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BEIJING — River systems worldwide are sweeping roughly 263,000 metric tons of microplastics into the oceans every year a far greater discharge than previously understood according to new research published in Science. The findings led by Hehao Qin of Peking University, resolve long standing discrepancies in global plastic estimates. Previous computer models generated wild variations ranging from 6,100 to 2.31 million metric tons annually due to a lack of field data, inconsistent net sizes during sampling, and static modeling that ignored sudden weather events. Standardizing the Global Flow To correct these blind spots, the international team built a daily tracking model trained on 1,386 real world microplastic measurements from rivers across the globe. By applying mathematical adj...

Nairobi Flyways Declaration calls for coordinated conservation efforts across countries and continents as threats to migratory birds intensify. Nearly half of the world’s migratory bird species are declining in number, while one in nine faces the threat of extinction, according to the latest State of the World’s Birds report released by BirdLife International. The report, launched on September 11 at the Global Flyways Summit in Nairobi, warns of accelerating losses among migratory birds but also points to evidence that coordinated conservation action across borders can reverse population declines. According to the report, 45 per cent of migratory bird species are in decline while one in nine is threatened with extinction. The latest edition of the report is the first to focus spec...

  New Delhi clears electricity exports to Nepal for 18 hours a day until December 31 amid severe disruption to hydropower infrastructure. India has approved expedited electricity exports to Nepal following devastating floods that damaged hydropower infrastructure and caused widespread destruction across the Himalayan country. The Ministry of Power has authorised electricity exports to Nepal for 18 hours a day from September 13 through December 31, 2026, enabling Kathmandu to meet its power requirements as it recovers from the disaster. “The approval will help Nepal meet its power requirements during this difficult period and further strengthen the close and longstanding energy cooperation between India and Nepal,” the Ministry of Power said. The ministry also said the quan...

Deep inside a limestone mountain in central Vietnam lies an underground landscape unlike almost any other on Earth. Hang Son Doong, regarded as the world’s largest known single cave passage, is so vast that sunlight enters through collapsed sections of its roof, supporting a forest beneath the surface. The cave stretches for at least 4 miles (6.5 kilometres), with chambers reaching approximately 655 feet (200 metres) in height and 490 feet (150 metres) in width. Its enormous scale has transformed the idea of what a cave can be from a dark, confined tunnel into a landscape containing forests, rivers, mist and wildlife. Son Doong is located within Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam’s Quang Binh province. A Cave Large Enough to Contain a Forest Two major collapses in the c...

Scientists have discovered that marine bacteria can work together to break down fucoidan, a complex carbohydrate produced by brown algae and diatoms that plays an important role in the ocean’s carbon cycle. The study shows that no single bacterial species is capable of completely degrading the molecule. Instead, different bacteria divide the task according to their specialised abilities, collectively making the breakdown process far more efficient. Fucoidan forms part of the protective outer structures of algae and has a highly complicated chemical architecture, containing numerous sugar linkages and branching patterns. Its resistance to microbial decomposition allows some of it to sink into deeper ocean waters, carrying carbon with it and potentially contributing to long-term carbon...

NEW DELHI — India’s southwest monsoon is showing early signs of withdrawal from parts of northwest India, though widespread heavy rainfall, severe thunderstorms, and gusty winds continue to sweep across multiple states, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Favorable conditions for the monsoon's official retreat from parts of Rajasthan are expected to take shape around September 19. Despite the seasonal transition, active weather systems including a low pressure area over southwest Rajasthan and adjoining regions continue to drive unsettled conditions across the subcontinent. Regional Breakdown & Meteorological Impact Yellow Alerts Issued IMD has put regions including Haryana, Punjab, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and parts of Karna...

  New management plan allows limited catch increases but mandates automatic reductions if the population declines again Countries managing tuna fisheries in the Eastern Pacific Ocean have agreed on a long term harvest strategy for Pacific bluefin tuna, a species that has made a substantial recovery after decades of overfishing. The agreement was reached at the 104th meeting of the Inter American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) held in Lisbon, Portugal, from August 31 to September 4. The commission manages tuna and other fish stocks and associated ecosystems across the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The new strategy establishes science-based rules aimed at completing the recovery of Pacific bluefin tuna and maintaining the population over the long term. It also allows for modest i...

OpenAI chief Sam Altman has indicated that the company may delay its much anticipated initial public offering beyond 2026 saying the current environment around artificial intelligence safety makes this an unsuitable time to go public. Altman also backed calls for the AI industry to slow the pace of frontier AI development until stronger safeguards are in place. Speaking in an interview with Fortune, Altman said OpenAI did not feel pressure to pursue an IPO immediately and suggested that going public in 2026 would be ill-advised given the safety challenges facing increasingly powerful AI systems. “I actually think that, given everything happening with safety, right now would be an ill-advised moment to go public, and we don't feel pressure on that,” Altman said. He added that th...

A 71 acre degraded Himalayan slope in Almora, Uttarakhand, has been transformed over three decades into a biodiversity rich landscape supporting 125 woody species, more than 160 bird species and over 100 butterfly species. The restoration project, known as Surya-Kunj, began in 1992 at the G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment. At the time, the site was a degraded stretch of gentle slopes with only a small number of Pinus roxburghii trees and shrubs. A study published in 2025 in Frontiers in Conservation Science documented the ecological recovery of the site. It recorded 88 successfully established plant species and found that most of the planted tree species were showing healthy natural regeneration through seedlings and saplings. The site covers around 28.73 hecta...

Surya-Kunj restoration model in Uttarakhand shows how native plantations, soil and water conservation and community participation can revive degraded landscapes A degraded Himalayan slope in Almora, Uttarakhand, has been transformed over three decades into a biodiversity rich landscape supporting 88 established plant species, more than 160 bird species and over 100 butterfly species, demonstrating the long-term potential of ecological restoration. The restoration project, known as the Surya-Kunj model began in 1992 at the G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment. A 2025 study published in Frontiers in Conservation Science documented the ecological changes at the 71-acre site and found widespread natural regeneration of trees and other vegetation. Researchers initially...