The tides are strong and getting strongerJeff Hornbaker / Plainpicture By Kate Ravilious Right now ocean tides are big and the next few million years will see them becoming bigger. That’s because our scattered continents are surrounded by ocean basins that are just the right size to make really powerful tides. In contrast, whenever all […]
One tree gets planted, another gets cut downGetty Images By Fred Pearce Don’t be too proud if your country is busy replanting its lost forests. While it’s true that many rich countries are restoring their own forests, they are also indirectly responsible for deforestation elsewhere. A new study finds that richer nations grow their forests, […]
Marji Lang/LightRocket via Getty BEFORE humans came along with their polished axes and (much later) sawmills, there were as many as 6 trillion trees on this planet. Today there are roughly half that number, with their loss continuing apace in many developing countries. In the Amazon, deforestation has recently surged, after a decade of stability, […]
Welcome, stranger: Tupaia’s sketch of an encounter between artist Joseph Banks and a MaoriBritish Library Board In the 250 years since he set sail from Plymouth, readings of James Cook’s three maritime expeditions have zigzagged as wildly as the drunken-looking course of his vessels around the islands of the South Pacific. Did the self-made captain […]
A mountain yellow-legged frog (Rana muscosa) from California, killed by the chytrid fungusJoel Sartore / Nat Geo / Getty By Andy Coghlan A deadly disease that is wiping out the world’s frogs and toads probably originated in the Korean peninsula. The disease is being spread by the pet trade, so banning the trade in amphibians […]
Welcome, stranger: Tupaia’s sketch of an encounter between artist Joseph Banks and a MaoriBritish Library Board In the 250 years since he set sail from Plymouth, readings of James Cook’s three maritime expeditions have zigzagged as wildly as the drunken-looking course of his vessels around the islands of the South Pacific. Did the self-made captain […]
Andrius Aleksandravicius /EyeEm/Getty By Simon Usborne THE Broad Walk is one of London’s leafiest avenues, stretching between two corners of Hyde Park. On a cold but sunny spring day, it is a welcome escape from Park Lane’s noisy traffic, luxury hotels and car showrooms. I’m taking a walk with Ian Rodger, who manages trees for […]
The FARC guerrillas once protected the Amazon rainforest in ColombiaCarlos Villalon / Redux / eyevine By Luke Taylor in Colombia AS RAIN lashes down on San José del Guaviare, Angélica Rojas Moncada of the Foundation for Conservation and Sustainable Development breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank God,” she says. “There are already three fires burning […]
Brett Ryder By John Pickrell THROUGHOUT history, people have suspected the moon of messing around with life on Earth’s surface. From inducing madness to affecting the growth of plants, most of these connections are as tenacious as they are ill-substantiated. But one area where the moon’s influence cannot be disputed is on the seashore. Long […]
Icebergs are already towed away from oil rigsRandy Olson/National Geographic/Getty By Olive Heffernan In an unconventional solution to Cape Town’s water crisis, a marine salvage expert is suggesting towing a giant iceberg to the city and melting it down as drinking water. In drought since 2015, Cape Town was due to reach Day Zero about […]