Amazon deforestation has a regional, not just local impact: study

It’s been well-documented that local temperatures rise in an area after the forest has been cleared. There’s no canopy to block the sun from hitting the soil directly and no trees to absorb moisture to stave off extreme heat. But could deforestation have a more regional impact, too? A new study found that deforestation in […]

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Lifted sanctions on gold, oil could slow conservation efforts in Venezuela

Last month, the U.S. agreed to lift some sanctions on Venezuela in exchange for a roadmap to presidential elections, tentatively scheduled for the second half of next year. The deal required months of secret negotiations with the Nicolás Maduro regime, and involved easing restrictions on some of Venezuela’s largest industries, including oil and gas and […]

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New electric-blue tarantula species is first found in Thailand mangroves

The electric-blue tarantula, Chilobrachys natanicharum, found in Thailand. Image courtesy of Yuranan NanthaisongResearchers have described a new electric-blue species of tarantula from Thailand. The vibrant tarantula (Chilobrachys natanicharum) was known from the pet trade but hadn’t been seen in nature by scientists. Researchers say it’s the first known tarantula species found in Thailand’s mangroves. A team from Khon Kaen University in Thailand, led by Narin Chomphuphuang along […]

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Plan to bring Mennonite farmers to Suriname sparks deforestation fears

Foreign land developers have spent the past several years working to bring Mennonite farming communities from across Latin America to Suriname with the plan of starting a series of agriculture projects — a major threat to conservation efforts in the country’s part of the Amazon Rainforest, environmentalists say. Investors from Argentina and the Netherlands launched […]

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Indonesia’s peatland restoration claims in question as fires flare up

JAKARTA — Swaths of tropical peatland that were supposed to have been restored and protected from burning are among the fire-hit areas in Indonesia’s ongoing dry season, raising questions about the government’s claims of success in peat restoration. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry said more than 300 companies had restored some 3.7 million hectares […]

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