“Lion heads arrive in record numbers as U.S. considers crackdown”
Big-game hunters are killing African lions in record numbers as U.S. regulators threaten to curtail one of world’s most exclusive, expensive and controversial pursuits.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a Thursday deadline to make a final determination on the status of the African lion, which it has proposed to list as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The agency has also recommended requiring a special permit to import lion trophies.
“A Global Agreement On Climate Change Likely Won’t Include Carbon Pricing”
Christiana Figueres, head of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will meet in Paris in December to hammer out worldwide carbon emissions reductions, said Tuesday that the conference will not include global carbon pricing.
“Climate Change Could Make The Persian Gulf So Hot People Can’t Spend More Than A Few Hours Outside”
This summer, a heat wave sent temperatures near the Persian Gulf skyrocketing, with outdoor temperatures reaching as high as 120°F throughout parts of Iraq and Iran. And while those temperatures might seem extreme, a new study published in Nature Climate Change suggests that scorching temperatures could become increasingly common in the region by the end of the century, if climate change is left unchecked.
“Bikini Nuclear Refugees Seek U.S. Homes to Flee Rising Seas”
Bikini Atoll islanders who were relocated before the U.S. began nuclear tests in the 1940s are now seeking refuge in the U.S., saying the rising seas and stronger storms brought on by climate change are making their new homes in the Marshall Islands uninhabitable.
“Zimbabwe Discovers Another 22 Elephants Poisoned by Cyanide”
Zimbabwe wildlife officials found the carcasses of 22 elephants poisoned by cyanide in the country’s biggest game reserve, Hwange National Park.
The discovery was made in the same area of the park that the bodies of at least 26 other poisoned elephants were found earlier this month, Alvin Ncube, chairman of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority, said by phone Monday.
“Exclusive: Elevated CO2 Levels Directly Affect Human Cognition, New Harvard Study Shows”
In a landmark public health finding, a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health finds that carbon dioxide (CO2) has a direct and negative impact on human cognition and decision-making. These impacts have been observed at CO2 levels that most Americans — and their children — are routinely exposed to today inside classrooms, offices, homes, planes, and cars.
Could Beer Save The Honeybees?
The fight to save honeybees has gotten boosts recently from the USDA, the White House, andresearchers who are still working to determine why managed honeybees continue to die off. Now, bees have one more thing on their side: beer.
Or, at least, one of the main ingredients of beer. This week, the EPA approved the use of potassium salts of hops beta acids (HBAs) — a biochemical (or naturally-occurring) pesticide that’s derived from hops, the flowers of the plant Humulus lupulus — around honeycombs. Researchhas shown that HBAs have potential for repelling varroa mites, a dangerous mite that attaches itself to honeybees and sucks out their circulatory fluid. Varroa mites weaken bees and spread debilitating diseases, including deformed wing virus, which causes crumpled up, useless wings in young bees.
“By Adding One Word, UN Climate Deal Moves in New Direction”
Eliminating fossil fuels from the world’s energy supply is back on the United Nations agenda as envoys from around the world wrap up a week of discussions about a deal on global warming they intend to adopt by the end of the year.
The delegates drawn from energy and environment ministries in more than 190 nations are grappling with a draft of an agreement for a UN summit in Paris in December. The text now includes a word it lacked on Monday. It was introduced by the U.S. and is deemed crucial by environmental groups for setting a course for business: “Decarbonization.”
“River Flows Drop As Carbon Dioxide Creates Thirstier Plants”
Rising carbon dioxide concentrations are causing vegetation across large parts of Australia to grow more quickly, in turn consuming more water and reducing flows into river basins.
“Namibia Loses 77 Rhinos to Poaching So Far This Year, Police Say”
Poachers have killed 77 rhinos in Namibia so far this year, according to a report from the country’s police service.
The latest rhino to be killed for its horn was discovered on Wednesday in the northern Kunene region, the police service said in an e-mailed statement.
My Trip To The Amazon 
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