insert_link Business / Economics Top brands buy Amazon carbon credits from suspected timber laundering scam An analysis of two carbon credit projects in the Brazilian Amazon has found that they may be connected to illegal timber laundering. Prior to the analysis, forest management plans had already been suspended in the areas over the same issue. The projects belong to Ricardo Stoppe Jr., known as the biggest individual seller of carbon credits in Brazil, who has made millions of dollars selling these credits to companies like […] todayMay 22, 2024 26
Environment UK wildlife group accuses European zoos of animal welfare breaches A British wildlife conservation group on Friday said it had uncovered thousands of breaches of animal welfare standards at zoos across Europe, urging improvements. The Aspinall Foundation claimed it had found more than 3,000 breaches of standards set by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) at 29 zoos over 18 months. The EAZA aims to ensure its member zoos and aquariums "maintain the highest standards of […] todayMay 22, 2024 37
insert_link Africa Kenya is badly prepared for floods: four steps to reduce devastation and deaths By Augustine Kiptum, University of Sussex Floods in Kenya in April/May 2024 led to the deaths of over 250 people and caused damage estimated at 4 billion Kenya shillings (US$35 million). Not for the first time, Kenya’s lack of preparedness was apparent as flooding rampaged through rural and urban landscapes. There was also confusion as to who would deal with the disaster – the national […] todayMay 22, 2024 15
insert_link Environment Agriculture Minister addresses World Water Forum The Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Calle Schlettwein, is attending the 10th World Water Forum under the theme “Water for Shared Prosperity” in Indonesia, Bali. The Minister addressed the Forum where he underscored Africa's commitment to water supply and sanitation, but on par with commitments to continental and global agreements. According to Schlettwein, Namibia is grappling with the worst drought it has faced in 100 years, threatening the country’s water security, […] todayMay 21, 2024 52
insert_link Environment Survival at stake for small island States The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda is leading the charge for more climate action paving the way for “resilient prosperity” as host of this month’s upcoming International Conference on Small Island Developing States. In an interview with UN News, Gaston Browne said the very survival of small island nations is increasingly at stake due to rising waters, extreme weather,and crushing debt. todayMay 21, 2024 35
insert_link Environment Charting a New Global Course for Dealing With Illicit Drug Use International Overdose Awareness Day 2022 in Barcelona. The annual UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs session agreed to make a major policy shift on drug use, moving from a criminalization approach toward harm-reduction measures. TELUOBIR/CREATIVE COMMONS This year’s meeting of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna marked a significant shift in policy when it agreed to focus on drug use as a public health issue that required an […] todayMay 21, 2024 31
insert_link Africa Snakebites can destroy skin, muscle, and even bone – exciting progress on drugs to treat them By Steven R. Hall, Lancaster University and Nicholas Casewell, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine The World Health Organization estimates that 1.8 million to 2.7 million people are envenomed by snakes annually, resulting in upwards of 138,000 deaths. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, snakebite annually kills between 20,000 and 32,000 people, though a 2022 paper suggests this is likely a gross underestimate. Africa is home to […] todayMay 21, 2024 13
insert_link Africa Seychelles: floating baby corals can help save damaged reefs – new study By April J Burt, University of Oxford and Noam Vogt-Vincent, University of Hawaii The Seychelles archipelago of 115 islands stretches across a vast area of the western Indian Ocean. Each island is fringed by coral reefs. Coral reefs are formed by colonies of invertebrate animals that build hard skeletons and grow in a myriad of forms. These complex tropical reefs support a third of all […] todayMay 21, 2024 11
insert_link Africa Mapping malaria in Africa: climate change study predicts where mosquitoes will breed in future Water bodies such as the Nile River, pictured here running through Juba in South Sudan, are included in the new model. Frontpage By Mark Smith, University of Leeds and Chris Thomas, University of Lincoln The relationship between climate and malaria transmission is complex and has been the subject of intense study for some three decades. Mosquito vector populations sufficient to maintain malaria transmission occur within a […] todayMay 20, 2024 20
