Quick Key Facts What Are ‘Wetlands’? A wetland is exactly what it sounds like: ground that is covered by or saturated with water for all or part of the year. The water that makes a wetland can come from a variety of different sources, including ocean tides; freshwater sources like lakes, rivers, or ponds; underground […]
In California, more than 20 million residents were under flood alerts on Wednesday as the first of two atmospheric river storms hit the northern part of the state, reported CNN. The “Pineapple Express” storms were expected to bring warm, moist air with gusty winds, heavy rain and snow in the highest elevations. “An atmospheric river […]
According to a new global policy report — The Economics of the Food System Transformation by the Food System Economics Commission (FSEC) — how food is produced and consumed worldwide is leading to environmental damage and health impacts that add up to about 12 percent of the world’s annual gross domestic product. The researchers found […]
The EU has drafted rules that will require companies linked to microplastic pollution to partially pay for cleanup. Companies will have to pay at least 80% of microplastic recovery costs, while the government will subsidize the rest. The proposed plan identifies specific industries that would need to help pay for the cleanup, also known as […]
Quick Key Facts What Is Slow Fashion? Back in 2007, design activist Kate Fletcher coined the term “slow fashion” when talking about the needs for systems-level change in the fashion industry. It was a hat tip towards the Slow Food Movement, which began in Italy as pushback against the fast food industry, overproduction and waste, […]
China is the world leader in renewable energy, including 40 percent of the planet’s entire solar capacity, reported Rystad Energy. The United States comes in second place with 12 percent. Last year, China installed more new solar capacity than the total amount ever installed in any other country, Bloomberg reported. “China’s solar sector is set […]
An analysis of data from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has found that fewer wild birds are visiting gardens in the UK. RSPB analyzed data from its annual Big Garden Birdwatch, which kicks off in late January each year since 1979. The Big Garden Birdwatch asks participants to spend at least […]
Following pressure from climate activists, the Biden administration announced a freeze on new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export permits while it examines their effects on climate change. The move could delay decisions on new LNG plants until after the presidential election in November, reported Reuters. “This pause on new LNG approvals sees the climate crisis […]
Yes! The 2 to 4 million species of fungi in the world offer us endless possibilities — from creating alternative building materials and textiles, to cleaning up environmental toxins, to providing new sources of plant-based proteins. Now, scientists are turning to mushrooms and mycoremediation to solve our plastic pollution crisis. What Is Mycoremediation? Mushrooms growing […]