Crooked Bough News Round-up

— As the Japanese Countryside Empties Out, Wildlife Is Disappearing

 

at 11/6/26 6:20am

The Japanese population is in decline, but the downward trend is especially pronounced in rural areas. The loss of people might be expected to lead to a resurgence of wildlife. But paradoxically, where farms have been abandoned, wildlife is also disappearing.Read more on E360 →

— As Japan's Rural Towns Empty Out, the Diversity of Wildlife Declines

 

at 11/6/26 6:20am

In Japan, where the population is shrinking, wildlife is declining where rural areas are losing people. Read more on E360 →

— How This Year's Super El Niño Will Worsen Global Hunger

 

at 11/5/26 2:41am

A monster El Niño is nearing its peak, deepening drought in many parts of the world. Coming as countries slash foreign aid and war chokes supplies of energy and fertilizer, the climate phenomenon could leave millions more people in vulnerable countries without enough to eat.Read more on E360 →

— Environmentalists Notch Wins on Key Ballot Measures

 

at 11/4/26 7:31am

In the U.S. midterm elections, which saw Democrats make sweeping gains across the country, environmentalists scored wins on key ballot measures in several states.Read more on E360 →

— As Mangrove Forests Expand in China, Bird Species Multiply

 

at 11/3/26 6:46am

A push by China to revive its mangrove forests is paying off. Not only have mangroves colonized large areas of coastline, but the new forests have drawn scores of new bird species.Read more on E360 →

— Snowstorms Are Dropping Microplastics on Remote Parts of the Sierra Nevadas

 

at 11/2/26 5:46am

Researchers have found that snowstorms are delivering vast numbers of tiny plastic particles to remote reaches of California's Sierra Nevada mountains. Snowmelt is a major source of fresh water for the state.Read more on E360 →

— Human-Driven Warming May Have Halted the Onset of a New Ice Age

 

at 10/30/26 8:57am

Researchers have found evidence that warming, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, reversed the advance of a new ice age.Read more on E360 →

— As the Colorado River Shrinks, Calls to Drain Lake Powell Grow

 

at 10/29/26 5:02am

Lake Powell recently dropped to a historic low, slashing hydropower and the flow of water downstream. As drought deepens, groups are pushing to drain the lake entirely to reveal its long-submerged rock arches and spires and allow wildlife along the Colorado River to recover.Read more on E360 →

— El Niño to Ratchet Up Carbon Dioxide Levels

 

at 10/28/26 6:35am

Carbon dioxide levels are set to surge this year amid a powerful El Niño, a report warns.Read more on E360 →

— Industry Knew for Decades That Microplastics Could Infiltrate Human Bodies

 

at 10/27/26 6:57am

The chemical industry has known for decades that ingested microplastic particles can reach vital organs, an investigation has found.Read more on E360 →

— Two in Three Cars Sold in China Last Month Were Electric

 

at 10/26/26 6:37am

Plug-in cars, including both plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles, accounted for two in three new passenger vehicles sold in China in September, according to industry data.Read more on E360 →

— Long After Maui Fire, Residents Found With High Levels of Toxic Metals in Their Bodies

 

at 10/23/26 3:29am

More than a year after a devastating wildfire destroyed the Hawaiian town of Lahaina, residents were found to have high levels of arsenic and other toxic metals in their bodies.Read more on E360 →

— What Is Driving the Global Resurgence of Mangrove Forests?

 

at 10/22/26 1:56am

After decades of losses, mangrove trees are gaining ground on coastlines around the world, often in places they have never grown before. Paradoxically, scientists say, warming temperatures and the destruction of inland forests are helping to power the revival.Read more on E360 →

— World on Track for 2.8 Degrees Celsius of Warming

 

at 10/21/26 6:48am

Current climate policies put the world on a course for 2.8 degrees C of warming this century, well beyond international climate targets, according to a new U.N. report.Read more on E360 →

— Sixteen Years After Deepwater Horizon, Deep Sea Life Shows Few Signs of Recovery

 

at 10/20/26 6:28am

Sixteen years after an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig unleashed more than 4 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, life in the deep sea has yet to recover.Read more on E360 →

— El Niño Brings Exotic Sea Life to the California Coast

 

at 10/19/26 6:40am

A powerful El Niño is delivering unusually warm waters to the California coast, and with them, an array of tropical sea creatures rarely seen there.Read more on E360 →

— Arctic Wildlife Research Suffers as Geopolitical Competition Grows

 

at 10/15/26 3:09am

As national security and the hunt for rare minerals come to dominate Arctic agendas, governments are slashing support for wildlife research. Scientists say the loss of monitoring is unprecedented and comes as climate change dramatically reshapes life in the Far North.Read more on E360 →

— Scientists Are Teaching Birds to Sing Lost Songs

 

at 10/14/26 6:37am

When bird populations decline, fledglings may struggle to learn the songs they need to attract mates. But new research suggests it is possible to teach birds lost songs.Read more on E360 →

— Indonesia to Reverse Course on 'World's Largest Deforestation Project'

 

at 10/13/26 7:01am

Indonesia appears to be reversing course on a plan to turn vast swaths of tropical rainforest into rice and sugarcane plantations.Read more on E360 →

— Thousands of Handwritten Records Reveal Scale of Warming in the Congo

 

at 10/12/26 7:04am

The Congo Basin is one of the few places on Earth where the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has failed to track the long-term shift in extreme heat and rainfall. The reason is a lack of readily available data. To fill this gap, scientists have digitized thousands of handwritten weather records, which reveal the impact of warming in the region. Read more on E360 →

— Instagram Photo Reveals New Species of Giant Waterlily

 

at 10/9/26 8:09am

Researchers have recorded a new species of giant waterlily after first spotting the plant in an Instagram photo. Read more on E360 →

As of 11/8/26 2:26am. Last new 11/6/26 8:30am.