Intensive farming is the primary driver of bird decline in Europe
New research has identified the use of pesticides and fertilisers in agriculture as the leading cause behind the continent’s dwindling avifauna populations. According to more than 50 researchers who analysed data collected by thousands of scientists in 28 countries over nearly four decades, intensive farming is the primary driver of...
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GaeaStar’s new coffee cups are made using only clay
San Francisco and Germany-based startup GaeaStar has developed a new disposable coffee cup made from clay. It can be thrown on the ground and discarded with no negative effect on the environment. Most of the time, throwing used coffee cups on the ground and walking away is selfish, lazy,...
What legalisation of NARCAN says about America’s drug laws
Overdose antidote NARCAN has officially been legalised for sale without prescription. It’s a significant step for a country long suffering from an opioid epidemic.
Toward the end of 2022, rumours began circling that the FDA was planning to legalise NARCAN, a drug found to reverse the effects of opioid overdose.
Climate change exacerbating damage caused by crop-destroying fungi
Scientists have warned that fast-rising fungal attacks on the world’s most important crops threaten the planet’s future food supply and that failure to tackle this could lead to a ‘global health catastrophe.’ An ‘unprecedented’ spread of a fungus infecting wheat across the globe has prompted scientists to call for greater...
Climate change risks to public health will be highlighted at COP28
The next UN climate summit will be the first to consider health issues in depth, with a meeting of global health ministers to underline the crisis’ impact on wellbeing. Every year, global leaders join forces at the UN climate summit to discuss the most concerning issues relating to our ecological...
Researchers suggest council tax discount for those who garden sustainably
Experts from the University of Sheffield say that British homeowners should be given financial incentives to preserve green spaces as it would be more beneficial to wildlife and the environment. UK scientists have recommended that eco-friendly gardeners should be given a cut in their council tax, following new research uncovering...
Air pollution causes premature death of 1,200 young Europeans annually
According to the EEA’s latest assessment, dirty air kills well over a thousand under 18s across the continent every year and significantly increases the risk of disease later in life. Despite improvements in recent years, ‘the level of key air pollutants in many European countries remains stubbornly above World Health Organisation’ guidelines. This is according to the European Environmental Agency, which assessed over 30 nations across the continent,...
Cyclone Freddy causes havoc in Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar
Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar experienced heavy rains from early February to mid-March caused by Cyclone Freddy killing close to 600 people, and leaving more than 500,000 displaced. According to UNICEF, more than half of the affected population are children. At the beginning of this year, Cyclone Lindiwe struck Malawi, Mozambique, and parts of Southern Africa, unleashing heavy rains and strong winds. The cyclone left a trail of destruction, resulting in widespread...
Unpacking the ongoing protests in France
After two months of peaceful demonstrations sparked by a proposed pension reform in France, the message is clear: President Macron remains unmoved by his citizens’ clear opposition to the policy. As frustration increases without any sign of a U-turn, the national mood has started to turn sour. Protests. They’re the vehicle for French citizens to ensure democracy continues to work in their favour. That sentiment continues to hold true, with...
This volcanic microbe could be the next frontier in carbon capture tech
Scientists have recently discovered an organism in hot springs that eats CO2 ‘astonishingly quickly.’ They hope to utilise it as an efficient means of removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. When it comes to the most efficient ecosystems for carbon capture, mangroves, the Amazon rainforest, and peat swamps are what tends to spring to mind. Scientists, however, have recently discovered a volcanic microbe that could...
