Author: Tom Wright
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We Are Drowning In Plastic, and Fracking Companies Are Profiting
Plastic production wreaks havoc on people and the planet—from fracking wells and pipelines in Pennsylvania, to air pollution from plastic plants in Scotland. We are choking the planet in plastic. Everything from wasteful water bottles to grocery shopping bags are polluting our waterways, and endangering marine life and the natural environment. It’s fair to say…
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Ultra-processed foods may be linked to cancer, says study
Findings suggest increased consumption of ultra-processed foods tied to rise in cancers, but scientists say more research is needed. “Ultra-processed” foods, made in factories with ingredients unknown to the domestic kitchen, may be linked to cancer, according to a large and groundbreaking study. Ultra-processed foods include pot noodles, shelf-stable ready meals, cakes and confectionery which…
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Seabird poop warms the Earth, and cools it
Three new studies of how the world works show that seabird excrement plays an unexpected role, as do polar algae and rotting trees. Three new studies of how the world works show that seabird excrement plays an unexpected role, as do polar algae and rotting trees. The world’s seabirds don’t just live off the…
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Timelapse video: shipping first as LNG tanker crosses Arctic in winter without icebreaker escort
Teekay vessel Eduard Toll is designed to cut through ice and take advantage of the opening of Russia’s Arctic coastline to industry. An LNG tanker designed for icy conditions has become the first commercial ship to travel the Arctic’s northern sea route in winter. It marks a milestone in the opening up of Russia’s northern coastline,…
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Melting ice sheets are hastening sea level rise, satellite data confirms
Research shows that pace of melting in Antarctica and Greenland has accelerated. Melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are speeding up the already fast pace of sea level rise, new satellite data shows. At the current rate, the world’s oceans will be on average at least 60cm (2ft) higher by the end of the century, according…
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A eureka moment for the planet: we’re finally planting trees again
After centuries of bad stewardship, communities are at last starting to see the benefits of forests. China plans to plant forests the size of Ireland. Latin American countries have pledged to restore 20m hectares of degraded forest and African countries more than 100m hectares. India is to plant 13m hectares, and on a single day last…
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Dunkin’ Says Bye to Foam Cups (But Bring Your Own Thermos Anyway)
Dunkin’ Donuts announced Wednesday that it is phasing out its landfill-clogging polystyrene foam cups in favor of paper cups. The company’s plan, which kicks off this spring in New York City and California restaurants with a targeted worldwide completion date of 2020, will prevent nearly 1 billion foam cups from entering the waste stream each year—and that’s…
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What Does China’s ‘Ecological Civilization’ Mean for Humanity’s Future?
Imagine a newly elected president of the United States calling in his inaugural speech for an “ecological civilization” that ensures “harmony between human and nature.” Now imagine he goes on to declare that “we, as human beings, must respect nature, follow its ways, and protect it” and that his administration will “encourage simple, moderate, green,…
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‘Dangerous Drift-Prone Pesticide’ Threatens Millions of Acres, Hundreds of Endangered Species: Farmers and Conservationists Sue EPA, Monsanto
On Friday, public interest organizations representing farmers and conservationists made their legal case in a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Monsanto Company, challenging EPA’s approval of Monsanto’s new “XtendiMax” pesticide. XtendiMax is Monsanto’s version of dicamba, an old and highly drift-prone weed-killer. EPA’s approval permitted XtendiMax to be sprayed for the first time on growing soybeans and…