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...
Current in Planet
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...
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...
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...
Climate change will make beer cost more and taste worse
The quantity and quality of hops – a key ingredient for beer – is being affected by global heating. According to a new study, manufactures will likely have to adapt their brewing methods as they become more expensive to grow. For many, climate change remains a distant threat. Though the crisis dominates our news feeds, a concerning number of people continue to turn a blind eye to the havoc it’s...
Japanese scientists find microplastics in Earth’s clouds
Tiny particles of plastic have been found in clouds for the first time. Scientists in Japan say their presence risks exacerbating climate change and contaminating ‘everything we eat and drink’. Is nowhere on Earth sacred anymore? Nope, not even the clouds above us. When surveying cloud water near Mount Fuji and Mount Oyama, scientists found the presence of several types of polymers and rubber. Published in the journal Environmental Chemical Letters,...
