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☆ NASA’s only visit to Uranus happened during a rare cosmic occurrence
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

This week, researchers shared fascinating new findings on Uranus, the seventh planet from the sun, and the far side of the moon. Other worldsIllustrations depict how Uranus' magnetosphere, or protective bubble, was behaving before Voyager 2's arrival (left) and during the spacecraft's flyby (right). An unusual cosmic occurrence during the Voyager 2 spacecraft’s 1986 flyby might have skewed how scientists characterized the ice giant, new research suggests. In particular, the spacecraft’s observations of Uranus’ protective magnetosphere were wildly different from astronomers’ expectations. Fortunately, sending a dedicated mission to study Uranus in the future is a priority for NASA, according to a 2022 report.

Persons: Jamie Jasinski, paleoanthropologist Don Johanson, what’s, Lucy, Johanson, ”, afarensis, doesn’t, Bathydevius, Bruce Robison, —, Marvel, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt, Jackie Wattles Organizations: CNN, NASA, JPL, Caltech, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Nature Reserve, WWF Tigers, Fund, Nature, Aquarium Research, CNN Space, Science Locations: Pasadena , California, Afar, Central Asia, Turkey, Russia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Caspian, Netherlands, Kuma, Kazakhstan’s Ile, California, Mt, Everest, Monterey, what’s, Iraq

☆ Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson used to wrestle for $40 a match: Here's the key Hollywood lesson he learned that helped him succeed
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Long before he was one of the highest paid movie stars in the world, Dwayne Johnson was wrestling for just $40 a match. "When I got into the business of Hollywood and moviemaking, it's like, 'Okay, well, what kind of movies do I want to make?' Johnson said he was methodical about the way he selected his roles, always following the mantra of "Audience first." "It was also an opportunity for me, I realized, to stretch myself in ways that I hadn't been stretched yet," Johnson says. But don't expect Johnson to leave his $40 lesson behind after his dramatic turn.

Persons: Long, Dwayne Johnson, Johnson, Mark Kerr, there's Organizations: United States Wrestling Association, WWF, WWE, Waffle, USWA, UFC, CNBC Locations: Tennessee —, Hollywood

☆ How giant rodents could rat on wildlife traffickers
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-30 | by ( Alexander Rodway | Alex Rodway | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But now the organization is turning its attention (and its rats’ noses) to the global illegal wildlife trade. “Unfortunately, organized crime knows there’s a real weak spot in detection methods of ports, seaports and airports, particularly in Africa.”Traffickers disguise wildlife products in a whole host of ways, he explains. This is particularly important given that much of the illicit wildlife trade comes from some of the world’s poorest regions. “I’m hopeful that (using rats) for detecting wildlife will be a low cost, low impact, low footprint operation,” says Allan. The illegal wildlife trade not only impacts populations of the trafficked animal or plant, it can have devastating knock-on consequences for whole ecosystems.

Persons: “ HeroRATs, ”, Crawford Allan, Ivory, APOPO, blackwood –, Allan, who’s, Dr, Izzy Szott, you’re, “, Kate Webb, they’ve, Chris Lau Organizations: CNN, WWF, Conservation, Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Locations: Tanzania, Africa, North Carolina, Singapore, France, Dar es Salaam, Dar es

☆ Zoo Atlanta bids farewell to pandas after 25 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Kelly Bowman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Atlanta CNN —After a quarter-century hosting giant pandas, Zoo Atlanta is saying goodbye to its beloved residents. The zoo announced its four giant pandas: Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun and Xi Lun will head home to China mid-October. Zoo Atlanta says the total number of giant pandas is still low for maintaining a viable population. Kelly Bowman/CNN“Panda-Palooza”And if you want to wish the Zoo Atlanta pandas farewell the zoo will be sending them off in style with a “Panda-Palooza” event on October 5, 2024. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is an international non-profit conservation organization divided in two parts: the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Persons: Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun, Xi Lun, They’ve, Sam Rivera, Rivera, Adam K, Kelly Bowman, CNN “ Organizations: Atlanta CNN, San Diego Zoo, Smithsonian National Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta, Animal Health, Zoo, International, Georgia Tech, Thompson, World Wildlife Fund, Pandas, CNN, Smithsonian National, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, San Diego, Safari, Wildlife Fund Locations: Zoo Atlanta, China, Washington, Atlanta, San Diego, United States, Africa, Asia, Central, South America, San

☆ King Charles banknotes sell for 12 times their value as collectors scramble for early editions
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Angelica Chiara Yazbeck | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —A record-breaking series of auctions of King Charles III banknotes has raised £914,127 ($1.2 million) for 10 UK charities, according to the Bank of England. The banknotes, auctioned by Spink & Sons over the summer, sold for 11.7 times their face value of £78,430 ($100,318), as collectors snapped up some of the first versions of the new cash to roll off the printing presses. The runaway success of the auctions highlights the value that collectors attach to banknotes with especially low serial numbers, which denote that they are among the first to be printed. “Lucky numbers” also attracted high bids, according to Spink & Sons. Two £5 notes with serial numbers ending in 88 and 888 were auctioned for £2,200 ($2,800) and £2,400 ($3,100).

Persons: King Charles III, King Charles, BOE, Queen Elizabeth II, ”, Gregory Edmund, ” Edmund, Sarah John, Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth, Churchill, London — Organizations: London CNN, Bank of England, Spink & Sons, Spink, CNN, WWF, Trussell, British Locations: United Kingdom, BOE, British, London

☆ Tiger populations in Thailand are bouncing back
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-27 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —As Global Tiger Day rolls around, there’s good news for the big cats in Thailand. Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation/WCS ThailandThe DNP began working with WCS to “build and strengthen site-based protection,” says Jornburom. Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation/WCS ThailandA ‘conservation-dependent species’While Thailand’s success story offers hope, the outlook across the region is not so optimistic. This has left small, isolated tiger populations in Myanmar, Indonesian Sumatra, and peninsular Malaysia — the latter of which is worrying conservationists after a recent spate of tiger deaths. WEFCOM currently boasts most of the country’s tiger population, and has the potential to support up to 2,000 tigers, according to WCS.

Persons: It’s, Pornkamol Jornburom, she’s, ”, Pornkamol, WEFCOM, WCS, Stuart Chapman, they’ve, Chapman, Thailand Chapman, ” Stuart Chapman Organizations: CNN, Initiative, Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife Conservation Society, Tigers, Thailand Department of National Parks , Wildlife, Plant, Patrol, GPS, WWF’s Tigers Locations: Thailand, Wildlife, Kha, Thung, Thung Yai, WEFCOM, Southeast Asia, Singapore, Java, Bali, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesian Sumatra, Malaysia, “ Thailand

☆ Malayan tiger teeters on ‘brink of extinction’ as spate of deaths sparks alarm
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Against that already grim backdrop, photos and videos of a dead Malayan tiger went viral on social media in late June. It was the fourth Malayan tiger killed by a vehicle collision between November 2023 and May 2024, according to authorities. Video Ad Feedback In Thailand, these tigers are coming back with a roar 04:04 - Source: CNNEight-year planThe Malayan tiger was recognized as a subspecies in 2004. In an eight-year National Tiger Conservation Action Plan released in collaboration with non-profit groups in 2020, Malaysian officials outlined priorities such as conservation tools and a “National Physical Plan” to aid conservation efforts. CNN has reached out to official wildlife agencies for further comment about recent tiger conservation efforts.

Persons: ” Henry Chan, ” Chan, “, ”, Mark Rayan Darmaraj Organizations: CNN, Malayan, World Wildlife Fund Malaysia, Wildlife Conservation Society Malaysia, Conservation Locations: Malaysia, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Thailand, Bengal, South Asia, Malayan

☆ Pacific Indigenous leaders have a new plan to protect whales. Treat them as people
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Jared Formanek | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Along with the Māori of New Zealand and groups from the Cook Islands, Indigenous leaders from Tahiti, Tonga, Hawaii, and Easter Island signed the He Whakaputanga Moana treaty. In the coming months, she plans to engage with various countries throughout the Pacific to discuss whale personhood legislation. The Cook Islands office said it had “yet to receive a formal submission” from indigenous leaders on the declaration’s implementation. Māori King Tūheitia Pōtatau and Tou Travel Ariki, Cook Islands President of the House of Ariki, at the signing of the He Whakaputanga Moana declaration in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. This came after a global ban on commercial whaling was instituted by the International Whaling Commission in 1986.

Persons: Mere, “, Tūheitia Pōtatau, Josh Baker, ” March’s, ”, Takoko, Britain’s King Charles III, Moana, Māori, Michelle Bender, ” Bender, Carlos Duarte, Ralph Chami, Chami, Miguel Medina, ” Chami, Duarte, Emily Charry Tissier, Charry Tissier, ” Duarte Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Easter, Conservation, Fund, Nature, Conservation International Aotearoa, Ocean Initiative, New Zealand, Nations, New, Commonwealth, CNN, RNZ, New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade, ’ Office, International Whaling Commission, Ocean, King Abdullah University of Science, Technology, Bahia, Natural, Getty, “, International Monetary Fund, Initiative, United Nations Locations: Hong Kong, Rangitukia, New Zealand’s, Cook, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, Hawaii, Moana, Rarotonga, Atlantic, New, Te Whānau, Pacific, Samoa, Whanganui, “, Zealand, , New Zealand, Wellington, Seattle, Japan, Washington ,, Bahia Malaga, Colombia, AFP

☆ Fires in Brazil’s Pantanal wetland break June record
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Aditi Sangal | Mia Alberti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Brazil’s Pantanal, the largest tropical wetland on earth, is ablaze, with fires in June breaking historical records for that month. Brazil’s National Institute of Space Research (INPE) has detected 733 fires in the Pantanal biome so far this month, with the previous record for fires in Pantanal for June being 435 registered in 2005. A view of a burnt monkey amongst the burnt vegetation in the Pantanal, the world's largest wetland, in Corumba, Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil, June 11, 2024. This seasonal flooding makes the Pantanal a unique biome where large swaths of land regularly turn from terrestrial into aquatic habitats and back again. In 2020, the fires destroyed unique habitats and wrecked the livelihoods of many of the Pantanal’s diverse indigenous communities.

Persons: Brazil’s Pantanal, Cynthia Santos, Ueslei Marcelino, ”, Andre Luiz Siqueira, It’s, ECOA, –, Ivana Kottasová, Henrik Pettersson, Krystina Organizations: Reuters, Brazil’s National Institute of Space Research, National Meteorological Institute, Wildlife Foundation, WWF Brazil, Fund, Nature, World Wildlife Fund, CNN Locations: Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Sul, Brazil, Corumba, Wetlands, Canada, South America, Brazilian

☆ How the makers of Catan: New Energies reworked the board game to address the climate crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Saira Mueller | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

This is, says Kowert, because “games reflect culture.”Adding climate crisis elements to games can also make the topic more accessible, Kowert says. On the side of the Catan: New Energies board, a little black marker tracks the level of greenhouse gasses in the current game. It can also trigger the early end of the game, in which case the player with the most renewable power plants wins. Players can add green discs to the bag — which can give players using renewable energy bonuses — by building renewable power plants. When development on New Energies started in 2011 there were three renewable energy sources: wind, water and solar.

Persons: ” Rachel Kowert, “, Catan, Erik Assadourian, ”, Benjamin Teuber, Klaus Teuber, Teuber, Assadourian, Kelli Schmitz, playtesters Organizations: CNN, Storm, ”, Catan, Worldwatch Institute, Catan GmbH, Development, Brand Development Locations: Springs, United States

☆ Malaysia’s ‘orangutan diplomacy’ plan slammed as ‘obscene’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Halved oil palm kernels are seen on the trade floor of a commodities conference and exhibition in Kuala Lumpur. “Orangutan diplomacy will not solve Malaysia’s deforestation crisis,” Heng Kiah Chun, a regional campaign strategist for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, told CNN. By 2012, their numbers had dropped by almost two-thirds, to 104,700 and the decline has continued,” the WWF report said. Therefore it is crucial that all remaining orangutan habitats are conserved,” WWF Malaysia told CNN in a statement. “Orangutan conservation is best achieved by ensuring the protection and conservation of their natural habitats – and that no further forest conversion into palm oil plantations is allowed.”

Persons: ”, Johari Abdul Ghani, ” Ghani, Tengku Bahar, ” Stuart Pimm, Pimm, Ghani, ” Heng Kiah Chun Organizations: CNN, Getty, Duke University, Malaysia’s Ministry of, Commodities, Chengdu Research Base, Visual China, Malaysian, World Wildlife Fund, WWF, Rimba, Greenpeace Southeast, CNN Conservation, WWF Malaysia Locations: China, Australia, Malaysia, Asia, Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Malaysian, EU, India, Tengku, AFP, South Carolina, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, WWF Malaysia, Borneo, Brunei, “

☆ So, can we stop calling pro wrestling 'sports entertainment' now?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

For years, the WWE has called itself "sports entertainment" instead of pro wrestling. Since the early 2000s, back even when World Wrestling Entertainment was still called WWF, the company has carefully referred to its scripted grappling as "sports entertainment" rather than "professional wrestling." Now, it seems that the verboten phrase — "pro wrestling" — is back as part of a series of changes made after McMahon left the company. A source familiar with internal policies at WWE told Business Insider that use of the term "pro wrestling" has been relaxed in the past year. For the moment, pro wrestling did indeed win out over sports entertainment.

Persons: John Cena, —, Michael Cole, Vince McMahon, McMahon, — Ibou, Cena Organizations: WWE, Service, Undertaker, Wrestling Entertainment, XFL, Netflix, Wrestling, Sports Entertainment, Rock

☆ 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

☆ Dubai photographer reveals the UAE’s hidden wildlife
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Arya Jyothi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —In a country best known for its soaring skyscrapers, modern architecture and sprawling desert, wildlife isn’t always what comes to mind when people think of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Originally from India, Karingattil moved to Dubai 17 years ago and began photographing wildlife shortly after, specializing in macro photography, using extreme close ups. With the UAE’s president recently extending the country’s “Year of Sustainability” into 2024, Karingattil uses wildlife photography as a method of capturing the country’s biodiversity and sharing it with others. For Karingattil, conservation is an important aspect of wildlife photography, which he believes can serve as a powerful tool for advocacy. “By removing litter and debris, we can reduce the impact of human activities on the natural world.”

Persons: Anish Karingattil, Karingattil, ” Karingattil, “, ”, Herping, Andrew Gardner, Gardner, couldn't, Anish Karingattil Gardner Organizations: CNN, United Arab Emirates, “, Sustainability ”, Accounting, Biodiversity Conservation, Emirates Nature, Biological Diversity, Emirates Locations: UAE, Dubai, India, Emirates, dugongs, Australia

☆ How Vince McMahon built an empire on fakery and taught Donald Trump to control a crowd
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —Netflix recently bet $5 billion on the idea that pro wrestling is due for a renaissance. The potential liability for Netflix, though, lies with World Wrestling Entertainment’s longtime puppet master and promoter, Vince McMahon. CNN: Vince McMahon has been a powerful force in American culture over the last 40 years, but I think that’s hard to convey to non-wrestling fans. Riesman: For about 40 years, Vince McMahon was the central actor and gravitational point for the American and Canadian professional wrestling industry. There’s kayfabe, and then there’s what Vince really pioneered, which is neokayfabe, a term I made up.

Persons: CNN Business ’, ”, Hulk Hogan, That’s, Wrestling Entertainment’s, Vince McMahon, McMahon, didn’t, Abraham Josephine Riesman, “, ” Riesman, Dwayne “, ” Johnson, Steve Austin, Donald Trump, Riesman, Vince, Donald Trump’s, Vince’s, Donny Trump, Trump, Linda, I’m, It’s, There’s, You’re, you’re, Vince McMahon’s, Mr, McMahon ”, Sammy Stein — Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Netflix, Wrestling, WWE, Wall Street, CNN, American, Trump, Trump . CNN, Endeavor Locations: New York, America, Canadian, Queens, United States

☆ ‘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

☆ Japan’s ‘Moon Sniper’ lands but its fate is unclear due to power issue
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Rovers, science experiments, golf balls and other telltale signs of human exploration still sit on the lunar surface, and it’s only just beginning as more space agencies and countries plan trips to the moon. An artist's illustration depicts the SLIM lander's descent toward the lunar surface. JAXAJapan’s “Moon Sniper” robotic explorer successfully landed on the lunar surface Friday but almost immediately encountered a critical issue. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency team said it believes the solar power issue is a result of the spacecraft facing the wrong direction. If the Moon Sniper can soak up some sunlight, the mission may continue.

Persons: Smart Lander, Emmanuel Rondeau, ”, Eager, Nick Famoso, Irene Stachon, Trent Ford, Lockheed Martin, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, ”, telltale, JAXA, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, North America, University of Alaska, WWF, Force, NASA, Lockheed, CNN Space, Science Locations: Soviet, North, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Elma, Malayan, Malaysia, Oregon, Mitchell , Oregon, Scandinavia, Finland, Äkäslompolo, United States, Chicago, Illinois

☆ Malaysia’s last tigers: Why this rare image is giving conservationists hope
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“This image is the last image of the Malayan tiger — or it’s the first image of the return of the Malayan tiger,” he says. ‘A million-dollar shot’Regular camera traps — like the hundreds already used by the park’s scientists, researchers and conservationists — are typically the size of a large smartphone and activated by broad-range motion sensors. Rondeau's high-resolution camera traps included a DSLR camera in a waterproof casing. Emmanuel Rondeau, wildlife photographerBut there’s still more work to be done. As a keystone species, tigers are essential to a healthy ecosystem – and without them, the 130-million-year-old rainforests around the Belum-Temengor complex could be threatened, too.

Persons: CNN — Emmanuel Rondeau, “, ”, Rondeau, ” Rondeau, ‘, —, I’m, ” Rondeau didn’t, ‘ I’m, Carol Debra, Azlan Mohamed, Mohamed, Debra, Emmanuel Rondeau, Stuart Chapman, Chapman, ” Stuart Chapman, Merapi Mat Razi, there’s Organizations: CNN, WWF, Peninsular Malaysia, Malayan, Malaysia, Malaysia WWF, Malaysia —, country’s, “ Tigers, US, Malayan Tiger Conservation, Tiger, WWF’s Tigers, Initiative, Tigers, WWF – Malaysia, Royal, United Nations, Conservation Task Force, Bureau Locations: Asia, Siberia, Bhutan, Malaysia, Peninsular, Southeast Asia, Belum, Asli, “, Royal Belum, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Park

U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during the Transforming Food Systems in the Face of Climate Change event on the sidelines of the COP28 climate summit at Dubai Expo, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates December 1, 2023. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSummary COP 'side deals' have boomed in recent yearsVoluntary climate pledges yield mixed resultsSome have led to tougher CO2-cutting policiesDUBAI, Dec 2 (Reuters) - While the world's climate diplomats huddle over draft decisions to be made at the end of this year's U.N. climate summit, governments at COP28 are firing off a flurry of new promises for action. Among the expected pledges at COP28 are a goal to triple renewable energy capacity and initiatives on methane and coal power. These voluntary side deals have proliferated in recent years, even as global temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. "They go much further than what you can do multilaterally," said Marc Vanheukelen, a former EU official who led the bloc's work on an international methane emissions pledge launched at the COP26 climate summit in 2021.

Persons: Antony Blinken, SAUL LOEB, Marc Vanheukelen, Jonathan Banks, Laurie van der, OCI, It's, Erin Matson, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Matson, Kate Abnett, Tommy Wilkes, Katy Daigle, Jon Boyle Organizations: Food Systems, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS Acquire, EU, Global, Air Task Force, Reuters, Bank, U.S, Change, WWF, Rainforest Alliance, Climate, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, DUBAI, COP28, Glasgow, U.S, Nigeria, Canada, The U.S, China, Russia, COP26, Britain, France, United States, Italy, Germany, Brazil

☆ COP28 Lines up New Climate Pledges - but Do They Work?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

By Kate AbnettDUBAI (Reuters) - While the world's climate diplomats huddle over draft decisions to be made at the end of this year's U.N. climate summit, governments at COP28 are firing off a flurry of new promises for action. Among the expected pledges at COP28 are a goal to triple renewable energy capacity and initiatives on methane and coal power. These voluntary side deals have proliferated in recent years, even as global temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. Unlike official summit decisions, which must be passed by consensus among the nearly 200 countries, voluntary pledges can be made quickly, and boldly, without the worry of one party objecting. "They go much further than what you can do multilaterally," said Marc Vanheukelen, a former EU official who led the bloc's work on an international methane emissions pledge launched at the COP26 climate summit in 2021.

Persons: Kate Abnett DUBAI, Marc Vanheukelen, Jonathan Banks, Laurie van der, OCI, It's, Erin Matson, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Matson, Kate Abnett, Tommy Wilkes, Katy Daigle, Jon Boyle Organizations: Reuters, EU, Global, Air Task Force, Bank, U.S, Change, WWF, Rainforest Alliance, Climate Locations: COP28, Glasgow, U.S, Nigeria, Canada, The U.S, China, Russia, COP26, Britain, France, United States, Italy, Germany, Brazil

☆ Lawrence Hylton photographs Hong Kong’s creatures of the night
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Arya Jyothi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Lawrence Hylton Hong Kong is home to more than 1,000 animal species, including this giant shield mantis. Lawrence Hylton Snakes are Hylton's favorite animal to photograph, but getting close enough can be a challenge. Lawrence Hylton Hylton started photographing wildlife at the age of 17. Lawrence Hylton Hong Kong has over 245 species of butterflies including the fish-line silkworm, pictured here. Lawrence Hylton Here, Hylton gets a close-up view of a local stag beetle.

Persons: Lawrence Hylton’s, Hylton, “ I’m, ”, Lawrence Hylton, Lawrence Hylton Hylton, Lawrence Hylton Here, “, ” Hylton, Bosco Chan, WWF Hong Kong, Chan Organizations: CNN, WWF Locations: They’re, Hong Kong, British, China, Hong, Kong, Lawrence Hylton Hong Kong, WWF Hong

He was the last Sumatran rhino in the world to be repatriated to Indonesia, meaning that the entire population of Sumatran rhinos is now in Indonesia. “This birth is also the birth of the second Sumatran rhino in 2023. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species describes the Sumatran rhinos as critically endangered: the population is declining and only about 30 mature animals remain. In September, Ratu, a 23-year-old female rhino, gave birth to a female rhino at the sanctuary in Lampung. Sumatran rhinos typically have a life expectancy of 35 to 40 years, according to the WWF conservation group.

Persons: Delilah, Harapan, Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Ratu, Andalas Organizations: Cincinnati Zoo, Forestry, Indonesia ’, Forestry Ministry, IUCN, WWF Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, Indonesia’s, Sumatra, Lampung, China, Asia, Indonesian Government, Indonesian

Climate Change Conference (COP 28) that opens on Nov. 30 in Dubai. Neither floods nor fires are new to Greece but with climate change, they are becoming a frequent disruptor to an economy dependent on tourism and farming. "We have to change our prediction methods," Skylakakis said, acknowledging the rapid pace of climate change. Mitsotakis has urged the EU to top up its solidarity fund and help countries tackle the impact of climate change. Adaptation measures worth 67 billion euros could reduce that loss to 510 billion euros, the country's leading economic think tank IOBE said in a February report.

Persons: Louisa Gouliamaki, Dimitris Kouretas, Kouretas, Theodore Skylakakis, Storm Daniel, Kostas Agorastos, Giorgos Stasinos, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Sokratis Famellos, Skylakakis, Thanos Giannakakis, Nikos Papathanasis, Miltiadis Gkouzouris, Mitsotakis, Petros Varelidis, Lefteris Papadimas, Renee Maltezou, Michele Kambas, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Reuters, United Nations Environment Program, Mount Olympus, HVA, Chamber, European, Justice, EU, Water Management, Environment Ministry, Thomson Locations: Vlohos, Greece, Greece's, Thessaly, Europe, Dubai, Los Angeles, Dutch, Athens, Thessaly's, Mouzaki, Netherlands

☆ He lost his eye in a tiger attack — but Bhadai Tharu is still fighting to protect the king of the jungle
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But by the time Tharu was growing up in the 1970s, the tiger population had dwindled to just 20% of its peak. As an adult, he became involved in forest conservation and was committed to protecting their habitat. Similarly, the creation of artificial watering holes has also helped to disperse the tiger population and direct animals away from local communities. “It is crucial to prioritize community development, to ensure that communities become advocates for tiger conservation,” Paudel adds. Even as human-animal conflicts increase, Tharu says the local communities are happy to see the tiger population flourish.

Persons: Bhadai Tharu, Tharu, “, ” Tharu recommitted, Vijay Bedi, ”, Umesh Paudel, Paudel, Anupam Roy, iStockphoto, NTNC, ” Tharu Organizations: CNN, WWF, Trust for Nature Conservation, Parks, Nepalese Army Locations: Bardiya, Nepal, India, Asia, Tharu’s, Khata, Uttar Pradesh

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

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