Plastic breaks down over time into tiny fragments. Can robotic fish prevent them from polluting the seas? FLY:D, Unsplash

Hydrogen flight, robo-fish and the fate of the Doomsday Glacier

News to know in our bi-weekly digest
25 June 2022

It’s that time of year again: heatwaves are scorching large parts of our warming planet, sending records tumbling in India, France and the U.S., to name just a few examples.

In this week’s environmental headlines, we dive into the latest climate disasters, as well as Indigenous food forests, nature-based plastic solutions, and more.

LANDSCAPE NEWS

Sadhguru on Day 25 of his 100-day motorcycle journey to raise awareness of soil health. Photo courtesy of Save Soil
Sadhguru on Day 25 of his 100-day motorcycle journey to raise awareness of soil health. Photo courtesy of Save Soil

Indian mystic Sadhguru is on a round-the-world tour to draw attention to the planet’s degrading soils. We caught up with him to find out why.

From Indonesia’s coral reefs to forests in Argentina, here are five youth-led restoration projects you should know, all led by our very own Restoration Stewards.

And mark your calendars for Wednesday, 29 June, when GLF Live returns with a special discussion on recent oil spills in Latin America.

CLIMATE

Small sastrugi on the surface of Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica. Paul Summers, Unsplash
Small sastrugi on the surface of Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica. Paul Summers, Unsplash

The ‘Doomsday Glacier’ in Antarctica, a major climate tipping point, is losing ice at its fastest rate in 5,000 years.

Poor countries are bearing the brunt of climate disasters, but rich countries – which are mainly responsible for the climate crisis in the first place – are offering little aid to help them adapt.

And in this week’s climate disasters:

PEOPLE

Almost half of this woman's goat herd was lost due to the current drought. UNICEF Ethiopia, Flickr
Almost half of this woman’s goat herd was lost due to the current drought in Somalia. UNICEF Ethiopia, Flickr

Across Africa, food insecurity is mounting amid drought and soaring food prices. These Somali children are resorting to stealing food while others in Niger face starvation. In the Ghanaian capital of Accra, this chef is serving free meals to hungry locals.

A secret treaty allows fossil fuel investors to sue governments for lost profits. These five young Europeans are suing their own governments to exit the agreement.

Air pollution is slashing 2.2 years off of global life expectancy, more than smoking and three times as much as alcohol. In the U.S., elderly Black people are disproportionately affected.

In Hawaii, Indigenous farmers are bringing back Maui’s ancient food forests, while Native American tribes will co-manage the Bear Ears National Monument in Utah.

PLANET

Can this ‘superworm’ clean up our plastic trash? Brian Gratwicke, Flickr
Can this ‘superworm’ clean up our plastic trash? Brian Gratwicke, Flickr

Could worms help us solve our plastic pollution problem? These polystyrene-eating ‘superworms’ might be on to something.

Meanwhile, scientists have designed this robo-fish to swim around the ocean collecting microplastics.

Fan mussels are on the brink of extinction. With 99.9 percent of its population wiped out in just six years, is there hope for one of the Mediterranean’s unsung heroes?

BUSINESS

Ahmed Muntasir, Pexels
Ahmed Muntasir, Pexels

Airlines could start flying hydrogen-powered planes as early as 2028. However, Russia’s war in Ukraine threatens to derail Europe’s green energy transition.

Carbon emissions from cement have doubled in the last 20 years, while the U.S. oil and gas industries are likely underreporting methane leaks.

The world’s largest insurers are expanding into Africa, but there’s one major obstacle: the climate crisis.

POLICY

A trawler. Jan Ubels, Flickr
A trawler. Jan Ubels, Flickr

Countries have struck a landmark deal over fishing subsidies, but critics say the agreement has several major shortcomings.

The UN will host its delayed COP15 biodiversity summit in Montreal, Canada, rather than China, in December.

Climate talks in Bonn, Germany have ended in stalemate, with rich countries refusing to put climate reparations on the agenda for COP27.

Australia’s new government has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels. Canada will ban the sale of single-use plastics at the end of 2023.

Topics

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