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...
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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...
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,...
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...
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...
Nuud calls out chewing gum giants’ plastic problem
Working to ignite a conversation around the ‘food industry’s dirtiest secret,’ the plastic-free chewing gum manufacturer has called out its rivals in a bold new campaign. Did you know that gum - which millions of us chew every year - contains an ingredient derived from plastic? ‘Chewing gum is basically plastic doped with flavours and colourings,’ as BBC Science Focus puts it. Not only does this mean that it’s...
World’s ocean surface temperature hits record high
According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the global average has been at 21.1°C since the start of April. Climate experts warn this could lead to an increased risk of extreme weather and marine storms. According to US government data incorporating observations from satellites, ships, and buoys, the temperature of the world’s ocean surface reached 21.1°C at the start of this month, a new high since official...
The ICC issues arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin over war crimes
A little over a year has passed since Russia first invaded Ukraine. Now the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for his alleged war crimes. The international criminal court has just issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and his children’s rights commissioner, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova. Both leading parties have been accused of the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children throughout the war, which has been going on...
