Grist – A mountain of used clothes appeared in Chile’s desert. Then it went up in flames: “…Pino, director of Santiago’s Fashion System Observatory at Universidad Diego Portales, had planned this trip for months. Astudillo had volunteered to be their guide. The mound of discarded fabric in the middle of the Atacama weighed an estimated… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Environmental Law
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023
Natural History Museum (UK) – along with splendid photos of wildlife this gallery does include photos of fish and animals that are both predator and prey. Continue Reading
How to Reduce Your Exposure to Plastic in Food (and Everywhere Else)
Consumer Reports – “It’s nearly impossible to completely avoid bisphenols and phthalates. But several small, strategic shifts can help. Plasticizers—the most common of which are called phthalates—are used to make plastic more flexible and more durable. They’re so widely used that today, they show up inside almost all of us, right along with other chemicals… Continue Reading
Two years, 400 journalists and 50 climate experts
The Reuters Institute: Here’s what we learnt about how to report on climate change – “Since the Oxford Climate Journalism Network (OCJN) kicked off in January 2022, reporters, editors, photographers and fact-checkers alike have gathered week after week, talking to fellow reporters and to science and policy experts about how to understand the ways climate… Continue Reading
How crowded are the oceans?
The Verge – New maps show what flew under the radar until now: “Using satellite imagery and AI, researchers have mapped human activity at sea with more precision than ever before. The effort exposed a huge amount of industrial activity that previously flew under the radar, from suspicious fishing operations to an explosion of offshore… Continue Reading
Climate highlights of 2023
“This year was a busy year for our team at Climate.gov providing updated maps, graphs, stories, and deeper explanations of our planet’s changing climate. There were many weather and climate events across the globe from extreme rainfall, to record warmth, and a major ENSO transition (just to name a few). So, before 2023 officially wraps… Continue Reading
Here’s how the EPA calculates how far an EV can go on a full charge
Ars Technica: “How does the US Environmental Protection Agency decide how far an electric vehicle can go on a single charge? The simple explanation is that an EV is driven until the battery runs flat, providing the number that goes on the window sticker. In practice, it’s a lot more complicated than that, with varying… Continue Reading
Want to go plastic-free in 2024?
Fast Company: Want to go plastic-free in 2024? Here’s the realistic way I’m cutting out single-use plastic – “Heading into 2024, living without plastic feels as impossible as living without water, medicine, or clothing. Plastic is everywhere—from the depths of the oceans to our blood-brain layers. Despite needing ~1,000 years to decompose, we rely on… Continue Reading
America Lost Its One Perfect Tree
The Atlantic: Lumber, shelter, delicious nuts—there was nothing the American chestnut couldn’t provide. [read free] “Across the Northeast, forests are haunted by the ghosts of American giants. A little more than a century ago, these woods brimmed with American chestnuts—stately Goliaths that could grow as high as 130 feet tall and more than 10 feet… Continue Reading
For 50 Years Endangered Species Act Has an Almost Perfect Record
The Messenger – How the groundbreaking law became a critical bulwark against a growing extinction crisis: “In the half-century since, more than 2,300 species from bald eagles to tiny river snails have been listed, and the ESA has helped keep 99% of those from extinction — including the Kirtland’s warbler. Though it has its flaws… Continue Reading
Why AI is a disaster for the climate
The Guardian: “What to do when surrounded by people who are losing their minds about the Newest New Thing? Answer: reach for the Gartner Hype Cycle, an ingenious diagram that maps the progress of an emerging technology through five phases: the “technology trigger”, which is followed by a rapid rise to the “peak of inflated… Continue Reading
Why people still fall for fake news about climate change
Grist: “In 1995, a leading group of scientists convened by the United Nations declared that they had detected a “human influence” on global temperatures with “effectively irreversible” consequences. In the coming decades, 99.9 percent of scientists would come to agree that burning fossil fuels had disrupted the Earth’s climate. Yet almost 30 years after that… Continue Reading
