DeForest

Critics say Google's former motto "Don't be evil" has effectively become "Don't be good," pointing to the company's data center operations in Finland and their environmental impact on local forests. The discussion links Big Tech's rapid AI-driven infrastructure expansion to deforestation concerns, arguing that corporate environmental commitments are being undermined by the growing energy and land demands of data centers.

The IUCN warns that ongoing fires in Indonesia are threatening the habitat of a critically endangered orangutan species, with burning forest destroying what remains of its already limited range. Conservationists say the blazes add to pressure from deforestation and palm oil expansion, and are urging stronger protection and firefighting measures before the species' population declines further.

Bears are leaving damaged forest habitats because wildfires and heavy logging have destroyed large parts of their range, leaving them with nowhere to live and nothing to eat. Commenters point to deforestation for export, citing claims that Russia has sold roughly $2 billion worth of timber to China since the start of 2026, driving habitat loss and pushing animals toward populated areas.

Environmental critics are highlighting claims that large-scale industrial operations, widely believed to be data centres powering AI, consume over two million litres of water per day, release PFAS 'forever chemicals', generate significant heat, and drive deforestation and habitat loss leading to species extinction. The complaints frame these costs as an unacceptable price for the technology the facilities enable.

Critics are challenging whether so-called sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is genuinely a climate solution, arguing that links to palm oil production drive deforestation and amount to greenwashing. The claims are circulating alongside an Open Democracy article, with campaigners urging a boycott of palm oil and calling the aviation industry's fuel promises a deceptive marketing exercise.

Commentators are warning that Brazil's election results put the Amazon Rainforest and Indigenous peoples at greater risk. Allies of former president Jair Bolsonaro won or gained ground in seven of the nine states that make up the Amazon biome, where deforestation reportedly rose 59% during his previous four years in office. Critics say the outcome will make protecting the forest far harder under the incoming Lula government.

The United Nations has warned that the window to restore the world's forests is narrowing, according to the Guardian's report. The warning ties forest restoration to climate change, biodiversity loss and food security, with commenters online stressing that deforestation is man-made and that delays will make recovery harder. The message is that urgent action is still possible but the opportunity is shrinking.

Palm oil campaigners are urging consumers to boycott snack products from big brands including Mars, Kellogg's and Nestlé, arguing that the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil's certification does not actually prevent deforestation. The campaign calls RSPO-certified palm oil the 'biggest lie you were never told' and encourages shoppers to choose palm-oil-free snack foods instead, renewing criticism of the industry's sustainability standards.

Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, is making gains in Brazil's elections, in a setback for climate campaigners. Commentators are questioning why President Lula's widely praised success in curbing Amazon deforestation has not translated into electoral support, raising concerns about the political prospects of Brazil's environmental agenda.

Campaigners claim that major companies including Nestle, Cargill and Wilmar purchase palm oil certified as sustainable despite it being linked to human rights abuses and deforestation in Guatemala. The allegations are part of an effort to expose greenwashing in the palm oil industry and are driving calls for a boycott of palm oil products.

The Batagaika crater in Siberia, near the village of Batagay in Russia's Sakha Republic, is the largest known permafrost collapse on Earth. The thawing megaslump, worsened by deforestation and climate change, releases stored carbon dioxide and methane as the frozen ground melts. Posts highlighting the crater are drawing attention to the pace of permafrost degradation and its greenhouse gas implications.

Commentators in Brazil are warning that if Jair Bolsonaro returns to power, his son could first pardon the former president, who they say is rightly imprisoned. Beyond that, they argue another Bolsonaro government would be catastrophic for the Amazon rainforest, with environmental protections stripped away and deforestation allowed to surge, potentially sealing the forest's fate.

An EarthTalk column warns that the Amazon rainforest is gradually turning into barren land, citing ongoing deforestation and degradation that could push parts of the region toward permanent loss of forest cover. The piece argues that continued clearing for agriculture and development is eroding the ecosystem's ability to sustain itself, raising concern among environmental advocates.

A new report warns that expanding palm oil production in Indonesia would have devastating consequences for the global climate, driving deforestation, air pollution, and animal and plant extinctions. Environmental campaigners are sharing the findings widely and urging consumers to act, calling on shoppers to boycott products containing palm oil through initiatives like Boycott4Wildlife.

Google is facing accusations that it illegally destroyed a large area of forest to make way for a new data center project. Critics point to the project as an example of the environmental cost of the rapid expansion of data center infrastructure to support artificial intelligence, with concerns over deforestation and whether the company followed proper legal procedures for land clearance.

Policy analyst Suman Sahai highlights a 98% shortfall in India's Green Mission targets alongside ongoing deforestation, arguing the gap leaves the country badly exposed as climate change impacts intensify. The commentary, published in national outlets, questions the government's afforestation commitments and the credibility of its climate mitigation claims given the widening gap between goals and delivery.