Bangladesh: Olive ridley turtle breaks 4-year record with 53 percent increase in eggs
30 April 2024 - This year, Bangladesh has seen its highest number of olive ridley turtle eggs, thanks to extensive conservation actions, including building awareness among local people and the vigilance of local conservation groups to ensure favorable conditions for the species. (more)

Paleo diet? Study reveals new insight on what Stone Age humans really ate
30 April 2024 - A long-held stereotype -- one that's influenced modern fad diets -- is that ancient humans hunted large animals and chowed down on mammoth steak. But new research on a Paleolithic group called the Iberomaurusians, hunter-gatherers who buried their dead in Taforalt cave in what's now Morocco between 13,000 and 15,000 years ago, is adding to a growing body of evidence that challenges the notion human ancestors predominantly relied on meat, according to a study published Monday [29 April] in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution. (more)

US: EPA to ban most uses of chemical linked to dozens of deaths
30 April 2024 - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Tuesday [30 April] that it will ban most uses of methylene chloride, a colorless liquid used for stripping paint, cleaning metal, and even decaffeinating coffee. The chemical has been linked to dozens of deaths and advocates have long called for its ban. (more)

Activist wins Goldman prize for effort to clean up California trucking and railway sectors
29 April 2024 - A grassroots organizer from one of the US's smoggiest communities has been awarded the prestigious Goldman prize for environmental activists, after leading a successful campaign to clean up California's trucking and railway sectors. (more)

India's new solar installations hit 6.2 GW in March
26 April 2024 - Rystad Energy's latest figures show that India's monthly renewable energy installations surged to a record 7.1 GW in March 2024, from the previous record of 3.5 GW, set in March 2022. More than 6.2 GW of the March 2024 total was new solar capacity -- a significant amount, given that the January-December 2023 period saw 7.5 GW of new solar installations. (more)

For the first time in decades, the elusive call of the 'bunyip bird' returns to Tasmania's Lagoon of Islands
24 April 2024 - Experts celebrate discovery of secretive and endangered Australasian bittern in recently restored wetlands. Bitterns are known for their calls, said to mimic the boom of the bunyip, a creature from Aboriginal mythology. People also liken the deep, low-pitched call to that used by deer, bittern expert Geoff Shannon says. (more)

How solar farms benefit bees and butterflies
23 April 2024 - Research shows pollinating insects thrive in solar parks, particularly where a variety of plants are flourishing. Perhaps a surprising finding was that solar parks set among fields where hedgerows and other habitats had been destroyed by farmers were the most beneficial for insects, providing an oasis of food and nectar unobtainable elsewhere. (more)

US: Biden marks Earth Day with $7bn 'solar for all' investment amid week of climate action
22 April 2024 - US President Joe Biden marked Monday's Earth Day by announcing a $7bn investment in solar energy projects nationwide, focusing on disadvantaged communities. (more)

New EPA rule says 218 US chemical plants must reduce toxic emissions that are likely to cause cancer
21 April 2024 - More than 200 chemical plants nationwide will be required to reduce toxic emissions that are likely to cause cancer under a new rule issued Tuesday [9 April] by the Environmental Protection Agency. ...The action updates several regulations on chemical plant emissions that have not been tightened in nearly two decades. (more)

5 trailblazers will be featured on U.S. quarters to celebrate women throughout history
20 April 2024 - This year the United States Mint will continue to celebrate various female figures throughout history by placing them on one side of the U.S. quarter. From Civil War era surgeon Dr. Mary Edwards Walker to salsa sensation Celia Cruz, this year will highlight impactful representations of women who have played significant roles in enacting positive change. ...These coins are 'pocket portraits' that can inspire people to continue making a positive impact in their communities. (more)

New EPA rules for about 200 US chemical manufacturers take aim at 'cancer alleys'
20 April 2024 - The US Environmental Protection Agency issued new rules on Tuesday [9 April] to protect neighborhoods near more than 200 manufacturing facilities that release airborne toxins such as ethylene oxide, chloroprene, benzene, vinyl chloride, 1,3 butadiene and ethylene dichloride. (more)

Colossal prehistoric snake discovered in India
19 April 2024 - A giant prehistoric snake longer than a school bus slithered around what is now India 47 million years ago, according to new research. The extinct snake may have been one of the largest to have ever lived, dwarfing present-day anacondas and pythons that can grow to about 6 meters (20 feet). The colossal creature's scientific name is Vasuki indicus, after the mythical serpent around the neck of Hindu deity Lord Shiva and the country of its discovery. (more)

This ancient snake in India might have been longer than a school bus and weighed a ton
18 April 2024 - A ancient giant snake in India might have been longer than a school bus and weighed a ton, researchers reported Thursday [18 April]. ...The newly discovered behemoth lived 47 million years ago in western India's swampy evergreen forests. ...They gave it the name Vasuki indicus after 'the mythical snake king Vasuki, who wraps around the neck of the Hindu deity Shiva,' said Debajit Datta, a study co-author at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee. (more)

''Solar-powered vacuum cleaners'': the native plants that could clean toxic soil
17 April 2024 - Indigenous groups see hope in the environmentally friendly process of bioremediation. A growing body of research suggests biology may offer a slower but more environmentally friendly and potentially cost-effective way of decontaminating soils and waterways. Called bioremediation, it involves utilizing plants, fungi, and bacteria to clean up contamination. (more)

Culture and conservation thrive as Great Lakes tribes bring back native wild rice
17 April 2024 - Wild rice or manoomin is an ecologically important and culturally revered wetland species native to the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, which once covered thousands of acres and was a staple for Indigenous peoples. In recent years, native tribes and First Nations, working with federal and state agencies, scientists, and funding initiatives, have led wild rice restoration programs that have successfully revived the species in parts of the region and paved the way for education and outreach. (more)

World's largest thermal energy storage to be built in Finland
16 April 2024 - A seasonal thermal energy storage will be built by Vantaa Energy in Vantaa, which is Finland's fourth largest city neighboring the capital of Helsinki. When completed, the seasonal energy storage facility will be the largest in the world by all standards. The operating principle of the seasonal thermal energy storage, called Varanto, is to store heat in underground caverns so that it can be used to heat buildings via the district heating network whenever it is needed. (more)

Boom times for US green energy as federal cash flows in
15 April 2024 - The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) aim is to lower greenhouse gas emissions, and incentivise private investment, to encourage the growth of green industries and jobs: a new foundation for the US economy. Complementary is the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which runs for five years and provides direct investment largely in the form of government grants for research and development and capital projects. (more)

US: EPA puts limits on 'forever chemicals' in drinking water
14 April 2024 - The Environmental Protection Agency announced new drinking water standards Wednesday [10 April] to limit exposure to a class of chemicals called PFAS [per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances]. This is the first time the agency has set enforceable limits on PFAS in drinking water. (more)

UK: New electric conversion rules ''helping to keep classic cars on the road''
13 April 2024 - In an era where sustainability intersects with tradition, the latest electric conversion regulations for classic cars are not just a nod to environmental consciousness but a lifeline for the cherished relics of automotive history. Now the UK's Historic and Classic Vehicle Alliance (HCVA) has introduced new Minimum Professional Standards guidance aimed at demystifying the process of converting vintage vehicles to electric drivetrains. This initiative promises to safeguard the legacy of classic cars, ensuring they remain a vibrant part of our cultural landscape while embracing the future of motoring. (more)

In highly urbanized Japan, city farmers are key to achieving organic goal
12 April 2024 - The Japanese government aims to convert at least 25% of all its farmland to organic by 2050, a significant jump from just 0.5% in 2020. The pockets of agriculture in Tokyo are key examples of how Japan could achieve its goal. In recent years, Tokyo farmers, community members and administrators have been working to make such farmland a valuable part of the urban environment through promoting agroecology, such as low-carbon, circular food economies and biodiversity. (more)

US: Zero- and low-waste businesses band together against plastic pollution
11 April 2024 - Low-waste businesses are strengthening their efforts to reduce plastic pollution via the National Business Coalition for the Oceans, a nationwide organization of businesses supported by nonprofit Oceana. The coalition focuses on advancing federal, state and local policies to improve ocean health, in part by curbing single-use plastics. Businesses involved in the coalition work for plastics policy change by sending letters, signing petitions, testifying at hearings and educating customers. (more)

Takeaways from the Swiss women's climate victory
10 April 2024 - The European Court of Human Rights ruled in favour of more than 2,000 Swiss women on Tuesday, affirming their argument that the Swiss government violated their human rights by failing to take sufficient action on climate change. This is the first time a regional human rights court has ruled that countries can violate human rights by failing to reduce their climate-warming emissions fast enough. (more)

Rewilding Japan with clearings and crowdfunding campaigns
9 April 2024 - Rewilding is an increasingly mainstream environmental movement to allow nature to heal itself, sometimes with the aid of humans, to sustainably restore biodiversity, so wildlife can, once again, prosper in regenerated and protected wild ecosystems. Conservationists are making headway in Japan, but progress depends on reconnecting youth with nature. (more)

Canada: Inuktitut album is bringing connection with Indigenous languages
9 April 2024 - Inuktitut album immerses the audiences in songs they already love, in an ancient language that creates curiosity and alliances. (more)