How polar bears became a controversial symbol of the climate crisis
Though the idea of polar bears ceasing to exist might motivate people to care about climate change, how accurate is this imagery in conveying a message about a global issue that affects us all? It’s International Polar Bear Week, which aims to bring awareness to a species that many of...
Current in Planet
How forest protection is integral to tackling climate change
According to a new Nature study, protecting forests globally could potentially capture an additional 226 gigatons of planet-warming carbon, equivalent to about a third of the amount that humans have released since the beginning of the Industrial Era. If you weren’t already aware, forests play a critical role in the...
Should COP28 really be led by an oil tycoon?
The world’s biggest climate change summit is being run by the head of an oil company. What does this mean for a fossil fuel free future? ‘What’s the point in our climate summits if they’re being undermined by a shadow network of fossil fuel lobbying?’ This question, asked by a...
New research sparks hope for the future of artificial coral reefs
The hard work and dedication of teams working on coral reef restoration projects are finally being met with positive results, according to a new study by The Conversation. This summer was a particularly devastating one for one of the planet’s rarest and most fragile ecosystems – coral reefs. In September 2023,...
Denmark’s plant-based roadmap sees massive success
The Danish government published a plan that gives insight into how it will transition toward widespread plant-based alternative foods in 2021. The first round of funding applications has been massively oversubscribed. Denmark has seen huge success in its efforts to transition into plant-based foods nationwide. Proposals were published by the...
Once discarded coal mines are sustainably heating EU homes
Abandoned coal mines are proving a surprisingly effective source of zero-carbon energy in Europe. That’s what you call poetic justice. It’s strange to think the bones of old fossil fuel mines may actually help our net zero ambitions, but we’ll take any win we can get. Throughout parts of Europe, abandoned...
New report says climate crisis costs $16 million in damages per hour
According to new research published in the science journal Nature Communications, the world’s economies are paying a hefty price in the battle against climate change. A new study published by two scientists at the Victoria University of Wellington marks the first attempt to quantify the global economic toll directly attributed to human-induced climate change. Its findings are nothing short of alarming, with the average annual cost from 2000 to 2019 amounting...
The scary truth about Halloween’s contribution to the climate crisis
As you might’ve guessed, our annual affinity with dressing up for spooky season is nothing short of an environmental nightmare. Turns out the waste we generate with throwaway costumes is even more frightening than the get-ups themselves. In 2019, Hubbub – a charity dedicated to inspiring ways of living that are good for the environment – disclosed a finding even more terrifying than the holiday we eagerly anticipate the moment...
Ecologists say reforestation must utilise numerous tree species
Biodiversity could be at risk if tree-planting schemes only make use of one type of tree, experts say. It’s a common saying that variety is the spice of life. If true anywhere, it’s in nature. While tree-planting schemes are great initiatives for developing new carbon sinks and reforesting diminished green spaces, experts say we risk losing biodiversity if only one or two types of trees are being planted across wide...
Earth’s ‘vital signs’ at their worst levels in human history
A team of scientists troubled by the sudden increases in the frequency and severity of climate-related disasters has warned that human activity is pushing our planetary systems into dangerous instability. A new report has warned that 20 of 35 planetary vital signs are at ‘record extremes’ and that life on Earth is in peril. As it reveals, the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has soared, extreme heatwaves continue...
