Japanese macaques and Rufous hummingbird inhabit Earth Day 2014 Google doodle 23/4/2014

Earth Day, marked annually by Google with one of its famous doodles, was given a beatific and celebratory treatment by the internet giant yesterday. ...more

Great Barrier Reef safer with success of starfish cull 23/4/2014

The Australian government has said it is making good progress in culling coral-eating starfish that have been blamed for munching through much of the Great Barrier Reef. ...more

Suzuki joins fuel efficiency race with simplified hybrid system 17/4/2014

Japanese small-car maker Suzuki Motor Corp said on Wednesday it will introduce an affordable, simplified gas-electric hybrid technology in its cars, joining rivals in the race for fuel efficiency. ...more

EU seeks to cut plastic bag use by 80 percent by 2017 17/4/2014

The European Parliament passed a directive on Wednesday aimed at cutting the use of thin single-use plastic carrier bags by 50 percent by 2017 and 80 percent two years later. ...more

Beijing says one third of its pollution comes from outside the city 17/4/2014

About a third of the air pollution in China's smog-hit capital comes from outside the city, official media reported on Wednesday, citing a pollution watchdog. ...more

U.S. Energy Dept plans $4 billion in loan aid for renewable energy 17/4/2014

The U.S. Energy Department on Wednesday unveiled a plan for up to $4 billion in loan aid for renewable energy companies to help rejuvenate a program that faced harsh political attacks over past failures of federally subsidized projects. ...more

Google Earth Engine brings big data to environmental activism 17/4/2014

When a tree falls in the forest these days, it doesn’t just make a sound—it causes a computer program to generate an alert that’s sent out to activists, researchers, and environmental policymakers around the planet. ...more

Sharjah environmentalists work to incentivize recycling 16/4/2014

As Earth Day approaches, environmentalists in the United Arab Emirates are encouraging recycling through programmes that incentivize the practice as well as increased waste sorting at the source. ...more

NASA set to launch its first vegetable greenhouses into space! 16/4/2014

Futuristic scenarios in which astronauts consume pills instead of food couldn’t be further from the truth, thanks to new devices for growing fresh vegetables in space. ...more

Brazil looks to swap World Cup publicity for carbon credits 16/4/2014

Brazil, looking to offset the carbon emissions generated by construction, travel and other activities related to hosting the 2014 Soccer World Cup, said on Tuesday it wants holders of United Nations-backed carbon credits to swap them for publicity during the games. ...more