insert_link Business / Economics Lessons from Finland’s attempt to transition to a circular economy Tracegrow, a Finnish company, uses recycled batteries and industrial waste to create agricultural fertilizers. A number of companies are innovating to increase circular solutions. At the national level, however, experts underline that great challenges remain to advance circularity. Image courtesy of Tracegrow. By Sean Mowbray via MongaBay In 2016, Finland became the first country in the world to adopt a national circular economy road map, with the ambition to become a […] today24 January, 2024
Environment South Africa’s Agulhas long-billed lark: adapting and surviving despite farming taking over their nesting grounds By Robert Leslie Thomson, University of Cape Town The Agulhas long-billed lark (Certhilauda brevirostris) is only found in South Africa. It builds nests on the ground mainly in Renosterveld fynbos, a type of vegetation filled with grasses and wild spring flowers that is critically endangered by agricultural expansion. The University of Cape Town’s FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology recently published the first study into the nesting practices of […] today23 January, 2024
insert_link Environment Conservationists aim to save South America’s super tiny wild cat, the guina Image courtesy of Jerry Laker/Fauna Australis. By Petro Kotzé via MongaBay For more than 200 million years, the ancient Valdivian Temperate Forest in southwestern Chile has been a refuge for plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth. This global biodiversity hotspot is home to monkey puzzle trees (Araucaria araucana), the endangered chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera), threatened southern pudu (Pudu puda) — the world’s smallest deer — and two critically endangered species: the […] today23 January, 2024
insert_link Africa Mozambique’s cyclone flooding was devastating to animals – we studied how body size affected survival By Jason P. Marshal, University of the Witwatersrand and Francesca Parrini, University of the Witwatersrand Anyone who watches the news will have seen the devastation that tropical cyclones can cause when they reach land, with very strong winds, high rainfall and flooding. A cyclone like this, Idai, moved over Gorongosa National Park in central Mozambique in March 2019. At that time, it was the deadliest storm in Africa. Rainfall […] today18 January, 2024
insert_link World Another relocated Cheetah dies in India India's cheetah reintroduction project has suffered another blow – the death of a 10th cheetah in less than a year. The cheetah, which was brought from Namibia in September 2022, has died at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. With the death of Shaurya, seven adult cheetahs and three cubs born in India have died since March 2023. In a statement, the director of the project overseeing the cheetah […] today17 January, 2024
insert_link Environment Who protects nature better: The state or communities? It’s complicated By Shreya Dasgupta via Mongabay In a new study, more than 50 researchers conducted a review comparing the effectiveness of state-managed protected areas and areas managed by Indigenous peoples and local communities. The review found that comparing the two was very challenging for various reasons, including the difficulty in figuring out who was managing an area, as well as a lack of comparable data and different groups of researchers measuring […] today9 January, 2024
insert_link Environment Do carbon credits really help communities that keep forests standing? By John Cannon via Mongabay Communities play a critical role in REDD+, a forest conservation strategy that aims to reduce emissions that can be sold as credits to raise money for forest protection. REDD+ projects often include components for the benefit of the communities, such as a focus on alternative livelihoods and provision of health care and education. But reports that REDD+ communities have faced abuses and rights violations have emerged […] today9 January, 2024
insert_link Environment ‘No end in sight’ for potential of conservation tech: Q&A with Megan Owen By Abhishyant Kidangoor via MongaBay For the past seven years, the conservation technology lab at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has been working to develop and deploy technology that can automate the collection and processing of wildlife data. Running a tech lab in a zoo has the benefit of providing scientists with a setting where they can use the wildlife in their care to validate the data and calibrate […] today9 January, 2024
