Help protect indigenous culture and rainforests in the Amazon (12/11/2007) The Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) was awarded mongabay.com's inaugural "Innovation in Conservation Award" for its path-breaking efforts to enable indigenous Amazonians to maintain ties to their history and cultural traditions while protecting their rainforest home from illegal loggers and miners. Please consider supporting the Amazon Conservation Team this holiday season.

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FEATURED ARTICLES   [Latest news updates]

As amphibians leap toward extinction, alliance pushes "The Year of the Frog"

(12/31/2007) With amphibians experiencing dramatic die-offs in pristine habitats worldwide, an alliance of zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums has launched a desperate public appeal to raise funds for emergency conservation measures. Scientists say that without quick action, one-third to one-half the world's frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and caecilians could disappear.   [ Amphibian crisis | Conservation | Extinction]


Could carbon credits-for-forest conservation (REDD) reduce terrorism and global warming?

(12/21/2007) Schemes to offer carbon credits for reducing deforestation rates in developing countries could improve American security by providing stable income to disaffected rural groups, argues a new Council on Foreign Relations report on the impact of climate change on U.S. national security. Report author Joshua W. Busby of the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas-Austin says that plans to include Reducing Emissions From Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) mechanisms to international climate change mitigation efforts might have the unintended effect of reducing political instability in rural areas.   [ Environmental politics | Deforestation | REDD]


Rainforest destruction increasingly driven by markets, not poverty:
An interview with Dr. Thomas K. Rudel, forest researcher at Rutgers

(12/18/2007) Tropical deforestation is increasingly enterprise-driven rather than the result of subsistence agriculture, a trend that has critical implications for the future of the world's forests, says Dr. Thomas Rudel, a researcher from Rutgers University. As urbanization and government-sponsored development programs dwindle in the tropics, industrial logging and conversion for large-scale agriculture -- including oil palm plantations, soy farms, and cattle ranches -- are ever more important causes of forest destruction. In a December 2007 interview with mongabay.com, Rudel talked about the changing face of deforestation as well as his personal experiences in one of the most biodiverse ecoregions of the planet: the eastern slope of the Andes in Ecuador and Peru. Since first visiting the areas as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador in the late 1960s, Rudel has witnessed the dramatic transformation of forests for agriculture.   [ Deforestation | Rainforests]


U.S. corn subsidies drive Amazon destruction

(12/13/2007) U.S. corn subsidies for ethanol production are contributing to deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, reports a tropical forest scientist writing in this week's issue of the journal Science. Dr. William Laurance, of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, says that a recent spike in Amazonian forest fires may be linked to U.S. subsidies that promote American corn production for ethanol over soy production. The shift from soy to corn has led to a near doubling in soy prices during the past 14 months. High prices are, in turn, driving conversion of rainforest and savanna in Brazil for soy expansion.   [ Amazon | Brazil | Deforestation | Ethanol]


70% of rainforest island to be cleared for palm oil

(12/13/2007) Mongabay.com received information this week that the Malaysian company Vitroplant has been granted the permit it needs to begin developing 70% of Woodlark Island into palm oil plantations. In an e-mail received by one of the opposition leaders to Vitroplant, Dr. Simon Piyuwes said that "the government granted the permit to the oil palm company despite a widespread campaign and pressure from NGOs". In an earlier article Dr. Piyuwes stated that "we [the islanders] do not have money to fight the giant. We only hope for the support from the NGOs, and the mercy of the government to withdraw the project." It seems the government has refused Dr. Piyuwes what he hoped for.   [ Deforestation | New Guinea | Palm oil]


Rainforest destruction continues apace in tropical Asia

(12/10/2007) Tropical forests in Asia have been rapidly and extensively destroyed over the past generation, with significant implications for the region's biodiversity and global climate. A new study, published in the December volume of Current Science, finds that Asian forest loss has occurred mostly in poor, corrupt countries that have high population density and robust population growth rates.   [ Asia | Deforestation | Rainforests]


U.S. to cut funding for rainforest conservation during Bali climate talks

(12/06/2007) While delegates meet in Bali to discuss a post-Kyoto framework on climate change, it appears likely that the U.S. Treasury Department will cut funding for the Tropical Forest Conservation Act (TFCA), the largest pool of U.S. government money exclusively for helping developing countries conserve threatened tropical forests, according to the Tropical Forest Group, a forest policy group based in Santa Barbara.   [ United States | Deforestation | Rainforests]


Global warming accelerates destruction of the Amazon

(12/06/2007) Deforestation and climate change could damage or destroy as much as 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest by 2030, according to a new report from environmental group WWF. The report, The Amazon's Vicious Cycles: Drought and Fire in the Greenhouse, shows that degradation in the Amazon could release 55-97 million tons of carbon dioxide by 2030. Forest loss could also dramatically impact water cycles in the region, affecting rainfall that is critical for river flows and agriculture.   [ Amazon | Deforestation | Rainforests]


Tropical forests face huge threat from industrial agriculture

(12/05/2007) With forest conversion for large-scale agriculture rapidly emerging as a leading driver of tropical deforestation, a new report from the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) suggests the trend is likely to continue with Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Peru, and Colombia containing 75 percent of the world's forested land that is highly suitable for industrial agriculture expansion. Nevertheless the study identifies forests that may be best suited (low population density, unsuitable climate and soils) for "Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation" (REDD) initiatives which compensate countries for preserving forest lands in exchange for carbon credits.   [ Agriculture | Deforestation | Rainforests]


Amazon deforestation could be reduced to zero at $3 carbon price

(12/04/2007) The Amazon rainforest could play a major part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions that result from deforestation, reports a new study published by scientists at the Woods Hole Research Center, the Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazonia, and the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. At a carbon price of $3 per ton, protecting the Amazon for its carbon value could outweigh the opportunity costs of forgoing logging, cattle ranching, and soy expansion in the region. 2008 certified emission-reduction credits for carbon currently trade at more than $90 per ton ($25 per ton of CO2).   [ Amazon | Avoided deforestation | Carbon finance | REDD | Rainforests]


Returns from carbon offsets could beat palm oil in Congo DRC

(12/04/2007) A proposal to pay the Democratic of Congo (DRC) for reducing deforestation could add 15-50 percent to the amount of international aid given to the warn-torn country, reports a new study published by scientists at the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC). The funds would help alleviate rural poverty while cutting emissions of greenhouse gases and protecting threatened biodiversity.   [ Carbon finance | Carbon offsets | Congo]

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Most popular news articles for 2007

(12/31/2007) The 150 most popular news.mongabay.com articles for 2007 along with the 50 most popular for December.   [ Most popular]


Global food prices rise 40% in 2007 to new record

(12/27/2007) As world food prices continue to surge, 37 countries are facing critical food crises due to conflict and disasters, according to a report from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). FAO's global food price index rose 40 percent this year to the highest level on record. Food costs in the world's poorest countries — including Iraq, Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan, and 20 African countries — rose 25 percent to $107 billion.   [ Agriculture]


Brazil cracks down on illegal soy, cattle production in the Amazon

(12/24/2007) The Brazilian government launched a new initiative to slow deforestation in the Amazon, setting the stage for the country to potentially earn billions from carbon trading schemes set in motion two weeks ago at the U.N. climate meeting in Bali. Last Friday Brazil announced a ban on the sale of farm products from illegally deforested areas in the Amazon in an attempt to slow deforestation and forest fires that have increased in recent months due to surging commodity prices fueled by American corn ethanol subsidies and rising demand from China and other emerging markets for livestock feed. The presidential decree imposes fines and threatens credit access to landowners for buying or trading soy, beef, and other products produced on illegally deforested lands.   [ Amazon | Brazil | Deforestation]


Japan cancels plan to kill 50 humpback whales

(12/21/2007) Japan has canceled highly controversial plans to kill 50 humpback whales for purported "scientific purposes" (the meat is sold in fish markets) after widespread condemnation from environmentalists and governments.   [ Animals]


Uganda renews plans to log rainforest reserve for sugar cane

(12/21/2007) Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni on Friday revived a controversial plan to grant a forest reserve to commercial sugar cane interests.   [ Animals]


6 species of giraffe "discovered"

(12/21/2007) Genetic analysis shows that the world's tallest animal—the giraffe—may actually be several species, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Biology. Existing taxonomy recognizes only one species of giraffe.   [ Animals]


New process turns chicken fat into biodiesel

(12/20/2007) Habitat loss and fragmentation are putting amphibians already threatened by climate change, pesticides, alien invasive species, and the outbreak of a deadly fungal infection at greater risk of extinction, reported a study published in Science last week.   [ Biodiesel | Energy]


Squirrels use snake skin to disguise themselves from predators

(12/20/2007) California ground squirrels and rock squirrels chew up rattlesnake skin and smear it on their fur to mask their scent from predators, according to a new study by researchers at UC Davis   [ Animal behavior | Ecological beauty]


Migrating frogs fare poorly when habitat altered

(12/19/2007) Habitat loss and fragmentation are putting amphibians already threatened by climate change, pesticides, alien invasive species, and the outbreak of a deadly fungal infection at greater risk of extinction, reported a study published in Science last week.   [ Biodiversity | Amphibians]


Thailand's forests could support 2,000 tigers

(12/19/2007) Thailand's network of parks could support 2,000 tigers, reports a new study by Thailand's Department of National Park, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation and the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society.   [ Happy-upbeat | Thailand | Tigers]


Will carbon credits-for-forests scheme be undermined by carbon negative bioenergy?

(12/19/2007) The Indonesian government has signed an agreement with energy giant Total E&P Indonesia on a carbon capture and storage scheme that could eventually lead to the development of carbon negative bioenergy production in the southeast Asian country, reports Biopact. The deal raises fears that feedstock for production could lead to large-scale deforestation of the country's remaining forests and undermine efforts to push forest conservation-for-carbon credits (or REDD) initiatives.   [ Bioenergy | Deforestation]


Study shows that sea turtles can recover

(12/19/2007) Conservation of sea turtle nesting sites is paying off for the endangered reptiles, reports a new study published this week in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography.   [ Happy-upbeat | Sea turtles]


Did U.S. negotiators go against the Bush administration in Bali?

(12/18/2007) Insiders in Washington are speculating that the US delegation to the U.N. climate talks in Bali went against the wishes of the Bush Administration as negotiations drew to a close last weekend, according to SPIEGEL ONLINE.   [ Politics]


Palm oil is a net source of CO2 emissions when produced on peatlands

(12/17/2007) Researchers have confirmed that converting peat forests for oil palm plantations results in a large net release of carbon dioxide, indicating industry claims that palm oil helps fight climate change are unfounded, at least when plantations are established in peatlands.   [ Peatlands | Palm oil]


Two unknown mammal species discovered in "lost world"

(12/16/2007) Two mammal species — a tiny possum and a giant rat — discovered on a recent expedition to Indonesia's remote Foja Mountains in New Guinea are likely new to science, report researchers from Conservation International (CI) and Indonesia Institute of Science (LIPI). The area won international fame after a December 2005 survey turned up dozens of new species and gave urgency to conservation efforts in a region where logging and forest clearing for agriculture are a serious concern.   [ Happy-upbeat | Species discovery]


Bali delegates agree to support forests-for-climate (REDD) plan

(12/16/2007) Delegates meeting at the U.N. climate conference in Bali agreed to include forest conservation in future discussions on a new global warming treaty, reports the Associated Press. The move could lead to the transfer of billions of dollars -- in the form of carbon credits -- from industrialized countries to tropical nations for the purpose of slowing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing deforestation rates. Deforestation presently accounts for roughly 20 percent of anthropogenic emissions worldwide.   [ Climate change | REDD]


Christmas shopping habits affect global warming

(12/15/2007) Just as the conference in Bali on global warming wraps up with a middling agreement, consumers in the US and Europe are rushing to holiday stores, mostly unaware of how their Christmas consumerism affects global warming. The British independent think-tank, Nef (new economics foundation) has released a report highlighting the environmental cost of holiday shopping.   [ Jeremy Hance]


Scientists: cut emissions now to avoid climate tipping point

(12/14/2007) Countries need to act soon to cut carbon dioxide emissions if the worst impacts of global warming are to be avoided, warned a panel of scientists speaking Thursday at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. The scientists cited unexpectedly rapid warming in the Arctic this past summer and ongoing melting of glaciers around the world as signs that the climate system is fast changing, but said that Earth has not yet passed the point of no return.   [ Climate change | Carbon dioxide]


African wild dog pup gets a health check up

(12/14/2007) In this week's animal care photo by Julie Larsen Maher, Dr. Robert Moore, Wildlife Conservation Society Veterinarian, and Penny Kalk, Bronx Zoo Mammal Collections Manager, take a quick listen to an endangered African wild dog pup's chest as part of the routine health care of young animals at the Zoo.   [ Photos]


Bloomberg calls for a carbon tax

(12/14/2007) New York City mayor and potential U.S. presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg said that carbon cap-and-trade schemes are vulnerable to "special interests, corruption, inefficiencies," and should be replaced by straight carbon taxes, reports the Associated Press.   [ Carbon dioxide]


Global warming will degrade 98% of coral reefs by 2050

(12/13/2007) Ocean acidification caused by human-induced carbon dioxide emissions could dramatically alter the planet's coral reefs and marine food chains, warns research published in the December 14 issue of Science and presented at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in San Francisco.   [ Coral reefs | Ocean acidification | Oceans]


Fish farms are killing wild salmon in British Columbia

(12/13/2007) Parasitic sea lice infestations caused by salmon farms are driving nearby populations of wild salmon toward extinction, reports a study published in the December 14 issue of the journal Science. The research raises concerns about the sustainability of salmon farming.   [ Fish]


Arctic sea ice cold melt by summer of 2013

(12/12/2007) Melting in the Arctic is occurring faster than most scientists predicted, according to research presented at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco.   [ Greenland-Arctic]


Controversial dam in the Amazon gets Brazilian go-ahead

(12/11/2007) The Brazilian government has awarded rights to build and operate a controversial R$10 billion hydroelectric power plant on the Madeira river in the Amazon rainforest near the border with Bolivia, according to FT.com.   [ Amazon | Dams | Brazil]


U.S. contributes $0 to World Bank's new $300m forest carbon fund

(12/11/2007) At U.N. climate talks in Bali, the World Bank officially unveiled its $300 million Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, a scheme that will offer tropical countries carbon offset credits to preserve forests. Update: U.S. hijacks climate talks, kills rainforest conservation plan   [ Avoided deforestation | Climate change | Rainforests | United States]


Climate change already affecting water supplies in the Western U.S.

(12/11/2007) Climate change is already impacting water supplies in the western United States and is likely to reducer carbon sequestration by regional ecosystems, reports research presented at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco.   [ Impact of climate change | Water]


New theory on the evolution of pygmies

(12/10/2007) The small body size of forest-dwelling "pygmies" evolved as a life history consequence of early death, not as an adaptation to their environment or endurance against starvation, argues a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).   [ Anthropology | Indigenous people | Rainforest people]


Elusive long-eared jerboa caught on film for the first time

(12/10/2007) Extraordinary footage of the endangered long-eared jerboa was taken by scientists from the EDGE; this is the first time the jerboa, a hopping rodent that sports massive ears, has ever been caught on film. The nocturnal animal was captured springing across the desert sands, digging a burrow, and, oddly enough, persistently seeking the comfort of a scientist's sandals.   [ Happy-upbeat | Wildlife]


10% of global CO2 emissions result from swamp destruction

(12/10/2007) More than 10 percent of annual carbon dioxide emissions result from the degradation and destruction of peat swamps, reports the first comprehensive global assessment on the links between peatland degradation and climate change. The report, "Assessment on Peatlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change", shows that clearance, drainage and fires in peatlands emit more than 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year, but that protection and restoration of peatlands are among the most cost-effective options for slowing global warming.   [ Peatlands | Carbon finance]


Norway puts $560m toward rainforest conservation

(12/09/2007) Norway will commit NOK 3 billion ($560m) to rainforest conservation efforts in an effort to slow climate change, reports Aftenposten, a Norwegian newspaper.   [ Happy-upbeat | Rainforests]


Aceh, Papua, Amazonas governors sign carbon-for-forests pact

(12/08/2007) Three governors have signed the Forests Now Declaration to protect tropical forests for their carbon value. The Governors, Irwandi Yusuf (Aceh, Indonesia), Barnabas Suebu (Papua, Indonesia), and Eduardo Braga (Amazonas, Brazil), agreed to the declaration's action plan which calls for compensation for reduced greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and protection of standing forests. Deforestation and forest degradation account for roughly 20 percent of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, but steps to reduce forest loss will help mitigate climate change. The UK government's 2005 Stern Review said that forest protection could be one of the most cost-effective ways to address climate change.   [ Happy-upbeat | Carbon finance]


Peatlands restoration is a cheap way to cut CO2 emissions

(12/07/2007) Rehabilitating damaged peatlands in Indonesia may be one of the most cost-effective ways to cut emissions of greenhouse gases, said an international NGO. Wetlands International found that peatlands restoration activities such as blocking drainage canals by establishing dams and reforestation have an initial investment cost of around 15 eurocents ($0.22) for every ton of avoided CO2 emissions. By comparison, carbon credits are presently trading at more than 26 euro ($34) per ton on European exchanges.   [ Peatlands | Carbon finance]


Rainforest logging moratorium established in Indonesian provinces, Amazonas state

(12/07/2007) Governors from the Brazilian state of Amazonas and the Indonesian provinces of Aceh, Papua and West Papua signed a historic agreement to protect threatened rainforests. The pact, which imposes a logging moratorium in their states and provinces, was signed in Bali, Indonesia, where more than 10,000 policymakers and scientists are meeting to discuss measures to reign in greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming.   [ Happy-upbeat | Rainforests | Carbon finance]


REDD will fail if needs of forest communities aren't addressed

(12/07/2007) Initiatives to reduce emissions by reducing tropical deforestation (REDD) will fail unless policymakers adequately address the underlying drivers of forest degradation and destruction, argues a new report published by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).   [ REDD | Carbon finance]


Bali talks update: Brazil blocks deforestation initiative, US stalls

(12/07/2007) Thousands of United Nation's delegates are convening over the next ten days to chart a new course for tackling climate change. One of the hottest topics at the United Nations Convention on Climate Change is Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries (REDD). Tropical deforestation causes 20% of global greenhouse gases. REDD is based on the principal that if the world wants to fight climate change and deforestation - conservation behavior must be more profitable than destruction. The UN diplomats are trying to reach accord on new financial resources that will empower developing countries to slow down their rates of deforestation.   [ Peatlands | Carbon finance]


Populations of new, rare and threatened species discovered in Ghana

(12/06/2007) Scientists have discovered significant populations of new, rare and threatened species in one of the largest remaining blocks of tropical forest in West Africa, reports Conservation International (CI). The findings underscore the need to conserve the area's high biological richness.   [ Biodiversity | Ghana | Rainforests | Species discovery]


Conservation promotes larger fish stocks and higher profits for fishermen

(12/06/2007) Using conservation techniques can promote larger fish stocks and higher profits for fishermen, reports a study published in the journal Science. The research suggests that industry opposition to lower catches in the short term, may be misguided. Australian National University economist R. Quentin Grafton and colleagues examined catches of four species in the waters around Australia and showed that fishermen can maximize profits by catching fewer fish and leaving more in the ocean to replenish depleted stocks.   [ Oceans | Fishing]


WCS photos in the news

(12/06/2007) Some lighter fare: Bronx Zoo has bred 80 endangered snow leopard, Blue-eared pheasant in the snow at Central Park Zoo, and Snowy owl gets his inoculations   [ Photos]


Melting of Greenland ice sheet could alter warming trend

(12/06/2007) A massive release from freshwater from the glacial Lake Agassiz 8,200 years ago triggered dramatic cooling in the North Atlantic region, report researchers writing in Science. The sudden and intense cooling, which ended the stable climate that had characterized the Holocene warm period, could have future implications for the melting of Greenland's ice sheet.   [ Greenland-Arctic]


China relaxing its control over the forestry sector

(12/06/2007) China's reforms in its forestry sector have slowed deforestation, improved environmental quality, and enhanced the competitiveness of Chinese wood products despite pressure from growing internal demand for wood products and a profitable export market, according to an assessment published in Science. The authors say the trend towards public sector management of forests is likely to grow.   [ China | Forestry]


Merrill Lynch announces carbon credits-for-forest conservation partnership

(12/06/2007) Merrill Lynch is working with Carbon Conservation, an ecosystem services firms, to explore opportunities in avoided deforestation and integrated sustainable land management. The partnership was announced Thursday in Bali, Indonesia, where more than 10,000 policymakers, scientists, and activists are meeting to discuss a post-Kyoto framework on limiting climate change.   [ Carbon finance | Green marketing]


Global warming will significantly increase bird extinctions

(12/05/2007) Where do you go when you've reached the top of a mountain and you can't go back down? It's a question increasingly relevant to plants and animals, as their habitats slowly shift to higher elevations, driven by rising temperatures worldwide. The answer, unfortunately, is you can't go anywhere. Habitats shrink to the vanishing point, and species go extinct. That scenario is likely to be played out repeatedly and at an accelerating rate as the world continues to warm, Stanford researchers say.   [ Birds]


Rare gorillas use weapons to attack forest-intruding humans

(12/05/2007) Following the first documented cases of the Cross River gorillas -- world's most endangered gorilla -- throwing sticks and clumps of grass when threatened by people, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has announced new research to better protect the species from poaching and encroachment.   [ Apes | Animal behavior | Conservation | Nigeria]


Kyoto pact ignores CO2 emissions from biofuels

(12/05/2007) The Kyoto climate pact, as it currently stands, ignores millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions from the drainage of peat lands for palm oil production in Indonesia and Malaysia, warned Wetlands International, an international NGO, in a report released at the UN climate meeting in Bali.   [ Carbon finance | Biofuels | Palm oil | Peatlands | Rainforests]


New satellite system will penetrate clouds to track deforestation

(12/05/2007) Satellite monitoring will play a critical role in any agreement that compensates tropical countries for preserving their forests, such as "Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation" (REDD) mechanisms currently under discussion at UN climate talks in Bali. Released Tuesday, a new study, "New Eyes in the Sky: Cloud-Free Tropical Forest Monitoring for REDD with the Japanese Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS)", details significant advancements in the field of remote sensing of forests.   [ Deforestation | Satellite imagery | Remote sensing]


Forest carbon does not fully offset fossil carbon

(12/04/2007) As policymakers meet in Bali, Indonesia to discuss various mechanisms for mitigating greenhouse emissions, a tropical ecologist from Sri Lanka warns that one ton of forest carbon is not equal to one ton of fossil carbon when it comes to using offsets to fight global warming. The implications: considerably larger forest areas (preferably old growth since it has higher carbon values than plantations) would need to be protected and reforested than are presently anticipated by most policymakers.   [ Carbon finance | Carbon offsets | Rainforests]


Marriage is "greener" than divorce, finds study

(12/03/2007) Divorce has previously unrecognized environmental impacts including higher demand for resources and lower efficiency in household resource use, reports a new study published in the early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.   [ Environment]


Global warming to boost severe thunderstorms in NYC, Atlanta

(12/03/2007) Global warming could lead to weather conditions that spawn severe thunderstorms in the United States, according to research appearing in the early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.   [ Impact of climate change]


Climate risks to global agriculture are underestimated

(12/03/2007) Vulnerability of global agricultural to climate change may be underestimated by experts, warns a trio of papers published in week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).   [ Environment]


Earthquake triggers decline in a frog species

(12/03/2007) In 1999 a 7.3 earthquake struck Nantou County at the center of quake-prone Taiwan. The earthquake caused considerable damage: over 2,000 people died and just under 45,000 houses were destroyed. It was Taiwan's strongest quake in a hundred years. The quake also devastated a subpopulation of riparian frogs, Rana swinhoana, which had been under scientific study for three years prior. This devastation allowed scientists the opportunity to study the population changes in a species affected suddenly and irretrievably by natural disaster.   [ Amphibians | Jeremy Hance]


Largest-ever climate meeting begins in Bali

(12/02/2007) In Bali, Indonesia, more than 10,000 delegates, scientists, journalists, and activists from around the world kicked off the largest-ever climate change conference Monday. Organizers hope that the meeting lays the groundwork for a new international pact to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012.   [ Climate change]


Most popular mongabay.com news articles - November 2007

(12/01/2007) Palm oil and avoided deforestation were the leading stories on mongabay.com during November.   [ Most popular]