Latest News
Alberta tar sands workers evacuate to escape wildfires -
About 8,000 people at nearly 20 camps were affected by a mandatory evacuation order yesterday, as out-of-control wildfires continue to spread in the oil-rich province. The latest evacuation could further postpone the restart of at least one million barrels a day in tar sands production. Wall Street Journal
Young forests sequester huge amounts of carbon dioxide -
A new study finds that Latin American second-growth forests that grow back after disturbances can store the equivalent of 21 years' worth of regional emissions. It is the first time the carbon storage capabilities of forests less than 60 years old have been studied closely. Climate Central
The world's smallest porpoise is close to extinction -
Only about 60 vaquitas remain in the Gulf of California, where poachers often kill the small mammals accidentally when looking for totoaba fish. While the Mexican government has taken steps to protect the species, such as temporarily banning gill nets and deploying its navy to patrol for illegal fisherman, scientists say it hasn't been enough. If gill netting resumes, the vaquita could disappear by 2022. New York Times
Vanuatu is aiming for 100 percent renewable energy -
The Pacific island nation's climate change minister has announced plans to generate all of the country's electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Radio New Zealand
EPA releases new methane regulations -
The new rules aim to cut methane emissions from the gas sector by 40 to 45 percent by 2025. They also require more frequent surveys for leaks and improved data-gathering on leakage. The potent greenhouse gas has previously been unregulated in the United States. Mother Jones
Without plants we would not be here.
—Kathy Willis, director of science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, comments on a new report that finds one-fifth of the world's plants are threatened with extinction.