Tootfinder

Brazil fast-tracks paving controversial highway in Amazon with new licensing rule
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/12/brazil-fast-tracks-paving-controversial-highway-in-amazon-with-new-licensing-rul…

Brazil fast-tracks paving controversial highway in Amazon with new licensing rule
Brazil’s Senate approved an environmental licensing bill that could expedite major infrastructure projects, including paving a highway that cuts through one of the most intact parts of the Amazon Rainforest in northwestern Brazil. The BR-319 highway runs through 885 kilometers (550 miles) of rainforest, connecting Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state, with Rondônia state farther […]

Light pollution could worsen allergy seasons, new study suggests https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/light-pollution-could-worsen-allergy-seasons-new-study-suggests/

Light pollution could worsen allergy seasons, new study suggests
Light pollution may do more than disrupt wildlife: new research finds it can extend pollen seasons, increasing allergy risks and public health costs.

New global map shows where sharks and rays most need protection https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/new-global-map-shows-where-sharks-and-rays-most-need-protection/

New global map shows where sharks and rays most need protection
Shark and ray populations are struggling across the world due to overfishing and other threats. A new report delineates 816 areas of the ocean that should be protected to help them recover. The report “Ocean Travellers” was published in December by the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority, but wasn’t publicly announced until Jan. 14. […]

Morocco evacuates 140,000 people as torrential rains and dam releases trigger floods https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/morocco-evacuates-140000-people-as-torrential-rains-and-dam-releases-trigger-flo…

Morocco evacuates 140,000 people as torrential rains and dam releases trigger floods
RABAT, Morocco (AP) — More than 140,000 people were evacuated from their homes in northwestern Morocco as heavy rainfall and water releases from overfilled dams led to flooding, the Interior Ministry said. Stormy weather also disrupted maritime traffic between Morocco and Spain. Torrential rains and water releases from overfilled dams raised water levels in recent days in rivers […]

Malaysia bans e-waste imports, vows to end illegal dumping https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/malaysia-bans-e-waste-imports-vows-to-end-illegal-dumping/

Malaysia bans e-waste imports, vows to end illegal dumping
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia has announced an immediate and full ban on the importation of electronic waste, as the government vowed the country would not be a “dumping ground” for the world’s waste. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said in a statement late Wednesday that all electronic waste, commonly known as e-waste, would be reclassified under the […]

Ethiopia’s Renaissance mega-dam fuels energy hopes and regional anxiety https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/ethiopias-renaissance-mega-dam-fuels-energy-hopes-and-regional-anxiety/

Ethiopia’s Renaissance mega-dam fuels energy hopes and regional anxiety
This January, U.S. President Donald Trump offered to act as a mediator between Egypt and Ethiopia over Nile River waters, signaling renewed interest in the dispute. Ethiopia’s flagship project, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), launched in 2011, has been a source of prolonged friction among Nile Basin countries. The row intensified with the dam’s […]

Malaysia lost 20% of its coral reefs in three years https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/malaysia-lost-20-of-its-coral-reefs-in-three-years/

Malaysia lost 20% of its coral reefs in three years
Malaysia’s coral reefs are shrinking at a pace that is hard to ignore. According to the latest national survey by Reef Check Malaysia, about one-fifth of the country’s coral cover has been lost since 2022, a decline compressed into just three years. What had been gradual erosion now looks more like a slide. The 2025 […]

Critical shark and ray habitats in Western Indian Ocean largely unprotected: Study https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/critical-shark-and-ray-habitats-in-western-indian-ocean-largely-unprotected-study/

Critical shark and ray habitats in Western Indian Ocean largely unprotected: Study
Sharks and rays in the Western Indian Ocean are facing an extinction crisis. Almost half of the region’s 270 known species (46%) are currently threatened with extinction. A recently released study by the Shark Specialist Group of the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority, mapped out areas that are vital for the species’ survival, while […]

Mines, dams move in as protection slips in a Cambodian wildlife sanctuary https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/mines-dams-move-in-as-protection-slips-in-a-cambodian-wildlife-sanctuary/

Mines, dams move in as protection slips in a Cambodian wildlife sanctuary
In Sre Chhuk village, a quiet patch in northeast Cambodia where the Mekong’s smaller veins trace the edge of a fading wildlife sanctuary, Vorn Pang and Sao Thorn once believed their land was safe. By 2018, officials and conservation groups had formalized their farmland as part of the Veal Kambor Community Protected Area (CPA), under […]

Pesticides found in 70% of European soils, harming beneficial life: Study https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/pesticides-found-in-70-of-european-soils-harming-beneficial-life-study/

Pesticides found in 70% of European soils, harming beneficial life: Study
For farmers, sometimes the easiest way to save a crop or prevent catastrophic insect damage is to spray a pesticide. But this common practice is wreaking havoc on the soil, according to new research published recently in the journal Nature. The study examined soil from 26 European countries, finding that pesticide contamination is widespread beyond […]