UN Chief calls for action to protect biodiversity and combat climate change

UN Chief calls for action to protect biodiversity and combat climate change

One million species now under threat, and humanity is to blame, the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has warned, in a call to protect the plants, animals, microorganisms and more, that sustain all life on Earth. Pollution, climate chaos, habitat loss and exploitation of nature have pushed a million plant and animal species to the brink of extinction. Guterres called on developed countries to invest in biodiversity and climate action […]

May 23, 2024 29 3

Environment

Heat waves can be deadly for older adults: An aging global population and rising temperatures mean millions are at risk

Older adults face health risks from high heat for many reasons, including medications. AP Photo/Manu Fernandez By Deborah Carr, Boston University; Enrica De Cian, Ca' Foscari University of Venice; Giacomo Falchetta, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, and Ian Sue Wing, Boston University A deadly heat wave gripped large regions of Asia for weeks in April and May 2024. As temperatures climbed past 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) […]

May 23, 2024 36

Environment

Are some routes more prone to air turbulence? Will climate change make it worse? Your questions answered

Trinity Moss/Unsplash By Doug Drury, CQUniversity Australia A little bit of turbulence is a common experience for air travellers. Severe incidents are rare – but when they occur they can be deadly. The recent Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 from London to Singapore shows the danger. An encounter with extreme turbulence during normal flight left one person dead from a presumed heart attack and several others badly injured. […]

May 23, 2024 47

Africa

Sweet sorghum is a hardy, nutritious, biofuel crop that offers solutions in drought-hit southern Africa

Sweet sorghum ripening in Rwanda. Ari Beser/Getty Images By Hamond Motsi, Stellenbosch University The southern African region is battling with drought at present. This is the result of El Niño, a natural climate cycle characterised by changes in Pacific Ocean temperatures. It has effects on global weather patterns, particularly rainfall and temperature. The drought has hit the region’s agricultural productivity hard. Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe have […]

May 23, 2024 24

Environment

Chamber of Environment calls for green hydrogen assessment

The Namibian Chamber of Environment has urged the Namibian and German governments, along with the EU, to commission an independent environmental assessment of the green hydrogen sector. They warn that green hydrogen projects in the Tsau ||Khaeb National Park could harm its integrity, biodiversity, landscape, and future tourism. Here is NCE CEO Dr. Chris Brown. The Chamber of Environment is an umbrella Association that provides a forum and mouthpiece for the […]

May 22, 2024 70

Environment

Why you shouldn’t take pebbles from the beach – here’s the science

Mr.Teerapong Kunkaeo / shutterstock By Joseph Earl, Lancaster University and Suzana Ilic, Lancaster University Cumberland Council in the north of England has announced that people taking pebbles from beaches will now face fines of up to £1,000. Many people found the announcement frustrating, but preventing erosion is critical, as research shows. For many people, visiting the beach brings back joyful childhood memories. It is easy to forget that […]

May 22, 2024 40

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 […]

May 22, 2024 33

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 […]

May 22, 2024 41

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 […]

May 22, 2024 18