By Kate Yoder, Grist As restrictions spread, neighborhoods are getting quieter — and cleaner. For more than 100 million years, trees have dropped their leaves every fall, creating a protective layer of duff that provides cover for snails, bees, and butterflies. Decaying leaves fertilized the soil and gave nutrients back to the trees. Today, fallen …
Sea-Level Rise: West Antarctic Ice Shelf Melt ‘Unavoidable’
By Mark Poynting, BBC Increased melting of West Antarctica’s ice shelves is “unavoidable” in the coming decades, a new study has warned. These floating tongues of ice extend from the main ice sheet into the ocean, and play a key role in holding back the glaciers behind. But as ice …
World on Brink of Environmental Tipping Points, UN says
By David Stanway, Reuters SINGAPORE, Oct 25 (Reuters) – The world is heading towards a series of environmental “tipping points” that could cause irreversible damage to water supplies and other life-sustaining systems, the research arm of the United Nations warned on Wednesday. Climate change and the overuse of resources have …
How Circularity, AI Are Mending Cracks in Our Fractured Food System
By Tom Idle and Tina Nguyen, Sustainable Brands Naturally, food and its many issues has been a major topic this week at SB’23 San Diego. Here, two panels of innovators share their approaches to filling in systemic gaps in our food system. Redirecting would-be food waste to nourish communities A Monday …
‘This Place Wanted to be a Wetland’: How a Farmer Turned His Fields Into a Wildlife Sanctuary
By Gabrielle Canon, The Guardian Once, Karl Wenner’s Oregon land leaked pollution into a nearby lake. Now, 70 acres are home to waterfowl, turtles and endangered fish. Birdsong hums over the rumble of Karl Wenner’s truck as it bounces along the dusty trails that weave through his property. For almost …
Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes Sprawling Conservation Area in Everglades Watershed
By Amy Green, Inside Climate News Explosive growth continues to pressure Florida’s natural resources, and climate change will drive more development inland. The hope is to push back against the impact. ORLANDO, Fla.—A new federal proposal calls for creating a conservation area that would span 12 counties in Florida, from …
‘Every Square Inch is Covered in Life’: the Ageing Oil Rigs that Became Marine Oases
By Katharine Gammon, The Guardian Built decades ago, California’s offshore oil platforms are home to a huge diversity of marine life. Now a debate rages over their future. On a recent August afternoon, Ann Scarborough Bull motored out two miles from the coast of Santa Barbara onboard a research vessel …
Net-Zero Goals Have the Right Ambition, But Most Lack a Clear Path to Realization
By Geoff Nudelman, Sustainable Brands According to Capgemini research, the CPG and retail industries exemplify some of the most common issues when it comes to turning net-zero goals into measurable action. According to a 2023 Net Zero Tracker report, less than 5 percent of a group of companies that have publicly stated net-zero …
Poland’s Election: Democracy on the Line
Other News Victory and a third term for the radical right Law and Justice party would give it the chance to complete an illiberal takeover of the state. As the most consequential Polish election campaign since the fall of communism got into its stride this summer, one study found that almost 100% …
How a New Wave of Lawsuits is Targeting Airline “Greenwashing”
By Calum Mclaren, Corporate Knights Can anti-greenwashing lawsuits stop airlines from profiteering from the climate crisis? A wave of anti-“greenwashing” litigation is seeking to hold major players in the aviation industry to account for sensational claims of being sustainable, low-carbon or contributing to net zero. While the industry has faced legal …