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☆ Giant pandas coming to San Francisco from China
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Paradise Afshar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —China will send giant pandas to live at San Francisco’s zoo for the first time, Mayor London Breed has announced. “The memorandum of understanding signed by Mayor Breed and the (China Wildlife Conservation Association) this morning is the first official leased agreement for Giant Pandas to have residency at the San Francisco Zoo,” a media release from the city on Friday reads. “In 1984 and again in 1985, the San Francisco Zoo temporarily hosted Giant Pandas from China as part of a global tour.”In February, it was announced that China would be sending two giant pandas to the San Diego Zoo – marking the first time it has granted new panda loans in the US in two decades, CNN previously reported. The National Zoo was the first US zoo to showcase pandas, and the end of its program had left Zoo Atlanta as the only other US zoo to feature pandas. Fewer than 2,000 giant pandas remain in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Fund, which lists the species as vulnerable.

Persons: Mayor London Breed, Mayor Breed, “, ”, Breed, Xi Jinping, Richard Nixon’s Organizations: CNN, Mayor London, Mayor, China Wildlife Conservation Association, Giant Pandas, San Francisco Zoo, Pandas, San Diego Zoo, Smithsonian National Zoo, Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, World Wildlife Fund Locations: China, Francisco’s, “ San Francisco, Washington, Beijing

☆ Ancient giant dolphin discovered in the Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

And though there are Amazonian freshwater dolphin species alive today, they aren’t close kin to that ancient cetacean. There’s the South Asian river dolphin (Platanista genus) and the Amazon river dolphin (Inia genus), also known as the pink river dolphin, and the two groups include several species and subspecies. Researchers discovered the Amazonian dolphin fossil in 2018, near the Napo River in Loreto, Peru. At first, they thought it would turn out to be an ancient relative of modern Amazonian river dolphins. “That was a moment where everybody freaked out, because it wasn’t an Amazonian river dolphin,” Benites-Palomino said.

Persons: ”, Jorge Velez, ” Velez, Juarbe, Aldo Benites, Palomino, John J, Flynn, Palomino “, John, freaked, Benites, yacuruna, Rodolfo Salas, Gismondi, ” Benites, Pebanista, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, American Association for, Advancement of Science, Juarbe, of Los, International Union for, Nature, IUCN, University of Zurich’s Department of Paleontology, American Museum of, of, World Wildlife Fund, Velez, Scientific Locations: Peruvian, South Asia, America, of Los Angeles County, Loreto , Peru, New York City, Peru, of Lima, Amazonia

☆ You can buy an endangered monkey on Facebook in 20 minutes
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

It took BI 20 minutes to find endangered squirrel monkeys and other exotic species for sale. Used lawn furniture, homemade baked goods… endangered species. 20 minutes to monkeysIt took BI less than two minutes to identify Facebook accounts selling the bowmouth guitarfish horns. Advertisement"In just two mouse clicks, our researchers could locate substantial wildlife trafficking content," researchers behind the ACCO study wrote. "Facilitated by transnational organized crime networks, with links to drug, human, and weapon trafficking, illegal wildlife trade threatens not only wildlife populations," Allan told BI.

Persons: —, Crawford Allan, Allan, Jill Atkins Organizations: Facebook, Service, World Wildlife Fund, Coalition, Meta, Products, BI, Wildlife Fund, Wildlife, Alliance, WWF, United Nations, Sheffield University Management School, University of Sheffield

☆ A frog in India has a mushroom sprouting out of it. Researchers have never seen anything like it
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The prognosis of the frog with the mushroom hitchhiker is unknown, but there are a handful of theories as to the cause of its condition. Therefore, something like this is interesting and should be followed up with observations and screening of frogs,” Vasudevan said in an email. Initially, Vasudevan had thought the mushroom was stuck on the frog’s skin rather than a growth, but photos of the critter convinced him otherwise. “It is indeed the case of a live mushroom on a live frog,” Vasudevan said. The disease has been observed in low levels in all the frog hotspots across India, the authors of the new note wrote.

Persons: —, ”, Lohit, mycologists, Alyssa Wetterau Kaganer, ” Kaganer, Kaganer, Karthikeyan Vasudevan, Vasudevan, ” Vasudevan, it’ll Organizations: CNN, World Wildlife Fund, India, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory, Centre, Cellular Locations: Karnataka, India, Bengaluru, Kerala, Telangana

☆ Two giant pandas are moving to a California zoo in a rare loan from China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Taylor Romine | Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —China is sending two giant pandas to the San Diego Zoo – the first time it has granted new panda loans to the United States in two decades. His comments came shortly after the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC sent its three pandas back to China – marking the end of more than 50 years of Chinese pandas being housed at the zoo. The National Zoo was the first US zoo to showcase pandas, and the end of its program had left Zoo Atlanta as the only other US zoo to feature pandas. San Diego Zoo returned its last two pandas to China in 2019, after its loan agreement ended. According to Xinhua, discussions are ongoing for “a new round of cooperation” with the National Zoo and a zoo in Austria.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ” Xi, Xi, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington , DC, Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, China Wildlife Conservation Association, Xinhua, Washington, Smithsonian, National Zoo, World Wildlife Fund Locations: China, United States, Washington ,, San, Europe, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Qatar, Xinhua, Austria

☆ Opinion | Kicking Native People Off Their Land Is a Horrible Way to Save the Planet
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Robert Williams | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

That’s why government officials recently announced a change in the legal status of Ngorongoro that will prohibit human settlement inside and near it. The decision will force authorities to remove nearly 100,000 people — mostly Maasai pastoralists who have used Ngorongoro’s vast grasslands to sustain their seminomadic cattle-herding way of life for generations — from the protected area. According to the government, the Maasai must be removed to conserve the land and protect biodiversity. The Maasai argue that removal puts their lives and cultural survival at risk and that the government should instead expand tourism in a way that respects their rights. Yet in many cases people are already living and surviving off these lands — indeed, an estimated 476 million Indigenous peoples dwell on lands that are home to 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity.

Organizations: World Wildlife Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society, University of Arizona Indigenous Peoples Law, United Nations, Indigenous Peoples Locations: Mara, Kenya, United States, France, Germany, Japan

☆ Monarch Butterfly Numbers Are Down Sharply at Wintering Areas in Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Catrin Einhorn | More About Catrin Einhorn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The number of monarch butterflies at their overwintering areas in Mexico dropped precipitously this year to the second-lowest level on record, according to an annual survey. The census, considered a benchmark of the species’s health, found that the butterflies occupied only about 2.2 acres of forest in central Mexico, down 59 percent from the prior year. Only the winter of 2013-14 had fewer butterflies. Scientists said the decline appeared to be driven by hot, dry conditions in the United States and Canada that reduced the quality of available milkweed, the only plants monarch caterpillars can eat, as well as the availability of nectar from many kinds of flowers, which they feed on as butterflies. “It’s telling us that we need to intensify conservation and restoration measures,” said Jorge Rickards, the general director of World Wildlife Fund in Mexico, which conducted the survey with the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas and other partners.

Persons: “, ”, Jorge Rickards Organizations: World Wildlife Fund, National Commission Locations: Mexico, United States, Canada

☆ ‘Save the Whales’ was a shining success. Now can humpbacks save us from ourselves?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Bill Weir | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Antarctic Peninsula CNN —About 15 billion miles from where you sit, two 12-inch golden records are hurtling through outer space with multilingual greetings to the universe from 55 humans and one humpback whale. WWF's Johnson said the whales are not harmed by this -- to the whales, the dart feels like "a mosquito bite." It feels like “a mosquito bite” to the whales, Johnson said, but what they can test for is priceless: from stress hormones to toxins to — most importantly — pregnancy rates. Ten million copies were inserted into National Geographic magazine in 1979 — the largest single pressing in history — and a global movement to Save The Whales grew big enough to … save the whales. Seth Wenig/AP“I don’t think a wind turbine can kill a whale,” Friedlaender told CNN.

Persons: Anderson Cooper, Carl Sagan, ” Sagan, could’ve, “, Ari Friedlaender, Friedlaender, ”, Chris Johnson, ” Eva Prendergast, WWF's Johnson, Evelio Contreras, Bill Weir, Johnson, ” Friedlaender, Shepherd, WWF’s Johnson, Roger, Katy Payne, David Keyton, Frank Watlington, cetologist Scott McVay, Donald Trump, ” Trump, Seth Wenig, that’s, Biden, ” Johnson, Twain, CNN “, ” Brenda McCowan, Fred Sharpe, ” McCowan, ’ ” Sharpe, Natalia Botero, Acosta, ’, Maria Camila Medina Martínez, Julian Quinones, ” Carl Sagan Organizations: Antarctic Peninsula CNN, “, ” CNN CNN, University of California, International Monetary Fund, World Wildlife Fund, Ocean Endeavor, CNN, UC Santa Cruz, Shepherd Global, Norwegian Aker, United Nations, Geographic, Whales, International Whaling Commission, Atlantic, Republican, Templeton Foundation, Whale SETI, UC Davis Locations: Santa Cruz, Colombia, British, Antarctica, Norwegian, Southern, Orkney, Bermuda, Japan, Norway, Iceland, Atlantic, South Carolina, Lido Beach , New York, Davis, Alaska, Columbia, Colombian, Tribuga, United Nations, Palau, Chile, Maldives

☆ Brazil's Amazon region has faced devastating flooding and drought. Dramatic photos show life in towns weathering the extremes of climate change.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-03 | by ( Talia Lakritz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. In 2021, towns in Amazonas, Brazil, along the Amazon River and its tributaries flooded due to heavier-than-usual rainfall. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. The Amazon region floods annually during the rainy season, bringing nutrient-rich sediment from the Andes Mountains to the rainforest floor, according to the World Wildlife Fund. AdvertisementPhotos show how regions like the Amazon oscillate between extreme weather conditions as its residents struggle to adapt.

Organizations: Service, Business, World Wildlife Fund Locations: Amazonas, Brazil

We need to implement food systems approaches throughout COP28," said Joao Campari, global leader of food practice at the World Wildlife Fund. Doing so could also unlock financial investment in tackling food emissions, said Saswati Bora, global director for regenerative food systems at the Nature Conservancy. TACKLING METHANEA key goal for advocates is reducing methane emissions from food sectors like livestock production and food waste. Countries should also make stronger commitments in NDCs on food waste, said Liz Goodwin, director of food loss and waste at the World Resources Institute. Food waste generates half of all global food system emissions according to a March study published in the journal Nature Food.

Persons: David Swanson, Joao Campari, NDCs, Patty Fong, Saswati Bora, Bora, John Tauzel, Tauzel, Liz Goodwin, Goodwin, Leah Douglas, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, United Nations, Food, Agriculture Organization, FAO, World Wildlife Fund, Conference of, United, United Arab Emirates, Global Alliance, Nature Conservancy, COP26, Environmental Defense Fund, World Resources Institute, Thomson Locations: Corcoran , California, U.S, Dubai, COP28, United Arab, United States, India, China, Canada, NDCs

☆ Planting 'koala corridors' to save Australia's endangered marsupial
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Jill Gralow | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BANGALOW, Australia, Nov 22 (Reuters) - When Lucy was rescued from a rural property in New South Wales two years ago, she was suffering from chlamydia, a disease widespread among koalas. Today, she's one of the lucky residents of tree corridors in the Australian state dedicated to protecting the marsupial by preserving its rapidly shrinking habitat. "Our corridors are actually trying to get them away from humans, from cars, from dogs," said Linda Sparrow, president of Bangalow Koalas. [1/5]Lucy, an adult female Koala sits in a eucalyptus tree planted by Bangalow Koalas, in Bangalow, Australia in this undated image. Saul Goodwin/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsFounded in 2019, Bangalow Koalas has planted over 336,000 trees on 119 properties, contributing to koala conservation and boosting the local ecosystem.

Persons: Lucy, Linda Sparrow, Bangalow, Bangalow Koalas, Saul Goodwin, Handout, Sparrow, Lindy Stacker, Jill Gralow, Alasdair Pal, Miral Organizations: Australia, REUTERS Acquire, Australian Koala Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, Thomson Locations: BANGALOW, Australia, New South Wales, Northern Rivers, Bangalow, Northern, Queensland

The Pantanal holds thousands of plant and animal species, including 159 mammals, and it abounds with jaguars, according to the World Wildlife Fund. In the dry season, wildlife enthusiasts flock to see the normally furtive jaguars lounging on riverbanks, along with macaws, caimans and capybaras. Political Cartoons View All 1256 ImagesMuch of the Encontro das Aguas (Meeting of the Waters) park, located at the border of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul states — known for its large jaguar population — had turned from emerald green to dark brown. “This is so atypical,” said Renata Libonati, who coordinates the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro's alert system for fires in the Pantanal. The neighboring state of Mato Grosso said it had also strengthened its workforce, with about 200 federal and state firefighters on the ground.

Persons: —, they’ll, Leonisio da Silva, ”, Renata Libonati, ” Libonati, Angelo Rabelo, Mato Grosso, Enderson Barreto, “, ” Barreto, Barreto Organizations: — Firefighters, Facebook, Federal University of Rio, Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, World Wildlife Fund, Mato Grosso, Associated Press, ” Jaguars, Firefighters, El, Environment, Federal Highway Police, Waters, ” Locations: POCONE, BRAZIL, Brazil's, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Waters, Mato Grosso, Mato, Sul, Brazil, Porto Jofre

☆ An Italian ski resort shut down by climate change plans to reopen with artificial snow. Not everyone is happy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Now, plans to build a multi-million-dollar ski facility on a snowless northern Italian mountain may prove equally challenging. The Lake Como town of Bellagio is among communities backing the reopening of ski facilities. Old turnstiles, ski lift pillars, and even a map of now-vanished pistes can still be found on the mountain. Snow could become even more scarce in the future as the impacts of the climate crisis accelerate. The first plans for the Monte San Primo ski area were passed and the money pledged in early 2022.

Persons: Matteo Colombo, ”, Roberto Fumagalli, Fumagalli, doesn’t, Monte, George Clooney “ We’ve, George Clooney, “, hasn’t, ” Fumagalli, Snow, Roberto Fumagalli ‘, Angelo Barindelli, Alessandro Fermo, It’s, won’t Organizations: CNN, Getty, World Wildlife Fund, Italian Alpine, Alamy, Hollywood, Protesters, Lombardy Regional Council, Facebook, Monte Locations: Messina, Venice, San, Lake Como, Bellagio, Monte San, Mauritius, Cardiff, Bristol, Italy, Ethiopia, of Africa, Lombardy, Monte San Primo

☆ US would welcome back any pandas from China, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The United States would welcome back any giant pandas China decides to send, the White House said on Thursday after Chinese President Xi Jinping hinted he might return some of the cuddly-looking black-and-white bears as a friendship gesture. And we respect the sovereign decision that China made to remove some of the pandas," White House spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing. "And certainly should a decision be made by the PRC (People's Republic of China) to restore some of the pandas to the United States, we would absolutely welcome them back." He said he also learned that the San Diego Zoo and people in California look forward to welcoming pandas back. "Pandas have long been envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples," Xi said.

Persons: Xi Jinping, John Kirby, Xi, Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, Doina Chiacu, Michael Martina, Chris Reese Organizations: PRC, People's, San, Economic Cooperation, San Diego Zoo, Pandas, World Wildlife Fund, Zoo, Thomson Locations: United, China, People's Republic of China, United States, San Francisco, Asia, California, Washington, Sichuan

Kenya's President William Ruto called the treaty “the first domino” in a shift away from plastic pollution. The U.N. Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution is charged with developing the first international, legally binding treaty on plastic pollution on land and at sea. Kenya is a global leader in fighting plastic pollution, and in 2017, the country banned the manufacture, sale and use of single-use plastic bags. Nonetheless, he said, it is evident that negotiations have moved beyond plastic waste and into addressing plastic production and toxic chemicals used to make plastic. “The focus is on ending plastic pollution, not plastic production," he said.

Persons: Gustavo Adolfo Meza, Cuadra Velasquez, William Ruto, ” Graham Forbes, ” Eirik Lindebjerg, Björn Beeler, haven't, IPEN, Chris Jahn, Karen McKee, Jahn, ___ McDermott Organizations: United Nations Environment, Global, reconvening, Intergovernmental, UNEP, Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund, Plastics, Industry, International Council of Chemical Associations, ExxonMobil, Solutions Company, AP Locations: NAIROBI, Kenya, Kenya's, Nairobi, Paris, Punta del Este, Uruguay, Norway, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Iran, China, Russia, United States, Baytown , Texas, Baytown, Providence , Rhode Island

Mendoza, a former fighter for the now-disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas, dragged her children back inside the house. In interviews with Reuters, those people recounted how the attacks left conservation projects adrift, with conservationists withdrawing from environmental protection works because of fear of more violence. Municipal data from local environmental authorities and the Colombian Institute of Meteorology (IDEAM) also showed that in the year after each killing, deforestation at a local level was worse than national trends. Santofimio's killing brought his hard-fought conservation project to a halt. In the tree nursery, which stopped work after Santofimio's killing, saplings bask in the dappled sunlight beneath protective nets.

Persons: Duberney Lopez, Jorge Santofimio, PUERTO, Leidy Mendoza, Mendoza, Jorge !, they'd, Susana Muhamad, Muhamad, Colombia's, –, Armando Aroca, Santofimio, Lopez, Kevin Murakami, Comuccom, Aroca, Javier Franciso Parra, Francisco couldn't, Andres Felipe Garcia, Cormacarena, Parra, Garcia, Luisz Martinez, Martinez, La, KfW, Roberto Gomez, Gonzalo Cardona, Sara Ines Lara, Oliver Griffin, Julia Symmes Cobb, Katy Daigle, Claudia Parsons Organizations: Revolutionary Armed Forces, Colombian, Villagers, Reuters, Environment Ministry, Global, Colombian Institute of Meteorology, Comuccom, International Narcotics, Law, Affairs, U.S, National Liberation Army, UN, Programme, Meta, UNDP, Progress, World Wildlife Fund, Security, USAID, Thomson Locations: Colombia, PUERTO GUZMAN, Putumayo, Bogota, La, Meta, La Macarena, Amazonia, Puerto Guzman

☆ The first US commercial plant has started to pull carbon from the air. It's able to suck out 1,000 tons annually and plans to expand.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

JENN CAIN/Getty ImagesHeirloom uses direct air capture technology, which essentially means that its product is able to suck free carbon dioxide out of the air, according to its website. The captured carbon dioxide gets packed into concrete or injected into the ground, where Heirloom said it's held permanently. Why they made this tech in the first placeExcess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps heat and warms the planet. Carbon capture is not a cure for climate changeUsing carbon capture alone won't be a cure-all for our climate woes. AdvertisementAdvertisement"Fossil-fuel companies love carbon capture because it really does let them off the hook," he said.

Persons: it's, Shashank Samala, JENN, there'll, Energy Jennifer Granholm, Peter Kalmus, Kalmus Organizations: New York Times, Service, Carbon Technologies, Times, Getty, World Wildlife Fund, Boston Consulting Group, Energy, WWF Locations: California, Tracy , CA, Brisbane , California

☆ A rapid clean-energy transition could save 181 million years of healthy human life annually by 2050, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A rapid transition to green energy sources would prevent a lot of disability and early death, researchers say. In the year 2050 alone, the transition's impact amounts to 181 million future years of healthy human life, a new report found. Add to that list 181 million years of healthy human life — annually. Mohammad Ponir Hossain/ReutersDisability-adjusted life years, or DALYs, capture years of life affected by disability and years lost to premature death. If the world rapidly transitions to renewables, they found, the energy system will still hurt human health enough in 2050 to lead to early death and disability that affects 30 million years of human life.

Persons: Martin Meissner, it's, Stephanie Roe, WWF's, Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Nick Oxford, Dylan Martinez, Jonathan Buonocore, Buonocore, Lyu, Roe Organizations: Service, Wildlife Fund, Boston Consulting, Reuters, American Lung Association . Mines, Harvard, Boston University School of Public Health, WWF, China News Service, Getty, International Energy Agency, Stanford Locations: Haltern, Germany, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Texas, Fujian Province, China

☆ Home countries of major rainforests agree to work together to save them
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Ange Adihe Kasongo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The countries recognised the importance of cooperation and agreed to develop ways to protect the forests in a seven-point plan. Deforestation increased 4% worldwide in 2022, according to an October report showing countries went further off track from pledges made at the 2021 U.N. climate talks to halt and reverse loss and degradation by 2030. Over the three days of the summit in Brazzaville, experts and policymakers from countries with tropical forests discussed shared priorities ahead of the U.N. COP28 climate talks next month. They examined different funding mechanisms to help developing countries preserve their important ecosystems. Additional reporting by Alessandra Prentice; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian and Edward McAllisterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ueslei Marcelino, We've, we've, Arlette Soudan, Alessandra Prentice, Anait Miridzhanian, Edward McAllister Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, Wildlife Fund, Thomson Locations: Belem , Para, Brazil, BRAZZAVILLE, Congo Republic, Congo, Southeast Asia, Republic of Congo, Brazzaville

☆ In a rarity, emperor penguin chick hatches at Sea World San Diego
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A new emperor penguin chick stands on a surface at SeaWorld in San Diego, California, U.S., in this handout image released to Reuters on October 25, 2023. Kyle Williams/Seaworld San Diego/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsOct 25 (Reuters) - SeaWorld San Diego has welcomed the hatching of an emperor penguin for the first time in 13 years, announcing on Wednesday that the female chick came out of its shell with help from zoo staff on Sept. 12. Some 300 penguins of several species live in the zoo's penguin habitat, but SeaWorld staff took special pride in the emperor hatching, said Melissa Ramsey, SeaWorld's supervisor of birds who helped hatch the penguin. The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the biggest of all penguin species, and can reach 3.7 feet (1.15 meter) in height and weigh up to 99 lb (45 kg), according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Unlike other species that produce multiple eggs a year, the emperor female lays only one egg once a year, Ramsey said in a telephone interview.

Persons: Kyle Williams, Handout, Justin Brackett, Melissa Ramsey, Ramsey, Brackett, Astrid, Daniel Trotta, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, Seaworld, REUTERS Acquire, SeaWorld, World Wildlife Fund, WWF, Thomson Locations: SeaWorld, San Diego , California, U.S, Seaworld San Diego, SeaWorld San Diego, Antarctica

Tiny but bountiful, Antarctic krill make up one of the planet’s largest biomasses, nourishing everything from fish to marine mammals and seabirds. At Steinberg’s lab, researchers are examining how warming oceans — Antarctic krill need water colder than 4 degrees Celsius (39 Fahrenheit) to survive — are altering krill’s life cycle. However, a leading marine biologist the industry once relied on to burnish its environmental credentials has since denounced krill fishing. She accepted with the hope that she could help mitigate the effects of krill fishing on the Antarctic ecosystem. Today, she believes that krill fishing should be banned.

Persons: “ What’s, ”, Alistair Allan, Bob, it’s, Santa Cruz, Deborah Steinberg’s, ” Steinberg, Emma Cavan, Steinberg, Claire Christian, “ It’s, aren’t, Dirk Welsford, Matts Johansen, ” Johansen, Kjell Inge Røkke, Brett Glencross, “, Jesse Trushenski, Trushenski, Johansen, William Harris, he’s, Javier Arata, Helena Herr, CCAMLR, Ari Friedlaender, ” Friedlaender, Peter Hammarstedt, JoNel, Helen Wieffering, Fu Ting Organizations: Bob Brown Foundation, Soviet Union, Associated Press, Shepherd, Walton Family Foundation, AP, University of California, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, World Wildlife Fund, Imperial College London, Commission, Conservation, Antarctic Marine Living Resources, Antarctic, Southern Ocean Coalition, U.S, United Nations, Antarctic Provider, Aker BioMarine, Aker, Aker ASA, National Institutes of Health, University of South, Association, Pew, University of Hamburg, Foods, Amazon, Wildlife Fund, LCA, Sea Shepherd, Washington , D.C Locations: Antarctica, Chilean, Alaska, U.S, Soviet, Russia, China, South America, Orkney, Norwegian, Santa, Cavan, Tasmania, It’s, Washington, Moscow, Beijing, Texas, Australian, Montevideo, Uruguay, dwarfing, Norway, American, Europe, Canada, Australia, Houston, Aker, Oslo, Brussels, Boise , Idaho, University of South Dakota, Salt Lake City , Utah, Santa Cruz, Virginia, Peruvian, Ski, Los Angeles, Washington ,, Investigative@ap.org

☆ Teo Boon Ching: 'Godfather' of illicit wildlife trade jailed for trafficking rhino horns worth $2 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“Wildlife trafficking is a serious threat,” said Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, in the release. Sam Yeh/AFP/Getty Images‘Body blow’Prosecutors said a covert operation exposed Ching’s efforts to traffic about 219 kilograms [483 pounds] of rhino horns “resulting from the poaching of numerous rhinoceros” with an estimated value of $2.1 million. The horns were delivered in a suitcase in Thailand by those working for the wildlife trafficking organization, officials said. The London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), which supplied intelligence on Ching to US enforcement agents, said his jailing was a “body blow” to the illegal wildlife trade. “Chinese and Vietnamese organized crime networks have long exploited Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries as transit hubs for smuggling illegal wildlife commodities from Africa into Asia,” an EIA statement read.

Persons: Teo Boon Ching, Ching, ”, Damian Williams, Sam Yeh, Olivia Swaak, Goldman, “, ” “ Organizations: CNN, Southern, of, ” Rhinos, World Wildlife Fund, Rhinos, Getty, Prosecutors, Environmental Investigation Agency, US Treasury Department, Wildlife Justice Commission Locations: Malaysian, Manhattan, of New York, Thailand, United States, Africa, Asia, China, Vietnam, AFP, New York, London, Malaysia

☆ Deep-sea mining could help solve the global critical minerals shortage, but it's a lightning rod for controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Katie Brigham | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

But extracting these metals via deep-sea mining has become a lightning rod for global controversy, as many fear the potential ecological disruptions it could cause in a part of our planet that remains largely unexplored. The Metals Company has announced that it's planning to submit its application next summer and begin exploitation in 2025, leaving many concerned about the potential implications. "What I am absolutely convinced of is that we can slow down or maybe even stop the growth in rainforest nickel," Barron said. Deep-sea mining avoids the emissions associated with blasting, as well as sulfidic tailings, a waste material that can contaminate groundwater. Great unknownsA few years ago, the World Wildlife Fund released a business statement calling for a moratorium on deep-sea mining.

Persons: Jessica Battle, Gerard Barron, we're, Barron, Andrew Miller Organizations: Clarion, United Nations, International, Authority, ISA, Metals Company, Mining, The Metals Company, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, Metals, World Wildlife, Google, Samsung, BMW, Volkswagen, Volvo, Renault, WWF, CCZ, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration Locations: Indonesia, Congolese, U.S, Texas

☆ See inside Starbucks' quest for 'the cup of the future'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Peter Prengaman | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Just as noteworthy as what they're carrying is what they are not: the disposable Starbucks cup, an icon in a world where the word is overused. ASU implemented a "borrow and return" plan that has users dump reusable cups in a bin outside the store. AP Photo/Ross D. FranklinNow, in an era where concern for sustainability can be good business, the Starbucks disposable cup may be on its way to extinction thanks to an unlikely force: Starbucks itself. Currently, ASU students can bring their own reusable cups or are given a reusable cup to wash and return. Since the reintroduction of reusable cups in some stores in July 2021 — reusable cups were not used during much of the COVID-19 pandemic — only 1.2% of worldwide sales in fiscal year 2022 came from reusables.

Persons: — Bethany Patton, Patton, Ross D, Franklin, that's, Michael Kobori, Lindsey Wasson, Erin Simon, Simon, Jon Solorzano, Solorzano, Irene Linayao, Aria, Tyler Eglen, Jane Tsilas, Walker, Kyle Walker, Franklin Valencia Villanueva, it's Organizations: Starbucks, Service, ASU, AP, Arizona State University ., Wildlife Fund, Arizona State, Starbucks —, Franklin Locations: TEMPE, Ariz, United States, Los Angeles, Europe, Germany, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Arizona, reusables, Villanueva

Just as noteworthy as what they're carrying is what they are not: the disposable Starbucks cup, an icon in a world where the word is overused. Political Cartoons View All 1160 ImagesNow, in an era where concern for sustainability can be good business, the Starbucks disposable cup may be on its way to extinction thanks to an unlikely force: Starbucks itself. At the store where Patton gets her coffee, Starbucks already doesn't serve any in disposable paper or plastic cups. That pushes the limits of what can be done with recycled paper material that holds hot liquids. Since the reintroduction of reusable cups in some stores in July 2021 — reusable cups were not used during much of the COVID-19 pandemic — only 1.2% of worldwide sales in fiscal year 2022 came from reusables.

Persons: — Bethany Patton, Patton, ”, that's, Michael Kobori, It’s, Erin Simon, Simon, Jon Solorzano, ” Solorzano, “ I’ll, Irene Linayao, Aria, Tyler Eglen, Jane Tsilas, Kyle Walker, Valencia Villanueva, it's, “, Peter Prengaman, Manuel Valdes Organizations: Arizona State University ., Starbucks, Wildlife Fund, Arizona State, Starbucks —, AS, Valencia, Associated Press, AP Locations: TEMPE, Ariz, United States, Los Angeles, Europe, Germany, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Arizona, reusables

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