Ecology
UN Pact Acknowledges Climate Migration for the First Time
The final draft of a UN compact on migration published July 11 recognized the existence of climate refugees specifically for the first time, The Thomas Reuters Foundation reported Thursday. The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration acknowledged climate…
Typhoons, Floods, Heat Waves Batter Asia
From flash floods in Vietnam to a blistering heat wave in Japan, countries across Asia are suffering from extreme weather, CNN reported Sunday. The events come nearly two months into the continent’s annual rainy season that extends from June to…
Green Foods Could Clean Up the Construction Industry
We’ve all heard of eating our vegetables, but what about building with them? A new study by Lancaster University‘s B-SMART program will examine the effects of incorporating root vegetables – yes, vegetables – into cement production for a stronger and…
Pay More Attention to Forests to Avert Global Water Crisis, Researchers Urge
Australia’s Murray Darling basin covers more than a million square kilometers (approximately 386,000 square miles), 14 percent of the country’s landmass. It’s the site of tens of thousands of wetlands, but increasing demand for water has stretched its resources to…
Belgian Nude Beach Blocked on Fears Sexual Activity Could Spook Wildlife
The Belgian Naturism Federation has come to the defence of its burgeoning membership after the Flemish wildlife agency blocked an application for a second nudist beach in the country on the grounds that bathers’ “subsidiary activities” would pose a threat…
UN and Google Team Up to Monitor Environmental Damage
UN Environment and Google have joined forces to monitor human impacts on the environment. They aim to establish a platform for open-source data and analysis of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and help governments, NGOs and the public track specific…
Migratory Barnacle Geese Threatened by Rapidly Rising Arctic Temperatures
Migrating barnacle geese that lay their eggs in the Arctic zones of northern Russia are becoming confounded by earlier springs in their traditional nesting grounds, according to a study published in Current Biology. The rising temperatures in the Arctic circles…