'Off the scale' smog envelops Beijing again
Pollution levels in Beijing rose above index limits on Tuesday, the US embassy said, as a dense cloud of haze shrouded large swathes of northern China.
Environment-friendly engine invented in Astana
A combustion engine that emits 50 percent less hazardous substances that a regular one has been invented in Astana.
Japan manufacturers make big emissions cuts: survey
Japan's big manufacturers reduced greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 15 percent annually on average over the past five years compared to 1990.
China may turn Kazakhstan into desert
Kazakhstan ecologist spoke about the consequences of China's diverting of transborder rivers to its semi-desert lands.
Mercury treaty adopted in Geneva by 140 countries
Delegations from some 140 countries have agreed to adopt a ground-breaking treaty limiting the use of health-hazardous mercury.
Audit slams S. Korea's $20 bn river project
South Korea's state auditor on Friday panned President Lee Myung-Bak's $20 billion effort to dredge, dam and beautify four major rivers, saying it was riddled with costly flaws.
Reprieve for bear rescue centre in Vietnam
A sanctuary for bears rescued from the Asian bile trade which has been at the centre of a high-profile land dispute has been spared eviction by Vietnam's government.
Australia heatwave part of global trend: IPCC chief
Australia's extreme summer heatwave, which caused devastating bushfires and saw temperature forecasts go off the scale, is part of a global warming trend.
Breeding season underway for famed Galapagos tortoises
Breeding season is underway for the endangered tortoises of Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, whose mating and nesting habits are carefully watched by wildlife specialists hoping to save them from extinction.
Running from Putin: Russia's new political refugees
In August, a group of Russian environmentalists were walking along a beach on the Black Sea, just outside the walls surrounding a majestic palace that has been linked to President Vladimir Putin.
World's smelliest and largest flower blooms in Brazil
Hundreds of visitors are flocking daily to a botanical garden in southeastern Brazil to watch the rare blooming of the Titan arum, the world's smelliest and largest tropical flower.
China boom savaging coral reefs: study
China's economic boom has seen its coral reefs shrink by at least 80 percent over the past 30 years, a joint Australian study found Thursday, with researchers describing "grim" levels of damage and loss.
Nepal campaigners plead for killer elephant's life
Nepalese animal rights groups pleaded Monday for the life of a lovelorn elephant which has trampled several people to death and is being hunted down by an army execution squad.
Chile volcano alert raised
Chile issued a top-level red alert Sunday for its Copahue volcano, in the south on the Andean border with Argentina, as it rumbled to register a greater potential threat.
Group defiant over US ban on tackling Japan whalers
US conservation group Sea Shepherd vowed Tuesday to fight a US court order to stay at least 500 yards away from Japanese whaling ships, and to keep protecting whales "with our ships and our lives."
New species, old threats to Mekong wildlife: WWF
From a devilish-looking bat to a frog that sings like a bird, scientists have identified 126 new species in the Greater Mekong area, the WWF said Tuesday in a new report detailing discoveries in 2011.
Environmental hangover from Indonesia's palm oil thirst
The roar of chainsaws has replaced birdsong, the once-lush, green jungle scorched to a barren grey. The equivalent of six football pitches of forest is lost every minute in Indonesia.
Australia plans drill of ancient Antarctic ice core
Australia Saturday announced plans to drill a 2,000 year-old ice core in the heart of Antarctica in a bid to retrieve a frozen record of how the planet has evolved and what might be in store.
Activists convert Japanese boat for whaling campaign
Activists aiming to halt Japan's whaling fleet Tuesday revealed their new weapon for their latest Antarctic campaign -- a US$2 million ship once owned by the government in Tokyo.
World's biggest, oldest trees are dying: research
Scientists Friday warned of an alarming increase in the death rates of the largest living organisms on the planet, the giant, old trees that harbour and sustain countless birds and wildlife.