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California vows to step in if Trump kills US EV tax credit

California will revive its own subsidy programs for electric vehicles if Donald Trump guts US federal tax breaks for such cars, the state's governor said Monday.

Plastic pollution talks must not fail: UN environment chief

Talks to agree the world's first treaty to curb plastic pollution cannot fail and must tackle both production and consumption, the UN's environment chief told AFP on Monday.

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Thai tourist hotspot Chiang Mai tops world's most polluted cities

Thai tourist hotspot Chiang Mai was blanketed by hazy smog Friday, as residents and visitors to the usually picturesque northern city were left wheezing in the toxic air.

Turkish ministers in Baghdad talks ahead of Erdogan visit

A high-ranking Turkish delegation held talks in Baghdad on Thursday, discussing key security and energy issues ahead of an expected visit by Turkey's president, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said.

Rangers hunt endangered Indonesian tigers after deadly attacks

Indonesian rangers along with an animal whisperer are hunting multiple critically endangered Sumatran tigers after two villagers were recently killed in separate attacks that stoked local anger, officials said Thursday.

Paris 2024 hopes to be model for lower-carbon Olympics

This year's Paris Olympics will use renewable energy, serve lots of vegetarian meals and heavily restrict plastic bottles, but can an event involving so much construction and international travel ever be environmentally sustainable?

Adagio in sea: Coral larvae 'settle near sounds of healthy reefs'

Audio recordings of healthy reefs -- an underwater chorus of fish songs and crackles from snapping shrimp -- may help efforts to restore coral ecosystems harmed by climate and human impacts, scientists said Wednesday.

Giant redwoods thriving in the UK: experts

Endangered giant redwood trees are thriving in the UK but could also be significantly contributing to capturing carbon emissions, according to research published on Wednesday.

Musk visits Tesla's sabotage-hit German factory

Elon Musk travelled Wednesday to Tesla's factory near Berlin to lend his workers "support" after the plant was forced to halt production by a suspected arson attack on nearby power lines.

Water cuts add to frustrations ahead of S.Africa vote

Anger is mounting in some Johannesburg districts left without water for more than a week, fewer than three months before general elections marked by voter discontent with South Africa's failing infrastructure.

Smog and sick kids: Thai pupils endure air pollution

Hundreds of Thai children strain to sing the national anthem, reedy voices and fragile lungs competing against eight lanes of belching traffic next to their school's open atrium in central Bangkok.

Colombia's Caribbean jewel slowly sinking as sea waters rise

A skeleton lies exposed to the elements as turquoise Caribbean waters lap the shores near a shattered tomb -- a grisly reminder that the Colombian city of Cartagena is slowly being swallowed by the sea.

Poo bags and trackers: Nepal orders new Everest rules

Nepal has ordered Everest mountaineers to carry mandatory trackers after one of the deadliest seasons last year -- and remove their excrement using compostable bags similar to those used for dog waste.

Flying high: UK's modern-day green airship takes shape

Britain's innovative Airlander 10 airship could soon take to the skies to offer leisure passengers panoramic views and far less pollution than traditional aircraft, according to its manufacturer.

'It was an oasis': Mexico City frets about water

Agustin Garcia looks with dismay at the dry bed of the lake where he once fished for a living -- a symptom of the water problems facing Mexico and its capital, one of the world's biggest cities.

Greenpeace calls for high seas protected area in Galapagos

Greenpeace on Monday called for the creation of a high seas marine protected zone under a new UN treaty to secure a much wider area around Ecuador's famous Galapagos archipelago.

Youths having to grow up 'too quickly' amid climate fears: Thunberg

Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg said Monday that young people like her have had to grow up "too quickly" to resolve a climate crisis caused by previous generations.

Paris must have 'plan B' for open water swimming: Olympic champ Cunha

Brazilian swimmer Ana Marcela Cunha, the reigning Olympic open water champion, has called on organisers of this year's Paris Games to draw up a "plan B" in case events cannot be held in the Seine due to poor water quality.

Warmest US winter on record

This winter was the warmest ever recorded in the United States, data showed Friday -- the latest sign the world is moving towards an unprecedented era as a result of the climate crisis.

Australia's Great Barrier Reef in grip of 'mass bleaching event'

A "mass bleaching event" is unfolding on Australia's famed Great Barrier Reef, authorities said Friday, as warming seas threaten the spectacular home to thousands of marine species.

'Mass bleaching event' under way on Australia's Great Barrier Reef

A "mass bleaching event" is unfolding on Australia's famed Great Barrier Reef, authorities said Friday, as warming seas threaten the spectacular home to thousands of marine species.

Kala, rare Sumatran tiger cub, makes her debut in Rome

A run around and a cuddle with dad -- Rome zoo's new Sumatran tiger cub made her public debut Thursday, three months after her birth boosted the critically endangered species.

February marks 9th straight month of record-smashing global heat: climate monitor

Last month was the warmest February on record globally, the ninth straight month of historic high temperatures across the planet as climate change steers the world into "uncharted territory", Europe's climate monitor said Thursday.

Birds, beetles, bugs could help replace pesticides: study

Natural predators like birds, beetles and bugs might be an effective alternative to pesticides, keeping crop-devouring pests populations down while boosting crop yields, researchers said Wednesday.

Prague, Berlin zoos to reintroduce wild horses to Kazakhstan

Prague zoo said Tuesday it would transport eight endangered wild horses to a Kazakhstan steppe in June in a joint project with the Tierpark Berlin zoo.

Climbers to pay $13 fee on popular Mount Fuji trail

Hikers using the most popular route to climb Japan's Mount Fuji will be charged $13 each from July, with numbers capped to ease congestion and improve safety, a regional official said Tuesday.

Volcano on uninhabited Galapagos island spews lava

A volcano on an uninhabited island of Ecuador's famous Galapagos archipelago is spewing lava, authorities said Sunday, potentially threatening an array of unique animal species.

Artificial glaciers stave off drought in Kyrgyzstan

In the Tian-Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan, villagers have made an artificial glacier to provide water for their drought-hit farms.

'Very worried': Scientists fret as Antarctic sea ice dwindles

Sea ice levels in Antarctica have registered historic lows for three consecutive years, portending grave consequences for life on Earth as we know it.

Rain offers slight reprieve from largest wildfire in history of Texas

Rainfall offered some reprieve from the largest wildfire in the history of Texas, officials said Friday, though dry, gusty conditions were expected to return this weekend for a blaze that has killed two people and scorched a million acres.

Faulty warnings, deforestation turned Philippine rains 'deadly': study

Faulty warning systems, poverty and deforestation of mountains in the southern Philippines turned recent unseasonably heavy rains into deadly disasters, scientists said in a report Friday.

Texas battling largest wildfire in its history

Texas emergency crews were struggling Thursday to contain the largest wildfire in the US state's history, with the blaze leaving at least one person dead and scorching a million acres as it raged out of control.

Activists occupy German forest to block Tesla expansion

Environmental activists occupying a forest close to Tesla's factory near Berlin said Thursday they want to stop the electric vehicle maker's German expansion plans and protect local groundwater.

World must act to stem surge of polluting trash, UN warns

The world generated 2.3 billion tonnes of municipal waste last year and the pile of trash is set to grow another two-thirds by 2050, the UN said Wednesday, warning of devastating costs for health, economies and the environment.

Zürcher Nachrichten - Nature (English)