Source: Loss of fauna in tropical forests impedes achieving Sustainable Development Goals
The latest news related to nature conservation from around the world. If there is
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We need more rewilding and connections to nature, says Enrique Ortiz
Mongabay
Enrique Ortiz is a Peruvian biologist who has been working in conservation in Latin America since the 1970s. Today he works at the Andes Amazon Fund, a philanthropic initiative that has helped establish 79 protected areas and get 18 Indigenous territories titled. Ortiz says the pandemic has been…
Marine microplastics are now invading the atmosphere, study finds
Mongabay
A new study has found that microplastics are being emitted into the atmosphere, mainly from roads, the ocean, and agricultural practices. Annual plastic production actually contributes a lesser amount of atmospheric microplastic than plastic discharge from the marine environment…
Scientists sound alarm about Australia’s 26 most endangered butterflies
The Guardian
There’s a very good chance of recovery for most species – if their habitat is protected. It might sound like an 18th century fashion statement but the “pale imperial hairstreak” is actually an extravagant butterfly. This pale blue (male) or white (female) butterfly was once widespread…
Over 47 tons of plastic found at US marine reserve – and an entangled seal
The Guardian
Expedition spent 24 days clearing 10 miles of shoreline in Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, collecting 94,472lb marine debris. In a span of just over three weeks, more than 47 tons of plastic waste were removed from America’s largest protected marine reserve, sometimes directly off animals…
Antarctic peninsula named in recognition of Aberdeen geologist’s work
The Guardian
A geologist who spent seven years working in the Antarctic has had a peninsula on the continent named after him in recognition of his work. Dr Malcolm Hole became only the second person to visit Rothschild Island when he arrived there in 1985 and part of it has now been called the Hole peninsula…
Species or Ecosystems: How Best to Restore the Natural World?
Yale Environment 360
What’s the best way to protect nature and restore what has been lost? A series of new scientific papers offer conflicting views on whether efforts should focus on individual species or ecosystems and point to the role human inhabitants can play in conserving landscapes…
Researchers find climate change impacts plankton – a key marine food source
Mirage
A key type of zooplankton’s inability to adapt to climate change could have adverse implications for marine food chains across the world if a severe global warming event were to occur, researchers at Oxford University have found…
Loss of fauna in tropical forests impedes achieving Sustainable Development Goals
Mirage
The current loss of biological diversity is unprecedented and species extinctions exceed the estimated background rate many times over. Coinciding with increasing human domination and alteration of the natural world, this loss in abundance and diversity is especially pronounced with – but not limited – fauna in the tropics…
Why Experts are Saying It’s a ‘Make or Break’ Moment for Forests
Inter Press Service
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated deforestation pressures and heightened the urgency of action to support sustainable forest management. The pandemic has brought the importance of forests to global well-being into sharp focus…
Humanity’s dysfunctional relationship with Earth can still be fixed, report says
Mongabay
A new report released in the leadup to the “Our Planet, Our Future” Nobel Prize Summit, provides an overview of the numerous challenges facing our planet due to human pressures, including the transgression of several planetary boundaries that help regulate and stabilize the Earth. However, it also considers ways in which global sustainability can be achieved through transformative change…
Hits and misses for a legal tool to protect the environment in Philippines
Mongabay
Filipino fishers call it the “secret island” — a group of three sandbars that emerge when the tide’s low enough, located a mile or so away from Pag-asa Island, known outside the Philippines as Thitu. They go there because it’s teeming with fish. But since 2017, the area has been largely inaccessible…
Brazil: Environment police battle for Amazon rainforest
BBC News
Brazil’s environmental police force, IBAMA, is facing new challenges due to government policy changes, an anonymous senior officer has told the BBC. Cuts to government funding and equipment from abroad, as well as the coronavirus pandemic and rioting have left the authority with little resources to protect the Amazon from illegal logging and mining…
Nature ‘more important than ever during lockdown’
BBC News
Data has confirmed what many suspected: nature and green spaces have been a big comfort during lockdown. More than 40% of people say nature, wildlife and visiting local green spaces have been even more important to their wellbeing since the coronavirus restrictions began…
Recent notifications from the Convention on Biological Diversity
Global biodiversity is declining at unprecedented rates. One million plant and animal species face extinction, more than ever before in human history. Studies suggest we are overusing Earth’s biocapacity by at least 56 per cent. And the COVID-19 crisis has served to highlight just how critical the health of our ecosystems is for human well-being and sustainable development…
