Environment

The toxic exposures didn’t begin with the flames. Researchers are examining how fires impacted a community already harmed by plantation agriculture, development, and colonialism.

35m ago

Caring about nature can feel hollow when we lead a life disconnected from it. Therapist Leslie Davenport offers advice for building in moments of connection.

50m ago

This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...

2h ago

Solar panels can be an economic lifeline for farmers. Now they're going to be a lot harder to build.

1h ago

Headlines say the dirtiest fossil fuel is “back in fashion” — but there's much more to the story.

1h ago

​The world pledged to halt biodiversity loss by 2030, but as Cop17 delegates meet in Armenia next week the outlook is bleak and optimism has faded • Don’t get Down to Earth delivered to your inbox? Sign up here The world has lost its way on nature once again. Next week, biodiversity Cop17 begins in Yerevan, Armenia, and expectations are low. Very low. Almost four years ago, governments reached an historic agreement at the biodiversity Cop15 to halt the destruction of Earth’s ecosystems – to rapturous applause in Montreal, Canada. I still remember the excitement in the hall in the early hours of that freezing December morning. A perfect storm: how the super El Niño is devastating the fishing industry ‘We need less point scoring’: What party conference season taught us about UK climate action ‘I didn’t want to write about this’: the man who first saw chimps waging civil war Continue reading...

3h ago

How architects worked with harsh environment to create sustainable building in location where fossils were found Viewed from afar, the silver-hued Hami Pterosaur Museum almost looks like a space base on Mars. Viewed from above, it resembles a collection of dinosaur eggs in the sand. Nestled in the Gobi desert, in north-west China, the new tourist attraction showcases hundreds of impressive fossils of pterosaurs, ancient flying reptiles related to dinosaurs. But far from reflecting its prehistoric exhibits, the building itself is a modern-day architectural specimen. Designed with underground exhibition halls, giant light funnels and sprawling solar farms, the museum is able to operate sustainably while withstanding an extremely harsh environment. Continue reading...

4h ago

US research says nitrogen dioxide in restaurants that cook with gas can exceed WHO limits, which also affects diners Each time we enjoy a meal out or order a takeaway, someone cooks for us in a commercial kitchen. In the UK, 3.6 million people work in catering and hospitality. In the US it is estimated at close to 16 million . A first-of-its-kind study in the US has found catering staff can experience high air pollution at work – and that this can affect diners too. Dr Drew Michanowicz, senior author of the study at non-profit research institute PSE Healthy Energy , said: “I was motivated by what we have learned over the years about what just 30 minutes of gas cooking can do to air quality in homes with the realisation that millions of people cook for a living for hours on end.” Continue reading...

4h ago

Golden Valley, Herefordshire: Even vicars can get stuck too much behind a desk, and the 800th anniversary of St Francis of Assisi’s death is a good excuse to strike out, and speak to local people I was sitting at my desk again, with the dull hum and the blue glow of the screen. It seems that every occupation traps people at their desk, and being a vicar is no different. But I wanted to resist, and it happened to be the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis of Assisi’s death . With Jesus of Galilee as inspiration, Saint Francis was known for his vow of simplicity, his love of the Earth and his critique of the wealth accumulated by the religious elite at the expense of the poor. He was also horrified by the Fifth Crusade, so he travelled to Egypt, hoping to make peace. Francis also walked the walk, as it were, sleeping in caves in the Umbrian hills, taking nothing with him. No sitting at the desk for Francis. So I decided to do the same, spending three days walking the bridleways, holloways, footpaths and country lanes of the Golden Valley, speaking to people along the way. My sanctuary for the night was one of my parish churches – Madley , Tyberton, then Peterchurch, with its very welcome underfloor heating. Continue reading...

4h ago

Families in Vaca Muerta, the centre of Patagonia’s shale operation, report cancers, miscarriages and pollution In Allen, a small town in Argentine Patagonia, many people living on the same street ended up falling ill. For some, it was severe migraines, nausea or skin irritation. For others, cancers, congenital abnormalities, miscarriages or stillbirth seemed to affect foetuses or children. People say it all started 13 years ago – when a well was drilled near their homes to extract gas and oil. Calle Ciega 10 [Dead-end Street 10] lies on the eastern edge of Vaca Muerta, a vital area for Argentina ’s economy, home to the world’s second-largest reserve of shale gas and fourth-largest reserve of shale oil. The region has more than 2,600 active wells , including one on this small street where about 20 families live, most of them seasonal workers on fruit farms. Continue reading...

23h ago

Countries will meet in Armenia this month to carry out the first global review of progress towards meeting key nature… The post COP17: Tracking progress towards the UN’s 2030 nature targets appeared first on Carbon Brief .

17h ago

The amount of finance for nature delivered to date “falls far short” of what is needed to meet the UN’s… The post COP17: Developed countries ‘fall far short’ of UN targets for nature finance appeared first on Carbon Brief .

17h ago

Don't worry: There is there plenty of room on the grid for these electrical wonders — and they'll save ratepayers tons of cash.

22h ago