The European Union has thrown its support behind a comprehensive plan to safeguard the Amazon rainforest. This initiative entails the coordination of financial contributions from EU member states, with the aim of ensuring that these funds are allocated according to their intended purpose, as part of the EU’s Global Gateway investment scheme.
Continue reading “EU boosts Amazon rainforest protection plan”After BC wildfires trees may never grow back
Ecologists predict significant changes in the charred hills surrounding Okanagan Lake in British Columbia’s Interior following devastating wildfires.
Continue reading “After BC wildfires trees may never grow back”Six billion tonnes of sand extracted from ocean each year
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has revealed that approximately six billion tonnes of sand and sediment are extracted from the world’s seas and oceans annually, warning of dire consequences for biodiversity and coastal communities.
Continue reading “Six billion tonnes of sand extracted from ocean each year”Google’s new sustainability API
Google is introducing a suite of sustainability-focused Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that leverage artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to offer developers real-time information on solar potential, air quality, and pollen levels.
Continue reading “Google’s new sustainability API”AI generated renewable energy map
The Allen Institute for AI, founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, has launched Satlas, a groundbreaking tool that combines generative AI with satellite imagery from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellites.
Continue reading “AI generated renewable energy map”Rainforests could get too hot for photosynthesis
Leaves in tropical forests across South America to Southeast Asia are reaching temperatures so high that they could cease to perform photosynthesis, warns a new study.
Continue reading “Rainforests could get too hot for photosynthesis”When boreal forests burn again and again
Increasingly severe and frequent wildfires, exacerbated by rising temperatures and drought due to climate change, are transforming Canada’s boreal forest ecosystem.
Continue reading “When boreal forests burn again and again”Tropical lakes are carbon super sinks
Amazonian lakes have been found to sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) at a rate 39% higher than the rainforest itself, according to a 2022 study by researchers from multiple countries. These lakes store 113.5 grams of carbon per square meter per year in their sediment, compared to the rainforest’s average of 81.72 grams per square meter per year.
Continue reading “Tropical lakes are carbon super sinks”Canadian forest tipping point
Canada’s 2023 wildfires have emitted around 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2, triple the annual emissions from burning fossil fuels in the country and surpassing the emissions of 100 nations combined. This year’s wildfires contribute to a multi-decade surge of CO2 emissions from Canada’s “managed” forests. After 2001, Canada’s forests emitted more CO2 than they absorbed, due to logging, wildfires, insects, and decay.
Continue reading “Canadian forest tipping point”Amazon summit
The Brazil Amazon Summit ended with leaders and ministers from eight Amazon nations signing a declaration to protect tropical rainforests and counter climate change. Despite criticism for lacking clear goals, the declaration balances economic growth with preventing irreversible Amazon damage.
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