World likely to breach 1.5C climate threshold by 2027
In its latest assessment, the World Meteorological Organisation has warned we are fast approaching a tipping point that could collapse Antarctic ice and cause a huge rise in sea levels. According to the World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) latest assessment, our planet is almost certain to experience new record temperatures in...
Current in Change
A shellfish-inspired solution could reduce textile dye pollution
Researchers at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi have developed a new nanomaterial that can effectively clean up dyes and pollutants from wastewater. The mechanism was inspired by the systems of various shellfish, in particular, mussels. The textile industry uses 1.3 trillion gallons of water to dye garments annually. That’s enough...
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...
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,...
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is now its own ecosystem
The gigantic floating mass of ocean plastic debris has now become home to hundreds of plant and animal species. While an interesting phenomenon, it's not exactly something to celebrate. Humans have influenced the natural world for as long as we’ve existed, but only a handful of man-made inventions have impacted...
How SeaForester is reforesting our oceans
SeaForester’s simple new technology could bring a valuable carbon sink back from the brink. When we talk deforestation, it’s normally about trees and animals on dry land. But it’s a problem that goes much further – all the way into the deep blue sea. Each year we lose three million hectares of...
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. Naloxone – as its officially known – is a nasal spray that can almost instantly save the life of someone who...
Parisians vote unanimously in favour of e-scooter ban
After recording hundreds of accidents and receiving complaints of congested streets, the French government asked Parisians to vote on a potential ban for rented e-scooters. The result could prompt other European cities to do the same. When they first started popping up on city streets, rentable e-scooters seemed like a great alternative to emission-heavy vehicles and crowded public transportation. The devices, which are electric and can be rented by anyone who...
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 international collaboration in minimising this destruction. Without rapid intervention, they warn that these fast-rising attacks on the world’s most important crops...
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 emergency. Last November, the focus was largely on loss and damage, with world nations under immense pressure to financially support those...
