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Nature

Is ‘Legal Personhood’ a Tool or a Distraction for Māori Relationships with Nature?

In Aotearoa New Zealand, the majestic Whanganui River flows from Mount Tongariro to the west coast of the North Island. For Māori tribes, this river is more than just a body of water—it is a revered ancestor with its own presence and voice. This deep spiritual connection makes the river’s well-being crucial, not only from an environmental standpoint but also culturally and spiritually. In 2017, the Whanganui River—known as Te Awa Tupua—achieved a historic milestone by being recognized as a

yasuní

Could the ‘Rights of Nature’ Save Yasuní and Keep Its Oil Untouched?

The climate crisis has never been more evident, with the past decade marked as the hottest on record and July recently claiming the title for the hottest days ever. This alarming trend highlights the urgent need for decisive action to combat climate change, including the reduction of fossil fuel emissions. A bold example of such action emerged from Ecuador last year when nearly 60% of voters chose to halt oil drilling in the Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputini (ITT) oil field, located in the

nature-1

New Guidebook Empowers U.S. Tribal Nations to Adopt Rights-of-Nature Laws

In 2023, a small yet powerful movement took shape in Ecuador when local communities stood up against the world’s largest copper mining company, successfully defending their forest reserve by invoking the rights of nature enshrined in their nation’s constitution. This victory is part of a global shift toward recognizing the inherent rights of ecosystems, a legal framework gaining momentum across the world. In the United States, Tribal nations are at the forefront of this transformative movement, incorporating these principles into

miombo

Miombo: Africa’s Lesser-Known Forest Giant

Growing up in Domboshava, a village nestled in central Zimbabwe, Edwin Tambara, now the African Wildlife Foundation’s director of global leadership, recalls the Miombo woodland as an integral part of daily life. This vast forest wasn’t just a natural backdrop; it served as a pharmacy, hardware store, and supermarket for the community. “Whenever someone had a cough, headache, or other ailments, my grandmother would simply venture into the forest,” Tambara reminisces. “She’d return with leaves that were either boiled for

Waves

Gargantuan Mantle Waves Behind Continental Uplift and Plateau Formation

Discover how waves deep within Earth’s mantle, triggered by continental rifts, lead to the dramatic rise of cliffs and plateaus, reshaping our planet’s landscape. The towering cliffs and vast plateaus that characterize some of Earth’s most iconic landscapes are more than just surface features—they are the result of powerful, unseen forces deep within the planet. A recent study has uncovered how massive waves in Earth’s mantle, set off by the breakup of continents, slowly rise to reshape the land above.

Greenland

Greenland’s Fossil Secrets: A Lush Tundra Hidden Beneath the Ice

Beneath Greenland’s vast icy expanse lies a surprising secret—a time when the island was not a frozen wasteland but a thriving green tundra. Recent discoveries of fossilized flowers and plant life from a core sample reveal that Greenland was almost entirely ice-free less than a million years ago, challenging long-held beliefs about the island’s glacial history. Fossils Unveil Greenland’s Ice-Free Past Today, Greenland is synonymous with ice, with nearly 98% of its surface blanketed by an enormous ice sheet. However,

petroperú

Petroperú’s Financial Crisis Threatens Oil Spill Remediation Efforts

  In September 2022, Olivia Bisa Tirko received distressing news: an oil spill had occurred in the Chapra Nation’s territory in the Peruvian Amazon. The North Peruvian Pipeline, operated by the state-owned Petroperú, had ruptured, releasing 2,500 barrels of oil into the Marañón River, a key Amazon tributary. “For us, it was a catastrophe,” Bisa Tirko, President of the Chapra Nation’s autonomous government, recounted during a video call with Mongabay. “Seeing this disaster in the place where you grew up,

Defense System

The Defense System of All Life Traces Back to Asgard Microbes

The defense system that protects all complex life on Earth, including humans, can be traced back to ancient microbes known as Asgard archaea. This discovery sheds light on the origins of the immune mechanisms that have been essential in defending life from viral threats for billions of years. Around 2 billion years ago, the ancestors of plants, animals, and fungi emerged, likely evolving from a group of complex microbes called Asgard archaea. These primitive organisms passed down two crucial defense

Feeling Itchy

Feeling Itchy? The Surprising Link Between Wildfire Smoke and Eczema

Feeling itchy lately? It might not just be the usual suspects causing your discomfort. When Raj Fadadu, then a medical student, awoke to an ominous, orange sky, he had no idea that the day would reveal a startling connection between air pollution and skin health. “I remember thinking it might just be an intense sunrise,” Fadadu recalls. “But as the hours passed, the sky remained a deep, dark orange. It felt like a scene from a dystopian movie—like the world

amazon

Amazon Fires 30 Times More Likely Due to Climate Change – New Study Reveals

Climate change is reshaping the Amazon rainforest, increasing its susceptibility to fires by nearly 30 times, according to the 2023-2024 State of Wildfires report. This significant shift underscores the growing impact of global warming  on one of the world’s most vital ecosystems. Climate Change and the Western Amazon The study highlights that between March 2023 and February 2024, the western Amazon—spanning parts of Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia—has become dramatically more fire-prone. Factors such as rising temperatures, reduced rainfall, and drier

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