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☆ The Eurozone Economy Shows Signs of Modest Growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Liz Alderman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Why It Matters: The eurozone economy has regained its footing — for now. But countries swiftly stockpiled energy reserves, and a mild winter, together with mass conservation efforts, helped Europe avoid the worst. The data show that the eurozone economy is regaining its footing — though only slowly. On an annual basis, growth contracted in the first quarter from a year ago by0.1 percent in the eurozone’s largest economy. Growth picked up in Italy, Belgium and Spain, and jumped further ahead in Portugal, where the economy expanded 1.6 percent in the first three months.

☆ Ocean census aims to discover 100,000 marine species
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Researchers have embarked on an ambitious global initiative to discover and record marine life hidden in the world’s oceans. Ocean Census aims to identify 100,000 unknown species in the next 10 years, allowing scientists to better understand and protect the deep-sea ecosystem. The initiative builds on past projects such as the Census of Marine Life, which concluded in 2010 and identified 6,000 potential new ocean species. Ocean Census will also help to identify how marine ecosystems are responding to the climate crisis, and assess how marine life could adapt to a warmer climate. The project is being led by Nekton, a UK-based marine science and conservation institute, and funded by The Nippon Foundation, a nonprofit foundation based in Japan.

☆ More than two-thirds of elephant habitat lost across Asia, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Elephants have lost almost two-thirds of their habitat across Asia, the result of hundreds of years of deforestation and increasing human use of land for agriculture and infrastructure, a new study has found. The study found that the greatest decline in elephant habitats was in China, where 94% of suitable land was lost between 1700 and 2015. Meanwhile, more than half of suitable elephant habitats have been lost in Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia’s Sumatra. The era also saw “new value systems, market forces, and governance policies” reaching beyond the cities of Europe into the forests of Asia – speeding up elephant habitat loss and the fragmentation of the species, the study found. Habitat loss also means elephants are migrating from their usual territories, creating “challenges for human communities that have little experience with elephants,” the study said.

☆ Colombia's Gustavo Petro finds his opening in Washington
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

So what was the most solid common ground President Biden, as host, could find for his guest? Leaders from the region tend to see the climate issue as their platform in international summits. Like many countries in Latin America, Colombia has received considerable investments from Chinese companies in recent years, mostly in the transport and mining sectors. “Petro has the aspiration of leading the new phase of Latin America’s geopolitics. And Biden can also tout a considerable concession from his meeting with Petro, who had always refused to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine – until now.

WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - The Biden administration said on Wednesday the plan from U.S. Republican lawmakers to cut federal spending for a decade in exchange for raising the debt ceiling would cost rural communities thousands of jobs and billions of dollars. The House of Representatives could vote as soon as Wednesday on the plan proposed last week by Speaker Kevin McCarthy. There would be 2,700 fewer firefighters to handle wildfires, 125,000 fewer rural households connected to high-speed internet, and 84,000 fewer farmers and ranchers receiving assistance in implementing conservation practices, the USDA said. Under the new version, expanded work requirements would go into effect in 2024 instead of 2025. About 275,000 people would lose benefits each month under the plan, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday.

☆ Ecuador launches debt buyback plan aimed at Galapagos protection
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] A pelican is seen on Santa Cruz Island, part of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. REUTERS/Santiago ArcosLONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - Ecuador has launched a long-awaited debt buyback plan that will free up money to protect its Galapagos Islands, one of the world's most precious ecosystems and the inspiration for Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution. "The Offeror is making the Offer... as part of a broader refinancing operation to channel savings and promote certain conservation and sustainability efforts," the buyback plan said. The operation is private, the country's finance ministry said in a message to journalists, and cannot be discussed. Reporting by Marc Jones; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Goldman Prize winner 2023: Zambian who took on a UK mining giant and won
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Chilekwa Mumba Courtesy Goldman Environmental PrizeOn Monday, Mumba, 38, was awarded the 2023 Goldman Environmental Prize for Africa for his work for the community and setting legal precedent. The prize is awarded each year by The Goldman Environmental Foundation, with ceremonies in San Francisco and Washington, DC. CNN has contacted Vedanta and the Zambian state mining company for comments. The government, however, says that approved projects will follow environmental policies set by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA). For Mumba, who now runs an orphanage in the Zambian capital Lusaka with his wife, the battle is far from over.

☆ Ocean acidification is destroying coral reefs. Here's how 2 scientists are using bone research to protect them against climate change.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It's becoming more acidic — hitting marine ecosystems and causing coral reefs to crumble. Increased acidity could devastate marine ecosystems, which are built upon coral reefs, and in turn, affect the fish and seafood humans eat. Ocean acidification: Lophelia pertusa coral in noncorrosive water off the Southern California Bight. The research began in January and will run for one year, with data collected in monthly intervals to help understand coral responses to ocean acidification and timescales. That's not just ocean acidification, but carbon-dioxide emissions, deforestation near coral reefs, and fishing practices like trawling, he said.

Unlike the chubby, fluffy image of her younger self, 22-year-old Ya Ya has appeared skinny in recent photos, with her black and white coat missing clumps of fur. But Le Le died suddenly of heart disease in early February, further fueling suspicions of mistreatment. Throughout the past weeks, Ya Ya regularly appeared as a top trending topic on Weibo, each time attracting hundreds of millions of views. Allegations of mistreatmentWhen Ya Ya and Le Le arrived at Memphis in 2003, it was a huge deal for the city. A petition by Panda Voices to bring Ya Ya and Le Le back to China on change.org has garnered 193,000 signatures.

☆ Thai zoo breeds endangered vultures hoping to see them soar again
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Napat Wesshasartar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand, April 25 (Reuters) - Four times a day, Thai conservationist Watchiradol Phangpanya puts on a black, long-sleeved shirt, red gloves, and a red balaclava, hoping to imitate an endangered red-headed vulture feeding its baby. [1/3] A new born red-headed vulture is pictured at Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo, Thailand, April 15, 2023. As a scavenger, the red-headed vulture used to play a crucial role in the ecosystem by consuming animal carcasses. After nearly two decades of trying to increase the red-headed vulture population, the zoo is starting to see results, with another egg being incubated by its parents in conservation. "We would like to see the Asian king vulture soar once again through the skies of Thailand," he said.

☆ Archaeologists in Peru find adolescent mummy wrapped in bundle
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The mummy was probably an adolescent and found in an underground tomb wrapped in a funerary bundle, along with ceramics and rope and including bits of skin and hair. [1/5] Skeletal remains and parts of the funerary bundle of a mummy found by Peruvian archaeologists are seen in the ruins of Cajarmarquilla, in the outskirts of Lima, Peru, April 24, 2023. The mummy was discovered about 200 metres (220 yards) from where the first mummy of Cajamarquilla was found, explained Huaman, referring to another mummy found nearby last year. The complex is the second largest mud-brick city in Peru after Chan Chan in the north of the Andean country. Located in a dusty area about 20km (12 miles) from Lima, the site was believed to be a thriving trading center.

☆ The steps that could help address biodiversity loss could also help fix the climate crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Biodiversity loss doesn't always get as much attention as the climate but the crises are linked. The animal, named Sudan, was the last male northern white rhino. The loss of biodiversity doesn't always get as much attention as the climate crisis but the two challenges are linked. "Anybody who's working with these issues — biodiversity, climate change, and the underlying drivers of it — realize the interconnectedness of it," Chomba said. Nachmany said some parts of the financial world are recognizing that biodiversity loss and the climate crisis are two parts of the same problem.

☆ Environmental hero’s mission to save the most over-fished sea in the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Wiping out marine life has damaged the livelihoods of local fishers. Local fishing communities are benefiting from the marine protected area as fish stocks bounce back. He trained local fishers as marine rangers who could monitor the waters for illegal fishing and send alerts to the Turkish Coast Guard. “We became a fishmonger,” says Kizilkaya, adding that the AKD continues to sell “tasty, cheap” lionfish caught by local fishers to restaurants. Kizilkaya hopes that the Goldman Environmental Prize will add momentum to his mission.

The cause of death was not immediately known and authorities will perform a post-mortem to find out more, the outlet reported. Uday – who was named by Indian citizens in a contest – was among 20 cheetahs airlifted to India over the past few months from Africa. The news of the deceased 6-year-old cheetah came just three weeks after his fellow feline, Sasha, died from a kidney infection. Laurie Marker, founder of the Namibia-based Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), which also helped with transferring the animals, said re-establishing a population is very difficult. In late March, the country welcomed four newborn cheetahs for the first time since the species disappeared from India more than 70 years ago.

☆ Lion spotted in Chad's Sena Oura National Park for first time in 20 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Zoe Sottile | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —After a two-decade absence, at least one lion has returned to Chad’s Sena Oura National Park. Lions haven’t been spotted in the park for almost 20 years, says the news release. Lions are considered extinct in Sena Oura, located near Chad’s border with Cameroon, by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. “This has produced better protection of the national parks and wildlife populations are now starting to recover,” it added. Their populations are especially “small and fragmented” in west and central Africa, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.

☆ The worst bird flu outbreak in US history is 'wiping out everything in numbers we've never seen before.' Here's what you need to know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A new strain of bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is spreading across the US. Bill Powers with his flock of white turkeys, kept under shelter to prevent exposure to bird flu, on November 14, 2022 in Townsend, Delaware. And we now have the highest amount of poultry loss to avian influenza, so this is a worst-case scenario," she added. Last week the US Government started testing four new bird flu vaccines to try and protect the poultry from this mass outbreak, per Reuters. Markets are in troubleFarmers and the markets are being hit hard by the ravages of avian flu.

Hong Kong/New York CNN —Temu and Shein are taking off in the United States, topping app stores and creating a frenzy with consumers. Shein was started in China, while Temu was launched by a Chinese company that now bills itself as a multinational firm. Both firms have enjoyed major success in the United States, noted Nicholas Kaufman, a policy analyst for the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Topping the chartsTemu and Shein have taken the world’s largest retail market — the United States — by storm. It has quickly become the most downloaded app in the United States, and continues to expand its user base.

☆ SpaceX Starship’s explosion is not the failure it appears to be, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Rocket launches are like opening a box of chocolates, only riskier — you never know what you’re going to get. When a rocket is set to leap off the launchpad, there’s a good chance of seeing a stunning liftoff or a spectacular failure. The lead-up to this week’s launch of SpaceX’s Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, was a dramatic roller coaster. The rocket blasted off from the launchpad in South Texas and roared 24.2 miles (39 kilometers) over the Gulf of Mexico. Now, researchers have a new theory about why the Vikings abruptly departed in the mid-15th century: rising sea levels.

☆ Recycling plastic can be a little confusing. Here's what the numbers inside the recycling symbol mean
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Lindsey Jacobson | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Plastics labeled with a number 1 are about 20.9% likely to be reprocessed, according to the Greenpeace report. It is still important to know the difference between the types of plastics, since municipalities handle each type of plastic differently. This type of plastic film is often collected separately from plastics labeled 1 and 2. Polystyrene, or PS, is labeled number 6 and can be used to make takeaway containers, coffee cups, insulation and disposable coolers. Finally, plastics labeled number 7 are a mixture of various types of plastics.

☆ Saadiyat: The 'island of happiness' just off Abu Dhabi
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Chris Dwyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Jon Arnold Images Ltd/Alamy Stock PhotoWhile Abu Dhabi itself is home to bombastic contemporary architecture, Saadiyat – an easy 20-minute drive from downtown and Abu Dhabi International Airport – is a natural wonderland, edged by small sand dunes. Elevated boardwalks protect them from beachgoers – part of a conservation project led by Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort and its inhouse marine biologist. Department of Culture and Tourism Abu DhabiOpen year-round, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club is home to a Gary Player signature 18-hole golf course. Luc Castel/Getty ImagesInaugurated in 2017, The Louvre Abu Dhabi is France’s largest cultural project abroad. Louvre Abu Dhabi isn’t the only highbrow place on Saadiyat – behind the dunes there are two world-class educational institutions, too.

☆ Opinion | Let’s Protect Children at Least as Well as We Protect Ducks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Dan Ashe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

President Biden could borrow from the nation’s success in protecting ducks. The executive branch has plenty of discretionary authority to regulate federal lands, including the ability to restrict firearms possession in many areas (a power it now uses to restrict guns in courthouses, post offices and many national parks and on other federal lands). It can and should prohibit shooting assault weapons or any firearms capable of shooting more than five or 10 rounds, without reloading, on federal land, or at any public shooting range that receives federal funding or is under federal license. The challenge for the president will be to overcome a gun culture that permeates federal land-managing agencies and their state counterparts. He can also ask the major hunting, fishing and conservation organizations, like the Boone and Crockett Club, Ducks Unlimited and the National Wildlife Federation, to urge state wildlife agencies to ban assault weapons for any hunting.

☆ Elephant seals enter 'sleep spiral' during ocean dives
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The researchers refer to this as a “sleep spiral.”The research marked the first time scientists recorded brain activity in free-ranging wild marine mammals, capturing data from 104 sleep dives. Then she attached them to 13 juvenile female elephant seals that are part of a colony at Año Nuevo State Park in Pescadero, California. In shallow waters, the elephant seals even reached the seafloor, where they would rest. During REM sleep, elephant seals enter a "sleep spiral." Elephant seals sleep the most along the coast and near their foraging grounds, and that data could be used to see how shipping traffic could affect the seals.

☆ Biden pledges $500 million to fight Amazon deforestation, but Congress must approve
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

President Joe Biden announced plans to boost U.S. funding to slash deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest and to help developing countries combat climate change during a meeting with world leaders on Thursday. The president, during a virtual meeting with the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, committed $500 million over five years to reduce deforestation in Brazil. Biden also pledged $1 billion to the Green Climate Fund, a United Nations-led program aimed to help developing countries become more resilient to climate change and transition to clean energy sources. The funding comes after the president in 2021 pledged to work with Congress to quadruple U.S. climate support for developing countries to $11.4 billion each year by 2024. The president's request for additional climate funding will likely face strong opposition from the Republican-controlled House.

☆ Anthony Ochieng Onyango wants others to see conservation through a different lens
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Jackie Prager | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Crouching in the brush of Kenya’s Ruma National Park, award-winning conservation photographer Anthony Ochieng Onyango eyes what he’s spent a year looking for – the roan antelope. It’s estimated there are only 60,000 of them left on the continent, and as of July 2021, there were only 15 living in Ruma National Park, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service. The roan antelope is seen grazing in Ruma National Park, Kenya. “We need to speak their language so we can get into their hearts to take action in conservation,” Onyango said. “My hope is for the students to just be able to appreciate what they currently have within their ecosystem.”Photographer Anthony Ochieng Onyango in action during a trip to Ruma National Park in Kenya, searching for the elusive roan antelope.

☆ Contest for Children to Hunt Feral Cats Is Scrapped in New Zealand
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Yan Zhuang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A hunting contest in rural New Zealand where children were to compete to kill the greatest number of feral cats for a cash prize has been canceled after a backlash from animal rights organizations. New Zealand, an island nation, has aggressively tried to control invasive species from overwhelming its native wildlife. But culling feral cats remains divisive, and the planned hunt inflamed debate about the morality of the practice and how children should be taught about invasive species management. While New Zealanders broadly agree that feral cats need to be controlled, he said, “the issue is that it kind of touches on all these broader ethical issues: Should kids be the one killing cats? The cat-culling event was new this year, and it was open to children under the age of 14, with the winner receiving 250 New Zealand dollars, or about $155, according to Facebook posts by the North Canterbury Hunting Competition.

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