Human Activity in China and India Dominates the Greening of Earth
The world is literally a greener place than it was 20 years ago, and data from NASA satellites has revealed a counterintuitive source for much of this new foliage: China and India. A new study shows that the two emerging countries with the world’s biggest populations are leading the increase in greening on land. The…
Oil-Producing Countries Block Progress on Geoengineering Governance at UN
Under pressure from high-emitting, oil-producing countries, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) failed to advance a proposal to examine the risks of geoengineering technologies and to consider the need for a stricter governance framework. While many countries at the fourth UNEA meeting in Nairobi this week defended a precautionary approach that would build upon the…
Research highlights true impacts of plastics on our planet, ecosystems, people
The global fight against plastic pollution comes into sharp focus at the Fourth UN Environment Assembly this month in Nairobi, Kenya, with the launch of three reports each addressing different aspects of, and solutions for, the growing impact of plastics on the world’s marine environments. The report, Plastics and Shallow Water Coral Reefs, spotlights the…
Urgent action needed to tackle chemical pollution
• The size of the global chemical industry exceeded US$5 trillion in 2017 and is projected to double by 2030. • The benefits of action to minimize the adverse impacts of chemicals have been estimated in the high tens of billions of United States dollars annually. • International treaties and voluntary instruments have reduced the…
Meet six environmentalists who are changing the world
The application portal for the Young Champions of the Earth prize, is open. We present you with the story of six environmentalists who are already making waves and changing the world. We hope these stories will inspire and motivate you to apply. Find out if you have what it takes to be a Young Champion…
Plastic Threatens Human Health at a Global Scale
A new report released today reveals that plastic is a human health crisis hiding in plain sight. Plastic & Health: The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet, authored by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Earthworks, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF), IPEN, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (t.e.j.a.s.),…
The Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement 2019
The 2019 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement – often described as the ‘Nobel Prize for the Environment’ – has been awarded to climate scientists Michael E. Mann and Warren M. Washington. “The Tyler Prize Executive Committee is honored to recognize two outstanding scientists, who have not only advanced our knowledge of Climate Change, but also…
Dramatic Growth in Laws to Protect Environment, But Widespread Failure to Enforce
The first ever global assessment of environmental rule of law finds weak enforcement to be a global trend that is exacerbating environmental threats, despite prolific growth in environmental laws and agencies worldwide over the last four decades. Despite a 38-fold increase in environmental laws put in place since 1972, failure to fully implement and enforce…