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Vaquitas still exist, but barely: sea 'panda' survey
The vaquita, a small porpoise on the verge of extinction, is still hanging in there, said scientists Wednesday who had spotted about a dozen specimens of Mexico's "panda of the sea" on an expedition in May.
Oceans warmer last month than any May on record
Global oceans were warmer last month than any other May in records stretching back to the 19th century, the European Union's climate monitoring unit reported Wednesday.
Bangladesh shuts schools, cuts power in longest heatwave in decades
Bangladesh has shut thousands of schools as it struggles through its lengthiest heatwave in half a century, with widespread power cuts only compounding locals' misery.
10 billion global population 'unsustainable': US climate envoy Kerry
US special climate envoy John Kerry told AFP that the world's population will not be tenable in 2050, when it is projected to hit nearly 10 billion, but refrained from asking Americans to give up steaks.
Arctic could be ice-free a decade earlier than thought
The Arctic Ocean's ice cap will disappear in summer as soon as the 2030s and a decade earlier than thought, no matter how aggressively humanity draws down the carbon pollution that drives global warming, scientists said Tuesday.
'Forced to evacuate': Kherson locals rage at Russians
Ukrainians cursed Russia and voiced fears for the future Tuesday as river water from the breached Kakhovka dam reached their houses in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson.
UNESCO hails $2.9-bn Australian plan to protect Great Barrier Reef
The UN's cultural agency UNESCO welcomed on Tuesday commitments from Australia to protect the Great Barrier Reef, with the government pledging 4.4 billion Australian dollars ($2.9 billion) to safeguard the natural wonder.
UN climate chief hails 'unique insights' of embattled COP28 head
The UN's top climate official hailed the "unique insight" of a UAE oil executive whose naming as president of the key COP28 climate summit has outraged advocates and experts.
'Everything is going to die': Kherson locals rage at Russians
"Everything is going to die here," said Sergiy as water from the breached Kakhovka dam poured downstream into the Ukrainian city of Kherson on Tuesday.
Disinformation soils Kenya's GMO debate
A Kenyan government decision to allow imports of genetically modified maize to help combat its food crisis has sparked disinformation, with leading politicians spreading unsubstantiated claims about the health risks of the crops.
California's honey bees await the famous sunshine
California's very wet winter gifted the state a spectacular superbloom -- an explosion of flowers that delighted hikers and should have been great news for bees.
Widow urges care for Amazon on anniversary of double murder
Late British journalist Dom Phillips's widow urged the world to pay attention to the plight of the Amazon rainforest at commemorations Monday marking one year since he and Brazilian Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira were murdered.
'Swimming in plastic': Greek fishermen fight pollution
The fish market of Keratsini, west of Athens, is abuzz in the early morning, with trawlers disgorging crates of sardines and anchovies as trucks await nearby to be loaded.
Arizona limits building as groundwater dries up
New houses that rely on dwindling groundwater supplies around one of the United States' biggest cities are to be banned, officials said Thursday, in a sign of the strains that drought and climate change are causing across the US west.
Firms withheld pesticide toxicity data from EU: study
Several major agrochemical companies did not disclose to European Union authorities studies assessing the toxic effects of pesticide ingredients on brain development, research said on Thursday.
World's top copper producer closes smelter in 'Chile's Chernobyl'
Chile's state-owned Codelco copper company, the world's top producer of the metal, closed its Ventanas smelter Wednesday in an area dubbed "Chile's Chernobyl" for the grim environmental impact of heavy industry.
Italy floods caused by 'one-in-200-year' event: experts
Deadly floods that left large swathes of northeast Italy under water this month were caused by a "one-in-200-year" weather event, with climate change playing a limited role, experts said Wednesday.
EU looks to boost boat tracking to fight overfishing
The EU is moving towards extra tracking and putting cameras on fishing boats to monitor their catches in order to prevent overfishing, under a deal Wednesday that environmentalists hailed as a "landmark moment".
Heatwave prompts Hanoi to reduce street lights as power cuts loom
Faced with record-breaking heat, Vietnam's capital Hanoi has turned off some street lights to save electricity as demand for air conditioning soars.
Salvage of oil tanker stranded off Yemen can begin: UN
The United Nations said Tuesday it is ready to start salvage work on an oil tanker stranded off Yemen's coast with more than one million barrels of crude that pose an acute risk to the environment.
Russian 'spy' whale surfaces in Sweden
A harness-wearing Beluga whale that turned up in Norway in 2019, sparking speculation it was a spy trained by the Russian navy, has appeared off Sweden's coast, an organisation following him said Monday.
Shanghai records hottest May day in 100 years
Shanghai recorded its hottest May day in 100 years on Monday, the city's meteorological service announced, shattering the previous high by a full degree.
Planet-friendly farming takes root in drought-hit Tunisia
Saber Zouani lost his job as a waiter when the Covid pandemic ravaged the Tunisian tourism sector, so he decided to try something new and started a permaculture farm.
'Patrol' film exposes Nicaragua forest threat from beef industry
Surrounded by fallen trees and languid cows, illegal cattle rancher Chacalin surveys a clearing deep inside one of Nicaragua's largest remaining protected rainforests.
Brazilian Amazon city of Belem to host COP30 in 2025: Lula
The city of Belem on the edge of the Brazilian Amazon has been chosen to host the COP30 round of global climate talks in 2025, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced Friday.
'We abuse plastic, it's so cheap': UN Environment chief
Humanity uses and abuses hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic a year because "it's so cheap", despite the huge cost of the pollution it creates, the head of the UN Environment Programme told AFP.
'Messi' the border collie crowned top dog actor at Cannes
Following the glorious path of his footballer namesake, a border collie named "Messi" was awarded the Palm Dog for his crucial role in solving a crime in Cannes favourite "Anatomy of a Fall."
Dangerous slowing of Antarctic ocean circulation sooner than expected
Climate change-driven shifts in the circulation of waters to the deepest reaches of the ocean around Antarctica, which could reverberate across the planet and intensify global warming, are happening decades "ahead of schedule", according to new research.
Energy majors go slow on green transition despite pressure
Most oil majors are stepping up investment in green energy amid rising activist pressure but without abandoning fossil fuels, putting at risk reaching carbon neutrality in 2050.
Fungi and plants clean up California pollution
In an industrial wasteland in Los Angeles, Kreigh Hampel is uprooting California buckwheat with a pitchfork to find out how much lead it has absorbed.
Musk gives Ford access to Tesla's US chargers
Tesla will open its network of superchargers in the United States and Canada to Ford electric vehicles from 2024, the companies said Thursday, doubling the stations available to Ford customers.
US Supreme Court deals setback to clean water law
The US Supreme Court dealt a blow on Thursday to the federal government's authority to regulate wetlands under a landmark anti-pollution law.