In the face of changing weather driven by climate change and the increasing demand for food, Conservation Agriculture (CA) aims to achieve sustainable and profitable agriculture and improve farmers’ livelihoods. Here are five things you need to know. 1. CA observes three main principles that you should remember Direct seeding involves growing crops without mechanical seedbed preparation and with minimal soil disturbance [...]

As monarchs leave their winter hideaways, conservationists are seeking assistance in studying their migration routes

BEE will start rating deep freezers and light commercial air conditioners as well from now onwards. The star rating programme was launched on the 19th foundation ceremony of the BEE.

This brief presents methodologies, high-level technologies, and policies that can help the People’s Republic of China, particularly Beijing, accelerate and enhance water conservation planning.

Andreas Nord, Arne Hegemann, and Lars P. Folkow

Animals in seasonal environments must prudently manage energy expenditure to survive the winter. This may be achieved through reductions in the allocation of energy for various purposes (e.g. thermoregulation, locomotion, etc.). We studied whether such trade-offs also include suppression of the innate immune response, by subjecting captive male Svalbard ptarmigan (Lagopus muta hyperborea) to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) during exposure to either mild temperature (0°C) or cold snaps (acute exposure to –20°C), in constant winter darkness when birds were in energy-conserving mode, and in constant daylight in spring. The innate immune response was mostly unaffected by temperature. However, energy expenditure was below baseline when birds were immune challenged in winter, but significantly above baseline in spring. This suggests that the energetic component of the innate immune response was reduced in winter, possibly contributing to energy conservation. Immunological parameters decreased (agglutination, lysis, bacteriostatic capacity) or did not change (haptoglobin/PIT54) after the challenge, and behavioural modifications (anorexia, mass loss) were lengthy (9 days). While we did not study the mechanisms explaining these weak, or slow, responses, it is tempting to speculate they may reflect the consequences of having evolved in an environment where pathogen transmission rate is presumably low for most of the year. This is an important consideration if climate change and increased exploitation of the Arctic would alter pathogen communities at a pace outwith counter-adaption in wildlife.

Planet of the Humans film has had 5m views on YouTube and has enraged renewable energy experts who are demanding an apology

Planet of the Humans is an environmental documentary that has enraged renewable energy experts and environmentalists, with some calling for its high-profile executive producer, Michael Moore, to apologise.

It was released for free less than two weeks ago, and at the time of writing had had close to 5m views on YouTube.

From Kenya to the Seychelles, coronavirus has dealt a devastating blow to efforts to protect endangered wildlife

• How Covid-19 could push mountain gorillas back to the brink

From the vast plains of the Masai Mara in Kenya to the delicate corals of the Aldabra atoll in the Seychelles, conservation work to protect some of the world’s most important ecosystems is facing crisis following a collapse in ecotourism during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Organisations that depend on visitors to fund projects for critically endangered species and rare habitats could be forced to close, according to wildlife NGOs, after border closures and worldwide travel restrictions abruptly halted millions of pounds of income from tourism.

Once a step away from extinction, their survival was a rare success story. But groundbreaking gorilla conservation is now in peril

• Ecotourism collapse threatens communities and wildlife

As he clambers down the forested ravine, soil slipping beneath his boots, Dr Fred Nizeyimana knows they are close. “I can smell them,” he says, just before the mountain gorillas come into view high in the canopy, plucking leaves and chomping on the vegetation. An adult female slides down a tree, a flash of black fur and elongated limb. More follow, with infants and juveniles in tow. A grunting silverback descends to join its family, the branches buckling beneath approximately 180kg (400lb) of iconic primate.

Tapirs in South America, hirolas in Somalia, hornbills in Indonesia, chimps in Nigeria, tamarins in Brazil and frogs in South Africa ... the ‘green Oscars’ recognise and celebrate the achievements of the animals’ grassroots protectors

Six energy companies, in three settlements, have agreed to install pollution control equipment at a cost of over $6 million to comply with the Clean Air Act at their natural gas producing facilities in the Uinta Basin, near Vernal, Utah. The facilities are located on the Uintah &

Tonawanda Coke Corporation was sentenced in federal court in Buffalo, N.Y., Wednesday to pay a $12.5 million penalty and $12.2 million in community service payments for criminal violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

Here is an interesting buisness idea; grow butterflies to let fly at special ocasions and at the same time help the enviornment as well as people with special needs. The project is called Mariposeando (Spanish for something

The good, the bad, and the we-can-fix-its of the year all gathered up in one place.

Looking back on this year, so much happened! I wanted to take a moment to go look back on the articles I had the most fun writing, the issues I had the most fun covering, and the adventures I had the most fun experiencing. Enjoy this look back!

In honor of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, one scientist gives her tips on forging your own path.

This is DiCaprio going back to his first love, in a way, as before becoming an actor, he thought about becoming a marine biologist.

100,000 acres of Sumatran rainforest to be protected in Indonesia by a new type of zoning, which will generate sustainable revenue from non-timber forest products.

Three new private preserves have opened in Peru to buffer existing national parks. Is this the sign of a new trend?

A landmark report released by The Nature Conservancy has demonstrated that effective conservation measures - far from simply benefiting the local biota - can also help alleviate poverty. The study, co-authored by Nature Conservancy policy advisor

Using a bit of research and lots of careful gardening, this man was able to help reestablish a population of rare butterflies in his backyard.

For the first time, conservationists from WWF are putting dogs' superb sense of smell on the trail of tigers in Cambodia. Coming from the University of Washington Conservation Canines program, the dogs are trained to sniff out

There are only an estimated 116 wild Asian elephants in Cambodia's Seima Protection Area, and until now most of the photographic evidence of them has be taken by camera traps. New footage released by the Wildlife Conservation Society changes that. The

The Myanmar snub-nosed monkey may survive because of work by communities, NGOs and the Myanmar and Chinese governments.

Has the Costa Rica Foreign Minister really just suggested that the Sea Shepherd founder might voluntarily go to Costa Rica to face trial?

A couple weeks ago, Jairo Mora Sandoval, a 26-year-old conservationist, was kidnapped by sea turtle poachers in Costa Rica. He was bound, beaten, and shot in the head. His body was found on the beach the next day.

It is as counterintuitive as it is true: Around the world, communities who have resided on the land the longest often have the most tenuous rights to that land.

The 530-acre forest has hundreds of ancient giant sequoia, including the fifth-largest tree known on the planet.

Turn your anger into action by supporting lion-loving charities that are doing great things for big cats.

How well do you know some of history's most influential environmental activists?

Understanding Ethiopia’s past experience to guide future investments

Countries ban exports in attempt to protect environment as consumption is set to soar

Kensington Palace suddenly cancelled Kate Middleton's attendance this afternoon, citing an undisclosed matter relating to Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, four, and Prince Louis, one.

Prince Charles has urged followers to be mindful of their carbon footprint as he isolates in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus.

Governments in India have been using key provisions in environmental regulations to create and protect 'Ecologically Sensitive Areas'. Recently, the Supreme Court also pressed a state government on an ESA commitment. Kanchi Kohli reports on the practice and challenges.

Who decides if livelihoods or habitat should be the focus of conservation efforts? In a remote island in the Sunderbans, fisherfolk whose seasonal dry-fishing dates back many generations find themselves competing with mangroves and the Environment Ministry's changing stance on national security. Sunita Dubey reports.

The governing body meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity was held in Brazil in March. Since being one of the most pro-active countries in the formulation of the CBD, India has been gradually losing its leadership role in the last few years. Kanchi Kohli elaborates.

A conservation legislation like Biodiversity Act is being implemented as an access legislation. The Environmental Impact Assessment notification which is has great potential for people's involvement is today a mere clearance formality. Kanchi Kohli says the Ministry of Environment must revisit its original purpose.

The formal count of the number of tigers in India's 28 tiger reserves is expected to be announced on 31 December 2007. The report could help formulate policies of land use as well as accentuate the debate on rehabilitation of forest dwellers in favour of wildlife conservation, writes Malini Shankar.

Man-animal conflict in India is taking a heavy toll on habitat and thereby the survival of wildlife. Malini Shankar writes that there is no option but to relocate forest-dwellers out of protected areas.

Were mobile towers primarily responsible for the dwindling number of house sparrows across India? Deepa Mohan studies the findings of a recent survey to explore the more likely reasons behind this wane of the species.

Women in the Sunderbans region of West Bengal are setting a trend in climate change mitigation through projects under the "Common Property Resource" initiative, and carving new frontiers in livelihood security in the process. Ajitha Menon reports.

Rasika Dhavse reports on the transition from conventional conservation practices to community based ones.

India's community conservation areas (CCAs) are nowhere near prosaic; they are instead heartening and remarkable pools of ecological and biodiversity rejuvenation in a country beset with environmental degradation in its bid to industrialise. Keya Acharya identifies the silver lining.

The people-versus-tiger conflict haunts every protected habitat of the beast, and unless relocated communities' needs are met, conservation efforts will remain uncertain. Rajasthan's plans to relocate villagers from Sariska's core zone will have a profound impact on all other tiger reserves, writes Sudhirendar Sharma.

Abuse of animals by humans in various garbs is a sad reality across countries and communities. Deeply moved by an HBO documentary, Malini Shankar explains why the issue of animal rights and prevention of cruelty must be inextricably linked to conservation efforts.

A livelihoods programme for villages on the fringes of Kaziranga National Park makes big gains in the fight against poaching, and also recognises the importance of locals as stakeholders in wildlife conservation. Ratna Bharali Talukdar reports.

The proposed Hubli-Ankola railway line in Karnataka originally stirred up criticism because if built, it would pass through the ecologically fragile Western Ghats forests. Matters recently came to a head when evidence emerged of the Railways proceeding to construct a part of the line without forest clearance. Kanchi Kohli has more.

Cham, Switzerland : Springer, [2019]