Author: OMN AI

Antarctica, long considered Earth’s last untouched wilderness, is facing growing pressures from tourism and scientific activity. Visitor numbers have jumped from fewer than 8,000 annually in the 1990s to over 124,000 in 2023–24, with projections suggesting up to 450,000 by 2034. In one season, 55 tour operators carried out nearly 570 voyages, with more than 80,000 people setting foot on the continent. Despite IAATO guidelines limiting shore landings and enforcing biosecurity checks, each tourist trip generates an average of 5.44 tonnes of CO₂, and the cumulative effect of visitors is leaving a tangible mark on the environment. Pollution, Melting Snow,…

Communities of color face the greatest health risks from fossil fuel emissions Air pollution from oil and gas operations contributes to more than 90,000 premature deaths each year in the United States and affects hundreds of thousands more, according to a new study. The research also highlights that communities of color experience the heaviest health impacts. The study estimates that over 10,000 pre-term births annually are linked to fine particulate matter from oil and gas. In addition, nitrogen dioxide emissions from the sector are connected to 216,000 new cases of childhood-onset asthma each year, and hazardous air pollutants are associated…

The Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) and enforcement agencies launched Ops Bersepadu Khazanah in 2019.Director-General Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim said the initiative has achieved major results in combating wildlife crime.By July, authorities seized wildlife assets worth over RM39.3 million and detained 1,089 people in 778 cases.The operation involves Perhilitan, police, Customs, Forestry, Immigration, state agencies, and wildlife NGOs. High-Risk Species and Illegal Pet Trade Abdul Kadir said poachers target Malayan tigers, leopards, sun bears, and elephants for tusks and high black-market value.Poachers also capture monkeys, white-rumped shamas, siamangs, and slow lorises to sell as exotic pets.He reminded citizens…

When floods strike, clear and fast warnings save lives. Too often, however, these crucial alerts fall short. Disaster experts explain what makes the difference. Lessons from Texas In South Bend, Texas, residents once marked flood levels on a concrete pillar. The visual warning reminded people that water had risen that high before. Disaster communications expert Keri Stephens recalls how powerful such reminders can be. She now notes that those watermarks have faded. Communities in Texas live under constant flood threat, worsened by climate change. When deadly flash floods struck the state in 2025, questions arose over whether alerts were good…

Negotiations to finalize the world’s first treaty on plastic pollution ended in failure on Friday in Geneva, Switzerland, as countries remained sharply divided over how to tackle the crisis. The summit, held at United Nations headquarters and attended by delegates from more than 180 nations, was originally scheduled to conclude Thursday after 10 days of intense discussions. Talks extended into overtime as participants were unable to break the deadlock. Disagreements Over Production Limits Over 100 countries called for legally binding caps on plastic production and stronger measures to address toxic chemicals in plastics. However, major oil and gas producers, including…

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife tried to trap a mother black bear named Hope and her cub, Bounce.Officials linked Hope to at least a dozen home break-ins last month.On Wednesday evening, wildlife officers announced they planned to kill the mother bear to protect the cub.Officials later reversed their decision and decided to pursue non-lethal measures. Community Intervenes Neighbors confronted state wildlife officers the following day, shouting for them to leave.Hope and Bounce climbed a tree while officials stood below, looking up at the bears.The department initially classified Hope as a dangerous animal after repeated home break-ins.Ann Bryant, executive…

After more than a decade of devastation, scientists have finally identified the culprit behind sea star wasting disease (SSWD), the epidemic that has killed an estimated five billion sunflower sea stars along the west coast of North America. The responsible agent is the bacterium Vibrio pectenicida, researchers confirmed in a study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. A Disease That Ravaged Oceans First detected in 2013, SSWD spreads quickly and causes sea stars to develop lesions before their tissues disintegrate entirely. More than 20 species have been affected, but sunflower sea stars (Pycnopodia helianthoides) — predators the size of bicycle…

Workers face growing risks from extreme heat as climate change drives more frequent heatwaves, warns a new report by the World Health Organization and the World Meteorological Organization. Millions of employees suffer from heat stress, which harms their health and reduces their performance. The report urges governments, employers, and workers to cooperate on adaptation strategies to protect vulnerable populations. Heat Stress at Work Poses Real Health Risks Although the WHO has repeatedly highlighted the health dangers of extreme heat, this is its first dedicated report on workplace heat stress since 1969. Rüdiger Krech, WHO director of environment, climate, and health,…

The illness nicknamed “sloth fever” is caused by the Oropouche virus (OROV), a mosquito-like virus transmitted mainly by the tiny biting midge Culicoides paraensis, also called “no-see-ums.” First identified in 1955 in the Amazon, it was largely confined to rainforest regions where midges spread the virus among primates, birds, and mammals like pale-throated sloths—hence the nickname. Until recently, Oropouche caused only a few hundred cases annually, but new strains emerged around 2023. These mutated versions appear better at infecting humans and evading prior immunity. Since then, the virus has spread far outside the Amazon, with 12,000 confirmed cases across 11…

Study Finds Limited Impact Legal wolf hunting in the western United States has had very little effect on reducing livestock losses, according to a new study led by the University of Michigan. Researchers analyzed data from Montana and Idaho—where public wolf hunts are allowed—and compared it with Oregon and Washington, where hunting remains prohibited. Hunting Does Not Significantly Reduce Predation Montana and Idaho began regulated wolf hunts in 2009, aiming to reduce conflicts between wolves and ranchers. Officials assumed that lowering wolf populations would lead to fewer cattle and sheep deaths. However, the study found that removing a single wolf…