CONSERVATION NEWS
News, views and features from the front lines of conservation
© Joshua Bousel/Flickr Creative Commons. Yasuní National Park in Ecuador
Ecuador voters reject oil drilling in Amazon
By Mary Kate McCoy
August 23, 2023
Following a decade-long fight led by Indigenous activists and environment leaders, Ecuadorians voted decisively to end oil drilling in one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth — a move heralded by supporters as “historic.”
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© Flavio Forner
What drives deforestation — and how can we stop it?
By Mary Kate McCoy
August 16, 2023
As dangerous heatwaves shatter records around the world, a new study provides the most comprehensive review yet of how to stop deforestation — a major cause of climate-warming greenhouse gases, second only to fossil fuel emissions.
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© Edgar Lehr
It had to be a snake: New species gets famous name
By Will McCarry
August 15, 2023
A new species of snake has been named after Harrison Ford in honor of his decades-long environmental advocacy. Unlike the actor's famously ophidiophobic character Indiana Jones, Ford reportedly likes snakes — and found a quick kinship with this one.
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© Thomas Muller. Coffee berries
As coffee demand grows, farmers work to deliver a sustainable brew
By Mary Kate McCoy
August 14, 2023
Every day, billions of cups of coffee are consumed around the world — and experts say demand could triple over the next 30 years. So, how will all those lattes, espressos and cold brews affect the environment?
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© Jorge Illich-Gejo
At Amazon summit, a milestone on the road to protecting the rainforest
By Mary Kate McCoy
August 9, 2023
Eight Amazonian nations have agreed to create an alliance to protect the world’s largest rainforest, following decades of rising deforestation and warnings of a “tipping point” that could alter the ecosystem — and Earth’s climate.
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