A new study argues that disasters like heat waves and droughts, which are on the rise with climate change, increase tensions in ethnically diverse countries, making them more vulnerable to outbreaks of violence. The researchers found that since 1980, 23 percent of the conflicts in these multi-cultural places have coincided with weather disasters—compared with just 9 percent of them worldwide. Reuters
Solar Impulse 2, a solar-powered aircraft co-piloted by Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, touched down in Abu Dhabi early this morning. Since it first took off in March 2015, the plane has overcome months of delays to spend more than 23 days in the air—Even so, the flight is a major milestone for planes running on nothing but sun. The Guardian
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The Orangutan Green Team, a group of 28 guides, have now bought 73 hectares of land along a river near Tanjung Puting National Park. The reason? To keep palm oil development from encroaching on the habitat of the thousands of orangutans, 200 different bird species, and other rare wildlife that live in the park. ABC
Feisal Mohamed Ali, who was found guilty of possessing 413 pieces of ivory worth $400,000, was also fined $200,000. The strict punishment is unusual, but the Kenyan government wanted to send a clear message to illegal wildlife traders. Motherboard
Mitribah, Kuwait, hit 129.2 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday and the temperature in Basra, Iraq, rose to 129 degrees on Friday. If these scorching measurements are confirmed, they will become the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the Eastern Hemisphere—and possibly even the world. Washington Post
A new national survey finds that less than 60 percent of respondents know wasting food is bad for the environment. (Trashing food squanders the resources that went into growing and transporting it—plus, the garbage releases lots of methane when rotting in landfills). Awareness of the issue, however, is rising. One promising sign: Walmart plans to start selling imperfect-looking produce that doesn't usually make it onto shelves. Bloomberg
Energy companies want to build 19 natural gas pipelines across the eastern United States. But a new report says the pipelines would add 15.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas production per day—enough to make the country miss its goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 83 percent by 2050. Reuters
Global material extraction tripled between 1970 and 2010, with people in developed countries consuming up to ten times more resources than those in developing countries. A new report by CSIRO and the UN Environment Program outlines steps—such as creating walkable cities, reducing meat consumption, and embracing renewable energy—the world can take to foster economic growth while using natural resources sustainably. The Conversation
A six-year study finds that the sharks are falling prey to human interaction and ocean pollution. Just 350 to 520 great whites remain in the area—only half as many as previously thought. Reuters