Browsing Category
Environment
605 posts
The Natural World
40 Years Ago, Scientists Predicted Climate Change. And Hey, They Were Right
Forty years ago, a group of climate scientists sat down at Woods Hole in Massachusetts for the first…
The Plastic Challenge: Are We Solving the Plastic Problem or Creating Demons for the Future?
When plastic became the “wonder” product for solving so many modern issues in the 1970s, we did not…
Designing For Future Ready Cities
Engineering has always been about building for what lies ahead, creating lasting legacies in the form of extraordinary…
How People Talk Now Holds Clues About Human Migration Centuries Ago
Often, you can tell where someone grew up by the way they speak. For example, if someone in…
Damage Estimates For Hurricanes Like Dorian Don’t Capture The Full Cost Of Climate Change-Fueled Disasters
Scientists say climate change is causing powerful hurricanes like Dorian to increasingly stall over coastal areas, which leads…
The Amazon Fire Crisis Has Been 500 Years In The Making – As Brazil’s Indigenous People Know Only Too Well
São Paulo – the largest city in the Americas – was recently plunged into darkness in the middle…
Amazon Fires: Eight Ways You Can Help Stop The Rainforest Burning
A tragedy continues to unfold across the Amazon. Tens of thousands of fires are raging across the region,…
Cut Down On Plastic Use With These Reusable Accessories
The world is already drowning plastic and we have a grave problem when it comes to dealing with…
Smashing The Urban Myths: How Clean Energy Builds New Cities
Our cities are hotbeds of inspiration, connection and breathtakingly brilliant ideas. They have given us so much –…
How Superior Renewable Energy Storage Could Cut Down Emissions In The US
America’s electricity generation is heavily dependent on coal and natural gas, both of which contribute to the already…
Seven Threats To The State Of The Air In The US
Too many people in the United States live their daily lives with air unhealthy for them to breathe…
How Cheap Must Batteries Get For Renewables To Compete With Fossil Fuels?
While solar and wind power are rapidly becoming cost-competitive with fossil fuels in areas with lots of sun…
Designing New Ways To Make Use Of Ocean Plastic
Beachcombing has long been a part of life for island communities. On the southwestern edge of Scarp, a…
‘It Eats Everything’ – The New Breed Of Wildfire That’s Impossible To Predict
Climate change and negligent forest management are causing higher-intensity, faster-moving fires that can generate enough energy to evolve into erratic firestorms, known as…
Amazon Fires Explained: What Are They, Why Are They So Damaging, And How Can We Stop Them?
Imagine a rainforest at dawn – the tall canopy laden with dripping ferns and orchids, tree trunks covered…
The World’s Forests Will Collapse If We Don’t Learn To Say ‘No’
An alarming study has shown that the world’s forests are not only disappearing rapidly but that areas of…
Which Climate Innovations Will Really Limit Global Warming?
To help filter the most effective innovations to invest in, a global initiative has developed a new way…
Leaked Documents Show Brazil’s Bolsonaro Has Grave Plans For Amazon Rainforest
Leaked documents show that Jair Bolsonaro’s government intends to use the Brazilian president’s hate speech to isolate minorities…
Mobile Forests Could Help Cities Cope With Climate Change
Cities are becoming harder places to live in as climate change brings higher temperatures, water scarcity and flooding…
For An Indigenous Group, Protecting The Future Requires Rediscovering The Past
The Harakmbut people of the Peruvian Amazon have seen their fragile ecosystem destroyed, with mining operations turning rainforest…
Going Green Is All About What You Gain, Not What You Give Up
According to The New Republic magazine in June this year: ‘You will have to make sacrifices to save…
Increasing Wildfires Threaten To Turn Much Of Northern Hemisphere’s Forests From Vital Carbon Stores Into Climate Heaters
In 2014, we travelled to the northern boreal forests of Canada to set experimental fires that would help…
Jair Bolsonaro Wants To Deforest The Amazon – What Powers Does The UN Have To Stop Him?
Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil is at its highest rate in a decade, according to new…
Amazon Rainforests That Were Once Fire-Proof Have Become Flammable
The Amazon rainforest is described as the planet’s lungs for good reason. So much carbon is locked up…
The Most Air Polluted Countries Of 2019
Air pollution is among the greatest threats to human health, with an estimated 7 million premature deaths attributed…
Surprise! Digital Space Isn’t Replacing Public Space, And Might Even Help Make It Better
You’re on the train on your daily commute, head bowed, peering at your phone. A cavalcade of news…
7 Things To Look Out For In Future Smart Cities
Smart cities are continually taking shape. With all these developments happening, what should we be excited about? Here…
Total, ETH Zurich Join Forces To Convert CO2 And Hydrogen Into Methanol
ETH Zurich once more introduces another sustainable solution for the fuel industry. In cooperation with oil and gas…
Plastic Bans Won’t Put An End To Plastic Pollution — Here’s Why
At the beginning of 2019, around 112 countries, states and cities worldwide imposed bans on single-use plastics including…
6 Ways Businesses Can Protect The Environment
Every business owner understands their organization has a responsibility to care for planet Earth, but many are unfortunately…
When Less Is More: Being a Minimalist in Cities
A minimalist mindset could be exactly what you need to have a better city living. Minimalism is green…
Are Shared E-Scooters Good For The Planet? Only If They Replace Car Trips
Shared dockless electric scooters, or e-scooters, transport riders over short distances in cities. Ride share companies promote them…
Why Green Spaces In Cities Are Beneficial To Your Mental Well-Being
Green spaces do more than just give some colour to the concrete jungle that is our cities —…
Mexico Turns Highways Into Stunning Vertical Gardens
To fast-track development, most cities transformed greeneries into grey concrete roads and buildings. Mexico City attempts to colour…
America’s Shift From Coal To Renewable Energy
America taking the sustainable route is paying off. The Guardian reports that renewable sources have surpassed coal in…
How The Maths Of Network Resilience Could Help Us Preserve At-Risk Ecosystems
Ecosystems are networks so intricate that their survival or collapse is extremely difficult to predict. However, by mapping…
Climate Change: We Can Reclaim Cities From The Car Without Inconveniencing People
Since the 1920s, the car has revolutionised the way people travel; eliminating the constraints of distance while offering…
New Wave Of Smart Cities Has Arrived – And They’re Nothing Like Science Fiction
An abandoned mine shaft beneath the town of Mansfield, England is an unlikely place to shape the future…
Genius Inventions: Solution To Water Pollution
Water pollution is a huge threat not only for us humans but also to aquatic life. In order…
The Bike As A Future Mobility Solution For Cleaner Cities
The Norwegian Capital of Oslo has incorporated plans to increase the usage and number of cycles among citizens…
Do Human Bodies Carry More Toxins Now Than 50 Years Ago?
Look around, and you’re likely to find a burgeoning industry of alternative health professionals, laboratories and containment companies,…
Climate Crisis: Migration Cannot Be The Only Option For People Living On ‘Drowning’ Islands
The evidence of the climate crisis is now undeniable. But state responses to climate change often have social…
Floating Cities: Cities Of The Future
Ever thought of living in a floating city? Oceanix is one step closer to that dream. It is…
Eight Ways To Halt A Global Food Crisis
There are serious challenges to global food supply everywhere we look. Intensive use of fertilisers in the US…
What Is The Biggest Threat To Your Country?
We all have things to worry about. But on an international scale, what are our biggest concerns? Here’s…
Carbon-Neutral Fuel Made From Sunlight And Air
ETH Zurich researchers made something that could reshape aviation and marine transport — they developed a fuel which…
Where Do The Oceans’ Microplastics Come From?
Microplastics spell trouble and the world’s oceans are infested by these. What are they and where do they…
7 Small Steps You Can Do To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Climate change requires drastic steps and complex solutions to be fully controlled. However, you don’t have to do…
The Cities With The Worst Traffic Congestion
Traffic congestion is a problem of almost every city. Too many cars on the streets affect mobility, environment…
How Japan’s Renewables-Powered Olympics Could Kick Off A Global Race For Clean Energy
Japan is aiming to host the first Olympic Games powered solely by renewable sources. If successful, this could…