Is the Veganuary pledge all it promises to be?
This January, nearly a decade after the annual pledge began, one person every 2.4 seconds signed up for Veganuary. But how effective is it? And is it catching on beyond the UK? People take on Veganuary for a number of reasons – from wanting to be more climate-conscious to eating...
Current in Planet
World at risk of descending into climate ‘doom loop’
A new report has warned that governments could soon be so overwhelmed with the consequences of the environmental crisis that they’re unable to address its root causes. Last week, two UK-based thinktanks released a report warning that the world is at risk of descending into what it calls a climate...
1/3 of companies linked to deforestation are doing nothing to stop
According to the Forest 500 report, the organisations most reliant on the commodities responsible for deforestation are undermining global climate targets by failing to tackle the problem. Research by Global Canopy has found that a third of companies most linked to the destruction of tropical rainforests have not set a...
Rising sea levels threaten ‘mass exodus on a biblical scale’
UN secretary general António Guterres has warned that without more concerted efforts to reduce emissions and ensure environmental justice across the globe, low-lying communities and entire countries could disappear forever. Addressing the UN security council on Tuesday, secretary general António Guterres warned that an increase in the pace at...
Why ‘debt-for-nature’ swaps are the future of climate finance
Many developing countries are deep in financial debt. More often than not, however, they are rich in biodiversity. An increasingly popular climate agreement could enable them to minimise the debt they owe to wealthy nations – as long as the money saved is placed into environmental protection and adaptation...
Why should you be concerned about animal mills?
New legislation in New York has finally clamped down on the selling of domestic pets such as dogs and cats. It’s hoped that this well help eradicate animal mills, where pets are bred with little regard for their wellbeing. Last December, the state of New York passed a law...
Air pollution linked to an increased risk of mental illness
According to a new study, people living in polluted areas with long-term exposure to even comparatively low levels of poor air quality are more likely to develop depression and anxiety. Though most people would associate air pollution with the lungs, a new study has highlighted the impact it can also have on the mind. Writing for the Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry, researchers have uncovered...
‘Holy grail’ wheat gene could make heat resistant crops
How humanity is to continue growing wheat in centuries to come has long been agriculture’s million-dollar question, but UK scientists have finally developed a crop gene reportedly resistant to a warming world. Remember Interstellar, where a global wheat blight forced Mathew McConachie to scour neighbouring galaxies in search of habitable planets? If only he’d gone to Norwich first. In the small British city, researchers have reportedly found a way of making...
Is ‘weather whiplash’ yet another symptom of climate change?
Once a colloquial phrase used to describe surprising, rapid shifts in weather conditions, ‘weather whiplash’ is being continuously validated by climate change studies and is reportedly getting worse. We all misjudge the weather from time to time, but what we’re talking about here is far more dramatic than mistakenly opting to leave an umbrella at home. Prior to New Year’s Eve in California, the state had endured a prolonged and severe drought...
Could Colombia be the first oil-rich country to ditch fossil fuels?
The South American nation’s left-wing government has announced it will not approve any new oil and gas exploration projects as it seeks to shift towards a more sustainable economy. In June last year, ex-rebel Gustavo Petro won Colombia’s presidential election after one of the most contested campaigns in the country’s recent history. Upon his victory, the long-time legislator and former fighter in the M-19 militia promised voters profound social and...
