U.N. report highlights land use trends and costs of degradation 28/4/2022

Decades of deforestation, mining and industrial pollution have taken a toll on the planet, leaving as much as 40% of its land degraded and putting economies at risk, a U.N. report says. ...more

‘Vampire devices’ cost UK households £147 a year 28/4/2022

UK households could save an average of £147 per year by switching off so-called vampire devices. ...more

A fifth of world's reptile species deemed threatened with extinction 28/4/2022

About a fifth of reptile species - from the Galapagos tortoises to the Komodo dragon of the Indonesian islands, from West Africa's rhinoceros viper to India's gharial - are threatened with extinction, researchers said on Wednesday in the first comprehensive global status assessment for reptiles. ...more

Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi Discovers New Eagle Ray Species in Abu Dhabi Waters 27/4/2022

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) announced its discovery of a new Eagle Ray species in Abu Dhabi waters. The new species (Aetomylaeus wafickii) was discovered from specimens collected in the Arabian Gulf during the Fisheries Resource Assessment (FRAS) which was carried out in 2016. ...more

Sand crisis looms as world population surges, U.N. warns 27/4/2022

A U.N. report on Tuesday called for urgent action to avert a "sand crisis," including a ban on beach extraction as demand surges to 50 billion tonnes a year amid population growth and urbanisation.N ...more

India could become carbon neutral before its 2070 goal, IRENA chief says 27/4/2022

India’s focus on decarbonising its steel sector and developing offshore wind power will help it become carbon neutral ahead of its promised goal of 2070, the director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency said. ...more

Green jet fuel is here -- so why are airlines not using it? 27/4/2022

There is a small chance that your next flight will be powered, at least in part, by used cooking oils or agricultural waste. ...more

Many protected areas do not benefit wildlife, study says 27/4/2022

The largest ever study of protected areas - places "set aside" ostensibly for nature - has revealed that most do not actively benefit wildlife. ...more

Human activity is leading to more disasters-UN report 26/4/2022

Human activity is contributing to an increasing number of disasters, with 350 and 500 medium-sized or large disasters a year occurring globally in the past two decades and more frequent events expected, according to a UN report. ...more

Global coal plant capacity edges up in 2021, hitting climate -report 26/4/2022

The global capacity of power plants fired by coal, the fossil fuel that emits the most carbon dioxide when burned, rose nearly 1% last year as the world recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a research report by a U.S. environmental group. ...more