Religions News

Rainforest stream near Jantho in Aceh, Indonesia. Photos by Rhett A. Butler Aceh, Indonesia has found a new ally in the struggle to protect the province's remaining natural forests: Sharia…

Innovation in Tropical Forest Conservation: Q&A with Dr. Shonil Bhagwat Entrance to a sacred grove in Kodagu, India. Photo courtesy of Shonil Bhagwat. "In Africa, you can come across Kaya…

In Southern Italy over the weekend, Pope Francis reiterated his view that environmental destruction constituted a sin. Visiting the largely agricultural region of Molise, the pope responded to an address…

Pope Francis I, who named himself after the nature-loving Saint from Assisi, spoke about the need to safeguard creation during an audience at the Vatican last week. "We are Custodians…

Baby orangutans, like this Sumatran orangutan on its mother's back, are often kept illegally in Indonesia. Photo by Rhett A. Butler Indonesia’s Islamic clerics drew praise from conservation groups last…

An international cement company Lafarge, winner of a Green Initiative award, is considering quarrying a cave in Malaysia which is the sole home of a critically endangered species. The proposed…

The 2013 Zoos and Aquariums: Committing to Conservation (ZACC) conference runs from July 8th—July 12th in Des Moines, Iowa, hosted by the Blank Park Zoo. Ahead of the event, Mongabay.com…

Tapping into religious teachings about stewardship, environmental activist Bandana Kaur enlists Sikhs around the world to safeguard the environment. Many religious groups have taken on the role of environmental custodians,…

Pope Francis I. Photo by: Casa Rosada. In his first homily as the new pope, Francis I spoke of the need to act as protectors both for the environment as…

A monk at Wat That Thong temple in Bangkok During a Buddhist merit-making ceremony to pray for the tens of thousands of elephants poached annually. Photo by: © WWF Thailand.…

A poster-child for rare species: the Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus) captured on camera trap in its last stand: Ujung Kulon National Park Java, Indonesia. Photo by: © Mike Griffiths /…

The Sri Dalada Maligawa Buddhist Temple, which may soon receive 359 elephant tusks. The Sri Lankan government is planning to give 359 elephant tusks to a Buddhist temple, a move…

Elephant herd in Kenya. It's estimated that around 25,000 elephants were killed by poachers in 2011, though the number could be even higher. Photo by: Rob Roy. Responding to an…

The Heartland Institute's billboard campaign, which was pulled after 24 hours, has led to repercussions for the climate-denialist group. The Heartland Institute has lost two corporate supporters since it unveiled…

Abandoned by conservationists and the global community, Virachey National Park in Cambodia remains a wildernesses of surprises. An interview with Greg McCann. Haling-Halang and the barrier mountains separating Cambodia and…

A view of Puerto Esperanza. Photo by: David Hill. A grassroots indigenous organization in Peru is calling for the removal of an Italian Catholic priest from the remote Amazon in…

View Larger Map A federal judge has suspended the construction of a 1,820 megawatt dam on the Teles Pires River in the Amazon. The judge found that indigenous communities were…

Amazon community on the Rio Corrientes. Photo by: Patrick le Flufy. "Shh, wait here," Wilson told me. I ducked down behind the buttress of a large tree to wait. We…

A northern common cuscus in Misool, Raja Ampat. Photo by: Dmitry Telnov. How do indigenous communities hunt without pushing target species to local extinction? In other words, how have communities…

While pro-life activists usually target abortion, a new campaign is working to broaden the pro-life message. A $250,000 media campaign in the U.S., including TV spots and radio ads in…

One of the world's top 25 most endangered primates: the roloway monkey (Cercopithecus diana roloway) photographed in the Munich Zoo. Saved from being converted into a vast palm oil plantation…

Pope Benedict XVI called for a "responsible" deal at the Vatican today just ahead of the two week Climate Summit in Durban, South Africa. "I hope that all members of…

Cambodian villagers dressed as 'avatars' to protest the destruction of their forest. Photo courtesy of: Prey Lang Network. Two hundred Cambodians rallied in Phnom Penh last week to protest the…

As the honorary speaker at an event celebrating fifty years of the conservation organization World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Archbishop Desmond Tutu stated that overconsumption and obsession with economic…

Rainforest leaves in Uganda. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. To read last year's Earth Day article: World failing on every environmental issue: an op-ed for Earth Day. There is no…

The view from Lazy Point. Photo courtesy of Carl Safina. Being compared—by more than one reviewer—to Henry Thoreau and Rachel Carson would make any nature writer's day. But add in…