‘It’s like a death pit’: how Ghana became fast fashion’s dumping ground. Yvette Yaa Konadu Tetteh’s epic swim down the River Volta highlights the damage done to the country’s waterways by an out-of-control trade in secondhand clothes from the global north, and why it’s time for change. It’s mid-morning on a sunny day, and Yvette...
12 Most Polluted Countries 2023: Breathing Heavy. Environmental pollution is a pressing global issue that poses significant health risks and ecological challenges. Unfortunately, there are countries around the world that face particularly high levels of pollution. From air pollution to water contamination, these nations struggle to combat the detrimental effects of environmental degradation. In this...
Bees struggle to find flowers because of air pollution. A new study has found that air pollution is preventing pollinators from finding flowers because it degrades the scent. A research team comprising the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and the Universities of Birmingham, Reading, Surrey and Southern Queensland found that ozone substantially changes...
Carbon in the Oceans Is Altering the microfabric of Life. Humans are feeding the invisible world of ocean microbes a punishing diet of pollutants, boosting the impact of climate change and hastening the destruction of life as we know it. When the waters south of Miami turned Jacuzzi hot this summer, topping out at 101.1 degrees Fahrenheit in...
Biodiversity: new IPBES report finds invasive alien species a growing and costly threat worldwide. According to a major new report by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), more than 3,500 out of the 37,000 alien species that have been introduced by many human activities to regions and biomes around the world pose major global threats...
Climate change is coming for your olive oil, too. Heatflation has doubled the price of olive oil over the past year. Inflation is finally easing. Americans are paying less for gas than they were a year ago. Furniture, television, and airfare prices have all fallen since last summer. Even the used car market is cooling off...
Antarctic research stations have polluted a pristine wilderness. Historical bad practices have left a legacy of pollution, but efforts are under way to chart a better future. Antarctica is often described as one of the most pristine places in the world, but it has a dirty secret. Parts of the sea floor near Australia’s Casey...
Africa’s vast underground water resources are under pressure from climate change – how to manage them. All countries have a variety of water resources – some are on the surface, like rivers, and some are beneath the ground. This groundwater provides almost 50% of all global domestic use and 43% of all the water used for agriculture. Groundwater is stored...
A recent study published in the journal Nature found that gold and mineral mining in and near rivers across the tropics is degrading waterways in 49 countries. The paper explains that river mining often involves intensive excavation, which results in deforestation and increased erosion. Much of the excavated material is released to rivers, disrupting aquatic life in ecosystems nearby and...
Breathing in polluted air is so harmful, it can actually have a greater impact on humans lifespan than smoking, according to just-released data. The latest report by Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), published on Aug. 29, analysed how fine particulate matter (PM2.5) lingering in the air, such as smoke and dust, has a profound impact on...