By Christopher Thompson Most likely, when you toss your plastic trash into a recycle bin you believe you’re doing the right thing. You think your plastic waste gets magically whisked away to a recycle center where it will be transformed back into more useful plastic items. Recycling feels like a harmless way to get rid […]

By Ryan Johnson Authorities declared an environmental emergency on Tuesday for metropolitan Mexico City, one of the world’s most populous megalopolises, as smoke from nearby wildfires pushed pollution to levels deemed potentially harmful to human health. Environmental authorities advised residents to avoid outdoor activities and exercise and remain indoors with windows and doors shut. It […]

By Christopher Thompson Production must end now, says first ever estimate of plastic’s cradle-to-grave impact The proliferation of single-use plastic around the world is accelerating climate change and should be urgently halted, a report warns. Plastic production is expanding worldwide, fuelled in part by the fracking boom in the US. The report says plastic contributes […]

By Ryan Johnson Hundreds of volcanoes exist in the United States. Most are considered dormant and haven’t erupted for more than 10,000 years. That doesn’t mean that they can’t or won’t. Dr. Gary Michelfelder, assistant professor in the department of geography, geology and planning at Missouri State University, says that though you may not know […]

By Christopher Thompson If you bring a tote bag to the grocery store, you’re not necessarily saving the planet. When you visit the supermarket, is it better for the planet to carry home your groceries in a paper, plastic or reusable tote bag? The answer is more complicated than you might think. Plastic bags are […]

By Christopher Thompson Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have created a next-generation plastic that can be recycled again and again, into new materials of any color, shape, or form. According to the EPA, as of 2015, Americans recycled less than 10 percent of the plastics they’ve used. This isn’t just down […]

By Christopher Thompson Soft-drink brand’s products make up nearly 12% of litter found, says Surfers Against Sewage Coca-Cola bottles and cans are the most commonly found items of packaging pollution on British beaches, making up nearly 12% of all litter, research by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS)has found. The results came from a series of 229 […]

By Christopher Thompson Report says plastics adding to death tolls in the developing world from easily prevented diseases Mismanaged waste is causing hundreds of thousands of people to die each year in the developing world from easily preventable causes, and plastic waste is adding a new and dangerous dimension to the problem, a report has […]

By Christopher Thompson We don’t know a planet like this.” That was the reaction of meteorologist Eric Holthaus to news that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have reached heights not seen in the entirety of human existence — not history, existence. According to data from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, the concentration of CO2 in […]

By Christopher Thompson The Environmental Protection Agency’s decision leaves fate of more than a dozen decades-long projects in doubt. The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health has tracked the lives of hundreds of children in New York City since 1998. Scientists have collected samples of blood, urine and even the air in children’s homes, starting […]