Latest Forests News

Disease could kill most of the ‘ohi‘a forests on Hawaii's Big Island within 20 years

Nov. 13, 2024 16:20 PM EST

Ten years ago, a mysterious new disease was found sweeping through Hawaii’s native ‘ohi‘a forests, killing off the foundation of the islands’ ecology and one of the state’s most culturally important trees. Now, researchers are in a race against time. They say most of the...

Too many wild deer are roaming England's forests. Can promoting venison to consumers help?

Nov. 12, 2024 12:07 PM EST

WINCHESTER, England (AP) — In the half-light of dusk, Martin Edwards surveys the shadows of the ancient woodland from a high seat and waits. He sits still, watching with his thermal camera. Even the hares don’t seem to notice the deer stalker until he takes aim. The bang of his...

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon drops by nearly 31% compared to previous year

Nov. 07, 2024 13:46 PM EST

AGUA CLARA, Brazil (AP) — Forest loss in Brazil’s Amazon dropped by 30.6% compared to the previous year, officials said Wednesday, the lowest level of destruction in nine years. In a 12-month span, the Amazon rainforest lost 6,288 square kilometers (2,428 square miles), roughly...

Brazilian state law overturns soy moratorium that helped curb Amazon deforestation

Nov. 01, 2024 19:00 PM EDT

AGUA CLARA, Brazil (AP) — A historic agreement that's helped curb deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon for nearly two decades suffered a major blow after Mato Grosso, the country´s largest soybean-producing state, passed a law ending incentives for participating processing and trade companies. ...

Brazil fines meatpacking companies, including giant JBS, for buying illegally raised cattle

Oct. 28, 2024 20:28 PM EDT

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil's environmental agency has levied $64 million in fines against 23 meatpacking companies and their suppliers for buying and selling cattle raised illegally on deforested land in the Amazon. The operation, dubbed Cold Meat 2, launched last week. It...

Indonesian forests pay the price for the growing global biomass energy demand

Oct. 26, 2024 21:17 PM EDT

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Enormous swathes of pristine forest are being cut down across Indonesia to supply the rapidly rising international demand for biomass material seen as critical to many countries' transitions to cleaner forms of energy. Nearly all of the biomass from...

Criminals may be leveraging climate change as record acreage burns in Brazil's Amazon

Oct. 25, 2024 10:11 AM EDT

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Wildfires in Brazil have swept through an area the size of Switzerland, a level of destruction that will take decades to recover, if it ever does, according to a new satellite assessment. The breadth of forest that has been lost or degraded was revealed as...

A Brazilian artist uses ash and mud for a massive Sao Paulo mural lamenting climate disasters

Oct. 23, 2024 14:53 PM EDT

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian artist Mundano on Wednesday is presenting a massive street mural in Sao Paulo that uses ash from wildfires and mud from floods to highlight extreme weather events wreaking devastation across the country — as well as their causes. Over 30 meters (98.4...

Miners are razing forests to meet surging demand for metals and minerals, report says

Oct. 23, 2024 05:27 AM EDT

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Whether it's digging for metals and minerals for cellphones and electric vehicles or coal for power generation, mining around the world has skyrocketed since 2000, causing widespread destruction of tropical forests, degrading the environment and displacing Indigenous and...

It wasn't a bear that attacked a camper found dead in his tent. Authorities say someone killed him

Oct. 18, 2024 14:49 PM EDT

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — When Dustin Kjersem was found dead inside his tent at a remote Montana campsite with extensive injuries to his skull and body, it was initially reported as a possible bear mauling. There have been previous grizzly bear attacks in the forests of southwestern...