Bombay Durpun - Nature

Arctic archipelago turns the page on its mining past

At the old Svea mine in the Arctic, broken railway tracks overgrown with weeds lead nowhere. Of the hundred buildings that once made up the town, there's almost nothing left.

Tahiti campaigners say 'non' to Paris Olympics surf tower

Surfers are due to catch the first waves of the Paris Olympics in nine months in Tahiti, some 15,000 kilometres (9,300 miles) from the French capital, but a plan to build a giant tower in a legendary surf spot is causing consternation.

UN report warns of catastrophic risks to Earth systems

Melting glaciers, unbearable heat and space junk: a month before crunch climate talks in the United Arab Emirates, a UN report published Wednesday warns about irreversible impacts to the planet without drastic changes to connected social and physical systems.

'Frozen in time' landscape discovered under Antarctic ice

Scientists revealed Tuesday that they had discovered a vast, hidden landscape of hills and valleys carved by ancient rivers that has been "frozen in time" under the Antarctic ice for millions of years.

World 'failing' on pledge to stop deforestation by 2030

The world is "failing" on a pledge to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030, with global losses increasing last year, a group of NGOs and researchers warned Tuesday.

Drought-hit farmers in US heartland hope Mississippi 'comes back'

Jonathan Driver, an Arkansas farmer with blackened hands and a thick southern drawl, doesn't have a minute to spare.

The mighty Mississippi, America's water highway, is dangerously low

In the middle of the shrunken Mississippi, a barge drags a giant metal-edged suction head along the riverbed to remove sediment from shipping lanes.

Faster West Antarctic Ice Sheet melting unavoidable: study

The melting of West Antarctica's ice shelves is likely to substantially accelerate in coming decades even if the world meets ambitions to limit global warming, according to research Monday, warning it would drive rising sea levels.

'Embrace discomfort' to save planet says N Macedonia pioneer

One day Dimche Ackov had enough of the stress and pollution of urban life and chucked in his job and headed out into the North Macedonia countryside for a fresh start.

Race to save the Amazon leaves out Brazil's crucial savanna

People thought she was crazy when Carminha Maria Missio and her family bought what was considered "sterile" land in the Brazilian savanna to farm soybeans, she says.

An endangered whale species is speeding towards extinction

They're one of the most endangered mammals in the world, and a species you may never have even heard of: North Atlantic right whales.

Speeding boats risk killing off North Atlantic right whales: study

An overwhelming majority of large boats off the US East Coast are speeding through slow-zones designed to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, of which only around 340 remain.

Retreating glaciers reveal new pastures for conservationists

Water surged through a desolate canyon of grey rock into a blue-grey lake, an ancient landscape only revealed to humanity in recent decades because France's glaciers have retreated so far.

Reversing warming may stop Greenland ice sheet collapse: study

Breaching the global warming limits of the world's climate goals could see the melting of Greenland's ice sheet add more than a metre to rising sea levels, according to new research on Wednesday.

Hong Kong sticks a fork in disposable plastic products

Need a plastic fork at a Hong Kong restaurant? Come April 22, Earth Day, customers will have to start reaching for more eco-friendly cutlery, according to a bill passed Wednesday by the city's legislature.

In Argentina, trash is a lifeline for army of recyclers

Ayelen Torres weaves her trolley expertly through the streets on the outskirts of Argentina's capital, stopping every few steps to sift through trash in search of recyclable cardboard or plastic.

To find out how wildlife is doing, scientists try listening

A reedy pipe and a high-pitched trill duet against the backdrop of a low-pitched insect drone. Their symphony is the sound of a forest, and is monitored by scientists to gauge biodiversity.

Police detain Greta Thunberg at London climate protest

UK police on Tuesday removed Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg from a protest outside the energy sector's annual London get-together, an AFP photographer reported.

Remaking an old Swedish oil depot into a giant underground 'thermos'

Work lights strung up along railings illuminate a dank cavern where workers are preparing to transform a former oil depot into a hot water "thermos" to heat a Swedish town.

How Belize became a poster child for 'debt-for-nature' swaps

When Covid hit Belize, its economy nosedived: closed borders meant fisheries and farmers had no export markets, and tourism centered on the tiny Central American nation's warm waters and wonders of biodiversity came to a halt.

IOC Session backs double award of 2030 and 2034 Winter Games

International Olympic Committee members voted Sunday to allow a double allocation of two successive Winter Games in 2030 and 2034.

Austria designer farm stands out in struggling field

In idyllic western Austria, Ingo Metzler's goat breeding farm with its striking light wood panelling and big glass facades sets itself apart, aiming to survive in a sector in crisis.

Canadian-French astrophysicist Hubert Reeves dies aged 91

Canadian-French astrophysicist Hubert Reeves, who was renowned for his work popularizing space science, died Friday aged 91, his son said in a post on Facebook.

Disasters cause $3.8 trillion in crop losses over 30 years: FAO

Natural and man-made disasters have caused $3.8 trillion in crop and livestock losses over 30 years, the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization said on Friday.

At IMF-World Bank talks, small steps in climate finance

The IMF and World Bank have been holding their first annual meetings in Africa in 50 years under pressure to reform a system too outdated to properly help poor nations battered by the effects of climate change.

Hong Kong adds two shark families on controlled trade list

Hong Kong added on Friday two major shark families to a list of endangered animals, whose trade in the city will now be tightly controlled under new CITES regulations.

'Licence to hide': Western plastic waste dumped in Myanmar

In a working-class neighbourhood of Myanmar's Yangon, plastic waste is piled a metre high, the toxic product of what a recent investigation said is rampant dumping of Western trash.

Young frogs may camouflage selves as animal poo: study

The young offspring of a frog native to Southeast Asia display an "unusual colour pattern", probably to camouflage themselves "as animal droppings" to escape predators, according to a study.

'Cuter in real life': South Korea names its twin panda 'treasures'

South Korea got its first up-close look at its new pair of baby giant pandas Thursday at a name-revealing ceremony that doubled as an early celebration of the 100 days since their birth.

$9.5 bn of key metals in overlooked electronic waste: UN

Consumers discard or possess disused electronic goods containing raw materials critical for the green energy transition and worth almost $10 billion every year, the United Nations said on Thursday.

Climate change is improving French wine -- for now

What makes a good or bad year for wine? It's a question that vexes not only vintners but also scientists, who've long looked to weather conditions to provide the answer.

Chunky champ: Fat Bear Week winner is crowned

Fat Bear Week 2023 is in the books, with a specimen called 128 Grazer nabbing the title of bulkiest bruin in an Alaskan national park.

Bombay Durpun - Nature (English)

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