Author: Grace Johnson

France has thousands of kilometres of disused railway tracks that modern trains cannot use. Renovating them for heavy trains proves too costly, leaving rural areas isolated and car-dependent. One engineering startup has found a way to bring these lines back to life. SICEF, part of AKKA Technologies’ Flexmove consortium, has adapted hybrid vans to run on railway tracks. These vehicles, called Ferromobiles, combine road and rail travel, offering a flexible, low-carbon transport option for communities lacking public connections. A new lease of life for France’s forgotten railways SICEF says France has 5,700 kilometres of small railway lines currently out of…

Scientists warn that current economic models dramatically underestimate the impact of climate change on global economies. Governments, central banks, and investors rely on frameworks that fail to reflect the growing risks of a warming world. A new report from the University of Exeter’s Green Futures Solutions team, in partnership with financial think-tank Carbon Tracker, states that today’s flawed damage models create a false sense of security. Researchers urge stronger collaboration between climate scientists, economists, regulators, and investors before global temperatures rise two degrees above pre-industrial levels. Crossing this threshold could trigger catastrophic tipping points, including mass biodiversity loss and accelerated…

The world pledged to triple climate financing for poorer countries, yet the UK faces criticism for potential cuts. The government says it is “modernising” its international climate finance approach but declines to comment on alleged reductions. Experts warn that reducing support would damage the UK’s influence and threaten global food security. Ministers plan cuts despite global commitments According to The Guardian, UK ministers plan to reduce climate finance for developing countries from £11.6 billion (€13.37 billion) over the past five years to £9 billion (€10.37 billion) in the next five. Factoring in inflation, this represents a roughly 40 per cent…

Nations worldwide rush to tackle forever chemicals, but critics question whether the UK and EU crackdowns truly make a difference. The UK recently unveiled a plan, calling these substances one of the “most pressing environmental challenges of our time.” On 3 February, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) published its first framework to protect public health and the environment from pervasive chemicals. The plan promises a consultation later this year to set statutory PFAS limits in England’s public water supply. The government insists water currently remains below “safe levels” and argues the framework will make it easier…

China expanded wind and solar energy at an unprecedented pace in 2025. Yet, the country also commissioned more coal plants than in any recent year. This raises concerns about whether the world’s largest emitter can reduce carbon emissions enough to slow climate change. More than 50 large coal units started operating in 2025, each with a capacity of at least 1 gigawatt. That number is more than double the annual average over the past decade, according to a research report released on 3 February. One gigawatt of capacity can power anywhere from several hundred thousand to more than two million…

Researchers discovered microplastics in one out of three fish caught near Pacific islands, with Fiji showing the highest levels.The study reveals that reef-dwelling fish silently absorb plastic pollution reaching even the most isolated waters. Microplastics Reach Remote Pacific Waters A new scientific analysis shows that plastic pollution now affects even the most distant Pacific coastal regions. Published on January 28, 2026, in the open-access journal PLOS One, the research finds that roughly one-third of fish near Pacific Island Countries and Territories contain microplastics. Jasha Dehm from the University of the South Pacific led the study and reported particularly high contamination…

Researchers have discovered a bat-borne virus, Pteropine orthoreovirus (PRV), in stored throat swabs and virus cultures from five patients in Bangladesh. The individuals were initially suspected of Nipah virus infection but tested negative. This finding adds PRV to the growing list of animal-to-human viruses in the country and suggests doctors should consider it when evaluating illnesses resembling Nipah. The study appears in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. All five patients had recently consumed raw date palm sap, a sweet liquid harvested in winter and often visited by bats. This sap already serves as a major pathway for Nipah virus transmission.…

Devendra worked as a farmer in India and still remembers the moment of the bite. A snake sank its fangs into his leg while he picked mulberry leaves. He went to a hospital four days later when the pain became unbearable. The delay cost him his leg, he says in a short film by the Global Snakebite Taskforce. The initiative works to reduce deaths and injuries from snakebites. Devendra survived, but many others do not. The federal government reports around 50,000 snakebite deaths each year. That figure represents roughly half of global deaths. Other estimates suggest even higher numbers. Between…

Once feared as a symbol of bad luck, India’s endangered hargila stork now has devoted protectors. Thanks to local women, its population is slowly rebounding. Witnessing Devastation on the Brahmaputra On a sweltering January afternoon in 2007, biologist Purnima Devi Barman arrived in Dadara village along Assam’s Brahmaputra River. Surrounding her were emerald wetlands and tropical forests, yet all she saw was destruction. Villagers had cut down a towering kadamba tree, scattering leaves, twigs, and nesting material across the ground. Among the debris lay dead greater adjutant storks, some of Assam’s most distinctive and endangered birds. A few chicks survived,…

Unexpected resilience in the Arctic Scientists expected polar bears in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago to suffer from declining sea ice. Instead, researchers found the bears have become fatter and healthier since the early 1990s. Sea ice steadily decreased due to climate change, yet the animals defied predictions. Polar bears depend on sea ice to hunt seals, which provide high-fat meals crucial for energy and insulation. Fat reserves also help mothers produce rich milk for cubs. Researchers weighed and measured 770 adult polar bears in Svalbard between 1992 and 2019. They discovered a significant increase in body mass and overall health. Adapting…