By Christopher Thompson National academies say effects include spread of diseases and worse mental health A report by experts from 27 national science academies has set out the widespread damage global heating is already causing to people’s health and the increasingly serious impacts expected in future. Scorching heatwaves and floods will claim more victims as […]

By Christopher Thompson The internet cheered in December when Trader Joe’s announced it would take meaningful steps towards making its packaging more sustainable. The supermarket chain outlined a plan that included reducing and eliminating excess waste, using materials that could realistically be recycled and avoiding harmful substances. It’s the last part that medical and environmental […]

By Christopher Thompson They may not be cute, but the work they do for our soil keeps humans in business. But their numbers are in steep decline If earthworms had feathers, wings or fur, or eyes that looked mournful – or eyes at all – perhaps they would fare better in the public’s affections. This […]

By Christopher Thompson Air pollution could affect “every organ” in the human body, a major global review has warned. Pollution is known to be harmful to the lungs and airways but a growing volume of research suggests it damages the whole body. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says nine out of 10 people globally breathe […]

By Ryan Johnson Nobody, it seemed, had thought to look before. When two Austrian scientists discovered last year that it’s likely most people have plastic inside their bodies, it wasn’t because they had invented some new, complicated scientific method. It was because they were the first to check. Their approach was simple. They asked eight […]

Four million children develop asthma every year as a result of air pollution from cars and trucks, equivalent to 11,000 new cases a day, a landmark study has found. Most of the new cases occur in places where pollution levels are already below the World Health Organization limit, suggesting toxic air is even more harmful […]

Our environment is in a pretty sad state of affairs right now. Perhaps you read the prequel to this article, Life in Plastic: Not Fantastic. Perhaps you didn’t, which is also fine. Who cares about anything. (YOU care. WE care. This is our EARTH. We LIVE here.) I know you feel small and helpless and […]

In downtown Cairo, it’s not uncommon to see streets clogged with cars. But in a proposed redesign for a central thoroughfare, they’re hard to spot. Instead, in the concept illustration for what looks like the Egyptian version of Amsterdam, a two-way bike lane, a sidewalk, and a plaza filled with palm trees replace the sea […]

Toxic chemicals from your spring cleaning products could end up in the water you drink. Cleaning products are crucial for maintaining clean conditions in your home and workplace, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports some cleaning products contain chemicals associated with eye, skin, or respiratory irritation and other human health issues. Experts say cleaning […]

World Kidney Day 2019: Chronic kidney disease and acute kidney injury are the contributors to increased morbidity and mortality from other risk factors and diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, obesity as well as infections like HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and hepatitis. 14th March, World Kidney Day is dedicated towards the awareness, prevention, and treatment of […]