UK announces ‘most ambitious’ livestock welfare laws in a generation
England is set to phase out caged hens and pig farrowing crates under a new package of animal welfare laws announced by the government. The changes mark a major shift in how farm animals are treated, with ministers confirming plans to end the use of cages for laying hens and...
Current in Planet
Illegal mining sites are threatening the Mekong River
The global demand for rare earth minerals is starting to overwhelm Southeast Asia’s largest river system, with an increase in illegal mining sites tallying with reports of mutated fish in the Mekong River. The Mekong Basin, located in Southeast Asia, is the region’s longest river system. While the river itself...
IAEA confirms damages to Chernobyl’s containment unit post-Russian strikes
Strikes from Russia early this year resulted in a breach in the Chernobyl’s radioactive containment unit. Now exposed, the IAEA is putting in a rush on repairs to prevent a new radioactive fallout. 39 years ago, a disaster occurred that would for the years to come be known as...
Lemurs are being eaten and it’s causing biodiversity breakdowns
Madagascar's lemurs have little time left. The animals are facing a new danger from the urban elite of the country who are paying handsomely for their meat. How is this impacting biodiversity and ecosystems in the region and beyond? A new study published in the Conservation Letters says that...
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...
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 communities least responsible for climate change would likely bear the majority brunt of its consequences. That truth has become more evident...
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 threatens to heap unfounded levels of destruction on the region. And if UN head Antonio Guterres is correct, this could...
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 café or restaurant, you’ll know how quickly a tray of used coffee grounds can pile up to the point of...
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 conditions, which natives have long referred to as the haze. This phenomenon, essentially characterized by thick and persistent air pollution,...
