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You’re probably aware that eating less meat can benefit your health.

But did you know that if we all switched to more plant-based diets, it could save millions of lives each year?

Find out how in this ThinkLandscape round-up. Also coming up: a new vaccine for elephants, another planetary boundary breached and a new milestone for renewable energy.

This month on ThinkLandscape

Ever wondered where oranges, broccoli and potatoes come from? Here are five wild plants that gave us the food we eat today.

It’s been 33 years since the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, which gave birth to the three Rio Conventions on climate, biodiversity and land. How much have they achieved so far?

Phosphate made Nauru the world’s second-richest country – until it ran out, leaving its landscapes barren and scarred. Now, the Pacific island nation is trying to find its way again.

What’s it like to fight a deadly peat fire? Here’s what happened when GLFx Kalimantan joined a local firefighting team.

South Sudan is grappling with an influx of refugees from neighboring Sudan – and it offers some valuable lessons for the rest of the world.

In Rwanda, an NGO is tackling period poverty and plastic waste together – by making reusable menstrual pads made from bananas.

Climate resilience isn’t just built using technology: for these Kenyan farmers, it’s a story of mutual aid and solidarity.

Agribusiness ruined this island paradise in Lake Victoria. Local advocates are trying to restore it to its past glory through agroforestry.

What we’re reading

People

This is how we should eat to improve our health, reduce our emissions and save 15 million lives each year, according to top health experts.

More than 1 billion worldwide are living with mental health conditions, says the World Health Organization (WHO). Mental health services are under severe strain, especially in the Global South.

There’s a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This time, it’s caused by the most severe strain – but there’s now a vaccine available.

Their ancestors lived in voluntary isolation in the Colombian Amazon until settlers invaded and forced them off their land. Now, the Nukak people want their homes back.

Microplastics are everywhere – even in our food. Here’s how to eat less of them.

Planet

Another of the Earth’s ‘planetary boundaries’ has been breached: this time, ocean acidification has entered the danger zone.

Could melting permafrost cause the next pandemic? Scientists have found a way to revive ancient microbes that have been preserved under Arctic ice for up to 40,000 years.

Wild bee populations are in decline. An unlikely culprit could be hastening their demise: honeybees.

This deadly virus is one of the leading causes of death in young Asian elephants. Luckily, there’s now a vaccine for it.

Butterflies are experts at blending into the environment. As their forest habitats are cut down, they’re adapting by losing their colors.

Climate

This summer, the climate crisis may have claimed 16,500 lives across 854 European cities – with the true number likely to be much higher.

Since 1980, there have been 43 wildfires that caused over USD 1 billion in insured damages. More than half of these occurred in the past 10 years.

And nearly 40 years after it broke off from Antarctica, the world’s largest iceberg is breaking apart.

Are you a high earner? Do you live in a democracy? Congrats – you’ve got climate superpowers! Here’s how you can use them to make a difference.

Business

For the first time ever, solar and wind have generated more power than coal this year – and these renewable sources are easily keeping up with growing demand.

But equally, countries around the world are planning to ramp up fossil fuel production in the decades to come.

AI data centers aren’t just sapping up water and energy: they could also be leaking ‘forever chemicals’ into the environment.

Airlines are making a big deal out of sustainable aviation fuels, but are they living up to the hype?

Policy

China has made its first-ever pledge to cut emissions in absolute terms, targeting a 10-percent reduction by 2035.

India could become one of the first major countries to introduce a nationwide climate insurance scheme, making it much quicker for people and businesses to obtain payouts after a disaster.

The U.S. is canceling USD 8 billion in funding for climate-related projects in 16 states, all of which voted against Donald Trump in last year’s presidential election.

The EU will start implementing the world’s first carbon border tax on 1 January, but other countries – including the U.S., China, India and Brazil – aren’t happy and could retaliate.

A small win amid the chaos on the international stage: the High Seas Treaty will enter force in January after having been ratified by 60 countries.