Wildlife populations in free fall as forests cut to grow food
Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaThomson Reuters Foundation The average size of wildlife populations has plummeted by two-thirds worldwide since 1970 as forests were felled to grow food, green group WWF said Thursday, warning that harming ecosystems hikes the risk to humans of infectious diseases like COVID-19. Land conversion for farming and the wildlife trade were key reasons […]
About three billion animals harmed in Australian bushfires, WWF says
Sydney, AustraliaReuters Nearly three billion koalas, kangaroos and other native Australian animals were killed or displaced by bushfires in 2019 and 2020, a study by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said, triple the group’s earlier estimates. Some 143 million mammals, 2.46 billion reptiles, 180 million birds and 51 million frogs were impacted by […]
Koalas may be extinct in Australia’s New South Wales by 2050
Sydney, AustraliaReuters Koalas in the Australian state of New South Wales could become extinct by 2050 unless the government immediately intervenes to protect them and their habitat, a parliamentary inquiry determined after a year-long inquiry. Land clearing for agriculture, urban development, mining and forestry had been the biggest factor in the fragmentation and loss of […]
Malaysia urged to cut down on plastic packaging for cleaner seas
Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaThomson Reuters Foundation An analysis of Asia’s worst ocean polluters shows Malaysians are the biggest individual consumers of plastic packaging, green group WWF said on Monday, urging the government to limit single-use plastics and work with companies to fund a recycling push. The WWF report on plastics looked at China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the […]
Asian palm oil buyers lag behind in global green push – survey
Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaThomson Reuters Foundation A survey of major palm oil buyers on their pledges to help curb deforestation shows that a quarter, mostly based in Asia, have yet to make commitments to purchase sustainable supplies, green group WWF said on Friday. The scorecard, now running for a decade, looked at 173 big buyers of the […]
Want to buy ethical food? Scan with your phone for fast facts
Thomson Reuters Foundation Whether buying a fish fillet at a supermarket or ordering steak in a restaurant, consumers will soon be able to use their phones to check instantly whether their food is green and ethical. Launched by environmental group WWF and investment firm BCG Digital Ventures, OpenSC is a website that harnesses blockchain technology to allow […]