Have we just solved the ecological scourge of the tyre?
Tyres have become an increasingly alarming presence in landfills due to their long-lasting environmental impact, but researchers at a US university have discovered a new method to help address this growing issue. You’re never more than 100ft away from a tyre, with approximately 3 billion of them produced globally each...
Current in Planet
I attended CGIAR Science Week at UN Headquarters in Nairobi
It was an incredible learning experience to attend the inaugural CGIAR Science Week held at the United Nations Headquarters in Nairobi. Last week, over 13,000 participants convened at the United Nations Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya to address the food, land and water systems' key challenges against the threat of climate...
Trump trying to roll back decades of vital energy efficiency standards
The Trump administration’s assault on long-standing reforms now has energy efficiency standards in its crosshairs. The rollback is potentially devastating for global environmental targets and is being described as the ‘largest deregulatory effort in history’. Donald Trump is still ploughing through federal laws at full throttle. The latest attempted unravelling...
The unseen dangers of coal mine methane emissions
Joint research by UNSW and the UN found that one of Australia’s coal mines has a higher methane emission rate than originally reported. What’s worse is that coal mine methane emissions are prevalent worldwide, further threatening climate action. The topic of methane emissions has constantly been in the middle of...
UK carbon emissions fell by 4% in 2024
Official government figures state that less use of gas and coal in the national electricity supply led to a 4% reduction in carbon emissions during 2024. A positive climate story, you say. We’ll take it. The UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has released figures showing a 4%...
Who pays the price for natural disasters like Cyclone Alfred?
Race, class, and resilience continue to shape the climate crisis, as Australia’s East coast is hit by a deadly typhoon. In the early days of March, Australia’s east coast – home to the country’s most populous cities including Sydney and Brisbane – was hit by a storm that, despite being downgraded...
Underwater ‘doorbell’ helping scientists to catch coral-eating fish
Scientists in Florida used cameras to identify three corallivorous fish species that ate 97% of the coral initially laid out as bait in a controlled experiment. This information will help to tackle the massive decline in Florida’s coral reef populations. Did you assume that doorbells were only for… well, doors? You thought wrong. Scientists in Florida are using underwater ‘doorbell’ cameras to monitor and identify certain types of fish that...
The Amazon is being destroyed for a climate summit
Yep, you read that correctly. We’re living through peak dystopian greenwashing. There’s something morbidly poetic about bulldozing eight miles of pristine Amazon rainforest to build a road to a… climate summit. A new four-lane highway has cut through tens of thousands of acres of land ahead of COP30, which takes place in the Brazilian city of Belém. The goal is to reduce traffic as around 50,000 people descend on the...
People living near new pylons in UK might receive £250 discount
The initiative is part of a scheme to build new infrastructure, grow the UK economy and move further away from fossil fuels while also minimising public backlash. Households living within half a kilometre of new or upgraded power infrastructure could receive up to £2,500 over 10 years as part of the Labour government’s new scheme. It aims to curb a potential backlash to the increased building of pylons and...
Trump is erasing public climate change data
Trump has ordered the USDA to take down government websites referencing the climate crisis. Maverick scientists are fighting back and scrambling to preserve public data. Trump still believes climate change is a hoax and is tyrannically plotting to ensure the American people take his word for it. Given there was a 40% decrease in the term across the websites of federal environmental agencies in his last tenure, scientists are bracing...
