All articles tagged with #environmental conservation
Despite global challenges in 2025 such as conflicts and climate issues, significant progress was made in areas like reducing China's carbon emissions, surging EV sales, renewable energy adoption, conservation efforts, and medical advancements including regenerative heart treatments and AI-driven healthcare, offering a more hopeful outlook for 2026.
Prince William visited Brazil, criticizing illegal deforestation in the Amazon and highlighting conservation efforts, including planting mangroves and supporting wildlife protection, while promoting the Earthshot Prize and addressing global environmental issues.
Hawaii, already leading the U.S. in hotel tax rates, is considering a new 'green fee' to fund environmental conservation, potentially raising costs for travelers. Governor Josh Green prioritizes this fee, which could be integrated into existing accommodation taxes, to address climate resilience. While some residents support the fee to manage over-tourism, the hospitality industry fears it may deter visitors. Legal challenges may require the fee to apply to both residents and tourists, complicating its implementation. The proposal's success hinges on balancing affordability with sustainability.
An 18-year-old high school student won $10,000 for his research on the spread of fibropapillomatosis (FP) in green sea turtles in Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawaii. His investigation linked the disease to invasive algae absorbing nitrogen-rich wastewater from cesspools, which then produces arginine, a trigger for FP. His findings highlight the urgent need to replace cesspools with proper wastewater treatment facilities to protect marine ecosystems.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council has announced the closure of California's commercial salmon season for the second consecutive year due to a scarcity of Chinook salmon, stemming from the state's last drought. The closure impacts hundreds of commercial fishers and tribes, prompting concerns about the species' decline attributed to water management decisions, warming oceans, and other environmental factors. Efforts to restore salmon populations include tearing down dams, restoring river flows, and improving migration pathways, but critics argue that the pace of these initiatives is too slow and that water diversions could further threaten the salmon population.
A research team has developed a groundbreaking "smart vest" for fish, equipped with advanced MXene hydrogel and pseudocapacitive pressure-sensing units, to capture disturbances in water flow caused by fish movements. This innovative technology provides unprecedented insights into fish behavior and ecological interactions, transcending the limitations of traditional observation methods and offering far-reaching implications for environmental conservation and aquatic ecosystem studies.
Boat tours through Australia's Horizontal Falls, a sacred natural wonder, will be banned by 2028 out of respect for the area's Indigenous Traditional Owners and to address safety concerns following a boat accident. The ban has sparked mixed reactions, with the WA Tourism Council warning of job losses while the Dambeemangaddee people welcome the decision. The ban aims to restore the sanctity of the site, which holds cultural significance in Indigenous beliefs, and alternative culturally respectful programs and visitor management plans are being developed for tourists to continue experiencing the falls.
In the Netherlands, a live underwater camera feed allows viewers to ring a "fish doorbell" that signals workers to open a dam, aiding fish migration for spawning. The project, initially aimed at assisting fish, has unexpectedly gained international attention, with viewers eagerly participating in helping Dutch fish reach warmer waters.
Washington, D.C., is set to lose over 100 iconic cherry trees, including the beloved "Stumpy," as part of a multiyear restoration of the Tidal Basin, with the deteriorated seawall being replaced to prevent daily flooding. The $113 million renovation project aims to benefit both visitors and the trees, with the removed trees being turned into mulch to protect the remaining ones. While the loss of "Stumpy" has sparked social media tributes, the National Arboretum plans to clone part of its genetic material for future planting at the Tidal Basin.
Dr. Timothy Lamont and his team at Lancaster University found that planting corals on sand-coated steel frames brought a completely dead reef back to life in just four years, as part of the MARS Coral Reef Restoration Program in Indonesia. The program stabilized rubble fields with sand-coated steel structures called Reef Stars, allowing coral larvae to grow and thrive. While the restored reef showed positive growth, questions remain about the sacrifice of biodiversity for faster-growing coral species.
Duke University's decision to close its herbarium, home to 825,000 plant, fungi, and algae specimens, has sparked outrage in the scientific community due to its devastating impact on biodiversity science and environmental conservation. Efforts to reverse the decision are underway, with petitions and advocacy from scientific societies and researchers, highlighting the critical role herbariums play in scientific discovery and the need to prioritize the preservation of these invaluable collections.
Aerial drone video captured extensive beach erosion along the coastline of Jupiter Inlet Colony in Palm Beach County, Florida, showing large chunks of dunes and backyards washed away by rough surf over a two-week period. Palm Beach County faces over 33 miles of critical erosion along its 47-mile coastline, exacerbated by development and storm systems. Efforts to combat erosion include dune restoration, support structures, and sand transfer and renourishment, with concerns rising ahead of sea turtle nesting season in March.
The small menhaden fish has become a focal point of a contentious debate in the Chesapeake Bay, with environmentalists and sportfishing groups advocating for a complete ban on the commercial fishery due to concerns of overfishing and its impact on the local ecosystem. On the other hand, Omega Protein, the last company harvesting menhaden in the bay, argues that there is no evidence supporting these concerns and that a ban would threaten local jobs. The debate has intensified in recent years, with clashes between the commercial fishing industry and recreational fishermen, and a proposed study on the status of menhaden in the bay has been delayed.
Climbers attempting to scale Mount Everest will now be required to purchase poop bags and bring their waste back down with them due to the unpleasant smells and unsightly sights caused by human waste on the mountain. The extreme cold prevents feces from degrading, leading to complaints and health concerns. The Pasang Lhamu rural municipality has authorized the procurement of 8,000 poop bags from the US for the upcoming climbing season to address the issue, with the bags containing chemicals and powders to solidify human waste and minimize odor. This new regulation aims to tackle the environmental and health risks posed by the accumulation of waste on the world's tallest peak.
Renowned photographer Sebastião Salgado's powerful and evocative images capture scenes from around the world, including a girl selling toffee apples in Guatemala, refugees hiding from Ethiopian airplanes, the Serra Pelada gold mine in Brazil, Kuwait oil fields, rural workers in Brazil, marine iguanas in the Galápagos, Xingu Indigenous territory in Brazil, ice formations in Antarctica, and Chinstrap penguins in the South Sandwich Islands, showcasing the beauty of nature and the struggles of humanity.