Stories about Environment
In search of Australia's treasured koala
With Australia facing potentially catastrophic bushfires this summer like the 2019–2020 season, one of its favorite animals, the koala, is under threat on a number of other fronts as well.
Year in review: In 2023, the climate crisis was top of mind for the Caribbean
Of the many stories Global Voices Caribbean covered this year, the lion's share have been linked to global warming, and the importance of climate justice to the region's survival.
COP28 delivers ‘death certificate’ for island nations
The Global Stocktake is meant to be the big outcome of the climate negotiations this year, but we have significantly deviated from restricting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
SIDS chart vision for energy transition at COP28, advocating tripling renewable energy initiatives and global decarbonisation efforts
To maintain the 1.5 degrees Celsius target by 2030, developed nations must prioritise addressing heavy-emitting industries. This requires, among other things, collaboration with Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like the Caribbean.
EU-registered vessels overexploit and export small pelagic fish in African waters, investigation shows
EU fishing fleets in the West African region, "particularly the East European vessels, continue to disregard their obligations to embark scientific observers on board, while they fish unsustainably."
Australia's bid to co-host COP31 climate conference faces obstacles
Since the election of the new Labor government in 2022, Australia’s international reputation regarding climate action has risen considerably as result of stronger emissions targets and its enhanced safeguard mechanisms.
How climate change is affecting mental health in some of the Caribbean's Indigenous communities
"Climate change events [cause] a disconnection through displacement and loss of our homes, our land, and our ways of doing things. Having to relocate and start over is traumatic."
How EU-registered vessels use flags of convenience to mask illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing practices in West Africa
' ... marine experts confirmed that the 'flag of convenience' is exploited by unscrupulous operators to evade accountability for illegal fishing, human rights violations, and other crimes.'
As COP28 launches a Loss and Damage Fund, devastating rains highlight Caribbean islands’ increasing vulnerability to climate change impacts
The picture in Jamaica is similar to elsewhere in the Caribbean, where there are fears about food security as a result of repeated “natural disasters” caused by human-induced climate change.
Why green hydrogen holds a lot of potential for Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago has the building blocks to position itself as a regional green hydrogen trading, storage and production hub, making GH2 a viable decarbonisation option.
How newborns and their mothers are vulnerable to climate change
The findings of a 2020 study showed a relationship between pregnant women's exposure to heat and air pollution and preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillborn babies.
Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union: Climate justice or defense treaty?
"Offering residence or citizenship rights to Tuvaluans, though a compassionate response, does not halt the inexorable rise in sea levels."
How Dominica's designation of the world's first sperm whale sanctuary can help fight climate change
More sperm whale excrement equals more plankton, which translates into more CO2, a greenhouse gas, being trapped.
Post-Hurricane Maria, Dominica is still trying to build climate-resilient homes, so at COP28, it will advocate for Loss and Damage financial mechanisms
A Loss and Damage Fund will go a long way in providing “critical climate finance to the most vulnerable countries that are ravaged by the adverse impacts of climate change.”
The dynamic coastline of Trinidad's Grande Rivière Beach requires coastal zone planning
Grande Rivière is an important leatherback turtle nesting site, where meteorological events have caused changes to the course of the river and, as a result, sand movement along the beach.
Research exposes plantation giant Socfin's role in deforestation and displacement of Indigenous communities in Nigeria and Ghana
Greenpeace Media has cautioned that the Group’s steadfast resistance to adopting the industry’s zero-deforestation standard poses a significant and looming threat to the forests of West Africa.
Cracking the dilemma: Heavy metal concerns in Bangladesh's egg supply
Eggs are the cheapest protein source in Bangladesh. A recent study has identified elevated levels of heavy metals in eggs from farms located in Dhaka city, posing a health risk.
Translation as a voyage of discovery in the literal sense: Story of an adventure in Tibetan lands
How to translate into French a Tibetan author who writes in Chinese about profoundly Tibetan realities? A Global Voices interview with the project participants.
Open letter to Caribbean leaders urges them to make COP28 transformative
The signatories identified three key areas to help address broader issues the region grapples with, including inequality, poverty, and "staggering levels of debt," which are exacerbated by climate change.
Takeaways at Caribbean Gen Z Climate Conference: Consult, collaborate, and seek mentorship and stress relief
Despite working in different fields, each expert shared why these principles have been instrumental in the work they do, helping to expand their causes to a wider audience.
Malaysia’s Orang Asli women gain acceptance through filmmaking and grassroots activism
Apa Kata Wanita Orang Asli is a young feminist-activist collective using film to document the lived realities of the First Peoples (Orang Asli) of Malaysia.