The recent climate talks wrapped up with a deal that left many feeling underwhelmed. The event was marked by protests, the absence of the US, and even a fire that caused a mass evacuation. One of the biggest sticking points was creating a plan to move away from fossil fuels, which are a major source of the emissions driving climate change. Over 80 countries, includi...
Deep in the Amazon, a group of Indigenous people are on a mission. They are the Kakataibo Indigenous Guard. Their job is to find and stop illegal coca plantations on their land. Coca is used to make cocaine. The Guard uses spears, machetes, and even bows and arrows to protect their home. The Amazon is a big place. It's bigger than Texas. It's also home to some of th...
Chief Raoni, a 93-year-old Indigenous leader, is sounding the alarm about Brazil's infrastructure plans. He believes these projects could harm the Amazon rainforest and the people who call it home. Raoni is in Brazil for the U. N. climate summit, COP30. He wants Indigenous peoples to have more say in how forests are managed. Raoni is concerned about highways, rail p...
In Brazil, the environment agency Ibama is cracking down on meatpacking companies, including JBS SA, for allegedly buying cattle from farms that have illegally cleared parts of the Amazon rainforest. Ibama has started looking into 12 meatpacking plants, saying they might have been involved in a scheme to hide the illegal origins of the cattle they bought. Ibama has ...
China's fight against deforestation has found an unexpected ally in its poverty alleviation efforts. The Poverty Alleviation Resettlement (PAR) program has shown promising results in protecting forests. This program is different. It doesn't just move people; it sets them up for success with ongoing support. The program's impact on forests was studied over time. Resea...
NASA astronaut Don Pettit recently snapped a photo from the International Space Station (ISS) that shows something quite fascinating. The Betsiboka River estuary in Madagascar, when seen from 250 miles above Earth, looks a lot like the tiny blood vessels in the back of our eyes, known as the retina. This isn't because of some biological miracle, but due to the reddis...
Over the past years, we've seen a worrying increase in forest fires, deforestation, and local temperature spikes in the Amazon rainforest. This has raised concerns about the collapse of the entire ecosystem. Scientists are working hard to understand how much deforestation and temperature increase could lead to this disaster. New research shows that even now, signs of...
The European Commission recently suggested pushing back the launch of the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free products by a year. This move has sparked a lot of talk. We've come up with some ideas, based on science and current projects, on how to make the most of this extra time. The goal? To help businesses switch to more sustainable ways of doing things...
Over the past two decades, a new approach has emerged in Africa to tackle deforestation. This method involves state wildlife authorities teaming up with nonprofit conservation groups to manage protected areas (PAs). Known as collaborative management partnerships (CMPs), these initiatives aim to enhance funding, build capabilities, and boost the environmental effectiv...
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon's Legal Zone is a complex issue influenced by various factors. From the region's unique soil and climate to human activities like population movements and urban expansion, the drivers are many. Researchers often point to the actions of public and private economic actors, who have historically shaped land use and economic activiti...