Thousands of fossil fuel projects are still protected by treaties
Over the past 50 years, countries have signed thousands of treaties worth billions that may scupper global efforts to phase out fossil fuels. These agreements allow investors to sue governments for compensation if projects are axed. Fully transitioning to a renewable world, unfortunately, may not be simple as merely cancelling...
Current in Planet
Ecovado offers a solution to our unsustainable avocado obsession
A graduate student at London’s Central Saint Martins has developed an environmentally friendly alternative to avocados that’ll fulfil our breakfast cravings while being kinder to the planet. Maybe if we all stopped buying avocado toast, we’d have enough money to afford a house someday – right? Well, that seems to...
How are abortion rights tied to climate justice?
The United States Supreme Court overturned the 1973 ruling that safeguarded the right to have an abortion. This now leaves a greater number of people exposed and vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Known commonly as Roe v Wade, overturning such now leaves the legality of abortion up to...
Denmark to build world’s first ‘energy island’
Denmark is set on building the world’s first energy island, which will be the size of 18 football pitches. Denmark has a history of being a global leader in renewable energy. In 1991, they built the first offshore wind farm, and currently 48.6% of the energy produced by the country...
Two companies are making coffee time more sustainable
Drinking coffee is a non-negotiable for most people, despite the fact it produces unfathomable amounts of waste every year. Two companies are on a mission to make our morning brew a lot eco-friendlier. As the world’s third most consumed beverage, coffee gets a lot of love worldwide. But do you...
A new technique turns organic biomass into durable plastic
Scientists have created a new type of plastic made from organic plant waste. It could be used to make packaging, textiles, medicine, and even electronics. Life in plastic, it’s fantastic… yeah, that didn’t age too well. Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and the plastics created from them has been identified...
Opinion – Kylie’s ‘climate criminal’ controversy is part of wider issue
The billionaire has faced a torrent of intense criticism amid reports that she frequently uses her private jet for brief journeys, despite mounting concerns over the deteriorating state of our planet. Earlier this week, as a troubling number of countries across the globe scrambled to cope with unprecedented heatwaves courtesy of the ever-worsening state of our planet, Kylie Jenner was asking her 360 million Instagram followers which...
The popularity of vapes is an environmental nightmare
New research has identified that two vapes are thrown away every second in the UK alone, ending up in landfill despite the fact they contain lithium, a valuable and increasingly scarce metal on which much of the high-tech economy depends. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that vapes are all the rage. Replacing one of the leading cause of preventable death worldwide, the small,...
New spray-on coating could replace plastic food wrapping
Researchers at Harvard and Rutgers have developed a new plant-based antimicrobial coating to protect food. It has the potential to replace single-use plastic wrappers. As anybody who eats on-the-go knows, plastic wrapping and single-use packaging is a major environmental waste problem. We throw away tons of cardboard and plastic every year, all in the name of convenience food. If we’re to meaningfully reduce our emissions and use of traditional packaging,...
What does a summer of heatwaves say about our climate?
From India to Europe and more, climate change is driving increasingly intense and damaging heatwaves as humans struggle to adapt. The world has been feeling the heat in 2022. India and Pakistan experienced their hottest March on record this year, exposing many to power and water shortages. Europe, meanwhile, is only just emerging from an unprecedented heatwave, with forecast models indicating any relief will only be temporary across the Iberian Peninsula. In...
