Mongabay · Page 48

For more than a century, nations have measured societal gains in terms of economic growth. But a new review published in the journal Lancet Planetary Health in January 2025 questions that convention. It concludes that humanity would benefit more if it aims for…

JALAPÃO, Brazil — The buritis, or moriche palms, are fighting for their lives in the streambed now lined with scorched earth. For two years now, drought has advanced a barrier of dead vegetation through this once-humid oasis, called a vereda by the people…

JAKARTA — Indonesia, one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, has signaled it might follow in the footsteps of the U.S. and withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. “If the United State [the second-biggest emitter after China] does not want…

Madagascar is bracing for Tropical Cyclone Faida to make landfall on its northern coast on Feb. 4, even as it deals with the aftermath of another recently dissipated storm, Elvis, that reportedly killed at least five people. Those killed during Elvis’s…

When certain algae flourish in the sea, they produce neurotoxins that can sicken both humans and marine animals. Acute exposure to these toxins is known to kill whales and other marine mammals outright, but many carry the toxins chronically without displaying…

KATHMANDU — In the 1970s, Nepal’s government faced major challenges conserving the fertile flood plains of the country’s south. The region is the natural habitat of the iconic greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) and Bengal tiger (Panthera…

A small town in southern India has rolled out an innovative solar-powered “invisible” fencing system designed to alert residents of approaching wildlife. The system makes some residents feel safer, but several challenges remain before it can effectively…

TEBO, Indonesia — Dewita’s voice cracked through tears as she read her personal statement before a court on Dec. 3 in Tebo, a landlocked district in Jambi province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. “I beg your honor to show mercy and generosity, to…

Wild chimpanzees have long been known to rely on their powerful memories to know where and in what trees they can find ripe wild fruit. Less has been understood about whether and how the great apes use their memory to locate foods of animal origin, such as…

2024 was a chaotic year. The year was, once again, the warmest on record globally, according to the World Meteorological Organization, with multiple climate disasters around the globe. The year was also the third since Russia had invaded Ukraine, it saw 12…

What’s new: Following the discovery of the underwater Borealis Mud Volcano on the Arctic seabed in 2023, researchers have now confirmed that the methane-spewing volcano is home to a diverse array of marine life thriving in the unique habitat. What the study…

After sea level rise significantly ate away at their town, most residents of Mexico’s El Bosque community have been relocated by the government. However, the residents, who mostly depend on fishing for their livelihoods, are now concerned about job security,…

In the summer of 1948, naturalist Charles J. Guiguet spent four months on the Goose Island Archipelago, a cluster of tree-covered islands with wild, rocky beaches located off the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. He noted the birds and animals he…

In effect for the past 18 years, the soy moratorium seemed established in Brazil. The voluntary agreement in which large soy traders commit to not buying soy from Amazon areas deforested after 2008 had helped to maintain the country’s reputation in…

Fertilizers help feed the world, but excessive use is poisoning water, polluting the air and accelerating climate change. Despite the damage fertilizers can cause, roughly a third of the world’s largest food companies don’t acknowledge any risk, while most…

BANGKOK, Thailand — On Jan. 5, Mongabay journalist Gerald Flynn was denied entry to Cambodia. Flynn has lived and reported in the country since 2019, but upon return from a brief visit to neighboring Thailand, Cambodian immigration officials accused him of…

We can now confirm that on the evening of Jan. 5, 2025, Mongabay journalist Gerald Flynn was denied entry to Cambodia while returning from a vacation. Immigration officials at the airport told Flynn that he is permanently banned from Cambodia because there was…

More than a year late, the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation has finally submitted its response to an investigation that found evidence of grave human rights violations at the Salala Rubber Corporation (SRC) that it helps fund in Liberia. The…

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and key members of his administration met with select members of the Ogoni community from the Niger Delta on Jan. 21 to discuss restarting oil drilling in the region, after health and environmental concerns brought the activity…

The soundscape in mangrove forests can be wonderfully complex. If you prime your ears, you might chance to hear mudskippers sloshing their bellies across silky mud, or fiddler crabs pattering between their burrows. If you’re lucky, a rustling overhead might…