Paris (AFP) Mar 13, 2024 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. With the future of the world’s biodiversity-rich coral reefs threatened by climate change, some experts are looking for rehabilitation strategies to go alongside broader efforthttp://dlvr.it/T48pP9 Continue reading Adagio in sea: Coral larvae ‘settle near sounds of healthy reefs’

Phnom Penh (AFP) Mar 13, 2024 A Cambodian court has charged 29 people with illegally occupying state land following an incident in which authorities fired live rounds in a crackdown on a longstanding land dispute, a rights activist said Wednesday. The villagers were arrested last week when police, gendarmes and forestry officials moved to evict people from the land in northwestern Preah Vihear province, Am … Continue reading Dozens of Cambodians charged in land dispute: activist

Chiang Mai, Thailand (AFP) Mar 15, 2024 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. The city topped air monitoring website IQAir’s table of the world’s most polluted cities early Friday. Levels of PM2.5 pollutants – cancer-causing microparticles small enough to enter the bloodstream through … Continue reading Thai tourist hotspot Chiang Mai tops world’s most polluted cities

Paris (AFP) Mar 14, 2024 Countries have a year to produce ambitious new emissions-cutting pledges to ensure the “safety and prosperity” of people around the world, the UN’s climate chief said Thursday, calling the plans the most important so far this century. Simon Stiell, who leads the United Nations climate change organisation, said the new round of commitments, as well as upgrades to existing pledges … Continue reading New climate pledges will determine safety of world’s people: UN

Paris (AFP) Mar 14, 2024 France’s parliament on Thursday backed a string of measures making low-cost fast fashion, especially from Chinese mass producers, less attractive to buyers. The vote makes France the first country in the world “legislating to limit the excesses of ultra fast fashion”, said Christophe Bechu, minister for the ecological transition. Key measures include a ban on advertising for the cheapesthttp://dlvr.it/T46KDJ Continue reading French parliament votes to slow down fast fashion

Washington (AFP) Mar 15, 2024 Devastating storms pounded three central US states Thursday night, spawning massive tornadoes including one that hit a trailer park in Indiana and killed three people, US media reported. More than 13 million people in the central United States were under tornado watches, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. A “very dangerous half-mile-wide tornado” touched down in Ohio state, NWS sahttp://dlvr.it/T46KD9 Continue reading Sprawling storms, tornadoes kill 3 in US midwest

Washington DC (UPI) Mar 14, 2024 The U.S. Central Command and Royal Jordanian Air Force successfully conducted food drops into northern Gaza on Thursday in a continued effort to alleviate starvation in the war-torn region. Jordan provided the food and the U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft delivered the 13,900 meal equivalents to the area just before noon. It was the 10th time U.S. forces had … Continue reading U.S. continues to airdrop aid into Gaza

Libreville (AFP) Mar 14, 2024 At least nine people, including four teenagers, drowned in Gabon following exceptionally high sea tides, the government said Wednesday. Rescuers found the victims’ bodies on beaches by the capital Libreville, the interior ministry said. The drownings were caused by an “increase in the tides linked to climate change”, it added. High tide in Libreville usually varies between 1.60 and 1http://dlvr.it/T43Ccp Continue reading Nine drown in Gabon after exceptionally high tides

Johannesburg (AFP) Mar 13, 2024 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. With power cuts and potholes already part of daily life, recent water shortages have increased the frustration of many over poor service delivery – a key election issue – … Continue reading Water cuts add to frustrations ahead of S.Africa vote

Strasbourg, France (AFP) Mar 13, 2024 EU lawmakers voted Wednesday to slash 40 percent of the food waste generated by households, retailers and restaurants by 2030, while toughening rules on textile waste linked to so-called “fast-fashion”. Brussels estimates that the 27-nation bloc generates 60 million tonnes of food waste a year – or 131 kilograms per person. That represents a loss of some 132 billion … Continue reading Clampdown on food waste, fast fashion in EU sights