Countries convene in Colombia on breaking fossil fuel reliance
Governments from nearly 50 countries will gather in Santa Marta this week to discuss the global move away from oil, gas, and coal. Will it prove useful, or are we looking at more COP-esque posturing? International climate diplomacy reminds me of my own tendency to hit the snooze button on...
Current in Planet
Human driven climate change is literally making days longer
New research, building on data from 2024, reveals that accelerating ice melt is not just slowing Earth’s rotation at a rate unseen in 3.6 million years, but also disrupting global technological systems. When the Earth was first born 4.5 billion years ago, an average day lasted less than 10 hours....
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...
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 II, since which it has been instrumental in setting standards and responding to global health crises. It led the eradication...
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, the government has said. ‘Forever chemicals’ are known as PFAS and are in lots of regular, everyday products as they are...
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...
