Of the forest lost so far this century, roughly a third was destroyed to make room for farms, a new analysis finds. Those woodlands, which spanned an area larger than Mongolia, will likely never be restored, authors say.
Cities are embracing deconstruction as a way to salvage lumber that would otherwise go to a landfill. But scaling up salvage won't be simple, experts say. It will require training workers in deconstruction and developing new markets for reclaimed wood.
In 2022, Ukraine thwarted a Russian assault on Kyiv by flooding the Irpin River valley. Now, experts are calling for Europe to create a band of wetlands along its eastern flank to deter Russian aggression — and military leaders are taking notice.
Chinese locales are trying to lure top scientific talent by offering lavish sums for resettling.
The moves come as the Trump administration cuts funding for science and works to expel Chinese students.
Drug traffickers are violently seizing Indigenous lands in the Peruvian Amazon to grow coca. To combat the drug trade and protect rainforest, a new report calls for titling Indigenous territories along major trafficking routes.
House cats and windows may kill more birds than wind farms do, but turbines pose a real threat to some endangered species. Experts are testing new ways to avert collisions, from painting stripes on turbine blades to using A.I. to spot incoming birds.
Indigenous Cambodians are facing intimidation and arrest for documenting the destruction of their forests. While authorities “claim they chase the loggers,” says one community member, “when we show them the evidence, we’re the ones who get punished.”
A.I. is powering weather forecasts that are more accurate than conventional forecasts and also cheaper to produce. But new research shows A.I. may fail to predict unprecedented weather events, a troubling finding as warming fuels new extremes.
Scientists are using A.I. to analyze vast troves of photos, videos, and audio recordings to identify animals and track their movements. The technology could revolutionize conservation, researchers say.
China is planning a massive dam project in the longest and deepest canyon in the world, a remote gorge in eastern Tibet. The project has alarmed ecologists and neighboring India, which fears China will weaponize the river water it depends on.
Foreign trawlers are exhausting fish stocks in Senegal, driving an exodus of small fishers to Spain. Said one migrant, “If I was able to gain enough money in fishing, I would never have come to Europe.”
Coral reefs can supply the sediment needed for small islands to stay above water, even as oceans rise. To shore up vulnerable islands, experts are working to restore the native trees and wildlife that keep reefs healthy.
A Trump order to permit deep-sea mining bypasses an international agreement aimed at protecting marine life. By moving unilaterally, says Jeff Watters of the Ocean Conservancy, the U.S. has set a troubling precedent.