Extreme heat is pushing India to the brink of survivability. One solution is also a big part of the problem

By 2050, India will be among the first places where temperatures will cross survivability limits, according to climate experts. And within that time frame, the demand for air conditioners (AC) in the country is also expected to rise nine-fold, outpacing all other appliances, according to a recent report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). The hotter and wealthier India… Read More Extreme heat is pushing India to the brink of survivability. One solution is also a big part of the problem

Life, death and zombie mushrooms: in search of the Amazon’s rarest fungi

The Amazon rainforest brims with some of the world’s most diverse flora and fauna. Countless species of fungi dot the landscape, many still unnamed and awaiting discovery. Rockefeller and Quark carefully collect data by photographing and cataloguing each specimen for submission to the national herbarium in Quito and eventual DNA sequencing. Words and photographs by Rachel Bujalski… Read More Life, death and zombie mushrooms: in search of the Amazon’s rarest fungi

‘De-extinction’ plan to reintroduce the Dodo bird to Mauritius

The dodo, extinct for over three centuries, could return to Mauritius thanks to an audacious plan from biotech company Colossal Biosciences and the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. If the partnership achieves its goal, the dodo would be following in the footsteps of other species once extinct in the wild but successfully returned to nature. Scroll through the… Read More ‘De-extinction’ plan to reintroduce the Dodo bird to Mauritius

Astrophysicist and photographer Jordi Busqué shares photos of the night’s sky that transcend the boundaries of science

Before the beginning of the 19th Century, when Paris became the first city in Europe to use gas lighting to illuminate its streets, the sight of the Milky Way was as commonplace as the sight of the Moon. But in recent decades, light pollution has become so intense that many people rarely get to admire… Read More Astrophysicist and photographer Jordi Busqué shares photos of the night’s sky that transcend the boundaries of science

‘Leave the gold in the ground’: Ecuador’s forest guardians mobilise against illegal mining in Amazon

With short amulet-covered spears made of blackened chonta palm, GIS mapping phones, walkie-talkies and wearing black and green uniforms, the A’i Cofán seem to merge into the jungle as they march silently down a path through their land. Calling themselves the Indigenous guard, the 27-strong group patrols a territory of 243 sq miles (630 sq… Read More ‘Leave the gold in the ground’: Ecuador’s forest guardians mobilise against illegal mining in Amazon

‘Everything is parched’: Amazon struggles with drought amid deforestation

Jonathan Watts in Altamira Cows, dust and smoke. That was what greeted me on my return home to Altamira, after several weeks on the road. An unusually fierce dry season has taken a horrific toll on the Amazonian landscape, swathes of which are already denuded by cattle ranches. Together, they threaten the integrity of the world’s… Read More ‘Everything is parched’: Amazon struggles with drought amid deforestation

Rare eastern osprey chick hatches in South Australia, captivating birdwatchers around the world

Birdwatchers from around the world have celebrated the arrival of a rare eastern osprey chick in South Australia. Fran Solly, secretary of the Friends of Osprey conservation group, says everyone in Tumby Island and Port Lincoln knows about the chick that hatched last Thursday. But the livestream has captivated bird watchers from as far away as… Read More Rare eastern osprey chick hatches in South Australia, captivating birdwatchers around the world