WHO declares Cape Verde officially malaria-free
In a historic milestone for public health, the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared Cape Verde malaria-free. This announcement comes after three years in which a single case of local transmission was not reported. Cape Verde has successfully eliminated the transmission of malaria within its borders, marking a major...
Current in Planet
Why is Norway’s deep-sea mining plan so controversial?
This week, Norway became the world’s first country to give commercial-scale deep-sea mining the green light. Although some purport the practice will be essential to bolstering clean energy in the future, is this a major environmental disaster waiting to happen? On Tuesday, Norway’s parliament voted to open its waters for...
Women added to committee for COP29 after gender bias backlash
Last week, Azerbaijan’s president announced an all-male panel for the global climate summit, which the country will host in December. This decision was immediately condemned by campaigners as regressive, sparking an inclusivity U-turn. On January 15, the president of Azerbaijan announced that the organising committee for the COP29 global...
African bishops stand against Pope Francis’ same-sex blessings
Last month, Pope Francis allowed priests to bless same-sex couples, signaling a move towards inclusivity within the Roman Catholic Church. However, African bishops' strong opposition highlights a clash between the Vatican's evolving stance and entrenched cultural norms on the continent. In December, Pope Francis made an announcement on the highly...
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an ecological disaster
According to new research, the planet-warming emissions generated during the first two months of the war in Gaza were greater than the annual carbon footprint of more than 20 of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations. It’s no secret that war is bad for the environment, with toxic chemicals left polluting...
Climate change is driving up sugar prices
Rising temperatures are fuelling droughts and other extreme weather events that affect crop yields across the globe. This is having a major impact on of one of the biggest commodities in the world. For many, climate change remains a distant threat. Though the crisis dominates our news feeds, an alarming...
Five ecological wins for the planet in 2023
While many of our ecological efforts need escalating, and fast, we don’t want to end the year pushing the typical doom and gloom rhetoric. Here are five positive stories to take into 2024. In what has been another tumultuous year for climate change news, here are some positive milestones to top up your sanity reserves. With fossil fuel conglomerates plotting for incessant gas and oil expansion, and corporate entities driving infinite...
Climate change is decimating Zimbabwe’s elephant population
In the heart of Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, a devastating crisis is unfolding as the nation grapples with the loss of a hundred elephants this year alone. The cause of this tragedy is not poaching, but rather an insidious force exacerbated by climate change – drought. In the African continent, elephants are continuously succumbing to the harsh realities of climate change. According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW),...
What caused 1,200 tons of fish to wash up on Japan’s shores?
Many are speculating the mass wash-up is a result of the ‘treated’ radioactive water released into the ocean in recent months. Japan’s Fisheries Agency is denying the link. Off the fishing port of Hakodate in Japan, 1,200 tons of dead sardines and mackerel washed ashore earlier this month. Local fishermen have rushed to collect the mass of fish which stretched for more than a kilometre over fears that they would cause...
Our playbook guide to deceptive fossil fuel practices: part four
When it comes to the insidious techniques that the industry is using to undermine climate negotiations and delay progress, there are many. Here, we discuss the ways fossil fuel companies work to undermine climate science, as well as their tactics to target young people, further normalising the future of continued fossil fuel use. People often say that the truth is stranger than fiction, and that certainly applies to fossil fuel...
