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by with Sam Reeves in Kuala Lumpur / Haeril Halim Agence France-Presse CILEGON, Indonesia (AFP) – Smokestacks belch noxious fumes into the air from a massive coal-fired power plant on the Indonesian coast, a stark illustration of Asia’s addiction to the fossil fuel which is threatening climate targets. Asia-Pacific accounts for about three-quarters of global coal consumption — even as the region struggles with the environmental and public health impacts of global warming, from deadly […]
by Pablo COZZAGLIO / Alberto PEÑA Agence France-Presse LA HIGUERA, Chile (AFP) – The Humboldt archipelago off the northern Pacific coast of Chile is a “natural treasure” and refuge for unique species of fauna, including a particular type of penguin and an otter on the brink of extinction. But its fragile ecosystem is under threat, say environmentalists, from a $2.5 billion mining project on the nearby mainland that has stirred the debate in Chile between […]
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) – New Zealand pledged Monday to quadruple foreign aid spending on climate change, addressing its “woefully inadequate” response to the challenge in recent decades. As representatives from around the world prepare for a landmark UN summit on global warming, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Wellington would lift its climate aid budget to $930 million over four years. Ardern said at least half the money would go to Pacific island nations, many […]
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) – Australia’s prime minister on Friday withdrew a threat to skip next month’s landmark UN climate summit, describing the meeting as “an important event”. “I confirmed my attendance at the Glasgow Summit, which I’m looking forward to attending,” Scott Morrison told journalists. Under mounting pressure to adopt more ambitious climate targets, the conservative leader had suggested he would not join other heads of government in Scotland’s largest city. His comments angered climate […]
by Frank ZELLER Agence France-Presse PAPHOS, Cyprus (AFP) – The climate crisis threatens a double blow for the Middle East, experts say, by destroying its oil income as the world shifts to renewables and by raising temperatures to unliveable extremes. Little has been done to address the challenge in a region long plagued by civil strife, war and refugee flows, even as global warming looks likely to accelerate these trends, a conference heard last week. […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – Queen Elizabeth II’s grandson Prince William presented the inaugural Earthshot prizes at a ceremony in London on Sunday, with projects from Costa Rica, Italy, the Bahamas and India picking up prizes. The new annual awards were created by Prince William to reward efforts to save the planet in the face of climate change and global warming. Five winners were announced, each receiving a million pounds ($1.4 million). The build-up to […]
by Francisco JARA Agence France-Presse SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) – Chile’s opposition on Wednesday moved to impeach the country’s president, Sebastian Pinera, for the controversial sale of a mining company through a firm owned by his children, which appeared in the Pandora Papers leaks. Pinera used “his office for personal business,” said congressman Tomas Hirsch when presenting the accusation in the lower house of Congress, the first step in the impeachment process that could last for […]
WASHINGTON, D.C., United States (AFP) – The US Treasury announced Wednesday it will study how climate change is affecting communities and households in the United States. The department’s Financial Literacy and Education Commission will look into “how households, communities, and the smallest businesses experience financial resilience in the face of climate change and climate transition,” Treasury said in a statement. It will also focus on “how to map climate-related financial risks, and identify which groups […]
OSLO, Norway (AFP) – Norway’s new centre-left government said Wednesday it wants to toughen the country’s targets for reducing emissions by 2030 while preserving its economically important oil sector. The incoming government, formed from the Labour and Centre parties after September elections, said it wished to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent of their 1990 level by 2030. Climate ambitions had so far targeted a range between 50 and 55 percent. The aim for […]
SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) Chilean President Sebastian Pinera on Tuesday announced a state of emergency and deployed troops to two southern regions where clashes have broken out between Mapuche indigenous people and security forces. The Mapuche are demanding the restoration of their ancestral lands and self-determination. “We have decided to call a state of exception” in four provinces of the southern regions of Biobio and Araucania and the deployment of troops to help control “the serious […]
WASHINGTON, D.C., United States (AFP) – Satellite data provider Planet announced Tuesday that it plans to launch a new fleet of orbiting eyes so powerful they can distinguish road markings on the ground. Planet, which already operates 200 Earth observation satellites from space, wants to make the new function available in 2023. The new satellites, called Pelican, could be used for mapping services, such as Google maps; in environmental tasks, such as spotting illegal forest […]
by Patrick GALEY Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) – Changing rain patterns caused by the El Nino warming phenomenon frequently drives millions of children into malnutrition and saddles them with life-long health issues, researchers said Tuesday, calling for action against the “predictable” impact. El Nino is a periodic event that affects global weather patterns, occurring every few years when eastern Pacific Ocean waters get unusually warm, leading to heavy rain in some regions but relative […]
