Worldcrunch
A new study found that even tiny amounts of ingested plastic can be fatal to marine animals, with lethal doses far lower than previously believed. More than ever, this highlights the urgent need to reduce plastic pollution to protect vulnerable ocean species.
In Argentina, gas and oil are more than fuels — they’re sacred words, woven into the nation’s identity. But this devotion is not just economic, it’s linguistic: The way Argentinians talk about hydrocarbons builds a cultural fortress, which makes any shift toward cleaner energy all the more difficult.
In the midst of discussions about the use of artificial intelligence, ecofascist narratives have crept in. How did this happen? What are the dangers?
Argentina’s informal recycling network, once a lifeline for thousands, is unraveling as falling prices and new policies make waste-picking unsustainable.
Piles of Chinese-made plastics are now an inescapable part of Zimbabwe’s landscape, and corruption is making it impossible to clean up the mess.
Pollution and climate change have prompted some cities to convert into more sustainable and liveable spaces. But these same policies can widen social inequality. How can cities fix this paradox?
Recent studies reveal strong links between air pollution and deposits in the brain, even in areas with low pollution levels. Inflammation plays a key role in this process.
Authorities say they don’t have the funds to clean up the scenic gem. Instead, a determined community has stepped up.
Currently, the majority of Turkey’s fish currently comes from cultivation, also known as fish farming, compared to just 10% two decades ago. The short-sightedness of this shift risks eliminating fishing output from both the farms and the open seas along Turkey’s 5,200 miles of coastline.
The Indian river risks not being able to heal or nourish anyone for very long after the Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj.
Tire particles contribute significantly to global microplastic pollution, affecting soil, water, and wildlife. Despite their growing impact, they remain largely unaddressed in environmental policies and solutions.
Scientists in Nairobi have discovered that the larvae of the Kenyan lesser mealworm are capable of consuming polystyrene and now hope to create new tools that help get rid of plastic waste faster and more efficiently.
The Vilcabamba, the Atrato or the Whanganui have achieved recognition as living entities with rights. More and more rivers are achieving this type of legal protection (and respect). In Spain, the Tins was the first river to have its rights recognized.
The smallest country in Africa, Gambia is a net importer of plastics. About 84% of this waste is not managed properly, with dire consequences for the people and the environment.
Oil development in Uganda and Tanzania, driven by the French multinational TotalEnergies, is met with opposition from local communities and social and environmental activists. The projects are surrounded by allegations of threats and human rights abuses.
Pollution and climate change have prompted some cities to convert into more sustainable and liveable spaces. But these same policies can widen social inequality. How can cities fix this paradox?
From setting new rules, imposing tolls and fines, local officials in some of the world’s most desirable tourist spots are trying to figure out the right balance to keep visitors coming without ruining the environment, or the experience.
Fishermen bemoan dwindling catches as contamination by industrial waste and other pollutants raises concerns about the safety of food and drinking water.
Hydrocarbons continue to drive nations’ economies and politics around the world, creating both corruption, stagnation and — sadly as we’ve seen again — all-out war.
As a paramunicipal organization takes over water services from local councils, residents face high costs, shortages, contamination — and a foul odor that’s sullying the area’s reputation as a coastal paradise.
Shortages of water, which have ultimately long been controlled by Israel, have long been a brutal reality for the Palestinians of Gaza. Now with the ongoing bombing and siege campaign, the daily search for water has become central to the struggle to survive.
A fire involving a hazardous waste dump has brought attention to the hundreds of illegal waste dumps across Poland. Yet the government has failed to offer an adequate response.
Since last year, over half of the fish in the river have died, and Germany’s environment minister has said that Poland has not done enough to prevent a repeat of the incident. Now the Oder, which runs through the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany, is experiencing fish death en masse once again. Was this catastrophe doomed to repeat itself? Reporters from German newspaper Die Zeit and Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza looked for answers.
With the rise of influencers has come a sub-category: deinfluencers, who tell their followers what NOT to buy instead of promoting products in an effort to reduce wasteful consumption.
In Gdansk, year-long waits for medical care, empty playgrounds and windows dirtied by smog have caused this Polish coastal city’s residents to deem it “Chernobyl”. But Europe’s most coal-dependent country does not plan to stop importing it anytime soon.
The blowing up of the Nova Kakhovka dam has unleashed massive flooding in southern Ukraine. The damage is sure to be staggering, which will add to the huge toll the government estimated in March that takes into account land, air, and water pollution, burned-down forests, and destroyed natural resources.
Election day is approaching in Turkey. Unemployment, runaway inflation and eroding rule of law are top of mind for many. But one subject isn’t getting the attention it deserves: the environment.
Kampala’s air quality is much worse than globally accepted standards, but several interventions are being instituted to avert its effects.
An outbreak of Hepatitis-A led to the deaths of two children in an isolated village in Kashmir. Some point fingers at the lack of surveillance by trained doctors and poor sanitation, and others, to the faith villagers place in traditional healers.
Keeping the lights out at night may be a good measure both for the environment and in the context of an energy crisis – but it may have repercussions on people’s sense of security, in particular for women.
India is one of the world’s worst countries for air pollution, with women more likely to be affected by the problem than men. Now, experts and activists are fighting to reframe pollution as a gendered health crisis.
“They must be dumping garbage — good, it makes for good fertilizer!”
Mass tourism developed by taking advantage of cheap and abundant energy. But those days are over and we are all going to have to reinvent how we holiday. But as I found out, that is no easy task.
Green technologies are crucial to reducing carbon emissions, but they require ramping up the need for mining of minerals. And since mineral extraction can cause grave natural destruction, how can we ensure renewables are truly good for the environment?
The Colombian president recently said that the country had exported one million barrels of carbon-neutral or offset oil. But in an unregulated carbon market, such a claim is pure greenwashing.
? Hallo!* Welcome to Thursday, where Kazakhstan police kill dozens of protesters, Australia revokes No-Vax Djokovic’s visa and an Argentine judge gets caught on camera kissing an inmate. We also look at the measures countries around the world are implementing to force the hands of unvaccinated citizens to get the jabs. [*Flemish] SIGN UP This […]
Artisans who produce the natural fiber have mixed feelings about its success.
After slowly shifting in some cities to a more bicycle-centric model, the pandemic has accelerated the shift from cars to bikes in cities around the world. Here are some prime examples
Local villagers in western India have been forced to live with a mining waste site on the edge of town. What happens when you wake up one day and the giant mound of industrial waste has imploded?