Ecology and Environment
Germany and France agree on climate cooperation with China
Chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken to the presidents of China and France, agreeing to greater cooperation on climate change. Meanwhile, US climate envoy John Kerry met his counterpart in China. Chancellor Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday with the three leaders agreeing… »
Vaquita: a disappearing porpoise
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons It is the year 2021, and there are only ten or fewer vaquitas left in the world today. Environmentalist groups such as WWF, Sea Shepherd Conservation Organization, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) efforts to preserve them could not compete with violent… »
Japan government will release irradiated water from Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea
Contaminated wastewater at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant will be released into the ocean “in around two years,” the Japanese government has announced, despite calls from China and South Korea urging against the move. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced the move in Tokyo, on Tuesday. He had previously called… »
Colombia Sent a Technical Document the U.S. Congress: Glyphosate Spraying has been Ineffective in Combating Illicit Crops and Drug Trafficking
The Interim Commission on Drug Policy of the Senate of the Republic of Colombia sent a technical document to both houses of the U.S. Congress, reiterating the evidence that glyphosate spraying has been ineffective in combating illicit crops and drug trafficking. The use of glyphosate only succeeded in reducing illicit… »
The Invisible Women in Energy: Biomass Producers Who Deserve More Recognition
By Philippe Benoit and Jully Meriño As the world looks to address issues of gender equity, development and climate change, the importance of increasing the participation of women in the energy sector is gaining attention. To date, this topic… »
How children are taking European states to court over the climate crisis – and changing the law
Even before Greta Thunberg launched her school strike for climate at age 15, youth activists have been key players in public action on the climate crisis. Now they’re breaking new ground in court. On November 30, six Portuguese children and young people brought a historic court… »
Cooling the Planet?
Grandiose plans to cool Earth, saving the planet from overheating by utilizing low-tech balloon flights sprinkling particles into the atmosphere to reflect solar radiation back into outer space have been delayed, nobody knows for sure when, or if, it’ll proceed. The planet-cooling scheme referred to as Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment… »
Groups Demand Ban on a Class of Dangerous “Forever Chemicals”
9 April 2021. An online gathering of over 100 people held to mark World Health Day last Wednesday highlighted the dangers posed by a class of highly persistent chemicals dubbed as “forever chemicals” and the urgent need to protect the people and the environment from such substances. Organized… »
Ecology & Economics: Humanity Has Reached A Critical Decade
Viewpoint by John Scales Avery* A new report, published on March 14, 2021 in the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences’ journal Ambio [https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-021-01544-8] points out that humanity is hurtling towards destruction unless we have the collective wisdom to change course quickly. The article was written as part of the… »