Breaking news from CITES...

The 57th session of the Standing Committee for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) ruled today that China is fit to become a trading partner for 119 tons of elephant ivory Read on

Pacific garbage patch still growing

According to new research, the 'Great Pacific Garbage Patch' is now twice the size of the USA and is still growing, causing major problems for both sea birds and marine mammalsRead on

Wetland restoration plan will create anti-immigrant ‘moat’

Officials and environmentalists in Arizona are hoping that a new wetlands restoration project on the USA-Mexico border will help to cut border crime and encourage more wildlifeRead on

Sinking venice to be given a lift

The increasing threat from sea level rise has motivated officials in Venice, Italy, to consider an initiative to lift the historic foundations of the city out of harm’s wayRead on

How does your geothermal terrace grow?

A new scientific paper may have discovered how the intriguing limestone terrace landscapes of the world's first national park were formedRead on

Why did the Cornish bat cross the road?

A new scheme being tested in Cornwall hopes to protect rare and endangered bat species from collisions with trafficRead on

Surf helps scientists predict eruptions

Watching the waves may not only be a relaxing pastime, but could also provide warnings of volcanic eruptions, according to a new paper in the journal Nature GeoscienceRead on

Monsoon intensity driven by Earth's orbit

By analysing stalagmites found in a cave in central–eastern China, US and Chinese researchers have discovered a link between the duration and intensity of the annual monsoon and small variations in the Earth’s orbit.Read on

Early settlers responsible for dusty west

A study of sediment cores collected in Colorado in the western USA has shown that dust levels in the region rose sharply after the arrival of early settlers at the start of the 1800sRead on

Chinese bay set for £9billion clean-up

The Chinese government is to spend £9billion cleaning up one of it's most polluted coastal areas, Bo Hai BayRead on

Antiquities plundered as war continues in Iraq

According to a new study, widespread looting of archaeological sites throughout southern Iraq has taken its toll on the ‘cradle of civilisation’.Read on

Sunscreen linked to coral damage

Up to ten per cent of coral reefs are threatened by bleaching caused by chemicals in sunscreens, according to Italian scientistsRead on

Millions of years required for recovery from mass extinction

It took life on Earth around 30 million years to recover from the largest extinction event of all time, according to new research.Read on

Tsunami: 'Worst yet to come'

The Asian tsunami of 2004 wasn’t the worst possible, and warning systems in the area are still insufficient, warns a new report.Read on

Wilderness areas shunned in favour of the great indoors

US conservationists have identified an ‘ongoing and fundamental shift away from nature-based recreation’ such as walking, camping and fishing that they say may eventually threaten the future of the conservation movement.Read on

New island-creating faultline identified

A new active faultline has been identified off the coast of Croatia, where it’s creating new islands in the Adriatic Sea and lifting the Dinaric Alps, which stretch from Slovenia to Albania.
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Earth: softer on the inside

A new analysis of the way in which sound waves are propagated by the Earth’s molten interior suggests that it may be softer than previously thought.Read on

Noise pollution a killer in Cairo

Excessive noise levels in Cairo are increasing stress-related illnesses and hearing impairments among the Egyptian capital’s 15 million residents, according to a study conducted by the Egyptian National Research Centre.Read on

Plate tectonics sometimes takes time off

Plate tectonics is widely considered to be continuous, but new research published in the journal Science suggests that sometimes it takes a breakRead on

'Population emergency' brewing in Africa

New demographic research by a French NGO suggests that sub-Saharan Africa is heading for what the researchers describe as a ‘population emergency’Read on

Groundwater threatens Egyptian antiquities

Groundwater beneath the Giza Plateau near Cairo, Egypt, is slowly rising and could cause structural damage to the foundations of several ancient sitesRead on

Cutting a path through Indonesian forest

One of the world’s largest paper companies and its partners are building a highway that will split an important Indonesian forest in half, according to a new WWF report Read on

Are tropical forests really disappearing?

Evidence that the world’s tropical forests are shrinking may not be as clear-cut as previously thought, according to a leading deforestation expert who has trawled through decades of UN dataRead on

Coral decline linked to human activity

New research into coral reef ecosystems in the Caribbean has revealed a clear link between humans and coral degradation, identifying fishing, agricultural runoff and global climate change as having the most impactRead on

Dam threatens Patagonian wilderness

The pristine wilderness of southern Patagonia in South America, one of the world’s most inaccessible regions, could be devastated should a proposed project to dam its rivers go ahead, environmentalists have warnedRead on

UK population may pass 100 million

The population of the UK could reach 108 million within 75 years if the latest estimates for fertility, immigration and longevity are realised, according to the Office for National StatisticsRead on

Native mammals continue to decline

A combination of disease, agriculture, human activity and climate change is putting some of Britain’s best-loved and most threatened wildlife into further declineRead on

Iceland world's best place to live

Norway’s six-year tenure as the world’s most desirable place to live has come to an end. Iceland has knocked it into second place, with Australia, Canada and Ireland filling out the top fiveRead on

BAS finds ‘subglacial’ volcanoes and lakes

Glaciologists and geologists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have identified two important geographical features that exist beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and are invisible to the naked eye.Read on

Longest ever landslide found underwater

A group of British scientists has found evidence of an underwater landslide that took place 60,000 years ago and triggered the longest flow of debris ever recordedRead on

Fish farms must double output

The amount of fish being farmed will have to double by 2030 in order to fulfil the demands of a growing population, according to the UNRead on

White continent in high definition

Researchers from four scientific organisations have created a new map of Antarctica that represents a revolution in satellite imagingRead on

Malaria left in logger's wake

Remote communities in the Amazon forest are feeling the effects of a malaria epidemic, with the highest concentration of cases occurring in areas where logging and deforestation are prevalentRead on

Ice cap collapse triggered agricultural shift

The collapse of a massive North American ice sheet 8,000 years ago caused a dramatic rise in sea level and triggered an agricultural revolution across Europe, according to new researchRead on

Cameras capture secret life of forest

Motion-sensitive camera traps deployed within a large area of unprotected Indonesian forest have demonstrated that even areas that have previously been logged are important habitats for vulnerable and endangered speciesRead on

New Zealand's last colony remains

A mere 16 votes have kept the three tiny atolls of Tokelau a colony of New Zealand, after a five-day referendumRead on

Mantle plume minimising earthquakes

Seismic surveys of the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate have revealed that a giant magma chamber may be helping to reduce the rate and magnitude of earthquakes in the regionRead on

RGS addressing geography fallout

A report released by Ofsted has found that the popularity of geography in the UK is on the decline, but the RGS has already taken steps to address thisRead on

Wildlife spectacle under threat

One of the world’s most spectacular wildlife attractions could be under serious threat if the government of Tanzania approves plans for a soda ash plant to be built close to Lake NatronRead on

Urgent action needed on extinctions

Efforts to conserve the planet’s biodiversity need to be boosted if we’re to halt the pace at which we are losing species, according to the World Conservation Union (IUCN)Read on

Mallory was first, says researcher

Evidence gained through a series of expeditions to the world’s highest mountain has added weight to the assertion that George Mallory and his companion Andrew Irvine were the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest Read on

Police guard Peruvian meteor

The impact crater caused when a meteor struck the high plains of Peru near Lake Titicaca is being guarded by as many as 20 police officers in a bid to stop meteor fragments from being stolen and taken outside the countryRead on

Amazon could be lost in four decades

Ignoring the environmental impact of a multi-billion-dollar initiative to integrate South America could, according to a report by Conservation International (CI), result in the loss of the Amazon rainforest within 40 yearsRead on

Lump of rock stirs territorial debate

A meeting between Iceland, Britain, Ireland and Denmark has taken place in order to try to resolve a long-running dispute over an isolated lump of storm-battered granite in the North AtlanticRead on

More rice for less water

A more sustainable method of rice cultivation that requires less water and produces less methane than conventional methods yet produces higher yields has been identified in a new WWF reportRead on

Disease and public opinion put pigs in peril

Blue-eared pig disease is spreading across 26 Chinese provinces, killing an estimated 40,000 pigs, whilst in Malaysia there has been a public outcry condemning air and water pollution emanating from hundreds of unlicensed pig farms

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Urbanisation blamed for dengue fever

Cases of dengue fever have hit a ten-year high in parts of Southeast Asia, with experts citing urbanisation as a major factor behind the rising infection ratesRead on

Dam plan leads to hunger protest

Villagers in the tiny northeast Indian state of Sikkim have gone on hunger strike over plans to build six hydro-electric dams in the region.Read on

Chilean lake disappearance baffles scientists

The disappearance of an eight-kilometre-long glacial lake in the heart of a national park in Patagonia, Chile, has baffled scientists and park rangersRead on

Angkor Wat: Centre of ancient city

An international team of archaeologists has identified the remains of an extensive urban settlement surrounding the medieval temple of Angkor Wat, which extend beyond the UNESCO World Heritage siteRead on

Pilgrims cause holy ice stalagmite to recede

An ice stalagmite that is believed to be the incarnation of a Hindu deity has melted early for the second year runningRead on

Tunguska mystery solved?

A team of Italian researchers think that they may have found a crater caused by the Tunguska eventRead on

Russia claims additional chunk of Arctic

An international territorial dispute has erupted after Russian authorities claimed that a 1,190,000-square-kilometre area belonged to themRead on

Cranes return to England

Cranes are making a return to the southeast of England after being blown off course during their annual migration from southern Europe to ScandinaviaRead on

Unprecedented treasure find off Cornwall

Richest ever shipwreck treasure discovery made
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Wanted: Mubai slum property developer

The Indian government has invited developers from around the world to submit plans for the regeneration of a slum in Mumbai, home to Asia’s largest population of slum dwellersRead on

Landslide buries Russian geysers

A landslide, possibly triggered by an earthquake, has buried a four-square-kilometre area of the Valley of Geysers on the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern RussiaRead on

Peruvian Indians sue oil company

Twenty-five Achuar Indians from the Peruvian Amazon are suing oil and gas giant Occidental PetroleumRead on

Obituary: Sir Wally Herbert

Polar explorer, author, painter and filmmaker dies at 72
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US, Illinois

Fossilised forest found in US mine Read on

Nepal, Kathmandu

Nepalese caves yield ancient Buddhist paintingsRead on

Mount Everest

Remote-controlled rescue chopper for Everest
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Coral Colonisation

Reef exposure reveals coral colonisationRead on

North Sea

North Sea floor was once desirable residenceRead on

Volcano round-up

A round-up of volcanic activity around the world.
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Independence for Kosovo

The Serbian province of Kosovo is a step closer to independence under a recently revealed UN strategy.Read on

France's economy to take top spot

France could become the largest economy in Europe, according to a new study conducted on behalf of the German government. Read on

Plan to plug Indonesian mud volcano

Geologists and engineers are attempting to plug a ‘mud volcano’ in Sidoarjo in East Java province, Indonesia, using hundreds of concrete balls.Read on

Tibetan plateau yields mineral riches

Following an extensive survey, large deposits of copper, iron, lead and zinc have been discovered in the Qinghai–Tibet plateau, according to reports.Read on

Drumlin discovered under ice sheet

Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have identified a drumlin under the West Antarctic ice sheet.Read on

Supermarket seafood revolution

Supermarkets are making a significant effort to address the issue of unsustainable and destructive fishing, according to a new Greenpeace report.Read on

Dossier update: China in Africa

The China–Africa summit referred to in December’s Dossier has ended with 11 African countries concluding US$1.9billion worth of deals with 11 Chinese companies.Read on

Cavers plumb the UK's depths

A newly discovered cave, Titan, may be the deepest in the UK.Read on