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...
Current in Planet
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,...
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...
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...
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...
How the G20 summit addressed member nations’ top challenges
The annual G20 summit tackled major global challenges, while also providing India with an opportunity to showcase its growing global stature as the host nation. The 18th G20 Summit was held in Delhi, India over a two-day period. The summit was attended by leaders from member countries, as well as invited guests from other institutions and international organisations. In case you’re unaware, the G20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising the 19...
Could preserving remote work options help society reach net zero?
As the pandemic becomes a distant memory, remote work is starting to dwindle – especially in the corporate world. A new study warns against this backward trend, pointing to work-from-home options as a viable strategy for minimising our carbon footprint. Throughout the global pandemic, millions of people were forced to start doing their jobs from their home desks or kitchen tables. It wasn’t easy at first. We had to learn...
Corporations soon have to report their carbon emissions in California
California is about to sign off on a deal to become the first US state requiring large companies to report their carbon emissions. This will affect around 5,400 firms which make more than $1bn in annual revenue. Considering filling out tax forms for the prior year proves too difficult a task for certain businesses, it’s safe to say a mandate to report annual energy usage and carbon emission outlays will...
Exclusive – Meet documentary makers Common Table Creative
As the future of the world balances on a knife edge, these impact documentary filmmakers have started a conversation about how the one thing we share could be the one thing that saves us. If each generation has its cross to bear, then climate change is surely ours. Gen Z and Millennials, whose inheritance include an ecologically unstable planet and the burden of unlearning centuries of damaging habits, face...
