https://news.mongabay.com/list/activism/ Environmental science and conservation news Sat, 20 Jun 2026 09:10:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/05/16160320/cropped-mongabay_icon-32x32.png https://news.mongabay.com/list/activism/ 32 32 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/africas-community-led-marine-organizations-on-which-30x30-depends/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/africas-community-led-marine-organizations-on-which-30x30-depends/#respond 17 Jun 2026 10:45:16 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=321349 - At the heart of the discussions is ocean governance and the global push to meet the 30×30 target — protecting 30% of the world’s land, freshwater and oceans by 2030.
- But meeting that goal will depend not only on governments and international pledges, but also on community-led organizations doing the difficult work of conserving fragile marine ecosystems.
- Across Africa and around the world, thousands of grassroots groups are carrying out this work, often far from the spotlight, helping shape ocean conservation and blue economies that support local livelihoods. Mongabay spoke with representatives of four such organizations working across the continent from the Western Indian Ocean to Africa’s Atlantic coast.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/africas-community-led-marine-organizations-on-which-30x30-depends/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/06/the-bougainville-community-in-panguna-wants-justice-for-minings-toxic-legacy/ https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/06/the-bougainville-community-in-panguna-wants-justice-for-minings-toxic-legacy/#respond 16 Jun 2026 21:35:04 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=podcasts&p=321261 Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/06/the-bougainville-community-in-panguna-wants-justice-for-minings-toxic-legacy/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/peter-klopfer-the-scientist-whose-civil-rights-case-helped-bring-lemurs-to-duke/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/peter-klopfer-the-scientist-whose-civil-rights-case-helped-bring-lemurs-to-duke/#respond 16 Jun 2026 00:04:01 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=321263 - A Quaker pacifist and civil-rights activist, he refused the Korean War draft, supported student protesters in North Carolina, and was arrested during a 1963 integration protest.
- His Supreme Court case, Klopfer v. North Carolina, extended the Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial to state courts.
- The legal-defense fund created after his arrest helped connect him with John Buettner-Janusch, leading to the arrival of lemurs at Duke and the creation of what became the Duke Lemur Center.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/peter-klopfer-the-scientist-whose-civil-rights-case-helped-bring-lemurs-to-duke/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/flamingo-revolution-aims-to-stop-kushner-backed-resort-on-protected-albanian-delta/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/flamingo-revolution-aims-to-stop-kushner-backed-resort-on-protected-albanian-delta/#respond 12 Jun 2026 19:54:54 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=321100 - The construction is linked to a luxury resort backed by Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners, targeting one of the last intact river-delta wildernesses in the Mediterranean, where only 4% of deltas remain undisturbed.
- As Albania’s anti-corruption authority investigates and the EU warns the development could jeopardize the country’s 2030 membership bid, conservationists say the crisis exposes a pattern of broken promises around the celebrated Vjosa Wild River National Park.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/flamingo-revolution-aims-to-stop-kushner-backed-resort-on-protected-albanian-delta/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/in-ecuador-an-indigenous-community-goes-thirsty-despite-its-two-rivers/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/in-ecuador-an-indigenous-community-goes-thirsty-despite-its-two-rivers/#respond 12 Jun 2026 07:00:07 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=321009 - Residents of Capirona say that, by 2021, the color of the Puní River started to change, turning brownish. Meanwhile, problems such as skin rashes, fungal infections and itching became frequent.
- In samples of mining ore collected by Ecuadorian authorities from an illegal mining camp on the banks of Puní, signs of mercury were found at levels far exceeding the permitted limit for this metal in agricultural soils.
- Industrial farming activity has also polluted the waters of the Shalkana River, another watercourse located within the community. Despite being surrounded by two rivers, residents of Capirona rely on two water tankers sent weekly by municipal authorities, which is enough for barely half of the families for just a few days.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/in-ecuador-an-indigenous-community-goes-thirsty-despite-its-two-rivers/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/southeast-asian-nations-chart-important-new-course-toward-environmental-justice-commentary/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/southeast-asian-nations-chart-important-new-course-toward-environmental-justice-commentary/#respond 11 Jun 2026 22:57:53 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=321042 - This is an important commitment to environmental justice for the 680 million people who call this region home, a new op-ed by the former U.N. special rapporteur on human rights and the environment states, but it needs to begin implementation, he argues.
- “The next step — implementation — is even more crucial,” he writes. “The ASEAN region faces enormous environmental challenges, and too often governments have failed to protect the human rights of those who are on the frontlines of those challenges.”
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/southeast-asian-nations-chart-important-new-course-toward-environmental-justice-commentary/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/how-an-activist-network-built-pressure-without-political-power/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/how-an-activist-network-built-pressure-without-political-power/#respond 11 Jun 2026 14:44:18 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=320946 - The book follows RAN’s early campaigns against Burger King, True Geothermal, the World Bank and Mitsubishi to show how the group linked distant forest destruction to everyday choices, public pressure and corporate reputation.
- Benac shows how RAN combined decentralized organizing, nonviolent direct action, media spectacle, boycotts and long-term support for local and Indigenous-led campaigns.
- The interview explores what RAN’s history can teach today’s environmental movements about leverage, persistence, outside solidarity and the challenges that come when a radical network begins to win.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/how-an-activist-network-built-pressure-without-political-power/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/a-blueprint-for-effective-activism-10-years-after-defeating-a-dam-in-borneo-analysis/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/a-blueprint-for-effective-activism-10-years-after-defeating-a-dam-in-borneo-analysis/#respond 10 Jun 2026 18:59:56 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=320891 - Ten years since Indigenous and local communities united with civil society organizations across the world to send that proposal down to a historic defeat, two leaders of one NGO that was key to the victory reflect on what helped the campaign succeed.
- “While the Baram victory cannot be automatically replicated — since each river, each community, each political configuration is its own — the structure of the campaign’s Indigenous-led physical resistance, rigorous independent science, and international solidarity infrastructure that amplifies without supplanting local leadership has been reactivated in varying forms and sites of victory across the world,” they write.
- This article is an analysis. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/a-blueprint-for-effective-activism-10-years-after-defeating-a-dam-in-borneo-analysis/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/06/climate-wayfinding-can-help-you-unpack-the-overwhelm-of-our-ecological-problems/ https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/06/climate-wayfinding-can-help-you-unpack-the-overwhelm-of-our-ecological-problems/#respond 09 Jun 2026 21:03:57 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=podcasts&p=320690 Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/06/climate-wayfinding-can-help-you-unpack-the-overwhelm-of-our-ecological-problems/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/sri-lanka-bans-single-use-plastic-bottles-at-government-events-charges-for-plastic-bags/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/sri-lanka-bans-single-use-plastic-bottles-at-government-events-charges-for-plastic-bags/#respond 08 Jun 2026 19:09:09 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=320781 - The Indian Ocean island generates an estimated 250,000 metric tons of plastic waste annually, but only a small fraction is recycled, with much of the waste ending up in landfills, waterways and the ocean.
- Environmentalists say Sri Lanka has introduced several plastic bans over the years, but weak enforcement, poor recycling infrastructure, and consumer dependence on disposable products continue to undermine progress.
- Experts warn that lasting solutions will require stronger implementation, better waste management systems, a shift toward reusable alternatives and a circular economy.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/sri-lanka-bans-single-use-plastic-bottles-at-government-events-charges-for-plastic-bags/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/northern-thai-residents-march-for-action-on-polluted-rivers-this-is-an-emergency/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/northern-thai-residents-march-for-action-on-polluted-rivers-this-is-an-emergency/#respond 08 Jun 2026 04:19:30 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=320710 - Health authorities in Thailand have found arsenic in two people living near the Kok River. Heavy metals have also been found in the water and fish of Kok and other rivers.
- A spokesperson for the Thai Prime Minister’s Office said the government established a working group to monitor the contamination problem in the Kok River and has been continuously coordinating with other countries.
- China, which imports rare earth oxides and compounds from Myanmar, also addressed the pollution of rivers in an online statement: “The Chinese government has always placed utmost importance on protecting the environment and ecosystem.”
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/northern-thai-residents-march-for-action-on-polluted-rivers-this-is-an-emergency/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/rights-groups-renew-call-to-free-jailed-cambodian-environmental-activists/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/rights-groups-renew-call-to-free-jailed-cambodian-environmental-activists/#respond 05 Jun 2026 02:51:38 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=320620 - The activists were among 10 Mother Nature Cambodia members sentenced in 2024 to between six and eight years in prison for offenses including plotting against the government and insulting the king; a planned appeals hearing has now been postponed indefinitely.
- Supporters say the activists are being held in harsh conditions in prisons scattered across Cambodia, while repeated bail requests have been denied and families face significant financial and emotional burdens to visit them.
- The case has become a symbol of broader pressure on environmental defenders and civil society in Cambodia, with campaigners urging the government to free the activists ahead of the Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh later this year.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/rights-groups-renew-call-to-free-jailed-cambodian-environmental-activists/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/bangladesh-struggles-to-enforce-polluter-pays-principle-amid-legal-delays/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/bangladesh-struggles-to-enforce-polluter-pays-principle-amid-legal-delays/#respond 04 Jun 2026 15:07:48 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=320594 - Regulatory authorities could only realize 47.52% of the total compensation imposed in the past 16 years.
- Loopholes in laws, weak assessment of pollution, insufficient legal staffing, and prolonged case disposal are to be blamed, experts say.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/bangladesh-struggles-to-enforce-polluter-pays-principle-amid-legal-delays/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/new-book-offers-tips-to-translate-climate-science-into-political-gains/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/new-book-offers-tips-to-translate-climate-science-into-political-gains/#respond 02 Jun 2026 15:35:10 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=320492 - Even in the United States, where the Trump administration has pulled out of the Paris Agreement twice and often dismisses the science of climate change, federal scientific agencies such as NASA continue to maintain that the evidence is clear: human activities are driving climate change.
- Yet translating climate science into meaningful policy action and political gains has proven frustratingly slow for many climate advocates and campaigners. At the same time, misinformation and disinformation have further complicated public understanding of the issue.
- In his book, “Radically Reframing Climate Change: A Guide to Saving Ourselves,” Will Hackman contends that many climate communicators are approaching the issue the wrong way. Rather than speaking the language of the audiences they hope to reach, he says, they often rely on language that resonates only with those who already agree with them.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/06/new-book-offers-tips-to-translate-climate-science-into-political-gains/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/luxury-yacht-maker-sunseeker-pleads-guilty-to-violating-a-us-environmental-law/ https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/luxury-yacht-maker-sunseeker-pleads-guilty-to-violating-a-us-environmental-law/#respond 27 May 2026 03:46:18 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&p=320169 Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/luxury-yacht-maker-sunseeker-pleads-guilty-to-violating-a-us-environmental-law/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/perus-quellaveco-mine-tied-to-water-scarcity-contamination-investigation-finds/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/perus-quellaveco-mine-tied-to-water-scarcity-contamination-investigation-finds/#respond 26 May 2026 18:13:02 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=320143 - The mine is operated by Anglo American Quellaveco S.A., a subsidiary of British mining company Anglo American, and is expected to produce around 300,000 tons of copper on average until the end of the decade.
- Studies have found high levels of metals, arsenic and mercury in human testing and water assessments. The company maintains the readings don’t exceed the standards for drinking and vegetable irrigation.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/perus-quellaveco-mine-tied-to-water-scarcity-contamination-investigation-finds/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/same-dangerous-project-fury-after-indonesia-revives-disputed-mine/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/same-dangerous-project-fury-after-indonesia-revives-disputed-mine/#respond 22 May 2026 06:04:43 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=319967 - The revised environmental assessment replaces a proposed tailings dam with a plan to bury mining waste underground, but critics and independent experts say the mining company cannot realistically bury all of its waste and will still require a dangerous aboveground storage facility.
- Residents, activists and legal advocates argue the new approval is legally flawed because it relies on a framework already annulled by the Supreme Court, and say the company failed to conduct meaningful public consultation or provide key documents to affected communities.
- Communities opposing the mine say previous company activities have already caused environmental damage, flooding and water disruptions, and vow to continue fighting a project they fear could threaten lives and farmland in the earthquake-prone region.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/same-dangerous-project-fury-after-indonesia-revives-disputed-mine/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/bangladesh-salt-farmers-struggle-as-climate-shifts-disrupt-harvests/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/bangladesh-salt-farmers-struggle-as-climate-shifts-disrupt-harvests/#respond 20 May 2026 14:59:29 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=319814 - However, in recent years, unpredictable weather — such as increased rainy days and cold waves — has been disrupting salt production, forcing farmers to quit their generational livelihoods.
- Usually, salt production depends on dry weather, strong sunlight and high temperatures to crystallize salty water into salt.
- Experts caution that changing weather patterns could undermine both production stability and economic resilience of salt farming communities without adaptation measures.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/bangladesh-salt-farmers-struggle-as-climate-shifts-disrupt-harvests/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/jane-goodalls-grandson-on-hope-after-loss/ https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/jane-goodalls-grandson-on-hope-after-loss/#respond 18 May 2026 12:12:37 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&p=319640 Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/jane-goodalls-grandson-on-hope-after-loss/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/marine-conservation-suffers-when-the-ocean-is-not-accessible-to-all-especially-on-remote-islands-commentary/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/marine-conservation-suffers-when-the-ocean-is-not-accessible-to-all-especially-on-remote-islands-commentary/#respond 15 May 2026 16:54:28 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=319520 - If people protect what they value, and they value what they can experience, then marine conservation will be a low priority for these people, a new op-ed argues.
- “If the ocean is to be protected, it must first be experienced, but for millions of people, it remains fundamentally out of reach,” the author writes.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/marine-conservation-suffers-when-the-ocean-is-not-accessible-to-all-especially-on-remote-islands-commentary/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/05/protest-works-but-is-under-attack-and-needs-your-help-veteran-activists-say/ https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/05/protest-works-but-is-under-attack-and-needs-your-help-veteran-activists-say/#respond 12 May 2026 21:21:10 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=podcasts&p=319005 Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/podcast/2026/05/protest-works-but-is-under-attack-and-needs-your-help-veteran-activists-say/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/hope-is-rooted-in-action-interview-with-jane-goodalls-grandson-merlin-van-lawick/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/hope-is-rooted-in-action-interview-with-jane-goodalls-grandson-merlin-van-lawick/#respond 08 May 2026 06:00:30 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=318970 - Van Lawick is involved in the communication science and communications teams at the Jane Goodall Institute, from his hometown in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
- In this interview with Mongabay, he talks about his relationship with his grandmother, how he developed a strong interest in storytelling, and new ways of thinking to scale up impact in a quickly changing world.
- The forum was also an occasion for him to share the challenges and hopes of the Jane Goodall Institute.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/hope-is-rooted-in-action-interview-with-jane-goodalls-grandson-merlin-van-lawick/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/the-worlds-great-deltas-are-sinking-and-with-them-a-global-food-system/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/the-worlds-great-deltas-are-sinking-and-with-them-a-global-food-system/#respond 06 May 2026 19:54:03 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=318789 - The Mekong is just one of 40 of the world’s large river deltas threatened by high subsidence rates coupled with rising sea levels, according to a 2026 global study. Among the 19 river deltas seeing the most significant widespread subsidence are those on the Mekong, Nile, Chao Phraya, Ganga-Brahmaputra, and Mississippi rivers.
- As the world’s great deltas sink, humanity loses rich, irreplaceable agricultural lands, fisheries, urban areas and exceptional biodiversity — much of which will not be salvageable beyond a certain point. Delta loss poses a significant threat to global food security, and an existential threat to often impoverished delta communities.
- Delta subsidence can be slowed and even reversed by implementing well-understood mitigation strategies, say experts, by replacing hydropower dams with alternative energy, reducing sand mining and groundwater extraction, and altering agricultural practices. But these solutions are hampered by economics and lack of political will.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/the-worlds-great-deltas-are-sinking-and-with-them-a-global-food-system/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/saline-intrusion-in-mekong-delta-leaves-farmers-and-scientists-at-odds/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/saline-intrusion-in-mekong-delta-leaves-farmers-and-scientists-at-odds/#respond 30 Apr 2026 22:49:50 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=318406 - A growing scientific consensus says Vietnam must learn to adapt to salt water rather than trying to engineer its way out of the problem; this perspective was officially integrated into Vietnam’s public policy with the 2017 Resolution 120.
- In practice, however, hard infrastructure like sluice gates are popular at the local level and continue to be built.
- Progress implementing Resolution 120 has also slowed due to 2025 administrative reforms that restructured ministries and re-drew provincial boundaries in the delta.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/saline-intrusion-in-mekong-delta-leaves-farmers-and-scientists-at-odds/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/marine-resource-conflicts-in-africa-revolve-mostly-around-access-study/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/marine-resource-conflicts-in-africa-revolve-mostly-around-access-study/#respond 29 Apr 2026 17:54:18 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=318283 - The study calls for more participatory and transparent governance to reduce conflicts, warning that without such reforms, conflicts could derail African policymakers’ sustainability and equity goals.
- The analysis, based on media reports and academic articles, found that the underlying drivers of the conflicts, some more direct than others, included illegal fishing, changes in distribution of benefits, weak governance and resource degradation caused by human activity.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/marine-resource-conflicts-in-africa-revolve-mostly-around-access-study/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/chesapeake-bay-conservation-bolstered-by-the-power-of-business-viral-videos/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/chesapeake-bay-conservation-bolstered-by-the-power-of-business-viral-videos/#respond 29 Apr 2026 17:09:00 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=318325 - His often humorous and always educational videos posted to various social media platforms garner huge attention and drive action by viewers to also do their part to improve water quality. The business allows him the flexibility to do this work daily, which in partnership with a local nonprofit, has removed millions of pounds of debris from the bay.
- In a new interview at Mongabay, Lewis shares his motivations and thoughts about the power of business to do good in the world.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/chesapeake-bay-conservation-bolstered-by-the-power-of-business-viral-videos/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/as-ghana-eyes-lithium-future-affected-communities-face-uncertainty/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/as-ghana-eyes-lithium-future-affected-communities-face-uncertainty/#respond 29 Apr 2026 06:55:21 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=318275 - The company received permission to develop a mining concession in Ewoyaa in 2023, and under Ghanaian laws restrictions were put in place on agricultural and other economic activities in that area.
- But delays in parliamentary ratification as a result of renegotiating the deal have meant that around 1,500 farmers are still awaiting compensation for loss of access to their land and livelihoods.
- Advocates warn the project could now be fast-tracked at the expense of community rights, citing Ghana’s past experience with industrial mining and the environmental, social and governance challenges associated with lithium mining in other parts of the world.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/as-ghana-eyes-lithium-future-affected-communities-face-uncertainty/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/migration-and-climate-pressures-deepen-flood-risks-in-bangladeshs-haors/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/migration-and-climate-pressures-deepen-flood-risks-in-bangladeshs-haors/#respond 29 Apr 2026 03:30:15 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=318294 - The impacts of climate change are magnified due to the destruction of natural barriers such as forests and natural wetland vegetation.
- Building better houses and agricultural practices with conservation of native vegetation can protect many of these communities.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/migration-and-climate-pressures-deepen-flood-risks-in-bangladeshs-haors/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/young-conservationists-are-building-hope-optimism-despite-challenging-times-commentary/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/young-conservationists-are-building-hope-optimism-despite-challenging-times-commentary/#respond 28 Apr 2026 16:49:19 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=318238 - Young people working in conservation face these issues and even more challenges since they’re just beginning their careers, but as young conservationists pushing for optimism in the sector write in a new commentary, there are many avenues for building hope and positivity.
- “Conservation Optimism as a philosophy is rooted in celebrating all successes, no matter the size or scope, and sharing stories of hope which are essential in sustaining our minds, bodies and motivations,” they write.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/young-conservationists-are-building-hope-optimism-despite-challenging-times-commentary/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/when-protest-works/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/when-protest-works/#respond 28 Apr 2026 01:11:29 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=318240 - Protest is presented as a varied set of tactics, with internal disagreements acknowledged and treated as part of how movements function.
- The book situates current efforts to restrict protest within a longer pattern in which dissent is tolerated when marginal and resisted when effective.
- Across its cases, the book underscores that many rights now taken for granted were contested and that the space for protest remains uncertain.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/when-protest-works/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/as-walk-for-peace-begins-in-sri-lanka-activists-call-for-animal-rights/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/as-walk-for-peace-begins-in-sri-lanka-activists-call-for-animal-rights/#respond 26 Apr 2026 01:53:05 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=318156 - Concerns were expressed over Aloka’s health and safety due to the prevalence of intense heat in Sri Lanka, with unusually high daytime temperatures and humid conditions prompting special care measures including a trailing ambulance and veterinary support throughout the journey.
- With an estimated 2.5 million stray dogs in Sri Lanka, activists critiqued an initial plan to remove street dogs from the walking path to avoid local dogs threatening Aloka’s safety.
- Animal rights advocates are using the moment to call for the long-delayed Animal Welfare Bill, urging stronger legal protections and humane treatment, replacing the country’s outdated laws to protect wild, domestic and stray animals.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/as-walk-for-peace-begins-in-sri-lanka-activists-call-for-animal-rights/feed/ 0 https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/open-dumping-failed-reforms-bury-sri-lankan-cities-in-waste-problem/ https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/open-dumping-failed-reforms-bury-sri-lankan-cities-in-waste-problem/#respond 23 Apr 2026 12:12:45 +0000 https://news.mongabay.com/?p=318011 - After years of unregulated dumping and ignored warnings, in 2017, the same garbage mound collapsed, killing 32 people, including children, destroyed more than 140 homes and displaced hundreds.
- The country generates around 8,000-10,000 metric tons of municipal solid waste daily, with Colombo contributing about 500 metric tons, while more than 260 open dumpsites, including 20 large ones, continue to operate countrywide.
- Systems are gradually shifting toward composting, waste-to-energy incineration and engineered sanitary landfill disposal, but weak segregation, limited capacity and continued reliance on open dumping persist.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/open-dumping-failed-reforms-bury-sri-lankan-cities-in-waste-problem/feed/ 0