Environmentalism

By Noorzehra Zaidi, University of Maryland, Baltimore County | – For many Muslims breaking fast in mosques around the world this Ramadan, something will be missing: plastics. The communal experience of iftars – the after-sunset meal that brings people of the faith together during the holy month – often necessitates the use of utensils designed […]

Ecology

How Trees and Forests Heal us and make for Well-Being,

H. Patricia Hynes

Greenfield, Mass. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – Korean scientists have confirmed that walking through forest areas improved older women’s blood pressure, lung capacity and elasticity in their arteries. Walking in an urban park with trees, or an arboretum, or a rural forest reduces blood pressure, improves cardiac-pulmonary parameters, bolsters mental health, reduces negative thoughts, […]

Climate Crisis

As Climate Chaos Accelerates, Governments can’t Afford any other Priority

Stan Cox

( Tomdispatch.com ) – In December, the New York Times reported that “Earth is finishing up its warmest year in the past 174 years and very likely the past 125,000.” (Though it’s not the Times’s style, that latter figure should have had a couple of exclamation points after it!) Furthermore, according to the National Oceanic […]

Ecology

Researchers alarmed at Damage Caused by Forever Chemicals (PFAS)

The Conversation

By Eadaoin Carthy, Dublin City University and Abrar Abdelsalam, Dublin City University | – (The Conversation) – Since their inception in the 1940s, the so-called forever chemicals have woven themselves into the fabric of our modern world. But recently, they’ve been appearing in alarming news headlines about their damaging effects on our health. PFAS have, […]

Climate Crisis

Made in America: How Biden’s Climate Package is Fuelling the Global Drive to Net Zero

The Conversation

By Alan Finkel, The University of Queensland | – (The Conversation) – Just over a year since US President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law, it’s becoming clear this strangely named piece of legislation could have a powerful impact in spurring the global transition to net zero emissions by 2050. But […]

Climate Crisis

Are Green Sustainability and 20th Century-Style ‘Economic Growth’ Compatible? Scientists increasingly Fear Not

The Conversation

Ivan Savin, ESCP Business School and Lewis King, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona | – (The Conversation) – When she took to the floor to give her State of the Union speech on 13 September, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen largely stood by the script. Describing her vision of an economically buoyant and sustainable […]

Climate Crisis

Young Montanans are fighting Climate Change in Court for all our Sakes

Tomdispatch

By Stan Cox | – ( Tomdispatch.com ) – The wording in Article IX, Section 1, of Montana’s constitution couldn’t be clearer: “The state and each person shall maintain and improve a clean and healthful environment in Montana for present and future generations.” Accordingly, in April, a district court judge in Yellowstone County voided a […]

Agriculture

The Real Risk that “Worthless” Forest Carbon Offsets will exacerbate Climate Change

The Conversation

By Julia P G Jones, Bangor University; and Neal Hockley, Bangor University | – In early 2023, the Guardian published an article suggesting that more than 90% of rainforest carbon offsets are worthless. These credits are essentially a promise to protect forests and can be bought as a way to “offset” emissions elsewhere. Verra, the […]

Biodiversity

The Forgotten Amazon: As a Critical Summit Nears, Politicians must Work Against Deforestation in Bolivia’s Amazon

The Conversation

By Victor Galaz, Stockholm University | – When asked to situate the world’s most iconic rainforest on a map, most people will pinpoint Brazil. And given the intense media coverage of the country’s deforestation and fires – concerns reached a peak under former president Jair Bolsonaro and his free-for-all approach – they might also imagine […]