Author: Grace Johnson

Authorities in India’s capital Delhi carried out a cloud-seeding trial on Tuesday to fight the city’s worsening air pollution. The experiment, meant to trigger rain and wash away toxic smog, did not achieve the desired results. A scientific effort to make rain Cloud seeding involves firing small particles, often silver iodide, into clouds to create rainfall. The technique has been used worldwide, though many experts question its long-term impact on pollution. A team from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur joined forces with the Delhi government to conduct the trial over several neighbourhoods blanketed in thick haze. But the…

Only 64 countries have submitted updated plans to cut carbon emissions, the UN reports. All nations must submit new pledges before next month’s COP30 summit in Belém, Brazil. Experts warn that these submissions are insufficient. Combined, the pledges will not prevent global warming from exceeding 1.5C, the threshold for extremely dangerous climate change. The UN’s review shows modest progress in curbing emissions over the next decade, but projected reductions fall far short of the levels needed to keep temperatures below this limit. The report highlights the scale of the challenge facing world leaders. Delegates will gather in northern Brazil next…

Faced with worsening floods and a housing shortage, the Netherlands is turning to floating homes. These waterborne communities are inspiring ambitious Dutch-led projects in flood-prone regions, from French Polynesia to the Maldives. Riding Out the Storm When a heavy storm struck in October 2022, residents of Schoonschip, a floating community in Amsterdam, remained calm. They secured bikes and outdoor benches, checked neighbors for supplies, and stayed put as their neighborhood rose and fell on steel pillars. The homes floated with the water and returned to their original position once the storm passed. “We feel safer in a storm because we…

When Hong Suk-hui waited on the shore of Jeju Island, he received a devastating call. His fishing boat had capsized. Just two days earlier, the vessel had set out on what he hoped would be a long and fruitful voyage. But as the winds grew stronger, the captain was ordered to return to port. On the way back, a huge wave struck from two directions, creating a whirlpool that flipped the boat. Five of the ten crew members, asleep below deck, drowned. “When I heard the news, I felt like the sky was falling,” said Mr. Hong. A deadly rise…

After six months exploring New Guinea’s rugged landscapes, a young Czech doctoral student made a stunning discovery. František Vejmělka, from the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the University of South Bohemia, became the first scientist to observe Mallomys istapantap in its natural habitat. This enormous nocturnal rodent, among the largest in the world, lives in mist-covered forests and grasslands around 3,700 meters above sea level. Until now, researchers knew the species only from preserved museum specimens. For the first time, photographs and video footage reveal the animal alive in its remote mountain environment. Bringing a Lost…

Beef prices in the United States have climbed to historic levels, turning a staple grocery item into a political challenge. Donald Trump, who once claimed inflation was “dead,” now faces criticism as soaring beef costs threaten his promise to make groceries affordable. This week, he urged ranchers on social media to lower cattle prices. But his demands — along with other administration proposals — have angered ranchers, who warn the measures could hurt small producers while doing little to ease costs for consumers. Shrinking herds tighten supply The US cattle industry has been declining for decades. Domestic beef supply has…

The plastic recycling industry faces relentless challenges, with closures hitting companies across the UK and Europe. Biffa shut its Sunderland plant in February, barely a year after it opened at a cost of £7 million. Rival Viridor closed its Avonmouth site in 2022, Skelmersdale in 2023, and announced this summer that its Rochester plant would also cease operations. Plastic recycling plant closures spread across Europe like falling dominoes. Veolia will shut its two German operations this year, while seven recyclers closed in the Netherlands last year. Companies including Borealis, Dow, and Nester abandoned plans to build new recycling facilities in…

They are called the “ghosts of the mountains,” and it’s no surprise that snow leopards are hard to find. Yet these majestic, thick-furred cats, living in the high mountains of Asia, are disappearing from much of their range. Their prey is declining, they face retaliation killings after livestock losses, and the illegal wildlife trade continues. Climate change, mining, and large infrastructure projects also destroy their habitat. In some places, however, the story is different: snow leopards are recovering, and their numbers are growing. On International Snow Leopard Day, attention turns to recent developments in India and Nepal. Snow leopards thriving…

Fining English water companies for spilling raw sewage will become faster and more straightforward, the government announced. New proposals would introduce automatic fines of up to £20,000 for minor offences and simplify penalties for more serious breaches. Stricter penalties for repeated breaches In recent years, monitoring equipment installed by the water industry has shown how often companies break rules on sewage spills. The Environment Agency has admitted it struggled to act consistently. Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said the government will now give the agency the power it needs to enforce the law. “New automatic and tougher penalties will deliver swift…

In 2018, thousands of starved animals lay dead across the Oostvaardersplassen, a famed Dutch rewilding project. The sight sparked nationwide outrage. Was it nature taking its course, or was it cruelty? Train passengers travelling between Almere and Amsterdam froze at the view. Cow, horse, and deer carcasses littered the landscape. Oostvaardersplassen, known for its wild grazers and birdlife, had become a scene of devastation. From Nature Experiment to Controversy Since the 1980s, the Oostvaardersplassen followed a strict non-interventionist philosophy. Rangers allowed ecosystems to shape themselves naturally. This approach influenced rewilding projects across Europe. The philosophy failed during the winter of…