South Africa: 'Saving endangered species is the responsibility of everyone'
As the 17th world wildlife conference opens, South Africa’s environment minister Edna Bomo Molewa explains the country’s commitment to protecting wildlife Over the next two weeks, South Africa will welcome an estimated 3,500 delegates to Cop17, the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna […]
US emissions set to miss 2025 target in Paris climate change deal, research finds
Even if US implements emissions-cutting proposals it could still overshoot target by nearly 1bn tonnes of greenhouse gases, according to scientific study The US is on course to miss its emissions reduction target agreed in the Paris climate accord nine months ago, with new research finding that the world’s largest historical emitter doesn’t currently have […]
Paris mayor heralds ‘reconquest of Seine’ as riverbank traffic banned
Leftwing parties vote unanimously in favour of closing right bank of river to vehicles from Tuileries to Bastille Paris city council has approved the banning of all vehicles from the major road running along the right bank of the river Seine in a bitterly contested vote. Mayor Anne Hidalgo hailed what she called a historic […]
Animal trafficking: the $23bn criminal industry policed by a toothless regulator
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species finds itself confronting powerful networks, but has no detectives, police powers or firearms The illegal trade in wildlife is a most attractive crime. But it is highly destructive, and its scale is threatening the extinction of some of the world’s most iconic species. It is also grotesquely cruel: […]
The crime family at the centre of Asia's animal trafficking network
Bach brothers based in Vietnam and Thailand are responsible for smuggling thousands of tonnes of elephant ivory, rhino horn and other endangered species There is a simple reason why there is always trouble in Nakhon Phanom. It is the reason why the US air force came here during the Vietnam war, and the reason why […]
Revealed: the criminals making millions from illegal wildlife trafficking
Exclusive: Investigation uncovers the ringleaders profiting from $23bn annual trade in illicit animals after more than a decade of undercover surveillance Help fund our journalism by becoming a Guardian supporter. A major investigation into global wildlife crime today names for the first time key traffickers and links their illegal trade to corrupt officials at the […]
Africa's portable solar revolution is thwarting thieves
More secure supplies of electricity are helping to spawn new industries in rural Africa by enabling reliable refrigeration and irrigation When South Africa’s government started giving laptops to off-grid schools, James van der Walt spotted an opportunity for a solar business. But his market research revealed a problem: of 12 schools he visited, 11 had […]
Find out how earthworms inspired a $10,000 winning innovation
A new innovation that enables the creation of healthier soils by retaining nutrients and preventing runoff from fields has won the first Living Product Prize in the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge. The $10,000 prize was awarded to the University of Oregon design team in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The system’s entire design was inspired by mimicking earthworms, […]
The Madhouse Effect of climate denial | John Abraham
A new book by Mann and Toles explores climate science and denial with clarity and humor A new book by Michael Mann and Tom Toles takes a fresh look on the effects humans are having on our climate and the additional impacts on our politics. While there have been countless books about climate change over […]
Planes need to stop existing in a parallel universe when it comes to the climate fight
Curbing flight emissions is essential to meeting the Paris pact, but planes are completely absent from the text, face no legal fuel efficiency requirements or limits on CO2 emissions. But all that is about to change In the coming weeks, the Paris climate agreement could be about to enter into force. Action to meet the […]