Starbucks to phase out its disposable cups entirely by 2025
For better or worse, Starbucks has transformed coffee culture forever. Its logo is instantly recognisable globally, but at the cost of becoming a ‘ubiquitous’ symbol of single-use waste. The enterprise is now aiming to phase out its disposable cups entirely by 2025. If you’re feeling a twinge of guilt for...
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Heatwaves at both Earth’s poles alarm climate researchers
Over the weekend, temperatures at both the Earth’s poles soared to between 30C and 40C higher than expected levels. If this becomes the norm, researchers are seriously concerned about an abrupt climate breakdown. At this time of year, the Antarctic should be rapidly cooling after its summer while the Arctic...
Understanding the Nigerian child soldier crisis
WARNING: This article discusses acts of violence and sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised. The Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) is fighting militia groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), who recruit child soldiers in Nigeria. Late last month, a disturbing video was...
Lax US gun laws are massively impacting its island territories
Mainland gun laws are seriously impacting offshore US territories, particularly Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. In both, homicide rates are astronomically high and growing, and the majority of cases are traced back to firearms trafficked from states like Florida and Texas. Despite having relatively strict firearm laws, US territories...
Could privatising the moon be the next human space venture?
A UK-based think tank wants to solve poverty on Earth by privatising the moon. Just in case anyone felt like we didn’t have the resources to deal with problems on Earth, economists are now suggesting that the moon could be of help. A British, neoliberal think-tank called The Adam Smith Institute...
Major shipping routes could be changed to protect blue whales
Off the coast of Sri Lanka, a unique pod of blue whales circulate the waters all year round. Environmentalists are calling for shipping routes to be adjusted to keep them safe. In 2008, a unique and endangered pod of whales was discovered in the Indian Ocean. Most blue whales typically migrate...
Part 1: Cities in the US are taking big oil to court
Coal, oil, and gas are responsible for 86% of human-caused carbon dioxide emissions in the past 10 years. Will these companies be held accountable? The city of Baltimore recently won a landmark case against some of the world’s biggest oil and gas companies, attempting to hold them accountable for their role in climate change. The court’s decision is expected to have a substantial ripple effect on similar lawsuits filed by...
Polish volunteers risk their lives to rescue animals from Ukraine
Various grassroots organisations have been sending their staff on potentially life-threatening trips across the border to save the pets of those forced to abandon them when fleeing the war zone. Months into Russia’s slow-moving buildup along the Ukrainian border, Putin announced that he was launching a ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine. This was followed up by reports of explosions around cities, including the capital of Kyiv, a dramatic escalation that’s now...
ClientEarth goes after Shell executives directly with lawsuit
It’s been less than a year since gas giant Shell lost a landmark climate case in the Netherlands, and it’s once again facing serious legal action. This time, however, its company executives are being directly confronted, not the conglomerate. A change of tact is clearly required to get fossil fuel companies to listen. While hidden behind the guise of sprawling multinationals, what better way to remind executives of their personal...
Protests erupt in Brazil over Bolsonaro’s anti-environment bills
Thousands of demonstrators have gathered in the country’s capital to oppose what activists call a ‘death combo’ of five ecocidal proposals being considered by congress. With Brazil the world’s biodiversity champion, you’d assume its leaders would be at the forefront of climate action. Yet President Jair Bolsonaro, the right-wing ‘Trump of the Tropics’ as he’s been referred to, is flagrantly contrair, responsible for destroying about 10,000 square miles of...
