Why does the Arctic have more plastic than most places on Earth?
Here in the Arctic, hundreds of miles from the nearest big city, are some of the greatest loads of plastics on the planet. Studies find higher concentrations of microplastics in sea ice in these remote, high-latitude hotspots than in the five infamous ocean garbage patches.
Argentina could become ‘sacrificial country’ for plastic waste, say activists
Argentina has changed its definition of waste in a move that could allow it to import millions of tonnes of plastic waste discarded in the US.
Put wastewater improvements first in climate resiliency planning
Sea-level rise makes wastewater planning even more important, writes scientist Rob Young.
Turning plastic trash into high-quality liquid products
Researchers have developed a new catalyst that can cleave plastic’s strong carbon-carbon, converting it into higher value products.
Brazilians rally to clean beaches amid outrage at Bolsonaro’s oil spill inaction
Nobody knows where the oil is from or why it keeps washing up on Brazilian beaches. “People in the north-east are cleaning the oil from the coast with their own hands while the federal government is immobile…”
Wahala: trouble in the Niger delta – photo essay
Covering 70,000 sq km (27,000 sq miles) of wetlands, the Niger delta used to be an incredibly rich ecosystem that contained one of the highest concentrations of biodiversity on the planet before the oil industry moved to the area.
Scientists rush to rescue sea turtles threatened by mysterious Brazil oil spill
Crude oil has been washing up along a 1,200-mile stretch of coastline of the Brazilian northeast for over a month, leaving more than 150 of Brazil’s postcard-perfect beaches covered in thick, sludgy black patches. It is also along this coastline that olive ridley and loggerhead sea turtles come to make their nests and lay their eggs.
Melting ice redraws the World map and starts a power struggle
The Arctic is emerging as a potential geopolitical flashpoint for the U.S., Russia and China as shipping routes get unblocked.
Mysterious Oil Spill Becomes New Environmental Crisis for Brazil
A mysterious oil spill that has polluted shores along a vast area of Brazil’s northeast may have resulted from unspecified criminal activity. An estimated 100 tons of crude has drifted toward land since early September, polluting some of the country’s most pristine beaches.