Can we buy our way out of the sixth extinction?
Money, it’s said, makes the world go round. The old adage appears to be true in conservation, too: A paper in Nature tracked $14.4 billion spent on conservation programs over…
Environmental headlines
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123 baby giant tortoises stolen from Galápagos breeding center
On the night of Sept. 24, 123 giant tortoise hatchlings were stolen from the Arnaldo Tupiza breeding center on Isabela, the largest island in the Galápagos. The hatchlings belonged to…
Latam Eco Review: Millennial trees and Pacific coral larvae
Top recent stories from our Spanish-language service, Mongabay Latam, include a multi-country series on illegal logging, traveling coral larvae, and a treaty to protect environmental defenders. Peru’s millennial trees could…
Amazonia and the setbacks of Brazil’s political moment (commentary)
The imminent election this month of far right Jair Bolsonaro as Brazil’s new president poses threats to the environment, indigenous people, and the global climate.
Fire fundamentally alters carbon dynamics in the Amazon
The fires closing in on Erika Berenguer’s research site in Brazil’s eastern Amazon were unlike anything she had seen in years working in the forest. Smoke hung heavy the air.…
In other news: Environmental stories from around the web, October 12, 2018
Tropical forests Between 2012 and 2017, scientists discovered 21 new species of plants and animals in Mexico (Mexico News Daily). Research finds that schemes to avoid soy-related deforestation don’t always…
Scientists, conservationists: Give Nobel Peace Prize to Jane Goodall
More than 30 scientists and leaders in environmental conservation are calling for the Norwegian Nobel Committee to award Jane Goodall with the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. Citing the 84-year-old primatologist’s…
Top Madagascar shrimp co. moved millions among tax-haven shell companies
An influential shrimp magnate in Madagascar moved millions of dollars among shell companies based in offshore tax havens, raising the possibility that one of the world’s poorest countries is missing…
Tech prize finalists promote collaboration to fight extinction
The non-profit Conservation X Labs (CXL) recently announced twenty finalists for the Con X Tech Prize – subtitled “Hacking Extinction.” The finalists will receive $3,500 to continue developing their projects,…
Second environmental expert sued over testimony against palm oil firm
JAKARTA — A prominent environmental expert in Indonesia faces a lawsuit by a palm oil company after testifying against its practices, in the second case of its kind this year.…
It’s déjà vu for orangutans, devastated by climate change and hunting once before
Orangutans face a changing climate and are hemmed in by a growing human population using novel technologies to hunt them down. It's a situation they have been in before —…
Fire and agroforestry revive California indigenous groups’ traditions
This article was published in partnership with Civil Eats, the daily news website focused on sustainable food and farming. ORLEANS, California — Frank Lake stoops beside a low-growing shrub, cups one hand…
In a Colombian sanctuary, once-trafficked birds fly again
BARU PENINSULA, Colombia — A 50-minute drive from Cartagena, the most important tourist city in Colombia, is a place that preserves the colors and sounds of biodiversity. A two-hour stroll…
In a rhino stronghold, indigenous wood-carvers cut through stereotypes
Sitting on a wooden plank on the floor of his tiny workshop, Kushal Das meticulously uses his chisel and gouge to give the finishing touches to the rhinoceros he’s spent…
Senegal: After reviving fish and forests, Jola villages tackle new threats
This is the main story in Mongabay’s three-part profile of the Kawawana ICCA. Links to the other stories will appear here once they are published. MANGAGOULACK, Senegal — To…
Whales not enough sustenance for polar bears in fast-changing climate
Dead whales are a nutritional boon for polar bears, and they’ve likely helped bears survive lean periods during warm spells in the past when much of the Arctic was ice-free.…
Indonesian government puts off Sumatran rhino IVF program
JAKARTA — Hopes for a long-awaited collaboration between Indonesia and Malaysia to breed the near-extinct Sumatran rhino are fading fast, as the last of the species languish amid government inaction.…
Hot pink swamp eel discovered in Indian rainforest
Scientists searching for snake-like amphibians discovered a new species of swamp eel living in the rainforest of northeastern India. According to a paper published in the journal of Ichthyological Exploration…
Plastic trash from the ‘sachet economy’ chokes the Philippines’ seas
MANILA, Philippines — Freedom Island is drowning in garbage. The last coastal frontier in the Philippine capital provides refuge to migratory birds and a thick mangrove forest there serves as…
Decoding the language of bats key to their conservation
South American bats speak dialects different from those of their North American counterparts. In response, a group of scientists has developed the first artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm for acoustic identification…
