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Lead poisoning causes far more death, IQ loss than thought: study
Lead poisoning has a far greater impact on global health than previously thought, potentially contributing to over five million deaths a year and posing a similar threat to air pollution, modelling research suggested Tuesday.
Cyclone upturns Venezuelans' dreams of better life in Brazil
When Ani Aponte fled Venezuela with her family four years ago to escape her home country's economic collapse, she dreamed of a better future in Brazil.
French Pacific archipelago divided over shark hunt
After killing seven people in the past five years, sharks are enemy number one in France's Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia where the authorities have declared open season on the species in the hope of making beaches safe again.
On Brazilian island, revered Asian buffalo claims its place
An incongruous sight meets visitors to the northern Brazilian island of Marajo: thousands and thousands of water buffalo, animals endemic to India and Southeast Asia that have found a new home in South America.
Ecuador to reintroduce species on Galapagos island
Ecuador's government has announced it will spend $3.4 million on reintroducing 12 endemic bird and turtle species that have disappeared from an island in the Galapagos archipelago where Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution.
Oil permits and wind crisis threaten UK net zero pledge
With the provision of a swathe of new oil and gas exploration licences and a crisis in offshore wind energy, clouds are gathering over the UK's net zero promises.
Olympic chief Bach 'confident' for Seine swimming at 2024 Games
Olympic chief Thomas Bach said Wednesday he was "confident" and "optimistic" swimming events in Paris's Seine River will go ahead at the 2024 Games despite recent cancellations due to pollution.
Africa demands global finance reforms to unleash its green growth
African leaders on Wednesday demanded sweeping changes to the global financial system and urged the international community to back a surge in renewable energy as they wrapped up a landmark climate summit in Kenya.
Rains kill 11 in Mediterranean, east Europe
Storms that unleashed torrential flooding in Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria have killed at least 11 people, authorities said Wednesday, as extreme heat gave way to heavy rain.
2023 likely to be hottest year on record
2023 is likely to be the hottest year in human history, and global temperatures during the Northern Hemisphere summer were the warmest on record, the EU climate monitor said on Wednesday.
Indonesia halves output at coal power plant as pollution spikes
Indonesia has nearly halved output at a major coal-fired power plant near the capital Jakarta after the city faced major pollution spikes in recent weeks, its operator told AFP Wednesday.
African leaders seek united front to press green growth goals
Landmark African climate talks are set to wrap up Wednesday with leaders seeking a united voice to highlight the continent's green growth potential provided the world steps up help for funding and debt.
Six bn tonnes of sand extracted from world's oceans each year: UN
Some six billion tonnes of sand and other sediment is extracted from the world's seas and oceans every year, the UN said Tuesday, warning of the devastating toll on biodiversity and coastal communities.
Calls for reform of global finance system dominate Africa climate talks
UN chief Antonio Guterres joined African leaders on Tuesday in demanding urgent reforms to the "outdated and unfair" global financial system, speaking at a landmark climate summit in Kenya aimed at showcasing the continent's green potential.
G20 per capita coal emissions growing: research
G20 per capita coal emissions continue to rise despite climate pledges and transition efforts by some members of the group of major economies, new research showed Tuesday.
African leaders to push for finance at climate summit
African leaders and global policymakers gather on Tuesday in Kenya for a climate summit aimed at showcasing the continent as a destination for investment in efforts to combat global warming.
S.African rhino farm, world's largest, bought by NGO
The largest rhino farm in the world, which is home to 2,000 animals and located in South Africa, has been bought by the NGO African Parks, the organisation said Monday.
S.African rhino farm, world's largest, bought by NGO: statement
The largest rhino farm in the world, which is home to 2,000 animals and located in South Africa, has been bought by the NGO African Parks, the organisation said Monday.
Invasive species problem will be 'worse before it gets better'
On land and in the sea, invasive species are destroying ecosystems, spreading disease and causing hundreds of billions of dollars in damage every year, according to a landmark report Monday from the UN-backed science advisory panel for the UN Convention on Biodiversity.
EU chief warns wolf packs 'real danger' in Europe
Brussels launched a review Monday of laws protecting wolves from hunters and farmers, as EU chief Ursula von der Leyen argued that packs threaten livestock and perhaps even people.
Belgium struggles with spread of 'invasive' raccoons
Belgian forest ranger Thierry Petit can barely keep pace with call outs to deal with raccoons, a North American species branded an invasive threat to Europe's indigenous wildlife.
Global tensions risk clean energy progress: IEA chief
The head of the International Energy Agency on Monday urged the United States and China to align on key issues at the COP28 climate summit later this year, warning that "geopolitical fractures" risk holding back the switch to clean energy.
Tesla, Chinese EV brands jostle for limelight at German fair
One of the world's biggest auto shows opened in Munich on Monday, with Tesla ending a 10-year absence to jostle for the spotlight with Chinese rivals as the race for electric dominance heats up.
Can Africa grasp its green-powered potential?
No continent has been hit harder by climate change than Africa, and yet none has more potential for a future centred on green energy, a top expert has told AFP in an interview.
Helping or hindering? US scientists debate how to save giant sequoias
When ferocious wildfires tore through California's prized giant sequoia forests, they killed towering trees that have lived there for thousands of years -- and perhaps changed the nature of the groves forever.
Cute but calamitous: Australia labours under rabbit numbers
With their outsized ears and fluffy fur, rabbits are often seen as cute and harmless. Yet the creature is behind one of the globe's most harmful biological invasions, ravaging Australia, whose efforts to limit the problem have tended only to make things worse.
Minnows blamed for algae-filled French, Spanish lakes
Perched 1,800 metres (about 6,000 feet) near France's border with Spain lies the emerald Areau lake -- whose colour experts blame on minnows used by anglers as live bait.
Heat records topple across sweltering Asia
Temperature records are being toppled across Asia, from India's summer to Australia's winter, authorities said Friday, in fresh evidence of the impact of climate change.
Mont Blanc: The Holy Grail of ultra-trail running
More than 2,000 runners will on Friday set off for the 20th edition of the Mont Blanc Ultra Trail, a hellish 170-kilometre trail run in weather that is already turning wintry.
Brazil high court resumes key Indigenous lands case
Brazil's Supreme Court resumed hearings Wednesday in a closely watched case on whether to restrict native peoples' rights to claim their ancestral lands, a key buffer against climate change.
Climate change boosts risk of extreme wildfires 25%: study
Climate change has sharply boosted the risk of fast-spreading wildfires, according to a Californian study published Wednesday that offers lessons for prevention after recent disasters in Canada, Greece and Hawaii.
IMF warns climate shocks may increase conflict deaths
Climate change threatens to exacerbate conflict in fragile nations across the globe and lead to increased deaths, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a report published Wednesday.