JAKARTA Funds from illegal logging, mining and fishing are flowing into election campaigns in Indonesia, authorities have revealed. The announcement by the national anti-money-laundering watchdog, known as the PPATK, during a parliamentary hearing comes less than a year before the country is scheduled to hold legislative and presidential elections. PPATK head Ivan Yustiavandana said his agency had found indications that candidates in the 2014 and 2019 elections used money raised from the illegal extraction of natural resources to fund their campaigns. He did not identify the candidates, including whether they ran in the legislative or presidential elections those years. We cant disclose the amount here, but its huge, Ivan told lawmakers in Jakarta on Feb. 14. The original crime itself is trillions of rupiah [in amount], because its related to many crimes that are linked to natural resources, and this money goes into certain individuals who we suspect as political persons. Official data show that illegal logging costs the country 35 trillion rupiah ($2.3 billion) in state losses each year, while illegal mining results in 3.6 trillion rupiah ($233 million) in state losses. Ivan said the PPATK is working together with the countrys General Elections Commission, or KPU, and the Elections Supervisory Agency, or Bawaslu, in investigating the flow of money. Responding to the findings, lawmaker Arsul Sani from the PPP party called on the PPATK to provide a detailed report on its findings, including identifying the parties that benefited from these funds. This could then form the basisThis article was originally published on Mongabay

Carbon offset certifier Verra has suspended issuance of credits from an award-winning project in Kenya, Mongabay has learned, after serious questions were raised about its validation and methodology. Indigenous rights advocacy group Survival International released a report March 16 saying that the offset, called the Northern Kenya Grassland Carbon Project, cant accurately count its carbon savings and is altering long-standing Indigenous livestock grazing practices. In a statement emailed to Mongabay, the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), a Kenya-based conservation group that manages the offset, criticized the Survival International report, saying it uses scant cherry-picked evidence to question an exceptionally complex and detailed model. The project, which claims to increase carbon storage in the soil of northern Kenyas savanna grasslands by managing the grazing patterns of livestock herds, has been a darling of offset supporters since it began generating credits for carbon markets in 2021. At last years COP27 climate conference, it was awarded the prestigious Triple Gold distinction by the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance; in his speech to conference attendees, Kenyan President William Ruto called it exemplary. But Survival Internationals investigation found that third-party validators hired to assess the project had raised more than 100 findings a euphemism for concerns in the review process before Verra ultimately decided to verify the carbon credits it generated. An Indigenous Borana herder at the Biliqo Bulesa Conservancy in northern Kenya. Biliqo Bulesa is one of the conservancies participating in the offset. Image by NRC/Raimond Duijsens via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0). EarlierThis article was originally published on Mongabay

DHAKA Bangladesh has recently achieved remarkable success in freshwater fish production due to its fast-growing aquaculture, securing third place in global freshwater fish farming. The country produced more than 1.25 million metric tons of freshwater fish in 2020 while it was only 440,000 metric tons in 1980, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organizations 2022 report on global fisheries and aquaculture. To increase fish production to meet the protein demand of its growing population, Bangladesh has been using antibiotics and pesticides in fish culture and applying hormones in artificial fish breeding, which makes its food safety questionable. Bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic diseases often hit aquaculture production in Bangladesh and that is why fish farmers regularly use aqua-chemicals like antibiotics and pesticides to cut disease burden in fish farming. A woman feeding fish at her pond in Jessore, Bangladesh. Photo by Yousuf Tushar / WorldFish Via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0). The aqua-chemicals are mainly applied to prevent and treat bacterial, fungal and parasitic diseases. Those are also used to improve water quality and increase the productivity of fish culture ponds or act as growth promoters. Despite contributing to the growth and development of the aquaculture sector, the use of these chemicals has been criticized for the potential adverse impacts on the environment and human health as well. A 2021 survey, conducted via face-to-face interviews with fish farmers in Rajshahi district of Bangladesh, found that farmers used nine active antibiotic ingredients in finfish rearing. However, most of theThis article was originally published on Mongabay

Chile has a new marine protected area (MPA) in Patagonia that will safeguard an important feeding and breeding area for blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), a species listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The countrys Council of Ministers for Sustainability approved the Tic-Toc Golfo Corcovado Marine Park in Northern Patagonia in December 2021. The new MPA finally came to fruition in July 2022, after more than two decades of conservation efforts spearheaded by scientists and conservationists, when the Chilean government issued a decree officially establishing it. Located south of the island of Chilo in the Gulf of Corcovado, the MPA spans 100,000 hectares (247,100 acres). The area is frequented not only by blue whales, but also by humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis), at least two species of dolphin, including Peales (Lagenorhynchus australis) and Chilean (Cephalorhynchus eutropia), the South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens) and colonies of penguins. It is also visited by the black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris), the southern royal albatross (Diomedea epomophora) and the sooty shearwater (Ardenna grisea) all birds that feature in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Whales under siege A few years ago, scientists confirmed that Chilean Northern Patagonia is the most important feeding and breeding area for the Eastern South Pacific population of blue whales during the austral summer. This would turn out to be a key discovery in protecting this globally unique blue whale population, which is now composed of just a few hundredThis article was originally published on Mongabay

KATHMANDU  The South Col in the Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) region faces blasts of unrelenting winds that sweep away almost everything in their path, including snow. Located nearly 8,000 meters (26,000 feet) above sea level, the southeastern ridge of this desolate terrain is where mountaineers heading to worlds tallest peak make their final camp. A recent study published in the journal Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, shows that even the winds havent swept away a trail of tough microbes that can survive the harsh conditions on the Roof of the World for decades, if not centuries, left behind by mountaineers in the area. Some of the microbes we found were possibly transported by humans when they sneeze or cough, said Steve Schmidt, co-author on the paper and professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. The concern, with all the pollution thats going on Everest, is that these microbes arent going to go away, he told Mongabay, adding that he himself didnt go to Sagarmatha to collect soil samples there. Through his previous work, Schmidt had established ties with researchers on their way to Sagarmatha to set up the worlds highest weather station on South Col in May 2019 as part of the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition (April to May 2019).  He requested collections of soil samples, to which Baker Perry, co-author and professor of geography at Appalachian State University, obliged. As part of the study, three surface sediment samples from the South Col were collected by members ofThis article was originally published on Mongabay

Humans must make deep, rapid, and sustained cuts to greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst effects of climate change, according to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCCs March 20 assessment warns that the 2020s will be perhaps the last chance to keep the global rise in temperature within 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels. (The current global temperature is 1.1 C, or 2 F, warmer than in the mid-19th century.) Researchers say halting global warming at this level provides the best chance for staving off its worst potential impacts, including extreme storms, droughts and sea-level rise. And yet greenhouse gas emissions have continued to tick upward. The report and many observers highlights the conclusion that fossil fuel use must end as soon as possible. Fossil fuel producers and their financiers must understand one simple truth: Pursuing mega-profits when so many people are losing their lives and rights, now and in the future, is totally unacceptable, U.N. Secretary-General Antnio Guterres told the Human Rights Council in February. Unless humanity kicks its addiction to fossil fuels now, critical climate tipping points will crush the human rights of generations to come. The IPCC report calls for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and notes the drastic cost reductions in renewable energy that could facilitate that transition. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay. This publication is the sixth synthesis report, which IPCC produces every six to seven years. The authorsThis article was originally published on Mongabay

As climate change has escalated over the decades, the demand for efficient liquid biofuels, especially to power the transportation sector, has grown more urgent, placing increased pressure on fragile ecosystems, even leading to outright bans. Three generations of biofuels have been explored with corn, soy, palm oil, grasses, algae and many other organic sources tried but with most failing to fully live up to their promise. Still, biofuels remain a go-to climate solution for policymakers who view them as a green, carbon-cutting transition route to wean the world off fossil fuels. Globally, investment in liquid biofuels hovered around $4 billion over the past decade, doubling in 2021 to more than $8 billion, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), and more is needed to unlock the potential of advanced biofuels, it states. Over the years, a range of government policies has subsidized or supported the industry to the tune of billions of dollars in some cases. Recently, the U.S. governments Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge, for example, pledged around $4.3 billion to support research and help fuel producers develop clean biofuels. Despite these efforts, three stumbling blocks have kept some biofuels from going mainstream and others mired in controversy: thorny technological problems, the inability to achieve cost-efficient upscaling, and environmental harm (ranging from deforestation to pollution). An ethanol production plant in Indiana, U.S. Debate over whether biofuels truly provide climate benefits continues, with various studies achieving contradictory results. Image by cassini83 via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain). A studyThis article was originally published on Mongabay

Sudan, a 45-year-old rhino believed to be the worlds last surviving male northern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum cottoni), died five years ago at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya on March 19, 2018. He had been battling ill health for months, and after his condition worsened considerably, veterinarians decided to euthanize him. Since then, an international consortium of scientists and conservationists known as the BioRescue Project a consortium made up of Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) in Germany; Safari Park Dvr Krlov in the Czech Republic; the Kenya Wildlife Service; and Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya have been working to bring the species back from extinction through in vitro fertilization and stem cell research. They have already created 24 viable embryos using eggs from the last two female white rhinos that are still alive, and the frozen sperm of deceased male northern white rhinos like Sudan. To mark the occasion, photographer Ami Vitale has released a new short film, Remembering Sudan, which will be screened at upcoming film festivals and can be viewed online, heres the trailer: Though the northern white rhino is functionally extinct following the loss of the last male of the species, conservationists like Vitale find great hope in BioRescue, and in the power of humanity to react positively: What happens next is in all of our hands, Vitale told Mongabay by email when reflecting on the anniversary. Whats going to save us all is to get beyond our routine ways of thinking.This article was originally published on Mongabay

A recently opened salmon processing plant in southern Chile is raising concerns about whether environmental regulations were properly carried out to prevent contamination of marine ecosystems and clean drinking water. The Dumestre salmon plant near the city of Puerto Natales is receiving backlash from conservationists and residents who say the facility is at risk of dumping waste in the fjords and channels of southern Chile. Some residents, including Indigenous Kawesqar, also complain that the plant made an aggressive push into the area without properly consulting them. This plant just crowns the salmon industry as a powerful invader of Patagonia, said Loreto Vsquez Salvador, of the ltima Esperanza Citizen Association, an activist group that has been fighting the plant. Aquaculture (the farming or cultivation of freshwater and marine species) has become a growing environmental concern over recent decades as Chile climbs the list of the worlds largest producers of salmon and trout. Many aquaculture methods have been known to deplete oxygen in the water, killing off coral reefs and compromising other fish populations with antibiotics. The Dumestre plant, operated by Australis Seafoods, started construction in 2019 and opened last December following years of protests from locals even after they were promised hundreds of local jobs. The Dumestre salmon plant near the city of Puerto Natales. (Photo via Agrupacin Ciudadana de ltima Esperanza) With the ability to process over 70,000 tons of salmon per year, the Dumestre operation needs around 350 ships to travel through the Seoret canal per year, accordingThis article was originally published on Mongabay

Growing up in Gllivare/ Vhtjer, a Swedish village in Spmi, north of the Arctic Circle, the threats facing Smi people were a daily reality. We are Europes only Indigenous people, but colonialism means our territory, Spmi, is split across four countries: Sweden, Finland, Norway and Russia. But across these national borders, the same pressures bear down on us, from mining to forestry and wind farms. Fish drying outside a Smi cabin. Image by Jan-Eerik Paadar / Smediggi Saamelaiskrjt (the Smi Parliament) via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0). For outsiders commercial gain, our land has been seized, our people displaced, and the reindeer herding thats been the foundation of our lives for millennia, eroded. Adjacent to my village is Malmberget, a scene of deep mine iron ore extraction, and a little over 100 kilometers away is Kiruna, the worlds largest underground iron mine. Both are owned by Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (LKAB), the 100% state-owned Swedish mining company. Kiruna is one of the nine out of 12 mines in the north of Sweden which are on Smi land. These mines as well as the infrastructure accompanying them have caused pollution, devastated ecosystems, poisoned the lichen that our reindeer survive on, and  taken away our reindeer grazing areas. A Smi herd of reindeer in Finland. Image by Smediggi Saamelaiskrjt (the Smi parliament) via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0). More mining Now a new danger has emerged. European Union policymakers want to secure the critical raw materials which its Member States need for the green energyThis article was originally published on Mongabay

Bearded pigs play a prominent role in the lives of many people living on the island of Borneo. For some ethnic groups, theyre a hunters most-prized quarry, providing an important source of protein, and a shared pig is often a central part of community celebrations. Now, a recent study provides quantitative evidence for the first time that Bornean bearded pigs (Sus barbatus) can persist even in areas where theyre highly sought-after by local Indigenous groups. For thousands of years, the bearded pig has been hunted, said David Kurz, a conservation scientist and postdoctoral fellow at Trinity College in the U.S. and the lead author of the study published Feb. 17 in the journal npj Biodiversity. We know that from archaeological evidence. Prior research has also shown that hunting affects the movements of bearded pigs and the areas they frequent. Kurz and his colleagues wanted to know whether the pigs presence could be tied to specific social and cultural factors in the areas where they occur. Bearded pigs (Sus barbatus) play a prominent role in the lives of many people living on the island of Borneo. Scientists have found evidence that its been hunted for thousands of years. Image courtesy of Mike Prince via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0). Bearded pigs (Sus barbatus) play a prominent role in the lives of many people living on the island of Borneo. Scientists have found evidence that its been hunted for thousands of years. Image courtesy of Jessica Suarez. The team began with cameraThis article was originally published on Mongabay

Reverse logistics, a principle introduced in Brazil in 2010 in the Brazilian governments National Policy for Solid Waste (PNRS), is an approach that seeks to minimize levels of waste generated after the consumption or at the end of the life cycle of consumer products, such as electronics, light bulbs, tires and packaging in general. Its meant to be an all-of-society responsibility, especially for the private sector, to ensure that waste material is recycled or processed in some other environmentally appropriate way. Reverse logistics was created in order to make the producer responsible for dealing with the environmental impact generated by the products it produces at the end of the production chain, says Jacqueline Rutkowski, a researcher in the field of waste management and member of the Observatory for Inclusive and Solidarity Recycling. Regulations and reverse logistics targets exist for every type of waste, which much be met by the private sector, including manufacturers, importers, distributors and traders. For general packaging, for example, the current target requires companies to recycle 22% of the volume of packaging placed on the market each year. To make it easier for the private sector to comply, the government in April 2022 created the Recicla+ program, along with the Recycling Credit Certificate. However, the new administration, which took office at the start of 2023, has moved to revoke these policies and launched a new program this past February under the name Reverse Logistics Recycling Credit Certificate (CCRRL). Under the new scheme, each metric ton of recycledThis article was originally published on Mongabay