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Plant-based Food Manufacturing on a Roll High-protein tempeh burgers are made with a fermented soybean product. Wikimedia Vegetarians, vegans and others who don’t eat meat or dairy remain a growing market for food producers. A 2025 market report  finds that this consumer group—which also includes those who don’t eat eggs or seafood—is starting to steer away from processed (“artificial”) substitutes and move to fully plant-based products. Here are additional highlights about the global plant-based food market: The global plant-based food market was valued  at about $64.56 billion in 2025 and projected to reach around $109.86 billion by 2029. Future Market Insights reports  that the plant-based market is growing due to consumer interest in “healthier, climate-friendly, and ethically sourced diets.” Supermarkets occupy  39% of the plant-based market share. The US plant-based food market is expected to grow  at 12.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2025 to 2035, followed by South Korea at 12.2% and the EU at 12%. Those three nations, together with the UK and Japan, are driving the development of the plant-based food market, says Future Market Insights . Market forecasts emphasize plant-based offerings as part of mixed diets . For instance, about 25% of US consumers describe themselves as flexitarian. Only 3% say they are vegetarian—with 2% being vegan. Food manufacturers are using a larger variety of plant protein. Pea, soy and wheat are the top three ingredients in plant-based food, but fava bean, lentil, flaxseed, sunflower, and algae (and other aquatic plants like seaweed) are entering innovation pipelines. Pricing concerns remain: In a 2024 survey by Innova Market Insights, 38% of participants cited “price or value for money” as a barrier to adopting plant-based options. Branded plant-based sales dropped by 8.3% between 2022 and 2024. However, private label sales increased by 6.8% across six plant-based categories during the same period, according to Vegconomist .

Should Kinshasa Pursue Oil Exploration? Or ‘Conservation Financing’? By Dhanada K. Mishra* Gorillas and their habitat could be significantly impacted by exploratory drilling for oil and gas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Cuvette Centrale wetlands. Francesco Ungaro/Pexels Today, there are two kinds of existential cry resounding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a central African nation synonymous with ecological and mineral riches. One is represented by Jane Goodall, a pioneering primatologist who spent much of her professional life in the DRC but who passed away  in October 2025 at age 91. Her role as a global environmental conscience and her legacy of defending great apes and their habitats are colliding with the resource development plans of the DRC government. The nation is caught between two forces, seeking, on the one hand, to protect its wealth of ecological treasures and, on the other, to exploit its vast reserves of   copper, cobalt, diamonds, gold, coltan, and tantalum—and possibly oil and gas—worth an estimated $24 trillion . But the development plans may also destabilize the environment for a variety of endangered mammals and other wildlife, sparking the current controversy. Opening the Forest Gates In 2025, DRC authorities launched an unprecedented oil and gas licensing round. The “auction,” which dramatically expands a tender from 2022, puts up more than half the country’s land—including millions of acres of pristine rainforest and centuries-old peatlands—for fossil fuel exploration . Conservationists note that a move like this also places roughly 306 million acres at risk, much of it home to endangered mountain gorillas, bonobos (pygmy chimpanzees), and Eastern lowland gorillas. They further warn that this is a monumental threat to one of Earth’s irreplaceable carbon sinks—the Cuvette Centrale peatlands , which hold an estimated 30 gigatons  of carbon in an anaerobic lockbox beneath its vast boggy upper layer.   The government … argues that oil production can be done responsibly, leaving only a tiny environmental footprint, and could finally lift the DRC onto the world stage. Civil society groups, both within the DRC and internationally, called for  an immediate halt to the auction, warning the fallout could devastate both biodiversity and the lives of nearly 40 million Congolese—many of them Indigenous—who depend on these forests. Yet the government, caught between much of its population’s desperate poverty and the land’s untapped natural wealth, counters  that economic sovereignty, development, and humanitarian relief must come first. It argues that oil production can be done responsibly, leaving only a tiny environmental footprint, and could finally lift the DRC onto the world stage, funding desperately needed infrastructure, schools, and jobs.  It points to the country’s rank as the second-poorest globally , with a gross domestic product per capita of only $753 and an average annual income of $449. In 2023, nearly 75% of the 112 million Congolese lived on less than $2.15 a day, the international threshold for extreme poverty. This video provides an overview of the environmental issues surrounding the Cuvette Centrale peatlands. A Clash of Imperatives The DRC government points out  the seeming hypocrisy of wealthier countries: Western nations, it notes, grew rich on oil and minerals and now urge the DRC to serve as a carbon sink for others’ carbon dioxide emissions.   Regarding oil exploration, officials promise robust standards —environmental assessments, modern drilling methods , legal protections. Oil firms tout advanced technologies that pare down the footprint  of exploration, such as multiwell pads  and directional drilling , to reduce surface disruption. For instance, multiwell pads, as opposed to traditional single-well pads, reduce the surface area required for drilling operations by consolidating multiple wells at a single site; this has  proven more efficient and cost-effective as well.   Instead of conventional boreholes, which are vertical, directional drilling enables the borehole to be intentionally steered in a specific direction. Several underground reservoirs can be tapped from a single location. This reduces ecological impact by minimizing land clearing, limiting habitat fragmentation, reducing wildlife disturbance, and allowing operators to avoid drilling directly in sensitive environments. There are many startups that are exploring different aspects of the oil and gas exploration industry to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact. But skepticism runs deep. Reports  by Earth Insight  and partner organizations  show that, even with best practices, oil extraction brings infrastructure—roads, pipelines, settlements—that lets poachers, miners, and loggers into previously inaccessible wildlands. The mere presence of oil blocks mapped across gorilla habitats and peatland basins guarantees a cascade of collateral impacts . And while firms might pledge compensation or reforestation, enforcement remains weak in a nation struggling with corruption  and scant resources.   DRC government corruption, in fact, is pervasive and well documented. The country ranks near the bottom of global corruption indices , and networks of politically connected elites have embezzled and laundered  public funds. Moreover, multinational companies have admitted bribing officials for mining rights, and state-owned enterprises such as Gecamines have been subject to major embezzlement investigations. Corruption reportedly permeates public services and undermines governance at all levels . Oil pipelines and related infrastructure such as roads and settlements allow access to wilderness areas for those who might engage in legal or illegal harvesting activities. Willian Mattiola/Pexels Climate at a Tipping Point Perhaps the most profound implication of oil and gas drilling is for the climate. The Cuvette Centrale peatlands store more carbon than all the trees of the Congo Basin combined. Disturbing the land in any extensive way could trigger emissions dwarfing the nation’s annual output, destabilizing one of the globe’s key “ carbon brakes .” Researchers warn  that drilling infrastructure could degrade these fragile wetlands, releasing methane  and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and accelerating the very climate crisis the world is seeking to prevent.   International diplomats, from the European Union to the UN’s REDD program  (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation), have urged the DRC to preserve these lands and instead pursue “ conservation financing ”—payments for ecosystem services, carbon markets, sustainable ecotourism, and development aid that reward countries not for exploitation but for stewardship.   Who Gets to Decide? One of the sharpest battlegrounds is rights and representation for Indigenous communities. Many of the lands at stake are home to people whose ancestry stretches back centuries. Under international law, their “ free, prior, and informed consent ” is required for extraction projects. Yet, according to local NGOs, consultation has often been cursory or bypassed entirely. Legal protections on paper may fray in the weeds of distant provinces where oil interests and local powerbrokers hold sway.   Under international law, [Indigenous people’s] “free, prior, and informed consent” is required for extraction projects. These issues—enforcement, representation, benefit sharing—are not unique to the DRC. They echo in rainforests from Brazil to Borneo, wherever ancient lands are recast as grids on a resource map.   A World on Edge In this sense, the battle over Congo’s wildlands is universal. Even the most iconic, “protected” places face relentless pressure.   In November 2025, US President Donald Trump ignited fresh controversy by resurrecting plans to open up pristine stretches of California and Oregon’s coastlines for oil exploration and drilling —the first such move in decades. His plan is intended to ensure US energy dominance and would permit 21 sales off the coast of Alaska starting next year, seven in the Gulf of America, and six in the Pacific Ocean, from northern to southern California. As in the DRC, this plan has provoked outrage from state governments, environmental groups, and local residents, who warn such action threatens both biodiversity and the region’s climate credentials.   Opponents say the US government’s plan would expose more than a billion acres of US offshore waters to fossil fuel development, including California’s legendary Pacific coast and Oregon’s marine sanctuaries. A bonobo, or pygmy chimpanzee, rests on a tree branch in a DRC rainforest. USO/iStock They argue  this would lock America more deeply into high-carbon infrastructure at a time when the world’s carbon budget is vanishing and when adoption of renewable energy  is increasing, driven by lower cost and environmental appeal. The drama in Washington and Kinshasa, though continents apart, is a mirror: Wherever there is oil, there is a struggle for control over nature, the climate, and the meaning of “progress.”   Sustainable Paths Forward Are there alternatives? The DRC has begun to explore conservation-linked revenues —selling “rainforest credits” on international carbon markets, attracting funding for forest protection, and growing the ecotourism sector. But these markets are in their infancy, and rich nations have a mixed record  on delivering promised climate finance.   Taking the long view, however, although conservation-linked revenue streams for less-developed nations are currently smaller than fossil fuel income, projections suggest they could become economically significant if carbon markets and biodiversity finance scale rapidly. Analysis by MSCI estimates the global voluntary carbon-credit market could reach up to $100 billion annually by 2050, providing substantial revenue for nature-based climate solutions. Meanwhile, ecosystem services (the overall benefits provided to humankind by nature) have been valued at over $150 trillion  per year, illustrating the vast economic potential of conserving biodiversity. Scaling biodiversity finance to meet international goals will require mobilizing hundreds of billions of dollars  annually, indicating that under ambitious market growth scenarios, conservation-linked revenues could approach or rival income from extractive sectors over the long term. With the rise of renewable energy from solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, etc., the future of fossil fuel–based energy as a revenue source is far from guaranteed. Consumption of renewable energy is increasing steadily, is projected to be 20% of total energy consumption  by 2030, and is expected to drive down the use of fossil fuels in percentage terms by 2050. Thus, even though there is today a voraciously increasing demand for energy and electricity worldwide, fossil fuels’ share of that market is trending down. Today’s Choices Loom over the Future The DRC’s oil and gas licensing round illustrates the complexity of energy, climate, development, and good-governance choices facing countries with large untapped resources and globally significant ecosystems. Outcomes will depend on a combination of exploration results, the rigor of regulatory implementation, the effectiveness of low‑impact technologies, the quality of community consultation and benefit sharing, and the availability of credible alternatives through conservation finance, renewable energy substitutes, and broader economic diversification.​​ For policymakers, investors, and communities alike, the central question is how to reconcile immediate economic aspirations with long‑term stewardship of forests, peatlands, and wildlife that play a critical role far beyond national borders. The decisions made affecting the DRC’s Congo Basin over the coming years will help shape both the country’s development trajectory and the global response to biodiversity loss and climate change. At such an inflection point, it’s good to recall Jane Goodall, who once said, “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” *Dhanada Kanta Mishra  is a PhD in civil engineering from the University of Michigan and is currently working as the managing director of a Hong Kong–based AI startup for building technology for the sustainability of built infrastructure ( www.raspect.ai ). He writes on environmental issues, sustainability, the climate crisis, and built infrastructure .

Alpine snowmaking machine at work . iStock   Ski resorts increasingly rely on artificial snowmaking and often build mountain reservoirs to supply water. Now there’s growing concern about putting such water demands on already fragile mountain hydrological systems.     A 2025 study p ublished in Ecological Economics examines data from 35 ski resorts over nine seasons, using modeling to assess how reservoir construction affects water withdrawals, especially during low-flow periods. The findings challenge the current assumption that reservoirs reduce environmental pressure. Instead, as temperatures warm, ski resorts may need ever greater amounts of reservoir water over time.    The study’s findings are important because ski resort operators are seeing a reduction in natural snow cover, causing them to increasingly rely on snowmaking, which is possible down to a maximum of −2 °C (28 °F).  Here are some key data insights from the study:  The seasonal natural snow reliability index for the 35 resorts ranges from 4% to 85%, with an average of 61%.    The French Alps have approximately 136 reservoirs, with a combined storage capacity of nearly 7.3 million m 3  (19.2 billion gallons)    On average, ski resorts withdraw 212,113 cubic meters (56 million gallons) of water per year for snowmaking.   Among the 35 ski resorts studied, a 1% increase in reservoir capacity is associated with a 0.28% increase in low-flow period water withdrawals (typically from December to March).    Over the longer term, the effect grows. The same 1% increase in reservoir capacity corresponds to a 0.4% increase in low-flow period withdrawals. In other words, rather than alleviating stress on water sources during dry periods, expanding reservoir capacity tends to encourage increased water use—potentially exacerbating low-flow period conditions.    Reservoirs are often promoted by ski-lift operators as part of “environmental commitment” or climate change adaptation strategies, but the empirical evidence indicates they may contribute to future water-use conflicts.    Canadian ski resorts are currently estimated to use around 43.4 million cubic meters (11.4 billion gallons) of water for snowmaking per annum, with predicted increases ranging from 55% to 97% by 2050.   Reservoir capacity has grown: In 2010, ski resorts had a storage capacity of 2.22 million cubic meters (586 million gallons) of water, which increased to 3.54 million cubic meters (935 million gallons) in 2021.

Community and Household Solar Is Electrifying Remote Communities in Underdeveloped Nations By Rick Laezman* An electric light allows a seamstress in the village of Kasakula, Malawi, to work after sunset, increasing her family’s income. Courtesy of SolarAid/Kondwani Jere Electricity is life-transformative. It can bring people and families from a literal “dark” age and open up for them an array of new possibilities in education, work, friendship, family, and health. This is what the people of an increasing number of rural, remote communities in less-developed areas of the world are experiencing as various organizations bring solar technology to their doorstep. Two villages highlight this progress: Vila Limeira in the Amazonas state of Brazil and Kasakula, Malawi. In a time of extraordinary technological progress, extreme poverty is still the norm in many parts of the globe. According to the International Energy Agency , 730 million people  lacked access to electricity in 2024 .  This is 9% of the global population  of 8.2 billion. A video  explaining the electrification of the Amazon riverside village of Vila Limeira, Brazil. Shining a Light in Amazonia One area that is benefiting tremendously from rural electrification efforts is the Amazon rainforest. Eighty percent  of the Amazon River’s 4,000 miles lies in Brazil, along with much of the Amazon rainforest and watershed. The country has a robust electrical system, but there are still hundreds of thousands of people in remote rainforest communities without access to electricity. According to Alessandra Mathyas, a conservation analyst at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Brazil, the main reason for this is the distance involved in crossing forests and rivers with transmission infrastructure. It “would cause significant environmental damage and would provide little financial return” for the utilities that provide the infrastructure, she says. [Brazil] has a robust electrical system, but there are still hundreds of thousands of people  in remote rainforest communities without access to electricity. Recognizing this, the Brazilian government in 2003 launched a program called Luz para Todos (Light for All) . The program provided funding to expand electrical access into remote rural communities. It emphasized the expansion of networks, on-site photovoltaic (solar) systems, and minigrids powered by solar and biomass generation. More than 20 years later, the program is considered a success, with more than 20 million rural households now connected. Mathyas notes that the government program has invested primarily in individual photovoltaic systems. She adds that while these systems provide some electricity to families and communities, she believes they are “insufficient to ensure a good standard of living or to stimulate productive activities.” To help fill this gap, WWF has embraced minigrids to provide sustainable electricity to homes and communities that are typically located in clusters. Mathyas says, “They provide greater power for productive uses” and “continuous, reliable service to families.” In 2021, WWF implemented a 32 kW microgrid powered by solar photovoltaic panels in Vila Limeira,  a small, riverside community of 90 people in southern Amazonas state. The project was the result of careful planning, collaboration, and involvement from the community's residents. First, Mathyas and the WWF conducted a survey of energy needed for homes and local agricultural production, which is the primary source of income for the community. The survey also included the local school, community center, and church. It pointed toward a photovoltaic minigrid—rather than individual-home solar panels—as the best solution for the community. Residents helped with the installation by preparing the site for the new system. They constructed a storage space for the batteries and, with the help of the WWF, trained two individuals in system maintenance, including monitoring battery performance, consumption, and charging. Additional video  insights and information about the electrification success in Vila Limeira. The minigrid has been a success. It allowed Vila Limeira to become the first 100% solar-powered community in the region. The benefits of this transition have been tremendous. The minigrid allowed the community to wean itself off of generators powered by very expensive and dirty diesel fuel and provided electricity continuously rather than for short increments of only a few hours at a time. Small things, like a water fountain with cold running water in the school and a lighted kitchen at dinnertime, became realities. Residents no longer had to travel down to the river to wash clothes because now they could use appliances in their homes. The grid has also helped the community economically. Residents have achieved great savings on their energy costs, and the increased efficiency in their agricultural production has boosted their access to markets and supported plans for expansion. “This project can inspire Brazil and other countries in the Amazon to bring affordable energy to places that are still without electricity.” “This project can inspire Brazil and other countries in the Amazon to bring affordable energy to places that are still without electricity,” said Mathyas. Other organizations have adopted similar approaches in the region. According to Roxani Roushas with the United Nations Development Program’s Rome Centre for Climate Action and Energy Transition, “traditional grid expansion is often not technically, financially, or environmentally feasible” in remote rural communities. She adds that in these locations, “decentralized renewable energy solutions become essential.” These include minigrids, solar home systems, hybrid systems, and other stand-alone technologies. A view of Kasakula village, Malawi, during the daytime. Courtesy of SolarAid/Kondwani Jere One program that has successfully adopted this approach has been the Aylluq Q’anchaynin  program in the Indigenous community of Alto Mishagua in Peru. Led by six college students at the Federal University for Latin American Integration (UNILA) in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, the program installed a complete solar energy system to power 40 households in the community. A view of Kasakula village, Malawi (with the benefit of recent full solar electrification) at night.  Courtesy of SolarAid/Kondwani Jere Beyond bringing reliable access to electricity, … education, communications, emergency response, public services, and social programs have all improved. The program has seen many benefits. Beyond bringing reliable access to electricity for 40 families, it has strengthened the community’s autonomy through self-sufficient energy generation. Education, communications, emergency response, public services, and social programs have all improved. Families also have cut down on fuel consumption and long trips via riverboat to cities for the things they need. As Roushas points out, “the impact goes far beyond energy.” Sunshine in the Sub-Sahara   More than 5,000 miles and an ocean away, solar energy is also improving the lives of residents in another continent. Sadly, poverty and lack of access to electricity are pervasive in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the World Bank , the region is home to nearly 60% of the world’s population living below the international poverty line. Many of the countries in the region also rank among the world’s poorest. Malawi, for example, is considered the fourth-poorest country in the world, also according to the World Bank . Heavy reliance on agriculture and vulnerability to the extreme effects of climate change leave more than 70% of the nation’s population in poverty. Here, too, organizations have stepped in to address the problem. Sustainable Energy for All  (SEforAll) is an independent international organization created by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to accelerate affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy. It emphasizes evidence-driven planning, policy support, and finance mobilization. In Malawi, SEforAll helped launch the Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) in 2022. It is a unified planning framework that combines electrification expansion, clean cooking, and even vaccine distribution logistics on a single open-access platform . Alexandros Korkovelos is a senior officer of energy planning for SEforAll. He notes that Malawi continues to face significant electricity access challenges, with only roughly one in six people   estimated to have any form of electricity (grid or off-grid). “This means that millions of people, and a large share of public services in areas where these people live, still operate without reliable power,” he says. Korkovelos explains that the lack of access to reliable supplies of electricity can be attributed to several factors. These include a dispersed rural population, the inability of families to afford electricity and the costs associated with it (e.g., connection cost, taxes ,  and appliances), a weakened and under-resourced power system, and challenges around aligning policies and coordination within the energy sector. The IEP developed by SEforAll envisions a mix of technologies and strategies to achieve 100% access by 2030. These include grid densification (connecting more families who live within reach of existing grid infrastructure), grid expansion, minigrids, and—in the most remote areas—solar home systems.   The last of these strategies has been the focus of groups like SolarAid , an international charity dedicated to tackling poverty and the climate crisis by helping to bring clean, safe solar lighting to the most rural and inaccessible areas of the region. Its Light a Village  program applies a unique model that has demonstrated a successful approach. According to Brave Mhonie, general manager of SolarAid in Malawi, the program has succeeded by “taking away the access barrier.” The [SolarAid] program provides “energy as a service,” selling electricity rather than hardware, and so has brought solar power access to remote rural communities at a price they can afford. The program provides “energy as a service,” selling electricity rather than hardware, and so has brought solar power access to remote rural communities at a price they can afford. The program has innovated the concept of distributed solar power by providing each household and community building with their own solar systems. Ownership of the hardware remains with the utility provider, so customers pay only for the electricity they receive. This approach overcomes the prohibitive cost of buying a new solar system, which is a hurdle even in affluent societies. A young woman studies by solar-powered electric light, a far better and healthier way than using candle or kerosene light, both of which are not only inefficient and polluting but expensive. Courtesy of SolarAid/Kondwani Jere On the other hand, social conditions created a strong incentive to act. Fifty percent of the population in the SolarAid communities were women, but their participation in local schooling was very low. The lack of access to electricity created barriers for their participation. Now, with near-universal access to electricity (99% of households), the results are tangible, says Mhonie. “Now young women do not have to travel at night to learn,” he says. “They can spend a longer time studying at home.” The connections have also improved the economic well-being of the communities. According to Mhonie, “households have increased their productivity, and connected shops have increased their working hours.” More than 9,000 customers have now been connected, plus 12 schools in the area and teachers’ homes. The program also recruited and trained 84 customer service representatives, technicians who can perform needed maintenance on the installed equipment. A Better Life for All, Under the Sun In many places around the world, government agencies, utilities, and nonprofit groups are teaming up to help poor, remote, and rural communities increase their access to electricity. They are taking their lessons and bringing them to other places of need. The benefits of this reach beyond the communities themselves. According to Mhonie, it is a good thing to provide access to solar energy in these remote rural communities. “No one deserves to live in poverty,” he says. By bringing light to villages, he explains, SolarAid and other organizations’ efforts are “making life on Earth a better life.” *Rick Laezman   is a freelance writer in Los Angeles, California, US. He has a passion for energy efficiency and innovation. He has been covering renewable power and other related subjects for more than 10 years.

Counting the Awardees for Environmental Achievement A Nobel Prize medal. Wikimedia While the prestigious Nobel Prize  system does not include a formal “environment” award, numerous laureates in the Peace, Chemistry, Physics, and Economic Sciences categories have been honored for research and action that deepen humanity’s understanding of the planet and support its protection. This data brief highlights key laureates and their achievements—and how awards for environmental contributions have accumulated over time. Between 1901 to 2025 , 633 prizes have been awarded to 1,026 people and organizations across six categories (Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences). A retrospective by the Nobel Foundation identifies 11 Nobel Prizes directly tied to understanding and protecting Earth’s systems—from climate modeling and ozone chemistry to sustainable economics.  The Nobel Foundation’s “ Spotlight on Sustainability ” notes that the share of environment-related Nobel work is rising, particularly in “green chemistry” and climate-related physics. Notable examples follow: Paul Crutzen, Mario Molina, and F. Sherwood Rowland (Chemistry, 1995): Awarded for discovering how man-made compounds destroy the ozone layer—a landmark moment that shaped the Montreal Protocol. Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement (Peace, 2004): Honored “for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy, and peace” by linking environmental restoration with women’s empowerment. William Nordhaus (Economic Sciences, 2018): Recognized “for integrating climate change into long-run macroeconomic analysis,” making him the first economist to model global warming’s long-term cost. Syukuro Manabe of Princeton University and Klaus Hasselmann of Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (Physics, 2021): Jointly honored “for the physical modeling of Earth’s climate, quantifying variability and reliably predicting global warming.” Their work built the foundation of modern climate forecasting. David W. C. MacMillan of Princeton University (Chemistry, 2021): Recognized for pioneering asymmetric organocatalysis , a breakthrough that revolutionized green chemistry by reducing reliance on toxic and rare metals. Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi (Chemistry, 2025): Awarded “for the development of metal-organic frameworks,” materials that can capture carbon dioxide and extract water from air—technologies crucial for climate mitigation.

Stemming the ‘Rivers’ of Polluting Cast-off Clothing By Karl Selle* A video  shows the vast waste-clothing dumps in the Atacama Desert. Chilean traders illegally landfill more than half of the 60,000 tons of the cast-off clothing they import annually from Europe and the US. Stand in front of your wardrobe for a moment and imagine every T-shirt, dress, and pair of jeans tracing its way across the planet after you’re done with it. Most of those garments don’t quietly “disappear” into a donation bin or recycling stream. Every year, the world produces  more than 100 billion garments and about 92 million tons of textile waste, much of it ending up in landfills, open dumps, or burned in the open air, according to a recent   United Nations Environment Programme   (UNEP) opinion piece  on textile waste tied to International Zero Waste Day. The clothing industry is one of the world’s foremost polluters , affecting the environment sharply at every stage, from production to disposal. According to the UN , the industry produces 20% of global wastewater and 10% of greenhouse gas emissions. And cotton farming claims an enormous share of agricultural water and pesticide use. At the same time, clothing production has roughly doubled since 2000, while people are wearing each item around 36% fewer times than they did 15 years ago, as documented in a 2017  report  by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation titled “A New Textiles Economy.” Less than 1% of the material used to make clothes is recycled back into new clothing, meaning the fashion system is still overwhelmingly linear: We grow or pump resources, churn out garments, and discard them. This article follows the “rivers” of textile waste from rich consumer markets to the communities downstream. It looks at how new rules—like the European Union’s (EU’s)  revised Waste Framework Directive —could change those flows, and what it would take to turn today’s dumping problem into tomorrow’s circular textiles system. Where Used Clothes Actually Go When we picture textile waste, we usually imagine a local landfill or perhaps a thrift store that “finds a good home” for our cast-offs. The reality is far more global. Studies highlighted  by UNEP’s International Zero Waste Day’s focus on fashion suggest that every second, the equivalent of a garbage truck full of clothes is dumped or burned somewhere in the world. Every second, the equivalent of a garbage truck full of clothes is dumped or burned somewhere in the world. In 2015 alone, the global clothing system produced tens of millions of tons of fiber, with more than 70 million tons of textiles entering the apparel pipeline and the vast majority ending up landfilled or incinerated after short use. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation report shows that clothing sales more than doubled between 2000 and 2015, while garments were worn far fewer times before being discarded. Europeans and Americans, for instance, remained steady, wearing garments around 100 times and less than 50 times, respectively, before tossing them. But globally, the average of wears dropped from around 200 to less than 150, while in China the average number of wears plummeted from more than 200 to just 62, the report says, citing data from 2002 to 2016. Once discarded, textiles don’t disappear; they shed microplastics, leak dyes and finishing chemicals, and accumulate in ecosystems. An analysis by the European Environment Agency (EEA) estimates  that between 200,000 and 500,000 tons of microplastics from textiles enter the oceans each year globally, making synthetic fabrics a major source of microplastic pollution. A video  giving a look into the bustling Kantamanto Market in the central business district of Accra, the capital of Ghana. Sixty percent of the market was destroyed by fire in January 2025, but it’s now being rebuilt. Piles of “Dead White Man’s Clothes” Now picture Accra, the capital of Ghana in West Africa. Every week, around 100 containers of secondhand clothes—over 15 million fashion items—arrive at its nearby port of Tema.  About 70% of these garments are destined for the vast Kantamanto Market, according to a 2024  Greenpeace Africa investigation . On the ground, data from the Or Foundation paint  a complex picture. Some 30,000 people in the market community recirculate about 25 million pieces of secondhand clothing every month through resale, repair, and remanufacturing. It is one of the world’s most sophisticated reuse hubs—and proof that informal economies can dramatically extend garment lifespans. The Kantamanto market community is, in many ways, doing the work that brands and wealthy consumers have failed to do: using clothes until they are truly worn out. But this river of clothing has a toxic edge. Greenpeace notes that Ghana now receives every year around 152,600 tons of secondhand clothes, locally known as Obroni Wawu —“dead white man’s clothes.” A large fraction arrives damaged, unsellable, or made from cheap synthetics that quickly become waste. The Greenpeace Africa investigation and related research show  that much of this surplus ends up clogging drains, littering beaches, and forming new layers in urban dumps. Polyester is used by itself or blended with other fibers to make a wide variety of clothing. But when the petroleum-derived material is dumped into the environment, it becomes toxic as it degrades. Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels When Dumps Become Landscapes On the other side of the world, northern Chile has become a symbol of textile oversupply. Government figures cited  in Environmental Health News estimate that the country imports around 123,000 tons of used clothing every year, much of it secondhand or unsold stock from brands. When these goods can’t be sold, they are often dumped in the Atacama Desert, forming colorful, toxic hills of discarded clothing even visible from space. The textile hills are toxic because of their preponderance of polyester, a petroleum product. Chile’s fast fashion waste cleanup plan  has become a global symbol of fashion’s failure to manage its own leftovers. Open-air burning and long-term degradation [of textile waste] threaten biodiversity, soil health, and nearby communities. UNEP’s opinion piece on textile waste highlights  these Atacama “micro-dumps” as part of a wider pattern: textile waste accumulating in fragile ecosystems, where open-air burning and long-term degradation threaten biodiversity, soil health, and nearby communities. In India, the city of Hyderabad offers another snapshot of the crisis. Every day, the city collects about 9,000 tons of municipal waste, of which 750–800 tons are discarded clothes, according to a recent  report  from The Times of India . Officials estimate that around 40% of this textile waste could be recycled, but most of it is simply mixed with other garbage and dumped. The same article notes that the city lacks true sanitary landfills, meaning dyes, chemicals, and synthetic microfibers from clothing seep directly into soil and water. The Fast Fashion Craze In recent years, the biggest accelerants to the global textile-waste glut have not been legacy fashion houses but ultra–fast fashion platforms, such as Shein and increasingly Temu, both based in China. These companies churn out  thousands of new styles daily and are often priced so low that garments are treated as disposable, says Grist, an independent media outlet that tracks climate change. Shein alone reportedly emitted 16.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2023—more than what four coal power plants spew in a year—and, with around 76% of its clothing made from polyester, only about 6% of that polyester is recycled. Rather than reducing “waste,” this model amplifies it : Garments wear out, are discarded quickly, and add to the global mountains of landfill and incineration. Addressing the textile-waste crisis will therefore require rethinking not only regulation and disposal, but the very economics of fashion , advocates and experts advise. Rather than relying on quotas or trade restrictions, consumers and policymakers might do well to create space  for quality, longevity, and circular business models—such as clothing rental, repair and resale, or truly durable design. Brands could be encouraged (or incentivized) to design  for longevity, material recovery, and reuse rather than pushing constant novelty. At the same time, consumers can shift demand by buying fewer items, better-made items and resisting the cheap-price impulse that fuels throwaway consumption. Over time, if enough people and companies embrace a slower, more considered approach to clothing, the “rivers” of textile waste could shrink—and flow instead toward loops of reuse and recycling . Realistically, a circular economy won’t happen without concrete improvements in textile recycling and reuse infrastructure . Encouragingly, some companies—including fast fashion players themselves—are experimenting with chemical and fiber-to-fiber recycling to recover  polyester and synthetic fibers and reincorporate them into new garments. Advances in automated sorting (for example using near-infrared imaging combined with artificial intelligence) are improving  the feasibility of separating mixed-fiber garments so that they don’t all end up as low-grade waste. Irrigating an Alabama cotton field. Growing cotton requires enormous volumes of water. Wikipedia/Alabama Extension New Rules for Clothing Producers Policy is starting to catch up with this reality. In October 2025, the EU’s  revised Waste Framework Directive  entered into force, introducing extended producer responsibility (EPR) rules for textiles across member states. The law requires producers—including e-commerce sellers—to fund the collection, sorting, and treatment of textile waste, and it sets targets to reduce food and textile waste as part of a broader circular economy push. The same EU textile EPR rules note that the bloc generated about 12.6 million tons of textile waste in 2019, with only about one-fifth separately collected for reuse or recycling. Americans produced 17 million tons of textiles in 2018, landfilled about 11.3 million tons, and recycled only 2.5 million tons—a recycling rate of just 14.7%. In the United States, the federal government has not yet adopted nationwide EPR for textiles, but the scale of the problem is clear. According to US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) textile waste data , Americans produced 17 million tons of textiles in 2018, landfilled about 11.3 million tons, and recycled only 2.5 million tons—a recycling rate of just 14.7%. Those EPA figures show textiles making up a significant share of municipal waste, even before accounting for exports. Other governments are watching the EU closely. Chile, for example, has begun to integrate textiles into its own circular economy strategy and EPR framework in direct response to the Atacama disaster, building on the issues highlighted by UNEP and reporting  by various media from the Atacama Desert. These are important steps, but they will succeed only if they change the flow of textiles at every stage—from design and production to export and disposal. From Dumping to Stewardship So, what would it mean to truly “rethink the rivers of textile waste”? The evidence from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation report, the EEA microplastics analysis , and community-level studies suggests a few clear priorities: Turn off the tap of overproduction. Brands need binding targets to reduce volumes and design for durability rather than disposability. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s circular textiles vision emphasizes  longer garment use, better design, and business models based on services (rental, repair, resale) instead of endless new units. Make producers responsible for the full life cycle. EPR schemes, like the EU’s  new textile waste law , can shift the cost burden away from municipalities and import-dependent communities and back onto the companies that profit from selling clothes. Done well, these schemes can fund high-quality sorting, textile-to-textile recycling, and social enterprises that build on models like the Kantamanto market community . Respect the limits of import-dependent markets. Countries like Ghana and Chile should have the right—and the data—to cap imports of poor-quality goods that are likely to become waste. Campaigns like Greenpeace Africa’s “return to sender” analysis  of secondhand flows argue that exporters must stop treating African ports as pressure valves for overproduction. Invest in local recycling and repair, not just waste-to-energy. Hyderabad’s example, where the Greater Hyderabad textile waste figures show  750–800 tons of clothing discarded daily, demonstrates both the scale of the challenge and the potential to create jobs in sorting, repair, and fiber-to-fiber recycling instead of sending everything to landfills or incinerators. The question now is whether policymakers, brands, and consumers will act quickly enough to stop people’s clothes from becoming the next dominant “landform” on the planet. *Karl Selle is a freelance writer who lives in Bowie, Maryland, US.

The UN's Top Court Says Yes, but Does the Universe Itself Confer This Right? By Jana Perez-Angelo* These Polynesian boys hamming it up in the city of South Tarawa (population 63,000), capital of Kiribati, could be the poster children for the threat of global sea-level rise inundating low-lying island nations like Kiribati, Tonga, and the Maldives. Kiribati supported a climate change case brought to the International Court of Justice, which the court used to declare that an unpolluted environment is a human right. Government of Kiribati/Wikipedia As wildfires rage, oceans rise, and extreme weather events strain vulnerable communities worldwide, the question is becoming increasingly urgent: Do people have a universal human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment ? In July 2025, the United Nations’ top judicial body, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ,delivered an advisory opinion asserting that such a right exists.   The ruling was requested by a coalition of small island nations and supported by over 130 countries. Climate activists, human rights advocates, and environmental scholars hailed it as a moral milestone, potentially reshaping global environmental governance. The opinion articulates  a vision of environmental protection as more than policy, and suggests a collective responsibility grounded in legal, moral, and spiritual imperatives.   Yet the opinion also raises complex legal and philosophical questions. Is this right enforceable, or does it remain aspirational? And does it reflect a deeper, perhaps divine or natural, universal moral law, echoing the stewardship principles upheld by many religious and philosophical traditions ?   What the ICJ Said The Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, the seat of the International Court of Justice. Ben Bender/Wikipedia The ICJ declared that states have a duty to protect the environment and prevent activities that cause transboundary environmental harm. While advisory opinions  are not legally binding, they carry significant moral and persuasive authority in international law.   “ States must cooperate  to achieve concrete emission reduction targets,” ICJ Judge Yuji Iwasawa said, adding that failure by countries to comply with the “stringent obligations” placed on them by climate treaties is a breach of international law. This principle draws upon established doctrines in international environmental law that underscore that environmental protection is a shared responsibility.   Countries with existing environmental rights enshrined in their constitutions, such as France , Kenya , and Norway, may now find new judicial support for strengthening protections and expanding avenues for litigation. The constitutions of more than three-quarters of the countries on Earth explicitly reference environmental rights or responsibilities. However, this is not the case in the United States. The US Constitution contains no unequivocal right to a clean and healthy environment, and efforts to persuade federal courts to recognize an implied constitutional right have been unsuccessful . Consequently, environmental protection in the US remains largely statutory and regulatory, rather than constitutional.   The ICJ ruling sets up a clash between national sovereignty and international responsibility.   The ICJ ruling sets up a clash between national sovereignty and international responsibility. The ICJ emphasized that environmental protection is a shared global duty, asserting that “no state may act in a vacuum when its activities impact ecosystems beyond its borders.” The Court clarified  that a state’s failure to take adequate measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions may constitute an internationally wrongful act, not because of the emissions themselves, but due to the state’s breach of its duty to safeguard the planetwide climate system.   This principle resonates with the concept of common concern of humankind , which has appeared in climate and biodiversity treaties, affirming the global nature of environmental responsibility.   Moral and Religious Dimensions Video of Pope Leo XIV’s address on human stewardship of the environment. Across the world’s religions and philosophies, the natural world is viewed as sacred, and humans are entrusted with its care. The late Pope Francis’ Laudato Si ’ encyclical emphasizes care for “ our common home ,” reminding policymakers that environmental degradation disproportionately affects the poor and marginalized. In Islam, the Qur’anic principle of khalifah describes humans as trustees of the Earth, bearing responsibility to preserve ecosystems for future generations. Hindu traditions teach ahimsa, nonviolence toward all living beings, while Indigenous and Native American worldviews understand humans as kin within the web of life, with obligations to maintain balance and reciprocity. Jewish teachings on tikkun olam  call for repairing and protecting the world—human and natural—as a divine duty.   The Laudato Si  document recalls the biblical statement that God put human beings in the Garden of Eden “to cultivate and keep it,” meaning to maintain it, with no option to ruin it (Genesis 2:15). “Keeping,” according to the encyclical, in fact means “caring, protecting, overseeing, and preserving.” Psalm 24:1 reminds people that “the Earth is the Lord’s,” implying that humans are merely borrowing from the Earth materials that are divine creations and therefore holy.   In an interview with The Earth & I , Dr. Celia Deane-Drummond , director of the Laudato Si’ Research Institute  at Campion Hall, University of Oxford, emphasized that the right to a clean and healthy environment is deeply connected to the right to life, since human survival depends on the flourishing of other creatures. Philosophical, moral, and religious traditions affirm that all creatures possess intrinsic value—worth in themselves, not simply in their usefulness to humans.   Many faith traditions see this intrinsic worth as grounded in the sacred: All life reflects divine presence, and humans, as moral agents or divine trustees, bear a responsibility toward creation. To deprive communities of a healthy environment, Deane-Drummond notes, is therefore a grave injustice. Stewardship, in this sense, is not mere management of resources but a transcendent calling to care for the Earth as a sacred trust.   Protecting the environment is not only a matter of governance but a moral obligation owed to creation, to humanity, and to future generations, grounded in the will of the Creator.   From this interreligious perspective, the ICJ ruling codifies what diverse traditions have long proclaimed: Protecting the environment is not only a matter of governance but a moral obligation owed to creation, to humanity, and to future generations, grounded in the will of the Creator. Opportunities for Vulnerable Nations Bartholemew, ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople and leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church, has expressed environmental sentiments parallel to those of Popes Francis and Leo XIV. Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών/Wikipedia For small island developing states facing existential climate threats, the ICJ ruling offers potential leverage. The Stockholm Environment Institute suggests that nations like Tuvalu,   Kiribati , and the Maldives could use the advisory opinion to support claims for climate finance, adaptation aid, or reparations under international law. Analysts note that such legal recognition can strengthen negotiations at forums such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change  and the Green Climate Fund,  even if enforcement mechanisms remain limited. Legal experts also suggest that the opinion could bolster strategic litigation efforts. Cases that allege cross-border environmental harm, rising sea levels, or climate-induced displacement may find a stronger footing when international law increasingly frames these issues as fundamental human rights. For instance, the precedent set by the Netherlands’ Supreme Court in Urgenda v. Netherlands shows that domestic courts are willing to hold governments accountable for failing to prevent climate harms—a principle potentially reinforced by the ICJ’s advisory opinion. Critiques and Counterarguments  Not everyone sees the ruling as a step forward. Some conservative scholars and commentators caution against judicial overreach, arguing that climate policy should be determined by democratic processes, not by courts. Bjorn Lomborg , writing in The Washington Post , says the ruling will cause “significant economic harm, with far-reaching consequences for human well-being,” and claims it risks undermining democratic governance by creating obligations without legislative approval. The Heartland Institute  and other climate-skeptic think tanks echo concerns about expanding obligations through appointed judges rather than popularly elected legislatures.   Other critics warn that the advisory opinion may provide a false sense of progress. While symbolic victories matter, they caution that without enforcement mechanisms, states may ignore obligations or prioritize economic growth over environmental protection. US legal scholars, for example, note that advisory opinions  historically carry persuasive weight but require domestic or international follow-up for binding implementation.   Transforming the ICJ’s moral and legal recognition into binding obligations would require treaties, international enforcement mechanisms, or domestic legislation. Precedents suggest that advisory opinions can inspire national legal reforms, but their global impact often depends on political will, civil society pressure, and moral advocacy, including from religious communities. Legal scholars at the European Journal of International Law  note that recognition of environmental rights as customary international law could eventually allow litigation against states or corporations causing cross-border harm, particularly in jurisdictions with preexisting environmental rights. Soft-law instruments, like the 1972 Stockholm Declaration  or the 2022 UN General Assembly resolution on human rights and the environment , have previously catalyzed gradual legal integration. If political momentum continues, advisory opinions may evolve into enforceable norms, especially when aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.   Scientific and Policy Context The ICJ ruling emerges against a backdrop of worsening global environmental crises. Rising temperatures,   ocean acidification , biodiversity loss , and deforestation  all demonstrate that environmental harm has immediate and long-term human rights implications. The World Bank  and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that climate change disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, creating a feedback loop between environmental degradation and social inequities.   Integrating the ICJ opinion into policy could encourage governments to prioritize environmental protection alongside economic development. By framing environmental protection as a human right or even a supernatural mandate, policymakers may be compelled to adopt stricter regulations, incentivize renewable energy,  and enhance international cooperation. This could also influence financial institutions to incorporate environmental criteria into investment and lending decisions, effectively mainstreaming sustainability as both a legal and moral imperative.   Ultimately, the ICJ opinion forces us to ask: Is there a fundamental human right—perhaps even undergirded by divine authority—to a clean environment ? If it’s more than just ink on a legal document, if it’s truly a transcendent reality, then scholars, policymakers, religious leaders, and civil society are called to urgently grapple with how to operationalize this right in legal, political, and ethical terms. Time will tell whether humanity embraces the responsibility owed not only to people around the world but to the entire web of life  and to generations yet unborn. *Jana Perez-Angelo is a Denver-based writer and multidisciplinary creative and digital strategist passionate about brand storytelling and purpose-driven content. Her work has been featured in Relevant Magazine, Medium, and Faithful Life.

Citizen Divers Monitor UK Marine Life for Conservation Science   By Gordon Cairns* Loch Carron in 2025. iStock On its surface, Loch Carron is a beautiful, tranquil highland sea loch on the northwest coast of Scotland. The highlands there are home to a diverse range of wildlife, including pine martens, red deer, and oystercatchers. Hidden deep below the loch’s surface is an equally beautiful haven for starfish, flame shells, and beds of maerl, a species of coral-like red algae. That this underwater world exists today in such abundant health can be credited to the work of Seasearch, a volunteer organization of citizen scientists who enjoy giving back to the marine world they love. Members of Seasearch Orkney Expedition after enjoying a meal together. Courtesy of Karen Boswarva In 2016, it was the quick actions of one of Seasearch’s volunteer scuba divers that stopped fishing boats from destroying the loch’s seabed. When a local diver observed a fishing boat trawling the seabed for shellfish in an area already known to be of high biodiversity, a group of divers immediately got together to collect the necessary evidence to have the loch designated an emergency nature conservation area. Their documentation was passed on to authorities who called an immediate halt to demersal dredging and trawling in the area. Now completely recovered, Loch Carron has full nature-conservation-area protected status, known in Scotland as a Marine Protected Area . In an interview with The Earth & I, Karen Boswarva, Seasearch coordinator for the Scottish islands of Orkney and Shetland, explained how quickly damage to the seabed can be missed. Weather and predators can cover over evidence of destruction, she explained. “If those Seasearch divers hadn’t gone in when they did, the time it would have taken to get a dive team in and record that information would have meant the damage wouldn’t have been exposed.” “If those Seasearch divers hadn’t gone in when they did … the [seabed] damage wouldn’t have been exposed.” She added: “Seasearch has had a really positive impact on that area. [Loch Carron] has since been identified as the largest flame shell bed in the known world. Other priority marine features—maerl beds and kelp forests—are also in the same designated area.” Flame shells. Courtesy of Karen Boswarva Fireworks anemone ( Pachycerianthus multiplicatus ) in Loch Fyne.  Courtesy of Karen Boswarva. A rocky reef off Cape Wrath dominated by dead man's fingers ( Alcyonium digitatum ), a species of soft coral, and tiny purple jewel anemones ( Corynactis viridis ). Courtesy of Karen Boswarva It seems only fitting to the marine scientist that these mollusks are so prevalent in this part of the world—a quarter of a billion flame shells live in Loch Carron alone—as they look like the Scottish novelty hats with ginger hair that anyone can buy from tourist shops. “The flame shell,” Boswarva said, “is the most Scottish of species. It’s got a mass of flame orange tentacles coming out of the shell.” She describes the unique experience of encountering them underwater: “They’re really cool to see because you just see these little holes with bright orange tentacles sticking out. They just need the little pom-pom on a highlander hat to complete the picture.” Monitoring Marine Life Apart from carrying out such dramatic interventions, Seasearch provides data that can be used to support conservation efforts  to reduce overfishing, habitat damage, pollution, and the spread of invasive species. In the UK, most marine citizen science initiatives are driven by nongovernmental organizations like Seasearch that have already reported more than 800,000 habitat and species observations to the UK National Biodiversity Network. Volunteer groups are crucial in filling the gaps that government bodies can’t plug, mapping the health of coastal ecosystems in ways that would be cost-prohibitive for professional research teams, Boswarva said. “You just couldn’t fund the amount of data that is collected by volunteers. As soon as you dive for work, health and safety regulations and work permits mean that it can cost thousands of pounds just to spend one hour in the water.” “You just couldn’t fund the amount of data that is collected by volunteers.” The group, which has been collecting data since 1988, covers the British coastline with its own coordinators providing training. Seasearch’s citizen science initiative empowers recreational divers and snorkelers to contribute directly to conservation science, producing reliable datasets that support habitat protection, policymaking, and environmental awareness. Video  on the work of Seasearch. Diligent Documentation Seasearch volunteers are trained in species identification and survey methods, and document everything from rare invertebrates to invasive species on specially designed forms. Boswarva stressed how important it is to make sure these underwater surveys are exact: “The data we collect is vital. The key thing is to make sure it is accurate, as it goes onto the UK Marine database. The only reason it is allowed onto the database is because of our quality-control process. Multiple coordinators verify the data and input it.” She added: “The data is used for conservation, policy, [and] management. It is used by the statutory bodies and the policymakers, so it is absolutely vital we maintain that data to the highest quality.” Seasearch divers conducting surveys on maerl, Scapa Flow, Orkney. Courtesy of Karen Boswarva All the data is included in Marine Recorder Online , a modern data management system for the UK that mainly focuses on species records and seafloor sampling data, such as sediment type and biotope information. It also produces maps , policy documents, and predictive models of habitats. In addition, Seasearch’s data is added to the National Biodiversity Network, which is publicly accessible to everyone—academics, family history researchers, even children doing school projects. And the work of Seasearch is deeply appreciated by the groups who use their data, including NatureScot, “Scotland’s nature agency.” NatureScot has “supported Seasearch in Scotland for many years now,” said Rie Pors, a NatureScot marine habitat ecologist and surveyor. “The skills and enthusiasm of their volunteers for marine life have in turn supported our own monitoring. The information collected by Seasearch divers, snorkelers, and shore walkers is helping us to map out the variety of life found on our seabed at a critical time for the protection of Scotland's biodiversity," she said. A study carried out by Natural England  that looked at data collected by citizen scientists, specifically Seasearch, concluded: “Maps created in this study are unrivaled in their currency, extent, and detail. As such, they can act as a ‘current status’ against which to assess future change.” Heading out to Scapa Flow on an Orkney Seasearch expedition. Courtesy of Karen Boswarva Fieldwork Fun Boswarva signed up in 2010 after finding out about Seasearch through her university diving club. She was an undergraduate studying environmental science and conservation at the time. She really enjoyed working with the group, becoming a social media manager and then a coordinator. She sums up the work of the organization: “The purpose of Seasearch is to go out as volunteers and collect data as you are going about your fun recreational activity, making it more worthwhile to yourself by collecting data and information on the habitat and sea creatures that you see. To do that, you complete a survey form, which we teach them how to do.” Global Connections Seasearch volunteers are also playing their part in global marine conservation. “It is really useful,” Boswarva said, “to have such a well-established citizen science project to be used as a model for other areas.” They also get advice from similar organizations in other countries, she added. “Rather than reinventing the wheel for projects that fall under the same umbrella, we can adapt our own projects, giving us a backbone to strengthen them.” Seasearch serves as a global inspiration for teams of citizen scientists to investigate parts of their world that are inaccessible to the vast majority of people—hopefully spreading the fun of environmental care and conservation to the far corners of the Earth. *Gordon Cairns is a freelance journalist and teacher of English and Forest Schools, based in Scotland.

No Drilling Required, Just Heat-Transferring Panels By Dhanada Kanta Mishra* Enerdrape’s thin aluminum heat-exchange panels line the walls of this parking garage in Switzerland. Courtesy of Enerdrape On a chilly morning in Zurich, commuters rush through the humming arteries of the city’s underground train system. Unbeknownst to them, there's a secret in the warm air within the tiled tunnel walls and in the earth and rock through which the tunnel winds: There is a wellspring of human-friendly energy there, lingering quietly in subway shafts, cavernous parking structures, and thermally stable soil and bedrock. It’s an energy reservoir that, until recently, lay mostly untapped—not because it wasn’t large enough, but because few thought to look for it, and even fewer could capture it efficiently. That is, until a Swiss startup led by civil engineer Margaux Peltier,   Professor Lyesse Lalou i, and Dr. Alessandro Rotta Loria  reframed the way cities approach geothermal energy.   The Swiss Solution Decarbonizing buildings—especially in densely built, aging cities—is one of the 21st century’s greatest climate challenges. Globally, heating accounts for nearly half of all building energy use , representing both a massive environmental burden and a multibillion-dollar economic opportunity. Traditional geothermal systems, while clean and powerful, have always seemed out of reach for urban cores. The prospect of drilling deep beneath city streets to tap planetary heat is daunting, disruptive, and, in most cases, practically impossible.   However, in many cities, subway tunnels, underground parking garages, and other subterranean infrastructure contain reservoirs of residual heat: from the Earth itself, from vehicles, or simply from human activity. Until recently, this energy has been largely overlooked. A Swiss spin-off from the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL) called Enerdrape is working to change that, with a technology that installs panels on existing underground walls and ceilings to capture heat without the need for drilling.   How the Panels Work A closeup of four Enerdrape panels showing the embedded piping that harvests ambient warmth and the tubing that leads the warmed water to a heat pump. Courtesy of Enerdrape Enerdrape’s modular, prefabricated aluminum panels function  as heat exchangers. Peltier, Enerdrape’s CEO, said in an interview with The Earth & I : The panels are “embedded with a closed-loop piping circuit through which water as a heat transfer fluid circulates. These panels are installed on the walls and ceilings of underground spaces such as parking garages and subway tunnels, absorbing geothermal heat and residual thermal energy present in these structures.” The fluid then channels the captured heat to a heat pump. That pump upgrades the heat for use aboveground (or reverses for cooling). In terms of heating and cooling efficiency, “Enerdrape panels produce about 100–150 watts of heat per square meter of panel area,” Peltier told The Earth & I , “with real-world operating data showing around 150 W/m² in pilot projects.” Each square meter of panels, she said, can effectively supply heating or cooling to 5 to 20 square meters of building space. “This yield is competitive compared to conventional geothermal energy systems, especially given the extremely low installation impact and the ability to access constant underground temperatures 24/7.” Speaking of her personal background, Peltier said:   “I am French and currently based in Switzerland. The idea of the Enerdrape panel was not a sudden discovery but a result of long years of research in the Laboratory of Soil Mechanics of the EPFL, where I studied civil engineering as an undergrad and master’s student.” The panel concept, she said, is based on research carried out in particular by Laloui and his group.   “We can transform underground car parks into something greener and more sustainable.”   “Instead of going on to pursue a PhD, I chose the entrepreneurial path of bringing research to commercial application, after working for a few years as a scientific assistant myself.”   Projects, Funding, and Impact Enerdrape has moved from lab concept to real-world deployment in several Swiss and French sites, and is now expanding into the United States. Some highlights:   In 2024, it raised CHF 1.3 million ($1.6 million) in a seed financing  round. Among the investors were Swiss entities such as Après-Demain (via the GeneRActions Planet initiative) and Romande Energie. Peltier commented  that the investment is “a testament to the confidence our investors place in Enerdrape’s mission and potential. It propels the company to scale operations, enhance product offerings, and strengthen the team with new talent.” Enerdrape has won  recognition through innovation and sustainability awards, including the AMAG Sustainability Challenge 2024. The company is installing panels in a number of underground structures: car parks, tunnels, etc. In Chicago, for example, it is working  on a project in the Millennium Parking Garages (one of the largest public underground parking complexes in North America). In New York, Enerdrape is conducting feasibility studies for pilot programs in several large city buildings. In France, partners  such as ENGIE Solutions, a global sustainable technology firm, and Paris Habitat, a government-housing provider, are involved. “Cities like New York” and others, Peltier said, “are pushing electrification and emissions reductions, creating incentives for sustainable heating and cooling technologies. While political and regulatory environments can be complex, the rising focus on urban decarbonization aligns well with Enerdrape’s technology.” A geothermal power station in Negros Oriental, the Philippines. Tapping the Earth’s heat can mean deep drilling and extensive infrastructure, as pictured here. Mike Gonzalez/Wikipedia “We see a future,” Peltier said  in an interview with the AMAG Swiss automotive group, “where mobility infrastructure not only shapes how our cities look but also their energy supply.” She further noted that “together with companies like AMAG, we can transform underground car parks into something greener and more sustainable.”   One of the compelling advantages of Enerdrape’s approach is avoiding the cost, complexity, and disruption of drilling deep boreholes or excavating new wells. Because the panels are applied to existing structures, installations can be faster, regulatory hurdles potentially fewer, and disruption to urban life more limited. “We aim for a world where every underground infrastructure becomes a well of green energy,” Peltier told  ENGIE Research & Innovation News.   A powerful environmental vision: “unleashing the full potential of the subsurface, placing it at the heart of the energy transition.”   Yet there remain technical and regulatory obstacles. Underground spaces present harsh environments: humidity, vibration, chemical exposure, and in many cases older or complex building HVAC systems that must be integrated. Urban regulation around underground retrofits is not yet standard. Peltier acknowledged that “older buildings often have thick walls, protected facades, or space limitations making traditional retrofits difficult.” Yet, she said, Enerdrape’s system is designed to overcome some of these constraints by being noninvasive and modular.   Broader Implications and Outlook If scalable, the model could become an important component of low-carbon heating and cooling for cities. Heating and cooling in buildings account for a large share of energy use in the built environment, especially in older or high-density urban areas. By using already existing underground structures to harvest residual heat, energy systems could become more decentralized, more resilient, and less reliant on fossil fuels.   Peltier has suggested  that the system can “produce renewable heat 24 hours a day,” and that it can be used both in renovations and new construction. She also has emphasized that scaling doesn’t always require huge upfront investment, saying that the panels are compatible with existing infrastructure and that one can start with pilot installations and build up.   When all is said and done, Peltier has a powerful environmental vision: “unleashing the full potential of the subsurface, placing it at the heart of the energy transition,” as she declared to The Earth & I . If Enerdrape and similar technologies continue to perform as in pilot projects, society may be at a turning point: viewing underground infrastructure not as inert voids beneath cities, but as active contributors to urban energy systems. The question now is how swiftly cities can adapt regulation, financing, and building practices to integrate them. *Dhanada Kanta Mishra is a PhD in civil engineering from the University of Michigan and is currently working as the managing director of a Hong Kong-based AI startup for building technology for the sustainability of built infrastructure ( www.raspect.ai ). He writes on environmental issues, sustainability, the climate crisis, and built infrastructure.

Emerging Tools and Policies Grapple with a Toxic Problem By Karl Selle* Cast-off smartphones, an example of e-waste. Leo Arslan/Pexels A pile of discarded smartphones, laptops, and tangled cords might look like just a heap of trash. However, it's emblematic of the world’s fastest-growing waste stream: electronic waste (e-waste). According to the  Global E-waste Monitor , the world generated 62 million tons of e-waste in 2022, and that number is projected to soar further as people’s appetite for devices expands. Much of this waste is improperly handled, leaching toxic metals and plastics into soil and water, especially in regions where devices are dismantled or burned by hand. Companies and researchers are even exploring “urban mining”—digging valuable metals out of old landfills. At the same time, these cast-off gadgets contain vast untapped wealth: gold, silver, copper, cobalt, and rare earth minerals that could power the clean energy transition. Increasingly, companies and researchers are even exploring “ urban mining ”—digging valuable metals out of old landfills and stockpiles instead of pulling them from the earth. The scale of the problem is daunting. But emerging solutions suggest a hopeful path. Policies like the Right to Repair, companies designing more modular products, innovations like using robots to recycle electronics , and new tools such as digital product passports  (DPPs) all point toward a circular economy in which electronics are not disposable but recyclable. These terms may sound new, so here’s what they mean. The  Right to Repair  ensures that consumers and independent shops can get the same parts and manuals that manufacturers give their own repair networks—something that is not the norm today. Most manufacturers keep these tightly controlled, which means if a device breaks, a person often must go through an expensive official channel or replace the device altogether.  Robotic recycling refers to using machines instead of people to safely dismantle gadgets for their precious metals. And digital product passports  are electronic records that track what materials a product contains and where they came from, so they can be reused or recycled more easily. An electronics refurbishing and reselling shop in Bangalore, India. Victor Grigas/Creative Commons A Global Movement Gains Ground At its core, the Right to Repair is about fairness and sustainability. It gives people and independent shops access to the same parts, tools, and manuals that manufacturers reserve for their own networks. Without this access, perfectly fixable devices end up in landfills. [Right to Repair] gives people and independent shops access to the same parts, tools, and manuals that manufacturers reserve for their own networks. Across the United States, momentum is accelerating. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)  reports that dozens of states introduced Right to Repair bills in 2023 alone. These cover a wide range of products: agricultural equipment, consumer electronics, medical devices, and even appliances. Colorado, for instance, passed a groundbreaking law for agricultural equipment, ensuring that farmers—not just dealerships—can fix their own tractors. According to NCSL , this wave of bills reflects consumer frustration with high repair costs and short product lifespans. Advocates like Repair.org  frame the issue as one of consumer rights and environmental necessity. Their policy objectives call for universal access to parts, tools, software, and documentation—the basic ingredients of repair. Without these, products are designed for obsolescence instead of longevity. Minnesota’s Bold Step One of the clearest examples is Minnesota. In 2023, the state passed the Digital Fair Repair Act, codified in Statute 325E.72, which took effect on July 1, 2024. According to  Reuse Minnesota , the law requires manufacturers to make documentation, parts, and tools available to consumers and independent repair shops for nearly any device with a microchip, from smartphones to refrigerators. There are caveats: Cars, medical devices, farm equipment, video game consoles, and power tools are exempt. Still, this is one of the most comprehensive state laws to date. As  Reuse Minnesota  explains, it ensures that within 60 days of a product’s first sale, manufacturers must provide manuals, service codes, replacement parts, and repair software—on fair and reasonable terms. Enforcement falls to the state’s attorney general. Consumer advocates stress, as NCSL  reports, that Minnesota’s law is a test case. If enforced vigorously, it could drive down repair costs, extend product lifespans, and reduce e-waste flows. Other states are already watching closely. The repair movement is not only legislative but cultural. Organizations like  iFixit have published tens of thousands of free repair guides, from iPhones to espresso machines. Their advocacy arm notes that Right to Repair bills have now been introduced in all 50 US states.  iFixit  also rates products for repairability, shining a spotlight on manufacturers who design for longevity versus those who build for obsolescence. Repair cafés—community workshops where volunteers help fix devices—reinforce this culture. They not only divert waste but also shift mindsets: Repair is empowerment, not inconvenience.   Repair.org  points out that community repair boosts environmental awareness and builds social cohesion. Internationally, the movement is gaining traction. WIPO Magazine  highlights how repair intersects with intellectual property, software locks, and competition law. Countries in Europe have already passed rules  requiring manufacturers to design appliances for easier repair and to provide spare parts for up to 10 years. Industry Resistance and Policy Pushback Of course, not everyone is on board. Industry groups warn about safety, cybersecurity, and intellectual property. The auto industry in particular has fought to limit repair access, but even here, cracks are forming. The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) runs a campaign titled  “Protect Your Right to Repair,” arguing that vehicle owners should have access to diagnostics and parts. As  MEMA  explains, bipartisan support has made auto repair rights one of the most advanced areas of this movement. Manufacturers of consumer electronics remain more resistant. Watchdogs like  Public Interest Research Group (PIRG)  show that enforcement is already a challenge: Many companies still withhold parts and manuals even after laws are passed. PIRG’s July 2025 Leaders & Laggards II  report found that major tech brands continue to make repairs unnecessarily difficult, highlighting the gap between legislation and implementation. As  PIRG notes, even new laws can fall short without strong oversight. Repair is essential, but it’s only part of the solution. Ultimately, products themselves must be designed to last. Fortunately, a new generation of companies is leading the way. Fairphone has built a reputation for radical modularity. Its newest model, the Fairphone 6, earned a 10/10 repairability score from  iFixit . Consumers can easily replace the battery, screen, or camera module with a screwdriver. According to  Fairphone’s Impact Report , these design choices avoid tons of e-waste and create fair-wage supply chains. Fairphone’s model demonstrates that designing for longevity is not only possible but profitable. Framework Laptop  has done the same for computers. Its latest iteration, the Framework 12, also scored 10/10 on  iFixit . Every part is labeled, repair guides are free, and upgrades (like new motherboards) can be swapped in without buying a new device. Closing the Loop: Recycling and Urban Mining Even with the best repair policies and modular designs, electronics will eventually reach the end of their life. That’s where innovations in recycling come in. Apple’s “Daisy” robot is a striking example. According to  Apple , Daisy can disassemble 200 iPhones per hour, extracting rare earth magnets, cobalt from batteries, and gold from circuit boards. Apple claims these materials can then be fed into new devices, reducing the need for virgin mining. As  Apple  highlights, such recycling innovations are central to their “Apple 2030” carbon goals. Researchers are also advancing automated disassembly. A review in Frontiers in Robotics and AI  titled “The Future of Robotic Disassembly: A systematic review of techniques and applications in the age of AI” shows how using robots to recycle electronics can reduce worker exposure to toxins while boosting recovery rates. Meanwhile, urban mining is gaining momentum. The Chemical & Engineering News  feature “Electronic waste is a gold mine waiting to be tapped” argues that tapping e-waste stockpiles could rival conventional mining in scale. In addition, a 2025 study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that “flash Joule heating” can recover precious metals from e-waste with 80 to 500 times less energy than traditional smelting. Policy for a Circular Future Policy is catching up to these innovations. The European Union is rolling out the digital product passport as part of its Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation . The DPP will track materials throughout a product’s life cycle, making it easier to repair, refurbish, and recycle. As the EU Commission  explains, it’s like a digital ID card for products that shows what they’re made of and how they can be serviced. Analyses by think tanks like the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) confirm that these systems can transform not just electronics but also batteries , textiles, and construction materials . CEPS’ work suggests DPPs could become the backbone of Europe’s circular economy. Meanwhile, the United States is behind  on such measures. The e-waste center of Agbogbloshie, a suburb of Accra, the capital of Ghana, where electronic waste is burned and disassembled with no safety or environmental considerations. Marlenenapoli/Wikipedia E-waste is not just an environmental crisis; it is also a justice issue. Informal e-waste dumps in Ghana , India, and elsewhere expose workers and children to toxic smoke and heavy metals. Meanwhile, underserved communities in wealthy nations lack affordable access to technology. Here, repair and refurbishment intersect with equity. Groups like Wisetekmarket and the Digital Poverty Alliance  stress that refurbishing devices and reselling them at lower cost helps bridge the digital divide while cutting waste. Social enterprises already refurbish laptops for schools, creating green jobs in the process. According to 4thbin.com , recycling e-waste generates tens of thousands of skilled jobs for dismantling electronic devices, recovering precious metals, and repurposing parts. The e-waste problem is vast, but the solutions are coming into focus: Policymakers must strengthen and enforce repair laws, following the lead of states like Minnesota and global frameworks like the EU’s Digital Product Passport. Manufacturers must embrace design for repairability, as shown by pioneers like Fairphone and Framework. Consumers can support companies that value longevity, use  iFixit’s  repair guides, and choose refurbished devices. Communities can host repair cafés and demand accountability from local leaders. As the  Global E-waste Monitor  warns, e-waste is growing five times faster than documented recycling. Yet with the momentum of the Right to Repair movement , the innovation of using robots to recycle electronics , and the vision of circular policy , people can begin to bend the curve. *Karl Selle is a freelance writer who lives in Bowie, Maryland, USA.

Evidence Shows Links to Stronger Academics, Health, and Problem-Solving Skills By Karl Selle* When young students experience excitement over objects in the natural world they develop a love for nature that can bring them to be lifelong caretakers of the environment. Rawpixel/iStock Children don’t protect what they don’t love. Environmental education at its best cultivates a felt  connection to living systems—wonder at a bee’s flight, delight in a sprouting seed, awe under a night sky. And those feelings can be further solidified by developing a spiritual connection in which to root them. Ideally, affection matures into an environmental morality: a durable sense that the other-than-human world is worthy of care, that one’s choices carry consequences, and that stewardship is part of being a good neighbor and a good citizen.   As the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE ) frames it, environmental education—which might also be called green learning , ecoliteracy , ecological education , or environmental literacy —develops not only knowledge but dispositions for responsible action. As students keep encountering nature directly, those dispositions become habits. This is more than sentiment. Early, repeated contact with nature builds pro-environment attitudes that persist. Programs that take learning outdoors—gardens, habitat projects, creek monitoring—give kids chances to practice care, not just talk about it. Over time, that practice becomes identity: Children begin to think, “I’m someone who notices, tends, and restores.” Research compilations from Texas Children in Nature  show gains in cognition and goal-making abilities from outdoor learning, and the National Wildlife Federation’s Schoolyard Habitats offers step-by-step ways to turn affection into action through real habitat work (see their Planning Guide ).   Crucially, a love-first approach aligns head and heart. Students learn to test water quality, plant flowers to attract pollinating insects, and read energy dashboards—and they are taught to care  about the outcomes. That blend of competence and care is what endures: a lifelong lifestyle of conservation, kindness toward the natural world, and civic-minded environmental action. It’s why the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF ) highlights benefits that span academics, health, and stewardship.   Indigenous Approach to Learning One underexplored area of environmental teaching is that favored by Native American educators—and it’s one that’s in sync with the mainstream US notion of cultivating in students an emotional and loving connectedness with nature. Indigenous pedagogy can be summarized as follows: Emphasis on relationship, not just knowledge: Instead of treating the environment as a resource “out there,” Native American teachings emphasize reciprocal relationships  between humans and the natural world. Students learn that the Earth is a relative, not a commodity. Lessons stress stewardship and responsibility rather than mere conservation. Place-based learning and local knowledge: Native education is often rooted in specific places and ecosystems— learning from the land itself . Students learn about local plants, animals, watersheds, and seasonal cycles, not just global environmental issues. For example, a class might study how a local river ecosystem functions biologically while also hearing a tribal story that explains its spiritual and historical significance.  Intergenerational and community involvement: Environmental education isn’t confined to textbooks. Tribal elders, farmers, fishers, and community members are coteachers . Storytelling, song, and ceremony are used to pass on ecological knowledge. Projects might involve community gardens, forest restoration, or traditional food harvesting. Indigenous approaches show how ethics and reverence can be embedded in education without endorsing a particular religion.   Integration of spiritual and moral dimensions: Indigenous approaches show how ethics and reverence  can be embedded in education without endorsing a particular religion. Lessons might explore respect for all living beings, the sacredness of water, or the idea of caretaking for future generations. Discussions about the “Seventh Generation” principle —making decisions with the well-being of seven generations ahead in mind—could shape environmental ethics curricula.  Blending traditional ecological knowledge and Western science: Native environmental education doesn’t reject modern science; it complements  it. Students might learn both botanical classification and Indigenous uses of plants. Problem-solving projects balance empirical research with traditional practices.  Education through doing: Hands-on stewardship  is central. Students might participate in water monitoring, replanting native species, or seed gathering.   Ideally, environmental education is more than just teaching science facts. As defined by NAAEE , it is a multidisciplinary approach that equips students with the knowledge and skills to solve environmental challenges. This education can be as simple as students tending a school garden or as complex as high schoolers monitoring air quality with sensors. According to NEEF , these real-world projects improve academic outcomes, nurture resilience, and strengthen community bonds.   Why Now? This is an age of cascading climate impacts and biodiversity loss. Environmental education is not just enrichment; it is survival-level learning. The National Environmental Education Act , passed in 1990, established the US Office of Environmental Education and continues to provide grants and training. At the classroom level, this translates into programs like students in Maryland mapping tree canopy coverage or Texas middle schoolers restoring prairies through Texas Children in Nature . These efforts make environmental challenges tangible—and solvable—for young people. Moroccan students watching birds at Nador lagoon on the Mediterranean coast during activities marking World Wetlands Day. Kokopelado/Wikipedia Globally, NAAEE  emphasizes that education systems must keep pace with ecological realities.  NEEF  reminds people that healthier environments and healthier children are inseparable. Both organizations stress  that environmental education prepares students not only for STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math) but also for civic responsibility in the face of climate change.   Defining Environmental Education Green education is often misunderstood as simply “nature study.” In fact, the Wikipedia entry on environmental education  shows its scope: spanning ethics, civic responsibility, and sustainable development. In practice, it means students doing things:   Testing water quality in nearby streams. Using solar panels at a school like Discovery Elementary in Virginia  to learn how energy systems work (see also the school’s building page  or the architect’s case study ) (this shows how a net-zero school can use solar panels, dashboards, and sustainable design as teaching tools—turning infrastructure into curriculum). Building pollinator gardens and tracking species visits. As NAAEE  explains, these projects foster critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and lifelong stewardship habits.   Evidence for What Works Evidence for ecoliteracy’s impact is strong. A comprehensive Stanford/NAAEE review of 119 studies  found that 98% of green education programs improved student knowledge, while more than 80% inspired pro-environmental behavior. (See the eeWORKS K–12 overview  for a quick synopsis.)   A 2022 Journal of Environmental Psychology meta-analysis synthesized 169 studies across six continents and 176,000 participants. It found that programs linking learning to hands-on projects—like students planting trees, maintaining recycling systems, or designing energy-saving campaigns—had the strongest results.   Students benefit both academically and emotionally. According to NEEF , those in environmental education programs perform better in reading, math, and science. They also develop resilience and creativity and gain “soft skills” like collaboration and problem-solving.   Parents benefit [from eco-education] when kids bring home habits like conserving water or reducing waste.   Teachers benefit from more engaged learners. Parents benefit when kids bring home habits like conserving water or reducing waste. Communities benefit when schools act as models of sustainability—whether that’s composting cafeteria waste, shifting to renewable energy, or installing a rain garden (a shallow depression in the ground planted with native grasses, flowers, and shrubs to mitigate stormwater runoff). Texas Children in Nature  points to improved self-discipline and health among students regularly outdoors.   The Eco-Schools global program  spans more than 50,000 schools across 100-plus countries and engages millions of students. Projects range from building wildlife habitats in the UK to creating recycling systems in Kenya.   A case study on the Czech  Republic by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development shows how students lead local energy audits and biodiversity projects, fostering both literacy and civic engagement. Eco-Schools Malaysia  reports measurable impacts like reduced water use and energy savings. These case studies demonstrate that environmental learning doesn’t stay in the classroom—it can transform whole communities. Students can learn a lot about environmental science just by gardening around their school. Kampus Production/Pexels Green Schools and Cognitive Performance Where students learn also matters. A study in Barcelona, Spain, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  found that students in greener schools had better working memory and less inattentiveness, partly due to reduced air pollution. In terms of less-developed countries, a 2023 open-access study  found that schools surrounded by more greenery saw higher math and reading scores, especially in public schools. Students exposed to nature scored 20% higher in math and 7% higher in reading.   Direct experience in nature deepens care for the environment. Texas Children in Nature  shows how outdoor learning boosts goal-making abilities and academic performance.   If eco-education is so effective, why isn’t it everywhere? Barriers include political resistance, financial inequities, and cultural undervaluing of outdoor learning. The US Environmental Protection Agency  notes that federal support is vital, but local leadership determines implementation. The agency adds that teachers need more training and resources to deliver green education consistently.   Ultimately, environmental education is character education and even spiritual education in an ecological context. By championing eco-education through real-world projects—and beginning with love for the living world—teachers can empower students, strengthen communities, and sustain the shared human future. *Karl Selle is a freelance writer who lives in Bowie, Maryland, USA.

What Especially Africa and California Must Do to Snuff Out Threats A wildfire travels up a mountainside. SONY ILCE/Unsplash Incongruously, new research indicates that while wildfire incidence is down worldwide, the threat of wildfires to people and homes is rising precipitously. Populations are expanding into fire-prone landscapes, according to a new global analysis published in Science  and summarized in ScienceDaily. The study showed that, although the total area burned dropped by about 26%, human exposure to wildfires near their homes rose by some 7.7 million people per year, affecting 440 million people worldwide between 2002 and 2021. Regions with disproportionate risk include sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for 85% of all human wildfire exposures globally, and California, which despite contributing only about 15% of burned area in the United States, is home to 72% of US wildfire exposure. Half of all global human exposure occurs in the five African nations of Congo, South Sudan, Mozambique, Zambia, and Angola. But the US, Europe, and Australia together account for only about 2.5% of the worldwide total. Deterring Woodland Fires To protect people living in fire-prone regions—especially in Africa and California—experts say the urgency is clear: Move from reaction to prevention. Several mitigation tools are proving effective: Prescribed burns and fuel reduction:   Intentionally managed fires  help remove built-up vegetation (fuels) that otherwise feed large wildfires. A recent Stanford-led study showed prescribed fires cut wildfire severity by about 16% in treated areas of the western U.S. and reduced smoke emissions by roughly 101 kilograms of PM 2.5 per acre in California, when accounting for both prescribed fires and future wildfire smoke. Forest thinning and restoration:  Coupling thinning of dense undergrowth  with prescribed fire improves forest health and reduces the risk of high-severity wildfire. A 20-year experiment in California’s Sierra Nevada found that thinning plus prescribed fire significantly lowered potential wildfire danger without harming forest biodiversity. Resilience and building practices in the wildland-urban interface : Homes need  fire-resistant materials, defensible space (cleared areas around structures), and infrastructure planning that respects natural fire patterns. Policies must support  communities to harden structures and avoid building in the most dangerous zones. Improved monitoring, early warning, and community preparedness:  Satellite-based fire detection, weather forecasting that highlights “fire weather” (hot, dry, windy conditions), and early alert systems can give people time to act . In Africa especially, where 85% of global exposures occur, scaling these systems is vital. A firefighter supervises a prescribed burn in California. Pexels The Science  study also documents a sharp increase in “fire weather”—conditions favoring fires (heat, low humidity, wind)—which have intensified significantly over recent decades. Why Fire Mitigation Matters The consequences of wildfire exposure are more than property loss. Smoke contributes to serious health risks —including respiratory, cardiovascular, and even long-term mortality related to fine particulates. Research in California and beyond shows that long-term exposure to wildfire smoke rises sharply in both rural and urban zones near fires. To reduce the risk of wildfire threat, the following are the consensus courses of action: Scale up prescribed burns  and thinning in Africa, California, and elsewhere, especially in zones where people live close to wildlands. Reform policies and permitting  that delay burns or limit their implementation due to smoke fears—while still ensuring safety. Research shows the trade-offs strongly favor prevention over reacting to full-blown wildfires. Expand early warning and community education so that people know how to prepare, evacuate, and protect their health when smoke or fire threatens. Integrate fire risk into urban planning. Avoid risky land-use practices near wildlands, enforce building codes  suited to fire exposure, and increase investment in fire-resistant infrastructure. By adopting these strategies now, regions like Africa and California can reduce the growing mismatch between wildfire risk and human exposure—and protect lives, health, and communities.