"The Australian government plans to make an area about the size of Germany in the Southern Ocean a marine zone, strengthening protections around Macquarie Island for millions of penguins and seals."
The cuteness of the fuzzy koala appears not to be winning it special protection in its native Australia, despite dwindling numbers, per a new volume on the endangered marsupial. BookShelf contributor Melody Kemp offers praise for “Koala: A Natural History and an Uncertain Future,” with a review that begins amusingly with bodily functions but ends dispiritedly with yet more koala habitat lost to housing tracts and wildfire.
"Australia for the first time has rejected a coal mining application based on environmental law, with the government minister citing the open-pit mine’s potential harm to the nearby Great Barrier Reef."
"Under President Joko Widodo, Indonesia has gained international praise for its conservation policies. But now the government is clamping down on scientists who are questioning official claims that the country’s endangered orangutan and rhino populations are increasing."
"The Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem and one of its most biodiverse, is under significant threat from climate change and should be placed on a list of world heritage sites in danger, a United Nations-backed mission has recommended."
"Australia's climate conditions will worsen in the years ahead, two national agencies said on Wednesday, warning of quicker changes in weather patterns and more frequent extreme climate events."
"Habitat loss and food shortages have pushed bats into closer proximity to horses and humans, fueling Hendra virus spillover, a new study suggests."
"Major dams have disrupted gene flow between platypus populations, making them more vulnerable to threats, according to new research."
Indigenous communities that have tried to live in balance with nature have seen their practices largely ignored. But now many have turned to them for guidance. As part of a special initiative from the Society of Environmental Journalists on covering climate solutions, we offer a tipsheet from journalist Brian Bull on reporting on how Indigenous people use nature-based environmental solutions. Also, check out additional resources and watch video from an earlier webinar.
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