Permit

‘Flamingo Revolution’ aims to stop Kushner-backed resort on protected Albanian delta

VJOSA-NARTA, Albania — In late April, heavy machinery began moving into the Pishë Poro-Narta protected landscape on Albania’s Adriatic coast without permits or public notice. Bulldozers and excavators felled coastal pine trees, flattened sand dunes, and cut new roads through previously untouched habitat. Then, barbed wire fences went up along the shoreline. The incursion was […]

Mongabay · 6/12/2026

Report alleges élite ties behind logging permits in Cameroon’s Ebo Forest

A newly released report alleges that well-placed elites in Cameroon’s government are enabling a cluster of timber and agribusiness companies to log primary forest in the country. These companies include Sextransbois, which was awarded a controversial 68,000-hectare (168,000-acre) logging concession in the Ebo Forest in 2023. The report by Swiss-based advocacy group Global Initiative Against […]

Mongabay · 5/29/2026

Vermont becomes first US state to ban paraquat herbicide over Parkinson’s fears

Lawmakers cite studies linking weedkiller to Parkinson’s as pressure mounts for a wider US ban Vermont is the first US state to ban the weedkilling pesticide paraquat, backed by lawmakers who cited concerns about research showing the chemical substantially increases the risk of the incurable brain ailment known as Parkinson’s disease. Phil Scott, the governor, signed the legislation on Tuesday. The new law takes effect on 1 November, though it contains a provision allowing state regulators to issue special permits for paraquat use on fruit-producing tree orchards, berries and other “small fruit” crops up until 31 December 2030. Continue reading...

The Guardian Environment · 5/26/2026

Artisanal mines in Brazil a front for gold laundering, investigation shows

Nearly half of permitted small-scale gold mines in a corner of the Brazilian Amazon are likely fronts for laundering gold mined elsewhere, including protected areas and Indigenous territories, a new investigation suggests. Between 2022 and 2026, 263 of the 540 licensed artisanal mining operations in the Tapajós River Basin, or 49%, reported gold sales not […]

Mongabay · 5/21/2026

Trump called trophy hunting a “horror show,” but permitted 300-plus elephant trophy imports in 2025

The U.S. issued more than 300 elephant trophy import permits during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, according to records obtained by U.S.-based NGO the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). It’s the most ever issued on Trump’s watch in a year, and indicates that as many as 300 elephants were killed. Trophies […]

Mongabay · 5/18/2026

New Congo oil find highlights Africa’s energy paradox amid Hormuz crisis

On April 13, 2026, TotalEnergies EP Congo announced it had discovered hydrocarbons on the Moho permit, offshore of the Republic of Congo. The company estimates the find could amount to nearly 100 million barrels of recoverable resources, though observers warn that the windfall won’t likely reach many Congolese citizens, roughly a third of whom live […]

Mongabay · 5/11/2026