CONSERVATION NEWS
News, views and features from the front lines of conservation
© Keith A. Ellenbogen
News spotlight: Just how big is the ocean plastic problem?
By Emma Cummings-Krueger
June 21, 2023
Every year, up to 10 million tons of plastic end up in the world’s oceans — an amount so large it’s hard to visualize. Two journalists from Al Jazeera found that if flattened, ocean plastic today would cover an area roughly the size of Jamaica.
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© Barrengoa Mateo.
Study: Fungi could be vital for reaching climate goals
By Mary Kate McCoy
June 13, 2023
Underneath the ground, intricate fungal networks are working together with plants to absorb huge amounts of carbon — equivalent to more than a third of the world's annual fossil fuel emissions, according to a new study.
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© Trond Larsen
Meet the South African start-up putting cattle to work for conservation
By Will McCarry
June 12, 2023
Livestock herding and wildlife conservation are often perceived as conflicting pursuits, with the belief that one must come at the expense of the other. However, in South Africa, a fresh approach centered on Indigenous knowledge is challenging this perception.
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On U.S. East Coast, smoky skies latest sign of a changing climate
By Bruno Vander Velde
June 8, 2023
This week, the East Coast of the United States is grappling with something that other places around the world are all too familiar with: wildfire smoke. But it may not stay a novelty for long, Americans should start expecting more of these episodes thanks to climate change.
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© Jonathan Irish
Study: Camera traps key to closing biodiversity data gaps
By Mary Kate McCoy
June 7, 2023
As countries ramp up efforts to stem a wave of species extinctions amid a global biodiversity crisis, overcoming data gaps is critical to effective conservation.
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