The new Gatwick runway is an ecological nightmare
The transport secretary has given plans for a new £2.2bn runway the green light, despite pushback from climate organisations. The UK government has just given formal approval to Gatwick Airport’s £2.2 billion expansion plan – one that converts its emergency/standby northern runway into a full, regularly-used runway by shifting it...
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Should the world map be changed to reflect Africa’s true size?
The African Union – made up of Africa’s 55 countries – has joined a campaign called Correct the Map to urge national governments and international organizations to use a more accurate world map. You’ve probably heard that the world map we’re used to seeing is skewed, with the proportions of...
Spain proposes ban to stop world’s first octopus farm
With the culinary demand for octopuses increasing, a Spanish company is planning to develop an octopus farm to keep supplies steady. However, with the sentience of these creatures deemed unfit for farming, Spain is rushing to ban such a development. In the fight for animal rights, one major contender of...
Nigeria’s illegal bird-trafficking trade is worsening
Nigeria's customs agency caught more than 1,600 parrots and canaries headed to Kuwait. Officials call this the country's 'largest' wildlife-trafficking bust by number. The shipment was seized at Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport. This incident is indicative of a broader, ongoing issue - Nigeria as a source and transit point...
New maps reveal greatest mammal migration ever seen
Survey maps published last month have revealed more than six million animals moving through an unmonitored area of South Sudan and Ethiopia in the largest migration of antelope in the world. A recent survey of an untouched landscape in South Sudan has revealed the largest land mammal migration ever seen...
Sustainable aviation fuel loses all momentum with Trump’s cuts
The One Big Beautiful Bill, passed in early July, has paralysed progress towards making aviation fuel mainstream in the US. What now? Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill has tarnished the President’s relationship with former chum Elon Musk, but there’s plenty of collateral that hasn’t received nearly as much attention. The Act,...
Plastic bag fees are limiting coastal litter
When it comes to the climate, a new study has found that small daily changes are having a large-scale positive impact. In an era where climate headlines often lean toward catastrophe, a rare dose of optimism has emerged. A new multinational study has found that plastic bag bans and fees are having a tangible, measurable impact –coastal litter from plastic bags has nearly halved in regions where these policies...
I attended SB62 and was disappointed by the Africa agenda ahead of COP30
As the curtains fall on the UN’s 62nd session of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB62) in Bonn, Germany, one thing is clear: Africa is running out of patience. Hailed as the technical prelude to COP30 in Brazil, SB62 was meant to set the tone for what many hope will be a historic climate summit. For Africa, and that matter, much of the permanent Global South, it seemed just another...
Is Iran about to disrupt the global oil and gas industry?
With tensions in the Middle East reaching boiling point, Iran intends to escalate the situation globally by taking steps to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime point for oil trade. Just days ago, the United States decided to dip its feet into the currently disordered Middle East by organising strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Their aim, similar to that of their ally, Israel, was to...
Experts warn two years left of carbon budget to meet 1.5C targets
We only have two years left to lower our global carbon emissions if we want to meet the 1.5C of warming target, experts have warned. More news about the climate crisis this week and, unfortunately, it’s not exactly positive. Scientists are warning that the globe has only two years left of carbon budget if we are to keep worldwide temperature increases below 1.5C. This means that we can still emit...
