The China Mail

Featured

Chinese ship scouts deep-ocean floor in South Pacific

A Chinese research vessel docked in the Cook Islands Saturday as it probed the Pacific nation's deep-sea mining potential, a fledgling industry of mounting interest to both Beijing and Washington.

At COP30, nations target the jet set with luxury flight tax

France, Spain and Kenya are among a group of countries spearheading a drive at the COP30 climate summit for a new tax on luxury air travel, a source close to the matter told AFP.

Last news

Ford to build new US electric battery plant with Chinese partner

US auto manufacturer Ford announced Monday that it will build a new $3.5 billion battery plant in Michigan, diversifying its battery offerings with technology from a Chinese company as it boosts electric vehicle production.

Cartel torture victim could be 'America's Favorite Pet'

An elderly dog whose front paws were cut off by Mexican drug cartel members is in the running for the title of pet of the year in the United States.

France's lynx at high risk of extinction: study

The elusive Eurasian lynx is at risk of vanishing completely from France, according to a study Monday that called for urgent measures to boost the population of isolated wild cats.

Seven whales wash up dead on Cyprus

The Cyprus government is investigating how seven whales mysteriously washed up dead on the rugged shoreline of the island's north coast, authorities said on Saturday.

Long-term air pollution exposure raises depression risk: studies

Long-term exposure to air pollution raises the risk of depression, according to a pair of new studies published in the JAMA network of scientific journals.

Brazil's Amazon deforestation down 61% in January

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest was down 61 percent in January -- Leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's first month back in the job -- compared with the same period last year, according to an official report published on Friday.

Biden, Lula to unite on environment at W.House but split on Ukraine

President Joe Biden will discuss saving the Amazon rainforest with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday, but despite their alliance on the climate crisis the leaders of the Americas' two biggest countries still differ sharply on Ukraine.

Hungary protests against Chinese battery plant defy 'Orbanomics'

Even as diggers turned over land for one of Europe's biggest electric battery plants, environmental protesters vowed to run the Chinese project out of town.

Make it so: Mouse named after Patrick Stewart is world's oldest

A mouse named after "Star Trek" actor Patrick Stewart is officially the world's oldest in captivity, a US zoo has announced.

Emissions from fertilisers could be slashed by 2050: study

The production and use of nitrogen fertilisers accounts for five percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, which can be massively reduced with a few available interventions, a new study said Thursday.

Foot-and-mouth variant hits Iraq buffaloes, threatening livelihoods

Despite vaccinating his entire herd against foot-and-mouth disease, Iraqi farmer Saadoun Roumi has lost five of his 15 buffaloes to a variant never before seen in the country.

Climate: Could moon dust keep Earth cool?

Whether out-of-the-box thinking or a sign of desperation, scientists on Wednesday proposed the regular transport of moon dust to a gravity point between Earth and Sun to temper the ravages of global warming.

Swiss native fish in troubled waters

More than half of Switzerland's native fish species are threatened with extinction or are already extinct within the country's waters, a new assessment showed Wednesday.

Antarctic ice hits record low for January: climate monitor

The Antarctic Ocean area covered by ice was the lowest on record for January, exposing Earth to even more planet-warming heat, scientists reported Wednesday.

Glacier lakes swollen by global warming threaten millions

Violent flooding from glacier lakes formed or enlarged by climate change threatens at least 15 million people worldwide, most of them in four countries, researchers said Tuesday.

On the water with Myanmar's 'river cleaners'

Ma Yu launches her makeshift polystyrene boat into a Yangon creek for another day of trawling the filthy waters for plastic and tin cans with her team of "river cleaners".

Makeshift clinic saving pets burned in Chile forest fires

The kitten "was rolled into a ball" and had "his paws deformed and his little face burned," said Carolina Gonzalez, a volunteer at a make-shift clinic in Santa Juana, one of the settlements hardest hit by devastating forest fires in Chile this past week.

Brazil scuttles warship in Atlantic despite pollution concerns

Brazil on Friday sank a decommissioned aircraft carrier, the Navy announced, despite environmental groups claiming the formerly French ship was packed with toxic materials.

Bird flu detected in mammals but risk to humans low: experts

Experts have warned that the recent detection of bird flu in mammals including foxes, otters, minks, seals and even grizzly bears is concerning but emphasised that the virus would have to significantly mutate to spread between humans.

Colombia's war on illegal gold mines also hits outlaw armed groups

From the army helicopter circling overhead, Colombian security forces are able to spot several illegal gold mines in the jungle below.

California submits rival Colorado River water plan

California has submitted a rival plan for use of the Colorado River, after six other states accused it of refusing to cooperate in the battle over usage of a dwindling major US watercourse.

Protest was safe, Grand Prix climate activist tells court

A climate activist who invaded the track at last year's British Grand Prix told a court on Wednesday that the protest was safe due to its meticulous planning.

After miraculous comeback, damselfly in distress again

When the damselfly reappeared in France in 2009 after a 133-year absence, it was considered a small miracle.

Business and consumers hamper climate fight: report

Corporations and consumers are the main obstacle to the emissions cuts needed to keep global warming to the 1.5-degree Celsius limit, researchers said Wednesday, adding that "positive signs" in other areas are not yet enough to meet climate goals.

Lebanese villagers try to stem illegal logging scourge

Braving the bitter cold, Lebanese villagers have been patrolling a mountainside in the country's north, trying to protect trees from loggers who roll in under the cover of darkness.

Two missing Dallas Zoo monkeys found: police

Two missing emperor tamarin monkeys turned up alive and well Tuesday, officials said, a day after disappearing from the Dallas Zoo in the latest of a string of bizarre incidents at the attraction.

US states miss water share agreement deadline

Seven US states that rely on the Colorado River on Tuesday missed a federal government deadline to agree on reducing water consumption from a watercourse that has been overused for decades.

Green energy investment tops $1 trillion, matches fossil fuels

Investment in cleaner energy is on the verge of overtaking spending on fossil fuels for the first time ever after exceeding $1 trillion last year, a report on Tuesday said.

Reliable European demand fuels US natural gas boom

Rising demand from Europe has added to a US natural gas investment boom even as the industry struggles to overcome opposition to pipeline construction.

Politics, cash, fame: what motivates climate change deniers

Right-wing ideologues funded by fossil fuels, fame-seeking narcissists and doubt mongers monetising their content are pushing climate disinformation that undermines the fight against global warming, researchers say.

Climate disinfo surges in denial, conspiracy comeback

False information about climate change flourished online over the past year, researchers say, with denialist social media posts and conspiracy theories surging after US environmental reforms and Elon Musk's Twitter takeover.

Israel green groups slam scrapping of tax on disposable tableware

Israeli environmental groups slammed a government move Sunday to scrap a tax on single-use tableware that aimed to reduce pollution from disposable plastic products.

The China Mail - Nature (English)