In The News

Medium: Lawsuits Stifle Environmental Opposition

Rebecca Renner October 29, 2018
Environmental activists strive to delay development of sensitive lands. In turn, development firms rely on courts to stop the interference. Maggie Hurchalla, 77, opposed development of 2200 acres of sugarcane fields near Lake Okeechobee and pollution described as the source of red tide outbreaks along Florida’s coasts. Her activism focused on public water supplies and storage and transfer of...

Asia Sentinel: China Empties the Seas

Gregory McCann October 19, 2018
The Chinese have reduced fish stocks along their coastline so fishermen turn to other waters: “Today thousands of Chinese ships are trawling international waters from Guinea to Liberia and Senegal to Taiwan, Palau and Fiji and beyond to Chile and even beyond that, Chinese fishing vessels are scouring the seas for anything that swims, vastly underreporting their catches to the UN Food and...

Natural Blaze: Coffee and the Environment

Melissa Kravitz October 4, 2018
The world drinks about 1.4 billion cups of coffee per day, according to the International Coffee Organization. Only four countries – Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia and Indonesia – produced more than 500,000 metric tons annually in recent years. Routine habits of the world’s 7.4 billion people, like morning coffee, take a toll on the environment, explains Melissa Kravitz for Natural Blaze. She urges...

Orlando Sentinel: Florida Farming vs Coastal Communities

Andy Reid September 9, 2018
The US Army Corps of Engineers drains Florida’s largest freshwater lake to nearby rivers to prevent flooding of South Florida communities. Lake Okeechobee’s waters, polluted by chemicals from the agriculture industry, eventually wind their way to the coast, reported to be causing toxic algae blooms and red tides that harm plants and wildlife, resulting in massive fish kills and also causing...

BBC News: Why Only 1% of the World’s Vanilla Is Real

Nancy Kacungira August 20, 2018
The island of Madagascar is the world’s largest producer of vanilla beans. Farmers protect their crops with patrols and mark individual pods while on the vine. The vanilla orchid, a native plant of Mexico, can grow 300 feet tall, but there are challenges: The orchid requires high humidity, shade and moderate temperatures and new plants produce pods after three years. Each flower must be...

BBC News: Global Boom in Hydropower Dams

August 6, 2018
Businesses depend on energy, but energy-related construction can disrupt businesses and communities, too. More than 3,500 hydropower dams – the world’s largest source of renewable energy – are being planned and constructed throughout the developing world. “Critics point to the inherent dangers of building too many dams, too fast and without sufficient consideration for the consequences,” reports...

ENS: Indigenous Peoples Own/Manage ¼ of Earth’s Land

Environment News Service August 3, 2018
Indigenous people own or have management rights over at least 25 percent of Earth’s land, which in turn overlaps with 40 percent of all protected lands, according to Stephen Garnett of Charles Darwin University who leads an international mapping research team. The team emphasizes that understanding land ownership is essential for developing and monitoring international conservation and climate...