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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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Speeding boats risk killing off North Atlantic right whales: study

An overwhelming majority of large boats off the US East Coast are speeding through slow-zones designed to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, of which only around 340 remain.

Retreating glaciers reveal new pastures for conservationists

Water surged through a desolate canyon of grey rock into a blue-grey lake, an ancient landscape only revealed to humanity in recent decades because France's glaciers have retreated so far.

Reversing warming may stop Greenland ice sheet collapse: study

Breaching the global warming limits of the world's climate goals could see the melting of Greenland's ice sheet add more than a metre to rising sea levels, according to new research on Wednesday.

Hong Kong sticks a fork in disposable plastic products

Need a plastic fork at a Hong Kong restaurant? Come April 22, Earth Day, customers will have to start reaching for more eco-friendly cutlery, according to a bill passed Wednesday by the city's legislature.

In Argentina, trash is a lifeline for army of recyclers

Ayelen Torres weaves her trolley expertly through the streets on the outskirts of Argentina's capital, stopping every few steps to sift through trash in search of recyclable cardboard or plastic.

To find out how wildlife is doing, scientists try listening

A reedy pipe and a high-pitched trill duet against the backdrop of a low-pitched insect drone. Their symphony is the sound of a forest, and is monitored by scientists to gauge biodiversity.

Police detain Greta Thunberg at London climate protest

UK police on Tuesday removed Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg from a protest outside the energy sector's annual London get-together, an AFP photographer reported.

Remaking an old Swedish oil depot into a giant underground 'thermos'

Work lights strung up along railings illuminate a dank cavern where workers are preparing to transform a former oil depot into a hot water "thermos" to heat a Swedish town.

How Belize became a poster child for 'debt-for-nature' swaps

When Covid hit Belize, its economy nosedived: closed borders meant fisheries and farmers had no export markets, and tourism centered on the tiny Central American nation's warm waters and wonders of biodiversity came to a halt.

IOC Session backs double award of 2030 and 2034 Winter Games

International Olympic Committee members voted Sunday to allow a double allocation of two successive Winter Games in 2030 and 2034.

Austria designer farm stands out in struggling field

In idyllic western Austria, Ingo Metzler's goat breeding farm with its striking light wood panelling and big glass facades sets itself apart, aiming to survive in a sector in crisis.

Canadian-French astrophysicist Hubert Reeves dies aged 91

Canadian-French astrophysicist Hubert Reeves, who was renowned for his work popularizing space science, died Friday aged 91, his son said in a post on Facebook.

Disasters cause $3.8 trillion in crop losses over 30 years: FAO

Natural and man-made disasters have caused $3.8 trillion in crop and livestock losses over 30 years, the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization said on Friday.

At IMF-World Bank talks, small steps in climate finance

The IMF and World Bank have been holding their first annual meetings in Africa in 50 years under pressure to reform a system too outdated to properly help poor nations battered by the effects of climate change.

Hong Kong adds two shark families on controlled trade list

Hong Kong added on Friday two major shark families to a list of endangered animals, whose trade in the city will now be tightly controlled under new CITES regulations.

'Licence to hide': Western plastic waste dumped in Myanmar

In a working-class neighbourhood of Myanmar's Yangon, plastic waste is piled a metre high, the toxic product of what a recent investigation said is rampant dumping of Western trash.

Young frogs may camouflage selves as animal poo: study

The young offspring of a frog native to Southeast Asia display an "unusual colour pattern", probably to camouflage themselves "as animal droppings" to escape predators, according to a study.

'Cuter in real life': South Korea names its twin panda 'treasures'

South Korea got its first up-close look at its new pair of baby giant pandas Thursday at a name-revealing ceremony that doubled as an early celebration of the 100 days since their birth.

$9.5 bn of key metals in overlooked electronic waste: UN

Consumers discard or possess disused electronic goods containing raw materials critical for the green energy transition and worth almost $10 billion every year, the United Nations said on Thursday.

Climate change is improving French wine -- for now

What makes a good or bad year for wine? It's a question that vexes not only vintners but also scientists, who've long looked to weather conditions to provide the answer.

Chunky champ: Fat Bear Week winner is crowned

Fat Bear Week 2023 is in the books, with a specimen called 128 Grazer nabbing the title of bulkiest bruin in an Alaskan national park.

'Paradigm shift' needed on plastics health risk: researchers

A "paradigm shift" is needed on the risks posed to human health by plastics, researchers said Wednesday, warning of huge gaps in scientific understanding of the issue.

The village at the end of the world

The last Inuit hunters of Ittoqqortoormiit are a resilient bunch.

Dutch protests scrapped after fossil fuel vote

Environmental pressure group Extinction Rebellion said Tuesday it was ending its daily blockade of a major motorway in The Hague, after Dutch MPs voted to examine ways of scrapping fossil fuel subsidies.

Sunny Albania turns to solar power to fuel development

Along southwestern Albania's coastline, the sun shines bright -- warming the 234,828 new solar panels at the Karavasta power station that will be connected to the country’s energy grid in the coming weeks.

OPEC sees no peak in global oil demand on the horizon

Despite mounting efforts to limit climate change, the OPEC oil cartel said Monday it expects demand for crude to continue to grow for the next two decades.

Toxic storms blamed on climate change cloud Tajikistan

The air was dry and warm and the skies over Dushanbe were grey without a hint of sun during another recent toxic sand storm that enveloped the capital of Tajikistan.

India flood toll hits 56, army warns on stray munitions

At least 56 people are confirmed dead in floods that hit India's northeast as of Saturday, with the army warning munitions washed away by the deluge posed a public safety risk.

Glacial lake floods: a growing, unpredictable climate risk

Indian rescuers are searching for over 100 people missing in a flash flood caused by a glacial lake bursting its banks, a risk scientists warn is increasing with climate change.

Tens of millions of children uprooted by climate disasters: UNICEF

Weather disasters fueled by climate change -- from floods to droughts, storms to wildfires -- sparked 43.1 million child displacements from 2016 to 2021, the UN Children's Fund warned Thursday, slamming the lack of attention paid to victims.

Mont Blanc shrinks by over two metres in two years

France's highest mountain, Mont Blanc, has shrunk by over two metres in height over the past two years, researchers said on Thursday, measuring the Alpine peak at 4,805.59 metres (15,766.4 feet).

At least 14 dead, 102 missing in India glacial lake burst

Indian rescue teams searched on Thursday for 102 people missing after a devastating flash flood triggered by a high-altitude glacial lake burst killed at least 14, officials said.

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