Elephants are the world’s largest land mammals, whose tusks and teeth have historically been considered a valuable commodity. The demand for ivory has led to continuous cases of elephant poaching, which has resulted in a large decline in the African elephant population. While ivory sales have been banned, African elephants remain listed as endangered on the IUCN Red… Continue reading The Origins and Evolution of the Illegal Ivory Trade
Imagine drinking a glass of water and knowing it contains tiny fragments of plastic, so small you cannot see them, yet present everywhere around you. These microplastics, particles smaller than five millimeters, have silently infiltrated rivers, lakes and tap water worldwide. Once considered a distant environmental issue, microplastics are now a tangible threat to ecosystems… Continue reading The Invisible Invaders: How Microplastics Are Polluting Our Water
Congratulations everyone! We’ve survived a hell of another year, and for our reward, Christmas is upon us. A time for family and friends and loved ones, a time for carols, a time for presents. But unfortunately, it’s also a time for overconsumption and mass environmental damage. A recent report by the Bank of England has… Continue reading A Sustainable Christmas
Fashion has a notorious environmental footprint, accounting for up to 10% of global carbon dioxide output. This is exacerbated by a fast fashion business model which encourages the frequent purchase of low-priced and non-durable items. Around 30% of online purchases are subsequently returned, much of which goes to landfill. In 2020, an estimated 2.6 million tonnes of returns were disposed of… Continue reading Fast fashion: why your online returns may end up in landfill – and what can be done about it
The UK government is facing growing pressure to honor its election promises to ban harmful bee-killing pesticides, as ministers consider granting another year of emergency use for neonicotinoids in 2025. Despite a pledge from Labour leader Keir Starmer to ban these chemicals, the government is leaning toward approving the use of thiamethoxam, a pesticide linked… Continue reading UK government considers bee-killing pesticide approval, despite election promises
Our planet is getting hotter at an alarming rate. Climate change is one of the most serious global issues today. Its consequences affect every single human being on Earth. So it seems perfectly logical that scientific publications about global warming are written in the global language: English. And yet, it is precisely because it is written in English, that climate… Continue reading How language barriers influence global climate literacy
You may have bought a drink recently and noticed something odd: the once removable cap is now tethered to the bottle by a small strip of plastic. An EU directive was enacted in July, requiring that all single-use bottles have caps that remain attached. This is one of several policies designed to limit the amount of plastic litter –… Continue reading Why plastic bottles now have their caps attached
Scientists and engineers are developing new ways to destroy per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) efficiently and sustainably. This class of chemicals is known as “forever chemicals” because PFAS persist and accumulate in the environment, animals and our bodies. PFAS have been used for decades to make everything from firefighting foam, packaging, waterproof clothes and non-stick frying pan coatings.… Continue reading New technologies could help destroy persistent ‘forever chemicals’
Sharks off the coast of Brazil’s party city Rio de Janeiro have tested positive for cocaine. The predators were consuming the potent stimulant due to its continuous release from inadequate sewage treatment facilities and clandestine refining operations, scientists wrote in a study published in Science of The Total Environment. Some may also have attacked bricks… Continue reading Sharks in Rio de Janeiro test positive for cocaine
The EU parliament has voted to ban the words “burger,” “sausage,” “steak,” and others from being used on the packaging of plant-based products. Instead it has been proposed that companies should use “patty” as an alternative to “burger” with the primary motivation being to avoid confusing consumers. When put up against the currently turbulent and… Continue reading What exactly is a burger?: EU Parliament votes to ban “meat” related names on plant-based products
