Is cloud seeding to blame for the Dubai floods?
Last week, approximately 25cm of rain – roughly twice the UAE’s yearly average – fell in a single day, leaving much of the city’s outdoor infrastructure under water. This has sparked a debate about weather modification. In parts of the Northern Hemisphere, April is known as the month of showers. This...
Current in Planet
South Sudan schools continue to close amid heatwaves
In a bid to safeguard the health and well-being of students, educational authorities in South Sudan have taken the unprecedented decision to close schools across the nation in preparation for a 45C heatwave. South Sudan, already known for its scorching temperatures, has experienced an unprecedented rise in mercury levels...
The importance of World Water Day
Though access to water is often taken for granted in many parts of the world, every continent faces unique challenges when it comes to securing this precious resource in the future. On World Water Day, let's explore them. Today is World Water Day, an observance held each year on March...
An in-depth look at the ‘triple planetary crisis’
Beyond the headlines of rising temperatures and extreme weather, the United Nations sounds the alarm on a broader environmental threat: the triple planetary crisis. In the age of climate change, where rising temperatures and extreme weather events dominate headlines, the environmental challenges we face extend far beyond a warming planet....
Great Barrier Reef hit by fifth mass coral bleaching event in eight years
Australia's Great Barrier Reef faces a dire threat as officials confirm a mass bleaching event caused by climate change, marking the fifth occurrence of significant damage in just eight years. The Great Barrier Reef, one of the world's most iconic natural wonders, is under major threat as officials confirm a...
Gray whale sighted 200 years after believed Atlantic extinction
Scientists were excited to confirm the sighting of a gray whale in the Atlantic Ocean 200 years after its purported regional extinction. The caveat, is that the impacts of climate change are likely responsible. An exciting biological discovery has arrived with an unwanted side of existential concern. Scientists have confirmed the...
Survey finds Gen Z climate anxiety is extremely prevalent
New research by the Curtin University shows that young people in Australia have significant, life-impacting concerns about the state of the climate. Climate anxiety amongst Gen Zers is at an all-time-high. A new study by Curtin University has found that Australian young people have drastic concerns about the climate crisis, so much so that it is impacting their lives and may have wider consequences in their long-term futures. Gen Z’s Climate...
These European airports are among the world’s most polluting
Fresh analysis shows how major airports contribute to climate change and air pollution, placing policymakers under further pressure to reconcile the conflict between the industry's growth and their own climate goals. A new analysis has shed light on just how much the world's most bustling airports are contributing to climate change and air pollution. The 2024 Airport Tracker is a collaborative effort between the think tank ODI and Transport...
UK weather more ideal for endangered giant redwoods than in native US
There are an estimated half a million sequoias – the world’s largest trees – in Britain today, growing at a similar rate to those in California. Recent research has uncovered that this has the potential to tackle climate change by pulling an average of 85 kilograms of carbon from the atmosphere per year. An estimated half a million endangered sequoias (Sequoiadendron Giganteum) – also known as giant redwoods – are...
EU criminalises serious cases of environmental destruction
The European Union has become the first international body to criminalise acts comparable to ecocide. Ecocide is a case of severe environmental destruction which leads to habitat loss and, ultimately, crimes against humanity. For far too long, major companies have engaged in practices that are destroying our planet with little to no consequences. Those days may soon be coming to an end. In a landmark ruling, the European Union has criminalized...
