Dozens of protesters storm COP30 conference in Brazil
The 30th iteration of the global climate summit has to prioritise the beliefs of indigenous communities, said UN chief António Guterres last week. On day two, dozens of protesters stormed the venue in Belém, Brazil. November serves up two things each year: a frantic race to be Christmas ready, and...
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World’s second-heaviest 24-hour rainfall recorded in Vietnam’s Hue
Vietnam’s ancient city of Hue is recovering from complete submersion after 1,739 millimetres of rain fell in just 24 hours. It was the highest amount of rainfall ever recorded in Vietnam, and the second largest daily total in the world. Central Vietnam has been hit with extremely bad weather as...
Science says Hurricane Melissa’s strength fuelled by climate change
The ‘monster storm’ tearing through the Caribbean has been supercharged by abnormally warm sea temperatures caused by human-induced climate change, scientists agree. Time and time again, scientists and environmental activists have warned that climate change will result in stronger storms and more unpredictable weather patterns. They’ve also warned that the...
UN chief says humanity has missed 1.5C climate target
United Nations head Antonio Guterres says ‘devastating consequences’ are now inevitable following humanity’s failure to achieve the 1.5C terms of the Paris Agreement, in a lone interview before COP30. Who doesn’t love an existential crisis on a Tuesday afternoon? The world’s eyes are currently fixed on the Caribbean, as Hurricane Melissa...
Scientists find clever new way to upcycle used coffee grounds
About 10 billion kilograms of coffee grounds are produced globally each year, the majority of which ends up rotting in landfill. Looking to address this huge waste issue, scientists have discovered that used coffee grounds could become a sustainable building material of the future. If you’ve ever worked in a...
ASEAN needs to be more proactive in resolving its haze crisis
The annual catastrophic haze that spreads across Southeast Asia has been a long-standing problem that the region has found hard to mitigate. This year’s chair of the ASEAN committee, Malaysia, hopes to drive action. From lush rainforests to a tropical climate, Southeast Asia has it all. Unfortunately, this includes hazardous atmospheric...
The new Gatwick runway is an ecological nightmare
The transport secretary has given plans for a new £2.2bn runway the green light, despite pushback from climate organisations. The UK government has just given formal approval to Gatwick Airport’s £2.2 billion expansion plan – one that converts its emergency/standby northern runway into a full, regularly-used runway by shifting it just 12 metres north. In theory this sounds like a nifty tweak. But for many, it’s a dramatic retreat from climate...
Should the world map be changed to reflect Africa’s true size?
The African Union – made up of Africa’s 55 countries – has joined a campaign called Correct the Map to urge national governments and international organizations to use a more accurate world map. You’ve probably heard that the world map we’re used to seeing is skewed, with the proportions of global countries inaccurately portrayed. Russia, the USA, and the UK, for example, are always depicted as larger landmasses than they...
Spain proposes ban to stop world’s first octopus farm
With the culinary demand for octopuses increasing, a Spanish company is planning to develop an octopus farm to keep supplies steady. However, with the sentience of these creatures deemed unfit for farming, Spain is rushing to ban such a development. In the fight for animal rights, one major contender of backlash is aquaculture. With the populations of wild creatures declining, many companies have turned to farming them. In that vein,...
Nigeria’s illegal bird-trafficking trade is worsening
Nigeria's customs agency caught more than 1,600 parrots and canaries headed to Kuwait. Officials call this the country's 'largest' wildlife-trafficking bust by number. The shipment was seized at Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport. This incident is indicative of a broader, ongoing issue - Nigeria as a source and transit point for illegal wildlife trade, which treaties such as CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild...
