When a new orangutan species was found near a Chinese-owned hydrodam in Indonesia, scientists and advocates launched a campaign to block the project. Then some who spoke against it lost their jobs and ability to work in the area—and, in the case of one activist, his life.By Nicholas KusnetzPlanet China: Fourth in a series about how Beijing’s trillion-dollar development plan is reshaping the globe—and the natural world.
Observations from the Little Bunker
Last updated: August 18, 2025 04:13 PM
Atmospheric CO₂
425.4 ppm
+18.4
ppm/year
Atmospheric CH₄
1934.91 ppb
+9.11
ppb/year
Global Temperature
+1.48 °C
Peak: +1.73°C
World Population
8.1 billion
+67
million/year