There are 20 mil hectares of planted oil palm in the world, and 12.5 mil hectares of coconut. But coconut palms are mostly grown on tropical islands, many of which possess species found nowhere else on Earth.
The study collected data on payments to more than a quarter of a million households in 7,468 villages in forested areas and compared this with nearby deforestation. They found the payments reduced deforestation by 30%.
An emergency was declared after 20,000 tonnes of diesel leaked into a river when a tank at a power plant near the city of Norilsk, Russia, collapsed at the end of May. The spill contaminated a 350 sq km area.
According to a new study, up to half of the world’s sandy beaches are at risk of disappearing by the end of this century if no action is taken to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
When researchers surveyed historical records for evidence of comparable wildfire seasons — not just in Australia, but across the globe. They found nothing approaching the scope of Australia’s devastation.
Scientists project 70 to 90 percent of coral reefs will disappear over the next 20 years as a result of climate change and pollution. What's more, rising sea surface temperatures and acidic waters could eliminate nearly all existing coral reef habitats by 2100.
INPE’s satellite-based short-term deforestation detection system has recorded 8,683 square kilometers of forest clearing since January 1, the highest on record since the agency started releasing monthly data in 2007. 2019’s figure is 79% higher than a year ago.
If we combine all of the estimated deaths of koalas in Australian bushfires, there could be 1,000 koalas that have been killed in the last two months. The extent of the blaze means large tracts of the tree-dwelling koalas’ habitat has been destroyed.
More than half of Europe’s endemic trees are threatened with extinction as invasive diseases, pests, pollution and urban development take a growing toll on the landscape, according to a study.
New research has revealed that toxic byproducts of the herbicide Agent Orange used by the US military continue to contaminate soils in Vietnam today.
A Caribbean island once full of lush trees and teeming with wildlife is nearly completely deforested and undergoing a mass extinction event. More than half of the country's species predicted to be gone by 2035.
Scientists have an imprecise understanding of the obscure phenomenon of mass whale strandings, when large numbers of the marine mammals suddenly beach themselves — often their final acts.
The first comprehensive fine-scale map of the world's remaining marine and terrestrial wild places shows that just 23 percent of the world's landmass can now be considered wilderness, with the rest lost.
Climate change is massively affecting the tiny creatures in Luquillo rainforest on the island of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean region. 98 per cent fewer insects are found there since the 1970s.
Made famous by "The Beach," a film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Maya Bay has been off-limits since June 1 as part of what was expected to be a four-month rejuvenation. But the marine ecosystem requires more time to recover.
