CONSERVATION NEWS
News, views and features from the front lines of conservation
© Dušan Cvetanović/Pexels
News spotlight: Europe passes bill to fix nature and climate
By Bruno Vander Velde
July 13, 2023
The European Parliament agreed on legally binding targets to protect and restore nature in the European Union — a significant step but short of the “30 by 30” goal that most conservationists and scientists have called for to stem the tide of species extinctions and climate change.
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© 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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© Jonathan Irish. Black caiman
News spotlight: How Indigenous communities brought a sacred caiman back from the brink
By Mary Kate McCoy
May 26, 2023
For years, two communities in southeast Colombia have worked to protect the black caiman — the largest predator in the Amazon River basin, which was hunted to near extinction in the area for its highly-prized skin.
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© Luciano Candisani/iLCP
News spotlight: A climate hero emerges — beavers
By Max Marcovitch
February 13, 2023
Increasing drought and urban expansion have contributed to the destruction and degradation of 35 percent of the world’s wetlands. How might we stymie this decline? Introducing beavers back into their natural habitats is a good start.
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© Tessa Mildenhall. A herder in South Africa brings his cattle in for the night.
News spotlight: How does your diet affect the environment?
By Will McCarry
February 6, 2023
In case you missed it: Every bite of food we eat comes with an environmental cost. But not every diet is created equal. A new tool illustrates the toll our food system takes on nature — comparing dietary staples like meat, fish, dairy, eggs and grains.
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