Mamdani’s 9/11 air quality reports expose years of misleading claims
Records that were long withheld by the city now reveal that the officials knew about Ground Zero’s toxic air in the years following 9/11 and chose to mislead the public. On September 11th, 2001, Americans were initially met with confusion when the North tower was first hit. Minutes later, when...
Current in Planet
Every body of water in England is polluted with toxic chemicals
New reports show each of the country’s rivers, lakes and estuaries are filled with harmful forever chemicals – a litmus test for a mounting ecological crisis. To suggest that most of England’s inner-city rivers are heavily polluted would be akin to calling the sky blue. But stating the obvious it is...
How Ghana’s dolphins pay for an empty ocean
In a recent DW Documentary investigation, an annual killing of thousands of dolphins in Ghana demonstrates the overall destruction of marine ecosystems and desperation of the coastal communities struggling to find any alternative means to make a living. For generations, the ocean has been providing for the entire coastal communities...
More than half of England is officially in a drought
Put down the hose. England’s Environmental Agency has declared over half of the nation is in a drought as ongoing heatwaves drain water supplies. When I saw the news alert for a hose pipe ban I was suddenly transported back to primary school, when I mistakenly took the government legislation...
Wildfires in France and Spain could take months to extinguish
Firefighters have been left to battle the effects of the climate crisis as wildfires see thousands evacuated and heatwaves continue to stifle southern Europe. Every year it feels as though the impacts of climate change grow more tangible and more devastating. Reports of life-threatening wildfires are no longer the headlines...
Study shows wastewater cocaine is messing up marine life
As crazy as it sounds, it does add another layer to how human consumption has been impacting our planet. For as long as humans have been on this planet, our environmental impact has become innumerable. What’s worse is that many outcomes of our actions remain unbeknownst to us, pushing us...
My takeaways from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
Last month, delegates, negotiators, observers, researchers, youth advocates, and representatives from civil society convened for the 64th sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB64) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bonn, Germany. Here are my main takeaways. As I returned to Bonn during this year’s SB64, like most returning observers, I had expectations of technical meetings filled with dense negotiating texts and procedural debates. Behind each...
Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent
The recent heatwaves across the UK and Europe were only possible due to climate change. Yet, despite the alarming conditions, adaptation to this new normal is happening far too slowly. You might’ve noticed things are a little warmer across Europe this week. Whether you’re escaping to the office just for AC, or battling a sweaty commute on public transport, cities across the continent have been grappling with temperatures of 37...
Could white hydrogen discovery fast-track global shift to clean energy?
While billions have been poured into manufacturing hydrogen the dirty way, experts in Canada found what was once thought to be impossible: a steady stream of white hydrogen. Last year, thanks to a surge in solar panel installations, the world raved about how renewables overtook coal to become one of the largest suppliers of energy. Not to burst that bubble, but as great as that achievement is, it only...
New Zealand shields corporate polluters by banning climate lawsuits
In a major blow to climate action, the nation’s Justice Minister announced a legislation to ban citizens from suing companies for climate change damage. In 2016, the Paris Climate Agreement was signed, marking a landmark moment in global cooperation on climate change. Yet, a decade later, the agreement appears to have little real impact around the world. A strong example of inadequate climate action is currently unfolding in New Zealand, where...
