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.
Japan eyes reduced emission cut target: official
Japan may backpedal on its pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by a quarter, an official said Wednesday, dealing a further blow to already deadlocked global warming talks in Doha.
Climate talks enter second week with 'hot air' dispute
Countries entered a second week of UN climate talks in Doha on Monday deeply divided on key issues even as fresh warnings were issued that rising greenhouse gas levels are putting our planet in peril.
Kyoto under the microscope in quest for new climate deal
As the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol draws to a close, the world will dissect its record for successes to emulate in the fight against global warming -- and pitfalls to avoid.
Life where you'd least expect it: bacteria survive ice, dark
Researchers have found bacteria thriving beneath ice, in the dark and without oxygen in a lake in Antarctica, pushing the boundaries of what was thought necessary to sustain life on Earth.
Bitsy beetle warms Canada: study
An army of rice-grain-sized beetles, attracted by warming weather, has moved into Canada's western forests, where its tree massacre is causing the mercury to rise yet further.
What's eating the sea butterfly? CO2, study says
Rising acidity is eating away the shells of tiny snails, known as "sea butterflies", that live in the seas around Antarctica, leaving them vulnerable to predators and disease.
Climate talks resume amid warnings of looming calamity
Nearly 200 nations gather in Doha from Monday for a new round of climate talks as a rush of reports warn extreme weather events like superstorm Sandy may become commonplace if mitigation efforts fail.
