Can Zambia save its environment with marijuana? 14/11/2014

For decades, Zambia has staked its economic fortunes on copper mining. But when voters in this southern African nation go to the polls in January to select a new president, at least one candidate will be looking to send that tradition up in smoke. ...more

WHO sets benchmarks to reduce health damage from indoor air pollution 14/11/2014

WHO recommendations, released Wednesday, highlight the dangers of burning fuels like unprocessed coal and kerosene in the home, and set targets for reducing emissions of health-damaging pollutants from domestic cookstoves, space heaters and fuel-based lamps. ...more

More lightning with warming climate 14/11/2014

Researchers forecast on Thursday that lightning strikes will increase by about 50 percent by 2100 in the continental United States because thunderstorms will become more explosive in the coming decades thanks to a warming planet. ...more

Philae landed on the comet: "a big step for human civilization" 13/11/2014

The European robot probe Philae has made the first historic landing on a comet, but its status is uncertain after harpoons failed to anchor it to the surface. ...more

IPCC: China-US climate pact short of what's needed 13/11/2014

A deal between China and the United States to combat global warming is "heartening" although it falls short of the action needed to avert the worst impacts, ...more

UNEP’s Protected Planet Report: World on track to meet 2020 target for protected areas 13/11/2014

The world is on track to meet a 2020 target on the expansion of protected areas, but more work is needed to ensure areas of importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services ...more

Rural Peru powered with solar panels by 2020 13/11/2014

Peru plans to nearly close its gap in electrical coverage in rural regions by the end of the decade with a recently-awarded $28.5 million solar-energy contract, the government said on Wednesday. ...more

Arab League, UNEP sign pact to initiate eco-friendly programmes in the region 12/11/2014

The Arab League and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have signed a pact to safeguard environment and put in place many new eco-friendly measures in the region. ...more

US and China announce 'historic' climate accord 12/11/2014

The United States and China today announced an action plan on greenhouse emissions as part of a "historic" pact that was acclaimed by climate scientists but denounced by US Republicans as a job-killer. ...more

EU moves step closer to law on national GMO crop bans 12/11/2014

EU politicians on Tuesday backed a plan to allow nations to ban genetically modified crops on their soil even if they are given approval to be grown in the European Union, raising the chance their use will remain limited on the continent. ...more