Climate impact labels are encouraging people to eat less meat
According to a new study, information on food packaging that indicates the level of planet-heating gases emitted during production can persuade consumers against carbon-heavy meal options. Of the many things we can do to reduce our carbon footprints, switching to a plant-based diet is pretty high up in terms of...
Current in Planet
Why are wildflower lawns experiencing a surge in popularity?
Wildflower lawns are changing what we consider to be a traditional ‘garden’, and could have long term effects on our approach to personal nature projects. Ever heard of a ‘wildflower lawn’? Those familiar with the ins and outs of gardening may already be in the know, but wildflower lawns could...
Coral reef projects receive a major boost in funding
The forests of the ocean are suffering. Warming waters are causing ocean acidification and coral bleaching. Meanwhile, overfishing practices are causing the subsequent collapse of entire ecosystems. Bolstered funding from COP27 is aiming to slow – and hopefully reverse – the process. When we think about nature's ecosystems, coral reefs...
Brazil’s Amazon Fund has been revived thanks to new governance
After a decade of success, Brazil’s internationally-funded rainforest protection program was frozen in 2019 by President Jair Bolsonaro. Now, the nation’s Supreme Court has announced the Amazon Fund will continue operations by 2023. Fridays are for good news, and luckily, there have been some great developments happening in regard to...
Delegates at COP15 reach ‘historic’ deal to halt biodiversity loss
Nations have committed to protecting a third of the planet for nature by 2030 in a ground-breaking agreement aimed at reversing decades of environmental destruction. After four years of negotiations, repeated delays due to the pandemic, and a plenary that began on Sunday evening and lasted for more than seven...
UN will use satellites to track down methane gas leaks
At last year’s COP summit, methane was labelled the ‘lowest hanging fruit’ in the race to slow global heating. Now, the UN has announced it will use satellites to locate where methane leaks are and will be publishing the data on a public database. Those clued up on the human-driven...
What issues will world leaders be focusing on at COP27?
COP27 is kicking off in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, and will be continuing for the next two weeks. What will the summit address since COP26, and what should world leaders focus on? We spoke to Youthtopia’s Melati Wijsen to find out. We’re back. It’s another year of COP, this time in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. World leaders will need to discuss pledges, goals, IPCC reports, the ever-growing natural disasters occurring...
Tiny village becomes India’s first to run completely on solar power
Home to 6,500 residents, Modhera has become India’s first village to run entirely on solar energy. A government-funded project is raising the area’s living standards and boosting the local workforce. As the time margin for limiting global heating narrows, the race to implement renewable energy sources is intensifying. Not to mention, recent months have shown that depending on imported fossil fuels for power is risky business, as its availability can...
Renewable energy overtakes coal in the US for the first time
2022 energy stats from the Energy Information Administration show that the US in on track to generate more power through renewable sources than coal for the first time ever. As numerous reports throughout COP27 showed, the US remains the second most polluting nation on the planet when it comes to carbon emissions. Yet, a week after the summit’s conclusion in Sharm El Sheikh, the US has achieved a hugely significant ecological...
Australian watchdog issues nation’s first-ever greenwashing fine
Tlou Energy is the first Australian firm to be fined for lying about its environmental credentials. A corporate watchdog says claims that its sub-Saharan African gas and electric power projects are carbon neutral and low emissions are ‘factually incorrect’. If the latest legal ongoings in Australia are anything to go by, it could be getting difficult for energy companies to hide behind greenwashing tactics. The front page of Aussie-based Tlou Energy’s...
