Tag: ecosystems

Why Forest Elephant Extinction Will Make Climate Change Much Worse

Forest elephant extinction would exacerbate climate change. That’s according to a new study in Nature Geoscience which links feeding by elephants with an increase in the amount of carbon that forests are...

EU Aims to Tackle Climate Change With Newly Adopted ‘Green Finance’ Guidelines

Newly adopted guidelines set forth by the European Commission Tuesday aim to tackle climate change by way of the financial sector. The move comes to bolster the success of the Sustainable Action...

Nearly 600 Plant Species ‘Have Gone Extinct in the last 250 Years’

As many as 571 plant species have gone extinct in the last 250 years.That’s according to a new study conducted by researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, which suggests this...

UN: Healthy Ecosystems Can Provide 37% of Climate Solution

Healthy ecosystems can provide around 37% of the mitigation needed to limit the increase in global temperatures.That’s according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who warned against the “unprecedented threats” facing the world’s...

Major Threats to New Zealand’s Environment Highlighted in Government Report

New Zealand's pristine image as a haven of untouched forests and landscapes was tarnished this week by a brand new government report. The Environment Aotearoa 2019 painted a bleak image of the...

Australia Plans to Dump More Than 1 Million Tons of Sludge in Great Barrier Reef Waters

The Great Barrier Reef faces yet "another nail in the coffin," Dr. Simon Boxall from the National Oceanography Centre Southampton told BBC News Friday.That is because the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park...

Compensation for Conservation: Water Markets Are Economists’ Answer to Scarcity

As cites grow and put more pressure on water sources, scarcity is an increasingly important issue. More than two thirds of the world’s population experience a water shortage every year. Just because...

If We Save Forests, Will They Save the Climate?

Wе all know that forests help fight climate change by cooling the planet. Don’t they?They actually do, capturing and storing carbon from the air for centuries. But this is only part of...

Vital Ecosystems in Tidal Flats Lost to Development and Rising Sea Levels

Coastal development and sea level rise are causing the decline of tidal flats along the world’s coastlines, according to research that has mapped the ecosystems for the first time. Scientists from the University...

Pesticides Have Accumulated in European Soil

Pesticides and weed killers have their benefits. They are beneficial in reducing or eliminating pests that damage or destroy crops. Yet they can wreak havoc with entire ecosystems.Worse: their effects can linger...

Five Countries Hold 70% of World’s Last Wildernesses, Map Reveals

Just five countries hold 70% of the world’s remaining untouched wilderness areas and urgent international action is needed to protect them, according to new research. Researchers from the University of Queensland (UQ) and...

Planting More Trees Won’t Be Enough to Save the Planet

One way of mitigating the adverse effects of man-made climate change is to plant trees. The more trees there are, the more CO2 they absorb from the atmosphere, thereby alleviating the greenhouse...

Japan Killed 50 Whales in Antarctic Protected Area, Data Shows

Japanese whalers have killed more than 50 minke whales in an Antarctic marine protection area this year, WWF has revealed. The disclosure comes on the opening day of the International Whaling Commission’s annual...

A Paradise at Risk: Tulum Is an Eco-Destination That Will Soon Face Irreversible Damage

What once was a small fishing village, Tulum has quickly become one of the top tourist destinations in the world. Home to miles of pristine beaches, exotic wildlife, and the world’s largest...

Drought Increases CO2 Concentration in the Atmosphere, Say Researchers

The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere rises faster during periods of drought as stressed ecosystems absorb less carbon. That’s according to new research, which found during the driest years such...

World-Leading Plant Growth Facility Set to Become More Sustainable

One of the most advanced plant growth facilities in the world, which is helping scientists to enhance our understanding of how crops are being affected by climate change and disease, is set...

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