Following multiple scientific studies that have revealed that carbon offsets are not as reliable as once thought, the market value of carbon offsets has dropped by around 61% when compared to its near-peak value in 2022, a new report has found. In early 2023, a major investigative report by The Guardian, Die Zeit and SourceMaterial […]
Deforestation is making lizards in North America more vulnerable because of a lack of shelter from extreme temperatures, according to a new study. Led by scientists at University of Colorado Boulder and Tel Aviv University, the study found that forest loss, alongside climate change, could negatively impact 84% of lizards in North America by 2100. […]
Like with so many products, staring at the shelf of chocolate chips and baking bars can be overwhelming. What are the “right” labels to pay attention to: “Certified Compostable,” “Direct Trade” or “Fair Trade?” Does higher price mean better wages for the workers that produced it? Cacao is produced in humid regions near the equator […]
On Friday, Indonesia said palm oil companies operating inside forested areas would be fined a total of $310 million, reported Reuters. Indonesia and Malaysia are responsible for most of the world’s palm oil production — 85 percent — a major driver of deforestation, the Yale Center for Business and the Environment said. Deforestation accounts for […]
The Amazon is the largest tropical rainforest in the world. Spanning eight countries, it has been called the “lungs of the planet” for its vital service of converting enormous amounts of carbon dioxide into oxygen. Now, Brazilian lawmakers have approved a bill to allow conservation funds to be used to pave a highway — BR-319 […]
Brazil’s Congress has overturned President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s veto that had struck down the heart of a bill — backed by the farm lobby — to limit Indigenous land claims, setting the stage for a likely Supreme Court battle. The case surrounded claims to Indigenous ancestral lands that the bill stipulated needed to […]
Quick Key Facts What Are ‘Tropical Forests’? Tropical forests are rich ecosystems located in tropical zones surrounding the equator. They have a dense upper canopy of broad-leafed trees and an astonishingly diverse array of animal and plant life. These forests pack an enormous amount of biodiversity into the six percent of the planet’s land surface […]
Brazil and Colombia have blown up 19 illegal gold mining operations in the Amazon rainforest. Colombia’s armed forces said the mines were producing about $1.5 million worth of the rare metal every month and polluting the rainforest’s rivers with mercury, reported the BBC and Reuters. The unlawful activity was producing 50.71 pounds of gold a […]
Every two to seven years, a climate phenomenon known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) occurs in the tropical Pacific Ocean. ENSO is associated with air pressure changes from east to west, reported Phys.org. El Niño events cause westerly trade winds blowing along the equator to become weaker, leading to wind speed and air pressure […]