-
2 days ago | 
csmonitor.com | Troy Sambajon |Cameron Pugh
An international court weighed in for the first time on whether a government protected the rights of uncontacted peoplesSome 10,000 people worldwide live in Indigenous groups that voluntarily have little to no contact with the outside world. In March, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered Ecuador to prevent third parties from entering uncontacted peoples’ lands.
-
1 week ago | 
csmonitor.com | Cameron Pugh |Troy Sambajon
Eastern monarch butterflies doubled in populationAccording to a new report, the butterflies occupied 4.42 acres in central Mexico’s forests over the winter, up from 2.22 acres the previous year – the second-lowest total recorded in three decades of data. These migrating pollinators need large forests for protection against weather, and scientists attribute this year’s growth to less severe drought along the route from Canada and the United States to Mexico.
-
2 weeks ago | 
csmonitor.com | Cameron Pugh |Troy Sambajon
Cacao farmers can increase yields from old trees and avoid clearing more forestWhen their trees produce fewer pods over time, farmers typically start new plantations. In Peru, grafting was found to boost productivity by 45% within two years, while preserving biodiversity. Researchers from the universities of Göttingen and Würzburg worked in the northwestern Piura region, grafting new branches of the prized cacao Blanco de Piura variety onto old stock.
-
3 weeks ago | 
csmonitor.com | Cameron Pugh |Troy Sambajon
A Texas airport is harnessing the wind power of jets at takeoffThe American company JetWind Power uses giant turbines to capture forceful air from planes and transform it into electricity. Dallas Love Field has served as a testing ground since 2021. Five solar-powered turbine “pods” on the tarmac collect wind, which started powering device-charging stations in the terminal in November. Eight more pods will follow.
-
4 weeks ago | 
csmonitor.com | Peter Grier |Cameron Pugh |Jacob Posner |Melanie Freeman
Skip to main content
Already a subscriber?
We want to bridge divides to reach everyone.
-
1 month ago | 
csmonitor.com | Cameron Pugh |Troy Sambajon
Removals of small dams are restoring rivers across the Northeast U.S.Though smaller than those found in the West, more than 31,000 dams from Maryland to Maine nevertheless block fish migration and degrade waterways. American Rivers, an environmental nonprofit, estimates that 85% of U.S. dams – many built in the 19th century to support manufacturing – are unnecessary. Studies have found that removing dams can boost fish passage, improve water quality, and build watershed resilience.
-
1 month ago | 
csmonitor.com | Cameron Pugh |Troy Sambajon
How rating people’s job performance could be more fairSimplifying performance ratings can make them more equitable, a study found. Women and employees of color are often given lower marks than their white and male counterparts, which can impact their pay. In a recent paper by researchers in the U.S. and Canada, more than 70,000 ratings were analyzed from an online platform where customers hire workers for home services.
-
1 month ago | 
csmonitor.com | Cameron Pugh |Troy Sambajon
In Argentina, a law requires climate change class for public officialsNamed Yolanda’s Law in honor of Argentina’s first secretary of environment, the legislation requires at least 16 hours of instruction on topics including biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable development. Since the law’s passage four years ago, 7,000 people – judges, office assistants, and a former president – have received training. Officials can be fined for noncompliance.
-
1 month ago | 
csmonitor.com | Cameron Pugh |Troy Sambajon
Mexico enshrined animal welfare rights in its constitutionThe country is one of only 10 that include such recognition of nonhuman animals. While all Mexican states have laws protecting animal rights, most legislation does not include farm animals. That left livestock in the country’s rapidly growing meat industry vulnerable to mistreatment. Why We Wrote ThisIn our progress roundup, a Supreme Court and a Congress prune the advantage of business over other interests.
-
1 month ago | 
csmonitor.com | Cameron Pugh |Troy Sambajon
Sheep are shearing the land under solar panels to benefit two industriesAs solar power’s land needs grow, more ranchers are turning to agrivoltaics. With solar grazing, livestock feed in places on a solar farm that can’t easily be reached – reducing reliance on gas-powered lawn mowers. In turn, ranchers charge for the services of their livestock on solar farms, land they otherwise would not be able to access.
