Can Hermosa deliver US minerals without environmental cost?
Though the project is a vital strategic asset for the US, its reliance on advanced tech for mitigation techniques have failed to ease local anxieties about water security and the environment. In the past two years, the US government has placed significant emphasis in obtaining rare earth minerals. From...
Current in Planet
Will carbon markets help Africa or is the whole thing a myth?
Companies in the Global North are increasingly purchasing carbon credits to offset their emissions, while projects across Africa are encouraging farmers to adopt climate friendly practices that can generate those credits. The process is theoretically simple. Farmers plant trees or adopt other practices that help to sequester carbon dioxide directly...
There are microplastics in women’s ovaries now
Researchers are still exploring how the discovery could impact fertility. Microplastics were found in human ovaries for the first time last June. Yet the news largely flew under the radar. Perhaps this reflects our collective desensitisation to all plastic-based health warnings. After all, when you consider how embedded the material has...
Trump ignites second wave of major climate policy abandonment
Right after rolling back on the Endangerment Finding, Trump revoked key vehicular emissions regulations and had the Pentagon buy more coal. Just when it feels like the man has scraped the bottom of the barrel, he just keeps on digging – and that analogy is basically literal. In other words,...
Illinois and New York opt back into WHO despite US withdrawal
As Trump finalises the US withdrawal from the World Health Organization, individual states are already pushing back, signalling early resistance to the decision. Anyone who is well informed about world affairs knows about the World Health Organization, and the powerhouse that it is. The organisation was founded shortly after World War...
UK to increase ‘forever chemicals’ tests due to concerns
Following environmental and health concerns, the UK has announced it will increase testing for ‘forever chemicals’ in the environment as part of a nationwide plan. Critics say it fails to match the EU’s much ‘tougher’ stance. The UK is planning to crack down on ‘forever chemicals’ with increased testing,...
Antarctica inaugurates the world’s first ice sanctuary
With climate change raging over glacial ice, the landmark sanctuary was built to preserve Earth’s historical records held within the ice. Time machines have long captured human imagination but have remained firmly in the realm of science fiction. Yet, understanding the past may not require such sophisticated piece of tech at all, for nature has already given us something alike – glacial ice. Snow is composed partially of air, and...
Is a ‘recycling lottery’ the way to get people fully on board?
Would people be more inclined to recycle their waste if they had a slim chance of winning $1,000 each time? Unsurprisingly, the data says yes. A sense of moral responsibility or pang of guilt not cutting it? How about four figures of cold hard cash for that garbage? Around 10 US states are already reimbursing people with a few cents for their empty bottles or cans, but what if the odd...
Indonesia involves military to accelerate deforestation
Such a move tells us all where the nation’s priorities lie on the environmental front. Covering 52% of Indonesia’s land is lush rainforests, making it one of the largest tropical rainforest systems in the world after the Amazon and Congo Basin. Contrary to popular belief, its rainforest isn’t just a dense forest with tall jungle green trees, and constant rain. In countries such as Indonesia, the term is often used...
Seismic ‘popping’ alarms scientists over megatsunami in Alaska
The ongoing Barry Arm landslide has alerted experts, driving a push to understand and monitor its progress before it triggers a megatsunami that could devastate all surrounding life. In 2019, Valisa Higman was boating around the Barry Arm fjord when she noticed massive and unusual fractures on the cliffs above the nearby Barry Glacier in Alaska. This kickstarted major efforts, with satellite data confirming that a massive section of...
