pangolin scales. He gave the man a phone and a number to reach him. “He promised that the money I would get would [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The man in the Zambian prison recalled how he ended up there. He’d been approached by someone who had an uncle in the capital, Lusaka, who was willing to buy ivory and pangolin scales. He gave the man a phone and a number to reach him. “He promised that the money I would get would enable me to build a house and take my children to school,” the man said. The story of this inmate — who was eventually arrested and incarcerated for an elephant-related offense — drives home an important truth. Wildlife crime is a multifaceted industry fueled by various participants with a slew of motives, ranging from local people who may occasionally capture and sell an animal to middlemen who handle logistics to heavily armed poaching gangs and the kingpins that rule over large international syndicates. The lower-level links in the chain are simpler to catch and prosecute, but are easily replaceable, so their arrest does little to stop poaching. The NGO Wildlife Crime Prevention (WCP) Zambia, in partnership with Copperbelt University, recently interviewed more than 300 inmates imprisoned for wildlife offenses in the country to learn how and why people on the lower rungs of the industry took their first steps into wildlife crime. “We wanted to understand better the drivers of the more grassroots-levels offenders and why they get involved — and how we might avoid them being involved again,” said one of the study&#8217;s authors, who needed to remain anonymous so not to endanger their&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/how-did-you-come-to-be-here-study-digs-into-origins-of-zambian-wildlife-crime/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-329983</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Canada shuts down corporate watchdog. Critics say its replacement lacks teeth</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/canada-shuts-down-corporate-watchdog-critics-say-its-replacement-lacks-teeth/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/canada-shuts-down-corporate-watchdog-critics-say-its-replacement-lacks-teeth/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Sep 2026 12:51:34 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Annie Burns-Pieper]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Andy Lehren]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/19001635/b.-2026-08-22-5-LH-Ottawa-13_1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=330245</guid>

					
					
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[When the Canadian government earlier this year shut down its independent watchdog responsible for investigating alleged human rights abuses including environmental pollution by Canada-based companies operating overseas, it promised that a little-known office called the National Contact Point would take over that work. But critics say the National Contact Point, which has operated for more [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[When the Canadian government earlier this year shut down its independent watchdog responsible for investigating alleged human rights abuses including environmental pollution by Canada-based companies operating overseas, it promised that a little-known office called the National Contact Point would take over that work. But critics say the National Contact Point, which has operated for more than a quarter of a century, lacks the powers and independence needed to fill the gap. The recently shuttered office of the Canadian Ombudsman for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) was set up to evaluate complaints about alleged human rights abuses by Canadian companies operating abroad in the garment, mining, and oil and gas sectors. Two months into Mark Carney’s tenure as Canada’s prime minister, the position became vacant. Carney never appointed a new ombudsperson. CORE languished for more than a year without a leader, unable to proceed probing complaints. Carney then declared it was ineffective and eliminated the office in June. Global Affairs Canada, the country’s foreign ministry, which oversaw CORE, said in a statement that “a decision has been taken to permanently streamline the CORE Ombudsperson’s work into other functions with stronger track records of effectiveness, including the National Contact Point.” But those who have followed the National Contact Point’s 26-year history disagree about its effectiveness. Only three of the 33 cases submitted to the National Contact Point (NCP) since 2000 have reached a formal joint agreement; in one of the cases, it was the NCP of another country that led the case. Even then,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/canada-shuts-down-corporate-watchdog-critics-say-its-replacement-lacks-teeth/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330245</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>&#8216;You Belong with Me:&#8217; Taylor Swift has a new genus of bug named after her</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/you-belong-with-me-taylor-swift-has-a-new-genus-of-bug-named-after-her/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/you-belong-with-me-taylor-swift-has-a-new-genus-of-bug-named-after-her/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Sep 2026 21:02:18 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[David Brown]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Bobbybascomb]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/18205400/swiftiephylus-taylorae-option-1-768x512.avif" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=330239</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Australia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Biology, Insects, Invertebrates, Research, Science, Taxonomy, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[You may have heard her songs, seen her videos, maybe even attended one of her concerts … but have you seen the new genus of Australian plant bugs named after Taylor Swift? Scientists at the University of California, Riverside recently described a new genus of plant bugs, they’ve named Swiftiephylus, in honor of the Grammy-winning [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[You may have heard her songs, seen her videos, maybe even attended one of her concerts … but have you seen the new genus of Australian plant bugs named after Taylor Swift? Scientists at the University of California, Riverside recently described a new genus of plant bugs, they’ve named Swiftiephylus, in honor of the Grammy-winning U.S. singer. The genus contains 12 new species of plant bugs. Four of the insects are named after Taylor Swift or her albums: Swiftiephylus taylorae, Swiftiephylus amator, Swiftiephylus intrepidus, and Swiftiephylus poetorum. The first is a Latinized version of Taylor; the others are references to her albums “Lover,” “Fearless” and “The Tortured Poets Department.”  The authors write that the insects were named after Taylor Swift, “in recognition of her show-stopping talent, heart-wrenching lyrics, and the joy and comfort she has brought to many. The term ‘Swifitie’ refers to Swift’s loving fanbase,” the study notes.   Study author and “Swiftie” Sarah Schroeder said in a press release that she named the insects after Taylor Swift’s appearance. “Taylor Swift’s iconic look is her blonde hair and red lips. These insects are pale yellow with accents of red throughout,” Schroeder said. “In the paper I refer to them as blonde.” Schroeder believes that their coloring helps the bugs camouflage in the flowers they live on, which feature spindly red to orange flowers. Though many species of insects are broadly called bugs, Swiftiephylus plant bugs are part of the Miridae family, the largest family of true bugs. There are more than&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/you-belong-with-me-taylor-swift-has-a-new-genus-of-bug-named-after-her/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330239</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Britain&#8217;s Prince William reveals finalists for Earthshot environmental prize</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/britains-prince-william-reveals-finalists-for-earthshot-environmental-prize/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/britains-prince-william-reveals-finalists-for-earthshot-environmental-prize/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Sep 2026 16:43:34 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Associated Press]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/05/11001326/ecuador_236248-reverse-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=330238</guid>

					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Alternative Energy, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation Solutions, Energy, Environment, Global Environmental Crisis, Governance, Nature-based climate solutions, Offshore Wind, Renewable Energy, Solutions, Wildlife, Wildlife Corridors, and Wildlife Rehabilitation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[LONDON (AP) — How does a grizzly bear cross the road? With the help of Indigenous people, ranchers and governments. That’s the idea behind the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, which is working to keep the Rocky Mountains an unfettered migration route for wildlife from Wyoming to northwestern Canada. To do so, the group works [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[LONDON (AP) — How does a grizzly bear cross the road? With the help of Indigenous people, ranchers and governments. That’s the idea behind the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, which is working to keep the Rocky Mountains an unfettered migration route for wildlife from Wyoming to northwestern Canada. To do so, the group works with local people and governments throughout the region to protect wild lands and build overpasses, underpasses and fencing to help animals cross busy roads. The charity is one of the 15 finalists announced Friday for the 2026 Earthshot Prize, created by Britain’s Prince William to support conservationists and entrepreneurs developing solutions to climate change, pollution, habitat loss and other environmental threats. The winners in each of five categories receive 1 million pounds ($1.34 million) and assistance in expanding their projects. William launched the prize in 2020, inspired by U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 “Moonshot” speech that challenged Americans to go to the moon by the end of that decade. The prince’s goal is to accelerate the pace of environmental innovation and “repair the planet” by 2030. Other nominees for this year’s prize include an Argentine project that uses artificial intelligence and satellite data to spot and track wildfires across Latin America; the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance, which aims to cut carbon emissions from shipping, and Orsted, one of the world’s biggest developers of offshore wind farms. The winners will be announced Nov. 17 during a televised awards show in Mumbai. Jason Knauf, chief&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/britains-prince-william-reveals-finalists-for-earthshot-environmental-prize/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330238</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Rooftop rainwater sprinkler systems could help cool warming cities, study says</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/rooftop-rainwater-sprinkler-systems-could-help-cool-warming-cities-study-says/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/rooftop-rainwater-sprinkler-systems-could-help-cool-warming-cities-study-says/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Sep 2026 14:16:56 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nick Ruggia]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Glenn Scherer]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/17115305/02024_1205_Wasservorhang_-_Hitzewelle_in_Bielsko-Biala-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=330065</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Adaptation To Climate Change, Climate, Climate Change, Earth Science, El Nino, Environment, Extreme Weather, Global Environmental Crisis, Global Warming, Health, Heatwave, Impact Of Climate Change, Planetary Health, Public Health, Research, and Solutions]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[It’s a hot summer day in the city. The sun beats down relentlessly on asphalt and concrete, while tall buildings mercilessly snuff out any hope of a cooling breeze, intensifying urban heat island impacts. Urbanites around the world know the feeling well. And with an increasing number of potentially deadly heat wave days due to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[It’s a hot summer day in the city. The sun beats down relentlessly on asphalt and concrete, while tall buildings mercilessly snuff out any hope of a cooling breeze, intensifying urban heat island impacts. Urbanites around the world know the feeling well. And with an increasing number of potentially deadly heat wave days due to a warming climate, it’s only becoming more familiar. But ask the same city dwellers how they feel when the barometer drops and a soft summer rain breaks the heat. That relief is something a group of researchers hope to artificially replicate using widely distributed rainwater collection tanks and smart rooftop sprinkler systems. The team, led by Zhonghua Zheng, an associate professor of urban climate and environmental data science at the University of Manchester in the U.K., used machine learning and artificial intelligence to create a new model that can help cities bring down internal temperatures in buildings and even cool outdoors during heat waves. Their proposed system includes a rooftop rainwater collection tank and a sprinkler system that activates at a specific outdoor temperature threshold to water the roof. Evaporation cools roof temperatures, Zheng explained in a Mongabay interview. “It has a dual benefit to cool both the indoor temperature and outdoor temperature.” The researchers used Tokyo as a case study due to Japan’s temperate climate, seasonal changes, and leadership in rainwater collection. The model found that the strategy would indeed bring down high surface and air temperatures if widely adopted across an urban setting.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/rooftop-rainwater-sprinkler-systems-could-help-cool-warming-cities-study-says/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330065</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Five orangutans found in India face long road back home to Indonesia</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/five-orangutans-found-in-india-face-long-road-back-home-to-indonesia/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/five-orangutans-found-in-india-face-long-road-back-home-to-indonesia/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Sep 2026 11:26:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Junaidi Hanafiah]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/18111302/Orangutan-Sumatera-baby-swinging-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=330216</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, India, Indonesia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Apes, Biodiversity, Conservation, Crime, Critically Endangered Species, Endangered Species, Environment, Environmental Law, Governance, Great Apes, Illegal Trade, International Trade, Law, Law Enforcement, Orangutans, Trade, Wildlife, and Wildlife Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[ACEH, Indonesia — The five infant orangutans found roaming a woodland in India’s Odisha state earlier this month may have been trafficked across several international borders — and now face a long journey home through the different legal and bureaucratic systems of India and Indonesia, conservationists say. “This starts with hunting in the wild, separating [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[ACEH, Indonesia — The five infant orangutans found roaming a woodland in India’s Odisha state earlier this month may have been trafficked across several international borders — and now face a long journey home through the different legal and bureaucratic systems of India and Indonesia, conservationists say. “This starts with hunting in the wild, separating babies from their mothers, and transporting them across various regions, then selling them or keeping them as exotic pets,” said M. Indra Kurnia, director of conservation at the Sumatran Orangutan Lestari Foundation–Orangutan Information Center (YOSL-OIC). The five youngsters were found on Sept. 8 by locals near the Bichitrapur forest area in Balasore district, Odisha, a state on India’s east coast formed out of the ancient Kalinga region. Authorities are investigating how the animals came to be there, and the possible involvement of an international wildlife trafficking network. Only Indonesia and Malaysia have native orangutan populations, with the Indonesian island of Sumatra around 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) across the Indian Ocean from Odisha. The Bornean species lives in Indonesia and Malaysia, while the Sumatran and Tapanuli species are found only in Indonesia. “We mustn’t just see this as a local case in the country where the animals were found,” Indra said. This infant Sumatran orangutan is being cared for at the Sumatra Rescue Alliance (SRA) primate center Besitang district, North Sumatra. The infant is a victim of the illegal wildlife trade. Image by Junaidi Hanafiah/Mongabay Indonesia. Questions over wildlife smuggling route This isn’t the first time&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/five-orangutans-found-in-india-face-long-road-back-home-to-indonesia/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330216</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Global ocean breaks records with 100 days of heat as El Niño adds new threat</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/global-ocean-breaks-records-with-100-days-of-heat-as-el-nino-adds-new-threat/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/global-ocean-breaks-records-with-100-days-of-heat-as-el-nino-adds-new-threat/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Sep 2026 10:34:05 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Elizabeth Claire Alberts]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Elizabethalberts]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/18091828/a.-%C2%A9-BANNER-Grigory-Heaton-original-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=330195</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate, Climate Science, El Nino, Ocean Warming, Oceans, and Temperatures]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[For 100 consecutive days between June 2 and Sept. 10, the global ocean outside of polar regions sustained record high average sea surface temperatures, according to data from the Climate Reanalyzer, a platform overseen by the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute in the U.S. On each of the 100 days, sea surface temperatures exceeded [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[For 100 consecutive days between June 2 and Sept. 10, the global ocean outside of polar regions sustained record high average sea surface temperatures, according to data from the Climate Reanalyzer, a platform overseen by the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute in the U.S. On each of the 100 days, sea surface temperatures exceeded those on the same date in every other year on record since 1982. One of the highest readings occurred on Aug. 22, when global ocean sea surface temperatures reached 21.10° Celsius (69.98° Fahrenheit), according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. The Climate Reanalyzer reported temperatures climbing even higher between Aug. 22 and 27, with average ocean sea surface temperatures hitting 21.18° C (70.12° F). The platform draws on global sea surface temperature data recorded by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These record temperatures are likely to remain elevated in the near future “given the state of the intensifying El Niño,” said Zachary Labe, a climate scientist at the U.S.-based nonprofit Climate Central, which communicates climate change science. Graphic illustrating climbing sea surface temperatures. Image courtesy of Climate Central. In a Sept. 10 press briefing that discussed the Climate Reanalyzer data, Labe said this record ocean heat is part of a long-term trend driven by the human-induced climate crisis. Without a reduction in greenhouse gases, he said the oceans will continue to warm. “The driver of this record warmth is climate change,” he said, “and more than 90% of that excess&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/global-ocean-breaks-records-with-100-days-of-heat-as-el-nino-adds-new-threat/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330195</doi>				</item>
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					<title>At 86, Sri Lanka&#8217;s &#8216;father of herpetology&#8217; inspires a new conservation generation</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/at-86-sri-lankas-father-of-herpetology-inspires-a-new-conservation-generation/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/at-86-sri-lankas-father-of-herpetology-inspires-a-new-conservation-generation/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Sep 2026 10:29:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay.com]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Naina Rao]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/08/25125206/1.-crocokodile-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=330210</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, South Asia, and Sri Lanka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Amphibians, Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Conservation leadership, Culture, Education, Herps, Interviews, Interviews with conservation players, Lizards, Reptiles, Science, Tropical Conservation Science, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Anslem de Silva is widely regarded as the father of modern herpetology in Sri Lanka. He has spent more than six decades documenting the island’s rich reptile and amphibian diversity while mentoring generations of researchers. De Silva spoke with Mongabay contributor Malaka Rodrigo as he, at 86 years old, prepares to host the first World [&#8230;]]]>
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							<![CDATA[Anslem de Silva is widely regarded as the father of modern herpetology in Sri Lanka. He has spent more than six decades documenting the island’s rich reptile and amphibian diversity while mentoring generations of researchers. De Silva spoke with Mongabay contributor Malaka Rodrigo as he, at 86 years old, prepares to host the first World Congress on Snakes. The conference in October in Sri Lanka’s hill city of Kandy will be an international gathering specifically dedicated to snake conservation and research. Over the course of a distinguished career, de Silva has authored more than 350 scientific papers and more than 25 books. His work began in the 1960s when only a small handful of Sri Lankan researchers were studying the country’s reptiles and amphibians. To build local scientific capacity, he organized the country’s first one-day herpetological conference in the 1960s. He also launched Sri Lanka’s first herpetological research journal, Lyriocephalus, and established the Amphibia and Reptile Research Organization of Sri Lanka in 1990. De Silva’s mentorship has left a lasting legacy across the region. Ruchira Somaweera, a Sri Lankan-born conservation biologist, recalled receiving an inscribed copy of the journal from de Silva when he was just 13. “Most of the herpetologists of my generation were groomed by de Silva, and hundreds, if not thousands, of students have been inspired by him, just like I was,” Somaweera told Mongabay. Born in 1940 in the southern coastal city of Matara, de Silva developed his passion for snakes as a child after rescuing&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/at-86-sri-lankas-father-of-herpetology-inspires-a-new-conservation-generation/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330210</doi>				</item>
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					<title>US move to loosen restrictions on fishing could harm vital ecosystems, experts warn</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/us-move-to-loosen-restrictions-on-fishing-could-harm-vital-ecosystems-experts-warn/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/us-move-to-loosen-restrictions-on-fishing-could-harm-vital-ecosystems-experts-warn/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Sep 2026 10:13:57 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jules Struck]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Autumn Spanne]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/17141756/a.-BANNER-2-AP24197590776091-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=330081</guid>

					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Cetaceans, Conservation, Endangered Species Act, Environmental Policy, Fish, Fisheries, Fishing, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, Marine Mammals, Marine Protected Areas, Oceans, Overfishing, Politics, Protected Areas, Saltwater Fish, Whales, and Wildlife]]>
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											<description>
							<![CDATA[The federal agency that oversees U.S. fisheries released a list of priorities on Sept. 2, advancing the Trump administration’s promise to deregulate the domestic industry. The list of 34 priorities was published by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, which oversees scientific research, data collection and regulation of commercial fishing operations in [&#8230;]]]>
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							<![CDATA[The federal agency that oversees U.S. fisheries released a list of priorities on Sept. 2, advancing the Trump administration’s promise to deregulate the domestic industry. The list of 34 priorities was published by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, which oversees scientific research, data collection and regulation of commercial fishing operations in the United States alongside regional and tribal councils. The list outlines the agency’s intention to loosen restrictions on where, when and with what gear fishers are allowed to fish. U.S. fisheries are globally recognized as some of the most heavily-regulated and sustainable in the world. Conservationists say the agency’s new priorities are the latest signal from an administration intent on deregulating and defunding the agency. They warn that deregulation will open the door to overfishing and do lasting harm to ecosystems that support ocean health and sustain fisheries. “If we are reducing regulations and overfishing some really valuable fisheries this year or next year, it may take years for those fisheries to get back on track to healthy [stock] levels,” Reggie Paros, senior director of public affairs at the New York-based NGO Environmental Defense Fund, told Mongabay by phone. “The outcomes we would see on the water would be particularly damaging.” A pile of young Atlantic sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) on the deck of the New Bedford, Massachusetts-based fishing vessel Selje, collected during a NOAA survey to help track scallop abundance, distribution, ages, lengths, weights, sex, maturity and disease presence. Image by Catherine Foley/NOAA Fisheries.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/us-move-to-loosen-restrictions-on-fishing-could-harm-vital-ecosystems-experts-warn/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330081</doi>				</item>
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					<title>Now exempt from EU deforestation rules, leather industry moves to repair reputation</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/now-exempt-from-eu-deforestation-rules-leather-industry-moves-to-repair-reputation/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/now-exempt-from-eu-deforestation-rules-leather-industry-moves-to-repair-reputation/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Sep 2026 04:30:16 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Elisângela Mendonça]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Andy Lehren]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/18012102/IMG_2200-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=330162</guid>

					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cattle, Forestry, Governance, leather, and Regulations]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[PARIS — The prestigious Maison de la Chimie in central Paris hummed with confidence as leather representatives gathered to discuss the industry’s next steps to tackle what they call an unfair “negative perception” attributed to the material. On Sept. 7, around 400 international tanners, luxury-brand representatives and meatpacking executives gathered for the eighth Sustainable Leather [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[PARIS — The prestigious Maison de la Chimie in central Paris hummed with confidence as leather representatives gathered to discuss the industry’s next steps to tackle what they call an unfair “negative perception” attributed to the material. On Sept. 7, around 400 international tanners, luxury-brand representatives and meatpacking executives gathered for the eighth Sustainable Leather Forum. Speaking to their peers, panelists presented leather as a cornerstone of the circular economy: A way to make use of bovine hides that might otherwise go to waste. Beyond the ornate halls of the 18th-century mansion, after intense lobbying, the EU has exempted leather from its landmark deforestation law while simultaneously keeping restrictions on beef. Critics say this creates a regulatory contradiction: Products from the same cow will be allowed to enter Europe under two very different sets of rules. This juxtaposition has sharpened a long-simmering debate: If beef importers must prove their products are deforestation-free, why would hides from the same animals enter Europe with no equivalent oversight? Environmental and supply chain researchers argue the exemption creates a loophole that effectively splits responsibility for a single production system and this ultimately weakens the law. For industry representatives interviewed by Mongabay, the sector faces a reputational crisis. The EUDR did a “disservice” to a well-intentioned sector that benefits the environment by recycling a byproduct that otherwise would be discarded, a tannery executive said. Indeed, according to the Leather and Hide Council of America (LHCA), a U.S. trade association, around 40% of cowhides produced globally&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/09/now-exempt-from-eu-deforestation-rules-leather-industry-moves-to-repair-reputation/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-330162</doi>				</item>
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