Current in Planet

swipe
Map outlines Earth’s most important natural carbon banks

Map outlines Earth’s most important natural carbon banks

‘Irrevocable’ carbon banks – we’re talking tropical forests, mangroves, peatlands, and other natural areas – store massive amounts of greenhouse gases. Which areas are currently most vulnerable to spilling over? The term ‘irrevocable’ is often used to describe natural carbon banks. This is because they sequester so much carbon that if it were to start being released – due to deforestation, wildfires, and logging – it wouldn’t be possible to recapture...

By London, UK
The key takeaways from Glasgow’s COP26 climate deal

The key takeaways from Glasgow’s COP26 climate deal

Billed as vital crunch talks to prevent climate disasters before the end of the century, delegates from around the world convened in Glasgow for COP26. Running over the summit’s original deadline, how has the final deal shaped up? If you’ve been with us over the last two weeks, you’ll now be accustomed to the topsy turvy nature of climate reform. One minute, you’re celebrating an important announcement from a coalition...

By London, UK
London’s river Thames is no longer ‘biologically dead’

London’s river Thames is no longer ‘biologically dead’

The city’s famous waterway has been revived and is now home to hundreds of wildlife species including seals, seahorses, and sharks. With COP26 drawing to a close, leaving activists exhausted, frustrated, and sceptical of the pledges made by world leaders, I’d say it’s due time we turned our attention to some positive news (unless you’re galeophobic, of course, in which case you may disagree). As of this week, the river Thames...

By London, UK
Olive waste is helping to heat homes in Syria

Olive waste is helping to heat homes in Syria

Locals in Syria’s Idlib province have discovered an eco-friendly way of generating fuel and heating their homes using olive waste. As COP26 highlighted, the burden of innovating clean power by no means falls on developing nations. But that doesn’t mean they haven’t got sustainable and affordable ideas of their own. In Syria’s north-western Idlib province, locals have found an ingenious alternative to diesel – which is typically used to heat homes...

By London, UK