Spain becomes latest European nation to ban short-haul domestic flights
Back in November, the Spanish government proposed a ban on flights that take less than 2.5 hours by train. Confirmation that the law will come into effect soon signals a win for the environment – but is it too good to be true? In efforts to reduce its national carbon...
Current in Companies
Biden administration hit by lawsuits from green groups and Big Oil
Biden’s offshore drilling plan has sparked controversy, with both oil and gas companies and environmental groups voicing their concerns through lawsuits filed against the administration. Recently, two separate lawsuits were filed against the Biden administration at the same time over its five-year oil drilling plan in the Gulf of...
JP Morgan and State Street back out of largest climate investor group
Some $14 trillion of assets have up and left Climate Action 100+. Key corporate members JP Morgan and State Street have announced their resignation from the global investment group while BlackRock has significantly limited its involvement. Sigh. Climate adaptation costs could reportedly climb to $340 billion by 2030. Yet, a...
New report shows plastic companies knew recycling would be useless
Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental and public health issues of our time. A new investigation shows that the companies producing it knew all along that recycling programs would be pointless. For the last 50 years, we have been advised to recycle plastic waste whenever possible, yet a...
Activists urge UEFA to break up with airline sponsorships
As airline sponsorships become more intrinsically linked to European football, activists are urging clubs and governing bodies to break away from this ecologically damaging association. There’s rarely a quiet day at UEFA HQ, and Valentine’s Day brought forth a fresh batch of criticism to the association’s door. The Union of European...
Is Wall Street about to scupper the psychedelics industry?
Money is pouring into the burgeoning psychedelics industry and an influx of startups are racing to patent key ingredients found in ‘magic mushrooms.’ Wall Street is moving in to monopolise the sector. It’s becoming increasingly clear that mushrooms are good for more than just ayahuasca trips on university graduates’ gap...
What the Sephora cookie tells us about the productivity-pay gap
After the beauty retailer reached $10 billion in revenue this month, employees were gifted a ‘stale’ biscuit as thanks. Sephora – one of the leading beauty retailers in the world – made headlines last week after it amassed a staggering $10 billion in revenue. But the attention wasn’t for reasons it might have hoped; focus turned to the company’s employee gift, a single ‘stale’ cookie celebrating its latest margins. The...
Natural History Museum relaunches Generation Hope: Act for the Planet
Between 7-10 February, the NHM will be hosting a series of free events curated in partnership with scientists and young people from around the world to drive positive change for a global future. On a mission to ‘create advocates that are informed, confident, and motivated to make wise decisions, get involved, and use their influence and actions to drive positive change for the planet’s future,’ the Natural History Museum's annual...
Is burning trash really the lesser evil of waste management?
A significant number of trash incinerators are operating across the US. Proponents of this type of waste management proclaim it environmentally preferable to landfill, but how much of a lesser evil is it – if at all? A proverbial ‘steaming pile of garbage’ has no redeemable qualities, but there is a notable upside to be gleaned from real-life trash incineration. For well over a century now, parts of the US have...
Starbucks hit with lawsuit over false ‘ethical’ claims
Starbucks becomes the latest global corporation to be legally challenged for making unsubstantiated and completely false claims about its ‘ethically sourced’ products. The global coffee giant Starbucks is under fire from a U.S. consumer group, which alleges that the company's claims of ethically sourced coffee are deceptive and untrue. The National Consumers League filed legal action in court in Washington DC. It cited several media reports which detail human rights and...
