The sunny Danish island that's a poster child for the good life
| | SAMSO, Denmark, 12 May 2026 (Guardian) - The island of Samsø lies off the coast of the Jutland peninsula, an hour’s ferry ride from Aarhus, and is something of a poster child for sustainability and the good life, being known as “Denmark’s vegetable garden” because of its fertile soil and beneficial climate. It’s been energy-positive since 2007, thanks to community buy-in to initiatives including windfarm ownership and biomass heating systems powered by agricultural waste. The aim is to be completely fossil fuel-free by 2030 – two decades ahead of Denmark’s goal of carbon-neutrality by 2050. |
The global sand crisis: it's being used up faster than it can be replaced
| | LONDON, UK, 12 May 2026 (Guardian) - Malé is one of the world’s most overcrowded cities, but it faces double pressure. As well as a growing population, the capital of the Maldives is also threatened by rising sea levels. Owing to climate breakdown, its living space is shrinking. So the justification for a land reclamation project seemed clear. Take sand from elsewhere in the archipelago and use it to build up the land available for Malé’s people. What could go wrong? After all, it’s only sand, right? |
Sicily police investigate illegal race with horse-drawn carts
| | PALERMO, Sicily, 12 May 2026 (Guardian) - A video showing an illegal horse race in Sicily, with spectators firing pistols into the air and brandishing Kalashnikov rifles, has prompted a police investigation that has led to the seizure of the animals. |
50-year study delivers 'chilling' verdict on deep sea mining risks
| | RAROTONGA, Cook Islands, 12 May 2026 (CIN) - A major review of 50 years of data warning that deep-sea mining could cause long-lasting damage to Pacific marine ecosystems has reinforced the Cook Islands’ cautious approach to seabed minerals exploration, according to Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) Commissioner Beverly Stacey Ataera. |
Why is the US so obsessed with controlling Cuba?
| | MELBOURNE, Australia, 12 May 2026 (Conversation) - For months, Donald Trump has been fixated on Cuba. He’s issued threats and imposed additional sanctions on the island. The US military has conducted dozens of intelligence-gathering flights off the coast in recent weeks, suggesting a prelude to an invasion. The Cuban government has indicated a readiness to negotiate with the Trump administration on some issues, such as migration, drug trafficking and investment openings for Cuban-Americans. But Cuba’s sovereignty is not negotiable. |
The Bahamas goes to polls in three-way battle
| | NASSAU, Bahamas, 12 May 2026 (Guardian) - Voters in the Bahamas head to the polls on Tuesday in a hotly contested general election featuring high-profile candidates such as the former basketball champion Rick Fox. Voters in the Caribbean archipelago are divided over concerns about immigration, especially from neighbouring Haiti, and the rising cost of living, with significant spikes in gas prices caused by war in the Middle East. |
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IWRA |
 | | 1st Islands Water Congress 4-6 Sept, 2024, Torshavn, Faroe Islands |
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ANATOMY OF ISLANDS |
| | 12th Anatomy of Islands symposium 26-28 Sept, 2024, Jelsa, Hvar Island, Croatia |
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CIS |
| | Critical Island Studies 4th international conference 3-4 Oct, 2024, Manila, Philippines |
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CBD |
| | COP16 21 Oct-1 Nov, 2024, Cali, Colombia |
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UNFCCC |
| | COP29 11-22 November, 2024, Baku, Azerbaijan |
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ISLAND DYNAMICS |
| | DARKNESS II conference, 20-23 January 2025, Nuuk, Greenland |
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JICAS |
| | Islands And Island Studies conference 3-7 June, 2025, Jersey, Channel Islands |
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UNITED NATIONS |
| | UN Ocean Conference 9-13 June, 2025, Nice, France |
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UPEI |
| | 3rd international conference on SIS and SNIJs 16-20 June, 2025, Charlottetown, PEI |
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GSIS |
| | Global Sustainable Islands Summit 20-22 April, 2026, Gran Canaria, Spain |
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SICRI |
| | Island Studies International Conference 25-28 June, 2026, Tacloban City, Leyte Islands, Philippines |
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ISISA |
| | 20th Islands of the World Conference 7-11 July 2026, Shinan County, Jeollanam-do, South Korea |
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SPREP |
| | 11th Pacific Islands Conference for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, 7–11 September 2026, Noumea, New Caledonia |
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