Latest in Environment Highlight
Latest in Environment
A unique nature insurance policy aims to preserve Mexico’s Great Mayan Reef
Part of the Mesoamerican Reef has just come off the list of endangered UNESCO heritage. In Mexico, mass tourism is to fund a first-of-its-kind insurance plan to restore its reefs after hurricanes. But challenges remain.”Welcome to my office,” shouts guide Herlan to his crew of tourists before diving into the crystal clear waters off Mexico’s …
For some Austrians, summer holidays means climate activism
A growing civil resistance movement is tackling global warming with grassroots protests. The activists say they are taking a stand against life-threatening activities like fossil fuel burning and fracking.As a warm wind ripples through the scarlet poppies lining a country lane to the Austrian village of Wolkersdorf, a local farmer offers visitors sun-warmed cherries fresh …
These cities have the largest carbon footprint
A dubious distinction: top 10 cities with largest carbon footprint. Asia, the United States and the Middle East host the highest emitters — can you guess which world cities are worst for the climate?Boring name, interesting findings: The Global Gridded Model of Carbon Footprints provides a new analysis of the carbon footprint of cities around …
Preparing Morocco’s agricultural businesses for the elements
When the weather is erratic, businesses and people in the agricultural sector take the hit. How can risks to their livelihoods be minimized?Project aim: To increase resilience to extreme weather events for small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the industrial area of Ait Melloul, Morocco. Project size: The project is aimed at SMEs in the industrial area …
Biofuels: Good or bad for the environment?
Industrialized countries have subsidized the use of biofuels in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But campaigners say a focus on bio-based crops for fuel may actually be doing more harm than good.In the early part of this century, as governments grappled with how to most effectively combat global warming, policymakers put carbon emissions …
‘We cannot survive without insects’
Many people see insects as annoying pests. But British biologist Dave Goulson cautions: A world without insect is a dull place without coffee and chocolate — and with dead animals and cow patties piling up.Deutsche Welle: How many insects are there in the world? Dave Goulson: Insects are the dominant lifeform on the planet. We’ve …
Working with insects in Africa
The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Kenya was founded in 1970 and aims to improve the lives and health of people in tropical Africa by focusing on harmful and useful arthropods.We recently met with Dr. Sunday Ekesi from the center to discus their sustainability push throughout tropical Africa. The institute’s work is …
Tiny bees buzz to the rescue as elephants wreak havoc
Elephant numbers in South Africa’s Kruger National Park are rising — which is good news. But the prominent pachyderms are destroying habitat for other animals. Can the tiny bee provide a last line of defense?Project size: 100 beehives in total — 50 are inhabited, the other 50 are empty to act as a control. The …
Winners and losers in the race to meet the Paris climate goals
A new ranking shows how European countries stack up on climate protection. How does your country compare?The Paris Agreement to limit climate change signed in 2015 had countries committing to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions in order to keep global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) — anything beyond could cause …
Can plastic recycling solve the fast-fashion problem?
Fashion firms are tapping into growing public outrage at plastic pollution by offering snazzy garments made from old water bottles and other waste. But will it catch on — and can it make a difference?Old fishing nets, plastic bottles and threadbare tires are generally consigned to the landfill, or end up in our oceans. But …
Why so many gosh darn jellyfish?
Mediterranean resorts are having to ban swimming because of plagues of jellyfish, which scientists blame on a complex cocktail of human impacts, from climate change to overfishing.Few things evoke the idea of a relaxing vacation than a dip in the calm waters of the Mediterranean — especially for northern Europeans. But idyllic tourist spots such …
How a farming project in Nepal is smashing caste bigotry
As members of the lowest caste, Dalit women are among Nepal’s poorest people. They’re badly affected by climate change too. A farming project is helping them prepare for global warming. It’s had a surprising side-effect.Project goal: Helping women in the mountainous regions of Nepal’s Kavre district adapt to the effects of climate change — particularly …
G7 minus two: Leaders agree to ocean plastics charter
Five of the G7 nations, without the US and Japan, have agreed to an ocean plastics charter. But will such non-binding measures be enough for the world’s industrialized countries to beat plastic pollution together?Hate crimes, discrimination, inequality and nightmare events like the deadly war in Syria can make us feel that our world is upside …
Germany’s coal exit: jobs first, then the climate
Germany is about to appoint a commission that will plan how the country is to give up coal. But it’s already under fire for prioritizing the economy over the environment.No other country burns as much lignite as Germany. Around a quarter of German electricity comes from the carbon-heavy fuel, also known as brown coal. It’s …
Cave diver explores nature's mysteries
One woman has been exploring subaquatic caves for over 30 years. Her adventures have taken her deep beneath the Caribbean and inside Antarctic icebergs, and given her a long view of the damage we’re doing to our planet.Jill Heinerth has always felt at home under water – even when her life hung in the balance. …
Vietnam’s quiet coffee revolution
An indigenous community is trying to improve Vietnam’s coffee reputation by growing better-quality, organic beans. There’s more to the world’s second-biggest producer than just instant coffee, they say.Rolan Co Lieng walks slowly through a greenhouse checking the yellow and caramel-brown coffee beans that have been drying on net beds for months. She picks up a …
These eyes don’t get dizzy
Do action movies at the theater make your head spin? Not a problem for the peacock mantis shrimp. And that’s just for starters.Most of us don’t even need to get on a rollercoaster. Just watching a large-screen video shot by someone sitting in one will make us dizzy as the world seems to spin, rattle …
Saving Uganda’s lifeline with trees and microloans
Western Uganda’s Mpanga River is the lifeline for local communities and ecosystems in the region. But like many rivers around the world, it faces multiple threats. Locals are joining forces to protect it.Project aim: Protecting the Mpanga River and the surrounding national parks. Project implementation: Planting more than 18,000 indigenous trees in the area so …
Keeping up with Germany’s endangered bats
Deforestation, light pollution, pesticides and wind turbines – German bats face threats left, right and center. To protect them, researchers need solid data on just how human activity is impacting their numbers.As you enter the Sieg estuary near Bonn, a weathered sign appears at the roadside: “Caution! Bats in residence.” The area is a traditional …
Battling climate change with little resources: The fight of Mozambique’s coastal cities
Adapting to the impacts of climate change is expensive. How can poorer regions manage? Mayors of Mozambique’s coastal cities show how they are preparing for severe storms and rising sea levels with limited resources.Although industrial countries produce the lion’s share of greenhouse gases globally, it’s countries of the Global South that face the brunt of …
Demand for animal feed threatens a tropical paradise
Fertile soil and an incredible array of exotic fruit, vegetables and spices made Thailand a land of plenty. But as demand for meat there grows, industrialized farming practices are threatening this tropical paradise.Project goal: Promoting sustainable and climate-friendly production and consumption as forests are cleared for maize crops. Project implementation: Staff are advising the Thai …
Top 5 greener alternatives to charcoal
From making eco-friendly coal out of banana skins to using poop to fuel cooking stoves, eco@africa has featured a host of greener alternatives to charcoal. We’ve picked our top five innovations.1. Making coal from banana skins Students in Cameroon have come up with an ingenious way to combat the city of Douala’s mounting waste management …
South Africa’s fight against the thirsty wattle
Cape Town is running out of water — but using the precious resource more wisely isn’t the only thing that could help. Invasive species can suck water away. So the hunt is on.Project goal: Eliminate water-intensive invasive brush and tree species to allow the local aquifer (Atlantis aquifer) to replenish. Side effect: The local “feinbos” …
What will it take to clear the air in Berlin?
Berlin is notorious for dirty air in Germany. The local government wants to introduce speed limits on major roads to tackle the problem, while environmental groups continue to call for a diesel ban across Germany.It’s no secret that Berlin is dirty. For many, part of the city’s appeal stems from its less-than-clean trains, parks covered …
Antarctica is melting from below and that’s bad news
So far, the Antarctic was seen as relatively stable. But a new study suggests that climate change is affecting the polar region on a much larger scale than previously believed – which could have devastating consequences.Scientists have long been alarmed by the rate at which ice is melting in the Arctic around the North Pole. …
Carbon capture: Expensive, risky – and indispensable?
New research suggests that unless we rapidly cut greenhouse gas emissions we will have to extract far more CO2 from the atmosphere than we are technically prepared for.A study published by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) warns that we need to cut carbon emissions by at least 20 percent more than countries …
Australian scientists develop ‘sun-shield’ that could protect Great Barrier Reef from rising temperatures
As water temperatures rise and ocean acidity levels increase, corals are dying off at record rates. Now, researchers believe they may be able to prevent coral bleaching in parts of the world’s largest coral reef system.An ultra-fine ‘sun-shield’ created by Australian scientists could be used to protect the Great Barrier Reef from further coral bleaching. …
Miniature sleuths to sniff out transnational wildlife crooks
Bloodhounds and other sniffer dogs have been helping to track down villains for centuries — but when space is tight, Africa’s “sniffer rats” could be perfect for the job.In a boot camp deep inside Tanzania, an elite squad of tiny sniffer troops is being drilled for combat duty against transnational wildlife criminals. Weighing in at …
Cape Town water crisis: adapting to a water-scarce future
Cape Town might have dodged Day Zero, but a new hyper-consciousness of water use looks set to be the new normal — and not just for the drought-hit African city.The water crisis is clear before you’re even out of Cape Town International Airport. The bathroom faucets are dry, with soap replaced by hand sanitizer. After …
Time running out to save the Earth’s plants and animals
Five new reports unveiled at a UN biodiversity summit in Colombia are sounding the alarm over the rapidly deteriorating state of biodiversity on our planet. But they also provide the tools to fight back.Delegates at a major international summit on biodiversity in Medellín, Colombia have been rattled after being presented with stark new evidence about …