By Ryan Johnson ‘We are in trouble if we don’t act,’ say experts, with up to 1m species at risk of annihilation The world’s leading scientists will warn the planet’s life-support systems are approaching a danger zone for humanity when they release the results of the most comprehensive study of life on Earth ever undertaken. […]

By Ryan Johnson Legislation requiring 100 percent post-consumer plastic in beverage containers is gaining traction in California. Meanwhile, recently released data shows recycled plastic usage remains relatively low in the state’s bottling industry. Under Assembly Bill 792, beverage containers would be subject to phased-in recycled plastic mandates. By 2021, beverage containers would be made of […]

By Christopher Thompson It’s the first state to prohibit restaurants, caterers, coffee shops and grocery stores from using the to-go foam containers because they cannot be recycled locally. Democratic governor, Janet Mills signed the bill on Tuesday and the law will come into full effect in 2021. Styrofoam (or polystyrene) is a form of plastic […]

By Christopher Thompson Sainsbury’s, which was recently targeted by environmental campaigners, has announced several measures to tackle plastic waste. The retailer will introduce a trial scheme for customers to ‘pre-cycle’ by providing an area for customers to remove unwanted primary and secondary packaging in store and leave it for recycling. This means that food remains […]

By Christopher Thompson Research finds even supposedly pristine region of the Pyrenees is polluted Microplastic is raining down on even remote mountaintops, a new study has revealed, with winds having the capacity to carry the pollution “anywhere and everywhere”. The scientists were astounded by the quantities of microplastic falling from the sky in a supposedly […]

By Ryan Johnson Consumers don’t have access to much information about how businesses operate, but they can ask questions and focus on one tangible item, the bottle. The exquisite vulnerability of grapes to nuances of weather makes wine both particularly susceptible to climate change and a harbinger of what’s to come for many other agricultural products. […]

By Christopher Thompson The Florida Senate on Tuesday passed an environmental bill that includes prohibiting local governments from enforcing regulations on plastic straws over the next five years. On a 24-15 vote, the Senate imposed a moratorium on plastic-straw bans, the latest example of the constant tug-of-war between the Legislature and cities and counties over […]

By Christopher Thompson Inspired by plastic bag bans, jurisdictions have set their sights on a much bigger target: the to-go coffee cup The People’s Republic of Berkeley, Calif., takes pride in its leadership on all things civic and environmental. The small liberal city east of San Francisco was one of the first U.S. cities to adopt curbside […]

By Ryan Johnson The waters of the Gulf of Mexico are warm and welcoming. Even during the dead of winter, Floridians enjoy higher temperatures swimming than New Yorkers on land in spring. We share the area with a marvelous array of wildlife, including dolphins—long, strong sleek creatures who speed by in pods, their jutting fins, […]

Which phrase does a better job of grabbing people’s attention: “global warming” or “climate change”? According to recent neuroscience research, the answer is neither. If you want to get people to care, try “climate crisis,” suggests new research from an advertising consulting agency in New York. That phrase got a 60 percent greater emotional response from listeners […]