Environment

Dramatic drone footage obtained by environmental activists and shared with the BBC appears to reveal how widespread nickel mining has devastated forests and tainted waters in one of the world’s most ecologically rich marine environments. Located in Indonesia’s Southwest Papua Province, the Raja Ampat islands are often referred to as the “Amazon of the Seas” due to their extraordinary biodiversity. However, Global Witness reports that nickel mining — a major source for making electric vehicle

Hidden beneath the waves, the ocean harbors an incredible diversity of life — but researchers are noting significant and rather "unusual" transformations. A spike in sea temperatures due to a marine heatwave in May has impacted waters along England’s southern coast, disrupting marine ecosystems and altering the food chain. "I’m not a researcher or anything like that," said Heather Hamilton, a snorkeler and underwater photographer from Cornwall. "But after spending more

A humpback whale has undertaken one of the most extraordinary and far-reaching migrations ever documented, which scientists believe could be linked to climate change. The whale was first observed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Colombia in 2017 and then re-sighted several years later near Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean—a journey spanning at least 13,000 kilometers. Experts speculate that this remarkable odyssey may have been prompted by climate change reducing food sources or perhaps a

A recent report on climate change has revealed that the area of the Earth's surface impacted by severe drought has tripled since the 1980s. According to research by the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, nearly half—48%—of the Earth's land experienced at least one month of extreme drought last year. This figure is a stark increase from an average of 15% back in the 1980s. In 2023, three months or more of extreme drought affected 30% of the planet, a significant rise from

Over a third of the world’s tree species are facing extinction, posing a serious threat to life on Earth, according to a recent report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as part of their Red List of Threatened Species. Released on Monday, the report indicates that more than 16,000 tree species are under threat. The study examined over 47,000 species from an estimated global total of 58,000. The causes of this crisis are widespread. Trees are being cut down for logging

A captivating shot of energetic toad tadpoles has won Shane Gross the prestigious title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Under a shimmering layer of lily pads in Cedar Lake, Canada, a school of western toad tadpoles drifted effortlessly through the water. “For me, the best kind of fun is discovering something new and trying to capture it in the most compelling way possible," Shane shared with BBC News. Maneuvering carefully to prevent stirring up the delicate silt and algae at the

During the 1970s, a handful of Greenpeace activists devised a radical plan to halt commercial whaling once and for all. A massive Soviet vessel, its harpoon gun prepared to strike, towers over a whale just beneath the bow. Blood seeps from a gaping wound as the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean turn crimson. This haunting image redefined the fight against whaling and kickstarted Greenpeace’s "mind bomb" campaign, recalls Rex Weyler, the photographer behind the iconic 1975 shot (scroll