What We Learn from the Coronavirus, We Can Apply to Sustainability

It’s Earth Day. Together, we can heal the planet. Here’s a silver lining in our current global crisis. 

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“Believe Science” Is a Bad Response to Denialism

Scientists saw it coming well in advance: a crisis that, left unaddressed, could kill hundreds of thousands of people. The White House ignored it, telling the public the problem was already contained. Maybe, senior officials speculated, it wasn’t a problem at all but another hoax cooked up by the president’s enemies in Congress, or by the Chinese government.

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After ‘Tiger King,’ Celebrities Rally Around Passage of Big Cat Public Safety Act

After Netflix’s docu-series “Tiger King” became a phenomenon that essentially broke the internet in recent weeks, celebrities are rallying around a federal bill that would protect the kind of big cats that are featured in the show.

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Largest-ever Arctic ozone hole closes

An “unprecedented” hole in the ozone layer which developed to become the largest ever seen over the Arctic has closed just weeks after opening, scientists observing the phenomenon have said. The gap in the vital layer, which protects the Earth from harmful radiation from the sun, set a new record for ozone depletion in the northern hemisphere when it formed earlier this month.

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Pompeii ruins show that the Romans invented recycling

Excavations reveal that rubbish left outside the city walls wasn’t just dumped. It was being collected, sorted and resold

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Ten wildlife success stories to sing about in 2019

Here are 10 biodiversity stories that provided a glimmer of hope this year

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Alarm Bells Over Rise of Antimicrobial Resistance in Aquaculture

Spain's daily coronavirus death toll dropped to 288 on Sunday, the lowest since March 20, as the country eased its lockdown to allow children outside for the first time in six weeks. The health ministry said the figure dropped from 378 on Saturday and brought Spain's total toll to 23,190, the third highest number of deaths after the United States and Italy. In total, nearly 100,000 people have recovered. Spain has confirmed, via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, a total of more than 207,000 cases.

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How to benefit from food waste in the age of climate change

Humanity bounces from one crisis to another as history shows us. Food waste and climate change are perhaps part of the same crisis. Now, research published in the International Journal of Global Warming suggests that finding secondary uses for food waste might reduce the overall impact of this problem.

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Versace, Jimmy Choo, and Michael Kors announce plans for carbon neutrality

Capri Holding has listed new plans to promote environmental and social sustainability change, with the end goal of carbon neutrality. The global luxury group, which owns Michael Kors, Versace and Jimmy Choo, plans to focus its attention on issues such as material sourcing, greenhouse gas emissions, water use and waste reduction.

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Archaeologists Had a Sword Fight for Science, Also Because Sword Fights Are Fun

Could ancient bronze weapons really hack it in combat?

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An Earth Day Reminder of How the Republicans Have Forsaken the Environment

As Earth Day turns fifty, virtually all celebrations and protests are forced online or cancelled, and the Trump Administration is busy gutting the nation’s environmental regulations.

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It's time to let the fossil fuel industry die | Ilana Cohen, Connor Chung and Joseph Winters

On the inaugural Earth Day, Americans flooded streets and college campuses to channel their fears, desire, hopes and longings into their vision for a better future. All these years later, we have failed to heed their call.

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Insect numbers down 25% since 1990, global study finds

Scientists say insects are vital and the losses worrying, with accelerating declines in Europe called ‘shocking’

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Treat climate change as seriously as coronavirus, warn WMO experts

EUROPE is heating faster than the global average according to new analysis that shows last year was the warmest on record. To mark Earth Day's 50th anniversary, new studies have found that while globally 2019 was the second warmest, in Europe set a new high mark with climate change amplifying heatwaves. And now the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has urged governments to show the same determination to stop climate change as with coronavirus.

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Can Dogs Be Trained to Sniff COVID-19?

Researchers are training dogs to sniff out the COVID-19 virus.

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Coronavirus shutdowns are making it clear how toxic our car culture is

There is no herd immunity from the damage caused by millions of personal automobiles roaming city streets at all hours.

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Maya Hawke: 'My parents' generation really f****d us'

Actress Maya Hawke has pulled no punches in her criticism of her parents' generation. In a new interview with NYLON magazine, the 21-year-old Stranger Things star, who is the daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke , both 49, has talked about the complacency of previous generations in their attitude to the environment and political stability.

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The meat we eat is a pandemic risk, too

"If you actually want to create global pandemics, then build factory farms."

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'Horrible hybrids': the plastic products that give recyclers nightmares

From singing birthday cards to baby food pouches, a growing trend of mixing materials is making recycling even harder

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As oil prices fall below zero, climate advocates urge no industry bailout

The price of U.S. crude oil collapsed to below zero for the first time on record, falling to negative $37 per barrel and forcing oil producers to pay buyers to take the product off their hands. As The Guardian reported last week, 160 million barrels of oil are being stored in tankers near shipping ports around the world due to the sharpest drop in oil demand in a quarter of a century because of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting global lockdown.

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50,000-year-old string found at Neanderthal site

A three-ply cord fragment made from bark was spotted on a stone tool recovered at a cave in France.

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The Killer At Home: House Cats Have More Impact On Local Wildlife Than Wild Predators

They may look cute and fluffy, and they don't go far, but cats are deadly stalkers who rule concentrated areas of their neighborhoods.

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Coronavirus lockdown boosts numbers of Thailand's rare sea turtles

Thailand has discovered the largest number of nests of rare leatherback sea turtles in two decades on beaches bereft of tourists because of the coronavirus pandemic, environmentalists say. From wild boars strolling through the Israeli city of Haifa to deer venturing into London suburbs, lockdowns are drawing wildlife into many emptied areas.

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The Lost Cubs of Rajsamand

Through phone conservations with forest guard Bhera Ram Bishnoi, Gunjan Menon bears witness to the discovery of three leopard cubs in Rajsamand, Rajasthan.

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'Megadrought' emerging in the western US might be worse than any in 1,200 years

Fueled in part by human-caused climate change, a “megadrought” appears to be emerging in the western U.S., a study published Thursday suggests. In fact, the nearly-20-year drought is almost as bad or worse than any in the past 1,200 years, scientists say. Megadroughts – defined as intense droughts that last for decades or longer – once plagued the Desert Southwest. Thanks to global warming, an especially fierce one appears to be coming back:

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'Huge environmental waste' as US airlines fly near-empty planes

The coronavirus outbreak has provoked a string of unsettling sights, such as the sudden widespread use of masks, shuttered businesses and deserted streets. Another unusual phenomenon is also playing out in the skies – near-empty airplanes flying through the air. Widespread travel restrictions around the world have slashed demand for air travel, with more than eight in 10 flights canceled. But there is a disparity in the US – while the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has reported a 96% slump in passenger volume, to a level not seen since 1954, this hasn’t been matched by the number of flights being scrapped.

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Starving, angry and cannibalistic: America's rats are getting desperate amid coronavirus pandemic

America's rats are being hit hard by the coronavirus. As millions of Americans shelter indoors to combat the deadly virus, which has claimed over 21,000 U.S. lives, many businesses — including restaurants and grocery stores — have closed or limited operations, cutting off many rodents' main sources for food. On deserted streets across the country, rats are in dire survival mode, experts say.

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Another disaster is ready to catch the US unprepared: Drought

Like COVID-19, water insecurity is set to hit the most vulnerable the hardest.

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2020 expected to be Earth's warmest year on record, scientists say

Federal scientists announced Thursday that 2020 has nearly a 75% chance of being the warmest year on record for the planet Earth. Already, through the first three months of the year, it's the second-warmest on record, trailing only the El Niño fueled year of 2016, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said.

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Why Is Trump Gutting Regulations That Save Lives?

Since Jan. 30, 2017, the Trump administration’s approach to federal regulation has been defined by a simple requirement: “one in, two out.” The basic idea, set out in one of President Trump’s first executive orders, is that whenever a federal agency issues one regulation, it has to take at least two regulations away — and produce an incremental cost, on the private sector, of zero.

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Michigan's Ex-Gov. Rick Snyder Knew About Flint's Toxic Water—and Lied About It

Six years after the city of Flint, Michigan, began using a toxic water source that sickened its residents, VICE uncovered payoffs, the silencing of a whistleblower, a shady financial deal, a coverup, and the former governor who presided over it all.

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A zoo is struggling so much that it may have to feed some animals to other animals

Faced with disrupted supply chains and steep revenue declines due to the coronavirus pandemic, one zoo is considering a drastic measure: turning some of its residents into food.

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These Four Startups Are Redefining Sustainability

Startups around the world are tackling some of the planet’s most pressing problems.

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'It's positively alpine!': Disbelief in big cities as air pollution falls

Delhi is one of many capitals enjoying improved air quality since restrictions were introduced due to the coronavirus

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See how your city’s climate might change by 2070

Change is coming for every corner of the planet. Explore what your city could feel like 50 years from now.

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Two new solar cells break records, including highest efficiency ever

Solar cells are constantly improving on the road to maximum efficiency. Now, three records have been broken by two different devices, including one that pushes the highest overall solar conversion efficiency towards the 50-percent mark.

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Zoo might feed animals to each other to stay afloat during lockdown

The coronavirus is sending a zoo into a feeding frenzy.

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Republicans Are Planning to Use Coronavirus to Gut Renewable Energy

Conservative groups aligned with the oil industry hope to block any aid for the solar and wind industries, which have been decimated by the pandemic. In late March, the Texas Public Policy Foundation ran an advertisement warning of a supposed power grab about to take place in Washington. “Some congressional Democrats want to use the coronavirus aid bill to enact their climate change agenda,” reads a sponsored Facebook post from the Austin-based conservative think tank, which has received donations from major fossil fuel companies.

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No Time To Waste

Nearly every product can be made recyclable if the motivation is there, explains Terracycle’s Tom Szaky.

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Big Brands, Big Moves in Sustainability

Sustainability is good business. Here’s how three companies are making it easier for consumers to both do the right thing – and bolster the bottom line.

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Air pollution in northeast US dropped 30 percent amid the coronavirus

Air pollution over the northeast region of the US has declined as millions living in the area are forced into lockdown to limit the spread of the coronavirus. NASA satellite images show a 30 percent reduction in atmospheric nitrogen dioxide compared with the same period last year. The pollution stems from the burning of fuel and emissions of vehicles and power plants, and because the lockdowns have closed businesses and left streets empty, air quality has improved

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White-tailed eagles have been spotted in England for the first time in 240 years

White-tailed eagles — one of the largest birds of prey with a 2.5-metre wingspan — have been spotted for the first time in 240 years soaring above the North York Moors. The incredible creatures, also known as Sea Eagles, went extinct in England in the early 20th century due to illegal killing. But thanks to a pioneering project by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, there is new hope for the majestic birds.

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Lake Michigan Is So Clear Right Now Its Shipwrecks Are Visible From the Air

Though the past winter was the hottest on record, it was chilly enough on the East Coast to send seasonal sheets of ice creeping across the Great Lakes. Now that that ice has cleared with spring, Lake Michigan is clear enough that shipwrecks lying on the lake bottom can be seen from the air.

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People in India can see the Himalayas for the first time in 'decades,' as the lockdown eases air pollution

People in the northern Indian state of Punjab are reacting with awe at the sight of the Himalayan mountain range, which is now visible from more than 100 miles away due to the reduction in air pollution caused by the country's coronavirus lockdown.

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Surely the link between abusing animals and the world's health is now clear | Nick Cohen

The boast that “when the facts change, I change my mind” is a proud one. “When the facts change, I reinforce my prejudices” is truer. If you want proof, look at the coronavirus that has changed everything and consider the undisputed fact that it spread because of humanity’s abuse of animals.

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A decade after the Deepwater Horizon explosion, offshore drilling is still unsafe

Ten years ago, on April 20, 2010, the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, killing 11 crew members and starting the largest ocean oil spill in history. Over the next three months, between 4 million and 5 million barrels of oil spewed into the Gulf of Mexico. I was a member of the oil spill commission appointed by President Obama to investigate the causes of the disaster. Later, I served as a courtroom witness for the government on the effects of the spill.

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People in India can see the Himalayas for the first time in 'decades,' as the lockdown eases air pollution

People in the northern Indian state of Punjab are reacting with awe at the sight of the Himalayan mountain range, which is now visible from more than 100 miles away due to the reduction in air pollution caused by the country’s coronavirus lockdown. Indians in the city of Jalandhar and the surrounding area have posted photos online of the views from their homes, with some saying they haven’t seen the peaks of the Himalayas for decades.

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Animal Viruses Are Jumping to Humans. Forest Loss Makes It Easier.

New research from Stanford University holds lessons for a world reeling from the coronavirus and searching for ways to avert the next global pandemic.

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China declares dogs are companions and should not be eaten

China has stated that dogs should be treated as pets, not livestock, for the first time – a move campaigners hope could signal an end to the country’s brutal cat and dog meat trade. It comes after Chinese authorities imposed an immediate ban on eating and trading wild animals in response to coronavirus, which is believed – but by no means conclusively proven – to have first spread to humans at a “wet” market in Wuhan.

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This is likely the last generation to see the Great Barrier Reef as humans have known it

For 500,000 years, the Great Barrier Reef has grown steadily in the cool, clear waters off Australia. But after surviving five glacial periods, the reef’s billions of inhabitants may not survive humanity. On March 26, the Reef endured its third major bleaching event in five years. Many of its corals sustained massive bleaching, even in the southern portion relatively untouched during the previous events, according to the Australian government.

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