By Christopher Thompson The oil and gas industry is ramping up petrochemicals — building blocks of plastics —right as the global outcry intensifies over plastic waste. The big picture: Most people associate oil companies’ products mainly with gasoline. But they also generate plastics that are interwoven into all facets of our lives. This durable material […]

By Ryan Johnson Whether they’re clogging our oceans or causing harm to sea creatures, the use and creation of plastics has quickly become a crushing and widespread problem across the planet. Plastics have become an almost unnoticed part of our daily lives, from the food we eat, the transportation we take and the products we […]

By Ryan Johnson Opinion: Alternatives have a significantly higher total impact on the environment, while inflating costs for consumers This week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his government will seek to ban many single-use plastics starting in 2021. Although the final list of banned items is still undetermined, it will likely include plastic bags, takeaway […]

By Christopher Thompson Air and water pollution rightfully get a lot of attention. The danger is serious, and everyone can easily grasp the ramifications of toxins in something that all of us use directly every day. However, the issue of soil contamination carries equal weight, even if its effects aren’t as immediately obvious. Even if […]

By Ryan Johnson Plastic pollution is everywhere, it litters beaches, clogs up oceans, chokes marine life, is ingested by seabirds that then starve to death, and has even been discovered embedded in Arctic ice. It’s in the air we breathe, the water we drink (bottled and tap), and last year plastic was found in human […]

By Christopher Thompson While banning single-use plastics may seem like a “strong environmental move,” contrary to popular belief, the alternatives are seemingly worse. One of the alternatives is biodegradable plastic. It delivers convenience and returns the waste to the earth after use, but the concept isn’t as utopian as it seems. Biodegradable plastics put the […]

By Christopher Thompson Smartphones have become very cheap, and this is why people can afford to toss out their phones after just a short period of use. Many people would not even be bothered to sell their phones and might just choose to throw them along with their other trash. This e-waste usually ends up […]

By Christopher Thompson As the effects of climate change become increasingly dire around the world, conscious organizations and individuals are considering how to lessen their own detrimental impact on the environment. Unnecessary waste is of particular concern in the travel realm, given the abundance of single-use items that come with your average accommodation (think: mini […]

By Christopher Thompson Each year the world environmental day comes as a reminder of how profoundly the human civilisation is dependent on its ecology. Although every year the unique themes fixed by UN focus on various global environmental concerns, the theme for 2019 namely ‘Air Pollution’ holds an exceptionally special relevance. The last couple of […]

By Ryan Johnson It’s great that philanthropists are pouring money into environmental causes. But it would be better for the planet if billionaires didn’t exist at all During a commencement address this week, Michael Bloomberg announced that he’s spending $500m to help the United States move closer to a carbon-neutral future. We should be very […]