Nearly a week after a wall of ice, rock and mud tore through the Himalayas, Nepal is still digging out from one of its deadliest disasters in a decade. What locals and officials are calling a “Himalayan tsunami” has left more than 1,000 people dead across the Nepal-China border, thousands missing and entire communities erased.… Continue reading Himalayan tsunami — Nepal battles catastrophic floods as global aid pours in
In recent years, Spain’s Mediterranean coast — particularly Valencia — has faced devastating storms known as DANAs (Depresiones Aisladas en Niveles Altos — or in English, Isolated Depressions at High Levels). These weather events bring sudden, torrential rain, flash floods and severe damage. As Europe (and the rest of the world) experiences more unpredictable climate… Continue reading Deadly Floods in Valencia – Can the same Happen in the UK?
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 millimetres, have silently infiltrated rivers, lakes and even tap water worldwide. Once considered a distant environmental issue, microplastics are now a tangible threat to… Continue reading The invisible invaders — how microplastics are polluting our water
The age of humans or the age of forgetting? The Anthropocene marks a proposed new chapter in Earth’s history, one where human activity has become the planet’s dominant geological force. The term comes from anthropocentrism, the belief that humans stand at the centre of existence, seen as “superior to nature and… animals, plants… resources that… Continue reading Rethinking the Anthropocene — what Australia’s First Nations knowledge teaches us about climate justice
No passenger truly enjoys turbulence. It’s unnerving, often scary and in some cases, dangerous. In recent months there has been a noticeable increase in severe turbulence. Earlier this summer a Delta airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing after dozens of passengers were injured as a result of severe turbulence. This incident may… Continue reading Climate change is making flying bumpier and aircraft designers are racing to keep up
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… 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… Continue reading Why plastic bottles now have their caps attached
Scientists and engineers are developing new ways to destroy per- and polyfluoroalkyl 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… Continue reading New technologies could help destroy persistent “forever chemicals”
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 of cocaine which traffickers had lost at sea off the coast of Brazil, one of the… Continue reading Sharks in Rio de Janeiro test positive for cocaine
