While there is no silver-bullet solution to the toxic tide of plastic surging into our oceans, recycling must form part of the answer. The problem, many experts say, is that current processes are not fit for purpose. The world produces around 300 million tons of plastic waste each year. To date, only 9 per cent…
An international law enforcement operation against maritime pollution has revealed hundreds of violations and exposed serious cases of contamination worldwide. Codenamed 30 Days at Sea, the month-long (October 2018) operation saw some 276 law enforcement and environmental agencies across 58 countries detect more than 500 offences, including illegal discharges of oil and garbage from vessels,…
Meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement could save about a million lives a year worldwide by 2050 through reductions in air pollution alone. The latest estimates from leading experts also indicate that the value of health gains from climate action would be approximately double the cost of mitigation policies at global level, and the…
Loss of life expectancy is highest in Asia, exceeding 6 years in many parts of India and China; some residents of the United States still lose up to a year of life from pollution. Fossil fuel-driven particulate air pollution cuts global average life expectancy by 1.8 years per person, according to a new pollution index…
The world’s advanced economies will see an uptick in their carbon dioxide emissions this year, bucking a five year-long decline, according to the International Energy Agency. Based on the latest available energy data, energy-related CO2 emissions in North America, the European Union and other advanced economies in Asia Pacific grew, as higher oil and gas…
The Republic of Korea, Singapore and Malta come out on top of biennial survey of growth in the wealth of nations, the preliminary findings of which were presented by UN Environment and partners on November 26 in Paris. The Inclusive Wealth Report 2018, the full findings of which will be released in coming weeks, shows…
A new study, “Toxic Soup: Dioxins in Plastic Toys”, shows alarming levels of very toxic brominated dioxins in eight toys and one hair clip made of recycled plastic stemming from electronic waste. Dioxin content in toys from Czechia, Germany, France, Portugal, Argentina, India and Nigeria was comparable to the levels found in previous studies in…
The IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C, released in October 2018, was unequivocal: urgent global action at an unprecedented scale and speed are needed if the world is going to avert catastrophic climate change. With only 12 years left to keep global temperature rise below 1.5% of pre-industrial levels, the…
The latest Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion reveals a healing ozone layer, global warming reduction potential, and options for more ambitious climate action. The quadrennial review from the Scientific Assessment Panel of the Montreal Protocol will be presented here at the 30th Meeting of the Parties to this historic accord. Its findings confirm first and…
To confront the growing global conservation crisis, the Wyss Foundation announced today it is launching an unprecedented $1 billion campaign to help rapidly expand the proportion of the Earth’s lands and oceans that are conserved so current and future generations can drink clean water, breathe clean air, and experience the wonders of the natural world.…
